Boundary Type area

The Boundary Type area on the Execution tab in the scan dialog box (Insert | Scan) creates an imaginary feature that acts as a boundary around a scan's end point. By default, this feature is a plane at the end point that when crossed one time stops the scan. However, you can define the end boundary type to be a different type of feature.

Boundary types are available only for Linear Open, Linear Close, Patch, Section, and Rotary scans in DCC mode.

The boundary type list lets you choose how a scan ends. Each boundary type uses a value from the Crossings box.

Plane - The scan stops after the probe crosses the plane at the end point the given number of times.

The Edit Window command line for the plane boundary type reads:

BOUNDARY/PLANE, x,y,z,PlaneVec=i,j,k, EndVec=i,j,k,Crossings

PlaneVec: This vector defines the plane normal vector at the end point.
EndVec: The approach vector at the end point

Sphere - The scan stops after the probe crosses (breaks) the sphere at the end point the given number of times.

The sphere is located at the End Point but offset from the surface by a probe radius along the approach vector so that the center of ball will pass through the sphere.

The Edit Window command line for the sphere boundary type reads:

BOUNDARY/SPHERE, x,y,z,EndVec=i,j,k,Radius,Crossings

Radius: The radius of the sphere.
EndVec The approach vector at the end point

Cylinder - The scan stops after the probe crosses (breaks) the cylinder at the end point the given number of times. The cylinder is unbounded (i.e. is considered infinite in length).

The cylinder is located at the End Point but offset from the surface by a probe radius along the approach vector so that the center of ball will pass through the cylinder.

The Edit Window command line for the cylinder boundary type reads:

BOUNDARY/CYLINDER, x,y,z, Axis=i,j,k, EndVec=i,j,k,Radius,Crossings

Radius: The radius of the cylinder.
AxisVec: This vector defines the axis of the cylinder at the end point.
EndVec: The approach vector at the end point

Cone - The scan stops after the probe crosses (breaks) the cone at the end point the given number of times. The cone is unbounded (i.e. is considered infinite in length).

The cone Vertex is at the end point of the scan.

The Edit Window command line for the cone boundary type reads:

BOUNDARY/CONE, x,y,z, Axis=i,j,k, EndVec=i,j,k,HalfAngle,Crossings

HalfAngle: The half-angle of the cone.
AxisVec: This vector defines the axis of the cone at the vertex.
EndVec: The approach vector at the end point

Previous versions of PC-DMIS used a combination of boundary crossings and scan increments to stop the scan. OldStyle is not actually an option that you choose, rather it is an internal setting for scans that were created in earlier versions of PC-DMIS.

When scans from PC-DMIS version 2.3 are read into version 3.0 and higher, they are converted and their respective boundary conditions are tagged as OldType.

The Edit Window command line for the OldStyle boundary type reads:

BOUNDARY/OLDSTYLE, x,y,z,PlaneVec=i,j,k, EndVec=i,j,k

PlaneVec: This vector defines the plane normal vector at the end point.
EndVec: The approach vector at the end point.

The Crossings box determines how many times a scan crosses the selected boundary type before stopping the scan. For example, if you specify that the number of crossings is two, the scan will stop once the probe's ball center crosses the given condition’s surface (planar, spherical, cylindrical, conical etc.) two times.

Linear Closed scans always require at least two boundary crossings even if the Crossings box specifies a lower number.

Radius box
The Radius box appears when you select either Sphere or Cylinder as your boundary type. It lets you define the radius of that boundary type feature.

Angle box
The Angle box appears when you select Cone as your boundary type. It lets you define the cone's total 'included' angle.

You can change the boundary condition at any time for a scan. If you choose a new condition for a DCC scan, PC-DMIS applies it to all basic scans making up the DCC scan. If, however, you chose to change a specific value in a condition, for example, maybe the radius of the sphere boundary type, PC-DMIS does not propagate that change to the basic scans. You would have to change that value in each basic scan yourself.

Boundary Type Area