Revision 2.8

Release Date: Not Released Yet

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DCF is the major enhancement for VTube-LASER in this version because it replicates measuring the tube TWICE in one pass without the user noticing.

This method helps to ensure repeatability of the cylinder measurements on-the-fly using a LASER scanner.

When using the LASER scanner, the UNISCAN DCF feature divides the cylinder surface data into two groups, then calculates the cylinder data and intersection points twice to verify repeatability. (Note that this feature is not used tactile measurements.)

The Point Repeatability value is reported in the Cylinder Fit window. If this value is too high, then VTube-LASER will warn you. This allows you to remeasure the straight to guarantee that the measure repeats before moving to the next straight.

This window reports cylinder fit values that help you know if the cylinder measurement is good.

When using Uniscan mode, VTube cylinders must now pass a total of FOUR checks to be qualified as good cylinder scans.

CHECK 1 - MAXIMUM WOBBLE PREDICTION

The Maximum Wobble value predicts how precise the surface data fits the cylinder. This was in previous versions, but now two cylinders must pass - not just one. And we've created a single new value to display at the top rather than multiple XY values.

CHECK 2 - OD SURFACE TO CENTERLINE

The new OD Surface to Centerline value reports the low and high points on the measured diameter relative to the centerline. If the values get too far from each other (the "Delta"), then VTube-LASER will warn you. Also, the Out-of-round% is reported and used to qualify the cylinder fit. This is active for both LASER and ball probe.

CHECK 3 - INTERSECTION PASS DISTANCE

The Intersection Pass Distance shows how near each intersecting 3D centerline comes to each other in 3D space. If the Nearest Pass value is more than the Intersection Error Tolerance, then VTube-LASER will warn you. This is active for both LASER and ball probe.

CHECK 4 - DUAL CYLINDER FIT

As mentioned above, because the DCF engine creates two cylinders, it always builds and compares the resulting intersection points from both cylinders. It warns you if they don't match well enough.

The window is now color-coded to help you quickly determine where the problem lies in the data.

RED PANEL

This would indicate a major problem in the cylinder fit calculation. VTube requires a remeasure of a straight section.

GREEN PANEL

All green indicates that no issues were found in all four checks. You can trust the calculation.

Intersection Pass Distance Warning Test

This is an example of the Intersection Pass Distance warning test.

We teach users to view the end scan on the screen before moving to the step. In previous versions, this required that you manually orbit the viewport so that you can see the end scans.

From this version forward, VTube automatically orbits every straight TRUE to the screen so that you don't have to use the mouse to find that orientation.

Users can now easily configure cylinder fit tolerances on-the-fly.

This window lets you find any true or normal orientation for any line or bend in any model.

Click on the image below to see a video:

This window lets you transform the orientation of any straight or bend in any model to true to the XY plane.

This is different than changing the orbit - which just rotates around the part. This actually rotates the part to the XY plane by changing the part centerline coordinates.

Customers asked for additional control for the weighting that is easier to use than 321 Plane-Line-Point. This is the answer to that request.

We've added PRECISION WEIGHT CONTROL alignment that allows you to completely turn off certain sections of the tube for alignment or give emphasis to any section just by setting weights from 0 to 1000.

A weight of "0" tells VTube to ignore the point completely in alignment. A weight of 1 means give it 1 times the normal weight. A weight of 2 means give it double weight.

This version of VTube will allow you to choose to report software errors directly to our account at MantisHub.

This service will allow us to track bug issues with VTube-STEP and VTube-LASER.

The Default Tolerance Ends value is in the Inspection Data menu.

It allows you to set the end length default values separately from the tangent point / midpoint tolerance values.

Two new array values are available for reports: AVERAGE deviation and MAXIMUM deviation.

The new commands are

• array_dev_tmt_average
  
• array_dev_tmt_maximum

See the example result in the report on the right, and the report template source to create this table shown below.

The process for corrections to Winton WMC files were clarified with dialogs that make it very clear what VTube-LASER Bender Setup is doing during the Winton WMC correction process.

1 - NEW HELP DIALOGS

Steps 2 and 5 are new. They carefully explain what is happening during the correction process.

2 - NEW BACKUP CREATED

Step 5 also explains that a BACKUP file is created during the process. This allows operators to always recover to the previous data if something goes wrong in the correction process. (The creation of a backup file is new in this version.)

Immediately after the user presses the Auto Correction button, this dialog appears (see step 2 below):

Immediately after the user presses the Exit and Save setup data button, this dialog appears (see step 4 below):

New Process Flow for Winton WMC Correction

This image shows the overall process for correction of Winton WMC files.

The Japanese translation of the UI was updated from version 2.6.

The new Cut Plane control (with the Diameter Cut Plane features) and the new Shortcut Key window is now translated into Japanese.