Revision 2.9

Release Date: November 1, 2017

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• See also VTube-STEP Updates
• Download in updates the VTube-LASER Support Page

VTube now allows you to include multiple tubes in a single project.

• Add new tubes to existing tubes.
• Measure all the tubes together or separately.
• Align all the tubes at the same time or separately.

See video 75 in the VTube-LASER Videos page

We reverse-engineered this entire assembly in about 30 minutes.

The end-scan engine is completely redesigned in version 2.9

• It is much faster and more reliable than previous versions.
  
  
• It can now find the furthest point or the nearest point - or even the centroid of the end-scan cloud in the scan.
  
  
• It draws linear dimensions showing the endpoint offsets - including the ball probe compensation offset. (See the next section.)
  
  
• The obsolete End Scan Tolerance restriction is removed (See the section below).
  
  
• A new END measure was added to MEASURE SETUP to control the new settings.
  
  
• Improved measuring instructions show what to expect when trimming data in end scans.
  
  

This change alone is worth the upgrade.

VTube now automatically draws a linear dimension in the viewport between the scanned point and the final offset point to confirm that the distance is correct.

VTube-LASER allows you to enter a custom measure note before a measure. This note can then be displayed in reports.

VTube-LASER records and stores the measure date/time - and it can now be included in reports.

VTube would refuse measurements that were too far from the end of the actual diameter surface of the tube. This does nothing but frustrate end users. Sometimes it is necessary to scan points that are far from the diameter.

We removed this limitation permanently.

In previous versions, zero length straights would stop the diameter from drawing.

This has been fixed in build 95 of version 2.9.

Customers that have many benders prefer to have the bender number saved in the project file because it is normal to associate the project with a bender.

So now VTube saves the Bender Setup bender number to the project file.

Customers never choose any other option than to keep the current cut plane, so we removed this dialog to save time.

VTube-STEP (included in VTube-LASER) can now import Laservision PRT files:

• It can import single PRT files.
• It can import multiple PRT files into a single assembly.
• It can batch-convert multiple PRT file into a folder of VTube project files (VTP).

Note: Build 91 makes PRT batch mode conversion much faster.

Note: Build 95 allows for 180-degree bends in PRT files.

VTube-STEP (included in VTube-LASER) can now import multiple Supravision files.

• It can import single Supravision files.
• It can import multiple Supravision files into a single assembly.
• It can batch-convert multiple Supravision files into a folder of VTube project files (VTP).

Import multiple SOLID EDGE files at one time into an ASSEMBLY.

There are now many more user interface skins to choose from in System Options.

The solid modeling engine was updated.

To confirm this update, the trihedron is now a 3D solid model rather than the older stick figure.

The version 6 driver for FARO would sometimes not reconnect after having left the scanner control window, so VTube now automatically disconnects and reconnects when you exit that window.

The new SV No Wait feature allows you to communicate with benders using the Supravision Network protocol with USB flash drives. When VTube-LASER performs a RECALL, it no longer waits for an immediate answer. This means that it will never time-out in this mode. It assumes that the answer will come an undetermined future time.

To use this feature follow these steps:

1. Insert the USB flash drive into the VTube-LASER computer.
2. Press RECALL.
3. Eject the USB flash drive.
4. Plug the USB flash drive into the bender.
5. The bender will respond to the command and place the answer on the USB flash drive.
6. Plug the USB flash drive into the VTube-LASER computer again.
7. Press RECALL again. VTube-LASER will find the response file on the flash drive and ask if you want to recall it.