Revision 2.9.17

Release Date: Unreleased
Current Build: 8

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

VTube-LASER now handles point clouds in storage we call "buckets." This allows you to scan anything into VTube-LASER - not just tubes.

With this feature:

• Scan point clouds into list of point cloud buckets using the LASER scanner.
• Turn buckets of points on our off.
• Select points on the screen then press DELETE to delete them from the buckets.
• Measure the distance between any two points.
• Transfer the point clouds into SOLIDWORKS.
• Transfer the point clouds into an ASCII file for use in any other program.
• Point clouds are stored and recalled to/from the VTube-LASER project file.
• Point cloud changes are stored in the UNDO memory. If you delete the wrong set of points - just press UNDO.
• Set the color of each bucket of point clouds.

The new Measure Guide window draws a small model of the part with the current section highlighted with a color band.

This will help you visually identify which part of the tube to measure next.

This feature has an on/off switch in Measure Setup / Other. Also, you can view the window at any time from inside Measure Process Measure a tube.

The window is resizable.

It can be moved to other monitors.

Control the window in the Measure Process / Measure Tube option.

The new Cylinder Fit Tolerances Named Setup feature allows you to store cylinder fit tolerances in Measure 1 for measuring cylinders for use in other projects. Each setup is stored in a list of named setups that can be used in any other project.

For example you could store a unique setup for measuring tubes with armor (like on brake lines) and another default one for regular tubes.

Through some experimentation, any point count above 50 per stripe is not helpful in VTube-LASER. For example, as you approach 1000 points per stripe, it slows the math engine significantly and actually causes more Cylinder Fit problems than it solves.

VTube-LASER will now allow up to 50 points per stripe for measuring cylinders - never more.

This is important to you if you correct benders with 180-degree bends using Bender Setup communications.

The Split Bend corrections (for a 180-degree bend) were being applied in Bender Setup in the uncompressed mode - which means that only half the correction was being applied to 180-degree bends.

Also, the wrong number of rows was sent to Bender Setup - which meant that correction data was not properly aligned with the data at the bender. For example, for a single 180-degree bend part, there should only be two correction rows. However, VTube was sending three rows of data for two 90-degree bends.

This has been fixed in this version.

See the resulting correction data grid in the Bender Setup screen below the image.

When the FARO driver is busy with other connections (like to CAM2), VTube-LASER would give an error then shutdown.

Now VTube-LASER closes the connection to the FARO arm and displays a message with a sound to let you know that the connection is closed.

When the arm is connected to VTube, and the user changes from VTube-STEP to VTube-LASER, VTube now automatically displays the DRO window (Digital Readout).