VTube Communications With Transfluid Benders

As of version 3.0 build 456 (March 29, 2021), we've embedded the Transfluid SVNET protocol in VTube-STEP and VTube-LASER. This page describes the use of the VTube-LASER and VTube-STEP to Transfluid bender communications.

Video

Video 20210330: VTube-LASER to Transfluid Bender Communications

This video shows how easy it is to communicate with Transfluid tProject bender software.

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Configuring VTube-STEP and VTube-LASER for Communications with Transfluid tProject

You can perform this setup from VTube-STEP or VTube-LASER. The steps are identical in both.

STEP 1: Enter the SYSTEM OPTIONS Menu in VTube

Load VTube. Click on Systems Options in the toolbar at the top of the screen. Enter the Measure 2 tab menu. Enter the Setup Benderlink Network menu.

STEP 2: Setup the Benderlink Network Grid for Transfluid Supravision Network Protocol

Choose an unused row in the grid for a new Transfluid bender setup. Assign a bender name that will help operators identify which bender this is. This text will be displayed at the top of the Bender Setup menu. Assign the Transflud SVNET protocol. (Note: This is not the same as the "Transfluid" protocol. Be sure that "SVNET" follows Transfluid in the protocol name.) Enter the path to the shared drive or folder in the NetPath field. This path should point to the Transfluid tProject folder that will receive command files from VTube. (The value shown on the screen is only an example.) Enter the IP address in the PING IP ADDRESS field if it is a fixed field. (This is not required. It allows VTube to ping the address to see if the network location is active before trying to open communications.) In our tests, the Transfluid data rotates positive in the same direction as VTube. However, if this changes on your system, then you can select YES in both the CW Rotation Positive at Export and the CW Rotation Positive at Export cells. (Compare models with the same data on both systems to be sure that they are not creating mirror-images.) (See Bender Rotation Directions) The "Ignore Incoming Linear Unit" setting is optional. This will not allow the Transfluid tProject program to change the linear units in VTube-LASER if they are different. Press Close to save the settings. VTube will save these values to a persistent configuration file that will not change unless you change them in this grid.

Configuring Transfluid tProject for Communications with VTube-LASER and VTube-STEP

Follow these steps in Transfluid tProject to set up communications for VTube-LASER and VTube-STEP.

STEP 1: Enter Options Window

Click on the blue button wrench/screwdriver button in the upper right corner of the user interface.

STEP 2: Enter the Import/Export Tab

Click on the Import/Export tab.

STEP 3: Set the Import Box Settings

Enter the set up data in the Import box. Pulldown box: Romer/HEXAGON (.$$$) Radio Button: Import corrected LRA (clra) Checkbox: Enable Supra Vision (SV) communications Exchange Director: Program a shared network path (consult your IT department for this setting) Bender Number: Each bender number should have a unique number in the Supravision protocol. Timeout: 10 seconds is high enough. (tProject is very quick for communications. Lower timeouts may be ok too.) Note: This protocol allows for both automatic import and export. It is only necessary, however, to change the settings inside the "Import" section. You can ignore the rest of the settings on this page.

STEP 4: Check for a Green LED in the Main User Interface

Close the options menu with the OK button and check for the Supravision communications LED in the lower right corner of tProject. The LED should be green.

How to Prepare tProject to Receive New Data from VTube

The Transfuild tProject program can receive data for a part that has never been sent to it before from VTube-STEP. STEP 1: Clear the tProject Project STEP 2: DO NOT Enter a Project Name This allows VTube to control the new incoming name. STEP 3: Click on OK

How to Send New Data to tProject from VTube-STEP

The Transfuild tProject program can receive data for a part that has never been sent to it before from VTube-STEP. This allows a user to import a solid model of any tube, then send it to tProject. STEP 1: Import the Model Import the part using standard VTube-STEP procedures STEP 2: Bender Output Menu Click on the Bender Output button in the navigation pane. STEP 3: Bender Number Select the bender number for the Transfluid bender. STEP 4: Send Click Send to Bender. VTube will show "Send to Bender Complete" if it was able to save the output data for Transfluid.

STEP 5: tProject Will Update tProject will display the new part immediately. STEP 6: Save the tProject Project It is important to save the new tProject project file using the disk button on the left. tProject does not automatically save the incoming data to disk.

How to Prepare tProject for Bender Corrections from VTube-LASER

The Transfuild tProject program can receive correction data for an existing part from VTube-LASER. Follow these steps to set up tProject to receive corrections. Load an existing tProject Project The project to correct must be loaded to tProject memory, and must also exist as a tProject .tfp file. (When tProject answers VTube-LASER requests for data, it always gives the data currently in the tfp file - not the data on the screen.)

How to Set Up the VTube-LASER Project for Bender Corrections to tProject

STEP 1: Load the VTube-LASER Project File

The project must have a Part Number that is identical to the project file name in tProject.

STEP 2: Enter the Bender Setup Menu

This menu allows you to communicate with any bender in the VTube-LASER network. Be sure the bender protocol says "Transfluid SVNET". If it does not, then select the correct bender number at the top.

STEP 3: Bring Data Into This Window

If there is now data in the window like shown in the previous image, then click on "Copy the Master Part Setup Values into these fields" button. This will put the correct Part Number in the menu before we attempt to RECALL data.

STEP 4: Click on Correct the Bender

Find and click on the "Correct the Bender" button in the lower right corner.

STEP 5: RECALL Bender Data

Press the RECALL LRA from BENDER button.
The RECALL window with a timer will display. Allow tProject to answer VTube-LASER.

STEP 6: Allow VTube-LASER to Configure

If the incoming bend count does not match what is currently in VTube-LASER, then VTube-LASER will ask you for some decisions like this one. Just Press "USE..." to let the incoming data takeover the page.

STEP 7: Bender Setup is Complete

The Bender Setup window is completely ready. This setup will be stored with the project from this point on. Press "Close this Window", bend, measure, and align the tube in VTube-LASER, then come back into this Bender Setup menu if the part is not within tolerance.

How to Send Corrections tProject Data with VTube-LASER Bender Setup

STEP 1: Measure and Align the Part in VTube-LASER

During measurement, VTube-LASER will automatically create correction data that will be transferred to Bender Setup.

STEP 2: Enter the Bender Setup Menu

The white columns will show Adjustments that can be applied to the bender. The blue columns show the before-correction values. The orange columns show the after-correction values.

STEP 3: RECALL then SEND

To be sure that the Blue columns have the latest data as was programmed by the bender operator at the Transfluid, press the RECALL LRA from BENDER button. After the RECALL is complete, press the SEND to send the ORANGE columns data to the bender.

STEP 4: tProject Will Receive Data and Ask for Confirmation

tProject will receive the data immediately if the part number is correct. Since data is on the screen in tProject, it will ask for confirmation before allowing the data to import. Click on YES to import the data.

STEP 5: SAVE the tProject Project File

Press the SAVE disk to save the tProject changes.

Rules for tProject Communication

Here are helpful rules for tProject communication.

Rule 1 - tProject Automatically Converts Linear Units

tProject will always automatically convert the incoming data to the linear unit that is being displayed on the screen.

Rule 2 - tProject Will Block the Wrong Part

Unless the project is cleared without a part name, tProject will always block any data it receives that has the wrong VTube-LASER part number. The tProject name and the VTube-LASER Part Number must match when data is being sent from VTube-LASER during corrections.

Rule 3 - tProject Answers Recalls with the Data in tProject Files

tProject always answers VTube-LASER RECALLS with the project data in the disk file - NOT the project data on the screen.

Rule 4 - tProject Does Not Answer A VTube-LASER Recall When the Part Does Not Exist

If tProject does not answer a VTube-LASER RECALL when everything else is working, then that tProject project does not exist. In that case, the process will time-out.

Rule 5 - Manually Save tProject Project Files After Receiving Data from VTube-LASER

It is important to manually save the data that was just received by tProject from VTube-LASER. tProject will not save it automatically.

Other Pages

• See VTube-LASER
• See VTube-STEP