VTube-LASER v2.2

Revision 2.2 Back to VTube-STEP Back to VTube-STEP Revisions Back to VTube Software Updates (for LASER Mode) Back to VTube-LASER See VTube-LASER Customer Support Page to download the latest version.

ENHANCED: Graphics 3X FASTER

VTube-LASER graphics are now 3 TIMES faster than in previous versions. Plus the graphics are more stable. We gained this speed by redesigning how the diameter draws. It used to draw individual straights and bends. Now it draws the entire pipe in one continuous process.

NEW: Combine Tubes to Get Hybrid Tube Shapes

VTube-LASER Tube Storage now lets you select multiple tubes to create a new hybrid tube that is an averaged shape of all of them combined. For example, any number of tubes can be selected in order to combine multiple measures for a hybrid measured part.

NEW: Robomac Wire-form Bender Communications

VTube-LASER and VTube-STEP can now communicate with Robomac wire-form bender controls using the Robomac PART data file protocol. VTube-STEP can EXPORT data to Robomac benders using the protocol. VTube-LASER can SEND and RECALL data to/from Robomac benders for full corrections loops. See the VTube Robomac Communications knowledgebase page for a guide to setup the VTube for communications with benders using the Robomac PART file protocol.

NEW: WIREFRAME Feature For the MODELS

The WIREFRAME feature allows you to toggle a wireframe on the surface of the solid models. The new feature can often give better clarity for straights and arc sections in the tube.

NEW: PROXIMITY FILTERS for CLOUD Points Remove Duplicate Scanned Points for FASTER SCANNING MATH

The FARO HD scanners have much increased point cloud densities compared to the older scanners. Because of the new HD capabilities, it's important for VTube to handle the point cloud more carefully by removing duplicate points during scanning. The new Proximity Filter distances makes VTube more efficient by removing any point that is close to another point already scanned. The value is a linear distance in 3D space. There are values for cylinder scans, end point scans, arc scans, and split bend scans. The values can be adjusted in the Separation Filter tab menu in Measure Setup.

ENHANCED: Cut Plane Features are IMPROVED for Ease of Use

Moved "Measure Cut Plane" Button to Top CUT PLANE has become more important as of the release of FARO's v6 HD blue laser scanner. The Cut Plane button has been moved to the top of the Measure Process menu.
Improved Cut Plane Offset Menu The CUT PLANE OFFSET menu has been improved so that the offset value automatically receives FOCUS when this window is loaded. Without clicking on the value, you can type the new value immediately, and then press the ENTER key to close the window (a new feature also).

REPAIR: Default Project SAVE is FIXED

This version includes an important fix to a bug introduced accidentally in 2.1.x that could corrupt the default configuration file when operators saved new defaults.

ENHANCED: Single Diameter Scanning MUCH FASTER

Previous versions of VTube did not automatically reduce the point count in the stripes scanned for SINGLE DIAMETER measurements. This created a problem with the HD v6 (blue laser) scanner, because it returns so many points in each stripe that it can bog down the VTube math engine without stripe point reduction. This version solves that problem because single diameter scans will now reduce the point count in the stripe count based on the Measure Setup.

NEW: Measured Data "Set Radii To Default" Button

The new "Set Radii to Default" button allows you to set any non-zero radius values to the default. Also, this feature will now be applied automatically whenever reverse engineering a tube and the bend radius value is zero.

NEW: MOUSE WHEEL CLICKS Toggle VTube between ORBIT Mode and PAN Mode

Play the video on the right to see this new feature working. The graphic viewport now switches between ORBIT mode and PAN mode when you press the mouse wheel button. Press right click to change back to SELECT mode from either ORBIT or PAN.

NEW: Improved Folder Selection Dialog

In the Path Manager's NEW PATH window, the PATH dialog was not very user friendly compared to the open dialog window, so we changed the folder selection dialog to look like an open file dialog. It is much easier to view and use than before.

NEW: Detects New Paths to Allow to ADD to Path Manager

As of this version, when VTube detects a new path from any OPEN or SAVE dialog that is not already in the Path Manager, it will offer to store the new path in the Path Manager with this ADD dialog.

NEW: Save VTube Project Files in Older File Versions (v2.2 - Beta 9)

VTube now allows you to save projects in one of over 50 older project file versions for compatibility with older versions of VTube. The feature is available whenever the Save Dialog appears. Choose the file version in the "Save as type" box. Whenever VTube senses that you are about to save a project file in an older version, it will warn you with a dialog like the one shown below.

FIXED: FARO LLP Control Window Lockup Repair

VTube-LASER could easily lockup with a "Windows Out of Resources" error when showing scanned points in this window. This issue was resolved.

FIXED: Erasure Issue of Collected Entities in STEP Mode (v2.2 - Beta 10)

Previous versions of VTube-STEP could sometimes randomly erase collected entities during the centerline calculation. This issue has been fixed.

FIXED: Scrollbar Visibility in Measure Process LASER Mode (v2.2 - Beta 12)

The vertical scrollbar in the Measure Process window would not always display. This would prevent users from accessing menu features below the bottom of the window. This issue has been fixed.

CHANGE: Measured Data - Set Radii to Default (v2.2 - Beta 12)

The Set Radii to Default button behaves differently now: Now the Set Radii to Default button now resets the Measured radii to the default radius value - even if the measured radius values are already non-zero.

NEW: Import UTE Bender XML File Data (VTube-STEP Mode - v2.2 Beta 13)

VTube can now import the centerline XYZ data from UTE XML files in STEP mode (included with LASER mode. The data imported is centerline XYZ data, diameter, linear unit used, and radii.

CHANGE: Security Change Required by New Windows Security Updates - Network Socket Logic (v2.2 Beta 20)

We made an important change to the Network License Manager networking portion of the code for Windows compliance. VTube used to open an IP socket using 0.0.0.0, then assign a working IP address based on the configuration. As of November 2015, some Windows started throwing a critical error to VTube when VTube attempted to open the IP connection like this. So now VTube opens sockets with at least a local address of 127.0.0.1 - which is allowed by Windows.

NEW: Springback Table Creates a Database of Values for Reuse (v2.2 Beta 23)

The new Springback Table lets you store springback and elongation values for reuse in other projects. The values are stored in a persistent configuration file that keeps the values the same between projects. Right click on the white column in the Part Setup menu to access the new table.

NEW: Alpine and CSM M4 Export Filenames Are Now Limited to 20 Characters Maximum (v2.2 Beta 30)

Alpine and CSM M4 controls cannot use more than 20 characters in the part filename, so VTube-STEP and VTube-LASER will stop any export with filenames that have too many characters.

CHANGE: Default LRA Rotations Set to 0 Rather than -90 (v2.2 Beta 30)

The LRA grid now shows default rotations of 0 degrees rather than -90 degrees. This solves issues where it make sense to start with 0 degrees of rotation when entering bender data to calculate XYZ centerline coordinates.

ENHANCEMENT: Ignore Incoming Linear Units Value in Supravision Network Communications (v2.2 Beta 31)

This is a new switch in the Benderlink Setup that overcomes an issue with the Crippa UII sending INCH data but labelling it as millimeters. When the Crippa responds to a VTube-LASER RECALL while in INCH MODE, it will send the data shown on the Crippa UII screen in inches, but refer to them as "millimeters". VTube-LASER then converts the incoming linear unit inch values into values that are 25.4 times too small. To overcome this issue, you can tell VTube-LASER to ignore the incoming linear units setting in the Supravision network data. Use caution with this feature: The VTube-LASER DISPLAYED UNIT must MATCH the CRIPPA UII linear unit setting before a RECALL is commanded - or the incoming data will be wrong by a factor of 25.4.

Other Changes

• Save Project now no longer displays the VTube Path Manager or Save Dialog when it already knows the project filename (listed in the project filename box in the upper left corner).
  
  
• The installation program will no longer overwrite the previous persistent configuration for VTube. For example, you will no longer have to setup the Network License Manager values every time VTube is installed. You will no longer have to reconfigure these persistent values every update.
  
  
• The ball probe diameter value in the Tactile menu is now always synchronized with the ball probe diameter in the Arm menu. (The FARO drivers control this value by allowing you to select the current probe.)
  
  
• During alignment, VTube-LASER no longer forces the MEASURED radii to be the same as the MASTER radii. This change can impact alignment and qualification - because different radius values can cause qualification to fall outside of tolerance.
  
  
• FIX to radius changes in the LRA Grid: The LRA grid now stores any manually entered radius value change properly. In previous versions, a manually entered radius change in the LRA would be stored improperly in the next row down.
  
  
• Updated the German language file.
  
  
• Fixed incorrect English captions in the user interface.
  
  

Other

• Back to VTube-STEP
• Back to VTube Software Updates (for LASER Mode)
• Back to VTube-LASER
• See VTube Language Editor