VTube-LASER
VTube-LASER measures tube shapes by connecting to FARO ScanArms and HEXAGON (formerly ROMER) Absolute Arms with integrated scanners, and MicroScribe Arms with ball probes. |
Quick Link for Software Updates
Quick Link for Videos
- VTube-LASER Videos
- VTube-LASER Videos for FARO page
- VTube-LASER Videos for HEXAGON ROMER Absolute Arms page
- VTube-LASER Videos for MicroScribe Arms page
Quick Links Other
- How VTube Licensing Works
- Read the VTube End-user License Agreement
- Remote Demos - GotoMeeting page
- Exit to the Main VTube-LASER web page
- Also see the VTube-STEP page
- Executive Summary
- Clients and Applications
- Key VTube-LASER Features
- See the Model-based Definition page to learn how VTube uses this concept and why it is so important.
- See VTube-LASER Software Maintenance Plan (SMP)
- VTube-LASER at FABTECH
- See also VTube-STEP
Partners and Distributors
- FARO - FARO markets articulated arms. FARO actively promotes VTube-LASER as a preferred tube fabrication solution with FARO arms.
- HEXAGON - HEXAGON ROMER Absolute Arms can be sold with VTube-LASER either separately or in the VTUBE-iMC system.
- Revware - Revware sells the MicroScribe arms. Revware can sell VTube-LASER.
- Horn Machine Tools - HMT Benders and CSM Benders
- UNISON - All electric benders from the UK
- SMI- Italian line of Silver benders
- CRIPPA - Italian benders
Compatibility With Other CAD Packages
- VTube Import from SIEMENS NX
- VTube Import from SIEMENS Solid Edge
- VTube Import from Autodesk Inventor
Tutorials and Information
- Dealing with Incorrect STEP Linear Unit Scale
- VTube-LASER Training Agenda
- How to Scan a Point Cloud
- D of Bend
SAMPLE TECH SUPPORT CASES
Read through these case reports to learn how we solved issues for customers.
- See 20191206 FARO Arm - Movement Filter set to zero
- See 20190701 FARO Arm - Unable to scan a part with new scanner
- See 20190627 FARO Arm - Could not run the VTube-LASER Installation Program
- See 20190625 HEXAGON Arm - Could not scan a tube and get good results
- See 20190608 HEXAGON Arm - Could not connect - Wrong arm type was indicated
- See 20190426 HEXAGON Arm - Slow Scanning - We Found Incorrect Scanning Profile
- See 20190424 FARO Arm Customer - Poor Scanning - We Found Multiple Issues
BENDERLINK: Linking to Benders for Bender Setup and Corrections
- VTube NUMALLIANCE Bender Correction
- VTube OMCG Bender Correction
- VTube HERBER Bender Correction (MES Protocol)
- VTube HERBER Bender New Part Setup (SOL Protocol)
- See a Tutorial for VTube Communication for UNISON Benders
- See a Tutorial for VTube Communication for CRIPPA Supravision (This is for newer CRIPPA benders. It is recommended if available.)
- See a Tutorial for VTube Communication for CRIPPA MPF (This is only for older CRIPPA benders that cannot use Supravision Network communications._
- Read about VTube-LASER Bender Corrections in general
- About VTube Communication for Robomac Wire-form Benders
- See Eaton Leonard Lightspeed Communications Setup
- About VTube Communication for Winton Benders
- About BendPro Setup for Communications
- How to Setup VTube for Supravision Network Communication
- Read about VTube Communication with YLM Benders
- VTube-LASER to Eaton Leonard Premier Communications Tutorial
- Damping Bender Corrections with VTube-LASER
- Read About VTube Communication for SOCO
- Read About VTube Communication with AMOB
- About the VTube-LASER Split Bend Feature
- VTube-LASER Addata ZModem Communications Protocol
- VTube Communication for BLM VGP3D
SOLIDWORKS Related
HEXAGON Absolute Arm (formerly "ROMER") Absolute Arm Related
- VTube-LASER-Compatible HEXAGON Scanners and Arms
- RDS Versions for ROMER Scanners
- VTUBE-iMC - Tube Measuring System with ROMER Absolute Arms
- ROMER Ball Probes
- ROMER Certified Length Bar
- HEXAGON Absolute Arm Ethernet Setup (for the Scanner-versions of arms)
- VTube-LASER ROMER RDS Performance Recommendations
- Diagnosing RDS Issues
VTube-LASER Accessories
- VTube-LASER FARO Arm Riser
- Other Measuring Center Accessories for turnkey components recommended
- RS-232 Communications Adapters for communications to legacy benders
- VTube-LASER Demo Tubes
Performance
- VTube-LASER ROMER RDS Performance Recommendations
- See VTube and Windows 10 - Compatibility and Performance Notes
- Fix for VTube Shutdown Issues with Raptr Online Gaming App PLAYS.TV
- Recommended VTube-LASER Screen Resolution
- VTube-LASER Multiple Screen Support
- Recommended VTube Computer Specification
- How to check OpenGL Drivers versions
- Recommended Ideal Windows Font Size for VTube
- See FARO Version 6 Scanner for details on the blue laser scanner
- See Recommendations for FARO Arms
- See FARO Scanner Settings for VTube-LASER
- Which are Better for Tube Measurement - LASER Scanners to Ball Probes?
Diagnostics
- How to Diagnose Inaccurate VTube-LASER Measurements
- Diagnose issues with the hardware key (dongle): See VTube Hardware Key Messages
- How to Fix the DATUM Report When Showing One Line of Datum Values
- How to Report VTube Errors
- To receive email assistance with FARO Quantum ScanArms, see How to Build A FARO-based Diagnostic Video for VTube-LASER
Setup
- How to overcome ShellExecuteEx failed errors during install
- See How to Enter FARO Arm Setup in VTube-LASER
- See How To Register VTube-LASER Licenses
- See How To Install VTube to Windows XP
- See Report HTML Template Tags for customization
- See How to Bypass the Not Commonly Run Message in Windows during installation or dongle setup
- See how to check the current FARO driver version: Check FARO Driver Version
- See how to check the current FARO driver version: Check FARO Driver Version in Windows 10
- How to Change VTube VPort Color
- Recommended VTube-LASER Laser Scanner Settings
- Read about the VTube Language Editor
- How to Import VTube Report Templates
- How to find the VTube Report Template Location
- How to Activate the VTube-LASER Hardware Key
- How to Setup VTube-LASER for the Network License Manager
- How to find the VTube Bender Template Location
- How to Setup Reports to Show Bender Plus Adjusted Data
- How to Adjust the VTube License Type in the Config File
- How to Set the Number of Values Beyond the Decimal for VTube
- How to Change the VTube User Interface Language
- How to Change the VTube Default Setup
- How to find the VTube configuration files
- How to BACKUP and RESTORE VTube configuration files
- How to Change the default linear units in VTube
- How to Change the Scanning Sounds in VTube-LASER
- About VTube-LASER Cylinder Fit Tolerances
How To Use VTube
Qualifying Tube Shapes with VTube-LASER
- About VTube-LASER End Point Deviations
- What are Centerline Tangent Points and Why Are They Important in VTube-LASER?
- About VTube Intersection Point Tolerances
- About VTube End Length Offsets
- The Limitations of Qualifying Tube Shapes using Bender Data
- 321 Plane Line Point Aligment
Diameter Cut Plane Topics
- Tutorial on How to Measure Tubes Attached to an Evaporator
- Tutorial on DCP - Diameter Cut Planes
Stripe Cut Plane
Dual Cylinder Fit Topics
- Tutorial on DCF - Dual Cylinder Fit
Importing Data
Tutorials
These features were added in version 3.0 - February, 2020
- VTube-LASER and True Position
- VTube-LASER Precision Weight Control Alignment
- About VTube-LASER End Angle Qualification
- How To Enter LRA Data to Calculate XYZ in VTube
- About VTube-LASER Nearest Pass
- How To Build a STEP file from VTube-LASER
- VTube-LASER and VTube-STEP - How to Reset the XYZ Radii to the Default Radius in the Part Setup Menu
- How To Export VTube Reports To A Network Path
- Using Datums to Get Print Dimensions
- Compare UniScan to MultiScan Measurements
- How to Measure and Clock Tube Legs Coming Out of Tubes
- What is VTube-LASER Wobble Deviation?
- How to Clear Points from the Current Scan
- Tips for Using VTube-LASER Bend Profile to Measure Bend Radii
- About VTube-LASER MTA (Measured Tube Averaging)
- About VTube Reverse Calc from MIL-D-9898C Absolute Bender Data to Centerline XYZ Data
- About FARO Arm Types for VTube-LASER
- About Building Tube Assemblies in SOLIDWORKS
- About Tube Elongation Percentage
- About Multi-Elongation in VTube
- How to Calculate Tube Elongation Percentage in VTube-LASER
- Scanning on a NEWPORT type table
- Transform the Part To Make Any Bend True
- Reverse the Tube Ends
- Measuring Coping
- About VTube-STEP and VTube-LASER Project File Compatibility
- How to Create Mirror Image Part
- How to Reverse Engineer with Split Bend (for 180 degree bends)
- About VTube-LASER Leapfrog
- About VTube-LASER Cut Planes
- About Ball Probe Setup
- About the FARO Version 6 Scanner
- About the VTube-LASER Spike Filter
- Read about the VTube-LASER Calibration-Leapfrog-Move Targets
- Read about the VTube-LASER Tube Clamp
- How To Calculate Cut Lengths in VTube
- Windows Floating Point Setup for VTube
- See VTube Overbend Calculations for Springback
- VTube-LASER - End Scan Diameter Qualification Tolerance
- Read about measuring VTube Rectangular Tubes
- See the list of VTube-LASER Advantages
- How to Measure a short end-straight with a flange
- Explain Sigma as it relates to errors.
- End-Scan Technique Research
- Surface Coating for LASER Scanning
- Technical Document: How to Measure Copper Tube with a FARO Edge Scanner
- How to Convert from TubeCalc Elongation to VTube Elongation
- VTube-LASER Model Colors
- Best-Fit Alignment Versus Hard-Point Alignment
- How to Measure Large Diameter Tubing
- How to Import the Split Bend with STEP Version of "VTube-LASER Demo CAD Model 2"
- See how CAM2 can work with VTube-LASER to measure components around tube shapes. See FARO CAM2
- See Exporting STEP models in VTube-LASER
VTube Related Program IDs Used for Licensing
PID | Program Licensed | |
---|---|---|
354 | VTube-STEP | |
356 | VTube-LASER | |
360 | VTube-LASER Programmer |
Executive Summary
VTube-LASER uses the laser scanner and/or ball probe to:
Example VTube-LASER Clients and Applications
|
Some Key Features of VTube-LASER
Benefit 1 - Super Quick Project SetupOther measurement programs are often more generic in their approach to geometry. In order to measure a tube, it is necessary to build up individual elements and create a script for the process. |
Benefit 2 - Built-in Automated Process for Measuring TubesYou don't have to guess at the order of the steps to measure a tube. When you measure a tube with VTube, the methods for gathering the information and calculating the centerline, intersection points, and bend data are preprogrammed as a series of consistent steps that never change and never have to be scripted. |
Benefit 3 - Built in Feedback to Increase Confidence in the DataVTube-LASER has special procedures that help anticipate the level of confidence you will have in the incoming data. There are series of crosschecks just for measuring tubing, both mathematical and on-screen, that allow users to know if the data is good. |
Benefit 4 - Built-in Bender CorrectionVTube-LASER knows how to correct benders - and has special menus and procedures for doing that well. |