Aligning the part to the model

If you want to compare the measurements of the part with its nominal values, you must first align it to the CAD model. This matches the model to the part, and enables PowerInspect to report whether measured feature positions are in or out of tolerance.

You can create several different types of alignment in PowerInspect; which one you choose depends on the part and your requirements. This section describes how to create a Geometric PLP alignment, which uses three geometric features, a Plane, a Line and a Point, to fix the position of the part in the X, Y, and Z axes. The following sections describe how to create these items and how to use them to create an alignment.

Before starting, click View tab > Appearance panel > Shade > Shaded Wireframe.

This shades the CAD model making it easier to see the surfaces and features you are working with.

Note: This example of creating an alignment is described for demonstration purposes only. You can create all these items in one click using the Plane, Circle, Circle PLP Alignment button in the Simple Measures Wizard. For more information, refer to the online help.