To create a user-defined alignment

Use a User-Defined alignment item to align a part by specifying the relationship between the reference systems of the Machine Datum and the PCS (CAD Datum). It is similar to the initial alignment except you can create multiple User Defined alignments and you can choose where to locate them in the inspection sequence.

User Defined alignments apply to all Measures in a document and can load transformations calculated by other alignments in the inspection sequence. When you use the same sequence to measure multiple parts, and fix each part in the same position and orientation on the measuring device, this enables you to measure an alignment only once, and then re-use that alignment for all the other parts.

To create a User Defined alignment:

1. Select the Definition level in the inspection sequence.
2. Click Home tab > Create panel > Alignment arrow > User Defined Alignment.
3. Enter a Name for the alignment.
4. If the inspection sequence contains constructed features that use measurements taken by different measuring devices or from different device positions, select the Use transformed data check box. This converts the device coordinates to CAD coordinates so that all calculations use a common reference system.

   The check box has no effect when all coordinates in the inspection are collected with one measuring device in one position, or when the inspection sequence contains no constructed features.

5. To include the details of this item in the report, select the Output in report check box.
6. To use a previously saved alignment, click Load. The Open dialog is displayed.

   Select the .mat file or model file that contains the transformations you want to use, and click Open. The transformations are displayed in the dialog, and any existing transformations are deleted.

   If the model file contains workplanes, the Select Workplane dialog is displayed. Select the workplane you want to work with and click OK.

7. If you want to use the transformation matrix created by another alignment in the inspection sequence, click From alignment. In the Alignments dialog, select the alignment you want to use and click OK. Any transformations are deleted, and the matrix derived from the alignment's measurements is displayed.

   The transformation matrix is calculated from the current measurements in the Active Measure. If you remeasure the alignment or want to use measurements of another Measure, you must reload the matrix.

8. Specify the translations and rotations you want to use for the alignment. Click:
   • Rotation to rotate the datum around a specified axis.
   • Translation to translate the datum in the specified axes.
   • Delete to delete the selected transformation or rotation.
   • Edit to change the details of the selected transformation or rotation.
9. Click:
   • Test to compare the coordinates of a specified location before and after the transformation is applied.
   • Save to save the transformation as a .mat file.
10. To invert the values of the transformation, select the Invert Matrix check box. For example, inverting a matrix that has a scaling of 2 and a rotation of 30 degrees about X produces a scaling of 0.5 and a rotation of -30 degrees about X.
11. Click OK to save the alignment and close the dialog.

When you create a User Defined alignment from an alignment with unmeasured reference items or without specifying a transformation, a translation of 0, 0, 0 and no rotations are applied. No status icon is shown in the inspection sequence for User Defined alignments that have a null transformation.