To create a Probed Cone item

Use the Probed Cone item to measure a cone or partial cone on a part. You must probe a minimum of seven points distributed across the cone surface, and the points must cover the circles at the top and bottom of the cone.

Note: When probe path generation is enabled, you must specify the probing method for the item using the Inspect dialog in the Features tab. You can also use the dialog to view and change some of the item parameters.

To create a Probed Cone item:

1. Open a Geometric group in the Sequence Tree.
2. Click Geometry tab > Features panel > 3D > Probed Cone.

The Probed Cone dialog contains the following areas:

Name — Enter a name for the item. The name is used in the inspection sequence, in the Report and Info tabs, and when referencing the item in other items.

Use nominals — Select this check box to enter or change the item nominals, and to compare the item measurements to their nominal values. Deselect this check box to disable comparisons with the item nominals.

When this check box is selected, an in-tolerance or out-of-tolerance indicator is displayed on the measured item's icon in the inspection sequence; the border of the item label is coloured to indicate whether the measurements are within tolerance; and the tolerance, nominal, deviation, and error values of the item are shown in the report.

When this check box is deselected, the Nominal boxes are disabled, no tolerance indicators are displayed and no tolerance, nominal, deviation, and error values are shown in the report for this item.

Note: To load the nominals from the CAD model, click and select From CAD Entity. To replace the nominals with the item's measurements in the current Measure, click the button and select From Active Measure.

Visible — Select this check box to display the item in the CAD view.

Output in report — Select this check box to include the item in the report.

Coordinate system — Select the alignment relative to which the item's measurements are to be reported.

To specify the alignment during the inspection, select <Active Alignment>. You can then select the alignment from the Active alignment list, or by adding an Active Alignment item to the inspection sequence.

Start angle — Enter the start angle of the feature relative to the Orientation vector. You can enter the angle in degrees or radians.

End angle — Enter the end angle of the feature relative to the Orientation vector. You can enter the angle in degrees or radians.

Note: The start and end angles control the display of the item in the CAD view and in full-screen measurement. They also enable you to create probe paths for partial features and to export a specific area of a feature to IGES.

Material side — Choose the side from which you want to probe the feature. Select:

• Hole (ID) to probe an internal feature.
• Boss (OD) to probe an external feature.
• Not specified to leave the probing direction unrestricted.

Note: Hole (ID) - Only for CNC and Boss (OD) - Only for CNC provide backwards compatibility for items created in previous versions of PowerInspect. You cannot select these options when creating new items.

Half angle — Enter the nominal size and tolerances of the angle formed by the axis of the cone and its surface.

Conicity — Specify the Maximum acceptable difference between the points with greatest positive deviation and greatest negative deviation from the best-fit cone. If the difference between the greatest positive deviation and the greatest negative deviation exceeds the Maximum value, the conicity is out-of-tolerance.

To measure conicity, PowerInspect first calculates the best-fit cone through the points. It then runs two coaxial cones through the points furthest from the best-fit cone in each direction. The Conicity value is the distance between the coaxial cones.

Direction vector — Specify the direction of the feature and its tolerance. The direction of the vector is from the large circle at the base of the cone to the small circle near its apex.

Base point — Enter the coordinates of the centre of the feature's base.

Radius — Enter the radius of the base of the feature.

Height — Enter the height of the feature.

Orientation — Specify the vector from which the Start angle and End angle are calculated when creating the probe path for a partial cone.

Auto-accept enabled — Select this check box to save the item measurements as soon as you have probed the number of points specified in the Points box. If you played the item as part of the inspection sequence, PowerInspect automatically plays the next item. Deselect the check box to choose how many points to probe and save your measurements manually. This option is available only when an item has no probe path.

Point sources — Select this tab to use probed points from other items to measure this item.

For example, you can use the tab to create a measured cylinder by combining measurements from probed circles at the top and bottom of the feature.

To specify the sources for the probed points, select one or more items in the Available sources list, and then click to add them to the Selected sources list.

To remove sources, select the items in the Selected sources list, and then click .

Note: You can view the probed points used to measure the item using the Geometric Item Points dialog or the Info tab.

Click OK to close the dialog and save your changes.