Alignment Issue. Please Advise

[[Ma...]]

Good Morning All. I am relatively new the the calypso software so please bare with me but I will try explain my problem the best I can. Any advice will be well appreciated.

I'm pretty sure the problem is an alignment issue.

Issue 1) I had the programme running fine with a Start Alignment (Manually Run) then auto Base Alignment. Apart from it wouldn't pick up a couple intersections properly. The same day the programme ran off current alignment with no hiccups (still with intersection issue). The next day I come in and run the programme from the Start alignment (Manually Run) but now when the machine goes into CNC mode its probes in the completely wrong place (in mid air below the workpiece).

Pictures below shows my start and base alignment. My work piece is curved on the top, the top of the side plates and also all the underside is a curve. In red you can see the probes path (Excuse the bad paint skills)


The Base Alignments Z axis is a line which is theoretically in the middle of the job on the top surface. The starts Z axis is a point in the theoretical middle of the job. To get the true highest point of the job I tried to use a Rad point from a 2D curve over the top surface as my Z on the base alignment. This worked dimensionally but did not cure the probing in mid air issue. So I reverted back.

Below is a manual point I have taken with a Z probe in the Centre of the top surface and as you can see its alignment is not correct.

Issue 2) As mentioned above I had problems with some intersections. I have an intersection on the top of the workpiece which works correctly and gives me actual results, it uses a 2D curve and a plane. See below.

I have an intersection at the bottom which is setup in exactly the same way using a 2D curve and a plane but doest give me actuals when i ran the programme. Even though the plane and curve are green and both have actual results. It even gives me the blue cross of where the intersection visually is.

Any help would be much appreciated (the simpler wrote the better). Thanks in advanced. 🙂

[[Mi...]]

I had the same issue happening to me and I still haven't found out what was causing it. I know it had something to do with the start alignment. Did you change it at any time? One thing I wonder, why run the start alignment so often. I use it to locate the part but after the first manual run I use the base alignment and turn off the start alignment. I had it narrowed down to either me altering the start alignment incorrectly or me creating a feature that altered the alignment seemingly 180°. But I still haven't quite figured it out. Also, have you at some point run the manual alignment accidentally in base alignment instead of start alignment without turning off the start alignment? I might have done that too...

[[Ma...]]

I don't think I changed the Start alignment but I may of changed the base alignment. But I cant even get an alignment to work correctly if I start from fresh with a clean programme. Your right we will only use it to locate the part first time, then if measuring another assembly the same after it will be run from current alignment. But I was just testing the programme from the start and being sure it ran properly ready for production to use, turns out it didn't run smoothly second time round. I may have done that without realising I'm not quite sure. Iv just been trying different alignments from scratch the last day or so and i am getting nowhere, just banging my head against the wall.

[[Ow...]]

Go to plan navigation, blocked edges and see if the black circles are on the bottom of the cube where they should be.
If they're not, the alignment has flipped.

[[Ma...]]

I just checked and the Black circles are on the top of the cube. How do I easily swap this. Just change the z to plus in the start alignment or?

[[Ow...]]

If it is flipped, I would guess that it's the way the points were taken for the planar rotation axis in the start alignment. If the points are supposed to be top to bottom and you took the points at the bottom and then the top, it will flip the alignment.
To reset the blocked edges, go to resources, utilities and scroll all the way to the bottom and select "Set Base Alignment to zero".. Then redo the manual alignment making sure the points are being taken in the correct order.

[[Ma...]]

I will try this on Tuesday

[[Ma...]]

I gave this ago today. So now when I go into blocked the edged the black circles are now indeed on the bottom. But something with my alignment still is not correct.

See picture below. When I now run my programme the first point it takes should be the yellow point, but infact its coming in at the red point.

But when I take the manual point (green) on the software it comes up where the purple point is.
I'm sure this is probably a simple alignment issue but i cant get my head around it. All the other programmes I have written have a flat surface you can take the Z from which I make my spatial rotation. This is the only difference.

[[Ne...]]

Mark,

The lines you have in the alignments. Are you actually measuring a line or recalling points into a line. If recalling points, make
sure to use the 3d-line.

Neil

[[Ga...]]

Hi Mark, if I'm understanding your pictures correctly I believe you have an incorrect alignment.

Taking that front plane as your spatial rotation, that is blocking rotation in X and Z. So your planar rotation will need to stop the rotation in Y, to finish locking in all 3 degrees of rotation.

The 2d line on the left that you selected blocks rotation in Z, not Y. To get it to block rotation in Y you could make the 2d line vertical instead of horizontal, or select a plane on the left side instead of a 2d line. Several options you could use by rearranging a bit.

[[Ke...]]

It seems as though it doesn't like something in your Start Alignment. 99.9% of my start alignments only include 3 points!

I would start by getting rid of the Spatial and Planar features in your Start Alignment. Then, just use a point for X, a point for Y, and a point for Z.

[[Ma...]]

Thanks for all your comments so far.

I now have the alignment working again. I reset the Base Alignment to zero. Checked my side line was a plane then I changed my start alignment to only run off of the 3 points as Keith mentioned.

So the probe can now find my part which is great!!

BUT

I am still having problems with the intersection having no actuals and not being recognised.

I'm abit mythed on this as now the top intersection also doesn't pick up any actual results. I have an intersection either side/ opposite sides of the top curved surface (One can be seen in my original post in the pictures) and one works and one doesn't and they are setup exactly the same.

The bottom intersection also does not work. This can be seen in my earlier post too.

The weird thing is that the computer physically picks the intersection up and gives me a blue cross of where they should be.

Any Ideas?

Thankyou

[[Ma...]]

Anyone? ❓

[[Ke...]]

Mark,

A couple things I would try:
1) Make sure that the scan on you plane in the intersection has depth to it. I.E., make sure it is not a straight line scan.
2) Try to pull the curve off as a 3D curve instead. 2d curves are intended for "flat" curves.

That is really all I can think of that may help you here.

Regards,

Keith

[[Ma...]]

Keith
Cheers for the response.

They have depth to them just not much depth only a few mm but should still work.

To be perfectly honest with you Iv never created a 3D curve so wouldn't know how.

I may make a new post so Its clearer for everyone and remove all the alignment problem as you helped solve that.

[[Ke...]]

Mark,

Making a 3d curve is simple:

1) At top of screen, Go to CAD-->Creating Features
2) Then, click on the "Point Set" tab.
3) In the top dropdown, select 3d curve.
4) In the next dropdown, select "From Curve"
5) You can now click on a portion of your wire-frame model that you want your curve to reside (If there is no wire -frame section in the area you want, you can create one simply by going to the section tab, defining a plane that cuts through that area, and clicking on "section").
6) Once selected, click the "create" button to see it, then "create feature" button if you would like to make it a feature.

Hope this helps get you there!

Keith