### Sphere

To create a Sphere command:

1. Select the Measure soft key from the main screen's Navigation Bar.

2. Select the Sphere soft key from the Navigation Bar. The Measure Sphere screen appears.

3. Follow the instructions on the screen to insert the command. Pay attention to the graphical description in the upper left section of the screen. It will show you where to position the probe for measurements and changes when multiple steps are required.

Parameters Definition:

- Sphere Center (XYZ Nominal) - Defines the nominal position of the center of the sphere.

- Diameter (Nominal) - Defines the nominal diameter of the sphere.

Properties Definition:

- Number of Points - Provides the total number of points that will be measured.

- Lower level Angle - Defines the lower level angle of the sphere, the equator is 0 degree.

- Upper level Angle - Defines the upper level angle of the sphere, the north pole (top) is 90 degrees.

Note: The difference between the upper level angle and the lower level angle must be at least 20 degrees. This is limited because less than 20 degrees of arc will likely result in inaccurate measurement results.

Motion Parameters Definition:

- Prehit Distance - Defines the distance away from the nominal surface at which the probe will start seeking the surface during measure.

- Search Distance - Defines the search distance when finding and learning a feature.

Optional Settings

- Hit Clearance Plane - Selecting this option causes the probe to move to a clearance plane between each hit of the feature. The edit box to the right will allow the user to enter the distance to the plane. This plane is not the program clearance plane.

- Learn Then Measure - Selecting this option causes the machine to learn the location of the part using default parameters and then immediately re-measure the feature with the properties as set on the screen. This will allow the user to test all the set parameters and should warrant a more accurate and reliable first article inspection.

- Learn Using Values on Screen - This allows the user to enter the nominal values of the feature and have the software measure at that location.

Available Navigation Bar Soft Keys on this Screen:

| Backward / Forward Back / Forward to previous / next group of soft keys. |  | Select Measurement Face This soft key determines the direction of probing and the location of the clearance moves for the feature. You can press this multiple times to choose a different measurement face. Available faces are: X+, X-, Y+, Y-, Z+ and Z-.
| Return to Previous Step This will remove the last learned probe positions. |  | Read Probe Position and Continue with Next Step This soft key reads the current probe position and then advances to the next step in the procedure.
|  |  | Delete Current Command / Delete Last Created This soft key deletes the current selected command (or the last created command) from the part program. If this icon is disabled, you may need to delete commands using the Edit Program screen instead.
| Learning and Creating a Command This will only be available after all the necessary probe positions to identify the feature location have been learned. It will cause the machine to measure the feature. |  | Cancel All Steps / Abort This soft key stops and resets the current operation. If learning a feature, it removes all the learned probe positions.
| Execute This soft key causes the machine to measure the feature. It will only be available after all the necessary probe positions to identify the feature location have been learned (or typed in). It lets you make changes and test run the feature before committing the feature to the program. |  | Return This soft key returns the view up one level to the previous screen.
| Tolerance Settings This soft key lets you set or modify feature nominal and tolerance values used by the feature command. It is an overview of what will show up in the report screen. |  | Insert Move Point This will read the current position of the probe and insert that as a clearance move into the program.
| Confirm / Add Command For operations this confirms the selection. For commands, this will append the command to the end of the program. For feature commands, this will become available after the machine has learned the feature location or when you have typed the feature's nominal values.
For constructed and dimension feature commands, this will become available once you have specified the proper input features.

Help

This soft key accesses the NC Gage help file.

Learn Process:

1. Position the probe above the sphere center top and press the Read Position soft key.

2. Press Learning and Creating a Command. NC Gage automatically takes hits in a fashion as depicted below.

Sphere Path: A) jog position 1-4) automatically measured point positions

3. Once the feature has been measured, the measured values are updated.

4. Press Confirm and Append Current Command to End . The feature command is added to the part program.

The following is the specific feature path and logic built into NC Gage:

Learn Sphere Feature Path

- Read position of probe which should be above the top of the sphere.

- Measure point straight down, using search distance which is on the form.

- Retract to original read position and move 2* probe radius in the +X direction.

- Measure point straight down, using search distance which on the form.

- Retract to original height and move 2* probe radius in direction which is 120 degrees from +X axis.

- Measure point straight down, using search distance which is on the form.

- Retract to original height and move 2* probe radius in direction which is 240 degrees from +X axis.

- Measure point straight down, using search distance which is on the form.

- Retract to original height.

Execute Sphere Feature Path

- Number of levels and points for each level are determined based on the number of points to measure which is defined on the form.

- If current position is lower than the clearance plane height then move up to clearance plane.

- Move to position above the first prehit point.

- Drop down to lowest level and measure that level, if needed evasive moves are added between each point in a level to avoid collisions.

- Measure the rest of the level(s) using alternating directions.

- Measure point on top of sphere (if upper level angle is 90).

- Move to clearance plane height.