### Plane

To create a Plane command:

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

2. Select the Plane soft key from the Navigation Bar. The Measure Plane 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:

- Nominal (XYZ Nominal) - Defines the nominal position of the plane.

- Vector Angle 1- Defines the first vector angle of the plane. This is the plane's surface normal direction in relation to the work face.

- Vector Angle 2 - Defines the second vector angle of the plane. This is the plane's surface normal direction in relation to the primary axis that it is measured in. The primary axis is X in the XY work face, Y in the YZ work face, and Z in the ZX work face.

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

- Length (Only visible with Learn Using Values on Screen selected) - This is the distance along the primary axis from the first point to the last point. The primary axis is X in the XY work face, Y in the YZ work face, and Z in the ZX work face.

- Width (Only visible with Learn Using Values on Screen selected) - This is the distance along the secondary axis from the first point to the last point. The secondary axis is Y in the XY work face, Z in the YZ work face, and X in the ZX work face.

Measure Method Definition:

- Grid Pattern - Defines a grid pattern to use when measuring the plane.

- Circular Pattern - Defines a circular pattern to use when measuring the plane.

Properties Definition:

- Number of Rows (Grid Pattern) - Defines the number of rows that will be probed for the plane.

- Points Per Row (Grid Pattern) - Provides the number of points that will be measured in a row.

- Number of Points (Circular Pattern) - Defines the number of points around the circular pattern that will be probed for the plane.

The number of rows and points per row will be equally spaced along the defined plane area.

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. Selecting this option displays additional properties that are described in the Properties section.

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 (Grid Pattern):

1. Press the Select Measurement Face soft key and choose the work face for the bore (Z+, Z-, X+, X-, Y+ or Y-).

Note: The selected work face must be the same as plane normal.

2. Position the probe above the surface where you want to measure the plane. This indicates the first corner of the plane .

3. Press the Read Probe Position soft key. The tip position's values are read as coordinates for the first corner of the grid pattern on the plane feature. You can press Return to Previous Step to cancel this measure position.

4. Position the probe above the second corner of the grid pattern.

5. Press the Read Probe Position soft key. The tip position x/y is read as the second corner coordinates. You can press Return to Previous Step to cancel this measure position.

6. Press Learning and Creating a Command . With these two points defined, indicating the limits of the plane feature, NC Gage automatically takes hits in a similar fashion as depicted below. The following shows the default of 2 rows with 2 hits per row. You plane may have more points and rows:

The image on the left indicates the two jog positions (A-B). The image on the right indicates the four automatically measured point positions (1-4).

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

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

Learn Process (Circular Pattern):

1. Press the Select Measurement Face soft key and choose the work face for the bore (Z+, Z-, X+, X-, Y+ or Y-).

Note: The selected work face must be the same as plane normal.

2. Position the probe above the surface where you want to measure the plane. This indicates the first side of the circular plane pattern.

3. Press the Read Probe Position soft key. The tip position's values are read as coordinates for the first side of the circular pattern on the plane feature. You can press Return to Previous Step to cancel this measure position.

4. Position the probe above the second side of the circular pattern.

5. Press the Read Probe Position soft key. The tip position x/y is read as the opposite point on the circle. You can press Return to Previous Step to cancel this measure position.

6. Press Learning and Creating a Command . With these two points defined, indicating the limits of the plane feature, NC Gage automatically takes hits in a similar fashion as depicted below. The following shows the default of 4 points along the circular pattern. Your plane feature may have more points:

The image on the left indicates the two jog positions (A-B). The image on the right indicates the four automatically measured point positions (1-4).

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

8. 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 Plane Feature Path (Grid Pattern)

- Read position of probe above first corner of plane grid. This defines height of learn prehit points.

- Read position of probe above second corner of plane grid.

- If probe below clearance plane height, move up to clearance plane height.

- Move to point above first read point.

- Drop to first read point.

- Measure surface, search distance is 4*prehit distance.

- Measure each point in gird, alternating directions for each line of grid.

- Move up to clearance plane height.

Learn Plane Feature Path (Circle Pattern)

- Read position of probe above first side of the plane circle. This defines height of learn prehit points.

- Read position of probe above second corner of plane circle.

- If probe below clearance plane height, move up to clearance plane height.

- Move to point above first read point.

- Drop to first read point.

- Measure surface, search distance is 4*prehit distance.

- Measure each point in the circular pattern.

- Move up to clearance plane height.

Execute Plane Feature Path (Grid Pattern)

- If probe below clearance plane height, move up to clearance plane height.

- Move to point above first point of grid.

- Drop to prehit distance above nominal plane.

- Measure surface, search distance is 2* prehit distance.

- Measure each point in gird, alternating directions for each line of grid.

- If local clearance plane is enabled, move to the local clearance plane between each point to get to next prehit point.

- Move up to clearance plane height.

Execute Plane Feature Path (Circle Pattern)

- If probe below clearance plane height, move up to clearance plane height.

- Move to point above first point of the circle.

- Drop to prehit distance above nominal plane.

- Measure surface, search distance is 2* prehit distance.

- Measure each point in the circle pattern in a counterclockwise direction.

- If local clearance plane is enabled, move to the local clearance plane between each point to get to next prehit point.

- Move up to clearance plane height.