### Providing and Using Feature Locator Instructions

Probe Toolbox—Feature Locator tab

You can use the Feature Locator tab to provide the operator with instructions for measuring the current auto feature. You may find this useful if your part program requires some operator interaction in the auto feature measurement (if the operator is working in Manual Mode, for example).

You can provide these instructions by typing textual descriptions, taking screen shots of the feature or using preexisting bitmap images, and even using prepared audio files. If the operator displays the Probe Toolbox during part program execution, but prior to the feature's execution, the instructions will then appear.

To Provide Feature Locator Instructions:

1. Access the Feature Locator tab from the Probe Toolbox attached to the Auto Feature dialog box.

2. Add audio instructions.

- Click the Select Feature Locator WAV icon next to the Feature Locator WAV File toggle icon to browse to the .wav file to associate with this auto feature.

- Click the Feature Locator WAV toggle icon to enable the playing of the audio file during program execution.

3. Add a bitmap image. You can either select a preexisting bitmap image or use a screen capture of the current Graphics Display window.

- To select a preexisting bitmap file, click the Select Feature Locator BMP File icon next to the Feature Locator Capture BMP icon and browse to the .bmp file to associate with this auto feature. Once selected, a thumbnail display of the selected image will appear in the Feature Locator tab.

- To use a screen capture of the Graphics Display window, click the Feature Locator Capture BMP icon . A thumbnail display of the captured image will appear in the Feature Locator tab. This file will be indexed and saved in the PC-DMIS install directory. For example, a part program named bolthole.prg would yield bitmaps named bolthole0.bmp, bolthole1.bmp, bolthole2.bmp, and so on.

- Click the Feature Locator BMP File toggle icon to enable the display of the bitmap image during program execution.

4. Add text instructions. In the Feature Locator Text box, type the textual instructions you want to display.

5. Click Create or OK to save the changes made in the Auto Feature dialog box.

To Use Feature Locator Instructions

1. Display the Probe Toolbox during execution. If the Probe Toolbox isn't visible during execution, the instructions will not appear. To display the Probe Toolbox, do the following:

- Begin part program execution.

- Once the Execution Mode Options dialog box appears, click the Stop button.

- Select View | Probe Toolbox to display the toolbox.

- Click the Continue button to proceed with the execution.

2. View the instructions. The instructions will appear automatically within the Feature Locator tab of the Probe Toolbox when PC-DMIS begins executing the feature:

Feature Locator tab providing instructions during execution

- If audio was enabled, click the Feature Locator WAV File icon as many times as needed to hear the instructions.

- In addition, you can drag the Probe Toolbox out onto the Graphics Display window and size it as desired.

3. Once the associated feature has been measured, PC-DMIS removes the Feature Locator tab with its instructions from the Probe Toolbox.