### (Advanced) ClearanceCube Definition - Constraints tab

Use the Constraints tab to specify which of the six faces and 12 edges you want to use for planned motion.

ClearanceCube Definition dialog box - Constraints tab

Faces area - The check boxes in this area indicate which of the six faces you want to use for planned motion. If a face is cleared it will not be used. The minimum check boxes correspond to the XMINUS, YMINUS, and ZMINUS faces. The maximum check boxes correspond to the XPLUS, YPLUS, and ZPLUS faces.

Unless you have a MACHINE command for a horizontal arm machine, PC-DMIS assumes that you are using a vertical arm machine, and clears the Z Minimum check box. It assumes your part is sitting on the vertical machine's table, and that motion will not occur in the ZMINUS direction. On a horizontal arm machine, the Y Minimum check box is cleared, so that motion will not occur in the YMINUS direction.

You can, of course, mark any check box you wish. For example, if you're using a vertical machine, and the part is held above the table surface by a fixture, then you may want to mark the Z Minimum check box so that motion occurs in that direction as well.

Edges area - The check boxes in this area indicate which of the 12 edges you want to use for planned motion. If an edge is cleared it will not be used. This is helpful for those cases where you may have a face available for planned motion, but you may not have an edge available due to a part clamp or some other obstruction. By default, PC-DMIS clears the four edges corresponding to any cleared faces. Each of the edge check boxes lists two axes as part of its label. These axes correspond to the surfaces making up that edge. For example, +X +Y means that edge touches both the X+ surface and the Y+ surface.

Translucent model illustrating the 12 different edges

An Example

For example, suppose you have a clamp that attaches to the part on the Y- face and part of the Z+. You probe needs to move from a measurement on the X- to the Y- face. If you disallowed motion across the X- Y- and the X- Z+ edges, PC-DMIS would pick a different valid route, such as moving to the Y+ ClearanceCube face and traversing to the X+ face, and then to the Y+ as shown here:

Example showing valid probe motion from X- to Y- faces due to denied edges

Preview Area - The CAD preview shows the effects of your edges and faces modifications. Clearing any check boxes will draw those edges and faces in a cyan colored rectangle or line, indicating that motion will not be applied for those elements of the ClearanceCube.

Activate ClearanceCube motion - This is already described in the "(Simple) ClearanceCube Definition" topic.

Show ClearanceCube - This is already described in the "(Simple) ClearanceCube Definition" topic.

Resize ClearanceCube - This is already described in the "(Simple) ClearanceCube Definition" topic.

Defaults - This button allows you to reset the Constraints tab to the default settings based on the current part program.

Simple - This button sets the dialog box back to its initial simplified state.