## Description of the Alignment Utilities Dialog Box

Alignment Utilities dialog box

When you select the Insert | Alignment | New menu, PC-DMIS displays the Alignment Utilities dialog box. This dialog box provides a way for you to construct an alignment from the features that have been measured up to that point in the part program.

If you are creating a new alignment, the alignment ID will default to a new identification name, and the Recall list will display the alignment active at the cursor's current location in the Edit window. If you have not defined any alignment or if the cursor location is before any defined alignments in the Edit window, the STARTUP command is selected as the recalled alignment.

You have the option of recalling any available alignment listed in the Recall list. Only alignments created prior to the current cursor's position and certain predefined special cases are available for selection from that list.

The Edit window command line for this option reads:

‘align_id’=ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL: STARTUP, LIST=YES
ALIGNMENT/END

Note: An alignment is not considered completed until the OK button is selected and PC-DMIS updates the Active Alignment List box.

As long as the Alignment Utilities dialog box remains open, PC-DMIS indicates any remaining unconstrained degrees of freedom by causing the red XYZ origin symbol (or trihedron) to continually rotate about and translate in the direction of those unconstrained axes in the Graphics Display window. Once the alignment is completely constrained, PC-DMIS then displays the trihedron in a fixed location and orientation that represents the alignment position:

Alignment Trihedron

More:

Accessing the Dialog Box

Alignment ID

Alignment Sub-Command List

Drop Down Axes

Level

Rotate

Set Origin Offset Distance

Origin

Recall

Iterative

Best Fit

Auto Align

CAD Equals Part