### Mirror

The Mirror command (File | Operations | Mirror) allows you to create a mirror image copy in the X, Y, or Z axis of a part program. When you select this command, the Choose Part to Mirror dialog box appears:

Choose Part to Mirror dialog box

The following table describes the items available for selection on the dialog box:

Item | Description
Part Program list | This displays all the available part programs in the current directory.
File name list | This defines the part program to mirror.
Files of type list | This filters the display of the current directory to only show Part Program files (.PRG).
Don't mirror CAD check box | This determines if the resulting CAD is mirrored or not. If checked the resulting CAD will not be mirrored. If not checked the resulting CAD will be mirrored. The check box is initially unchecked when PC-DMIS is started up for the very first time. Afterwards it's state is what was applied in the last mirroring.

This value can be modified using the Settings Editor by changing the DoNotMirrorCAD key value in the Option folder.

Part Mirror Axis area | This defines the axis in which you want to mirror the part program:

1. - Mirror in X - Mirrors the part in the X axis

   - Mirror in Y - Mirrors the part in the Y axis

   - Mirror in Z - Mirrors the part in the Z axis

Reporting Mirror Option area | This defines how PC-DMIS should mirror CAD images in reports:

1. - Don't Mirror - Does not mirror at all.

   - Horizontal - Mirrors CAD images horizontally.

   - Vertical - Mirrors CAD images vertically.

This affects reporting objects such as CadReportObjects, CadImageObjects, Analysis objects, and SectionCutObjects, as well as any defined viewsets in the part program.

Machine Mirror Axis area (Per Werner This resource name may change in v44 or later.) | Defines how PC-DMIS positions the mirrored part on a virtual machine displayed in the Graphics Display window. Available options include:

5. - Mirror Machine Position in X - Mirrors the virtual machine's X axis.

   - Mirror Machine Position in Y - Mirrors the virtual machine's Y axis.

   - Mirror Machine Position in Z - Mirrors the virtual machine's Z axis.

Prior to version 4.3, when viewing the part on the virtual machine, PC-DMIS mirrored the part about the part origin and you had to define the location and orientation of the mirrored part using the Quick Fixture's shortcut menu. Now, in version 4.3 and later, PC-DMIS mirrors the part at the same location as the original part. Using the Machine Mirror Axis area you can define the orientation of the mirrored part on the virtual machine. You only need to shift the part on the machine to the place it should get measured.

For a description of how these options will position your part, consider the following description:

Graphical Description | Key

1 | Machine's Origin
| Original Part
| Part Mirrored in Y with Mirror Machine Position in Y
| Part Mirrored in Y with Mirror Machine Position in X

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Reference Part area Per Werner this area's name may change to "Position on CMM from an existing part program:. | This pulls out any quick fixture alignment data from the reference part and uses that information in the mirroring operation. If you define a reference part using this area then PC-DMIS will not use the Machine Mirror Axis area. Instead, the location and orientation of the mirrored part is loaded from the existing (and already mirrored) reference part program.

This option is especially useful if you have multiple part programs that belong to the same physical part and need to get mirrored. In this case you would only need to define the location and orientation of the mirrored part in the first mirrored part program. You could then easily mirror other part programs by selecting the first mirrored part program as the reference part.

To Mirror a Part Program:

1. If you use an infinite wrist in the part program, you should first set the AlternateTipMirror registry entry to TRUE. This entry is located in the USER_Option section of the PC-DMIS Settings Editor. This entry helps PC-DMIS choose the correct AB angle in cases where the probe head offers more than one possible combination of AB angles to produce the mirrored tip vector.

2. Select the File | Operations | Mirror option. The following Choose Part to Mirror dialog box will appear:

3. Select the part program file to mirror.

4. From the Part Mirror Axis area, select the axis in which you want to mirror.

5. From the Reporting Mirror Option area, choose how you want to mirror CAD images in reports.

6. From the Machine Mirror Axis area, choose how you want to position the mirrored part on a virtual machine displayed in the Graphics Display window.

7. If you have an already mirrored reference part, use the Browse button in the Reference Part area to select that part. This pulls out any quick fixture alignment data from the reference part and uses that information in the mirroring operation.

8. Click the Mirror button. The Save mirrored part as dialog box will appear with the file name of the part program you selected to mirror:

Save mirrored part as dialog box

9. Navigate to the directory where you want the program to be saved and click the Save button. PC-DMIS will mirror the part program. Note that it may take a little while to copy the necessary files.

Important: PC-DMIS also attempts to mirror your probe's AB tip angles. If your probe does not have the exact mirrored tip angles already defined and calibrated, PC-DMIS may choose the closest calibrated tip angles. It chooses closely calibrated tip angles if the calibrated tip angles exist, and are within the wrist angle amount specified in the Wrist Warning Delta box on the Part/Machine tab of the SetUp Options dialog box. If no closely calibrated AB tip angles exist, then PC-DMIS will create perfectly mirrored yet non-calibrated AB tip angles. See the "Setup Options: Part / Machine tab" topic in the "Setting Your Preferences" chapter.