## Edge Point Mode

Edge Point Mode allows for walk-up measurement of sheet metal features without using the Auto Features dialog box. The features generated using this mode are all Measured Features rather than Auto Features with two exceptions: If you are in point only mode, then PC-DMIS will create either an auto vector point or an auto edge point. An auto edge point will be created if you take your hit close to an edge and then slide it over the edge to complete the guiding.

For this mode to be enabled you must do the following:

- Program the Sheet Metal option into your portlock.

- Import a CAD model with surfaces for the part you are measuring.

- Select the Find Nominals check box from the General tab of the Setup Options dialog box.

- Specify the needed tolerance distance in the Settings Editor for the DistanceToClosestEdgeToleranceInMM value in the Option section. The default value is 5MM. Hits taken within this distance from the edge will initiate guided mode for completion of the edge point.

To measure points in Edge Point Mode:

1. Take measurements in Learn Mode within the tolerance (DistanceToClosestEdgeToleranceInMM) near the edge point location. PC-DMIS finds the nominals from the CAD model and checks to see if the hit is within tolerance. If the measurement is within tolerance, PC-DMIS will go into guided mode rather than storing the hit in the buffer.

2. In guided mode, slide the probe tip over the edge to complete the edge hit.

3. PC-DMIS will place the completed edge hit into the buffer in learn mode. This allows for the guessing of features as you measure.

4. If you didn’t want an edge hit, press the end button and PC-DMIS will cancel guided mode and add the previous hit to the buffer.

Note: When creating features in Guess mode from edge hits; circles, lines, and slots will be 3D features.

To eliminate internal borders between surfaces for determining edges, use the AdjacentEdgeToleranceInMM in the Option section of the Settings Editor. This is useful in situations where the CAD model has gaps between surfaces. If the gaps are large, you may need to increase the default value of 0.1MM.

Edge Point Mode also uses half of the thickness value from the Auto Feature dialog box to determine the depth. Normally, you only need to set this once to the part thickness and then close the Auto Feature dialog box. This value is written to the registry.

Note: Edge Point Mode is designed for portable devices, but will work with any device with a hard probe.