Cutsphere

[Darin Steiner]

Can someone show me a code example for a cutsphere in your probe.dat file?I'm a bit confused on the "T" & "B" top bottom location. The formula I have to calculate it makes no sense. Thanks

[rangerboat72]

Just curious but what is a cutsphere?

[JamesMannes]

Yeah, I was gonna ask the same thing but I had already taken my "stupid" pills for the day. I didn't need to look any stupiderer.

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Oh, a cutsphere, that's a sphere that's been cut, man
(a lot like 'tiestick, ya know, that stuff that's tied to a stick, man').

What IS a cutsphere? I have not heard of one before. Is it the probe or the cal-tool? Or, is it a feature you are trying to measure?

[#2#]

Well, since Darin hasn't weighed in I'm gonna throw out my guess as to what a "cutsphere" is. Since he mentions the probe.dat file I'm guessing it is a probe. I know that Renishaw makes some styli that are a section of a sphere. They appear to be a little over the bottom half of the sphere.

See This For What I Am Describing

Darin, is this what you are talking about?

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Well, heck! If that is all they are, if you are using one that goes past the 'equator' (more than 1/2 the sphere), simply do nothing, the standard calibration routine (Pcdmis default) will work just fine.

If it is less than 1/2 the sphere, simply change the end angle of the cal-routine (custom) from what it is to something else. I am running right now so I do NOT want to open a probe cal window (too much chance of crashing), but simply change one of the 2 angles and watch it calibrate. If you changed the wrong one, then it will not take a hit on the very top of the cal-tool, then you simply change it back and change the other one.

[\v/inston]

the renishaw catalog calls them hemispherical ball styli. if thats what we are talking about, not sure i'm still confused.

[dwade]

I didn't need to look any stupiderer.

Where's DaddyBluto when we need him???? NOT IN DICTIONARY

"MORE stupid"

From M-W Online
Pronunciation: 'stü-p&d, 'styü-
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle French stupide, from Latin stupidus, from stupEre to be numb, be astonished -- more at TYPE
1 a : slow of mind : OBTUSE b : given to unintelligent decisions or acts : acting in an unintelligent or careless manner c : lacking intelligence or reason : BRUTISH
2 : dulled in feeling or sensation : TORPID <still stupid from the sedative>
3 : marked by or resulting from unreasoned thinking or acting : SENSELESS <a stupid decision>
4 a : lacking interest or point <a stupid event> b : VEXATIOUS, EXASPERATING <the stupid car won't start>
- stu·pid·ly adverb
- stu·pid·ness noun
synonyms STUPID, DULL, DENSE, CRASS, DUMB mean lacking in power to absorb ideas or impressions. STUPID implies a slow-witted or dazed state of mind that may be either congenital or temporary <stupid students just keeping the seats warm> <stupid with drink>. DULL suggests a slow or sluggish mind such as results from disease, depression, or shock <monotonous work that leaves the mind dull>. DENSE implies a thickheaded imperviousness to ideas <too dense to take a hint>. CRASS suggests a grossness of mind precluding discrimination or delicacy <a crass, materialistic people>. DUMB applies to an exasperating obtuseness or lack of comprehension <too dumb to figure out what's going on>.

[Schrocknroll]

Is this what you are looking for?

ITEM:TIP18MMSPHERE M2
begintip
ribcount 10
color 255 0 0
cutsphere 0 0 0 0 0 1 18 2 -10000
hotspot 0 0 0 0 0 1 18 18 ball
endtip

This is what it looks like
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1.../CUTSPHERE.gif

[Darin Steiner]

Sorry, I've been to busy to respond to my own post. A cutspher is a little more than a half spher that enables you to use a large dia probe by reducing the weight and enabling you to use long extensions without shanking. Please read what I cut from probe file discription doc and see if you can make sense of it.

Definition of “Probe.dat”

The “probe.dat” file is the file that controls the graphical and numerical representation of the probe system for Pc-dmis. If a probe or probe system is desired to be used within Pc-dmis then it must first be defined in the “probe.dat” file. There is a specific format for defining a probe or probe system and the rules of this format must be strictly followed. The format and rules of the format are described below along with a list of the commands and their definitions.

Commands:
ITEM:
begintip
endtip
ribcount
line
sphere
cutsphere
cylinder
cone
ring
comment
autojoint
manualjoint
hotspot
connect


cutsphere x y z i j k d t b

“Where x,y,z, and d are the same as sphere,
i,j,k is the vector perpendicular to the sphere
top and bottom, and t, b define the location
of the top and bottom as follows:
Top = (x,y,x) + t * (i,j,k)
Bottom = (x,y,x) - b * (iI,j,k)”

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

What I would do is simply find a build-up with the same over-all length from the mounting thread to the center of the ball. Say, from the base of the threads to the center of the cutsphere, it is 50mm. OK, in the drop-down, build ANY probe that will give you 50mm from where it threads into the TPwhatever to the center of the ball. Then, simply calibrate it by hand the first time. IT will give you a DIAMETER warning (if you have them turned on) but after that, it will calibrate JUST FINE using the default DCC calibration routine in Pcdmis. It will continue to give you the alarm for the diameter.

-OR-

Open the probe.dat file and simply COPY any probe tip that has the same length as your cut sphere and paste it at the end. Find HOTSPOT line and change the diameter to match the cut sphere and rename that tip to CUTSPHERE and it should be ready to go. The only thing is that it will NOT show as a cut sphere in the graphics but as a whole ball, but who cares? I will slab one together for you if you tell me the DIAMETER of the cut sphere and the length from the center of the sphere to the mounting 'color' where the threads start.

[Darin Steiner]

cutsphere

That’s basically what I have done and I think it will work ok. I have played around with it and if I use the formula that is in the probe file description word doc (that I found on I believe it was the Willcox web site) the cutsphere is upside down in the graphics window. I think there is a typo in the doc because it makes no sense. I did manage to figure it out with some experimentation, but I'm not sure if its correct. I don't even have the actual probe yet' it’s being custom made, 25mm dia. If you want I can attach and send you the word doc that I have and see if it makes sense to you. Just email me at [email protected] or [email protected] and I can attach it to a response. Thanks Matt!

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Is this what you are looking for?

ITEM:TIP18MMSPHERE M2
begintip
ribcount 10
color 255 0 0
cutsphere 0 0 0 0 0 1 18 2 -10000
hotspot 0 0 0 0 0 1 18 18 ball
endtip

Using this definition from Schrocknroll should build the probe, but it has NO length for the shaft, ya know, on a 2x20 probe, there is 20 of shaft with a 2mm ball on the end. HOWEVER, all you really need to do is use 'extensions' from the drop-down list until you get a length equal to the length of shaft of the cutsphere probe. Then you are good to go.