Cone displays upside down

[Jonathan S]

On the graphics screen, the measured cone is displayed upside down even though the points are taken properly. The base of the cone is in the right place in the Z axis, but the top of the cone is shown opposite where it should be (-Z instead of +Z). Has anyone seen this? 3.5mr2

[Wes Cisco]

Check your vectors.

[Jonathan S]

I'm afraid if I change my vectors, it will crash into the work surface trying to take points in the wrong place. Isn't the vector of a cone toward it's apex?

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Have you SAVED, CLOSED and EXITED?
Have you EXECUTED as opposed to just creating/measuring?

These can sometimes have an effect on what is shown on the screen.

[JamesMannes]

Constructed cone? Input the vectors properly and it should rectify the problem.

Edit...
Any chance of upgrading from 3.5 mr2 to a 3.7 mr? 3.5 wasn't the greastest version. Or go to 4.1. Me likes.

[Wes Cisco]

Constructed cone? Input the vectors properly and it should rectify the problem.

Edit...
Any chance of upgrading from 3.5 mr2 to a 3.7 mr? 3.5 wasn't the greastest version. Or go to 4.1. Me likes.

tactful. . .

[Jonathan S]

Didn't I say MEASURED cone?

Thanks Wes, I just can't figure out how the CMM can measure all the points in their proper locations and display the cone in a different place.

[Jonathan S]

Yes Matt, I did all that. It actually displayed in the proper place when I first created the feature, before the points were measured. After measuring, it flipped upside down in the graphics screen and continues to display that way each time I run the program.

[#2#]

Didn't I say MEASURED cone?

Thanks Wes, I just can't figure out how the CMM can measure all the points in their proper locations and display the cone in a different place.

Is it displaying in the wrong location or just displaying upside down?

It could be that it is in fact upside down in the program but your prehit/retract allows it to measure without crashing. What are the diameters of the circles it measures.

[JamesMannes]

Didn't I say MEASURED cone?

Thanks Wes, I just can't figure out how the CMM can measure all the points in their proper locations and display the cone in a different place.

I am sorry for not noticing that you did in fact note MEASURED cone. I will pay closer attention next time.
If there is one.

[Jonathan S]

My prehit/retract is only .050" There is no way it could measure it with the wrong inputs. It's like the cone displayed is a mirror of the actual measured cone with the apex pointing down below the surface that my part sits on. Its about 4" diameter at the base, 1.4" tall with 15 degree angle on the sides (30 degree overall) I measure 3 levels and the moves around the cone are perfect at .050 above the surface.

[#2#]

Hmmm, I'm stumped. Did you try erasing the offending cone and re-creating it?

[Jonathan S]

Yep, did that too.

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Easy fix for the problem (just like many others for Pcdmis)

1) Does it report correctly?
2) Does it run correctly?
3) Are you getting usable data from the check?

If you answered "YES" to all three, here is the solution:

IGNORE IT.

It may or may not even BE a Pcdmis problem, but may be a Windoze/Graphics card issue. I have seen the view of the cad data 'flip' from a right hand to a left hand, really I have, rotating in 3-D showed it backwards. I simply closed the file, opened it back up and all was fine. NOTHING was done to the file, it was just a 'rendering' issue, sort of like one of those optical illusions. It was like the depth was flipped, which made the part appear to be LH not RH. Kind of wierd and I have had it happen 10 or 12 times since using V3.5 and up (several years).

I am not trying to minimize the issue, but don't burn your brain out trying to get this resolved. You may not be able to. I am about 99% sure that if you have not gotten a working answer from this bunch of, er, experts, then there probably will not be one forthcoming. You will probably find more little 'fun' things like this as you go along in Pcdmis. The bottom line, you have to figure out for yourself are those I listed above.

[Wes Cisco]

With other possibilities disappearing; I think Goodluck may have been right. Do this, place your cursor right in front of the cone in the edit window. Open an autocone and type in all the information, but do not click create. Look at the graphic screen, does the cone appear correct? Maybe increase the angle and the length, (again without hitting create), to magnify the cone. Sometimes I do this to make sure my vectors are correct, just make sure you change the angle and length back to what they should be before you hit create. HTH