Warning - Pierce Points in Alignment and Mirror Function

[#2#]

Just thought everyone would want to know about this.

I have two parts that are mirror images of each other. No problem right. Because of the shape of the part it was necessary to create a pierce point with a 3D line (created at the intersection of 2 planes) and a cylinder. This pierce point must then be used in the alignment as the Z orgin. Well, I wrote the program for one of them and all was good.

Then, I used the mirror function to create the program for the second part. Only, when I did this the vector of the 3D line did not change and my pierce point ended up on the wrong side of the cylinder and at a very wrong Z location. Long and short of it is now I have a nice little piece of fishing equipment to sell to anyone who does not wish to attempt making their own.

If you would like to bid on said fishing equipment please PM me. Auction is now open and will continue until I feel I have recieved a fair price for this one of a kind item.






Thought everyone should be warned to be carefull when using the mirror function!

[Mike N.]

"In God we trust - all others pay cash"

or in this case "all others run path lines"

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

That is one thing that I will NOT ever mirror, an alignment. I always create each alignment by hand, one at a time. I have never trusted Pcdmis with mirroring an alignment since there is usually SOME problem with it mirroring anyway. Like, lets see, V3.5 MIRROR and COPY/PASTE w/ PATTERN ~ Edge points didn't come out right. The surface vectors of the edge point would NOT mirror, even though Pcdmis DID run them as if they were mirrored, BUT THE DATA REPORTED WAS NOT RIGHT even so!

RULE #1 = DO NOT MIRROR ALIGNMENTS
RULE #2 = SEE RULE #1

It is for things like this that there SHOULD be someplace for us to PUT all our little bits of wisdom for others to read, someplace that would NOT get filled up with the games and that would NOT get erased by admin.

[kbotta]

I still use 3.2063
no problem with the mirror, 'cept tip angles...
b-rad

[craiger_ny]

I believe he used the mirror function for mirroring a program. You might be thinking of the copy paste mirror function. If I am not mistaken Goodluck did the mirror program thing, you have no choice but to do alignments, it mirrors the whole .prg.

Craig

[#2#]

It is for things like this that there SHOULD be someplace for us to PUT all our little bits of wisdom for others to read, someplace that would NOT get filled up with the games and that would NOT get erased by admin.

It's called your head! You store your bits and I'll store mine and everyone else stores theirs. As long as no one leaves the board we will be OK.

[#2#]

I believe he used the mirror function for mirroring a program. You might be thinking of the copy paste mirror function. If I am not mistaken Goodluck did the mirror program thing, you have no choice but to do alignments, it mirrors the whole .prg.

Craig

This is correct. I mirrored the entire program. I have used it many times in the past without problem. It is just because this one time my alignment was dependent on a created line.

I guess more than anything, We should all be carefull when we mirror a program to run it slow, pay attention and be ready to stop it at any moment.

[craiger_ny]

Yeah, I told Admin it is a shame we are loosing some of the off topic stuff. The stuff with any content was a very small fraction of the goofing off stuff but what we are losing in regards to GD&T, VB, general metrology tips etc stinks. It would be nice to not lose that stuff. Tom has done a nice job on his layout of the other forum. I like a "Work related" room. Not PCDMIS or CMMs but related to what we do.

Craig

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Yeah, that's what I meant, in V3.5, mirroring the entire program messed up the EDGE POINTS, and in using the PATTERN, it ALSO messed up the edge points, but not in the same way.

[kpayne]

This is correct. I mirrored the entire program. I have used it many times in the past without problem. It is just because this one time my alignment was dependent on a created line.

I guess more than anything, We should all be carefull when we mirror a program to run it slow, pay attention and be ready to stop it at any moment.

I have had problems using created features in iterative alignments in the past so I measure all my alignment features.

Kevin

[#2#]

I have had problems using created features in iterative alignments in the past so I measure all my alignment features.

Kevin

I prefer measuring too but there was/is no way to measure this point on this part.