02 Navigating The User Interface (PC-DMIS)
02 Navigating The User Interface (PC-DMIS)
02 Navigating The User Interface (PC-DMIS)
File ................................................................................................................. 3
Edit ................................................................................................................ 3
View ............................................................................................................... 4
Insert .............................................................................................................. 4
Operation ....................................................................................................... 4
Window .......................................................................................................... 5
Help ............................................................................................................... 5
Check Boxes................................................................................................ 12
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Table of Contents
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Navigating the User
Interface
Navigating the User Interface: Introduction
This section provides an introduction to using PC-DMIS. It documents the fundamental actions
needed to operate the software. To fully exercise the capabilities of PC-DMIS and make your
measurement routine programming as easy as possible, please read through this entire section
and follow along on your computer.
This section also highlights ways to customize some of PC-DMIS's graphical options to best meet
individual needs. (Additional information on these available options can be found in the "Editing
the CAD Display: Introduction" section.)
Each topic listed below illustrates a specific feature of the interface. The following are covered in
this section:
PC-DMIS provides the flexibility of using the mouse or keyboard to enter commands or select
options. Shortcut menus and shortcut keys have been assigned to frequently used commands.
See the "Using Shortcut Keys and Shortcut Menus: Introduction" section.
The screen is divided into several distinct areas, each of which fulfills a specific function or
supplies needed information. A brief description of each screen area is listed below. (Additional
information is located throughout the documentation as indicated.)
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2. The Menu bar contains the menus and menu items available from the PC-DMIS
application. For information, see "The Menu Bar".
3. The Toolbar area contains toolbars with frequently used commands. These toolbars are
easily accessible by right-clicking on the Toolbar area. See "The Toolbar Area".
4. The Graphic Display window presents graphic representations of the part (the top view is
shown in the illustration). The size of this area remains constant. However, the display
area can be divided into as many as four different views of the part. For information, see
"The Graphic Display Window".
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5. Dialog boxes are the main communication channels between Planner and the user.
Available features appear in the dialog box, and most input data is entered through it. For
information, see "Dialog Box Description".
6. The Edit window displays the measurement routine. This window allows you to access
specific commands within the measurement routine and make changes to meet individual
specifications. See the "Editing a Measurement Routine: Introduction" and "Using the Edit
Window: Introduction" chapters for fully documented operations of the Edit window.
7. The Status Bar displays information important to the current operation. This includes
information such as the probe's current position, the probe calibration data, standard
deviation of the last feature measured, the number of hits, and other information. It also
contains a message area to display prompts and pertinent information about the
operation in progress. For more information, see "The Status Bar".
This topics below give a brief description of each menu. For additional information, see the
appropriate chapter as needed. PC-DMIS also provides a variety of shortcut menus. These are
discussed in the "Using Shortcut Keys and Shortcut Menus: Introduction" chapter.
To get help on specific menu items, hover over the menu item and press F1.
File
The File menu lets you open, save, and print files, access the Edit window, run measurement
routines with the Execute Mode, and exit out of current measurement routines. See the "Using
Basic File Options: Introduction" and "Using Advanced File Options: Introduction" chapters for
more information.
Edit
The Edit menu allows you to edit your measurement routine preferences, your measurement
routine, or the CAD display.
• To edit your preferences, see the "Setting Your Preferences: Introduction" chapter for
complete information.
• To edit your measurement routine via the Edit window, see the "Editing a Measurement
Routine: Introduction" and "Using the Edit Window: Introduction" chapters for complete
information.
• To edit the display of the CAD drawing, see the "Editing the CAD Display: Introduction"
chapter for complete information.
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View
The view menu allows you to access all the windows, editors, and toolbars available to PC-DMIS.
See the "Using Other Windows, Editors, and Tools: Overview" chapter for complete information.
Insert
The bulk of a measurement routine's commands can be accessed from the Insert menu.
Most of the chapters comprising this documentation come from the options and submenus
displayed on this menu.
Operation
The items on the Operation menu are discussed in various topics of the documentation.
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Window
The Window menu allows you to manage the display of all open measurement routines. See the
"Navigating and Displaying Multiple Windows" chapter.
Help
The Help menu provides comprehensive information about PC-DMIS commands, dialog boxes,
menu items, messages, and so on. To activate the PC-DMIS Help file, select any of the items on
the Help menu or press F1 at any time. PC-DMIS will launch the PC-DMIS Help file. See the
"Using the Online Help" chapter.
It also provides information about your version of PC-DMIS and provides options for automatically
updating the PC-DMIS software. See "Updating the Software" in the "Getting Started:Overview"
chapter.
For example: To open the View menu using the keyboard, press ALT and V (the underlined
letter). Options can be selected from the menu in a similar manner. Simply press the underlined
letter to the corresponding option (i.e., Cut: press the T key).
To do this:
Shortcut keys also have been assigned to many of the options. The shortcut key is shown to the
right of the command or option.
See the "Using Shortcut Keys and Menus" chapter for more information.
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1. Select the View | Toolbars submenu and select a toolbar from the menu provided.
2. Right-click on PC-DMIS's Toolbar area and select a toolbar from the shortcut menu
provided.
Once you have a toolbar in the toolbar area, you can move the toolbar by first clicking on the
space between the left or right edge and a button and then dragging the toolbar to a different
location.
For in-depth information on all of PC-DMIS's toolbars, see the "Using Toolbars" chapter.
The Graphic Display window is an integral part of PC-DMIS. For information on editing the
Graphic Display window, and altering the screen display, see "Editing the CAD Display" chapter.
1. Message Box: The left-most box displays instructions and other information regarding
the current procedure or command.
2. X, Y, and Z boxes: These boxes show the X, Y, and Z position of the probe. Clicking on
any of the three coordinate displays within the status bar will cause the Auto Move Point
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dialog box to appear. (See "Inserting a Move Point Command" in the "Inserting Move
Commands" chapter for additional information regarding DCC Move Point.)
3. W: Angle of Rotary Table:
4. SD: This shows the standard deviation of the last feature measured.
5. # of Hits: This shows the number of hits currently taken.
6. IN/MM: This shows the current unit of measurement used for the measurement routine.
7. INS/OVR: - This box indicates the current editing function of the Edit report. It will display
INS (for INSERT, meaning it inserts text at the cursor) or OVR (for OVERWRITE,
meaning it overwrites any text encountered by the cursor).
8. Line: This box displays a number that indicates the current line where the cursor is
located in the Edit report. Col: This box displays a number that indicates the current
column where the cursor is located in the Edit report.
• To put the status bar back to its normal size, select View | Status Bar | Normal.
• To hide or show the status bar, select View | Status Bar | Hide Status Bar(s).
A dialog box provides various boxes and buttons (called controls) that can be selected to tell PC-
DMIS how to carry out a command. Sometimes a dialog box shows default settings already
selected, which if satisfactory can be left as they are. After all the controls in the dialog box have
been set, select OK to carry out the command. To cancel the command and close the dialog box,
click the Cancel button.
The graphics illustrate some features common to most dialog boxes in PC-DMIS.
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B - List Box
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D - Check Boxes
E - Command Buttons
F - Tabs
Edit Box
An edit box allows you to type in a desired value or name. In this documentation, edit boxes are
simply referred to as "boxes". Edit boxes common to many of PC-DMIS's dialog boxes are listed
here:
ID= [Feature]
This box shows the Feature or Dimension identification or name for the features or dimensions to
be created.
• You can change only the number portion of the ID and reset the dimension counter to a
desired count.
• You can change the text portion of the ID and set it as the default text for subsequent
dimensions. (See the ID Setup tab of the Setup Options dialog box in the "Setting Your
Preferences" chapter.)
Search ID
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In the Search ID box you can type the feature (or dimension) IDs to use in the current operation.
You can use this box to search using meta-character search options. The feature or dimension
IDs will be highlighted in the appropriate Feature List box (or Dimension List box).
If you type a feature's ID in the Search ID box and press ENTER, PC-DMIS selects that feature
from the Feature List or Dimension List box.
Select Last #
In the Select Last # box, you can select the last of a certain number of features (or dimensions).
For example, if you wanted to select the last four features that were created, simply type 4 and
press the TAB key. PC-DMIS will highlight the features selected in the Feature List box.
List Box
A list box is similar to an edit box; however, changes cannot be made to the listed values. This
documentation refers to either "list" or "box" for the list box. Lists common to many of PC-DMIS's
dialog boxes are listed here:
The Feature List box contains a list of the available features within a measurement routine. PC-
DMIS uses selected features to define alignments, construct new features, create dimensions,
and other such tasks. You can select features by following the instructions given in the "Selecting
Features Using the Graphic Display window" topic in the "Editing the CAD display" chapter.
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A feature displayed in red text with an asterisk (*) to the left of it represents a feature that has
been skipped during measurement routine execution.
Selected (highlighted) features can be deselected using the Clear or Clear List button.
If you are attaching an external measurement routine (see "Attaching an External Measurement
Routine" in the "Adding External Elements" chapter), PC-DMIS also lists the variable (or pointer)
used to reference the attached measurement routine. A plus sign (+) appears to the left of the
pointer. Clicking this plus sign expands or collapses a view of all the features in the attached
measurement routine.
Once a selection is made, the list is automatically sorted based on the selected option. As new
items are added to the list, clicking on the Sort button will re-sort the list based on the currently
sorted options shown on the button. Re-clicking the button will sort the list in reverse as shown be
the up or down arrow to the right of the displayed sorting method.
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The Dimension List box contains a list of all the dimensions that were created within a
measurement routine. You can edit or analyze a dimension by selecting the desired dimension in
the list box and selecting the desired changes or options in the associated dialog box. You select
multiple dimensions at a time by holding down Ctrl or Shift and clicking on another dimension.
Inside the Edit Dimension Info dialog box, if the dimension already has a Dimension Info box
associated with it, PC-DMIS shows an asterisk (*) symbol next to the dimension ID in the list. If
the dimension info is hidden in all current views, it adds a number sign (#) symbol next to the ID.
For example, suppose you have a roundness dimension named RND1 for a circle named CIR4. If
the roundness dimension already had a DIMINFO box associated with it, yet that DIMINFO box
was hidden from all views in the Graphic Display window, the ID in the list would look like this:
Option Buttons
The area containing option buttons displays available choices for the dialog box. You can switch
between available choices by clicking on the desired button. When an option is chosen, a black
dot appears to the left of the selected option and all other options are cleared. You can only
select one option button in that area.
Check Boxes
Click on check boxes to turn options on or off. The option is considered "on" when a check mark
appears inside the box. You can select multiple check boxes.
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Command Buttons
A command button carries out an action. The command buttons common to most dialog boxes in
PC-DMIS are listed here:
Apply
The Apply button applies your selections to the dialog box but keeps the dialog box open for
further changes.
OK
The OK button saves and applies the changes and closes the dialog box. On some dialog boxes,
clicking the OK button inserts commands into the Edit window.
Cancel
The Cancel button ignores any changes and closes the dialog box.
Delete
The Delete button removes items (such as created features, dimensions, probe files, alignment
information, and so on) from certain list boxes.
In the Delete CAD dialog box, the Delete command button deletes selected nominal features.
See "Deleting CAD".
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Last
The Last button selects the last item in the associated list box.
Last Two
The Last Two button selects the last two items in the associated list box.
Select All
The Select All button selects all the items in the associated list box.
Default
Use the Default button to update the default settings of several parameters. When you create a
new measurement routine, it will reflect any changes that are stored as the default values.
The default values are stored in the system registry. You can update these parameters through
the appropriate dialog box or by editing the registry itself by using the PC-DMIS Settings Editor.
This application is included with your PC-DMIS install set. For more information, see "Modifying
Registry Entries".
• If you click the OK button without clicking the Default button, the defined parameters will
apply only to the active measurement routine and will not affect the registry entries.
• If you change a parameter and then click the Default button, PC-DMIS will update the
registry entries, redefining the default to the current entry.
The Default button allows you to store and apply new default values to new measurement
routines created later on.
Recall
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You can use the Recall button to call back the original factory settings as long as the original
values haven't changed through clicking the Default button. In that case, PC-DMIS returns the
stored values in the registry.
For information on using the Machine Options dialog box to restore original factory settings by
reading them from the controller, see "Setting Up the Machine Interface" in the "Setting Your
Preferences" chapter.
Create
The Create button applies changes made in certain dialog boxes and creates features,
dimensions, scans, and so on. It then places the created item into the Edit window and the
Graphic Display window.
The Create button won't close the dialog box. Only clicking the Close button closes the dialog
box.
Close
The Close button closes the dialog box. With some dialog boxes (where you may want to select
further options) just pressing the OK, Apply, or the Create button doesn't automatically close the
dialog box.
Clear
Use the Clear command button to clear the highlight of any selected item from the list boxes. In
some cases, the Clear button completely removes items from certain list boxes (such as the AB
positions from the New Angles List box).
In some dialog boxes and tabs, the Clear button clears any values that were entered or changed
before either the Apply or the OK button was clicked, and restores the "built in" values in PC-
DMIS. If you have used the Default button to store default values, then PC-DMIS restores those
values.
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Undo
The Undo button reverses changes made using the Apply button (or the Generate button in
DCC scans). It cannot reverse changes made once the OK button is clicked.
Help
The Help button opens the online help topic associated with the current dialog box.
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The Edit window has scroll bars for viewing additional data in the window.
To scroll:
PC-DMIS scrolls the text in the scroll arrow's pointed direction. For example, to scroll down,
select the down scroll arrow with the pointer and click the left mouse button.
See the chapters "Editing a Measurement Routine" and "Using the Edit Window" for complete
information regarding the Edit window.
You can dock some dialog boxes and other interface elements inside the rest of the user
interface. You may need to undock these items before you move them. For details on how to
dock and undock UI elements, see "Docking and Undocking User Interface Elements".
You can reorganize menus, add your own programs to menus, or create new menus and options
altogether. PC-DMIS also allows you to link commands native to PC-DMIS and customized
commands to toolbars. Instructions on how to modify the user interface are in the following topics:
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• Customizing Toolbars
• Customizing Shortcut Keys
Note: The organization of this documentation is based on the default user interface shipped with
this version PC-DMIS. Be aware that customizing the user interface may make existing
documentation difficult to follow.
1. Close PC-DMIS.
2. Navigate to the directory where you installed PC-DMIS.
3. Access the directory that corresponds to your Windows user profile.
4. Delete the file named menu_xxx.dat where xxx refers to the three letter code for the
language you're running. For English, delete menu_eng.dat.
5. Restart PC-DMIS. It will use the default user interface.
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To modify font attributes, access the Font Setup dialog box by selecting the Edit | Preferences |
Fonts menu option. Using this dialog box, you can change font attributes - including font, size,
and style - for the main user interface, for the Graphic Display window, and for the Edit window.
1. Click one of these option buttons to open a standard Font dialog box:
• Application Font - This changes the font of the main application. This includes
the lists on the Settings toolbar, the Preview window, the Readout window, the
status bar, message boxes, and so on.
• Graphic Font - This changes the font for text in the Graphic Display window.
This affects feature labels, Dimension Info and Point Info text boxes, and so on.
Note: For Graphic Font, only text boxes support the Underline and Strike-out
characteristics.
• Edit Window Font - This changes the font for the Edit window. For a
recommended font for the Edit window, see the note below.
3. From the Font dialog box, use the lists and select your font changes.
4. Click OK to close the Font dialog box.
5. From the Font Setup dialog box, click OK to accept your change.
Important: You can use any font available on your computer system; however, some fonts don't
have a uniform spacing. This can make some components more difficult to read. For the Edit
window text, we recommend that you use a monospace, fixed-width font, such as the Courier
New font. Otherwise, characters, lines, and headings may not line up as expected.
Customizing Menus
1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option.
2. Select the Menu tab.
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You can use this tab to add new menu items, move existing menu items, or remove menu items
from the menu bar altogether.
You can use the Use large menus check box to show all menu items in a larger font. PC-DMIS
will need to restart to apply the large menu sizes.
1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option, and click the Menu tab.
2. Navigate to the menu item you want to move on PC-DMIS's actual menu bar (not the tree
view menu list in the Menu tab).
3. Select the desired menu item.
4. Drag it to the new position. As you drag the item through the menu structure, a small red
arrow appears, indicating where you want to add the item.
5. Release the mouse button. The menu item is moved from its original location to the new
location.
6. Click OK to accept your changes and close the Customize dialog box.
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2. Navigate to the menu item you want to remove on PC-DMIS's actual menu bar (not the
tree view menu list in the Menu tab).
3. Select the desired menu item.
4. Drag it off of the menu bar area.
5. Release the mouse button, and the menu item is removed from the menu.
6. Click OK to accept your changes and close the Customize dialog box.
1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option.
2. With the dialog box open, click on PC-DMIS's menu bar.
3. Select a menu and then right-click on the menu item you want to change on PC-DMIS's
actual menu bar (not the tree view menu list in the Menu tab). The Edit Menu Item
dialog box appears.
4. Modify the menu item using this dialog box and then click OK.
5. Click OK on the Customize dialog box.
6. Verify your change.
Note: In the Menu Text box, the letter that follows the ampersand sign (&) indicates that the letter
is used with the Alt key to quickly select that menu item (for example selecting Alt + F + N
accesses the New menu item from the File menu).
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1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option, and select the Menu tab.
2. Click the Create Item button. The Custom Wizard / Script / Tool dialog box appears.
3. Click the ‘…’ button. An Open dialog box appears.
4. From the Files of Type list, select the type of file you to insert.
5. Navigate to the directory containing the custom application, batch file, BASIC script, and
so forth.
6. Select the file to insert, and click Open. The Open dialog box closes and the Custom
Wizard / Script / Tool dialog box displays the default information associated with the
custom program you selected.
Command File:
This box shows the pathway to the command.
Menu Text:
This box allows you to specify the name used on the menu for this item.
Help Desc:
This box allows you to define information that PC-DMIS displays in the status bar when
you move your mouse over the item.
Tool Tip:
This box allows you to specify the tooltip text displayed for this item when you hover your
mouse over it. This only works if the custom item is added to a toolbar, not a menu.
Function:
This box remains unavailable for selection unless you are using a custom BASIC script.
Once the box becomes enabled, you can use it to define the function or subroutine that
runs from the loaded .bas file. Type the routine name without parenthesis. For example,
typing "TestFunction" launches the TestFunction routine when the BASIC script is
executed.
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Change Icon:
This button allows you to change the icons displayed for this menu item.
Customizing Toolbars
1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option.
2. Select the Toolbars tab.
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You can use this tab to add new toolbars and new toolbar icons, add new pulldown toolbars,
remove custom toolbars, remove toolbar icons, and reorder toolbar icons on existing toolbars.
You can use the Use large toolbars check box to show all toolbar icons in a larger size. This
change happens automatically when you click OK or Apply. PC-DMIS does not need to restart.
Note: Existing toolbars must have at least one icon on them. If you remove the last icon
and click Apply or OK, the icon still remains on the toolbar.
To remove all customized toolbars and restore the layout shipped with this version:
Click the Default button.
This documentation covers the process of adding custom items in the "To Add a New Menu Item"
topic above.
3. Click the up arrow or down arrow button to move the item up or down
respectively among the other toolbar icons in the list.
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To rename a toolbar:
1. Select the toolbar from the Toolbar definition list.
2. Click Rename. A New Toolbar Name box appears.
3. Type a name in the box and click OK.
PC-DMIS also allows another way to rearrange or delete items from any custom toolbar on the
fly. This is by using the Shift key. Consider the following:
Note: Since existing toolbars must have at least one icon on them, if you remove the last icon in
this fashion, it only remains removed until you restart PC-DMIS. After restarting, the icon
reappears.
To add a separator:
1. Press and hold the Shift key.
2. Click and drag an icon. The icon becomes movable.
3. Drag it a small distance to the right (not far enough to rearrange its position).
4. Release the mouse button. The separator appears at its left.
To delete a separator:
1. Press and hold the Shift key.
2. Click and drag the icon to the right of the separator. The icon becomes movable.
3. Drag it on top of the separator to its left.
4. Release the mouse button.
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To customize the shortcut keys used for menu items and commands in PC-DMIS:
1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option.
2. Select the Keyboard tab.
You can use this tab to modify the shortcut keys used to call commands within PC-DMIS and add
new shortcut keys for custom menu and toolbar items.
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6. Click the Assign button, and the new shortcut keys appear in the Current Shortcuts box
with any other shortcut keys currently assigned to the command.
7. Click Apply to accept your changes.
Note: As in the other tabs, you can use the Create button to first create a command and tie it to a
custom program. You can then select this command by clicking on User Defined from the Menu
Selection list. All user-defined commands appear in the Commands list.
Some items, such as the Edit window, contain a right-click menu item (Docking View) that allows
you to dock or undock that item. If the right-click menu item is not selectable, close any open
dialog boxes and try again.
You may need to cascade (Window | Cascade) or tile (Window | Tile Horizontally or Window |
Tile Vertically) your windows and then click and drag a window's title bar to float one over
another.
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