Any OpenDMIS users here?

[joe perry]

Anybody in here using OpenDMIS ver. 2.8 yet? Just would like to compare notes with ya. I'm a machinist 80 percent of the time and an inspector the rest of the time. I've been working on a Wenzel CNC CMM for the last couple of months.

[boxwood]

Hey Joe

We are using OpenDMIS 2.8 but we have the Wenzel Xcite Manual CMM. I am very new to dmis I was a Zeiss guy at my last job.I am a former machinist, CNC programmer but with some health issues going all quality was the way for me. I am in a pretty big learning curve right now. But we might be able to help each other. you can e-mail if you like rajohnson@sc.rr.com Looking forward to hearing from you.


Best Regards Ray

[JCDAVIS1RC]

New to CMM and OpenDmis would like like to exchange ideas ect.

[joe perry]

Well, I guess there's three of us anyway. Yeah, so what to say. Well, for one, I get the distince impression that the guys at Wenzel and Xspect are learning this software at the same time as we are. One example that gives me that impression as as follows.
I often come across parts in our shop that have the centerline of the part as the secondary datum. On almost all of these parts there are features of size that are dimensioned to that datum. They are symmetrical features like walls or slots and the often have a maximum material condition called out on them. The last time I asked a question on the OpenDMIS.com help forum, I didn't really get an answer that I liked. Or, more to the point, it seems like the software wasn't designed to do what I need it to do. Here's the question that I posted and the reply:

I'm trying to make one feature out of two (hopefully parallel) planes so that I can apply maximum material condition and then a true position tolerance to that one feature. Also, I'd like to know the min/max deviation from nominal. The feature (in this case) is an open-ended slot but there are other times that I need to do the same with widths.

Joe,
The only way that I can see if measure an open ended slot is to create a slot with only nominal information for the nominal updated with your actual for the width. What you have here basically is a true position that you can't actually measure because there is no way position the Y positioin if the X were to be the height of the slot.

[--- UPDATED: 6/29/2009 3:06:51 PM ---]

Called the customer to clarify the question.

First question was how to measure open ended slot. Customer to email solution or file to clarify.

Second question was how to measure min and max width between two planes. Measured as a distance tolerance with a tolerance for min and a tolerance for max selected from the drop down menu.

I think it's very powerful software and the guys are very helpful and tolerant of my ignorance but it really seems like the software is in it's infancy. You guys havin' any better luck?

[robbdee40]

Make that 4 of us. Anyone have any experience with offline programming?

[joe perry]

You know, Rob, I haven't tried programming a part completely offline but I'd imagine if you're good with your methodology, it wouldn't be a big deal. I'm not real experienced at Open DMIS so I often end up going back to the code and modifying clearance planes and such. How 'bout you?

[robbdee40]

Yes I find myself programming most everything we do in the learn mode and then editing and adding code afterwards. I just found out yesterday that in order to program offline you need the OpenDMIS Cad module. Something that we don't have. We have a couple of large quantity orders coming up and I was hoping to have them programmed prior to the first piece inspection so I wouldn't hold up the operators. Doesn't look like this is going to happen. I am also quite unhappy with the help files and the manual. Its basically a tool for definitions and not much on the tutorial side of things.....I had to learn a lot of things by trial and error....what about you?

[joe perry]

Our company bought the Wenzel CNC CMM and controller. They bought a package deal, I guess, that included 3 days of training at Xspect Solutions' place out in Oakland, Ca., and a year of support. Myself and the main inspector went through the training together but we still spent a month, off and on, getting our first complex program to work and be accurate. That was WITH alot of remote desktop support. I'm not sure what you mean by not having the CAD module. Is it a way to draw the objects? We don't draw ours. We either get them from the customer or our machine programmer draws up a step file with Mastercam.

[robbdee40]

I am not certain either. But when I called and asked them about offline programming they told me that in order to program offline you needed to have their "CAD" module. They are supposed to have someone get in touch with us so as soon as I know I will post it here. We also had the three day training but in Detroit. I think it covered most of the basics and it was enough to get us started but like you we needed a lot of desktop support. We learned a lot of it on our own just by trial and error.

[rdcad]

Open DMIS V2.8

<begin rant>

Open DMIS is the weakest CMM software I have ever used. Maybe I'm spoiled because I learned to program on PC-DMIS, but this software is just silly in so many ways.

1) No sensor angle changes during measurement
2) Doesn't maintain preferences like up/down digit counting
3) Occasionally flips features for no reason
4) Probe just stops working sometimes after an angle change. Need to close the software and reinitialize it
5) Creates code out of nowhere sometimes
6) No MMC on a slot. Say what? Really? REALLY???
7) No MMC on a sphere
8) Creates/adds phantom features to the feature tree almost everytime I start it

The list goes on...

I've been really patient with this software. The people at Xspect seem to think that part of my problems are a corrupted install. But of course they won't fix it unless I pay them. Why would I pay an SMA for software that is so weak? The MMC on a slot was the final straw. That's just assinine. I talked to some reps for the company and they confirmed that you can't put MMC on a slot, but if I updated my SMA they would pass it along to their programmers and they would add it. Really? Your going to rewrite and add to the program just for ME? What are there... 12 people that use this? Give me a break. Nobody has ever needed to put MMC on a slot? Looks like the guy up above sure did.

Just dumb. Plain dumb.

<end rant>

[joe perry]

Originally Posted by rdcad 6) No MMC on a slot. Say what? Really? REALLY??? What are there... 12 people that use this? Give me a break. Nobody has ever needed to put MMC on a slot?

You know you can't do an open-ended slot either...or make 2 parallel planes a feature of size (to use MMC ). PCDMIS huh? Were you not given a choice on the switch?

Originally Posted by rdcad 6) What are there... 12 people that use this? Give me a break.

I know of 6 people now...
I remember the phantom features and CRDs from 2.8 It seems to be gone in 3.0.
I don't call tech support anymore. Whenever I do, they just answer my question with a bunch of other questions. It almost seems like they never have used the software themselves.

[robbdee40]

I was quite frustrated with the learning curve of this software. The classes are OK for getting you the basics of where everything is located but leaves you learning a lot on your own. After hopelessly searching the help files ( which are in no way helpful) and asking for tutorials (that I never received) I decided to take the program offline and learn how to program offline on my own. Frustrating and more time-consuming then it should have been we did accomplish the task.
As far as PC-DMIS being a better software....I have heard it go both ways with this or that being the better software. Being an application engineer for one of the big three CAD companies I can tell you that software is software and there will always be bugs. Some will affect others more depending on what features are used and how frequently. As far as tool angle changes during measurements it works for me when I program offline. the weird thing is it doesn't look right in the code. When I run the program it works. Since I installed the software I have not had a slot to check at MMC, only holes. However I am sure I will run into this sooner then later. I am going to share this thread with the people at OpenDMIS and hopefully we can get someone from there to join us to help explain some things a little better. Have a good day gentlemen and keep the comments coming....It can only help all of us get better and let the people at OpenDMIS know that we have concern!