Analysing an iges file

[Julian M]

I wonder if anyone can help me, on mastercam X i am trying to measure the perpendicular distance between two surfaces. Or to put it another way the distance between two parallel planes. From the analyse menu i go into the distance option from here i would like to select two surfaces is this possible? I have only managed to do this if i convert the surfaces to solids first, however this takes my computer a while to process.

Thanks for any help received

Julian

[cadcam]

Surfaces conatain many Nod points so it's hard to find a point along the surface.
If you are just looking for a refrence point you do a Sketch type analize by holding down the Control and pick or project a point onto the surface point you want and analize from point to point.

If you pick a point along a surface holding the Shift key done you can type in a Delta value from there to.

[Julian M]

Originally Posted by cadcam Surfaces conatain many Nod points so it's hard to find a point along the surface. If you are just looking for a refrence point you do a Sketch type analize by holding down the Control and pick or project a point onto the surface point you want and analize from point to point. If you pick a point along a surface holding the Shift key done you can type in a Delta value from there to.

Thanks for this cadcam, however excuse my ignorance but im not sure i understand what you mean. As far as i can make out I need to create a point on the two surfaces then measure from these. How do i select the surface to
attach a point to it?

Julian

[cadcam]

you can create a point above it and then project to the surface or create surface slices that creates curves by a distance arcoss the surface and you can pick that or create points along the curve.

Do you have a file to you want to try or want an example?

[Steve Arteman]

Julian,
Another way would be to create, curve, one edge. select the surface drag the arrow to the edge you would like to create a line, arc or spline this creates edge geometry(wireframe) and you can easily pick between two edges.

[Julian M]

Originally Posted by Steve Arteman Julian, Another way would be to create, curve, one edge. select the surface drag the arrow to the edge you would like to create a line, arc or spline this creates edge geometry(wireframe) and you can easily pick between two edges.

Thanks for this i will give it a go.

[Julian M]

Originally Posted by cadcam you can create a point above it and then project to the surface or create surface slices that creates curves by a distance arcoss the surface and you can pick that or create points along the curve. Do you have a file to you want to try or want an example?

Thanks for your help i appreciate it. I will have a go when i get a minute free

julian

[cadcam]

You also can share your file and give me an I dea what dim you are trying to get then I can show you.

[Julian M]

Originally Posted by cadcam You also can share your file and give me an I dea what dim you are trying to get then I can show you.

See attached. Any surface to surface measurement will be fine. Thanks again

[Matt Berube]

Simple measurements could be made on the flat areas by using analyze distance, select "endpoint" selection mode then click the first surface. select endpoind selection mode again and click the second surface then look at the appropriate delta distance (eg. X, Y, or Z). Using this method I can easily measure the deepest dimension inside the part at 60mm.

For more difficult surfaces that are curved or on some plane other than the system axes you will want to use a method more inline with what Cadcam was suggesting with projecting points...

[cadcam]

other wise I would just create Curves off the surfaces and use those for a simple file like this.

[5xrossmr]

cadcam has the easy and simple method by projecting a point to both surfaces. That is the fastest way I have found to get the distance in MC. I have used Command/Camax for about 8 years and it makes tasks like that simple.