Create a GD&T Measurement

In most cases, when measuring a part, you need to create GD&T measurements. The most commonly used GD&T measurements are position measurements and flatness measurements. This document describes how to create a position measurement and a flatness measurement. You can determine the type and quantity of GD&T measurements to create as needed based on this document.

  • In this software, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) measurements are a type of measurement items developed based on GD&T. GD&T is an international standard used to define the geometric characteristics of a part. It provides a unified set of symbols and language to specify requirements related to the shape, size, location, and orientation of the part.

  • Position is used to describe the deviation of features such as points, lines, and planes from their ideal positions.

  • Flatness is used to describe the deviation of a surface from its ideal plane.

  • You can determine the types and quantities of GD&T measurements you need to create based on this document.

  • After you create a GD&T measurement, if you have not configured the measurement, a red exclamation mark will appear next to the GD&T measurement in the resource tree. This mark indicates that you have not associated a Mech-Vision project to the GD&T measurement, or that the associated project has not been opened in Mech-Vision. After you associate a Mech-Vision project and open the project, the red exclamation mark will automatically disappear.

Create a Position Measurement

Use one of the following methods to create a position measurement:

Method 1

  1. In the upper-part ribbon of the Configuration interface of Mech-Metrics, select GD&T > Position.

  2. On the left side of the Configuration interface, a position measurement named Position01 will appear in the GD&T section under the Part01 tab.

    By default, the first created position measurement is named Position01. You can change the name as needed. The method for renaming GD&T measurements is the same as for renaming features. For more information, see Create a Feature. This will not be repeated here.

  3. Click Position01. In the right-side parameter panel of Position01, select a feature from the Target drop-down list in the Feature section, and then click Select.

    You can also select features in the 3D view. To do so, move the mouse cursor over the desired feature, then hold the Ctrl key and click.

  4. Configure tolerance settings for Position01.

    • The method for configuring the tolerance settings was described earlier and will not be repeated here. For more information, see Configure Measurement Settings and Tolerances for the Feature.

    • If you have previously choose to apply tolerance settings to all measurement items of the current part, this measurement item will use the tolerance settings set earlier. In this case, you do not need to configure tolerance settings for this measurement item.

  5. Select Position01 in the resource tree on the left. In the upper-part ribbon, select Communication  Associate Mech-Vision Project. In the parameter panel of Position01 on the right, find the Mech-Vision Project section and associate a Mech-Vision project with Position01.

    • The association method has been introduced earlier. For more information, see Associate Mech-Vision Measurement Project for the Feature.

    • You can associate a GD&T measurement with a Mech-Vision project that has already been associated with a feature. This Mech-Vision project will output the feature’s measured value and the GD&T measurement’s value.

  6. In the parameter panel of Position01 on the right, check the default method in the Method drop-down list of the Calculation Method section. If no special requirements exist, you can use the default calculation method.

    If you have special requirements, you can select the calculation method.

    • Select external calculation: The value is calculated by the associated Mech-Vision project.

    • Select any method other than external calculation: The value is calculated by a built-in script of this software.

Method 2

You can also right-click a feature in the resource tree of the current part and select New GD&T  Position.

Since this method selects the feature first and then creates the GD&T measurement, you do not need to select a feature for the GD&T measurement after creation. Therefore, method two is more efficient than method one. If you are familiar with the software’s operations, we recommend using method two.

Create a Flatness Measurement

Use one of the following methods to create a flatness measurement:

Method 1

  1. In the upper-part ribbon of the Configuration interface of Mech-Metrics, select GD&T > Flatness.

  2. On the left side of the Configuration interface, a flatness measurement named Flatness01 will appear in the GD&T section under the Part01 tab.

    By default, the first created flatness measurement is named Flatness01. You can change the name as needed. The method for renaming GD&T measurements is the same as for renaming features. For more information, see Create a Feature. This will not be repeated here.

  3. Click Flatness01. In the right-side parameter panel of Flatness01, select a feature from the Target drop-down list in the Feature section, and then click Select.

    You can also select features in the 3D view. To do so, move the mouse cursor over the desired feature, then hold the Ctrl key and click.

  4. Configure tolerance settings for Flatness01.

    • The method for configuring the tolerance settings was described earlier and will not be repeated here. For more information, see Configure Measurement Settings and Tolerances for the Feature.

    • If you have previously choose to apply tolerance settings to all measurement items of the current part, this measurement item will use the tolerance settings set earlier. In this case, you do not need to configure tolerance settings for this measurement item.

  5. In the parameter panel of Flatness01 on the right, find the Mech-VisionProject section and associate a Mech-Vision project with Position01.

    • The association method has been introduced earlier. For more information, see Associate Mech-Vision Measurement Project for the Feature.

    • You can associate a GD&T measurement with a Mech-Vision project that has already been associated with a feature. This Mech-Vision project will output the feature’s measured value and the GD&T measurement’s value.

  6. In the parameter panel of Position01 on the right, check the default method in the Method drop-down list of the Calculation Method section. If no special requirements exist, you can use the default calculation method.

    If you have special requirements, you can select the calculation method.

    • Select external calculation: The value is calculated by the associated Mech-Vision project.

    • Select any method other than external calculation: The value is calculated by a built-in script of this software.

Method 2

You can also right-click a feature in the resource tree of the current part and select New GD&T  Flatness.

Since this method selects the feature first and then creates the GD&T measurement, you do not need to select a feature for the GD&T measurement after creation. Therefore, method two is more efficient than method one. If you are familiar with the software’s operations, we recommend using method two.

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