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*vdmis 2014* - zippi - 04-01-2014
I am getting ready to install VDMIS 2014. I was running Virtual DMIS 5.5. Any glitches or problems that anyone knows about?
*vdmis 2014* - Clara Knauber - 04-02-2014
I can't think of anything specific and it does depend on the update your installing. I have been using various VDMIS 2014 versions for a couple months now. There have been some quirks I've noticed but for the most part everything works the same as Virtual DMIS. If you come across any specific issues or questions, please post and maybe I will be able to help out.
*vdmis 2014* - jr6300 - 04-02-2014
Glad to see VDMIS is alive & well. Hopefully I'll be updating later this year. I had hoped to update last fall, but that fell through.
I'll look foward to hearing about 2014.
I have a demo off-line of VDMIS 2013 which I was using to preview before my hoped for upgrade & have some questions:
Does 2014 have the Program Mirror feature? It was never in the interface of VDMIS, but I used it a lot on symetrically opposite or handed parts. I didn't see in in my program folders in VDMIS 2013. Hopefully if it is gone I can still use my "old mirror & translators". I did a search on my VDMIS folder/directory & no "mirror" shows up. It used to be in the "VMSIges" folder that contained all the translators as well.
My monitor wasn't large enough to get the full display & I was @ my max resolution, so I couldn't see the entire toolbar.
I may have a few more questions a little later after I review my notes. One that comes to mind: Is "Cast" still in the Construction toolbar?
Can you still drag the Plane feature from the database onto the screen & it hi-lites in green even when I have Planes turned off in my Geometry (it gets messy showing planes all the time)? I a lot of times will drag the plane out onto my cad to make sure I'm am setting clearance, tolerancing or projecting to the correct plane & a visual says a lot.
I'll have a few more questions later.
Thanx in advance,
Joe
*vdmis 2014* - Clara Knauber - 04-02-2014
As far as I know, there is no mirror utility with the software. I've been using the one provided with Virtual DMIS to mirror programs. I don't know if they are planning on providing one. I would keep whatever utility you have now and just stick with that. It should work the same.
I've seen the interface display issue at other companies. I am not aware of any settings directly in VDMIS that will adjust it. My computer is at 1920x1080 and it all fits. If yours doesn't get up to that resolution then the only fix I know of would be to purchase a higher performance graphics card. The ones we use have 2gb memory. It's possible that the software requires a minimum of that to function properly. When I worked with it at other places, I still had access to all of the toolbars. Sometimes the graphics were overlapping but minimizing VDMIS and bringing it back usually clears them up. Restarting the software can also help update them.
There is still Cast and also Bounding. Are these not accessible for you because of the graphic issue? It tends to cut off some of the graphics along the right side but they shouldn't be completely inaccessible. If they are, you can get around this by programming these commands. Kind of a pain to do but it will work. I can provide the syntax if you need it.
And if the graphics are unchecked for any of the feature types, they do still hi-light green if you click on them in the database.
Hope this helps,
Clara
*vdmis 2014* - jr6300 - 04-03-2014
Thanks Clara.
So it sounds like your dongle or software key allows you to use your "old mirror utility" which is fine with me. Why fix something that isn't broke? I would also hope the "old translators" work as well.
You mentioned "they do still hi-light green if you click on them in the database". Do you mean dragging the plane feature (or circle or any feature) out into the graphics area still hi-lites in the graphic area like it always has (plane is like a 200x200mm sheet of paper) or just clicking on them now hi-lites them? That didn't "work" in my 2013 off-line demo version.
Thanks in advance. I prolly will still have a few more questions. Is "Move" still in the Contruction Toolbar? I couldn't see that one either due to my graphics issue.
Imad was quoting (2) 25" monitors in my last quote. Actually the BIG buttons/Icons don't really impress me. The small ones were just fine. I wish this could be adjusted, but that is one of VDMIS's selling features now: from web page:
"All the existing metrology software are still using the old and obsolete user graphical interface with small icons without titles so the user had always to struggle to guess the meaning of each icon and memorize it.
VDMIS® is the first Metrology software to buck the trend by introducing a new User Interface in High Resolutions, large size icons with titles so the user can find the function he is looking for immediately."
I'm not here to rag on the software or talk it down, but the way the DMIS Edit Window is now attached to the bottom of the programing bar is something I was trying to get used to. I do a lot of editing in this window during program runs so I don't have to open the whole program code & lose anywhere I may have "red-lined" (or Ctrl-LMB click) for temporary program stops during editing. I use the DMIS Edit Window a lot during programming as well. Like copy/pasting then editing an Op. Prompt, Sensor Setting then changing plane clearance or approach/retract, copying then editing GOTO's, copy/pasting then editing Sensor Selects, adding Dimensional Notes or Annotations (Text/Outfil's) in my Tolerancing portion of the program for each feature, etc. Now you have to drag the whole programming bar open to like 6 ½"+ wide to access entire lines of code. Before you could see 6 lines of code in this edit window where as now you can only see 3 lines w/o scrolling. Don't quite understand with such "huge displays & buttons" why this feature was diminshed or made smaller.
I was used to opening the DMIS Editing window & dragging it to a convienent place, but I guess I could get used to the "new & improved" attached window (hint, hint VDMIS software programming guys & gals: how bout making it an option to "pull the DMIS Edit Window" away from the bottom of the programming bar?)
*vdmis 2014* - Clara Knauber - 04-09-2014
I am really having issues posting this morning. I hope this didn't post the five times that I tried it....
I agree with the button/icon size, they should be adjustable. Of course the two monitors and the size of them is helpful, but it shouldn't be necessary to access the software features. They definitely gear towards CMM newbies as opposed to programmers. It is the most user friendly software I have seen so it does stay true to that aspect.
There are a ton of new features for working with CAD models, though. I feel like each update I get they have added more and more options for CAD. I am pretty impressed with some of the things you can do with it now.
The edit window does take some getting used to. But I feel that it is much easier to work with than Virtual DMIS where you had to toggle between that and the feature database. However, I've been spoiled with having the two monitors so it hasn't been that hard to get used to the sizing of things.
It is a pain to have to go in the DMIS editor in the text file and come back to your program with all the red line stops gone. I sometimes put a commented out line ($$ in front) and that puts an icon next to it so it's easier to find your place again. I usually work with the Display Full Lines of Code on and the groups and color enable off so I can see all of the lines all the time in the window. Although, I have heard that they may be increasing the amount of lines visible in the editor box. This will probably make working with the Groups ON a lot easier.
The 'Move' button is called 'Copy' now. It's in the middle so you should have access to it.
And about the translators, VDMIS does it inside the software now so you shouldn't have to convert a model beforehand now. I say "shouldn't" because I have worked with models quite a lot and certain updates haven't handled some of the files very well. There have been multiple times where I've had to convert models myself because the software would freeze or just not respond. The main one that really caused problems for me was a stp file. IGES, WRL, and RLE files all worked fine and I haven't tried any of the others, yet. Lately though, they have been working without problems so maybe they solved the issue.
The hi-lighting green will work for any feature if you just click on it in the database. I don't remember having to drag it into the graphics area but maybe they changed it. It only graphs the nominal feature green and then goes away when you select something else. Maybe they didn't have this in the earlier versions. It has worked for all the 2014 updates I've seen, though.
I am supposed to be installing the newest update this week so hopefully everything goes smoothly.
Wish me luck!
P.S. If anyone is working with UCCserver driver and/or PH20 heads, please let me know. It's fairly new to me so I could use some pointers.
*vdmis 2014* - jr6300 - 04-10-2014
Clara - Thanks for the reply
Quote:times where I've had to convert models myselfDoes this mean you still have & use your old translators & they work fine with the software key or dongle?
Also, I think I'm not explaining the part about dragging the feature out into the graphics area very well. I understand that it hi-lites in the database "column" just by clicking a feature & I know I can click on the feature in the graphics area & it will bring up a description of the item like "CIR 1", etc. But I leave my planes off in the geometry so they don't clutter up the graphics & I can LH mouse click & drag a plane from the data base & it will show up in the graphics area hi-lited like a sheet of paper. This will work with any feature such as circles, planes, etc, but in my 2013 Off-Line version the plane feature that is drug out doesn't hi-lite in the graphics area (since it is off in the geometry). Maybe it was never intended to be this way, I don't know. I have a later version installed on my laptop @ home & will try it there to see if it works. I believe this probably did work thru 6.X until the major overhaul of the interface.
In older versions when I drag another feature (plane) out then it will hi-lite that feature only in the graphics area & the previous plane feature hi-lite "goes away". It was just a quick visual when I was setting plane clearance to make sure I was entering the correct plane or projecting to the correct plane during programming. Hope this makes sense.
I see that you can simply single click on it in the database & it will hi-lite the feature BUT only if it is on in the geometry. Not a big deal I guess. I'd just have to be turning on & off the planes when I wanted to view, but it was sweet when only the plane you drug out into the graphics hi-lited.
Oh, I do see the "Copy" button. I just didn't try it. It is the same as "Move" it appears. Thanx! Is "Cast" still in the Construction Toolbar?
I'm hoping to get my upgrade approved this year.
Thanks,
Joe
*vdmis 2014* - jr6300 - 04-10-2014
I forgot to mention that I have had no luck with the translator in my 2013 that is interfaced with the software (using .iges). To be fair, it is a R3 Beta version of 2013 VDMIS.
Most of these questions I have in my notes to ask if & when I get my upgrade approved, but it would be nice to know BEFORE the upgrade approval.
Thanks again,
Joe
*vdmis 2014* - jr6300 - 04-10-2014
I may have just "bumped into" my answer on the graphic hi-liting. If I turn on just the "Actual" plane in geometry when I single click on a plane it does hi-lite in the graphics area. When I click on another plane the 1st plane "goes away" & the clicked on plane is then hi-lited. If I click on another feature such as a circle it then hi-lites the circle & the plane "goes away".
Same as what I was used to dragging the feature out even with both "Actual & Nominal" plane turned off in geometry. I'll have to experiment further leaving the "Actual" plane on to see how the planes "collect" or not "collect" in the graphics.
*vdmis 2014* - jr6300 - 04-10-2014
Not my answer. I just created several more planes.