Measuring and Quality Assurance

The measuring tool is activated by selecting a part and clicking on the measuring icon in the toolbar or choosing New Measuring in the Extras menu or Extras submenu of the context menu.

It allows the measurement of distances between points, edges and surfaces, as well as radii and angles. It opens the measuring screen with the selected part only and provides all measuring options in the tabsheet, where instructions are given and all measuring results are specified in detail. The options for changing perspectives and zooming in the measuring screen are the same as in the main screen, only with less default zoom options.

In the project tree, the measuring is integrated as subordinate directory of the part, with single measuring operations as subordinate elements to that directory. After conducting other operations, you can always return to the measurement by selecting it in the project tree. If you right-click on the measuring in the project tree, you can rename it or remove it.

Rename or remove a measurement through the context menu in the project tree.

The measurements are performed by the setting of anchor points. It is possible to define any number of measurement operations in the same screen and measuring. For a subsequent quality test, it is also possible to set anchors in order to add notes.

When a measurement is conducted, a blue line (=arrow) appears between the anchors and the distance (or angle or diameter) is shown in a small box between those points. Also, a new anchor is created in the center of the measurment, either in the middle of a distance or in the center of a radius or at the apex of an angle. All anchors can be used again for subsequent measurements.

The box specifying the measured value represents a measure point and, by drag & drop, can be moved sideways together with the blue line into a parallel position. In that case, the ends of the line are connected to the anchors by two more arrows, and the measured distance is marked by a more conspicuous yellow measuring line, if the option "Show anchors" (see below) is activated. That way you can get a good overview of measurements and it is easier to use the central anchor.

A measure point is selected by a left-click and then can also be removed by pressing the Delete key. By right-clicking on the box with the measured value or on the respective measurement in the project tree, a little context menu appears, in which the measuring point can be either edited or removed. Editing the measure point, you can add notes to the measurement and change its appearance regarding the arrow color, font color, border color, background color and level of transparency. If you show the hidden arrow, the yellow measuring line will also have the color of the remaining arrows. By deselecting "Show Value", the result of the measurement is hidden. If you remove the measure point, the whole measurement is removed, including its anchors and all other measurements using these anchors.

Measurement between two points on a Surface

Measurement of point on edge to a corner point. The measuring arrow is dragged sideways, providing a good view and access to the central anchor

Context menu of a measuring point

Edit Appearance dialog box

Cutting Lines

You can also set cutting lines on your part. These cutting lines can be used to set anchors to specific coordinates. Cutting lines can be edited with the regulation bars at the bottom of the tabsheet below the measuring options. It is also possible to hide and show sections of the part before and after the cutting line. For a description of the exact use of the cutting options, click on Simple Cutting. To set cuts with the mouse, you can right-click anywhere on the screen and choose a cut across any axis, which you can then set by clicking on the part.

Measuring of point on cut to corner point

Measuring of two corner points on cut. Here, the anchors are hidden

Setting Anchors

All measurements are defined by anchor points. They can be placed simply by a mouseclick. If you hold the left mouse button, you can still move the mouse before placing the anchor. A preview of the measurement, including the measured value, is displayed, changing as you move the mouse across the part. At the same time, you can rotate and shift the view and zoom in or out with the mouse, which enables you to place your anchors very precisely. The anchor is set as soon as you release the left mouse button.

There are several options for the setting of these anchors:

Point on Surface: The anchor is placed wherever you click on the surface of the part.

Point on Edge: The anchor is placed on an edge of the surface. If you do not click exactly on the edge, the software sets the anchor point on the closest edge.

Corner Point: The anchor is placed on the closest corner point of two or more edges.

Point on Cut: By clicking on or in the area of the cutting line, an anchor is placed on the cut.

Corner Point on Cut: Places anchor on a corner of the cutting line.

With a click on the icon to the right, anchors can optionally be shown as a yellow rectangular point (default). When this highlighting of anchors is switched of, the yellow measuring line, which is visible when the measuring point is dragged sideways, will disappear as well, making place for the normal arrow.

These anchors can be used either for measuring distances, angles or radii. The measurement is conducted by first choosing the measuring options and then setting the anchors. It is possible to set the anchors of one measurement with different options.

Depending on what you want to measure, you have again several options:

Measure Distance

With this option you can calculate the distance of either points, lines or surfaces, depending on which mode you choose by clicking on the icons in the tabsheet (third row). These modes can overrule the options for setting anchors: anchors for measurements to lines, for example, are always placed on edges, no matter which option you have chosen for the anchor.

Wall Thickness

Wall Thickness: By clicking on a surface, the distance to the next opposite surface is calculated, with the measuring line running in a 90° angle inwards from the selected anchor. For hollow parts, this is usually the wall thickness, for solid parts it is the diameter of the part at this point.

Point-to-Point: The distance of two anchors is measured, which you can place freely on the part, taking into account the anchor setting options above.

Point-to-Line: Calculates the shortest distance from any point to a line running along an edge, with an imagined extension beyond both of its ends on the part.

Line-to-Point: As Point-to-Line, but select first the line, then the point.

Line-to-Line: Calculates the shortest distance between two lines. For two lines cutting through each other, this distance is 0. Otherwise the points on the lines which are the closest together are taken as anchor points for the measurement. Again, for the measurement, the lines are extended beyond its end points on the part.

Surface-to-Point: Calculates the distance from a surface to a point. Click first anywhere on the surface, then set an anchor anywhere on the part. For the measurement, the surface is extended beyond its edges.

Measurement of point to line. The Line is extended beyond its corners

Measurement of surface to point on cut

To measure the distance between a surface and a point, first click on the surface.

When you hold the left mouse button as you set the second anchor, a preview of the surface is displayed. The surface is extended beyond its edges.

The result of the measurement.

Measure Angle

There are two methods to measure angles, after clicking on the icon for measuring angles in general:

Three points: With that option, you can set anchors anywhere. The first anchor determines the first arm, the second anchor determines the apex and the third anchor determines the second arm. netfabb calculates the angle between the two arms, which run from their anchor through the apex.

Two Edges: Anchors will always be placed on edges. Click on two edges to get the angle between them. The edges are extended beyond their corner points on the part. If the edges do not cut through each other, one edge is moved parallel so that they do cut and an angle can be calculated.

Measurement of the angle between the top surface and the side edge by three points: First, measure distance of opposite edge of top surface and use the central anchor as first arm. As apex, the corner point of the side edge and the top surface, and as second arm, a point on the side edge is chosen. This results in the angle between the center of the top surface and the edge.

Measurement of angle by two edges

Measurement of angle by two edges. The edges do not cut, so the edge of the top surface is moved parallel until it cuts the side edge.

Measure Radius

It is possible to measure the radius of both circles and spheres. The specified value is the diameter of the circle or sphere. You can place the anchors for the measurement freely with any of the anchor setting options:

Circle Arc: Click on a circle or on a smooth curve to get its radius. It is not necessary that the curve forms a complete circle.

Three Points on Circle: Select three anchor points anywhere on the part. A circle running through these points is calculated and its radius is measured.

Four Points on Sphere: Calculates a sphere through four anchor points and specifies its radius and its center.

The diameter of a half-circle is measured by clicking on the circle arc.

The radii of the two circles on the top and on the bottom of the cone are measured and their diameter specified. This also creates new anchors in the center of the circles. With help of those anchors, it is possible to measure the distance of the circles (and consequently the height of the cone).

Radius measured with three points. By measuring three edges of the top surface, new anchors are created in the center of these edges. These anchors can be used to calculated the radius of the inner circle of the surface.

Radius of a sphere, gained by selecting four anchor points on the dome. Also, an anchor is set at the center of this half-sphere.

Add Note

With this option, the user can place anchors to add notes. In a dialog box, the appearance of the note can be changed in terms of the arrow color, font color, border color, background color and level of transparency. This can be done in a similar way to the editing of measure points.

Set Default Modes

After right-clicking on the icons in the tabsheet, you can set your default measuring mode. netfabb remembers your settings for setting anchors and for your measuring tools. If you click on "Use this mode as default" or "Use this tool as default", this option will be activated at the start of all measurings from then on.

After a right-click on a button for the anchor-setting-mode you can make this your default mode for future measurings.

Choose your default measuring tool after a right-click on it.

Choose your default mode how to conduct your measurements.

Lock and Unlock View

To the right of the measuring in the project tree, there is a little icon to lock or unlock the perspective. This only plays a role, when a second measuring or a test of the part has been added and you switch back from that other measurement or test.

If the view is not locked and you return to the measuring (click on it in the project tree), it always takes over the perspective from the element opened before.

If you want netfabb to remember a perspective, lock the view. The perspective of the measuring is saved at the moment you do so. As long at the view stays locked, netfabb always goes back to that perspective when you return to the measuring. It does not matter, to which perspective you have rotated the view in the same or in another measuring.

That way, you can choose a separate perspective for each of your measurings and keep this perspective for subsequent tests.

Test

The testing function can be started in the toolbar and adds a new test to the project tree. Most importantly, with this function you can cross-check the measuring results of fabricated parts with measurements conducted in netfabb. You can define acceptable limits of measured values and conduct tests by selecting the test in the project tree and clicking on "New Test Result". In this result you can check if the measurement is within an acceptable range. Click here for the user documentation of the test module.

Tutorials

Netfabb Studio Tutorial - Measuring
Netfabb Studio Tutorial - Testing