Beginners Guide to PolyWorks
The document available for download at the bottom of this page is a Beginners’ Guide to PolyWorks V10. It describes basic functions in PolyWorks (see table of contents, below).
For information on georeferencing data using PolyWorks, please consult the KnowledgeBase article describing that procedure.
PolyWorks V10 Beginner’s Guide 3
Contents
Introduction................................................................................................. 7
Your Beginner’s Guide... ..................................................................................... 7PolyWorks Basics................................................................................... 11
For more information........................................................................................... 7
Before you start.................................................................................................. 7
Getting the data files ......................................................................................... 8
Typical PolyWorks Workflow.............................................................................. 10
1. The PolyWorks/Workspace Manager............................................................. 11
Acquiring Data ........................................................................................ 251.1 The Workspace Manager interface ................................................... 122. Interface Basics.............................................................................................. 15
1.2 The Wizard window........................................................................... 13
1.3 Workspace contents.......................................................................... 14
1.4 Sharing a PolyWorks workspace....................................................... 14
2.1 Getting ready..................................................................................... 15
2.2 Visiting a module interface ................................................................ 15
2.3 Working in the 3D scene ................................................................... 19
2.4 Working with objects ......................................................................... 21
2.5 Objects and their elements................................................................ 22
2.6 Additional information........................................................................ 24
2.7 End the exercise................................................................................ 24
2.8 Close the active PolyWorks workspace ............................................ 24
2.9 Exit the Workspace Manager ............................................................ 24
A. Scan the part ...................................................................................... 26
B. Align the scans .................................................................................. 27
Reverse Engineering .............................................................................. 41IMAlign basics ......................................................................................... 27
Exercise #1: A typical alignment project.................................................. 281. Get ready.................................................................................. 29Exercise #2: Auto-align 3D Images......................................................... 38
2. Import and align 3D Images one at a time................................ 30
3. Optimize the global 3D Image alignment.................................. 34
4. Analyze the quality of the alignment......................................... 35
5. Save and exit............................................................................ 371. Get ready.................................................................................. 38
2. Import and automatically align 3D Images one at a time.......... 38
A. Generate a polygonal model ............................................................. 43
IMMerge basics ....................................................................................... 43
Exercise #1: Generate a polygonal model .............................................. 441. Start IMMerge........................................................................... 44Additional information.............................................................................. 45
2. Set parameters ......................................................................... 44
3. Start the merging process ........................................................ 44
4. Exit IMMerge ............................................................................ 44
B. Improve the polygonal model ........................................................... 46IMEdit basics ........................................................................................... 46
Exercise #1: A typical editing project....................................................... 481. Get ready.................................................................................. 49
2. Import the polygonal model ...................................................... 49
3. Edit the model........................................................................... 503.1 Fill holes....................................................................... 50
3.2 Smooth vertices........................................................... 54
3.3 Extract sharp edges..................................................... 55
4. Optimize the polygonal mesh ................................................... 564.1 Optimize the mesh....................................................... 564
4.2 Reduce the mesh......................................................... 57
5. Extract the shape of the model................................................. 58
6. Export the edited polygonal model ........................................... 59
7. Save the IMEdit editing project................................................. 59
C. Create NURBS surfaces .................................................................... 60Inspection................................................................................................ 75Exercise #1: Create NURBS surfaces - manual method......................... 611. Get ready.................................................................................. 62Exercise #2: Create NURBS surfaces - automatic method..................... 72
2. Extract feature curves............................................................... 62
3. Complete the curve set............................................................. 66
4. Create the curve network ......................................................... 70
5. Fit NURBS surfaces on the model using the curve network..... 70
6. Export the fitted NURBS surfaces ............................................ 71
7. Save the IMEdit editing project and exit ................................... 711. Get ready.................................................................................. 72
2. Extract feature curves............................................................... 72
3. Perform the auto-nurbing.......................................................... 73
4. Save the IMEdit editing project and exit ................................... 74
A. Inspect the digitized part ................................................................... 77IMInspect basics...................................................................................... 77
Exercise #1: A typical inspection project ................................................. 791. Get ready.................................................................................. 80
2. Define the Reference object ..................................................... 812.1 Import the Reference object ........................................ 813. Acquire the Data object ............................................................ 83
2.2 Create Features on the Reference object.................... 82
4. Align the Data object to the Reference object .......................... 834.1 Pre-align using a best-fit alignment ............................. 835. Measure ................................................................................... 85
4.2 Auto-extract measured Primitives on the Data object.. 84
4.3 Align using Features.................................................... 845.1 Compare using all data points ..................................... 856. Report results ........................................................................... 90
5.2 Compare using Cross-Sections ................................... 86
5.3 Take basic measurements........................................... 89
7. Save the inspection project and exit......................................... 90
Additional Information.......................................................................... 105Exercise #2: Control Feature Dimensions and GD&T............................. 91B. Share the results ................................................................................ 981. Get ready.................................................................................. 91Exercise #3: Using an automated inspection project .............................. 96
2. Create the Features.................................................................. 92
3. Control dimensions................................................................... 93
4. Perform GD&T controls ............................................................ 94
5. Save and exit............................................................................ 951. Get ready.................................................................................. 96
2. Perform the automatic operations ............................................ 97IMView basics ......................................................................................... 99
Exercise #1: View an inspection project................................................ 1001. View the categories of objects and their comparison results.. 100
2. Take new measurements ....................................................... 100
3. Create new report items ......................................................... 101
4. Create a new formatted report................................................ 101
5. Export objects......................................................................... 104
6. Exit IMView............................................................................. 104
1. IMAlign – More information and other tools ................................................. 105
2. IMEdit – Other tools ..................................................................................... 107
3. IMEdit – IMCompress parameters ............................................................... 111
4. IMInspect – Macro script basics................................................................... 112
5. IMInspect – Other tools ................................................................................ 115