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... ..................................................................................... 7
For more information........................................................................................... 7
Before you start.................................................................................................. 7
Getting the data files ......................................................................................... 8
Typical PolyWorks Workflow.............................................................................. 10

1. The PolyWorks/Workspace Manager............................................................. 11

1.1 The Workspace Manager interface ................................................... 12
1.2 The Wizard window........................................................................... 13
1.3 Workspace contents.......................................................................... 14
1.4 Sharing a PolyWorks workspace....................................................... 14

2. Interface Basics.............................................................................................. 15
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

IMAlign basics ......................................................................................... 27
Exercise #1: A typical alignment project.................................................. 28

1. Get ready.................................................................................. 29
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............................................................................ 37

Exercise #2: Auto-align 3D Images......................................................... 38

1. 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 .............................................. 44

1. Start IMMerge........................................................................... 44
2. Set parameters ......................................................................... 44
3. Start the merging process ........................................................ 44
4. Exit IMMerge ............................................................................ 44

Additional information.............................................................................. 45

B. Improve the polygonal model ........................................................... 46

IMEdit basics ........................................................................................... 46
Exercise #1: A typical editing project....................................................... 48

1. Get ready.................................................................................. 49
2. Import the polygonal model ...................................................... 49
3. Edit the model........................................................................... 50

3.1 Fill holes....................................................................... 50
3.2 Smooth vertices........................................................... 54
3.3 Extract sharp edges..................................................... 55

4. Optimize the polygonal mesh ................................................... 56

4.1 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 .................................................................... 60

Exercise #1: Create NURBS surfaces - manual method......................... 61

1. Get ready.................................................................................. 62
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 ................................... 71

Exercise #2: Create NURBS surfaces - automatic method..................... 72

1. 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 ................................................................... 77

IMInspect basics...................................................................................... 77
Exercise #1: A typical inspection project ................................................. 79

1. Get ready.................................................................................. 80
2. Define the Reference object ..................................................... 81

2.1 Import the Reference object ........................................ 81
2.2 Create Features on the Reference object.................... 82

3. Acquire the Data object ............................................................ 83
4. Align the Data object to the Reference object .......................... 83

4.1 Pre-align using a best-fit alignment ............................. 83
4.2 Auto-extract measured Primitives on the Data object.. 84
4.3 Align using Features.................................................... 84

5. Measure ................................................................................... 85

5.1 Compare using all data points ..................................... 85
5.2 Compare using Cross-Sections ................................... 86
5.3 Take basic measurements........................................... 89

6. Report results ........................................................................... 90
7. Save the inspection project and exit......................................... 90

Exercise #2: Control Feature Dimensions and GD&T............................. 91

1. Get ready.................................................................................. 91
2. Create the Features.................................................................. 92
3. Control dimensions................................................................... 93
4. Perform GD&T controls ............................................................ 94
5. Save and exit............................................................................ 95

Exercise #3: Using an automated inspection project .............................. 96

1. Get ready.................................................................................. 96
2. Perform the automatic operations ............................................ 97

B. Share the results ................................................................................ 98

IMView basics ......................................................................................... 99
Exercise #1: View an inspection project................................................ 100

1. 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

Article ID: 821
Created: September 4, 2015
Last Updated: September 4, 2015
Author: Marianne Okal

Online URL: https://kb.unavco.org/article/beginners-guide-to-polyworks-821.html