The ATS800 also offers a selection of specialized profiles for scanning operations:
ATS800 Specific Measurement Profiles:
Geometry Scans. Provide the ability to define a boundary around a part or feature of interest and scan within that boundary.
Measurement Profiles common to both the ATS800 and ATS600:
Area Scans. Provide the ability to define a boundary around a part or feature of interest and scan within that boundary.
Line Scans. Define a line or Polyline that can be used to either scan along in a Linear mode (scanning along a line) or in rectangular regions along a lines path in a Cross Line mode.
Patch Scans. Offers the ability to scan a small region around a selection of points.
The Geometry Scan measurement profile was added to facilitate direct geometry measurements from within SA. This uses much the same process as Feature Measurement but does not send the data to GR feature, it just measures the selected geometry and sends the data to SA. Use the View Selected Profile button to edit the profile settings.
This profile has two integrated buttons:
Camera (View Only) OVC - will open the OVC window. It will also add any selected geometry to the OVC so that it can be seen in the graphics.
Select Geometries SA - will open the Make Measurement Nominals dialog as shown below:
Use the Circles or Spheres buttons at the top of the dialog to add additional geometry from SA. The selections will be then added to a measurement list where the measurement method can be edited. More details can be found here: Feature Request Profiles
Regions used to define the extents of Area Scans are defined in advance as part of a measurement profile definition.
To do so, select one of the predefined Area Scan profiles as the active measurement profile and press the View Selected Profile button to edit the profile settings.
An Area Scan profile offers the following settings:
Accuracy. Set as Fast, Standard or Precise.
Separate Clouds. This check box determines if separate clouds will be used for different perimeters.
Min Distance. Defines a minimum limit such that data closer than this threshold will not be recorded.
Max Distance. Defines a maximum limit such that data further than this threshold will not be recorded.
NOTE: You can move the tracker head to the desired position, and click directly in the profile grid on the Min Distance and Max Distance labels to make the tracker set these by measuring the distance to the surface where it is pointing.
AOI Filter. The Angle Of Incidence (AOI) filter will exclude data recorded on a surface at a greater angle in degrees than the set value.
Signal Filter. This filter can be set to “Off, Low, Medium, and High” settings, and is based on a combination of broadening value and intensity.
Check/Set Regions - OVC. The Value section for this Parameter operates as a button that will open the trackers OVC camera.
Add Perimeter(s) - SA. The Select Pts option here will trigger a perimeter selection mode within SA in which an operator can select points to define a perimeter.
Add Perimeter(s) - SA Perimeters. The Select Perimeters option here will trigger a perimeter selection mode within SA in which an operator can select predefined perimeters from SA.
The definitions of scan Area and Line regions have been streamlined as follows:
While the OVC is open, whatever is showing in the OVC will always be Measured, no matter how the OVC was opened (from a profile definition or from the Drive Head/OVC control).
If you open the properties of a measurement profile using the edit icon and the OVC using the Show Regions (or Show Lines) button, this will automatically push the saved scan regions from within the measurement profile to the OVC and the saved regions will be displayed. This will replace any regions previously defined on the OVC before the Show Regions (or Show Lines) button is pressed.
With the properties dialog open you can edit the regions with- in the OVC and use them in the edited condition, but they will not be saved with the measurement profile until the measurement profile is saved. Any changes to the Area or Line scan definitions made within the OVC should be saved to a profile, using the Save button in the profile, before closing the OVC or the changes will be lost.
Notice at the bottom of the Measurement profile is a selection for the Operation this allows you to choose what type of data is sent to SA. So for example you want to send points rather than cloud points you can edit a profile to do that, or vice versa. With cloud points selected there is a buffer size that controls the size of the chuck of data sent to SA. So for example if you choose a buffer size of 2000 point and start scanning, SA will not get any data until this buffer is reached and then will receive 2000 points. This helps SA not get bogged down with a continual data stream.
Line definitions provide an alternative way to measure either in a linear progression or using a series of crossing lines perpendicular to a poly line. This measure mode is accessed using a Line Scan Acquisition
A Line Scan profile offers the following settings:
Accuracy. Set as Fast, Standard or Precise.
Min Distance. Defines a minimum limit such that data closer than this threshold will not be recorded.
Max Distance. Defines a maximum limit such that data further than this threshold will not be recorded.
Check/Set Lines - OVC. The Value section for this Parameter operates as a button that will open the trackers OVC camera.
Add Line(s) - SA Pts. The Select Pts option here allows a user to select points directly from with SA for use in a Line Scan Region definition, once set, it is then viewable through the OVC.
Add Line(s) - SA Perims. The Select Perimeters option here allows a user to select perimeters directly from with SA for use in a Line Scan Region definition. It builds a line for each side of the defined perimeter, and will be visibility through the OVC. Use the Closed Perimeter check box in the perimeter properties to add an additional polyline returning to the start, if desired.
*Note - Lines are saved as part of the measurement profile. To clear them out you will need to delete them from within the OVC and Save the measurement profile. You should then see a notification “No Lines defined in Line Scan mode on the controller”. Re-opening the OVC will re-import any saved regions from the measurement profile.
The Patch Scan Cloud profile was added to facilitate auto-measure type operations where the reference points define the center of a patch of a give size. Selecting points from SA defines a collection of scan regions on the controller such that each point is scanned using a square patch.
A Patch Scan profile offers the following settings:
Accuracy. Set as Fast, Standard or Precise.
Separate Clouds. This check box determines if separate clouds will be used for different perimeters.
Patch Size. The patch size defines the size of the rectangular zone to be scanned. The entered value defines the length of one edge of the triangle. The opposing edge will be 10% larger.
Patch Angle. This angle defines the relative tilt of the patch from vertical
Max Distance. Defines a maximum limit such that data further than this threshold will not be recorded.
AOI Filter. The Angle Of Incidence (AOI) filter will exclude data recorded on a surface at a greater angle in degrees than the set value.
Signal Filter. This filter can be set to “Off, Low, Medium, and High” settings, and is based on a combination of broadening value and intensity.
From the Patch Scan profile window:
Select “Add Patch(es)-SA Pts” to select points from SA. Hit “Enter” to create the patches, and update the OVC if it is open.
Se the Patch Size as needed to define the size of the patch and edit the Patch Angle to adjust the scan direction (if helpful in applications like intensity target scanning).
Select “View Patches” to open the OVC to show your patches and control the region density, or to update the OVC with changed settings.
The patch size (length of square perimeter around each selected point, perpendicular to tracker line of sight) can be set here as well. Patches are shown in the OVC’s Regions tab. Point to Point spacing and Grow / Shrink Width is set there, like it is for Area Scans (both are per-region parameters).
Note - Any pre-existing Patch perimeters are cleared when creating new ones, unlike perimeters in an Area Scan, where new perimeters are added, and existing regions are not cleared.