Digitize / Reverse Engineer Directly with Alibre

[z28tt]

Digitize / Reverse Engineer Directly with Alibre

I just purchased Alibre Pro to do reverse engineering and modelling of performance car parts, and use Rhino to digitize the parts with a Faro Arm digitizer. Solidworks has the RevWorks add-on (http://www.revworks.com) and HighRES, Inc. (http://www.reverse-it.com) has software for most of the MCAD packages, but not Alibre. How difficult would it be to write an API that lets you take the point in 3d space from the digitizer, and use that to generate features, directly in Alibre?

Currently, my method to get accurate data is to sample a bunch of points and create a plane through them. For cylinders, I've been digitizing a few circles, setting the view normal to the plane, and then making the centerpoint the average of the other centerpoints (which are usually in a .002-.005 spread). Then, I create a cylinder normal to the plane from the new centerpoint and an average radius of the other circles, or measured with calipers. I'd love to speed up the process somehow, as digitizing and modelling parts is taking way longer than I expected.

Andris

 

[cclark440]

Andris
I am sure this would be possible. It may take a fair amount of time to write the API though.

There are a few considerations you have to think about. Do you want to capture the points directly into Alibre, or will there be a data file that contains all of the points? If there is a data file what format is it?

I am sure this is something that will be looked at, and will be available in the future. I just can't tell you how long in the future.

 

[z28tt]

Clint,
Faro has a free interface program called Caliper3d, which could be used to capture points, and export it (most likely as a csv or text file with the coordinates), but that would partially defeat the purpose of doing it all natively (i.e. quickly) in Alibre. Maybe the output of the file has enoguh of a format where raw geometry rather than points can be imported (i.e. a circle with center at XYZ, radius of R and on a plane of XYZ) as sketches?

To make something like this more useful, it would be nice to have the digitizer native in Alibre, as another toolbar (similar to how Rhino does it). This way, you can digitize what you need as you model the part.

The way I can imagine things, workflow could be:
Digitize points to create a plane.
Digitize points to project a circle onto the plane
Extrude Boss using circle, and digitize the end point for the cylinder.

Even better would be options to digitize directly to create features. For instance, after clicking on "Create Loft", you click in "cross sections" and have the option of digitizing a cross section, and working through it that way. I'm sure the programming can get complicated very quickly. Maybe somehow hooking into Rhino, and using the digitizer features built-in could be possible? I think this would be very useful for quite a few folks, since most digitizers all seem to have similar output streams of points (Faro, Romer, & Microscribe seem to be the common players). If the first method is the easiest to implement (for now), I'd be glad to digitize a simple part (maybe a brake rotor) and post binaries of the digitzed output file from Caliper3d and an alibre model of the part to compare it to. Heck - if anyone is local enough to central Connecticut, I'd be glad to have 'em over to try it in person, perhaps with some steaks and beverages...

Andris

 

[MilesH]

Andris,

Importing points from file into a 2D Sketch would be a move in the right direction, I guess. Currently you can only import points into a 3D Sketch.

Edit: Oops, forgot about Alex's excellent Point Import add-on..

 

[cclark440]

The more I think about it, the more I think that you could write an API that would capture the input from the Faro arm, and create the geometry on the fly. I think the trickiest part of the whole thing might be figuring out what the arm is sending the computer.

How does the Faro attach to the computer? USB, Seriel?

This is starting to sound like a fun project.

 

[z28tt]

The Faro Arm I've got is their older serial model, using a std DB9 connector. I know the older Microscribes also used serial. The latest versions of both Faro and Microscribe are USB, as of a few years ago. I'm not a programmer, but I can follow instructions if anyone could direct me how to capture the data stream from the digitizer.

(from the 2000 letter to shareholders in Google cache)... The FAROArm has been designed as an open architecture system. The communications
parameters of the on-board processors have the ability to combine advanced sensing probes,
integrate with conventional CMM software and communicate with different CAD software packages
and a variety of computer operating systems. This open architecture is designed to provide for easy
integration of the FAROArm into the manufacturing environment. The customer’s ability to use an
installed base of computing hardware and software further reduces the cost of installation and
training while initiating the transition to the Company’s preferred group of CAD-based products. To
encourage integration of the FAROArm into the manufacturing environment, the Company provides
a group of seamless interface drivers for leading CAD/CAM packages. The Company also provides a
full serial communication command protocol to the FAROArm for customers who write their own
interfaces.

It's looking bright! Possibly there is something to be learned from the Rhino SDK's as well.

Andris

 

[JordanCClark]

On other serial applications I've done (mostly connecting a serial device to a PLC), I've first "test driven" the device using Windows HyperTerminal found in:

Start-->Programs-->Accessories-->Communications

Hyperterminal will give you a simple serial interface to your device, and hopefully, give you a feel for how the device communicates.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Jordan

 

[z28tt]

Update - I just spoke to Faro customer support. They're emailing me a non-disclosure agreement, and then will send a link to their software development kit download. If anyone else would like a copy of it, Faro's # is 1-800-736-0234, and just ask for the SDK, or you can go to their support page at http://www.faro.com/contentv2.aspx?ct=u ... sc&item=37, enter SDK, and select the non-disclosure subject, and download the Word file. No charge for the SDK, either... If any of you guys need something digitized, I'd be glad to do it, since I'm more of a passenger on this API programming ride...

Andris

 

[JosH]

Andris,

Very interesting project. I myself am looking for some time now for a used Faro or Römer arm but they are too expensive and difficult too get. In the past I have done some programming for the serial port and did find some very usefull dll for controling these ports under MS XP. Only thing is I got the same kind of memory as Jordan, and on the moment I am wrestilng with an API example of Clint. I will look it up next week so I can give you this usefull link for RS232 communication. It's not too hard to manage.

Josh

 

[mkent]

These folks have a nice program that makes serial port capture easy.

http://www.windmill.co.uk/rs232.html

 

[cclark440]

I haven't looked at it yet but I would imagine that the Faro SDK would have something to capture the input from the arm.

I just wished I had a Faro arm to test.

 

[z28tt]

There's always a cheap flight out east! Unfortunately, the arm is to bulky and expensive to be shipping across country... The next best option is I can digitize whatever, or snag some data for you.

Andris

 

[cclark440]

Andris

Could you get some data and send it to me. I would like to look at it.
This way I can at least see some of what you are trying to accomplish.