PC-DMIS 2013 Release Enterprise Metrology Solutions

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 PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

Table of Contents

Recommended System Requirements ....................................................................................... 1

Installing PC-DMIS ..................................................................................................................... 3
Step 1: Check System and Hardware Requirements .............................................................. 3
Step 2: Login as an Administrator ........................................................................................... 3
Step 3: Back Up Existing Settings and Layout Data Files ....................................................... 3
Step 4: Install PC-DMIS .......................................................................................................... 4
Administrator Privileges Explained .....................................................................................10
Step 5: Copy Files after Installation .......................................................................................10
Step 6: Launch PC-DMIS for the First Time ...........................................................................10
Updating the Software........................................................................................................12
Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................................13
PC-DMIS Startup Is Slow ......................................................................................................13
Modifying, Repairing, or Removing the Installation ....................................................................14
Running PC-DMIS in Another Language ...................................................................................15
Installing Non-English Help Files from Language Packs ...........................................................15
Information about this Release ..................................................................................................16
New Product Information...........................................................................................................17
Major and Minor Release Enhancements ..............................................................................17
Release Notes ..........................................................................................................................17
2013 Release Service Pack 4 Fixes and Improvements ........................................................18
2013 Release Service Pack 3 Fixes and Improvements ........................................................19
2013 Release Service Pack 2 Fixes and Improvements ........................................................21
2013 Release Service Pack 1 Fixes and Improvements ........................................................23
Enhancements - 2013 Major Release Updates......................................................................24
Alignments ............................................................................................................................24
Automation ............................................................................................................................24
CAD ......................................................................................................................................24
ClearanceCube .....................................................................................................................24
Constructions ........................................................................................................................24
Direct CAD Interfaces / Direct CAD Translators.....................................................................24
Dimensions ...........................................................................................................................24
Installation .............................................................................................................................24
Laser / Cloud of Points ..........................................................................................................25
Portable .................................................................................................................................25
Reporting ...............................................................................................................................25
User Experience ....................................................................................................................25
Vision ....................................................................................................................................25
Contact Hexagon Metrology ......................................................................................................27

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Appendix A ...............................................................................................................................28
Understanding File Locations ................................................................................................28
System Files [Hidden] ........................................................................................................28
Shared Data Files [Hidden] ................................................................................................28
Shared Program Files ........................................................................................................28
User Data Files [Hidden] ....................................................................................................28
User Program Files ............................................................................................................28
Required User Access Rights ................................................................................................28
File System ........................................................................................................................29
Registry .............................................................................................................................29
Appendix B ...............................................................................................................................31
2D Distance Change .............................................................................................................31

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 PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

Recommended System Requirements

• PC-DMIS 2013 Release operates under 32-bit and 64-bit Vista; 32-bit and 64-bit
Windows 7; and 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 8. No other operating systems are
supported.
NOTE: The Matrox Framegrabber and CMM-V probe PC-DMIS Vision hardware
components do not support a 64-bit operating system.
• 2 GHZ or higher Duo-Core processor.
• 4 GB of RAM or higher. (4GB is the highest amount of memory capable on a 32-bit OS.)
NOTE: The size of the CAD data file and the tessellation multiplier value used
affects the amount of memory needed. These both affect the amount of tessellated
facets needed to display the model. The smaller the tessellation multiplier value
used, the more memory needed for the facets. For large CAD models this could
cause an “Out Of Memory” error. If this occurs, the current PC-DMIS session will be
left in an unstable state and should be terminated.
The default tessellation multiplier value is 1.0. Setting a tessellation multiplier of 0.1
will result in a 10 to 20 percent increase in the memory required over the default
value of 1.0. Decreasing the tessellation multiplier further to 0.01 will result in an
additional 50 to 65 percent increase of memory required.
• 2 GB of free hard drive space plus allocated Virtual Memory of 8 times the largest CAD
file used.
• For PC-DMIS CAD and CAD++: Professional 3D graphics processors such as Quadro
line from Nvidia or FirePro line from AMD/ATI. Nvidia seems to produce better OpenGL
drivers than AMD so Nvidia is recommended over AMD.
NOTES
The graphics driver must support OpenGL 3.0 or higher. A warning message will be
displayed on PC-DMIS startup if the driver does not support OpenGL 3.0.
A graphics driver that supports OpenGL 4.2 is required for high-quality
transparency.
For PC-DMIS Pro, a non-professional graphical processor may also be acceptable
(Intel HD Graphics, GeForce, or Radeon for example) as long as it supports
OpenGL 3.0 or higher.
• 1GB of video RAM.
• DVD drive.
• High-performance hard disk drive, such as an SAS HDD 10K RPM or a high-end SSD-
HDD. The best solution is two drives in RAID 0 mode.
• 2 USB ports.
• 2 Ethernet ports. (This is only required for specific machine controller communication
needs, such as CMM systems.)
• Microsoft .NET 4.0 for Windows 7.
• Microsoft .NET 4.5 for Windows 8.
• Internet Explorer version 9.

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PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

IMPORTANT: When using 3rd-party drivers you should contact your local Hexagon
representative to ensure Operating System compatibility.
ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE: The Sophos Anti-virus tool was used by Wilcox Associates Inc.
while testing PC-DMIS. The performance of any other anti-virus tool will need to be confirmed
by the user.
http://sophos.com/products/enterprise/endpoint/security-and-control/
INSPECTION PLANNER: You may need to recreate the IPD file for needed parameters so
imported Inspection Plan items are created correctly.
WINDOWS XP SUPPORT: Beginning with v2012 MR1, there will be no support for the
Windows XP operating system. While this version likely runs fine in XP, it will not be tested
under the XP operating system.
Flashing Issue when the F9 key is pressed for the Edit a Loadprobe command
An issue was found with PC-DMIS where the OpenGL setting error flashes when you press F9
for the Edit Loadprobe command. This has been determined to be a hardware issue when two
video cards are simultaneously enabled on the system running PC-DMIS.
To resolve this issue:
1. Update to RDS 3.3.
2. Ensure firmware is version 1.2.
3. Disable Intel (onboard) graphics.
4. Update NVIDIA driver.

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Installing PC-DMIS
To install the application follow these steps below:

Step 1: Check System and Hardware Requirements

Before you attempt to install a new PC-DMIS version, ensure that you meet the system and
hardware requirements discussed above in "Recommended System Requirements". You must
also have a USB PortLock or a valid software license for the installation to work. Your IT
specialist can help you with this information.
• To get your computer's properties, highlight the My Computer icon, right-click on it, and
select Properties.
• To check the display properties for the graphics card, select Start | Settings | Control
Panel, and then select Display and Settings.

Step 2: Login as an Administrator

To install and run your new PC-DMIS version for the first time, you must be logged in as a user
with administrator privileges.

Step 3: Back Up Existing Settings and Layout Data Files

Backup your settings and layouts files from your previous version.
• If your current version is earlier than version 3.5, back up your pcdlrn.ini file. This file
found in the Windows system directory (either WinNT or Windows). Save a copy of the
file in a safe place.
• If your current version is greater than version 3.5, back up your PC-DMIS Settings Editor
data.
To do this:
1. Access the PC-DMIS Program Group for your existing version and start the
Settings Editor.
2. Click the Backup button (or Export). The Backup dialog box appears:

3. In the File box define a safe location to save the backed up files, and give the file
a .zip extension.

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4. Mark the first three check boxes, and click OK.

• If your current version is greater than version 3.5, also backup the files that control the
layout of PC-DMIS as well. These files will be in the \PCDMIS\<UserName>
subdirectory. The <UserName> directory refers to the name used when you log into the
computer.
By default, PC-DMIS attempts to migrate existing settings from previous installs on the
same computer, even from really old versions of PC-DMIS where settings were stored in
the pcdlrn.ini file.
If you are replacing your computer or transferring settings that reside on another
computer, you can use the Settings Editor's Backup and Restore buttons:

See the help file for the Settings Editor if you need more information on the backup and
restore functionality.

Step 4: Install PC-DMIS

The following steps run you through a typical installation. Your installation screens may differ if
you are running a different version of PC-DMIS. In addition, your USB portlock might be
configured with different options.
1. Ensure your USB portlock is connected to your machine.
2. Locate the PC-DMIS install file on your installation media; or if you downloaded it, open
the directory containing the downloaded file. The install file looks like this:
Pcdmis2013_Release_#.#.###.#_x##.exe, where the # symbols represent the specific
version numbers and the version type (x64 or x86).
3. Double-click this executable to begin the installation process. If presented with a security
warning, click Run.
4. The files are extracted to a temporary directory:

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5. The Choose License Type screen appears.

Click on one of the following license types:

• HASP - If you have a physical USB portlock key, click this item. This is selected
by default.
• LMS (Software) License - If you have been issued a software license (called an
entitlement ID), or if you will connect to a local license server, click this item.
Click Next to proceed.
6. If you chose Hasp, ignore this step, and proceed to step 7. If you chose, LMS (Software
License), and it cannot find a valid license on your system, you need to fill out the LMS
License Setup dialog box:

Fill out the LMS License Setup screen as needed:

• Use Entitlement ID - If you have an Entitlement ID, select this item, and then
type or paste the ID you were issued in the box.
• URL to FNO Services - This points to the URL that verifies your license. Ensure
it has this URL:
https://licensing.wilcoxassoc.com/flexnet/services

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• Proxy Information - You only need to fill this out if you are on a network where a
proxy server is needed to reach the Internet. Contact your IT department to get
this information, and then fill in the server host, username, and password.
• Use License Server(s) - If you are using a local license server, select this item,
and then type your license server name. The format of this line of text should be
<portnumber>@<servername>, where <portnumber> is the TCP port number for
the license server and <servername> is the name of the server. The default TCP
port number is 27000, and is used automatically if no specific port number is
identified. For example, these mean the same thing:
@server1
27000@server1
You can also specify multiple license servers. These are separated by
semicolons. For example, suppose you have three license servers called
licenseserver1, licenseserver2, and licenseserver3, all using the default TCP
port. You can specify all of them in a single line of text, like this:
@licenseserver1;@licenseserver2;@licenseserver3
Click Next to proceed. The install software connects to the Internet, activates your
license, and then it installs the FLEXnet Licensing Service required to use LMS licenses.
LMS License Update
Once the licensing is completed and PC-DMIS is installed, PC-DMIS checks for license
updates on start-up and every eight hours of running. If a license update is available, a
notification message appears:
PC-DMIS
Updates are available for your PC-DMIS license. Applying them now will require
PC-DMIS to restart. Would you like to apply the updates now?
Click Yes to apply the update. If No is clicked, PC-DMIS displays the message every
eight hours of running or on the next start-up.
• If an option or feature is added, you are given the choice to apply the changes. A
pop-up message displays in the System Tray if you apply the changes.
• If an option or feature is removed, a message requesting you to restart PC-DMIS
is displayed. A pop-up message also displays in the System Tray to inform you of
this.
• If an option or feature is obsolete, it is automatically removed.
Note: To ensure PC-DMIS functions properly, you must restart PC-DMIS after any
update is applied.

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7. The main setup interface then appears. Click the Next to start the installation.

8. The license agreement then appears. Read and accept the license agreement, and then
click Next.

9. Choose a setup type from the Choose Setup Type screen:

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• Typical - This option installs the program files to the default installation location:
C:\Program Files\WAI\PC-DMIS 2013\
• Custom - This option lets you specify what components to install as well as
customize the installation location. A screen similar to the one below opens:

Overview of Customize Installed Features

By default, all program components are selected to be included in the installation.
You can use the tree view to customize when or if these features are installed. To
do this, click small drop-down icon next to the component to exclude. You'll see
a drop down list.

Choose the desired option:

• Will be installed on local hard drive - The selected feature is installed
to the hard drive on your computer.
• Entire feature will be installed on local hard drive - The entire feature
is installed to the hard drive on the computer. This means sub-features of
the selected feature are also installed.
• Will be installed to run from network - This option is currently
unsupported. Installs the selected feature on a network share.
• Entire feature will be installed to run from network - This option is
currently unsupported. Installs the entire component to network share.
This means sub-features of the selected feature are also installed.
• Feature will be installed when required - The feature is only installed if
required during the installation process. Some files are informational, and
are not required for the application to run. These may include
documentation or other files.
• Entire feature will be unavailable - This excludes the component from
installation.

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Customize Installation Location

By default, the program installs to this location "C:\Program Files\WAI\" under the
"PC-DMIS 2013" directory. To change the default location, click the Browse button
and navigate to the directory on your computer you want to hold the program files.
When you click OK, the Location box changes to show the selected location.
If you ever want to reset the items to the default selection, click Reset.
Click Next when finished customizing the install.
10. Once the installation has all the information it needs, the Ready to Install screen opens:

11. Click Install to proceed with the main installation.

12. Once installation finishes, this final screen appears:

• Launch PC-DMIS after the install finishes - Mark this check box to launch the
application once you click Finish. You should do this so that needed registry
entries are initialized. For more information, see "Administrator Privileges
Explained" below.
• Display Release Notes - Mark this check box if you want to see a simple PDF
file showing what's new or changed in this release once you click Finish.
13. Click Finish to close the installation program. PC-DMIS is now installed.

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PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

Administrator Privileges Explained

PC-DMIS versions earlier than version 2012 require that you run PC-DMIS as an
administrator because some system settings (for things such as last probe used, wrist
angles, and so on) were shared among all users on that computer. This required that these
settings were placed in the LOCAL_MACHINE section of the Windows registry instead of in
the CURRENT_USER section (for user-specific settings). Making changes to settings in the
LOCAL_MACHINE section requires administrator privileges.
In PC-DMIS version 2012 and later, the settings mechanism used by PC-DMIS changed to
only require administrator access the very first time it runs at the end of the installation.
From that point forward, standard user access is sufficient.
The PC-DMIS installer has a flag built into the setup executable (setup.exe) that requires the
setup process to run with administrator privileges. If the current user has lesser privileges,
the setup displays a prompt to provide a username and password of an account with
administrator privileges.
Once installation finishes, the first time you run PC-DMIS, you must launch it with
administrator privileges. If you mark the Launch PC-DMIS after the install finishes check
box (as shown in the above image) when installation finishes, PC-DMIS does this
automatically by passing the original privilege level of the installer onto PC-DMIS.
Note, however, that if you do not mark this check box, you will need to explicitly right-click on
the shortcut and select Run as Administrator as described in Step 6 below.
For more information on file system and registry rights required by PC-DMIS, see "Required
User Access Rights" in Appendix A below.

Step 5: Copy Files after Installation

If available, copy these files from your old PC-DMIS installation into the directory where you
installed the newer version:
• downl.oad
• sysparam.dat
• comp.dat
• toolc.dat
• Any other machine compensation files that are in your old PC-DMIS folder.

Step 6: Launch PC-DMIS for the First Time

Important: Running PC-DMIS inside a Virtual Machine (VM) is not supported.
1. When running this version of PC-DMIS for the first time, choose Start then All
Programs, then PC-DMIS 2013.

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 PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

2. From the list of shortcuts, right-click on either the Online or Offline icon then select the
Run as Administrator option (only required if the Launch PC-DMIS after the install
finishes check box wasn’t checked at the end of installation).

3. This allows the program to write needed machine-specific settings.

• If your previous version was earlier than 3.5, PC-DMIS will ask if the settings in
your PCDLRN.INI file should be used as your registry settings. Click Yes at the
prompt. Otherwise PC-DMIS will load in the factory defaults.
• If your previous version was version 3.5 and later, do the following to use your
previous PC-DMIS settings:
a. Close down PC-DMIS.
b. Launch the PC-DMIS Settings Editor from the Program Group.
c. Once it opens, click Import, and open the PCDRegFile.dat file you
backed up in the "Step 3: Back Up Existing Settings and Layout Data
Files" section of this document. PC-DMIS imports your settings.
d. Close down the PC-DMIS Settings Editor.
For subsequent startups, you can launch PC-DMIS normally by double-clicking the usual
Offline or Online shortcut.

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PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

Once PC-DMIS starts, the Software License screen displays the current license agreement.
Read the agreement carefully, and then at the bottom, click Accept Agreement to proceed:

Once PC-DMIS runs, an icon displays in your System Tray. If your portLock or license is
programmed correctly, the icon displays a green check mark as shown below and a message
says that the PC-DMIS license is valid:

If your portlock is not connected or is not programmed correctly; or if you are using an LMS
license and your software has not been properly licensed, the icon appears with a red
exclamation point overlay, and a pop-up message appears, saying that the PC-DMIS license is
disconnected:

When the license is disconnected, PC-DMIS functions normally, but after five minutes it
automatically closes. Be sure to save your data immediately before this occurs.

Updating the Software

By default, PC-DMIS automatically checks for updates to the software if you are connected to
the internet. If it detects that an update is available, the Hexagon software updater opens to
inform you of the software update. You can then download and install these updates as desired.
You can also manually check for updates by clicking Help and then clicking Check for
updates.
If you need information on using the software updater, see "Updating the Software" in the PC-
DMIS Core documentation.

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Troubleshooting
This topic provides information for you to troubleshoot certain installation and startup problems.

PC-DMIS Startup Is Slow

Description: You are using a computer with at least the recommended system requirements,
as detailed in the "Recommended System Requirements" topic above, and it takes longer than
30 seconds to launch PC-DMIS. This happens if you try to run PC-DMIS on a Widows 7
computer, but you didn't mark Run as administrator on the installation wizard. This results in a
problem loading the HASP driver. Note that this problem only occurs when you install with a
HASP license type as discussed in "Step 4: Install PC-DMIS" above.
Solution: Uninstall PC-DMIS, and then reinstall by right-clicking on the installation file and
choosing Run as administrator.

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PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

Modifying, Repairing, or Removing the Installation

You can also modify or repair an installation as needed once it's installed. To do this, double-
click on the Pcdmis2013_Release_#.#.###.#_x##.exe file as if you were beginning the
installation process. The setup displays the Modify, Repair or Remove installation screen
with these options:
• Modify - This opens up the Custom Setup screen as discussed above in "Step 4: Install
PC-DMIS". Use this to change the installed features, either by adding something that
was previously not installed or removing a software feature that you no longer need.
• Repair – Reinstalls all the product files as they were originally installed. This may help
resolve issues where an installation didn't install all the files properly.
• Remove - Removes the application from where it was installed. You can also uninstall
the application using the Programs and Features control panel item in Control Panel.

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 PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

Running PC-DMIS in Another Language

The initial installation setup file for PC-DMIS contains the user-interface files for all of the
supported languages. When you install PC-DMIS, it installs the language files based on your
operating system's language.
To run PC-DMIS in a language other than the operating system's language, click the File menu,
point to Language, and then click the desired language.
PC-DMIS restarts and displays the application in the desired language. See the information
below on how to get the help content available in a non-English language.

Installing Non-English Help Files from Language Packs

The English help files are the only help files included in the installation package and are
installed regardless of the installation language. However, non-English help files are not
installed.
This means that if you install a non-English language or switch to a non-English language, in
order to see any help content at all, you must first install a language pack for that language.
Otherwise, if you try to access the help file, you will receive an error from PC-DMIS saying that it
cannot find the help file. A language pack contains all of the help content for that language.
To install a language pack, do the following:
1. Locate the desired language pack (and .exe file) on your installation media or download
it from the Internet here:
ftp://ftp.wilcoxassoc.com/PC-DMIS-Versions/Release/2013/Lang
2. Run the .exe file and follow the setup instructions. You do not need to have administrator
access to do this.
This installs the help content into the appropriate two-letter language subdirectory where you
have PC-DMIS installed. You can then switch to that language in the software and access the
help content normally.

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PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

Information about this Release

We at Hexagon Metrology are proud to bring you this new version of PC-DMIS 2013
Release. This Enterprise Metrology Solutions platform brings together new aspects of PC-
DMIS for the development of a complete manufacturing process control solution. Available
in this release are variations of PC-DMIS designed to assist with every aspect of the
fabrication and quality control process. The newly created packages include the established
PC-DMIS Laser, PC-DMIS NC, PC-DMIS Pro, PC-DMIS CAD, and PC-DMIS CAD++
platforms.
The testing of this version has been significant. We’d like to take a moment to discuss this
process and also make you aware of the various components of testing.
Testing is comprised of two parts. These can be described as functional testing and
integration testing. The vast majority of testing effort goes on in the functional area. This is
the testing that determines that specific functions that are core to the software, regardless of
what type of machine is used, are working correctly. The integration testing is essentially a
testing of the interface with a particular type of machine.
In the ideal scenario, Hexagon would have access to at least one of every piece of hardware
that is operating in the field running PC-DMIS. However, in practical terms, this is
impossible. This integration test plan is then performed on as many types of machines as
we have available.
Should you experience problems with your system after installing PC-DMIS 2013 Release, it
could possibly be an integration problem. If it is a problem of this nature, it will probably be
evident immediately upon first use of the possibly untested configuration. See "Contact
Hexagon Metrology" below on how to report any integration problems. Should such a
problem materialize on a commercial release, you will be given the highest priority for
correcting these problems.
For existing users of PC-DMIS who currently have earlier versions of PC-DMIS installed, it is
advised that PC-DMIS 2013 Release be installed into a new directory. In this way, you can
be assured of continuous use of the existing version should problems arise with this newer
version.

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 PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

New Product Information

Major and Minor Release Enhancements

See the "Enhancements - 2013 Major Release Updates" topic for a listing of the enhancements
for the PC-DMIS 2013 Major release.
Release Notes
Versions 2013 is a significant development release of the software.
Major Release Date: June 1, 2013
Service Pack 1 Release Date: July 12, 2013
Service Pack 2 Release Date: January 31, 2014
Service Pack 3 Release Date: July 11, 2014
Service Pack 4 Release Date: January 23, 2015

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PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

2013 Release Service Pack 4 Fixes and Improvements

• PCD-36697 - Fixed an issue where the labels on the CAD report were in the wrong
positions, and the features were not visible, when Ctrl+U (Execute from Cursor) was
used to execute a part program. Also fixed an issue where the CAD report did not
appear when Ctrl+L (Execute Block) was used to execute a part program.
• PCD-55896 - Fixed an issue where during SP25 probe calibration, an incorrect
maximum scan speed was used when the percentage method of scan speed was
selected.

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 PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

2013 Release Service Pack 3 Fixes and Improvements

• PCD-10191 - Fixed an issue where the Edit window did not automatically scroll to the
location of the command that was currently executing.
• PCD-21422 - If you have a Software Maintenance Agreement (SMA), you can now
receive Service Pack updates even if your SMA has expired. This service applies to
Web Updater, WiX, and the internal checks that PC-DMIS performs to determine its
build date. Service Pack updates include items that address the stability of the software.
• PCD-21425 - Fixed an issue where PC-DMIS stopped working when View | Other
Windows | Preview Window was selected to open the Preview Window dialog box,
the View button was clicked to open the Analysis window, Options | Edit Dimension
Colors was selected to open the Edit Dimension Color dialog box, and then the Close
button (in the upper-right corner) was clicked to close the Edit Dimension Color dialog
box and then the Analysis window.
• PCD-31237 - Fixed an issue where PC-DMIS stopped working when a patch scan was
modified after it was edited by pressing F9 and then clicking OK.
• PCD-39867 - Fixed an issue where PC-DMIS stopped working when it attempted to
open data (.dat) files whose created/modified/accessed dates became corrupted when
they were restored from a backup of the Settings Editor application before the change to
Daylight Saving Time.
• PCD-41506 - Fixed an issue where the points in Move Point commands in a block of
commands changed from local coordinates to CAD coordinates when the block was
copied and then pasted into the Edit window.
• PCD-43930 - Fixed an issue where PC-DMIS crashed in Summary mode when:
1. A part program with dimensions was opened.
2. File | Reporting | New | Custom Report was selected to display the Custom
Report Editor, and then a CadReportObject was added to the editor.
3. A dimension command was dragged onto the CAD image, which created labels.
4. F9 was pressed on the dimension command in the Edit window to display the
Dimension dialog box.
5. The Cancel button was selected in the Dimension dialog box, which replaced
the dimension with a copy of it.
6. A label was dragged to another location.
• PCD-45313 - Fixed an issue where the probe collided with the part when a recall
alignment ID for an ALIGNMENT command was missing, and the warning message
indicating that the ID was missing did not appear.
• PCD-45569 - Fixed an issue where the second nominal angle vector for a SQUARE
SLOT feature in an imported DES file was incorrect.
• PCD-45643 - Fixed an issue where a constructed alignment plane that was mirrored
resulted in incorrect data in the dimension deviations.
• PCD-45841 - Fixed an issue where Hyper reports did not appear.
• PCD-46967 - Fixed an issue where the automation code failed to call the probe with the
Part.Probes.Item property.

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PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

• PCD-48454 - Fixed an issue where PC-DMIS stopped working when a Hexagon test
block (Hexblock_Wireframe_Surface.igs) was imported into a new part program, and
then several locations on the part were randomly selected in Surface Select mode and
Program mode.
• PCD-49216 - Fixed an issue where the calculated A and B angles that appeared in the
Wrist Angles Matching Requested Vector dialog box were inappropriate when the Auto
Wrist Toggle icon was used to choose the best wrist position.
• PCD-50642 - Fixed an issue where PC-DMIS would only run by a user with
administrator access by changing the C:\ProgramData\WAI\PC-DMIS\2013 MR1 folder
in Windows Vista/7/8 from administrator access to standard user access.
• PCD-52645 - Fixed an issue where PC-DMIS stopped working when it was not ran as an
administrator, and a part program that created and wrote commands to a Laser Sensor
log file was executed.
• PCD-53736 - Fixed an issue where a part program became corrupted, and the fonts
used on PC-DMIS menus and custom reports changed, after a part program was
executed multiple times.
• PCD-54118 - Fixed an issue where the actual scanning speed did not match the speed
that was defined in the part program.

As a result of this fix, the UseScanSpeedAsBasis registry entry was added to the
Settings Editor application.
• If the registry entry is set to False (the default), and the Display absolute
speeds check box on the Part/Machine tab in the Setup Options dialog box
(Edit | Preferences | Setup) is cleared, PC-DMIS uses the setting for
the MaxSpeed registry entry as the full speed for scanning (100%) when it
calculates the scan speed.
• If the registry entry is set to True, PC-DMIS uses the setting for
the ScanSpeed registry entry as the full speed for scanning (100%) when it
calculates the scan speed.

The ScanSpeed registry entry sets the maximum speed of a scan regardless of
how the UseScanSpeedAsBasis registry entry is set.

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 PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

2013 Release Service Pack 2 Fixes and Improvements

• PCD-31554 - Fixed a problem where executing a block of commands (using Execute
Block) used an incorrect probe
• PCD-29257 - Fixed a problem where the a nominal value of a datum feature edited in
the Advanced tab of the XactMeasure GD&T Position dialog box was not getting
updated to the report
• PCD-26222 - Fixed a problem where a CMS probe attempted to measure a sphere Auto
Feature by touching it, resulting in a crash on the sphere feature itself
• PCD-25841 - Fixed a problem where an imported wire frame CAD model was not
displaying in the Report window
• PCD-19863 - Fixed a problem where in the Advanced tab of the XactMeasure GD&T
Position dialog box, changes made to the axes selection were not always getting saved
when Create was clicked
• PCD-40073 - Fixed a machine interface issue on an Advantage CMM where the
command/response sequence in the interface was out of sync with PC-DMIS resulting in
the CMM stopping after a point was measured
• PCD-39145 - Fixed a problem where new part programs were not using the revision
number in the part program name
• PCD-38577 - Fixed a problem where a CAD file created with the Unigraphics Direct CAD
Interface (DCI) did not display when it was loaded on a non-DCI machine
• PCD-38525 - Fixed a problem where patch updates were not updating or renaming the
interfac.dll file
• PCD-38234 - Fixed a problem where a BASIC script running inside of PC-DMIS BASIC
script editor would crash the software if the Main subroutine had a parameter
• PCD-37889 - Fixed a problem where the software would freeze when a teach command
was issued from the Starrett jog box
• PCD-36196 - Fixed the way auto features are created when migrating part programs
from older versions so that they can take advantage of existing measurement strategies
• PCD-36151 - Fixed a problem where the MOVE ALL command does not work with a
DC800 controller
• PCD-35733 - Fixed a problem where the theoretical surface vector of round and square
slot features were not mirrored in the Y axis
• PCD-34772 - Fixed a problem where BASIC scripts that had a UserExit property that
was set to True resulted in an "Attempted an unsupported operation" error message
• PCD-34659 - Fixed a problem where using Leap Frog functionality to measure three
points in subsequent executions would not work
• PCD-34317 - Fixed a problem where clicking in the Graphics window while showing a
context menu and path lines were turned on resulted in a software crash
• PCD-34188 - Fixed a problem where a Line Profile dimension with a cylinder datum
feature wasn't allowing translation in the Z axis

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PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

• PCD-33781 - Fixed a problem where a Best Fit sphere created from a cloud of points
(COP) using filter commands as the inputs did not update during execution
• PCD-33575 - Fixed a problem where the circle feature created using the Unigraphics
NX5 DCI did not generate correctly in offline probe mode
• PCD-33419 - Fixed a problem where selecting multiple items using Shift + left mouse
button click didn't worked when done inside of the various construction and dimension
dialog boxes
• PCD-32700 - Fixed a problem where an extended Auto Circle feature that used a scan
strategy failed to export to an XML file
• PCD-31509 - Fixed a problem with laser execution where commands following an Auto
Alignment were not getting executed after removing the /portable:ROMERRDS switch
from a startup shortcut
• PCD-31341 - Fixed a problem where using the Execute from Cursor menu option on a
part program created in version 4.2 resulted in a probe collision
• PCD-31021 - Fixed a problem with Two-Face mode with Laser Trackers where the user
had to move the probe a large a distance (30 inches) to break the beam in order trigger
a new measurement
• PCD-25783 - Fixed a problem with the Vision module where MultiCapture targets
remained drawn in the Live View following a "Not enough hits for feature" error
message
• PCD-25610 - Fixed a software crash that occurred when selecting input features by
clicking on a feature label in the Graphics window to initially select a feature, clicking on
the same label to deselect it, and then again clicking on the same label to re-select it
• PCD-25485 - Fixed a calibration error that occurred when the calibration function was
activated by a script or external program using automation
• PCD-24768 - Fixed a problem where an Auto Slot's path was corrupted after reading a
new probe position
• PCD-22562 - Added the ability to calibrate the LSP-X1h probe changer
• PCD-19315 - Fixed a problem where adjusting a Flatness dimension's tolerance resulted
in the dimension solving the wrong surface normal and origin
• PCD-19260 - Fixed collision detection problems where false collisions were being
detected and real collisions were being ignored
• PCD-18830 - Fixed a software crash related part programs running a custom report
• PCD-41741, PCD-25672 - Fixed an issue where PC-DMIS stopped working in Windows
8 when Microsoft Office 2013 was installed on the computer, and Windows Explorer
dialog boxes were opened in PC-DMIS (such as Open and Save As)
• PCD-42082 - Fixed an issue where a part program with 100,000+ lines of code was
taking more than 10 minutes to load.
• PCD-31382 - Made update patching more reliable.
• PCD-7830 - Fixed a software crash related to the Alignment Utilities dialog box.

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 PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

2013 Release Service Pack 1 Fixes and Improvements

• PCD-32877 - Fixed an "exceeding array bounds" that resulted in an application crash
• PCD-32025 - Fixed three application crashes related to using HyperReports
• PCD-31891 - Fixed a GDI issue that resulted in an application crash
• PCD-31802 - Fixed a problem where the AT401 firmware 2.0 improvements
(Measurement Modes and Two Face measurement) were missing from the Portable
Help documentation
• PCD-31785 - Fixed a problem where basic scans were not starting and ending at the
correct positions
• PCD-31267 - Fixed a problem where a point cloud alignment of COP to CAD was
freezing during execution
• PCD-30619 - Fixed a problem related to SAMPLE METHOD = SAMPLE_FEATURE that
caused the CMM to move to an unintended Z location to take hits
• PCD-28662 - Fixed a problem where applying a point cloud surface color map for a CAD
model results in a software crash
• PCD-20667 - Fixed a problem where MOVE/POINT, NORMAL, MACHINE and
MOVE/POINT, NORMAL, PART were behaving exactly the same
• PCD-31686 - Fixed a problem where editing toggle fields in the Edit window required an
additional mouse click
• PCD-33018 - Fixed a problem where PC-DMIS does not use 3D vectors for a conical
HSS scan
• PCD-25852 - Fixed a software crash occurring when scanning in the Italian version
using a CMS108 or IS
• PCD-18624 - Fixed a calculation error in the XactMeasure Position dimension
• PCD-19137 - Added a CAD model for the SF machine
• PCD-4526 - Fixed a problem where a color map on the CAD model changed colors
during rotation in the Graphics window

23
PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

Enhancements - 2013 Major Release Updates

Log onto www.pcdmis.com for detailed information and video tutorials regarding these
enhancements.

Alignments
• PCD-22945 - Added the ability to use constructed Width features as inputs for all
alignments, treating a 3D Width feature as a plane and a 2D width feature as a 2D line

Automation
• PCD-23405 - Added support to manipulate an Auto Feature's Sample Hits using
Automation

CAD
• PCD-23425 - Added a Do not mirror CAD option into the Choose Part to Mirror dialog
box to provide the ability to only mirror the part program and not the CAD
• PCD-22084 - Added the ability for PC-DMIS import option to import JT9.5 files
• PCD-22080 - Added the ability to import SolidWorks CAD data into PC-DMIS via Direct
CAD Translator (DCT)

ClearanceCube
• PCD-22581 - Added the ability to position the probe in a defined coordinate system and
use Read Point to capture the coordinate of front lower-left corner and a rear top-right
corner of a ClearanceCube.

Constructions
• PCD-22932 - Added a new Width Feature as a Feature as a new Constructed feature

Direct CAD Interfaces / Direct CAD Translators

• PCD-21979 - Cleaned up the Unigraphics DCI
• PCD-17553 - Improved ProE DCI, resolving a memory leak
• PCD-22010 - Added support for DCI to import NX 8.5 CAD models

Dimensions
• PCD-22964 - Added 2D and 3D Width features as datums at RFS for FCF Position and
Profile datum reference frames
• PCD-22891 - Added the term "Fixed" in the Datum Shift Table for Composite Position,
Composite Profile, or Unequal Bi-lateral Profile FCF dimensions

Installation
• PCD-21002 - Added the 5x75 mm tip for the LSPX1C probe into the probe.dat file

24
 PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

Laser / Cloud of Points

• PCD-23412 - Redesigned Laser Scan dialog boxes for consistency
• PCD-23398 - Added a new calculation method to calculate edge points on curved
surfaces and point clouds
• PCD-23423 - Improved execution control in the default (asynchronous) mode for laser
Auto Feature dual-arm part programs
• PCD-23410 - Added the ability to calculate the surface point on a spherical surface

Portable
• PCD-21893 - Added a utility to allow users to add measured planes and cylinders from
typed point data
• PCD-21891 - Added the ability to export Auto Planes to IGES as surface entities
• PCD-21892 - Added the ability to export Constructed Planes to IGES as surface entities
• PCD-21894 - Added the ability to export Measured Planes to IGES as surface entities

Reporting
• PCD-22889 - Added the ability to create a simple plain-text (.txt) report based on the
default.rtp template
• PCD-22882 - Exposed Scale, Standard Deviation, Minimum and Maximum X, Y, Z and
point numbers to reporting and to automation
• PCD-23009 - Added the ability to write an XML file containing data going to DataPage+
• PCD-22914 - Added strings to show PC-DMIS versions 2011 and 2012 in the Save As
dialog box's drop down list for report templates
• PCD-23004 - Modified PPAP report template so that it uses a bitmap image for its
accept and reject symbols to improve the display on machines that don't have the right
fonts
• PCD-22982 - Improved PPAP template to support all FCF dimensions

User Experience
• Improved what happens when a part program is opened; PC-DMIS now checks to see if
there are sufficient system resources to open the part program. If not, the program does
not open.
• Instead of crashing the application, out of memory errors now fail gracefully.

Vision
• PCD-23630 - Added two new machine types into PC-DMIS: Optiv Classic 322 and Optiv
Classic 432
• PCD-23705 - Added support for using a digital camera on the FDC system
• PCD-23656 - Added the ability to measure the smallest concentric circle on a new
artifact in order to calibrate high-magnification systems
• PCD-23589 - Added the ability to change a circle target back into an arc so that users
can measure arcs without splitting the target

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PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

• PCD-23729 - Added ability for CWS on FDC to take a single point measurement
• PCD-23731 - Added the CWS probe type
• PCD-23697 - Added a SET_VAR TRIGFREQDIV command to set the FDC trigger
frequency from the part program
• PCD-23706 - Added a Focus Laser Sensor (FLS) probe type for FDC
• PCD-23703 - Added the ability to set the FLS beam on or off with FDC
• PCD-23704 - Provided the Live view for the FLS probe type for FDC
• PCD-23726 - Added the scan measurement with FLS for FDC
• PCD-23694 - Added the single point measurement with FLS for FDC
• PCD-23700 - Added the ability to support lamp intensity for CWS
• PCD-23689 - Modified the 2D profile feature to disable the Matching Edge and
Underscan feature options
• PCD-23638 - Modified the 2D profile feature so that it now defaults to opening the Auto
Feature dialog box in advanced mode

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 PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

Contact Hexagon Metrology

If you are participating in the technical preview of PC-DMIS 2013 Release, please post your
feedback in the appropriate technical preview forum located at
http://www.pcdmisforum.com/forum.php. Please do not contact Technical Support for technical
previews.
If you are using the commercially released version of PC-DMIS 2013 Release and would like
further information or technical support, please feel free to contact
http://hexagonmetrology.us/contact-us or visit www.pcdmis.com. Hexagon Metrology Technical
Support can also be reached by calling (1) (800) 343-7933.

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PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

Appendix A
Understanding File Locations
The default file locations (path locations) for various user-specific settings and other files
have changed in PC-DMIS 2010 MR2 and later in order to comply with newer operating
system standards. Previously, much of this information was stored inside of the install
directory of PC-DMIS.
The following shows where these files are now stored based on each file's role:

System Files [Hidden]

• Vista/7/8: C:\ProgramData\WAI\PC-DMIS\<version>
Where <version> is the PC-DMIS version.

Shared Data Files [Hidden]

Types of Files: Calibration Files, Setup Files, and so forth.
• Vista/7/8: C:\ProgramData\WAI\PC-DMIS\<version>
Where <version> is the PC-DMIS version.

Shared Program Files

Types of Files: Part Programs, CAD, Probe Files, and so forth.
• Vista/7/8: C:\Users\Public\Documents\WAI\PC-DMIS\<version>
Where <version> is the PC-DMIS version.

User Data Files [Hidden]

Types of Files: Toolbar and Menu Layout Files; Lighting and Materials; Settings, and so
forth.
• Vista/7/8: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\WAI\PC-DMIS\<version>
Where <username> is your window's login user name and <version> is the PC-
DMIS version.
Also see "Understanding the .DAT Files" in PC-DMIS help for more specific
information on data files.

User Program Files

• Vista/7/8: C:\Users\<username>\Documents
Where <username> is your window's login user name.
NOTE: In addition, functionality was added into the PC-DMIS Settings Editor that allows you to
backup, restore, or clear user-specific files and settings. Rather than manually deleting or
restoring individual files on your own, we recommend that you use the tools provided in the
Settings Editor instead. See the "PC-DMIS Settings Editor" documentation for additional
information.

Required User Access Rights

PC-DMIS requires read, write, and create access to the locations defined below in the file
system and registry.

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 PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

File System

Windows XP
• C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\WAI\PC-DMIS\2013
• C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\WAI\PC-DMIS\2013
• C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Local Settings\Application Data\WAI\PC-
DMIS\2013
• Any user-specified folder locations for storing Part Programs, Probes, Subroutines, and
so on

Windows Vista/7/8
• C:\ProgramData\WAI\PC-DMIS\2013
• C:\Users\Public\Documents\WAI\PC-DMIS\2013
• C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\WAI\PC-DMIS\2013
• Any user-specified folder locations for storing Part Programs, Probes, Subroutines, and
so on

Registry
All of these versions have their own registry settings, stored in a version-specific Key. The items
shown below are for the 2013 Release.

X86 OS
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ WAI\PC-DMIS\2013 Key and all sub keys
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\WAI\PC-DMIS\2013 and all sub keys
• HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\WAI\PC-DMIS\2013 and all sub keys

X64 OS
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\WAI\PC-DMIS\2013 Key and all
sub keys
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\WAI\PC-DMIS\2013 and all sub keys
• HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\WAI\PC-DMIS\2013 and all sub keys
NOTES:
• The first time you run a new version, PC-DMIS automatically copies the settings from the
most recent version of PC-DMIS installed. For this to work, the first time you run PC-
DMIS, it needs to run with administrator privileges. During the installation, if you mark
the Launch PC-DMIS check box in the setup wizard, it runs PC-DMIS as an
administrator and completes this first step.

This initial migration automatically sets read, write, and create permissions on the
registry for the relevant Keys.

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PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

• If you are using fixturing or laser sensors, the following registry keys are stored back one
level:
o HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WAI\FxtServer
o HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WAI\PC-DMIS\NCSENSORSETTINGS
o It may be easier to just apply create/read/write privileges to the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WAI\ key and all sub keys to cover these
also.

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 PC-DMIS 2013 Release Notes

Appendix B
2D Distance Change

Important 2D Distance Change: In PC-DMIS 2010 and later the 2D Distance dimension
and the DIST2D expression have changed somewhat; they no longer use the
workplane as part of the calculation when the third argument is set to a plane and the
distance is being calculated perpendicular to the third argument (“perpendicular to” is
always used by the DIST2D expression).
See the "2D Distance" and "Pointer Expressions" topics in the help file for more information.

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