Measuring maximum distance

[mgnt8]

When taking a distance measurement between two surfaces, pro/e measures the minimum distance. Anyone know a way to pickup the maximum distance?

 

[jsantangelo]

Place datum points on the surface from where you want to measure then measure between the points.

 

[jvidal]

Sorry guys.
Did not wanted to post here... and the Delete button doesn't seem to be working.
Edited by: jvidal

 

[mgnt8]

I have a Style surface with complex curvature. It needs to form a wall 2 mm thick, butit's too curvy to thicken or offset. I'm attempting to build both sides of the wall now, but I have to maintain a constant wall thickness for molding. I'm told that BMX can measure max distance but I don't have it. Anyone know how much it costs?

 

[jvidal]

You want to buy BMX just to measure the max distance??

I'm not sure how much it costs, but if I had to guess I'd say about 5.000 - 6.000 USD.

 

[solidworm]

i tried to do a test and get max distance between two surfs using bmx (analysis feature), but i couldn't. it can measure max distance between a point and a surface but not between two surfaces. (there might be some tricks i don't know)

 

[jvidal]

Use the jsantangelo's technique and you may even create an analysis feature that would allow you to use that dimension in relations and it will automatically update if you change your model.

 

[Zestje]

The trick I use to measure max. distance between e.g. 2 surfaces is to create a datum plane further to the left of the left surface and one further to the right of the right surface.

Then I make an analysis feature for the distance between the left plane and surface and have it put a datum point there (this point is at the minimum distance between the two, making it the point -farthest- away from the -right- surface.

Do this again for the right surface and the right datum plane, making a point -farthest- away from the -left- surface.

Then measure between the 2 datum points. This is the maximum distance.
When making the analyses features it will update correctly as long as the surfaces used exist.

P.S. I hope someone is smart enough to understand the above...

EDIT: Added a sentence for better understandability

Edited by: Zestje

 

[solidworm]

and you don't need front/back , upper/lower planes too in addition to left and right planes? after setting up those planes and applying the same approach, you'll get 3 pairs of points which might not .... !
am i wrong?

Edited by: solidworm

 

[Zestje]

@Solidworm: absolutely correct. What I described give the distancein 1 specific direction only. Of course it can be done for all3 carthesian directions.


But it must be realised that having 3 distances in carthesian directions is NOT the same as a real maximum distancein a 'free' direction in space.


I don't even think calculatinga maximum distance (to measure wall thicknes e.g.) by true mathematical surface descriptions is possible for any program, because how would a program know which points to measure between. For example it should NOTpick the 2 points on both surfaces which are farthest apart in space: imagine 2 parallel planes 100x100 mm and 1 mm apart. The maximum distance is 1 mm but would be measured to (100^2+100^2+1^2)^0,5.


I know some tools to 'calculate' wall thickness for parts, and they use'simplified' algorythms to measure the distance, e.g. by 'rolling' imaginary spheres between the surfaces tangent to both getting the distance at each maeasured point.


So I don't think a ture calculation is possible, just an approximation...But I'm not 100% sure, so please correct me if I'm mistaken.