SpatialAnalyzer®

What's New in SA

SA Release 2011.10.20

Graphical View Context Menus

Right-clicking on entities in the graphical view will now display their context menus, so there's no need to find the entity in the tree to right-click on it. When clicking on points, there's a Group Menu command, which will display the menu for the point's containing point group.

There's also a new Show in Tree menu item, which will expand and automatically scroll to the entity in the tree. This is a very fast way to find an individual item in a complicated tree.

SA Remote

SA Remote is an iOS app that allows real-time viewing of 3-DOF and 6-DOF spatial data from SA and permits remote control of the SA Laser Tracker interface. SA Remote is available as a free app on the Apple App Store for iPhone® and iPod® touch devices. SA Remote will also run on an iPad®. For more information and to download, see SA Remote in the SA Roadmap.

Hover Window Improvements

The Hover window (View > Hover) has been widened to accommodate very long names. A new Show in Tree checkbox has been added. When checked, the hovered item's container will be expanded in the tree, and the tree will be autoscrolled so you can find the item in the tree directly. Hovering to a different item will return the tree to its previous state and expand the currently selected item. To close the Hover window but keep the tree expanded to the hovered item, use the Hover keyboard shorcut (Ctrl+H by default) to toggle the visibility of the Hover window.

Additionally, the Hover window now supports hovering over instruments.

SA Report Fields & Tables

Tables and individual fields can now be added to SA reports. These fields can be required or optional input fields for accepting input from the user, or output fields, which can obtain their value from other sources (such as another field, the current date/time, or the current filename).

Fields can be assigned tags, which allows them to be read and written to from Measurement Plans, for full automation capability. (See the "Set Report Tag..." and "Get Report Tag..." MP commands below. A new Jump to Next Input Field button has been added to automatically move to the next input field on the report.

Text inside fields can be aligned left, right, or centered, and tables can be modified as well. For more information, see Dynamic Reports.

Non-Modal Windows

The USMN and Relationship Minimization dialogs are now non-modal, which means that you can interact with the rest of SA while they're open.

Rendering Setting for All Objects

You can now adjust the rendering setting (solid, wireframe, or translucency) for all objects via the View > Object Visibility > Translucency > All Objects menu item.

Geometry Fit Results: Point Detail

Geometry fit results now contain the full collection and point group of the points used in the fit when displayed in the point list, log file, and Geometry Fit Event.

Other Reporting Improvements

Spaces are now allowed in PDF filenames.

Entire categories (Point Groups, Relationships, etc) can now be dragged into an SA report.

SA Machine: Teach Pendant Movement in Working Frame

In the robot teach pendant, you can now command movements in the working frame in addition to the world, base, or tool coordinate frames:

SA Machine Calibration Reports: Component Residuals in Working Frame

Calibration reports now also include component residuals in the working coordinate frame.

GD&T Evaluation Options

The User Options > Analysis > GD&T Options dialog has been added to grant access to advanced parameters for GD&T fitting. The Use High Points for Feature Alignment option specifies how SA programmatically simulates a datum. When checked, 3 high points enclosing the center of mass of the datum feature are used to simulate the datum. When unchecked, a least-squares fit is used instead.

The Distance Between Checks Use option indicates how "Distance Between" checks should be evaluated. "Centroid" calculates the distance between features based on their centroids, whereas "Min/Max" calculates the distance between the features based on the closest or furthest points on the features. These options are all stored with the specified SA file.

GD&T Shortcuts

Hold down a letter (A-Z) on the keyboard when clicking the "Datum" button in the GD&T Toolbar to create a datum using that letter, if it is available.

  • Datum/Feature check windows now remember their position.
  • When creating datums and feature checks via the GD&T menu, the view field will now be set based on the current view setting in the GD&T Toolbar.
  • Surface profile check tolerance values now default to bilateral (symmetric) tolerances.
  • In the GD&T Toolbar, tolerances can contain the "@M" or "@L" wildcards to indicate MMC or LMC, respectively, when annotations are initially created.

Probing Frame Orientation

Observation details for measurements in which probing direction is available (such as from a PCMM measurement) will now list the rotation of the probing frame in working coordinates in addition to the probing vector itself:

Auto-Run MPs

When a Measurement Plan is executed via Scripts > Run Measurement Plan, the script now automatically starts instead of waiting for a click on the green button. If you do not want this behavior, it can be disabled via the User Options > Automation tab by unchecking the Auto-run MPs option. This is a machine setting, and is not specific to the SA file in use.

Check My Computer

The Help > Check My Computer menu item has been added to make it easier to run a health check on your computer to advise you of common configuration issues that can cause issues with measurement (firewall, antivirus, etc). This was formerly known as the System Analyzer.

New/Updated MP Commands

  • File Operations > File Export > Export DXF: Exports a set of points to a DXF file.
  • Excel Direct Connect > Get Workbook Address: Returns the selected cell, write mode, and auto move direction for an Excel spreadsheet.
  • View Control > Set Background Color: Sets the current background and highlight colors.
  • View Control > Define point of view: Defines a saved point of view.
  • View Control > Get point of view parameters: Retrieves the parameters of a saved point of view.
  • Utility Operations > Move Objects Drag Graphically: Puts the user in a mode such that a set of objects can be dragged graphically in the view.
  • Utility Operations > Move Instruments Drag Graphically: Puts the user in a mode such that a set of instruments can be dragged graphically in the view.
  • Scalar Math Operations > Change String Case: Converts a string to all uppercase or all lowercase letters.
  • Instrument Operations > Start GD&T Inspection Design: Starts a GD&T Inspection Design routine in a specified collection.
  • Instrument Operations > Start GD&T Inspection Rehearse: Starts a GD&T Inspection Rehearsal in a specified collection.
  • Analysis Operations > Scale Bars > Delete Scale Bar: Deletes a scale bar.
  • Analysis Operations > GD&T Operations > Get Feature Check Measurements: Retrieves the point and cloud measurements associated with a feature check.
  • Analysis Operations > GD&T Operations > Set Feature Check Measurements: Associates points and/or point clouds with a feature check.
  • Analysis Operations > GD&T Operations > Feature Inspection Auto Filter: Filters and associates a set of points, groups, and clouds with datum and feature check surfaces.
  • Construction Operations > Rename Points with Name Pattern: Renames a list of points based on a supplied name pattern.
  • Construction Operations > Planes > Shift Plane: Shifts a plane along its normal and/or scales the size of the plane in the graphical view.
  • Reporting Operations > Set Report Tag Value From String: Sets the value of a tagged field on a report to a string value.
  • Reporting Operations > Set Report Tag Value From Integer: Sets the value of a tagged field on a report to an integer value.
  • Reporting Operations > Set Report Tag Value From Double: Sets the value of a tagged field on a report to a double value.
  • Reporting Operations > Get Report Tag Value: Obtains the value of a tagged field on a report.
  • Analysis Operations > Remove i-th String from String Ref List: Removes the i-th string from a list of strings.
  • Variables > Set String Ref List Variable: Stores a list of strings as a variable.
  • Variables > Get String Ref List Variable: Retrieves a list of strings as stored in a string reference list variable.
  • Analysis Operations > Evaluate Feature Check: Added arguments to retrieve the evaluation transforms, feature check type, tolerance type, and tolerance values.
  • Construction Operations > Other MP Types > Concatenate Strings: Adding an empty item to the string reference list will force a newline in order to put following text on the next line.
  • Construction Operations > Other MP Types > Make a System String: Added a string format argument to format your own custom date and time strings.
  • Excel Direct Connect > Set Workbook Address: Added an option for the auto-move number of cells, for example to automatically skip two rows whenever data is written to the spreadsheet.
  • Reporting Operations > Define Report Template: The Excel report output format has been added.
  • Reporting Operations > Make Report Output Options: Excel report output option has been added.
  • View Control > Show/Hide Annotations for Feature Checks: Shows or hides annotations associated with a specified feature check.

MP Editor Improvements

  • Double-clicking the vertical divider between columns in the column header of the argument list will autosize the column to fit its contents, just as in Microsoft Excel.
  • While editing a value in the argument list, pressing ENTER or the down arrow key will activate and begin editing the next field, unless that field cannot be directly edited.
  • When the Function Tree Search field is active, the Tab key or up/down arrow keys will take you to the function tree listing.
  • While working in the function listing, the arrow keys will navigate the visible commands in the list, the ENTER key will add a command, and the ESC key closes the dialog.

    Leica Automation Interface

    The Leica Automation Interface is a new interface added in SA that permits sharing of a T-Mac or T-Scan between up to four AT-901 trackers. It also allows for tight handshaking between the interface and auxiliary devices such as robots, for things like automated scanning and probing with robots. Special hardware is required to support this interface. For details on how to use this interface refer to the Leica Automation Interface Instrument Quick Start.

    Log File Count

    The number of selected log entries in the log file is now displayed in the log file window title. This makes it easy to know exactly how many entries to keep when trimming the log.

Instrument Pointing

If multiple instruments are running, attempting to point an instrument at a point will first prompt you to select the instrument to point.

New Laser Tracker Measurement Profile: Single Point Circles

This new measurement profile allows for the measurement of circles by measuring a single point. For example, if a 1.5" SMR is placed into a 0.5" diameter hole, then by taking a measurement (and knowing the position of the plane of the hole), the size of the hole can be calculated.

The measurement profile uses a stable point acquisition mode by default, but the bulk of the work is done on the Single Point Circles operation side. To measure single-point circles, you must first select a plane (from the measurement profile parameters window) that defines the surface of the hole. If desired, you can lock the radius of the circle to a specified value.

A measurement will not be returned if the distance of the probe center to the defined plane is greater than the probe radius.

Caution: Ensure that the proper target is active when using this command. The probe radius is critical to calculating the diameter of the hole.

Warning: The Single Point Circles profile makes some assumptions about the hole that may reduce accuracy. For instance, it assumes that the hole is circular and there is no chamfered edge at the hole opening. It is your responsibility to determine if these losses in accuracy are significant to the specific application.

Theodolite Manager Improvements

  • Leica Total Stations: Pressing the device record button while in Single Target Mode will use the current device GUI collection, group, and target values when sending point data to SA.
  • Leica Total Stations: New option for Distance Measurement Mode (Precise, Standard, Fast). This option is used during non-tracking reflector point acquisition.
  • Added support for Sokkia SETX devices.

Decimal Precision of ASCII Point Export

The File > Export > Points (ASCII File) command now exports data with full decimal precision by default.

DMIS File Import

  • DMIS File import now supports spheres, planes, and cylinders.
  • An import options dialog has been added to provide control over which entities are imported from the source file.
  • Points can be imported as measurements from the selected instrument, if desired.

For additional improvements, fixes, and changes, please see the SA Readme file, accessible through our download page.