Usage
Support documents providing advice and assistance on issues which may be encountered when using Productivity+™ applications.
Productivity+™ operation support documents
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Productivity+™ and PC 'clean-up' utilities
Some PC ‘clean-up’ utilities have been discovered to prevent Productivity+™ applications from operating correctly. This document contains information on how to prevent or repair problems caused by these utilities.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Parent statement remains in error following an Undo operation
Editing or deleting a measure statement may cause a child statement below a different parent to fall into error. An Undo operation may not fully remove the error. The document explains how to overcome this issue.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Importing data from a .csv file into Productivity+™ Active Editor Pro
It is sometimes useful to import data into Productivity+™ from a .csv file. For the import to be successful, the data must be in a specific, version dependent, format. Data format and the import process are described in this document.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Inability to use two probes in the same Productivity+™ program: Siemens 840D with Tool Management active
It is possible to create Productivity+™ inspection routines using two probes, however, these programs cannot be executed on Siemens 840D controllers where Tool Management is active. This document contains the recommended solution.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Backwards compatibility of Productivity+™
Productivity+™ is designed to operate with files created in previous versions of the software. This document demonstrates valid, compatible combinations of application and file versions.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: RenMF ‘machine kinematics’ upgrade warning for multiple rotary axis machines
Upgrading an installation of Productivity+™ to version 1.7 results in a change to the machine configuration (.RenMF) file and an error dialog may be encountered. This document provides an example of this dialog and advices how to proceed.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Basic use of multi-axis functionality
This document provides an overview of multi-axis functionality including: setting multiple co-ordinate systems; setting work co-ordinate systems; updates, reports, logic and constructed features; Fanuc G68.2 and Siemens CYCLE800 support.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Changing measurement units: mm - inch; inch - mm
In some instances, for example, where a production drawing is dimensioned in inches, but your machine tool is programmed in mm, or vice versa, there is a requirement to change the measurement system used in the basic statements you create.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Imported model appears as individual bodies
When a solid model is imported into Productivity+™ Active Editor Pro, it may appear as individual bodies or sheets rather than as a single, complete body. This document describes how to select the individual bodies which comprise the model.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Considerations when using logic
When using logic within Productivity+™ Active Editor Pro, it’s vital to remember that the work coordinate system (WCS) is always taken as the datum. This document contains examples of this and considerations to be made when using logic.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Feature-to-feature measurement using two co-ordinate systems
In Productivity+™, X, Y, Z feature values are reported relative to the work co-ordinate system (WCS) they were measured in. However, it may be necessary to perform feature-to-feature measurements using a Z reference other than the Z0 datum.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: CATIA solid model files containing Unicode characters in their file/path name fail to import
Importing a CATIA® solid model on a PC with certain ‘Regional and Language Options’ settings may result in an error due to Unicode characters within the file or path. This document describes methods to overcome this issue.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Use of multi-axis functionality within GibbsCAM
A number of issues specific to GibbsCAM need to be considered when using multi-axis Productivity+™. This document outlines RenMF configuration requirements and the limitations of co-ordinate system updates.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: CAD view window appears red at start-up
Some users of Productivity+™ Active Editor Pro have reported instances where the CAD view window within the software appears red when the program is opened. This document outlines actions that have been seen to solve this issue.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Use of custom macro result to offset a constructed point
The output positions of a custom macro can be used to offset the position of a constructed point, however, there is a limitation when doing so. This document provides examples of valid and invalid use of custom macro output positions.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Basic use of Constructed Point functionality
The Constructed Point function allows the calculation of position data using previous measurements. Results may be used for reporting and logic/update operations. This document outlines the various methods of generating Constructed Points.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Runtime error when GibbsCAM® plug-in Probing function is not used in Process Tile 1
When the Probing function (from the Machining Palette) is used in a Process Tile other than Tile 1, a runtime error will occur when creating a probing routine. This document outlines how to avoid this error.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Using Productivity+™ Active Editor Pro to integrate probing into machining programs
Machining a component requires a mixture of probing and cutting operations, often including post-process inspection. This document outlines methods of integrating probing operations into existing machine code using Productivity+™.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Using Productivity+™ Active Editor Pro to set tooling
Tool setting and broken tool detection are important tasks in improving component accuracy, reducing scrap and allowing reliable unmanned machining. This document contains examples of integrating tool setting into Productivity+™ programs.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Simplifying job set-up using Productivity+™ Active Editor Pro
Before producing a component, a machine tool needs to know that component’s location and orientation. This document describes how Productivity+™ can perform these ‘set-up’ tasks significantly faster than other, more traditional methods.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Trouble shooting metrology issues
This document is designed to help resolve general metrology issues that you may experience when running Productivity+™ probing macros on your machine tool.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Managing solid model/CAD model import issues
Solid model import issues are common for CAD-based software and can manifest themselves in a number of ways. This document outlines various work-arounds to a number of these import issues.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Spindle probe calibration
Calibration is the basis for all measurement data and must be performed before running any Productivity+™ cycles. It is essential that calibration is performed correctly. This document considers spindle probe calibration ‘best practise’.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Feature picking problems due to zoom levels
Using the zoom function in Productivity+™ may result in a ‘camera’ position from which it is impossible to select the desired feature. This is most likely to occur when zooming to high magnification, but does not occur in Orthographic mode.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Importing a solid model from a local area network (LAN) causes a runtime error
Importing a solid model file into Productivity+™ Active Editor Pro from a network location which the user does not have write access to may generate a runtime error and cause a crash. This document provides a solution.
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Help file: Support/knowledgebase material: Solid model compatibility
Productivity+™ Active Editor Pro has the ability to import multiple solid models, which can then be used to select measured features. Models created using a number of common formats are supported, some as standard, and others via the purchase of additional CAD importers. This document provides a record of the compatible file types and CAD package releases/versions that can be used to create solid models for use with Productivity+ Active Editor Pro.
