About Troubleshooting RevWorks

 

If you are having trouble with a RevWorks feature or option, review the following topics before contacting your RevWorks reseller or Revware for support.

• I cannot see the RevWorks toolbar upon starting SOLIDWORKS.

When set to display as a floating toolbar, instead of docked, RevWorks is configured to float on top of other applications. The toolbar also plays a distinctive sound upon startup, unless you have changed that configuration. So you should see and hear the RevWorks toolbar when it displays. It is possible under some Windows configurations for the toolbar to lose its "on top" status, in which case it may become hidden behind other windows. To uncover the toolbar, minimize other windows so that the toolbar is revealed. If this toolbar is frequently hidden, you can try docking the toolbar to the top or bottom of your screen, in which case the display area becomes reserved for the tool bar only.

• I cannot use the RevWorks toolbar. When I click on the toolbar, it beeps at me but nothing happens. I’ve tried everything, but the toolbar won't regain focus.

Sometimes message dialog boxes become hidden by another application (probably SOLIDWORKS). It is possible that one may be open, causing the RevWorks toolbar to not be able to regain focus. Minimize or move the active window to reveal the obscured message dialog box, and respond to it. Now you should be able to select the RevWorks toolbar.

• When I try to set up a datum, the resulting orientation is wrong. It seems as if the datum plane is tilted in a different direction from what I expected.

All digitizers have precision limitations: The smaller the part, the more inaccurate the data. Collect data points far enough apart that you know won’t be affected by your digitizer's precision, especially when you set the plane for datums. By collecting well-spaced data points, you limit the possibility that precision limitations of your digitizer are causing the problem.

In addition, when you use the keyboard to trigger data collection, be sure to wait for the system to beep before moving the digitizer probe to a new location. It is possible that you moved the digitizer probe tip before RevWorks had a chance to collect data from your digitizer. When you are collecting data, close all unnecessary programs that may slow down the data collection process. You may want to use the digitizer’s button or foot pedal to trigger data collection. The digitizer’s button or foot pedal immediately tags actual data points with a marker, eliminating the possibility that the wrong data is used.

Lastly, if the orientation is 180 degrees from what you expected, then the problem is probably with your entry of the Horizontal Axis or Vertical Direction. Try re-datuming your part, and choose a feature or point on the opposite side of the defined Horizontal Axis or Vertical Direction than you previous selection.

• When I attempt to create a custom datum by collecting points with a ball probe the axis are skewed or offset from the part I am digitizing. Why?

When you use a ball probe to digitize a datum you must be mindful of how RevWorks compensates features for the probe ball radius. Derived features, such as a point generated at the intersection of two digitized lines, are compensated to account for the probe ball radius. Individual points are not compensated. Mixing compensated and uncompensated features when creating a custom datum results in the misalignment of your datum. If you use a ball probe to set up a custom datum, do not use simple points to define the datum components.

• I installed a RevWorks upgrade, and now RevWorks does not start. I cannot even find any of the RevWorks files.

RevWorks no longer places its files inside your SOLIDWORKS directory. RevWorks is now installed in its own separate directory. The first time you try to use RevWorks you must activate it as a SOLIDWORKS Add-In. For instructions on how to do this see Enabling RevWorks for a description of how to start RevWorks for the first time.

• How do I set RevWorks to collect an unlimited number of points for a spline?

For specific details on how to set point maximum limits for all RevWorks features, see Limiting Feature Points. If you set the limit to 99, then the feature point maximum becomes unlimited, allowing you to collect hundreds of points if desired. However, when you set a feature limit to 99, you must use select or another completion option to calculate the feature. RevWorks cannot automatically calculate features with unlimited point maximums.

• On occasion, RevWorks won’t create a feature from the data I collected. Why?

Normally, RevWorks presents an error message if there is a problem creating a feature. RevWorks cannot create a feature from collected data if:

• You did not collect the minimum number of points required for the feature

 

You can view the minimum number of points required for each feature in the online Help topic for creating that feature.

• The data points collected are too close together to correctly calculate their relationship

 

The manuals for your digitizer provide information of the resolution limits of your device. By collecting well-spaced data points, you limit the possibility that precision limitations of your digitizer are causing the problem.

• The data that you collected is corrupt

 

Radio noise produced by operating machinery and electronic equipment can corrupt data being transmitted from your digitizing device. Confirm that the cable length and type and the communications speed you are using are appropriate for the environment in which you are using the device.

• RevWorks could not determine the offset direction for a feature that is to be compensated for probe ball size.

 

RevWorks tracks the direction of probe movement so that it can determine the offset direction of a feature in order to compensate for the radius of the probe ball. If you performed any of the following actions before collecting the first feature point, RevWorks may not be able to determine the correct offset direction for the feature:

• Started digitizing with the probe held motionless in contact with the part

   

• Moved the probe less than the Probe Approach Tolerance distance specified for your device

   

• Moved the probe towards the first point while keeping it in contact with the part surface

If RevWorks is inconsistently offsetting small features, try setting a smaller value for the Probe Approach Tolerance.

• RevWorks is not communicating with my digitizer. Why?

Normally, RevWorks presents an error message if there is a problem with your communications link. Verify that your digitizer is connected properly, turned on, and that the correct communication options are set. For additional information on communication settings, see Configuring RevWorks To Work With Digitizers.

Radio noise produced by operating machinery and electronic equipment can corrupt data being transmitted from your digitizer. Confirm that the cable length and type and the communications speed you are using are appropriate for your working environment. If your digitizer is connected and configured properly and RevWorks still cannot communicate, confirm that your computer's communication port is working properly and that the Windows port settings match those that are set in your computer hardware configuration.

• Why is RevWorks producing features that bear no resemblance to what I am digitizing? I have a MicroScribe digitizer.

RevWorks performs data validation to make sure that the information transmitted by your digitizer is not corrupt. The RevWorks validation test does not detect situations where point data has the right form, but is in the wrong location. When improperly started, the MicroScribe digitizer supplies data that is technically correct in format, but not correct in the location of the probe tip. Review the documentation supplied with your MicroScribe digitizer for detailed information on how to properly set it up and start the device.

One simple test you can perform to check if the device was properly started is the "wiggle test". Select any feature to digitize, and then place the probe tip of the digitizer on a firm surface where the tip is not likely to easily slide. Move the joints of the digitizer around. Be careful not move the tip from its point of contact. The coordinates that display on the RevWorks toolbar should vary only within the expected accuracy of the digitizer. If the coordinates fluctuate more than expected or wildly, the digitizer was probably not homed properly before you powered it on. Restart the digitizer again. Be careful to home it properly before turning it on, and repeat the test. If the coordinates still vary more than expected, and you are sure that the digitizer was started properly, it may have been jarred out of alignment. In this case, the device probably needs to be serviced.

For more information on MicroScribe digitizer, see the following online Help topics:

1. Connecting MicroScribe Digitizers
   

1. Configuring RevWorks for MicrScribe Digitizers
   

1. Starting MicroScribe Digitizers
   

• RevWorks seems to reposition or resize several types of features as I digitize. How can I stop this from happening?

What you are experiencing is a problem that is experienced with some older versions of SOLIDWORKS that causes some feature types to be snapped to the active SOLIDWORKS grid even though RevWorks requests that no snapping be applied. The way to work around this problem is to turn off Snap To Points and Snap To Angles on the Grids/Units page of the User Preferences dialog. This turns off snapping for all feature creation actions in SOLIDWORKS. Later versions of SOLIDWORKS have resolved this problem.

• Sometimes I get the message: "Entities which do not belong to the active sketch cannot be deleted." The feature I digitized seems to be created properly. Is there a problem that is not obvious?

What you are experiencing is a problem with how SOLIDWORKS is handling point-deletion requests from RevWorks. This situation should not affect the quality of your data. When you have point deletion turned enabled, on occasion unnecessary points may be left on the sketch plane with the features you have created. In the case noted here, SOLIDWORKS was unable to properly resolve a request to delete a specific point from the sketch. You can delete any remnant points manually if you wish using SOLIDWORKS tools. The presence of the undeleted points will not affect the creation of solid forms from the sketch plane features.

• I selected a feature to digitize from the RevWorks toolbar and everything seems to be working properly. When I press the Space Bar to take a point I hear a beep as if the point was taken, but no point appears on the sketch plane.

There are two situations in which this might happen. First, the data may be located outside the viewable area of the sketch plane. If, when you digitize a point the data counter on the RevWorks toolbar increments, then the data is simply outside the boundary of your current view. Use the SOLIDWORKS viewing tools to expand or relocate the area of the sketch plane you are viewing.

If the data counter is not incrementing, then a RevWorks dialog has been displayed and is waiting for a response, but it is hidden by another window. In this situation, you could collect data by pressing the data collection pedal or button on your digitizing device, but the fact that a message dialog is waiting for a response will prevent you from using the Space Bar until you respond to the dialog. To locate the dialog, first look on the Task Menu bar to see if the dialog is represented there by a process button. Select it to bring the dialog window to the top of your desktop. Otherwise, move or minimize other windows until the obscured dialog is revealed. This situation is most likely to happen immediately after installing a SOLIDWORKS update if you do not completely reinstall RevWorks. Missing RevWorks help files will cause RevWorks to display a message dialog during startup that is quickly obscured by SOLIDWORKS windows that are also initializing.

• The RevWorks registration dialog box is displayed when I start SOLIDWORKS even though I have a hardware security key attached. When I press the Register or Cancel button, I get a message stating that RevWorks must be registered before I can use it. What is the problem and how can I fix it?

There are three situations in which this might happen. First, there is a bad or compromised physical connection between the key and the parallel port of the computer. If you have successfully used RevWorks with SOLIDWORKS on this computer, then it is likely that you have a printer hooked up to the key and the printer is not turned on or is in reduced power mode. If you do have a printer attached, you must turn it on in order for the key to work properly. If you disconnect a printer from the parallel port, make sure that you disconnect the printer cable from the hardware key. If you do not have a printer connected, test your parallel port to make sure that it is working properly. Also, make sure that the key is seated properly on the parallel port. Finally, make sure that the key is placed on the parallel port, not on one of the serial ports.

The second possibility is that the security key software is not installed properly. If this is your first time attempting to use RevWorks, check to make sure that the software is installed properly. To do this, in the Windows control panel select Add/Remove Programs. Scroll down the list of installed programs to find Sentinel System Driver. If you do not find this directory then you need to reinstall RevWorks. You can reinstall RevWorks from your CD or select RevWorks in the Add/Remove Programs list of installed software. Select RevWorks from the list and then select the Change button. From the CD run Setup.exe. Either approach will start the RevWorks installation manager. Follow the instructions, choosing Modify as the installation option. Make any changes you wish to make to RevWorks and then press Next. Once RevWorks has validated its components the installation manager for the Sentinel security key is presented. Choose to install or repair the installation when prompted. If installing or repairing the drivers does not help the situation, the drivers may not be configured properly.

The third possibility is that the security key software is not configured properly. If you have confirmed proper attachment of the security key and proper installation of the driver software and the SIM key still does not work, you may be experiencing a configuration problem with your hardware key. To configure your SIM key, locate the Sentinel configuration program, which is installed to the default location of \Program Files\Rainbow Technologies\Sentinel System Driver. Startup SetupSysDriver.exe and choose the Configure Driver option. Review the online help in order to assess how you may want to adjust the configuration of the SIM key.

If after trying the above suggestions, RevWorks still does not recognize the security SIM, please contact Revware Technical Support. To find out how you can contact Revware, see Registering RevWorks.

• When using the RevWorks tool for measuring depth I get inconsistent results. Why would I get reasonable values some of the time and obviously wrong values at other times?

Most of the RevWorks measurement tools, including the depth measurement tool, base their calculations relative to the currently active sketch plane. If no sketch is active, the Front Plane is assumed. If you are getting unpredictable results it may be due to RevWorks using a different plane than you think it is in order to make the requested measurement.