Measuring a Sphere Origin
A Three-Sphere Datum is defined by three distinct locations taken around the part to be digitized or on a custom jig placed in relationship to the part. The centers of the three spheres define a plane which maps to the SOLIDWORKS Front Plane. Each sphere center also defines additional characteristics of the alignment. The first sphere center defines the location you wish to be mapped to the SOLIDWORKS origin. The second sphere center defines the direction of the positive horizontal axis. The third sphere center defines on which side of the horizontal axis the positive vertical axis lays. For best results it is desirable to have the horizontal axis and vertical direction sphere centers create two lines through the origin sphere that are nearly perpendicular to each other.
You must measure all three spheres in the prescribed order each time you measure or re-measure a Three-Sphere Datum.
To Measure a Three-Sphere Datum
Right click on the Three-Sphere Datum you wish to measure.
The Datum options pop-up menu displays.
Select Measure.
RevWorks connects to the digitizer and starts streaming data in digitizer coordinates.
Digitize a sphere, the center of which is to be mapped to the SOLIDWORKS origin.
RevWorks automatically calculates the translations necessary to translate the data collected in raw device coordinates so that the center of the digitized origin sphere aligns with the SOLIDWORKS model space origin.