@emilio
Sorry Emilio, I should have been more specific. I connect arm then it asks for an origin point which I input with the arm, either on the surface of the object being digitised if it has a flat surface and if not I just use the work bench top). I generally pick front left. (Front being closest to me and left being to my left). Then it asks for X so I pick a pick with the arm that is front right, then it asks for Y direction so I pick left back (i.e. far from me). I just pick these 3 points as per the triad (if that’s what it’s called) that you see in Rhino perspective view. Then “Enter origin in Rhino (press Enter to use World origin)” so I press “enter”.
Also and big thanks to you and Pascal as I just did the same Cplane to Universal then define the CPlane by 3 points and I’m happy to report that all is good and no more angular views!
@pascal Thank you for your input and your patience with me. Thanks to you I now have a good method to follow each time.
So here’s a summary of the method I will now be using.
Connect the arm, then it asks for an origin point and X and Y directions. Using a flat surface on the job or even the bench-top, I pick these 3 points as per the triad (if that’s what it’s called) that you see in Rhino perspective view. Then “Enter origin in Rhino (press Enter to use World origin)” so I press “enter”. I then go about digitising everything I have to digitize and including a rectangle (well near enough to being a rectangle) depicting the main reference surface. I realise the rectangle thing isn’t strictly necessary but it’s just the way I do it and in the engines I work with, everything else is relative in 3D space to this surface.
Once I’m back at home and doing the post-processing work (i.e. in Rhino), I pick that almost rectangle shape and use “PlaneThroughPts” to get a “best fit” plane through those points. Then I set the Cplane to Universal then define the CPlane by object or 3 points but I prefer to use “object” and select the almost rectangle.
Thanks again everyone.
I asked because I was thinking whether you might directly use your reference rectangle when the arm asks you the three reference points ( origin, X direction, Y direction ). That is, picking the three (arm reference) points on your reference surface and forget about picking a rectangle later.
But the I read Clement’s post which explained why it’s better to use a standard reference for the arm … so I thought my idea was not good … sorry.
Then I think that, having to use two different references ( one for the arm and one for the part you are digitizing )
you have a couple of choices (AFAIK, obviously …) :
Keeping the digitized points where they are and use a custom CPlane along with Universal CPlane views
Moving the points to Rhino’s World system so that your reference rectangle lay on the World CPlane and use standard views
All good Emilio. As I say above, the rectangle isn’t necessary but I prefer to use that method because then on my screen I can see that rectangle and I keep it there until the end of the job and because I don’t change it (other than “PlaneThroughPts”), I know it is a reliable reference for everything else.