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How to Create and Analyze Elements Inside GOM Software

 

GOM Software offers many features and inspection tools that provide efficiency to even the most complex projects. With GOM Software's intuitive and user-friendly interface, tools, workflows, and other capabilities are easy to master. In this tutorial, you'll learn and understand some basic workflows for creating and analyzing elements inside GOM Software. These workflows help you become familiar with GOM Software's various functions to confidently explore the program and continue developing your digital engineering skills.

 

Constructing Elements or Features Inside GOM Software

This tutorial uses a GOM training block. Begin by opening the Construct tab to see all the different elements or features that can be created and different ways to create each element or feature. The first feature this tutorial will construct is an auto circle. First, zoom in on any circle on the feature, hold CRTL and the left mouse button, and click around the circular area. The software will auto-select the circle. Then, hit create and close and assign a measuring principle. The measuring principle is how the software relates the nominal element built to how the actual element should also be built. Hitting OK completes the circle, and other circles or elements can be built using this circle to do various checks such as radius or diameter.

 

 

How to Perform a Diameter Check in GOM Software

Hit the check function on the I-Inspect Wheel and select the diameter check. In the pop-up window under the tolerance option dropdown menu, choose No tolerances. After selecting OK, the software generates a tag with the nominal, actual and deviation of that circle's diameter.

  

Constructing a Cylinder in GOM Software

Next, construct a cylinder by selecting Auto Cylinder (Nominal) because it will be built on the nominal surface. Zoom into the cylindrical area, select CRTL plus the left mouse button in the cylindrical area, and the software will auto-select the cylinder. The software also allows the construction of multiple cylinders at the same time. To do this, instead of hitting create and close, select the green checkmark to make and duplicate that element. Zoom to another cylindrical area, hit CRTL and the left mouse button in the area, and it will automatically select another cylinder. To drop the cylinder construction menu, hit create and close or hit the closing books button. Both elements will remain highlighted as the software allows both measuring principles to be assigned simultaneously.

 

Creating Planes in GOM Software

To begin building planes, navigate to the Construct menu, then down to Plane, and over to Construct Auto Plane (Nominal). Zoom into the selected area of interest and hold CRTL and the left mouse button over the area to build the plane. Then assign fitting elements to the plane.

 

Checking Distance in GOM Software

To check the distance between these two cylinders, construct the intersection point by navigating to the Construct menu, then to Point, and Construct Intersection Point. This workflow will create a point along the axis of each cylinder to intersect with the plane, so the line becomes the axis of the cylinder intersecting with the plane. Create the second point by replicating the workflow on the other cylinder. The default naming will populate for each element's name tag, so change the name to PT1 and PT2. Next, assign a measuring principle to those points. Hit the measuring principle function on the I-Inspect Wheel and choose reference construction.

Next, construct the distance for the two points just created by navigating to the Construct menu, then to Distance, choose Construct 2-Point Distance, select point one and point two, and hit Create Close. Then assign the reference construction measuring principle. Next, check the distance in the x-direction and choose No tolerances in the pop-up window to calculate the distance, the nominal, the actual and the deviation.

 

Building a Curve in GOM Software

Another feature that the software can build is a curve. Simply go to curve, then edge curve, zoom into the area of interest, then hold CTRL and left mouse button to drop the points for the curve. Next, hit the measuring principle function on the I-Inspect Wheel and choose Project Curve Onto Actual Measuring Principle, and hit OK to complete the curve. This workflow is useful when trying to build something such as a circle—simply select the circle and then select the curve, and the circle will follow the contour of the curve.

 

How to Get Started with GOM Software

This tutorial highlights only a few elements and features that can be built in GOM Software, but there are many more to uncover by using a similar workflow, then assigning a measuring principle, and then check. With GOM Software, it's easy to build elements by beginning with high-resolution 3D scan data from an ATOS 3D scanner, then building features onto the data of the actual part, and then inspecting those features. However, because there are so many ways to build the same features within GOM Software, choose the way that works best for your specific application.

Now that you understand the basic workflow involved with creating and analyzing elements in GOM Software, please take some time and explore on your own. Download the free version of GOM Software to get started now. If you'd like to learn more about how GOM Software elevates digital engineering capabilities, or if you have in-depth questions about our 3D metrology technology, please contact a Capture 3D team member today!