Coordinate measurement device and method for controlling same

A coordinate measuring apparatus defining coordinate directions and comprising:

• a probe movable in said coordinate directions for scanning a workpiece at points (pk2) thereof;
• a mechanism having drives for moving said probe in said coordinate directions;
• a control unit for controlling said mechanism;
• said control unit including a memory for storing parameters of geometric elements, which include point parameters of points on the geometric elements, to define said points (pk2);
• and,
• said memory storing point parameters referred to a coordinate measuring system (xk2, yk2, zk2) inherent to the relevant geometric element (k2);
• wherein the parameters in the memory can be changed in the control unit and, for a change of the dimensions of the geometric element, the point parameters are automatically adapted to the changed dimensions in such a manner that the perpendicular spacing (a) of a point (pk2), which is to be scanned on the geometric element, to the geometric element remains constant.

A method for controlling a coordinate measuring apparatus including a probe movable in the coordinate directions (x, y, z) for scanning a workpiece having points (pk1, pk2, pe1, pe2) to be scanned, the method comprising the steps of:

• for defining said points (pk1, pk2, pe1, pe2), storing parameters of the geometric elements including point parameters of points to be scanned on the corresponding geometric elements;
• and,
• storing said point parameters referred to a coordinate system (xk2, yk2, zk2) inherent to the relevant geometric element (k2);
• wherein, when changing the dimensions of the geometric element, the point parameters are automatically adapted to the changed dimensions which are to be scanned in such a manner that the perpendicular spacing (a) of a point (pk2), which is to be scanned on the geometric element, to the geometric element remains constant.