Inspection program editing environment with simulation status and control continually responsive to selection operations

A system for programming workpiece feature inspection operations for a coordinate measuring machine, the coordinate measuring machine (CMM) including at least one sensor used for determining workpiece feature measurement data, a stage for holding a workpiece wherein at least one of the sensor or the stage are movable relative to one another, and a CMM control portion, the system comprising:

• a computer-aided design (CAD) file processing portion which inputs a workpiece CAD file corresponding to a workpiece and analyzes the file to automatically determine inspectable workpiece features on the workpiece corresponding to a plurality of geometric feature types;
• and
• a user interface comprising:
• a workpiece inspection program simulation portion configurable to display a 3-D view including at least one of workpiece features on the workpiece or inspection operation representations corresponding to inspection operations to be performed on workpiece features according to a current workpiece feature inspection plan;
• and
• a simulation status and control portion comprising a simulation status portion configured to characterize a state of progress through the current workpiece feature inspection plan corresponding to a currently displayed 3-D view,
• wherein:
• the simulation status and control portion is configured to respond to selection operations included in a first set of selection operations performed in the user interface outside of the simulation status and control portion;
• the first set of selection operations comprises selecting at least one workpiece feature or inspection operation representation in the user interface;
• and
• the simulation status and control portion response to selection operations included in the first set of selection operations comprises altering the simulation status portion to characterize a state of progress through the current workpiece feature inspection plan corresponding to the portion of the current workpiece feature inspection plan directed to the selected at least one workpiece feature or inspection operation representation.