Table of Contents

Using Basic File Options ................................................................................................. 1

Using Basic File Options: Introduction ......................................................................... 1

Creating New Measurement Routines ......................................................................... 1

Opening Existing Measurement Routines.................................................................... 2

Saving Measurement Routines.................................................................................... 4

Save As .................................................................................................................... 5

About Schema Numbers and Saving to an Older Version ....................................... 6

Working with Measurement Routine Archives ............................................................. 7

Performing File Operations .......................................................................................... 8

Mirror........................................................................................................................ 8

Copy....................................................................................................................... 12

Delete..................................................................................................................... 12

Rename ................................................................................................................. 13

Changing the Language ............................................................................................ 14

Connecting to Teamcenter ........................................................................................ 14

Setting Printer Options............................................................................................... 15

Printing the Graphic Display Window......................................................................... 15

Setting Output and Printer Options for the Graphic Display Window ..................... 16

Previewing the Print Job ........................................................................................ 16

Printing the Edit Window............................................................................................ 17

Printing the Report Window ....................................................................................... 19

Setting Output and Printer Options for the Report Window .................................... 19

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Closing or Quitting a Measurement Routine .............................................................. 37

Exiting the Software ................................................................................................... 38

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Using Basic File Options
Using Basic File Options: Introduction
PC-DMIS provides you with many options to manipulate measurement routines and
manage your essential files. As with most Windows-based programs, you can perform
basic file management using standard Windows dialog boxes; these include creating,
opening, copying, renaming, and deleting files. Additionally, through PC-DMIS you can
perform more advanced operations, such as importing and exporting CAD data, or
executing completed measurement routines.
This chapter specifically deals with Basic File Options. For more advanced options, see
the "Using Advanced File Options" chapter.
The options discussed in this chapter include:
• Creating New Measurement Routines
• Opening Existing Measurement Routines
• Saving Measurement Routines
• Working with Measurement Routine Archives
• Performing File Operations
• Connecting to Teamcenter
• Changing the Language
• Printing the Graphic Display Window
• Printing the Report Window
• Closing or Quitting a Measurement Routine
• Exiting PC-DMIS

Creating New Measurement Routines

If you don't have any existing measurement routines to open then you must create a
new measurement routine using the New Measurement Routine dialog box,
accessible by selecting the File | New menu option.

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New Measurement Routine dialog box

Here you can create a new measurement routine. You are prompted to enter a part
name, serial number, revision number, interface type, and units of measurement type.
The CMM interface type is also chosen here. Once you click OK, the measurement
routine is created, but it is only in memory until you choose File | Save to save the
measurement routine.

PC-DMIS only requires the Part Name box to have a value in order to create a
new measurement routine. Information entered in the Revision Number and Serial
Number boxes is optional.

Opening Existing Measurement

Routines
You can use the Open dialog box to locate and open a measurement routine.
To open the Open dialog box, select File | Open.

If you open a measurement routine in this version that was created in a

version prior to version 3.2, it will no longer function in the older version. Be sure to
create a backup if you intend to use the measurement routine with your older PC-DMIS
version.

This dialog box is a standard Windows Open dialog box with the following additions:

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Open dialog box

A. Preview - This area of the dialog box shows the CAD image for the last view of
your part in the Graphic Display window (without labels). If your part doesn't have
the CAD data, the image displays measured geometry. This area also displays
the name, date, and time of the measurement routine. The date and time
indicates the last modification of the measurement routine.
B. Include CAD - This check box determines whether to load the CAD model when
you open the measurement routine. If a CAD model is part of the measurement
routine you're opening, click the Include CAD check box. If you clear the check
box, PC-DMIS does not load the CAD model when you open the measurement
routine.
C. Interface - This list displays the online machines in your system as well as an
Offline option.
• If PC-DMIS is running in Online mode, you can select the machine
interface to use for this measurement routine (if you have multiple CMMs).

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• If PC-DMIS is running in Offline mode, you can select the Offline machine
option.

The Open dialog box automatically opens each time you start PC-DMIS so that
you can open an existing measurement routine. However, if you want to turn off this
feature, you can clear the Show Startup Dialog check box on the General tab of the
Setup Options dialog box.

Probe Conversion Messages When Opening

When opening a measurement routine from a previous version, you may receive a
warning message that asks you if you want to convert probe files for any probes used in
the measurement routine to the latest format.
If you plan on using the probe with older versions of PC-DMIS, you may not want to
update the probe file. However, note that until you update the probe file to the latest
format, some newer functionality for that probe may not be available in this version of
PC-DMIS.
If you continue to receive this message whenever you open your measurement routine,
even after you click Yes, you should perform a File | Save As operation, and save the
measurement routine so that it is compatible with this version of PC-DMIS. For more
information, see the "Save As" topic.

Subroutine Names
If you open a measurement routine from a previous version that contains a subroutine
with a name greater than 180 characters, the name of the subroutine is automatically
shortened to the first 180 characters.

Saving Measurement Routines

Selecting the File | Save option saves any work that has been done in the current
measurement routine. The first time you save a file, the Save As dialog box appears.
This dialog box allows you to choose where to save your measurement routine (see the
"Save As" topic for additional information).
If you have already saved a measurement routine to a previous version of PC-DMIS
(from the Save As dialog box), PC-DMIS displays a message on subsequent saves.
This message asks if you want to save the measurement routine to the old version
selected previously. You can choose these options:
• Yes - PC-DMIS saves the measurement routine to the old version.
• No - PC-DMIS saves the measurement routine to the current version.

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• Cancel - PC-DMIS ends the save processes without saving.

If you want to stop displaying this message, see "Warnings" in the "Setting Your
Preferences" chapter.

Your measurement routines are automatically archived during certain events.

See "Working with Measurement Routine Archives" for more information.

Save As
When you select the File | Save As option or save a measurement routine for the first
time, the Save As dialog box appears. You can use the File name option in this dialog
box to save the current measurement routine under a new file name. You can also save
the measurement routine under an older version of PC-DMIS.
To save the measurement routine, click Save. To close the dialog box without saving
the measurement routine, click Cancel.

Saving to an Older Version of PC-DMIS

From the PC-DMIS measurement routine list, you can choose to save the
measurement routine in a format that the current version and previous versions of PC-
DMIS can use. Available versions include 3.20x and above.
If you try to save a measurement routine to an older version of PC-DMIS, and if the
measurement routine contains commands that the older version does not support, PC-
DMIS displays a caution that it will convert those commands into comments.
To cancel saving this measurement routine, click Cancel.
To continue to save the measurement routine to the older version, click Save.
PC-DMIS converts the non-supported commands into comments and displays the
Commands Not Supported Converted to Comments dialog box. This dialog box lists
the non-supported commands that PC-DMIS converted to comments. For example:

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Commands Not Supported Converted to Comments dialog box

You must click OK to acknowledge that you have noted this message.
If the SaveAsWarningLogEnabled registry entry is enabled, PC-DMIS automatically
creates a log file that contains the contents of the message. The log file is named:
<name>_Save_As_Log_<YYYYMMDDHHMMSS>.log
Where <name> is the name of the measurement routine, and
<YYYYMMDDHHMMSS> is the date and time.
YYYY is the year.
MM is the month.
DD is the day.
HH is the hour.
MM are the minutes.
SS are the seconds.
The log file is located in the same folder as the measurement routine.
You can disable the creation of the log file. For help, see the
"SaveAsWarningLogEnabled" topic in the Settings Editor documentation.

About Schema Numbers and Saving to an Older

Version
Each new version of PC-DMIS has new capabilities and stores new commands into a
measurement routine that older versions cannot understand. Thus, each measurement
routine has an internal schema number assigned to it that's associated with a specific

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version of PC-DMIS. By default, a measurement routine is assigned the current

version's schema number when you choose File | Save. This number ensures that only
that version (or a later version) can open that measurement routine.
For example, if you have a measurement routine that was saved in version 2011, it will
have the schema number of 5008. If you try to load that measurement routine into
version 2010, it will be incompatible because the older version cannot handle changes
that were made in PC-DMIS 2011. You can, of course, choose to save the
measurement routine back to the version 2010 format. This drops the internal schema
number for the measurement routine down to 4555, enabling you to then open it in
version 2010. However, the newer commands won't be used. Instead, PC-DMIS stores
the unsupported commands inside of DOCUMENT comments. For more information,
see "Document" in the "Using the Edit Window" chapter.

Custom reports, templates, label templates, and other reporting modifications

are NOT backward compatible.

Saving a CAD File as a Reference

To save a CAD file as a reference to the original CAD file, select the Save CAD as
reference check box. You can use this option to reference your CAD model instead of
copying a new one. This action can help save disk space. This option becomes
available for selection whenever you have a CAD model loaded for your measurement
routine and access the Save As dialog box. If the software cannot find the original
referenced CAD file when you try to open the measurement routine (due to a CAD file
rename, deletion, or relocation), PC-DMIS prompts you to locate the original CAD file.

Working with Measurement Routine

Archives
PC-DMIS provides some basic measurement routine archiving. This archiving replaces
the automatic file save functionality that used to exist in some older versions of PC-
DMIS.
Two copies of your measurement routine are automatically created in the background
during these events:
• <name>.prg~ is created just before saving the measurement routine (where
<name> is the measurement routine name).
• <name>.prg^ is created just before loading the measurement routine (where
<name> is the measurement routine name).

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The above backup PRG~ and PRG^ files have the hidden attribute set
and won't be visible in Windows Explorer unless the "Show hidden files" option is
set.

If you try and open a corrupted measurement routine, PC-DMIS asks if you want to
open the copy it made before the last save (<name>.prg~). If you choose Yes, PC-
DMIS renames the corrupt measurement routine to <name>.prg.tmp (by default, these
files have the hidden attribute set to be hidden and won't be visible in Windows Explorer
unless the "Show hidden files" option is set correctly), and it renames <name>.prg~ to
the current measurement routine name. If, for some reason, that backup was also
corrupted, PC-DMIS asks if you want to restore from the backup that was made just
before you loaded the measurement routine during your last session (<name>.prg^). It
then follows the same process of renaming and copying.

As with any backup/restore process, you may lose your latest changes when
restoring.

You can disable/enable this functionality by using the DocumentRecovery entry in the
PC-DMIS Settings Editor.

Performing File Operations

Using PC-DMIS's file operations, you can mirror, copy, delete, and rename
measurement routine files.

Mirror
The Mirror command (File | Operations | Mirror) allows you to create a mirror image
copy in the X, Y, or Z axis of a measurement routine. When you select this command,
the Choose Part to Mirror dialog box appears.
The following describes the items available for selection on the dialog box:
• Measurement Routines - Displays all the available measurement routines in the
current directory.
• File name - Defines the measurement routine to mirror.

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• Files of type - Filters the display of the current directory to only show
Measurement Routine files (.PRG).
• Don't mirror CAD - This check box determines whether the resulting CAD is
mirrored. If you select this check box, the resulting CAD is not mirrored. The
check box is initially cleared when you first launch PC-DMIS. Afterwards, this
check box retains the state of what was applied in the last mirroring.
You can use the Settings Editor to change the DoNotMirrorCAD registry entry's
value in the Option section.
• Part Mirror Axis - Defines the axis in which you want to mirror the measurement
routine:
o Mirror in X - Mirrors the part in the X axis
o Mirror in Y - Mirrors the part in the Y axis
o Mirror in Z - Mirrors the part in the Z axis
• Reporting Mirror Option - Defines how PC-DMIS should mirror CAD images in
reports:
o Don't Mirror - Does not mirror at all.
o Horizontal - Mirrors CAD images horizontally.
o Vertical - Mirrors CAD images vertically.

This affects reporting objects such as CadReportObjects,

CadImageObjects, Analysis objects, and SectionCutObjects, as well as any
defined viewsets in the measurement routine.

• Machine Mirror Axis area

o Mirror Machine Position in X - Mirrors the virtual machine's X axis.
o Mirror Machine Position in Y - Mirrors the virtual machine's Y axis.
o Vertical - Mirrors CAD images vertically.

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PC-DMIS mirrors the part at the same location as the original part. Using
the Machine Mirror Axis area you can define the orientation of the mirrored part
on the virtual machine. You only need to shift the part on the machine to the place
it should get measured.

For a description of how these options position your part, consider this diagram:

1 - The machine's origin

- Original part

- Part mirrored in Y with mirror machine position in Y

- Part mirrored in Y with mirror machine position in X

• Reference Part area pulls out any quick fixture alignment data from the
reference part and uses that information in the mirroring operation.

If you define a reference part using this area then PC-DMIS does not use the
Machine Mirror Axis area. Instead, the location and orientation of the mirrored
part is loaded from the existing (and already mirrored) reference measurement
routine.

This option is especially useful if you have multiple measurement routines that
belong to the same physical part and need to get mirrored. In this case you would

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only need to define the location and orientation of the mirrored part in the first
mirrored measurement routine. You could then easily mirror other measurement
routines by selecting the first mirrored measurement routine as the reference part.

To Mirror a Measurement Routine:

1. If you use an infinite wrist in the measurement routine, you should first set the
AlternateTipMirror registry entry to TRUE. This entry is located in the
USER_Option section of the PC-DMIS Settings Editor. This entry helps PC-
DMIS choose the correct AB angle in cases where the probe head offers more
than one possible combination of AB angles to produce the mirrored tip vector.
2. Select the File | Operations | Mirror option to show the Choose Part to Mirror
dialog box.
3. Select the measurement routine file to mirror.
4. From the Part Mirror Axis area, select the axis in which you want to mirror.
5. From the Reporting Mirror Option area, choose how you want to mirror CAD
images in reports.
6. From the Machine Mirror Axis area, choose how you want to position the
mirrored part on a virtual machine displayed in the Graphic Display window.
7. If you have an already mirrored reference part, use the Browse button in the
Reference Part area to select that part. This pulls out any quick fixture alignment
data from the reference part and uses that information in the mirroring operation.
8. Click the Mirror button to open the Save mirrored part as dialog box with the
file name of the measurement routine you selected to mirror:
9. Navigate to the directory where you want the measurement routine to be saved
and click the Save button. PC-DMIS mirrors the measurement routine and saves
it in that directory. Note that it may take a little while to copy the necessary files.

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PC-DMIS also attempts to mirror your probe's AB tip angles. If your probe does
not have the exact mirrored tip angles already defined and calibrated, PC-DMIS may
choose the closest calibrated tip angles. It chooses closely calibrated tip angles if the
calibrated tip angles exist, and are within the wrist angle amount specified in the Wrist
Warning Delta box on the Part/Machine tab of the SetUp Options dialog box. If no
closely calibrated AB tip angles exist then PC-DMIS creates perfectly mirrored yet non-
calibrated AB tip angles. See the "Setup Options: Part / Machine tab" topic in the
"Setting Your Preferences" chapter.

Copy
The Copy command allows you to copy all of the files that are associated with a
measurement routine.
To copy a measurement routine:
1. Select the File | Operations | Copy menu item. The Copy part files from dialog
box appears.
2. Navigate through the directory structure and select a measurement routine.
3. Click the Copy button to display the Copy part files to dialog box.
4. Click on the measurement routine that you want to copy so that its file name and
extension appear in the File name box.
5. Navigate to the folder to which you want to copy the measurement routine.
6. Click the Save button.
These files are copied:
• .prg
• .cad
• Any file with the same base name and an extension in the range .001, .002, …,
.999
• <name of measurement routine>.MiniRoutines.xml, if it exists

Delete
The Delete command allows you to delete all of the files that are associated with a
measurement routine.
To delete a measurement routine:

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1. Select the File | Operations | Delete menu item. The Delete part files dialog
box appears.
2. Choose the measurement routine to delete.
3. Click the Delete button. PC-DMIS asks if you are sure that you want to send the
files to the Recycle Bin.
4. Click the Yes button.
These files are deleted:
• .prg
• .cad
• Any file with the same base name and an extension in the range .001, .002, …,
.999.
• <name of measurement routine>.MiniRoutines.xml, if it exists
Deleted files are sent to the Recycle Bin.

Rename
The Rename command allows you to rename all of the files that are associated with a
measurement routine.
To rename a measurement routine:
1. Select the File | Operations | Rename menu item. The Rename part files from
dialog box appears.
2. Select the measurement routine to rename.
3. Click the Rename button. The Rename part files to dialog box appears.
4. Type in the new name for the file in the File name box.
5. Click the Save button. The name change is applied immediately.
These files are renamed:
• .prg
• .cad
• Any file with the same base name and an extension in the range .001, .002, …,
.999
• <name of measurement routine>.MiniRoutines.xml, if it exists

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Changing the Language

The File | Language menu displays the languages that are supported by the product. A
check mark indicates the current language. To switch to a new language, choose File |
Language and select the desired language. PC-DMIS automatically saves your work,
closes, and then restarts. Once restarted, PC-DMIS runs in the newly selected
language.

Language Help Files

PC-DMIS automatically installs all the user interface resources for the supported
languages during the main installation process. However, to show non-English help file
content, you need to install that separately.

The language help files can be installed as needed by navigating to the language pack
folder and running the appropriate language executable file.
To install a language help file:
1. Navigate to the language folder (<Product_Installer_Folder>\lang) of the main
PC-DMIS installer download.
2. Run the desired language pack executable to install the language help files.

Connecting to Teamcenter
You can use File | Teamcenter to enable or disable a connection to the Teamcenter
software. Teamcenter is an MMS (Metrology Management System) database package
developed by Siemens.

For the File | Teamcenter menu to appear, you must have a Teamcenter
option added to your licence.

The Teamcenter menu contains these options:

On - Enables the connection with Teamcenter. This changes the regular Save As and
Open dialog boxes in the software so that they work with Teamcenter. If the software

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cannot connect to Teamcenter, it instead defaults to Off and uses the regular Save As
and Open dialog boxes.
Off - Disables the connection with Teamcenter. This uses the software's regular Save
As and Open dialog box.
For information on working with Teamcenter, see "Using Teamcenter" in the "Direct
CAD Interfaces and Translators" documentation.

Setting Printer Options

The Printer Setup button and the File Printing | Printer Setup menu item access the
standard Windows Print Setup dialog box. This dialog box lets you switch between
available printers, choose paper size, page orientation, and access other printer
properties. PC-DMIS then uses these options when printing the Edit window, the
Inspection Report, or the Graphic Display window.

A Sample Print Setup Dialog Box

For information on this dialog box and the options available, consult the help file that
came with your Windows operating system. For any advanced printer-specific
properties, you may need to consult documentation specific to your printer.

Printing the Graphic Display Window

PC-DMIS lets you send the current contents of the Graphic Display window to your
printer. Select File | Printing | Graphic Window Print to display a Windows Print
Setup dialog box. Click OK to send the report to the printer shown in the dialog box.
Before printing, you can set the output options, and preview your print job.

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Setting Output and Printer Options for the Graphic

Display Window
Select File | Printing | Graphic Window Print Setup to display the Printer Setup and
Output Options dialog box.

Printer Setup and Output Options dialog box

Use this dialog box to set up your printer and various display options. The options
available in the Printer options area enable you to select the type of graphical view to
print. These include:
Scale to fit on a single page - This option scales any graphical image to fit on a single
page.
Print visible screen area - This option prints only the currently visible screen area. If
you're zoomed in on a feature, it only prints what's on the screen and not the entire part.
Print complete views - This option prints each view you have defined using the Layout
area of the View Setup dialog box on its own page. For example, if you're showing the
Z+ view and the Y- view of a part in your Graphic Display window, PC-DMIS prints two
separate pages: one with the Z+ view and one with the Y- view.
Print complete views w/current scale - This option acts like the Print complete
views option, except that it prints at the current scale. If you have zoomed in on the
image, PC-DMIS still prints the entire view, but it splits the image among various pages.
To save any changes, click the OK button.

Previewing the Print Job

Select File | Printing | Graphic Window Print Preview to preview what is printed from
the Graphic Display window. A Print Preview window appears.

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Print Preview window showing contents of Graphic Display window

The buttons at the top of the window perform these functions:

The Print button opens up a standard Print Setup dialog box so you can send the print
job to the printer.

The Next Page and Prev Page buttons cycle through a print job that has multiple
pages.

The One Page or Two Pages toggle button determines how many pages are displayed
at one time in the Print Preview window.

The Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons allow you to take a quick closer look at a page in
the Print Preview window. It doesn't affect the display of what's sent to the printer.

The Close button closes the Print Preview window.

Printing the Edit Window

You can send the contents of the Edit window to your printer in these ways:
• Select File | Printing | Edit Window Print.
• Click the Print icon from the Edit Window toolbar.
• Press F4.

Previewing the Print Job

To preview what the printout will look like, select File | Printing | Edit Window Print
Preview. A Print Preview window appears:

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Print Preview window that shows the contents of the Edit window

The buttons at the top of the window perform these functions:

• The Print button opens a standard Print Setup dialog box that enables you to
send the print job to the printer.
• The Next Page and Prev Page buttons cycle through a print job that has multiple
pages.
• The One Page or Two Pages toggle button determines how many pages appear
at one time in the Print Preview window.
• The Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons allow you to take a quick closer look at a
page in the Print Preview window. It doesn't affect the display of what's sent to
the printer.

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• The Close button closes the Print Preview window.

When you print the Edit window's contents, you should use a True Type font
(such as Courier New). Otherwise, characters or lines may not line up as expected. To
change the fonts used in the Edit window and in your reports, see "To Customize User
Interface Fonts" in the "Navigating the User Interface" chapter.

Setting Output Options

You can set the output options for Edit window print tasks from the same Output
Configuration dialog box that you use for the report's output. For information on the
options in the Output Configuration dialog box, see "Setting Output and Printer
Options for the Report Window".
To change printers, set page orientation, or modify other printer options, select File |
Printing | Printer Setup. For more information, see "Setting Printer Options".

Printing the Report Window

PC-DMIS lets you send the inspection report in the Report window to a variety of output
devices or to a file. PC-DMIS supports a wide variety of printers and plotters. Please
contact your PC-DMIS sales representative if you have any questions concerning
hardware compatibility.
To print inspection reports, select the File | Printing | Report Window Print Setup
menu option. Before printing, you can set the output options for your print job by
choosing File | Printing | Report Window Print Setup.

When printing a text-only report, you should use a True Type font (such as
Courier New). Otherwise, characters or lines may not line up as expected. If you need
to change the font used in a text-only report, modify the Font property on the
TextReportObject used in your report template.

Setting Output and Printer Options for the Report

Window
Selecting the File | Printing | Report Window Print Setup menu option displays the
Output Configuration dialog box.

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Output Configuration dialog box

You can use this dialog box to tell PC-DMIS where to send the inspection report. The
dialog box contains the following tabs that you can use to send the report to a file or
printer, output it as a DMIS file or a Microsoft Excel file, or send to any combination of
these:
Report - Sends the report output to a file (.rtf, .pdf, or .txt) or printer. For
information about this tab, see "Output to an RTF, PDF, TXT or the Default
Printer". For information about using this tab to output to a file using expressions,
see "Output to a File Using Expressions".
DMIS - Sends the report output to a DMIS output file (.dmo). For information about
this tab, see "Output to a DMIS File".
Excel - Sends the report output to an Excel file (.xls, xlsx, or .csv). For information
about this tab, see "Output to an Excel File".
For information on viewing a saved inspection report, see the "Viewing an Inspection
Report" topic in the "Using Other Windows, Editors, and Tools" chapter.

Setting Printing Options for Marked Sets

PC-DMIS also displays an instance of the Output Configuration dialog box whenever
a marked set is created. This defines printing options specific only to the newly created
marked set. Alternately, if you would rather use already defined print settings used by
your measurement routine at large, you can select the Use Global Print Settings
check box. For information on using marked sets, see "Creating and Executing Marked
Sets" in the "Editing a Measurement Routine" chapter.

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To define printing options for existing marked sets, select the set in the Marked Sets
window and then select File | Printing | Report Window Print Setup.

Setting Image Ratio

The MaxImageRatio registry entry sets the maximum image ratio between the screen
resolution and the printer resolution when printing the CAD drawing from the Report
window. See the MaxImageRatio registry entry in the Reporting section of the PC-
DMIS Settings Editor.

Output to an RTF, PDF, TXT, or the Default Printer

Output Configuration dialog box - Report tab

In the Output Configuration dialog box (File | Printing | Report Window Print
Setup), the Report tab defines whether to:
• Send the report's output to a printer
• Save the report as a separate file (.rtf, .pdf, or .txt)
• Do both of the above
The dialog box also provides options for the generated report.

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Report Output
Report output - If selected, PC-DMIS sends the output to a file. It can be saved in
either a Rich Text Format (.rtf) or Portable Document Format (.pdf) file. The file name is
initially generated and formatted to have the same name as the measurement routine
plus an appended numerical index before the extension. Although PC-DMIS generates
this initial file name, the name does not need to follow the default format and can be
changed.
You can also type a variable name in the Report output box. As long as there's not a
pathway already in the box, PC-DMIS interprets that variable's value for the filename.
Append - PC-DMIS adds the current data from the inspection report to the
selected file. Note that the complete path must be specified; otherwise, PC-DMIS
assumes the same directory as the measurement routine. Also, if the file does not
exist, it is created when you generate the report.

RTF Limitations Using Append: Due to a limitation with how the RTF
driver works with the PC-DMIS template approach to reporting, when appending
to an RTF file, PC-DMIS only sends the contents of the TextReporting object,
regardless of any other objects that may exist in your current report template.

Additionally, if you choose to append to an RTF file, it must be to a file that you
have always used with the Append option. You cannot append to an RTF file that
you first used with Overwrite or Auto.

Overwrite - PC-DMIS overwrites the selected file with the current inspection
report data. Note that the complete path must be specified; otherwise, PC-DMIS
will assume the same directory as the measurement routine. Also, if the file does
not exist, it is created when you generate the report.
Prompt - PC-DMIS displays the Save As dialog box through which you can
choose the destination file for the report.
Auto - PC-DMIS generates the report file name automatically using the number in
the Index box. The name of the generated file name will have the same name as
the measurement routine appended by the numerical index and extension. Also,
the generated file will be located in the same directory as the measurement
routine. If a file exists with the same name as the generated file name, the Auto
option increments the index value until a unique file name is found.

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Using Basic File Options

After the report prints, PC-DMIS internally updates the value in Index to
the next number. It also changes the file name in the Print Options dialog box so
that it shows the newly incremented file name.

Rich Text Format (RTF) - PC-DMIS generates the report using the Microsoft Rich Text
Format (.rtf file) for interchanging documents. Images in RTF reports have a light border
around them. By default, PC-DMIS generates RTF reports using an Amyuni RTF
converter. This essentially orders information inside several text boxes inside the RTF
file. This is needed for accurate positioning of report template elements inside the RTF
report. To properly view the report, you should use Microsoft Word and set the
document's view to Print Layout. If you find editing the report in this format difficult to
work with, you may want to generate an old-style RTF report.

Generating an Old-Style RTF Report

PC-DMIS provides a way to generate an old-style RTF report, such as used in
version 3.7 and earlier. To do this, follow this procedure:
1. Close down PC-DMIS.
2. Launch the PC-DMIS Settings Editor, and click Connect.
3. Inside the Settings Editor, expand the USER_Printing section, and
find the DoNotUseAmyuniRTF registry entry.
4. Set the Current Value to 1, click Save Setting, and click OK.

This setting only works if the RTF output is done using the File |
Printing | Report Window Print Setup menu option. If you have inserted a
PRINT/REPORT command (Insert | Report Command | Print Command)
and you want that command to generate your RTF output, set the value to 2.

5. Restart PC-DMIS.
6. Ensure that the Report window is set to print the report in a text-only
format. To do this, right-click on the white-space at the end of the
Report window and select the Use Text Mode Dimension Reporting
check box. For more information, see "Changing the Report Window's
Contents" in the "Reporting Measurement Results" chapter.

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 Using Basic File Options

Changing Margin and Page Sizes for Old-Style RTF Reports

If the DoNotUseAmyUniRTF registry entry is set to 1 or 2, you can change the
default margin and page sizes used for the RTF output by modifying these registry
entries in the Printing section of the PC-DMIS Settings Editor:

PcdmisRTFLeftMargin

PcdmisRTFRightMargin

PcdmisRTFTopMargin

PcdmisRTFBottomMargin

PcdmisRTFPaperHeight

PcdmisRTFPaperWidth

Intended Uses of RTF Reports

As the RTF file type implies, an RTF report is primarily intended as a file format for
interchange of text-based reports as shown below:

Sample text-based report using the default.rtp report template

RTF files containing graphical elements, such as those based off of the
CADonly.rtp, TextOnly.rtp, and other similar templates, will take an extended
amount of time to create, the files may become quite large, and the graphics may
not look as good as with other file formats. For these reasons, the PDF format is
recommended over the RTF format for graphical reports.

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Using Basic File Options

Portable Document Format (PDF) - PC-DMIS generates the report using the Adobe
Portable Document Format (.pdf file) or electronic file sharing. Dimensions in PDF
format do not have the default blue background color or display the dimension symbol.

If not already installed on your computer, you need to install the free
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™ in order to view .pdf files. You can download it from
Adobe's Web site at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

Textual Document (TXT) - PC-DMIS generates the report in a plain text format. You
can view this type of report with any text editor. During report generation, PC-DMIS
uses the default.rtp template, regardless of the actual template selected in the Report
window. This textual report ignores any objects, such as images. For information on the
default.rtp template, see "Viewing a Legacy Text Report" in the "Reporting
Measurement Results" chapter. If you save your measurement routine to a version that
doesn't support the .txt output, PC-DMIS uses the PDF output instead.
Use Global Print Settings - This check box becomes available if you first select a
marked set from the Marked Sets window and then access this dialog box. The Use
Global Print Settings check box determines whether or not PC-DMIS uses global
output file parameters for the marked set. Selecting this check box overrides the very
specific default printing options used for marked sets, with the measurement routine's
global settings, that gives you greater control over the output. Select this check box to
give you more control over the print-to-file naming schemes used with marked sets.

You can use the Hyper Reports Inline check box with the REPORT/LEGACY
command. For more information, see "Embedding Reports or Report Templates in a
Measurement Routine" in the "Reporting Measurement Results" chapter.

Output Options
Printer - Determines whether to send the report to the default printer.
Print background colors - Determines whether the report prints background
colors.
By default, PC-DMIS marks this check box and prints the background colors. If you
clear this check box, PC-DMIS does not print any background colors. If you want to
clear or display the background color from a report already in the Report window, make
sure you click the Redraw the Report button from the Reporting toolbar.

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 Using Basic File Options

To change the default state of this check box, click the Edit menu, point to
Preferences, and then click Setup. Then on the General tab, in the list of check boxes,
mark or clear the Print Background Colors check box.

Sample Report with Background Colors

Sample Report without Background Colors

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Using Basic File Options

In certain cases, you may continue to see some background colors in your
report even if you've turned off the display of background colors here. This is due to a
special background color setting that exists inside certain report template objects and is
not controlled by this check box. By default, the TextReportObject and the Report
object that exist in PC-DMIS report templates have a faint light-green background color
in their color scheme. For the TextReportObject, this exists to help show the limits of
the object inside the template. If this background color poses a problem, access the
Color property for these objects inside the report template, and change these objects'
background colors to white. For more information on how to do this, see "Changing the
Report's Text Colors" in the "Reporting Measurement Results" chapter.

Print Black and White - Determines whether text, lines, and the tolerance zone
graphs print in black and white or use the defined colors.

This does not make every report a completely black and white report. Some
elements are not affected by this check box (for example, the Graphic Display window,
images, and elements in some OCXs are not affected).

Sample Report in Black and White

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 Using Basic File Options

Sample Report in Color

Show Report - Determines whether to open the report that was sent to a .pdf or
an .rtf file. If you select this option, the report opens in whatever application you
have associated with the .rtf or .pdf file types after you generate the report.
Copies - Determines how many copies to send to your printer. This option is only
enabled if you mark the Printer option.

Controlling File Size by Changing the Print Resolution

If your report contains images of your part model, PC-DMIS, by default, prints
these images at your printer's highest resolution capacity. This means reports
showing part models and sent to a file may have a larger file size than expected.
You can control the resolution, and in turn control the report's file size, by
changing the value of the MaxPrintResoution registry entry in the
USER_Printing section of the PC-DMIS Settings Editor. For information on how
to change registry entries, see "Modifying Registry Entries".
The MaxPrintResolution registry entry defines the dots per inch (dpi) that your
printing device generates when printing CAD images. You can change this value
to define the proper balance between file size and image quality to suit your
needs. The default value is 1,000,000 dpi, thereby effectively using any printer's
maximum print resolution capacity. If you define a value less than your printer's
maximum print resolution, you will see a decrease in file size. For example, if your
printer can print up to 500 dpi but you change the entry to a smaller value, like 70
dpi, you can notice a decrease in file size.

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Using Basic File Options

Output to a DMIS File

Output Configuration dialog box - DMIS tab

In the Output Configuration dialog box (File | Printing | Report Window Print
Setup), on the DMIS tab, if you mark DMIS output check box and execute the
measurement routine, PC-DMIS saves the inspection report's information as a DMIS
output file with the same base file name as your measurement routine, with a .dmo file
extension. PC-DMIS saves the file in the same directory where your measurement
routine resides.
The Overwrite output file, Output theoretical values, and Output features with
dimensions check boxes and Save As button become available. By default, PC-DMIS
automatically generates the output file whenever you execute the measurement routine.
It increments the number on the file name each time.

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 Using Basic File Options

Overwrite output file

• If you select this check box, PC-DMIS overwrites the old output file with the new
one. If you clear this check box, PC-DMIS automatically increments the file name
specified in the Save As dialog box without overwriting any previous file.
For example, if you previously selected "test.dmo" as your output file, and
Overwrite output file was not selected, the next time you execute the
measurement routine, PC-DMIS saves a new file as "test1.dmo". New executions
of the measurement routine increment the number in the saved file name in this
manner.
• If you place Overwrite output file in its third state (a solid blue color), PC-DMIS
opens the specified file in append mode. This follows the DMIS convention where
you can enable, disable, and enable again the output to the same file. In PC-
DMIS, this functions correctly only if you initially open the file with the Overwrite
output file check box selected.

Output theoretical values

• If you select this check box, PC-DMIS outputs all theoretical values along with
the measured values to the output DMIS file. If you clear this check box, the
report does not include any theoretical values.
• If you place the Output theoretical values check box in its third state (a solid
blue color), only those theoretical values that the original DMIS routine explicitly
output are included in the report. This third state is useful when a DMIS import
process creates the measurement routine, and you need to maintain the same
DMIS output format.

Output features with dimensions

• If you select this check box, PC-DMIS keeps the measured features and
associated tolerances together in the output file. PC-DMIS writes the
measurement results immediately before their associated tolerance results for
each dimension associated to the feature itself.
If a feature is not associated with any tolerance, PC-DMIS does not generate any
output.
• If you clear this check box, the measurement results are written exactly when the
feature is measured and not later when PC-DMIS executes the associated
dimensions.

Save As
This button opens a Save As dialog box. This saves the inspection report to a file and
directory of your choice in the DMIS output format (.dmo). PC-DMIS does not save the

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Using Basic File Options

file once you click Save from the Save As dialog box. Instead, it creates the output file
with the specified name the next time you execute the measurement routine.

The numeric portion of the file name should not exceed more than 10 digits.
Otherwise, you run the risk of overwriting older output files.

Output to an Excel File

Output Configuration dialog box - Excel tab

Output to a Microsoft Excel file follows the mode of the Report window.
• If you select the View Report Mode on the Report window's toolbar, the report
output is generated from beginning to end.
• If you select the View Last Execute Report Mode on the Report window's
toolbar, the report output is generated by following the execution list.
For more details, see "Reporting Toolbar".

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 Using Basic File Options

To output a report in an Excel format:

1. Click the Excel tab on the Output Configuration dialog box (File | Printing |
Report Window Print Setup).
2. Select the Excel output check box to enable the tab's options.
3. Make your selections in the dialog box as needed and then click OK.
PC-DMIS saves the inspection report's information in the Excel file format that is
selected in the Output Format area. The default is the same base file name as your
measurement routine with a .xlsx file extension. The default location is in the same
directory as your measurement routine. The available Excel file format options are:
• The latest Excel .xlsx format
• The older Excel .xls format
• The comma-separated value (.csv) format

Configuring the Excel Options

When the Excel output check box is selected, the following options become available:
Excel output - Displays the file name and the path where the report is saved. The file
name defaults to the name of the measurement routine. You can enter a new file name
and pathway, or click the "..." browse button to locate and select an existing file name
and pathway.
You can also type a variable name in the Excel output box. As long as there's not a
pathway already in the box, PC-DMIS interprets that variable's value for the filename.
Append - If the file name already exists in the targeted location, the current report
information automatically appends to the end of the existing file.
Overwrite - If the file name already exists in the targeted location, the existing file
is automatically overwritten with the current report content.
Prompt - If the file name already exists in the targeted location, you are prompted
if you want to overwrite the existing file with the current report content or update
the file name.
Auto Index - Used in conjunction with the Index box; it updates the file name by
appending an incremented numerical value by the index value. For example, if
XLS is selected in the Output Format area, the initial file name is
"FileName001.xls". The file names from then on are "FileName002.xls",
"FileName003.xls", etc.
Index - A non-editable field that represents the increment value for the Auto
option used when automatically naming the output file (see the Auto option
above).
Show Report - The Excel report automatically opens for review once you
generate it.

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Output Format - Defines the output type. It contains these options:

XLS - Sends the output to the legacy Excel formatted file type.
XLSX - Sends the output to the latest Excel formatted file type.
CSV - Sends the output to a plain text comma-separated value (CSV) file. You
can choose a different delimiting character in Separator.
Separator field - Enabled when the CSV option is selected; it determines the
separator, or delimiting character, to use when you export to a CSV file. The
default is the comma character.
Header Information - Determines how the header data for the measurement routine is
written to the output file.
Measurement Routine - Includes measurement routine names in the output file.
Short - The file name is a shortened format and shows only the file name
(not the full path).
Full - The file name includes the full path.
Part name - Includes the part name in the output file.
Revision number - Includes the revision number in the output file.
Serial number - Includes the serial number in the output file.
Statistic count - Includes the number of transactions or runs in the output file.
Date and time - Specifies if the date and time appear in the output file and the
format. It has these options:
None - Does not include the date and time in the output file.
System - Formats the date and time according to your computer's current
format. This is the default.
24 Hour - Formats the date and time according to a 24-hour format.
Row & Column Start - Determines how the dimensional data appears in the output.
Header Row and Column - Define the starting location where you want the
header information to appear. For example, values of 2 and 2 mean that it begins
in the second row down and second column to the right.
Data Row and Column - Define the starting location where you want the
dimensional data to appear. For example, values of 9 and 2 mean that it begins in
the ninth row and second column.
Field Information - Determines how the information is formatted when you save it.
Units - Determines whether the measurement units used by each dimension are
included in the export. For example, angle measurements show DEG for degrees,
and size measurements show MM for millimeters or IN for inches.
Labels - Determines whether labels appear next to data fields in the output. If
marked, the following options become enabled:

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 Using Basic File Options

Once - Field labels appear only once after the heading information and
before all the dimensions are listed.
Always - Field labels appear before each dimension.
Detailed - If you mark Always, this check box becomes available.
Select this check box if you want all field labels to appear in the report.
The labels that appear if this check box is selected are:
DIMENSION, DESCRIPTION, FEATURE, AXIS, SEGMENT,
NOMINALS, MEAS, +TOL, -TOL, BONUS, DEV, OUTTOL,
DEVANG, Datum Shift Effect, Unused Zone, Shift X, Shift Y, Shift
Z, Rotation X, Rotation Y, and Rotation Z.
If the check box is not selected, only these labels appear:
DIMENSION, DESCRIPTION, AXIS, NOMINALS, MEAS, +TOL,
-TOL, DEV, and OUTTOL.
Delete Empty - Deletes any empty field from the report.
Data Storage By - Determines how the report is presented: either by row or by column.
Row - Dimensions are laid out horizontally.
Column - Dimensions are laid out vertically.
Data Filter - Determines how the data filters in the output report.
Report FCF dimensions - PC-DMIS passes the Feature Control Frame
commands to the Excel file. See the "Using Feature Control Frames" chapter.
Report dimensions between STATS/ON and STATS/OFF - If you select this
check box, you must include dimension (or Feature Control Frame dimension)
commands between the STATS/ON and STATS/OFF commands in your
measurement routine; otherwise, the data does not export to the Excel file. If you
clear this check box, all dimension commands export into the Excel file. See the
"Tracking Statistical Data" chapter. The following option becomes enabled:
Report TRACEFIELD - PC-DMIS includes data from TRACEFIELD
commands in your Excel report if the TRACEFIELD commands are within the
STATS/ON and STATS/OFF commands. For more information, see the
"Using Trace Fields" chapter.
Report COMMENT - Determines whether PC-DMIS includes comments in your
Excel report. It has these options:
None - PC-DMIS does not send comments to the Excel report.
REPT - PC-DMIS only sends report comments (COMMENT/REPT commands)
to the Excel report.
Display on report - PC-DMIS sends all report comments (COMMENT/REPT
commands), as well as any comment that has its Display on report check
box marked to the Excel report.

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For information on comments, "Inserting Programmer Comments" in the "Inserting

Report Commands" chapter.
Follow dimension output - PC-DMIS filters the data so that the Excel report only
includes dimensions that have their outputs set to match whatever you select from
this list:
• REPORT
• STATS
• BOTH
For example, if you choose REPORT, and you have a Location dimension set to
OUTPUT=STATS, it is not included in the Excel report.
For more information on dimension outputs, see these topics:
• For legacy dimensions, see "Output To" in the "Using Legacy Dimensions"
chapter.
• For FCF dimensions, see the Output area discussed in the "GD&T Dialog
Box - Advanced tab" topic of the "Using Feature Control Frames" chapter.
Report skipped items - PC-DMIS processes items that the operator skips during
execution and includes them in the report. If you clear this check box, PC-DMIS
ignores the skipped items. Note that commands are skipped if the operator
manually skips them or if an "ON ERROR" condition tells PC-DMIS to skip them.
For more information on Skip, see "Using the Execution Dialog Box". For
information on "ON ERROR" branching, see "Branching On an Error".
Report Minimum/Maximum Value - Displays the maximum and minimum
deviation values from the points that make up the dimension. While you can report
the MaxMin for any dimension, it only makes sense for Line Profile and Surface
Profile dimensions. For an example of this, see the "Parameter Settings:
Dimension tab" topic in the "Setting Your Preferences" chapter.
Data Format - Determines how the output report shows the data:
Insert blank between dimensions - Inserts a blank row or column after each
dimension.
Insert '0' instead of blank - Inserts a '0' (zero) for any blank data.
Defaults - Creates a "defaults" file (ExcelDefaults.p2xfile) that stores this dialog box's
settings. When you click this button, PC-DMIS automatically updates the contents of the
"defaults" file without showing a message.
PC-DMIS uses this defaults file in these cases:
• For new measurement routines
• For the current measurement routine if PC-DMIS cannot locate the routine-
specific settings file. (Note that PC-DMIS creates a routine-specific .p2x file in the
same directory as the measurement routine whenever you click OK.)
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 Using Basic File Options

PC-DMIS saves the ExcelDefaults.p2xfile here: C:\ProgramData\Hexagon\PC-

DMIS\2018 R1\. You can view this file in any text editor.

Output to a File Using Expressions

In the Output Configuration dialog box (File | Printing | Report Window Print
Setup), from the Report tab, you can use expressions in the File box. With this
functionality, you can use your measurement routine code along with the Output
Configuration dialog box to dynamically change the destination directory for the output
file.
For example, suppose two users, John and Amy, want to send the same measurement
routine's inspection report to an existing subdirectory based off of the user name.
Instead of opening the Output Configuration dialog box for each user and changing
the destination directory and the name of the report, you can have the user type their
name into a Comment and then use assignment and flow control commands to store
the different destination directories and report names in a variable, like this:
C1 =COMMENT/INPUT,YES,Type your name:
IF/C1.INPUT=="John"
ASSIGN/VAR_FILENAME="C:\\inspectionreports\\John\\Jo
hn.rtf "
COMMENT/OPER,NO,VAR_FILENAME
END_IF/
ELSE_IF/C1.INPUT=="Amy"
ASSIGN/VAR_FILENAME="C:\\inpectionreports\\Amy\\Amy.
rtf"
COMMENT/OPER,NO,VAR_FILENAME
END_ELSEIF/
ELSE/
ASSIGN/VAR_FILENAME="C:\\inspectionreports\\"+C1.INP
UT+".rtf"
COMMENT/OPER,NO,VAR_FILENAME
END_ELSE/
Then inside the File box, on the Report tab of the Output Configuration dialog box,
you can type the VAR_FILENAME variable as shown here:

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VAR_FILENAME in File box

Thereafter, whenever you execute the measurement routine, if John is the user, the
report John.rtf is saved to his directory; if Amy is the user, Amy.rtf is saved to her
directory; if another user types his or her name, it goes to the default
C:\Inspectionreports\ directory.
• For information on comments, see the "Inserting Programmer Comments" topic
in the "Inserting Report Commands" chapter.
• For information on expressions and variables, see the "Using Expressions and
Variables" chapter.
• For information on flow control statements, see the "Branching by Using Flow
Control" chapter.

Closing or Quitting a Measurement

Routine
• To save and close the active measurement routine, select File | Close. If you
have never saved the measurement routine, you are prompted to name and save
your file.
• To quit the current measurement routine, select File | Quit. If you have unsaved
data, a message appears and asks if you want to quit the measurement routine
without saving. To save the measurement routine, choose NO in the message
box, and choose File | Save or File | Save As (for more information, follow the
instructions under "Saving Measurement Routines").

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If you close down all open sub-windows in the software (the Report window, the
Edit window, and the Graphic Display window) by clicking on each window's X, PC-
DMIS immediately saves the measurement routine and then closes it. If you use the
View menu to hide the windows, the measurement routine remains open.

Exiting the Software

To quit the current measurement routine and exit PC-DMIS, choose the File |
Exit command. When you choose File | Exit, PC-DMIS automatically saves the current
measurement routine before exiting.

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