3D Distance

Operator Function

Select the type of distance calculation, input parameters of the points, lines, or planes to be measured. Obtain the shortest distance between them, distances along each coordinate axis direction, and distances along each coordinate plane direction.

Parameter Introduction

Input Parameters

Parameter	Range	Default Value	Description	Illustration
Input Image	0-8	0	The IM number for image input

Calculation Parameters

Parameter	Range	Default Value	Description	Illustration
Mode	Distance to Point/Distance Between Skew Lines (Vector Formula Method)/Distance Between Skew Lines and Planes (Reference Point Outside Line/Plane)	Distance to Point	See Mode
Measurement Direction			See Measurement Direction

Mode

• Distance to Point: Select function to measure distance between point and point/line/plane

Parameter	Range	Default Value	Description	Image
Geometry 1	3D Point	3D Point	Position: Input point's X, Y, Z coordinates
Geometry 2	3D Point/3D Line/Plane	3D Point	Type: Only enabled in manual mode, set manual input type: Point/Line/Plane Position: Only enabled in manual mode, input X, Y, Z coordinates of point/point on line/point on plane Direction: Only enabled in manual mode, enabled when input type is 3D Line, input line's direction vector Normal Vector: Only enabled in manual mode, enabled when input type is Plane, input plane's normal vector

• Distance Between Skew Lines (Vector Formula Method): Select function to measure distance between skew lines

Parameter	Range	Default Value	Description	Image
Geometry 1	3D Line	3D Line	Position: Only enabled in manual mode, input X, Y, Z coordinates of point on line Direction: Only enabled in manual mode, input line's direction vector
Geometry 2	3D Line	3D Line	Position: Only enabled in manual mode, input X, Y, Z coordinates of point on line Direction: Only enabled in manual mode, input line's direction vector

• Distance Between Skew Lines/Planes (Reference Point Outside Line/Plane): Select function to measure distance between line and line, line and plane, plane and plane using a third point

Parameter	Range	Default Value	Description	Image
Geometry 1	3D Line/Plane	3D Line	Type: Only enabled in manual mode, set manual input type: Line/Plane Position: Only enabled in manual mode, input X, Y, Z coordinates of point on line/plane Direction: Only enabled in manual mode, enabled when input type is 3D Line, input line's direction vector Normal Vector: Only enabled in manual mode, enabled when input type is Plane, input plane's normal vector
Geometry 2	3D Line/Plane	3D Line	Type: Only enabled in manual mode, set manual input type: Line/Plane Position: Only enabled in manual mode, input X, Y, Z coordinates of point on line/plane Direction: Only enabled in manual mode, enabled when input type is 3D Line, input line's direction vector Normal Vector: Only enabled in manual mode, enabled when input type is Plane, input plane's normal vector
Reference Point	3D Point	3D Point	Position: Input reference point's X, Y, Z coordinates

Measurement Direction

• Direction:

Parameter	Description
Shortest Distance	Select mode to measure shortest distance
Parallel to X-axis	Select mode to measure distance parallel to X-axis direction
Parallel to Y-axis	Select mode to measure distance parallel to Y-axis direction
Parallel to Z-axis	Select mode to measure distance parallel to Z-axis direction
On XY Plane	Select mode to measure distance projected onto XY plane
On XZ Plane	Select mode to measure distance projected onto XZ plane
On YZ Plane	Select mode to measure distance projected onto YZ plane

Based on different measurement requirements, different measurement objects and directions can be selected:

Distance to Point:

Point to Point Distance

Parameter	Description	Image
Shortest Distance	This function measures the shortest distance (straight line) between two points
Parallel to Coordinate Axis	Example parallel to X-axis: This function only measures the shortest distance between two points in the direction parallel to X-axis
On Coordinate Plane	Example on XY plane: This function only measures the shortest distance between two points on the XY plane

Point to Line Distance:

Parameter	Description	Image
Shortest Distance	This function measures the shortest distance from point to line
Parallel to Coordinate Axis	Example parallel to X-axis: This function only measures the shortest distance from point to line in the direction parallel to X-axis
On Coordinate Plane	Example on XY plane: This function only measures the shortest distance from point to line on the XY plane

Point to Plane Distance:

Parameter	Description	Image
Shortest Distance	This function measures the shortest distance from point to plane
Parallel to Coordinate Axis	Example parallel to X-axis: This function only measures the shortest distance from point to plane in the direction parallel to X-axis
On Coordinate Plane	Example on XY plane: This function only measures the shortest distance from point to plane on the XY plane

Distance Between Skew Lines (Vector Formula Method)

As shown below, when selecting this method, regardless of the measurement direction chosen, the measured shortest distance between skew lines is output

Distance Between Skew Lines/Planes (Reference Point Outside Line/Plane)

Line to Line Distance:

Parameter	Description	Image
Shortest Distance	This function references a point outside both lines to measure the shortest distance between the two lines
Parallel to Coordinate Axis	Example parallel to X-axis: This function references a point outside both lines to measure the shortest distance between the two lines in the direction parallel to X-axis
On Coordinate Plane	Example on XY plane: This function references a point outside both lines to measure the shortest distance between the two lines on the XY plane

Line to Plane Distance:

Parameter	Description	Image
Shortest Distance	This function references a point outside the line and plane to measure the shortest distance between the line and plane
Parallel to Coordinate Axis	Example parallel to X-axis: This function references a point outside the line and plane to measure the shortest distance between the line and plane in the direction parallel to X-axis
On Coordinate Plane	Example on XY plane: This function references a point outside the line and plane to measure the shortest distance between the line and plane on the XY plane

Plane to Plane Distance:

Parameter	Description	Image
Shortest Distance	This function references a point outside both planes to measure the shortest distance between the two planes
Parallel to Coordinate Axis	Example parallel to X-axis: This function references a point outside both planes to measure the shortest distance between the two planes in the direction parallel to X-axis
On Coordinate Plane	Example on XY plane: This function references a point outside both planes to measure the shortest distance between the two planes on the XY plane

Result Display

Parameter	Range	Default Value	Description	Illustration
Geometry 1	true/false	false	If enabled, display Geometry 1 in the image
Geometry 2	true/false	false	If enabled, display Geometry 2 in the image
Reference Point	true/false	false	Reference point; if enabled, displayed in the image
Distance Segment	true/false	false	Distance segment; if enabled, displayed in the image
Distance Value	true/false	false	Distance value; if enabled, displayed in the image

Output Parameters

Name	Type	Range	Description
Result	bool	true/false	true for success false for failure
Warning	bool	true/false	true indicates there is a warning false indicates there is none
Message	string		Outputs success, error, or warning information; if there is no error or warning, it is empty
Time	float		Operator execution time, unit: ms
distance	float		Output distance

Tip

For more detailed explanations of parameter types, please refer to Type Definitions

Exception Troubleshooting

No.	Exception Information	Corresponding Parameter	Solution
1	Input measurement direction is {0}, invalid measurement direction	Measurement Direction	Input measurement method must be one of: Direct Distance/Parallel to X-axis/Parallel to Y-axis/Parallel to Z-axis/On XY Plane/On YZ Plane/On XZ Plane
2	Input Geometry 1 type is {0}, invalid geometry type	Geometry Type	First object type must be 3D Point/3D Line/Plane
3	Input Geometry 2 line parameters invalid		Input line direction vector parameters cannot all be 0
4	Input Geometry 2 plane parameters invalid		Input plane normal vector parameters cannot all be 0
5	Input Geometry 2 type is {0}, invalid geometry type	Geometry Type	Second object type must be 3D Point/3D Line/Plane
6	Input Geometry 1 line parameters invalid		Input line direction vector parameters cannot all be 0
7	Input reference point type is {0}, invalid reference point type	Geometry Type	Reference point type must be set to 3D Point
8	Input Geometry 1 plane parameters invalid		Input plane normal vector parameters cannot all be 0
9	Input mode is {0}, invalid input mode	Mode	Input mode must be one of: Distance to Point/Distance Between Skew Lines (Vector Formula Method)/Distance Between Skew Lines and Planes (Reference Point Outside Line/Plane)

Example Introduction

Engineering Design

1. Select the Load Point Cloud tool to load the 3D point cloud image to be processed into IM0.

2. Select the 3D Crop tool to copy IM0 to IM1, IM2 for different operations.

3. Select two Square Probe tools to obtain a point and a line for measuring point-line distance; select two Square Probe tools to obtain two lines for measuring line-line distance; select two 3D Plane tools to obtain two planes for measuring plane-plane distance.

4. Select the 3D Distance tool.

Tool Usage

1. Select the input image for operation; the image number must match the IM number where the image is located in the project.

2. Set input mode and input geometry

Select multiple 3D Distance tools, set different input modes (point-line distance, line-line distance, plane-plane distance). Bind the lines or planes obtained from the previous step's Square Probe tools and 3D Plane as Geometry 1 and Geometry 2.

3. Set parameters

4. Check the content you want to display in the result display section

5. Click Test to check if the image window and parameters meet expectations

6. If there are no issues, click Save, then run the operator in the run list to view the results in the corresponding IM