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Use cases/ Manufacturing/ From CMM points to a 3D deviation report
Color-mapped deviation model beside the per-part pass/fail summary replace with clip · 1600 × 900

From CMM points to a 3D deviation report

Drop CMM point CSVs and the nominal glTF mesh on the canvas, best-fit align them, and compute point-to-surface deviation with live tolerance sliders. Deliver a color-mapped glTF deviation model plus a per-part pass/fail report.

▶ Video walkthrough Intermediate ⏱ 25 min cmmmetrologydeviationgltfquality

Why this report is painful today#

The CMM spits out a CSV of measured points per part. The nominal lives in CAD. The software that compares them is a licensed seat bolted to one PC in the quality lab, and its output is a 40-page PDF nobody opens. When a supplier asks where exactly the part is out, you end up emailing screenshots.

One canvas, both worlds#

LSD treats the measurement table and the CAD mesh as equal citizens. Points are rows, the mesh is geometry, and both drop onto the same canvas and meet in the 3D viewer. Because every step is a live node, alignment quality and tolerance choices are things you see, not parameters you commit to blind — change the tolerance and the model repaints before you let go of the slider. The deliverable is just as portable as the pipeline is interactive, since the deviation map travels as a single glTF.

What you need#

Any CMM export with XYZ coordinates works — Zeiss Calypso, Mitutoyo, PC-DMIS, or a homegrown CSV. Export the nominal as glTF from your CAD tool; most do it natively now. The sample project uses 24 parts at roughly 500 points each, and the full pipeline re-runs in under two seconds thanks to cached intermediates.

Step by step

How it's built

  1. #029 · Load 01

    Drop the CMM exports on the canvas

    Drag the folder of CMM CSVs onto the canvas and an @load node appears with every file batched into one table. LSD sniffs the columns — part ID, feature, and measured XYZ — and previews the first rows. Nothing to configure yet; the raw point cloud already renders in the 3D viewer.

    Canvas with the load node and 24 CMM CSVs batched into one point table replace with screenshot · 1200 × 750
  2. 02

    Load the nominal CAD mesh

    Drop the part's glTF export next to it. A second @load node appears and the nominal surface renders in the 3D viewer, with the measured points floating nearby in machine coordinates. The mismatch is obvious — that is exactly what alignment fixes.

    Nominal mesh and unaligned CMM points side by side in the 3D viewer replace with screenshot · 1200 × 750
  3. #030 · Shape 03

    Best-fit the points to the surface

    Add an @shape alignment step and pick best-fit registration. The solver snaps the measured points onto the nominal mesh and reports an RMS residual per part. Toggle datum-based alignment instead if your drawing calls one out — the preview re-renders either way.

    Alignment step with RMS residuals listed per part replace with screenshot · 1200 × 750
  4. #031 · Shape 04

    Compute point-to-surface deviation

    Chain a deviation step. Every point gets a signed distance to the nearest mesh surface, and a histogram of deviations appears in the step's preview. Drag the tolerance sliders — say ±0.05 mm — and points re-classify to pass, warn, or fail instantly.

    Deviation histogram with live tolerance sliders replace with screenshot · 1200 × 750
  5. #032 · Deliver 05

    Color-map the deviation model

    Add an @deliver node set to glTF. The nominal mesh is baked with a blue-to-red deviation map and exported as one portable file. Anyone can spin it in a browser viewer — no metrology software needed.

    Color-mapped deviation model exported as glTF replace with screenshot · 1200 × 750
  6. 06

    Export the pass/fail report

    Add a report delivery next to it. It pulls per-feature stats, worst offenders, and deviation snapshots into a per-part pass/fail PDF. Run tomorrow's measurements through the same canvas and the report regenerates from cached intermediates in seconds.

    Per-part pass/fail report with the worst-offender table replace with screenshot · 1200 × 750
The pipeline

Every step used, at a glance

Load

Points + nominal

Batch CMM measurement CSVs and the nominal CAD mesh into one canvas.

CSVglTF
Shape

Align & deviate

Best-fit points to the surface and compute signed point-to-surface deviation against live tolerances.

Deliver

Model + report

Export a color-mapped glTF deviation model and a per-part pass/fail report.

glTF
±0.05 mm
tolerances tuned live
1 file
portable glTF deviation model
Per-part
pass/fail verdicts

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