Patent ID: 7024333

Claim:
A coordinate measuring apparatus for measuring a workpiece, said coordinate measuring apparatus defining coordinate directions (x, y, z) and comprising: a probe head movable in said coordinate directions (x, y, z); a probe pin or probe pins which can be attached to said probe head; said probe pin or said probe pins having a plurality of shafts having respective ends; a plurality of contact bodies attached to corresponding ones of said ends of said shafts; at least two of said shafts of one of said probe pins having different orientations when said probe pin is attached to said probe head; a control and evaluation unit for controlling the measuring sequence and for evaluating the recorded measuring points; said control and evaluation unit functioning to carry out a method including the steps of: determining at least one characteristic directional datum ({right arrow over (n)} Ai or {right arrow over (n)} Ii ) for the points, which are to be measured, of a geometric element on said workpiece either from measured measuring points (P 1 to P 4 ) or from predefined desired data of said geometric element; and, determining one or several probe shafts of the one or several of the measuring points of the geometric element which are suitable from said directional datum ({right arrow over (n)} Ai or {right arrow over (n)} Ii ).