Good question... and the answer is not as straightforward as one may think.
I used to handle a CMM some years back, and guess what? I detected one bug after another in the software. The machine was calibrated ok and the measurements were quite satisfactory, but:
The software writers had goofed. They were right on concerning the usual geometrical shapes, but tended to over simplify the evaluation algorithms for form and position tolerances. The worst thing I found out was how it handled the maximum material principle. It turned out that it adviced me to scrap parts I found to be well within tolerances when I checked the same figures manually... Ouch!
So: My opinion is: It depends on the intended application...
/Claes
