It is possible (depending on the physical size of the dove tail) to use measured points taken on the dove tail to align blades, however the problem with this method is that the repeatability of the measurement points is usually exagerated by the ratio of the spread of the points as compared with the length of the blade. Fixtures tend to be more repeatable when it comes to defining the alignment because they will 'bed' the root better (leading to more repeatable alignments) and the location of a fixture is more in line with what happens in the real world. It is recognized that purpose built fixtures are expensive and have to be calibrated, however it may be possible to use the cmm and calibrated pins to simulate the fixture and provide a more cost effective solution.