7.
.
. j)S SOLIDINORKS
CREATING ANIMATIONS Using SolidWorks® Learn the fundamentals of creating animations at your own speed, as you progress from simple to more complex models.
7.
J}S SOLID INORKS
It"' 1995-2012, Dassault Systi:mes Solid Works Corporation, a Dassault Systemes S .A. company, 175 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA 0245 I USA. All rights reserved. Tbe information and the software discussed in this document are subject to change without notice and arc not commiunents by Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation (DS SolidWorks). N o materia l may be reproduced or t rans m itted in a ny form o r by any means, e lectronically or manually, for any p urpose w itho ut the express written permission of D S SolidWorks. The software discussed in this document is furni shed under a license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the tenns of the licen se. All warranties given by DS Solid\Vorks as to the software and documentation are set forth in the license agreement, and nothing stated in, or implied by, th is document or its contents s hall be consi dered or deemed a modification or amendment of any terms, including warrant ies, in the license agreement. Patent Notices SolidWorks)l. 3D mechanical C'AD software is protected by U.S. Patents 5,8 J 5, 154; 6,21 9,049; 6,21 9,055; 6,6 11,725; 6,844,877; 6,898,560; 6,906,712; 7,079,990; 7,477,262; 7,558,705; 7,571,079; 7,590,497; 7,643,027; 7,672,822; 7,688,3 18; 7,694,238; 7,853,940 and fore ign patents, (e.g., EP 1,1 16, 190 and JP 3,517,643 ). eDrawings<& software is protected by li.S. Patent 7, 184,044; U.S. Patent 7,502,027; and Canadian Patent 2,3 18,706. U.S. and foreign patents pending. Trademarks and Product Names for SolidWorks Products and Services SolidWorks, 3D Pat1Strcam.NET, 3D ContentC:entral, eDrawings, and the eDrawings logo are registered trademarks a nd FeatureManager is a jointly owned registered trademark of DS SolidWorks. CircuitWorks, FloXpress, To!Analyst, and XchangeWorks are trademarks of DS SolidWorks. Feature Works is a registered trademark of Geometric Ltd. SolidWorks 2012, SolidWorks Enterprise PDM, Solid Works Workgroup PDM, SolidWorks Simulation, Solid Works Flow Si mulation, eDrawings Professional, and SolidWorks Sustainabil ity are product names ofDS SolidWorks. Other brand or product nan1es are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. COMMERCIAL COMPUTER SOFTWAREPROPRIETARY The Software is a "commercial item" as that term is defined at 48 C.F.R. 2. 10 I (OCT I 995), consisting of"commcrcial computer software" and "commercial software documentation" as s uch tetm s are used in 4 8 C. F. R. 12.2 12 (SEPT 1995) and is provided to the U.S. Government (a) for acquisition by or on behal f' of civilian agencies, consistent with the policy set forth in 48 C.F.R. 12.2 12; or (b) for acquisition by or on behalf of units 3 of the department of Defense, consistent with the policies set forth in 48 C.F.R. 227.7202-1 (Jl JN 1995) and 227.7202-4 (JUN 1995).
Document Number: PMTI251-ENG
In the event that you receive a request from any agency of the U.S. government to provide Software with rights beyond those set forth above, you w ill notifY DS So lid Works of the scope of the request and DS Solid Works will have five (5) business days to, in its sole discretion, accept or rej ect such request. Contractor/Manufacturer: Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation, 175 Wyman Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 0245 1 US. Copyright Notices for SolidWorks Standard, Premium, Professional, and Education Products Portions o f this software © 1986-20 12 Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All rights reserved. This work contains the following softw are ow11ed by Siemens Industry So ftware Limited: D -Cubed 1 M 2D DCM ~ 2012. Siemens Industry Software Limited . All Rights Reserved. D-CubedTM 3D DCM © 2012. S iemens Industry Software Limited. All Rights Reserved. D-Cubed 1 ~ PGM !&" 20 12. Siemens Indust ry Software Limited. All Rights Reserved. D-Cubedn• CDM 2012. Siemens Industry Software Limited. A ll Rights Reserved. D-CubedTM AEM ifl 20 12. S ieme ns Industry Software Limited. All Rights Reserved. P ortions of this software ~ 1998-2012 Geometric Ltd. Portions of this software 0 I 996-20 12 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Portions of this software incorporate PhysXT~ by NVJDlA 2006201 0. Portions of this software 2001-20 12 Luxology, Inc. All rights reserved, patents pending. Portions of this software © 2007-20 12 Drive Works Ltd. Copyright 1984-20 10 Adobe Systems Inc. and its licensors. A ll rights reserved. Protected by l.J.S. Patents 5,929,866; 5,943,063; 6,289,364; 6,563,502; 6,639,593; 6,754,382; patents pending. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, the Adobe PDF logo, Distiller and Reader are registered tradem arks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc. in the lJ.S. and other countries. For more Solid Works® copyright informat ion, sec Help , About SolidWorks.
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Copyright Notices for SolidWorks Simulation Products Portions of this software ({,) 2008 Solversoft Corporation. PCGLSS "" 1992-20 I 0 Computational App lications and System Integration, lnc. All rights reserved. Copyright Notices for Enterprise PDM Product Outside ln:R Viewer Technology, e> 1992-20 I0 Oracle P01tions of this software (!d 1996-20 12 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Copyright Notices for eDrawings Products Portions of this sofhvare £ 2000-2012 Tech Soft 30. Portions of this software .~c· 1995-1 998 Jean-Loup Gailly and Mark Adler. Portions of this software t:_ 1998-2001 3Dconnexion. Portions of this software r: 1998-20 12 Open Design A lliance. All rights reserved. Portions of this software 1995-2010 Spatia l Corporatio n. This software is based in part o n the work of the In dependent JPEG Group.
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Contetnts
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Lifecycle m~ens
,6\are
Chapter 1: Introduction About This Book . .. . . ... .. . . . . .. . ....... ... . .... . .. ....... .... .. ... .. ... ... .. .. .. ................2 Prerequisit es ............................ . . ......... .. . . . ... . ....... ... .. . . .. . . ...... . ... . . ..2
· ft" are
Instructional Design Philosophy . . ...... .. .... ..... . .. . .. .. ... . .. . ........ . . . . .... . ..... .. . ....2
=
Using This Book............... . .................. . .. . ....... . ... ...... . . .. . ....... .. ....... .. 2
:::-e
About the DVD ..... .... .. . ..... .. ..... . .. . . ...... . . . . . . . . ......... ...... . . . ....... ... . ...... 3
.:!J'e
Images ..... ........ . . .. . . . .. . .... . .. . .. . . .. . . . ... . . . . .. . . .. . . . ..... ... . .. . ........ . . ... .... 3 Software Up dates .... ... .... . .. ................ . . .. . .. .... .. . . . .. .. . ............. . .. . ..... . 3
x:!Iion. All
OL-\ ~006-\ll rights
Conventions Used in This Book ..... . ............. . ........ ....... .. ... . .. .. ... . ... .. .. . . .. .. 4 The SolidWorks MotionManager ... . ......... .. ...... . ..... .. .. . .. . . ....... . . .. . .... . . . . .. .... .. . 4 Motion Study Purposes ..... . .. .. ...... . . .......... . ... . ... . ... . ..... ....... .. . . .. . .. .. ..... 5 History of the MotionManager ... . . . . . . ..... ... . ...................... . ... .. . .. .. . ... . .. ... . . . . . . 5
:l.. -rs. All
;_q.t)_063; -=ling. Distiller
\dobe
1p ' About Prod ucts ::c. xS~stem
::t
Motion Study Types ........... .. .. .... .... . ... ... .... .. . .. . ... ... .... ..... ....... ... ....... .. . . . 5 What Is the Output? . .......... .. ........ . . .. ... . ... ... . . .. . .......... . . .. . . . . ....... . . .. . . .. 6 Animations .. ...... ... ......... . ........................................................ . .. . . ... 6 Basic Animation Concepts ... .... .......... .. .. . . . .. .... .... ...... .. . . .. . .. .. .. . ... ... .. . .... 6 Basic Workf low .... . . . ......... . .... . ............... . .. .. ........ . . ... . . ....... .... ... . . ...... ...7 Why Create an Animation? . . .. . .... .. . . ...... .... . ... . .. . . ... ....... .. . . .............. . . .. . . . . . . .. 7 Should We Ever Use a Video Camera? . ........ .. .. .. . ......... .. ...... . ................ . ..... 8 Build ing Animations .............. . ... . .... .... . . . . ....... . .. . .. .. ... . .. . ... ... .. . . . ............. 8
~
J(.'r.l.tion. All
Animation Results.... .. ..... . .................... . .......... . .... .. . . .. . ...... .. . . ...... ... . .... 8 When Is the Animation Finished? . .... . ........... ... ...... . . . . ......... . . .. . . ... .. ....... ...... . . 9 Rigid Body Motion ... ... ... ... .. . ... . . . .. ..... . . ..... . ............ .. ... ...... .. . .. . .. ... .. .... .. 9
i~
and Mark
TypesofMotion . . .. . ................. . .. ... ..... . ... ... .... . ....... .. . .. .............. ... ..... .10 Which Motion Study to Use . ...... ...... . .. . . . . . .. . .. .... . . ......... . . .. . ....... . .... .. . . . . . . . ... 12
\.lliance. All
::-orporation. :e
Motion Drivers .... . . ..... ..... . .......................... . . . . ....... . ...... ......... . .... ... .... 13 MotionManager Pane .. . ............................. . ...................................... 13 Mot ionMa nager User Interface . . ... . .. ..... .. ... . ... ...... .... ... . .... . .. . .. . ......... .. .... . . . .15
ii
Model Tab .... . ......... . ........................ . ......... ........ .. .... .. . .... . ... .. .... . .15 Motion Study Tab ... ..... ........................ .. ....... ... . . . . . ........ ..................15 MotionManager Components ... .. .... .. .............. . ....................... . . .. . . . .. . .. ...16 Timeline and Time Bar .... .. ... .... ............... . ... . ......... . . .. . ...... . .. . . .. . . . . . . . ....16 Key Points ........... . .. . . . ........ .. . ........ . . . . .. .. . .. . . . . .. ....... ...... . . . ...... .. .. ... 17 Too lt ips .. ... .. ...... . ........ .. . ..... .............. ..... . ...... ..... ..... .. . . .. . ... .. . ..... 17 Key Frames an d Changebars ... . .. .. .... . .. ...... . . . .. ........... . ....... ..... . . .. . . .. . ...... 17 Completed Motion Studies . ...... . .. . .. . .... . .. . . . . .. .. . . .. ....... .... .... . .. . .. . ... .... .. . . 17 Completed Videos ........ . .. ............ ........ . . . . ...... . .. ... ....... .. .... ... . . ..... ... .18
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Right Way/Wrong Way .... . .. .. ........ ... . .... . . . ...... .... . ..... ......... ....... . . . . . . . ...18 Getting Help . . ......... .. ....... ......................... . ............ ...... .... . . . . . ...........19 Knowledge Base ......... .. ...... . ........................ . . . ........... ..... .... ......... . .19
Chapter 2: Creating Simple Animations Animation . ......... . .......... . . ....... . . .. . . . ................ . ......... .. .... .. ... .. . .. . . . . .. 22 Topics . ....... ................ ........... . .... .. . . ...... ......... . ..... ............... . ... . 22 Point-to-point (Key Point ) Animations .... ... . . .. .. ......... . . ......... . . . .... .............. . .... 23 Exploded Views .. .. . .. . . ..... . .' .. . . . . .... ....... .... . ..... ... . . . . .... . .. . .................. 23 Case Study: Exploded Views ... . . . ........................ ... .. ...... .. . . . .. .. . . .. . . . ..... . . ... . 23 Animating Exploded Views.. . .. . ... ......... . . .. ........... . .. . .. . . .. . ... . .. .. . ......... . .. . 24 Animation Controller ......... ........................... .... . .... ........... . ............. . 24 Playback Options ... . .... .. ... . ....... . . ...... . ........... .. . .. ... . . . ....... .. ...... ....... 24
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Animation Timing .... . ..... . . .. .... .... . ..... . ... ..... . . .. . ... .. .. . .. .. .... . .......... . .... 25 Review . . . .. ....... ..... ..... . . .. ............. . ............................. . . . .......... . . 26 The Animation St udy Type ............ ........ . . . ... .. . ... . ............... . ...... . . .. . . . ........ 26
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Animation Wizard ....... . ... . ........ ............. . .... . .............. . ......... .. ... . .... . .... 26 Stages in the Process ... . ............. ... . .. . ... .. . .. . ........ .. ... ............. . ... . . .. ....... 27
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The Storyboard ............................... . ..... ... .... . . ... ... . . . ......... . ...... . .... 27 Storyboard Development . . . . ....... .. ..... . .. .... . .. ..... . . . . ...... .. .... ..... .... . .... .... 27 Case Stu dy: Animat ion Wizard .... . . . . . . . ....... .... . . . .. .... .. ... .. ... . .. .. ..... .... . . . ... ... . . 28 Storyboard ......... .. ........ ............ .... . .. . ...... . ..... . . . .............. ...... ..... . 29 Rotat e Model . . ... . . . ... . .. . ....... . .. . ...... . . .. . ........... . .. . .......... .... . ... ... ... ... 31 Delete Existing Paths ........... ...... . .......... . ..... .. .... . .............. . .... . ........ .. 31
5::,..,
iii
.. . .. ..... 15
Explode ..... .. .... .. ... .. . .......... . ..... . . .............. . ... . .... . . ... . ... .............. 33
. . . ..... . .15
View Orientation ... .. ...... ... ... . .... . . .............. .. ..... . ..... .. ...... . ....... ... . . .... .. . 35
. ... ......16
Creating Viewpoint Keys ... .......... . . ... . ......... . . . ... .. ........ . . . . . . . . .. . . . .... . ..... 36
•. . .. .....16
Viewpoint Playback ..... ... .... . . .. .. ............ . .... ................. .. .... . ......... .. .. 36
.. . .... ... 17
Modifying Key Points ...... . ... . ... .... ....................... .... . .... .. ... . ..... . ........ . 37
.. . ...... .17
Interpolation Modes ....................................... . ...... . .... . ..... . ............... . .. 37
. .. ...... 17
Collapse ..... . .... . ... . ..................................... . ........ .................... . . 40
... . .. . ... 17
Copying Key Point s . . . . ... . .. .. .. . . . . . . ....... . ............. . .. . ... . ... . . . ........... . ..... .41
.. . .......18
Recording Animations ..... . .. .. . . ....................... . .......... . ........ .. ... .............. .41
.. . ...... .18
Video File Format .... .... ..................... .. .... . ............ . . ..................... . .. 42
.. . .. . ... .19
Image File Formats ... .... .......... . .. .......... . .. ..... . ... ... . ....... . ................... 42
•. . . .... . .19
Renderer . . .. . .... . ..... ... . ... .... ........ . .... . .... ...... .......... ... .. ................. 42 CODEC . .. ..... .......... .. . . . . ... .. .......... .. . . ..... .. . . . ... . ... .. .... .. .. .. .... . .. .. . .. 42 Frame Rat e ... .. .. .. . .. .. . .. . ...... .. ...... . . . .... .. .. . . ... .. ... . ... . . . .. ... . ........ .. . ... 43
... . .. ... 22
Partial Animations .............. . ... .... . .. . ............ ......... . ......... ... . .. . ......... 43
.. . . . . ... 22
Key Frame .. . ................ . .. ..... . ............. . . . .... . ... . ............................ 44
.... . .... 23
Image Quality .. ... .. .. .. ...... .......... . ........................... ... .. . ............. . ... 44
... . . ... 23
Video File Output Size . .......... . ......................... . . .. . . . . ....................... . 44
.. . . .. .. 23
) ragging a Component . . . . .. . .. . ............... . .. : ......... . .. . .... . .......................... 47
.. . ...... 24
General Sequence ........ . ...... . ...... .. . . .............. ... . .......... . .............. . .... 47
.... . .... 24
Timeline Colors ....... ... ..... . .. . .................... .... . . ... . .... . ..... . .... . .... . ...... 47
.. .. .. .. 24
Creating Reversed Animations .... . ...................... . . . .... . ........................... 48
•. . .... . . 25
Motion Study Tabs ... . . .. . .. .... .. . ... . ... . .. .......... .... .... . . . . ........ . . . . . . . . ... . .. .. 49
... . .. . ... 26 .. .. ... .. 26 .. . . . ... . 26
Review .... ... . . .... .. . . . .... . ......... . . . ... . . ...... ...... . .. . ..... ...... . ............. . .. 49
Chapter 3: Editing the Timeline
.. . .. ... . 27
::diting the Time line ..... .. .. ............... . ... ..... . . . .. .. ......... .. .. ..... .. .. ....... . ...... 52
.... .... .. 27
Topics ........... . ... . ..... . ... . . .. . . .. .. .. . . . . . . . ... . . ... .. . .. .. . . .. .. ..... .. . .. . . . .. .. ... 52
.. . . . . . .. 27
St oryboard ....... . .. . .. . .. . . . ....... . .. . .... . ............. ... . ...... . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .... . .. 53
... . .. ... 28
Case Study: Editing the Timeline .... . ... . .. ............... . ..... . .... . ... . ...... . ............... 54
.. . ... ... 29
How Explode Works .... . .... ...... . ............. . ..... ..... . ..... ...... . .......... .. ....... 54
• .. ....... 31
Scaling the Timeline ...... .. ......................................... ... . ... .... . .......... . 56
• .. . ... . ... 31
-:-imeline Symbols ... . ....... ...... ..... . ..... .. . . ..... ... .. .. .. .... . ..... .. ... . . .. ...... . .. .. .. .57
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Components .... . ......................... . ........... . ............. . . . ..... . ..... . ........ 57 Key Points . .......... . .... . .. ..... . ....... . ..... . ....... . ............ . ..... . . . ...... . .... . . 57 Key Frames ........... . .... .. .... . .... .. .... . .............................................. 57 Changebars .. . ....... . .. . .. . .... . . .. ..... .. .. . . . ... . .. . ....... . ............ .. .......... .. .. 58 Editing Key Points ........ . .... .. .... . ..... . .................................... . ..... . ......... 58 Drag Key Point . . ............ . ........... .. . ..... . ...... . .. ... . .. .... . ..... . . . . ...... . .... .. 58 Control Drag Key Point .. . .......... . .... . .... . ..... . ......... .. ......... . ...... . ... . ... . ... 58
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Copy/Paste Key Po int . ............ .. ..... . . . .... . ..... . . ...... . ...... . ..... . . . ..... . . .. . .. . 58 Drag Multiple Key Points ............... . ..... . .. . .. . . .............. . ............... . ....... 58 Edit Key Point Time ....... . . . ... . .. . .. . .. . ....... . ............. . . . .. . . ............... . . .. .. 59 Moving t he Time Bar . . .... . . . ................... . ................... . . . .... . ...... . . .. ..... 59 Component Appearance ......... . ....... . .... . ................................ . ............. 61
Chapter 4: View Orientations View Orientat ions . ...... .. .... . ...... .. .... . . . ....... . .... .. .... .. . .................... . ....... 66 Topics ........ .. .. ... .... .. . . . ..... . ..... . .... . .. . .......... . ... .... . . . ............. . ...... 66
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Viewpoints .. ... .. . . .... . .. . .......... .. .... .. .... .. ....... .. .. . ........ . .... . . . . ..... . . . .... .. 66 Positioning t he Viewpoint. .............................. . ..... . ......... . ........ . ...... . ....... 67 Middle Mouse Button Functions .. . . ...... .. ............ . . . .. .. . . . .... . ...... . .. . .. .. ....... 67 Arrow Keys ....................... . ..... . .......... . ....................................... 68 Adjusting the Arrow Key Movement . . ... . ...... . . . . .... . . . .. . . . .... . . . ....... . . .... . ..... .. . 68
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Reference Triad ...... . .................. . .. . .... . ......... .. ..... . ........ . ....... .. ....... 69 Named Views .... . ....... . . . ................ . . . .. . ..... . . . . . ............. . .. .. . . ... . . . . . ... . . .. 69 Perspective View .. . ............ . . ......................... . ................................... 70 Modify Perspective View ............ . .... . ...... . ....... . . ....... . ... . ..... .. ...... . ..... .. 70 View Orientation States .......... . ... . ..... . .. . ........ . .. . ..... .. ...... . . . .. . ........ . ........ 72 Disable View Key Creation . . ...... .. ...... . . ............ .. . . .. ... . .... . ......... . . ... ..... . . 72 Disable View Key Creation Cleared ....... . .... . .......... . .................................. 72 Disable Playback of View Keys ............. . ... . . . ......... . . . ...... . . .. .. . .. .. ............ . 72 Disable Playback of View Keys Cleared ... .. .......................... . .... . ............. . ... 72 Creating View Key Points .... . . .. . ...... . ... . ........... . .... . .... . .. . . . .... . ...... .. ....... 72 View Orientat ion Changes . . ... . ...... .. ..... . ......... . .... .. ...... . . ..... . .. . ..... . ... . ....... 73 Establishing Shots and Leaders ......... . ............ . ..... . .......... . ... . ................ . .. . . 73
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. . . ...... .. 57 •.. . . .. .. .. 57
Case Study: Viewpoint s .. .. ... . . . . ..... . . .. ............ . ... .. ... . . . . .. . ............ . ....... . . .. 74
•.. . .... . . . 57
Editing Viewpoint Keys . .... . .......... . ..... . .... . ....... ... . . ... .......................... 79
.. . ... ..... 58
Further Tweaking . .. .. ...... .. . ....... . .......................... .... .. . .. . .......... . ......81
•. .. ..... . . 58
Perspective View Effect ..... . . . ..... .... ... ....... .............. . . ... .. .............. ... ........ 81
-- . ... ..... 58
Case Study: Visual Bloom ..... .. . .......... . .. . ....... . . . ..... . .. . ............................. .. 81
.. . . .. . .... 58
Bounding Box ... . ... . ..... . ................................................................ 83
··· · ··· ····58 ... ... ..... 58
Alternative Methods ... . ........................ . ....... ...................... ............. 85
Storyboard .. ....... . .. . ... ......... . ........... .. . . .. . . .... . . . . . .. . .... . .. ................ 74
.. .. ... .... 59
Chapter 5: Animating Appearances and Properties
.. . ....... . 59
Animating Appearances ..... . . . ........ .. ... .. . ...... . ... . ....... . .. . ... .. .... . . . ... . .. ........ 88
... .... .....61
Topics ....... ... ... . .................... ........ ............. . ... . ..................... ... . 88 Changing Displays and Appearances .................. . .......................................... 89 Interpolation Modes for Visual Pro perties ........ ... . . .... . . ... . .. ................... ... .... go
.. . .... ... . 66
Case Study: Component Visibility Changes .............. .. ...... . .. . . . . . .............. . .......... 91
.. . .. .... .. 66
Storyboard ... ... . ........ .......... . .... .......... . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . .. ........................ 91
... . . .. . . . . 66
Display States ......... . .................... . ....... . .. . .. . ...... . . . . .. . .. . .... . ............... 94
.. . .. ...... 67
Stored Display States .................. . . ... . ................... .. .... .... .. . .............. 94
. ... ... .... 67
Display States vs. Conf igurat ions . .... . .............. . ..... . .... . .................... .. ... . . 95
.. . . ....... 68
Display Pane ......................... . .......... .... ........................ ... .. ... ....... 95
-· · . ..... .. 68
Display Pane Icons ............ ....... . ............... .. . . ...................... . ........... g6
.. . .. . . .... 69
Selecting Display Pane Options ....... .. . . ... ... ... ... . ....... .. . .. . . . .... .................. 96
.. .. . . .... . 69
Creat ing Display States .............. . ..... . .. .. . . .......... . ...... ........... . ... . .... . . .. 97
... .. . .. .... 70 ... . .. . .. . . 70 ... .. .... .. . 72
Case Study: Changing Appearances . .... . . ........... ... . . ....... ........ . ..... . . ........ . ..... . 97
·- · . ...... .. 72
Rotat ion by Reference Triad .. . . ............. ......... .................................... ..... 103
-· · . ..... . .. 72 .. . .. ..... .. 72 ... . . ....... 72
Case Study: Reference Triad ........... ... .. ..... . . ..... . .... . ............... ................ . . 103
-· ... ....... 72
Lock to Mode! or View ................................. . .... . .. ...... . . ............. . ..... 105
.. . ... ...... 73
Lighting .............. . . . . .. . . .... . ... . ............... .. ... . . . ......... . ................ ...... 106
.. . ..... .... 73
Types of Lights .............. ......................... ............. . . . . ................... 106
Storyboard . ...... ...... . ......... . .... .. ................. ... . . . ... .. . . ....... ... . . . ....... 97 Graphics Display Modes ..... . . . . ... . .. ... ... . . .. .... . .... .. . . . ............. . . .............. 101
Animating Lights ......... . ......... . ... ....... .. ......... . .... .. .... . ... .. .................... 105 Scene and Environment ............. ... ..................... ...... . ..................... . . 105
vi
Creating Lights ....... .. .................... .. . . .... .. . . ............ .. ... . . .. ........ ... . ..107 Shadows ... .. ... .. .. ... ..... . ............. . . .... ... .......... . ..... ... . . ... .. .... .. .. .. .. ... .. .107 Lighting Coordinates .................................... ..... . ........ . ..... . ....... ... . .. 109 Positioning Lights .. .... ... . .... . . . ..... .. ... .. .. . . . .. .. . .. . .. . . .. . ..... . ...... ..... . . .... .. 11 0 Spot Lights ........ . .. . . . ..... ......... ... .... .. . .. .. .. ...... . . . . . .. ..... ... ... .. . . . .. . . ... .. .. 110 Light s in Animations .. . ...................... . ........ . .... . ............. . . .... ...... . . ......... 110 Keep Light . .. . .......... . ... ..... . . . . . . ... .. .. . . .............. ... . .... .. .. . ................ 110 Case Study: Lighting.. .. ....... . ............. . .... .. .. .. . . .. . . .. . ..... . ........ . .. . . . .... . .. .... 111 Storyboard ....................... . ... . . . . . ... . .. .. . ....... ... . .. .. . .. .... . .... . ...... . .... 111 ReaiView Lighting . .. .. ..... . ..... . ........... . . .. ....... . .. . .. ... . . . . .. . . . . .. ... .... . ...... 115 Light ing Properties That Can Be Animated . ........ .. ....... ... ... . ... ... . . .... . ... . ......... 116 Rendered Animations . . ..... .. . . ........................... . ................ . .. . ........... .. ... 117 Case Study: Rendering an Animation .. .. .... ·....... . .. ... . ...... .. ... . . ......... .. .. .. ... . . . .... 117 Photo View 360 Check . .... ... . .. . ... . .. ... .. .. .. ................. .. .. .. . ... . .... . . . ........ 119 Choosing A CODEC ................. . .... . ... ... ...... ............... . . . .................... 121 Saving a Ser ies of Images ........... .. ......... . ................ . .. ...... ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. ....122
Chc Chapter 6: Free Component Motion Overview . . ........ . ... ... . .. .. . .... .. . .. .. .. .. . .... . .... . ........... . ...... . ...... . ... . ... . . . 126 Topics .. .. ........ . .. ... . ... . .... . .... ... . .............. . . . .. .. . ....... . .. ........ .. ...... 126 How Are Animations Calculated? . . ......... . ..... .. ........... ... .. ... .. ... .. ... . . .. ... . .... ... 126
.·-
• : ....t
Master Animator/Assistant Animator . ................................. . ................... 126 How Are the "lnbetween" Points Calculated? ..... . ........ .. .. . ........ . .. ... ... . .. ......... 126 The Solution Process ... . ... . ..... .. ....... . ........ . . . ... . . .... . . .. ... . ............ . ....... 127 Free Component Motion .............. .. ................ . .. . . . ..... . .. . .... .. ... . . .. .......... . 128 Keys ....... . .......... .. . .. .. .. ... ... ....... .. ........... .. ... .. .. ... .. ... .. .... . . .. ... . ...... 128 Autokey . ... .. .... . ..................... .. . ........... . ..... .. .... . ... .. .......... . .... . .. 128 Place Key ...... ....... . .... . ... .. .. ........ . ... . .... . . . . .. . . . ......... . .... . ...... . ....... 128 Replace Key ....... . ......... . ... .. ... . .................... . .... ... ...... .......... .. ..... 128 Motion Study Properties ...... .. ...... . ....... . ........ . .... . . . ... ... .. .. . .. .. ... . ........ . ... 129 Animation Properties . . .... . ...... . .................. .. .... .. .. ... .. .. ... . .... .. .. ..... . . .. 129
:)- 0.
Move and Rotate Component .. . ......... . ................... . ... . .... . . . .. . ............. . .. . .. 129 Triad ..... . ... .. ............ . .... . ....... .. ....... .. .. ... ... . .. . ... . .... . . . ..... . ....... . ... .. 130
.·~
vii
.. .. ... .....107
Triad Move and Rotate .................. .... . . ... . ............ .. ....... . .. . ............... 130
.. .. .. ......107 ... ....... . 109
Drag Rulers ........ .... .. . ... .. ......... ........ . . ..... . .... . . .. .............. . . . .. .. . . ... 130
. .. .... .. ... 110
Mates .................... . . .. . .... ............. . . .. . ................ . . . ............ . .. ....... . 131
.. .. .. ...... 110
Global Mates ......... . ..... . . . . ..... ...... ..... ... .. ... .. .... ... ... . . .. ........... .. . ..... 131
.. .. .. ...... 110
Local Mat es ............. . .. . ....................... . ....... . ....................... . . ..... 131
.. .... ...... 110
Case Study: Free Component Motion ....... ............ ......... . . . . . . ...... . ........ .. . ........132
... . ... ..... 111
Storyboard .................... .. .................... .. ........ . .... ......... .. .. . . .. ... ... 132
.... . ... .... 111
Scrub the Timeline ................. . .............. ...... ............ . .. . ..... ..... . .. . . ... 136
.... .. ...... 115
Reverse Path ............... ....... ............ ....... ........ ....... ......................... 138
.. ... ....... 116
Case Study: Alternate Solution -
.•. . .... .... 117
Duplicate St udy ........ ............ ......... ... ... ... .............. . . .. ... .... .. ... ... . ....... 140
... . .. .... .. 117
On/Off . ....... ... . ..... .... . .... . .. ... . ..... .. . ............... . ............... . . .. . . . .... 142
.. .. ..... ... 119
Case Study: Alternate Solution- Mate ...... ...... ... . ........ .......... . ... ........ . . . . . . .... 145
... .. ....... 121
Screw Mate ........ .... .............. . .. .. . ................. .. ............. .. ............ 146
Reorienting the Triad ......................... .. ................ . ..... . .. .... ............. .. 131
Motor ...... .. ......... . ... ....... .... .. ..... . ......... . .. .. . 140
.•. . ........122
Chapter 7: Motion Drivers Mot ion Drivers ......... ........ ......... ............ .............. . . .. ......... . ... . ... ... .... 150 .. .. .. ..... 126
Topics .............. . . ... ................ ..... . . .............. ... . . ............ . ..... . ... . 150
... ... ..... 126
Dragging Components ........... . ........... . .. . .... .. ........ . ... . ........... . ............... 150
... . .. .... 126
Mates .... . . . ... ... ... .. . . ... .... . .. ......... . .... .. ......... . .... . ......... ..... . . ..... . ..... 150
... . ...... 126
Suppressing/Unsuppressing Mates.................................. . ....... . ......... . ..... 151
... .. ... ... 126
Distance and Angle Mates ... .. .. .. ............... ... .. ..... . .. . .... . ........... . ........... 151
.... .. .. . ... 127
Pat h Mates ......... .... ................. .. .......... . ... . . ... .. . . ............. .......... . . 151
.... . .. .. . . 128
Mates in Subassemblies ..... . . ... . . . ..... . .... . . . . ............... . . . . . ... . . .... . .. . . . .... . . 151
... .. ..... 128
Mating Strategies ... ... ......... . ... . .. .......... ............ ....... ............ .. . .... . . .. 152
. ... .... ... 128
Animating Robots ........................................ .... ..................................153
.... . ...... 128
Mate Organization .. ... ................. ........ ............... . ................... . . ..... 154
... . .... ... 128
Case Study: Robot Motion ........ ................ ..... ....... . . . . . . . . ... . ....... ... . . . ........ 154
.. ...... ... 129
Storyboard ................ .. ....... . ...... . ..... . .... ... . .. . ........ .. . .. . ....... ... . . ... 154
... .. ...... 129
Part 1: Mates ............. . .. .... . .. ..... . . . . . . .... ...... . ....... . . . .. . .. . .......... . ........... 155
... . .. ..... 129
Mate Problems in Animations ... .. ... . .... . .. . ................. ... ......... .. .............. 160
.. .. .... ... 130
MotionManager Filters ...... . ....... .. ... . ........... . ............. .. ...... ... . ... ........ . .... 161
viii
Motors .. ... ........ ........... .. . .... . .......... .... ........ ... . .. ......... .. . ....... . .. . .... 163 Motor Types ................................ .... ..... . .. .. ........... . ......... . .. . .... . .. 163 Motor Principles .. .. .. . ......... ... .......................... . ............................ 166
-::r-= =
Recalcu lating Studies . ..... . .. . ... .................... . . . .. ........... . ......... .. . . ... . .. 166 Defining a Motor ....... ...... .. ... .. .. . .... . ............... .... ........ ... ... . ......... . ...167 Part 2: Distance Motor ...... ........ ........ ... ... ........................... ... ..... .. ....... .167
,_
~
• - ·
.E:
Motor Options ....................................................................... . .. . . 168 Where is Zero? ........................ . ............. .. ........ .. .... .. . .. .. ... ... . ....... 168 Revers ing t he Motion ................... . ............. . . . ............................ ...... 171 Constant Speed Motor ................... ..... ....... . .. . .... ..... .... . .. . ................ ..... 172 Part 3: Constant Speed Motor ....... ... ......................... . .......... . .. .. ......... ... . . .172 Constant Speed Motors-Alternate Meth od ............... . . . ....... ... ................. . ...174 Function Builder....... ...... ..................... . . ............ ... .......... ........ ...........176
-~
Dat a Input .......... . ... . ...... . ............... .. ........................................ .. 177
::::J
Data Export ...... ... .. . . . ............... . .... ..... ... . ......... ... . . ........ . . ........ ....178 Data Point Motors ... . . . ........ .... . . .......... ...... ....... ....... .......... . ................178 '
Importing Data Points ....................... . . ... ...... . .. .. ........... . ............. . .....178
-
.-·-·
Curve Fitting...... .. ......... ........ .... ..... . .... . . ....... . .......... . ... . ........ . .. .. ..179
-
Linear .. ....... .. ... ... ....... ..... ........ . ......... . . ... ......... ..... . . .. ........ . . . . ...179
.!. ::1
Akima .... . .. . . . ............. ... . ... ... ........ . ..... . .. . . .... ..... . .. .. . . ........ . . ... ....179 Cubic ....... .. ... ... ............. .. .................................. ... .... ............. . 180 General Considerations ... . . ... . .......... ... ............. . .... ...... .. .. ... ........ . ...... 180 Part 4: Data Points Motor ......... ......... ... ......... ...... . .. .. . .. . .... . . . . . .......... . . . .. 180
5-- c.:
Part 5: Segments Motor ....... . .............. .. . . ........ . . . . . . . . ........ . .... ...... ....... ... 182 Segment Interpolation Types . .. . ... . ... . ........................... .. .......... ... . .... ... 183 Part 6: Expression Motor ... .. ..... ....... ........ .... ............ ...... ...... . ...... ... . ..... . 185
Cha
· --
i""\.1..... L
:C-
Function Builder- Expressions . .. . . . .... . ..... . .. . .. ..... . . .... . .. . . . .... . .. . . .... ..... . .. . . . .. 186 Subassemblies . . ... . ......... . ... . .. . .................... . . ..... ..... . .. . . .. ... ............ .. ..187 Rigid Subassemblies ............... . . .... . ............ .. ...................................187
(
--- :::-
C::J::: - ·
S:J
Flexible Subassemblies ... . . ........... . ..... . . ... . . ... ... ... . .. .. . .... . ... . ....... . ....... 188 Case Study: Subassemblies .............. . ............. . .......... ... ........ ... .. . .... . .... ... 188 Modifying t he Structure of an Assembly ........................................... ...... ... 190 Dissolving a Subassembly .. .. ............ .. ...... . ........ . ............. ........ .... ...... 190
( -- ~ :::c::::.:: - -
ix
. - - -- ...... . 163
Reorganize Components Using Drag and Drop .......... .. . .......... . ... ........ . . .. . ...... 190
• - . - .... .. .. 163
Reorganize Components.. . .... . ..... . . . . ..... . .. ..... . ..... . . ..... .... . ........ . . .. . .. .... 190
- - .. ........ 166
Promot ing and Demoting Components . ... . .. ............. . .. . . .. ................. .. . . ..... 190
- -- .. ....... 166
Troubleshooting Motor Problems ............ . ............... . .... . ............... .. ........... 192
-- - . ...... . ..167
Case Study: Mot or Troubleshooting ................................. . ...... ......... .. . ... . .... 192
•. . . . ........167
Moving around a Closed Path . . ....... ............. . ............ . ...... .... . .................. . 195
. - - ... .. . .. . 168
Direct Path .... . . ... .... ..... . .............. . ..... . ...... . .... ..... . .. .......... . ... . . . . .. 195
• - - . .... ... . 168
Using Mates ............................. .. ... .. ............ . ........... . ....... . ...... . ...197
•• - -.... . .... 171
The 100/360 Rule ....... . .................. . . . ... . ............ . .... . .. . ................. . ... . . 198
- - - - .. .. . .... 172
How Do We Go Beyond 360 degrees/100 percent? ... . . ........ ........ ..... . . .. . . .... . ..... 199
-- - - ......... 172
Motor Method ............ . . .. ... ... ............... .... ............... . . .. ....... . ........ 199
. --- - .... . .. .174
Case Study: Path Mate ....... . .... ....... ........ . ... . .... .. ............. . .. ... ... . ........... 200
.. - . ....... .176
Pat h Mate .......... .. .... . .............. . ... . .......... . . .. .... . . . .............. . ..... . .. 200
.. - --. . ... . .. 177 ... . .. .......178
Storyboard ........ . .............. . .. . .... . .... . ...... . ... . . .. .. . .... . ............ . ....... 200 Limitations of the Pat h Mate .. .. . ............... . . .. .... ....... .. ... . . . .. ... ..... .. ....... 203
·- . .. .... . . ..178
Path Mate Percent Scale ......... .. ............... ... ... ... . . ............. . . . . .. . ......... 204
- . .. . .......178
What's Wrong? ........................................ .... . . .................... . ......... 204
•• - .. .......179
Alt ernative #1- Suppress the Reset. ...... . . . .... .... ........ . .. .. .... .. ........ . .. . . .. . ... 205
-. - . .. ..... .179
Alternative #2-Two Path Mates . ... . ... .... . . ............. . . .. . .. ... .. .... . .. .. . . .... . . .. 205
-.- - . ..... . .179
Alt ernative #3- Key Points ........... . .. .. . . . . ....... .. . ... . . . . .. . . ............. . . .... ... . 205
-- - . ... ... 180
Alternative #4- Path Mate Motor ... .. ............. .. ................. ... .. . . ....... .... .. 206
-- - . - ..... 180
Path Mate Motor ......................... . ........ .. .. .... ......... . ... ..... . . ...... . ... . 206
--- - . ...... 180
Simulation Motion Drivers ........ ......... . . ... . ... ... . ......... . ....... . ... ... .......... . .... 208
-- . - . ... . 182 .. - - . ...... 183
Chapter 8: Animating Parts
--- . . ... . .. 185
Animating Parts ............ . .... ..... . .. ...... . ...... . .. .. . . . .. .. ... . ........ . .. . ... . .. . . . .... 210
--- . ....... 186
Topics ..................................... . ...... . .. . .. .. ... . .. . .................. . ...... 210
--. - .... ....187
Case Study: Animating In-Context Parts . ....... . ........ ...... ............... ....... ...... ...... 211
... . ...... ..187
St oryboard ....... .. . . ........ .. . .... ... . ......... . ........ .. .... . ...... . . . .. . .. .. . ........ 211
·· · ·· ·····. 188
Rebuilding In-Context Parts ........ ... ... .... .... .... .......... . . . . ... . ..... ........ . .... ... 212
·· · ·· ··· . . . 188
Create an In-Context Part ..... . ... . .. ..... .. ...... .. . ...... . .. .... .. ... ... . . .. . ... . .. . . . ... 212
. - . ... ..... 190
Animating a Spring .. ............... ........ ....... ............. ........ ............. ......... .. 217
- . . . . ..... 190
Case Study: Create a Spring . ..... .. ... ..... ... . ... .. ... .... . .. ...... . .. ... ... .... ............ .. 217
1X
Phase Shift .......... . ............................... . ............................ .. ....... 221 Rebuild Failures ........................................................................... 222 Spring Diameter ............................................ . . . . .. ... .. .............. . .... 222 Methodology ...... ... ....... . ... ....... . ... . ............ ... .. . ........................... 223 Case Study: Wheel Assembly . ............................... . .. . .. . ........................... 225 Question........ . . . . .. . . ............ ..... ....... . ...... . .. .. .. . .. . . ... ...... . . ...... ...... 225 Storyboard . . . ............. ..... . .. . . ... . ..... . ....... . . . ...... .... . ................ . ..... 226 Driving the Motion ... . .... . ..... . ......... ... .... . ......... ..... .... . ..... . .... . .......... 228
r ___ -
Chapter 9: Physics-based Motion Physics-based Motion .. . . ..... . . . .. . ........ . ........................ . .. . ................... .. 234 Topics .... . ..... . .... . .. . .. . .... . .... . . . ..... .. ......... ... . .... . .................... . .... 234 Terminology .............. . .. . .......... . .......... . ... .. ......................... . .... . .. 234 Motion Solutions .......... .................. ............................... ............... 235 Animation of Physics-based Simu lations .............. .. ..... ................. . .... . .......... . . 236 Driving Motion .............. . . . . . . . . ..................... .. ... . .. . ... . .. . . .. . .......... ... . ... 236 Motors ... .. . ..................... ......... . .... . ...... .... . .............................. 236 Mates .. . ..... . ...... ..... ........... . ... . ... . .. . .......... .. .. . ......... . .. .. ............ 237 Redundant Mates . ..... . .. . ....... .. ...... .. ....... . ... ..... . .... . . .. . . ... . . . .. . ... ....... 237 Mot ion Study Properties ...... . . ... ..... . .............. ............... . . ..... . .. . ...... . .... .. 238 Case Study: Ball Sorter ... .. . . . .. .. . .. .. . .... . ............ ... ... . . . . ..... . ... .................. 239 Storyboard .. . . . . . . . . .. . .. . .. . . . ..... . .... .. . ... .. ........ . . . . . . . ........ . ................ 239 Gravity . ..... .......... . ..................... . ....... .......... . ... ............... . ........... 240 Contact ............... .. ........... . ................... . ........ ... ......... . ................. 241 Contact Groups ............ . .... .................. ....................... . ................ 242 Change t he Animation Speed .................. ....................... .. ................... 244 Limitat ions ....... ......... .. ....... ... . .................... .. .... . . ........ .. . ........... . ... 245 Mates .......... ... .... . .. . .... . ..... . ...... ..... ..... .... . .... . ........ .... . .... ... ... .. . 245 Motors ..... . ......... . ..... . ..... . ............. . ....... .... . ..................... . ....... 245 Damping .... . .. ..... .. ......... ........................ .. ......... . ...... ... .. .. ... ....... 245 Force .. . ... . . . . . . . . . ... . ................ ... ........ .. . . . ... . .. ........ . . .... . ........... .. 245 Contact. .................... .. .... ............. ...... . ..... . .. . . . .... . . ........ . ...... . .. . 245 Contact Friction ........... ............... . . ............. .. ......... . ..... . ........ . . ...... 246
----
'-:
r __
,--- '-:::,j,.._
- .a ,. . . - - .- c- -''- c~c
5:::
·'·-· •c
Sc '-
xi
- . . ....... ... 221
Coefficient of Restit ut ion ... ...... .... . ............ .. . .. ... ............. . .... . . ......... . . 246
. . .. ........ 222
Case Study: Impact .. .......... . ..... . . .. .. .......... ... .. ... ..... . ...... .. ... . . .. . .. . ......... 246
.. . .... ..... 222
Case Study: Geneva Wh eel. ........... . ............................ .... . . ........ . ............ . 248
- .. .... . . ... 223
Storyboard .. . ..... ...... ... . ............... . ....... ... ... . . ....... ... ..... ....... .. . . . ... 248
.. . . .... .. .. 225
Contact Options ........ . ..... _. . _. . . . . ................... . .. . . _.......................... 250
- . . ......... 225
Restoring Force .. . .. .... .... . ............................... . ............................. 252
. .. ........ . 226
Combining Motion.... ........ ................................. . ............................... 256
-- . .. . . . . ... 228
Case Study: The Bouncing Ball ........... ........ ... .... ...... ... .. .......... . ................. 256 Storyboard . ....................... .................... .. . . .... _..... . .......... . ..... . ... 257 Springs .............................. ...... ........... .. .. . ..... ... .. ... ...................... 258
--- .. ... . . .. 234
Translational Spring ....... ... ... . ..... . .... . .... .. .... . ..... .. ....... .. .. . ....... . . .... . ...... 258
- ... .... .... 234
Magnitude of Spring Force . . ....................... . .... ... . . . . .. . ..... . ........... . . . .. . . 259
.. . ..... ... 234
Damping ....... . .......................... ..... .............. . . . . .. .. . .......... . ......... 261
- - - ....... .. 235
Creating a Spring ... . .. ....... . . .... ..... .. . ..... . .... . . . ....... .......... .. . . . .. . .. . ... .. 262
-- · ... . ..... 236
Importing Simulation Results . ...... . . . .. . .................... .. .... . .... .... .... . .... . ........ 263
-- · . ........ 236
Errors ..... ... .......... ...... .. .... ....... .......... . ....... .. . ........ ... .. ...... . ...... 267
- . . . ........ 236
Complete the Spring Part. . .... ............. .... .............. . ......... . . . .... . . ..... ..... 267
-- . ......... 237
Physical Dynamics ..... .............. ...................................... . ... ........ .. .. .. . 268
- - .... ...... 237
Capturing the Screen ..... .. ...... ... . ............... ... ....... .... ...... .............. ........ 268
-- .. ....... . 238
Image Capture .. .. ... .. .... . . .......... . . .. . ..... . . ......... . . . ...... . .. .. ................ 268
--- . ........ 239
Record Video .............. . ..... . . . ..... .. ................ .. .... . ............. .. . .. . ... .. 268
- - .. .... .... 239
Case Study: Physical Dynamics . ..... ............. . ....................... ... .. . . . . ..... ....... 269
- -- ...... . .. 240
An imating Gears . ... ..... ... . .. .... .. . ..... . . . .. . . ................. .................... ... 270
-- .. .. ...... 241
Case Study: Fly-Ba ll Govern or . ...... ...... .. ....... ................. . . . ... . . ... ... ... ... ...... . . 271
. .. .... .. . . 242
Storyboard ... . ............... .............................. . . . . . .. . ... . .... . . . ..... ..... .. 271
-· ·· · . .. .. .. 244
Animation Approach. . .. . .. .. ...... . .. . ....... . .... . .. ... .. .. . ... . ..... .. . ........ . ......... 271
-- - · .. . ..... 245
Mates .. . ... . ..... . .................... . ................ . .. ......... . .. .......... . ........ 272
-- -- -- . ..... 245
Calculating Physics-Based Motion Studies .. ... .................. . .. . ........ .. ................ . .277
--- ... ..... 245
The PhysX Solver ... . ... .. .............. . ... .. .................. . .. . ......... . ....... . .....277
·- - ...... ... 245
SolidWorks Motion Solvers ............ ................. .. . .. .... . ... .. . .. . . ............... 280
. .. ..... .. .. 245
Which Solver? ............ .. ........ . .. _.. . ...... . .. ... ... .......... . ............... . . .... 280
· -· ......... 245 ·- - ·· ·· .. ... 246
xii
--------------------------------------------- ------ -- -Chapter 10: Alternate Methods Alternate Met hods ... . ................................ . .... . .................................. 282 Topics .............. . ............ .. .............. . .. . .... . ............ . . ..... . ............ 282 Planning the Animation .. . ........... ... .................. . ....... .... ..... .. . ............. 282 Case Study: Fly Ball-Governor... .. ....................... ... ... . ..... .. .... ..... . .. . ... ........ 283 Alternate Approach ............................................ . . ... .. . ..... . ....... . ......... 284 Case Study: Bouncing Ball ........ . .............. . .. ... ..... . .. . .... ... ... .. ........ . .. . ....... 286
___ -
..._ ~ ; u::.:::
.._.
Oscillating Motors ... . ......... .... . ........... . .... . ...................... ..... .. ...... . ...... 286 Motors Driven by Expressions ............................... .... ... .... ... . ............ . .. .. .. 288 Operators ..... ... .. .. .... . ........... . .............. .... . .... .. ....... ..... .... .... ...... 288
--- -..-.5
-~ -
Mathematical Functions ... . .......... ....... ... .. ................. .... ...... ..... ...... .. . 289 Variables and Constants ........ .. .................... . .. . ................. ... ... .. . ....... 290
'.' ---
Driving Expression .............. ... . ................. ................ . . ... ................ 291 Syntax ........................... ................ .... . .......... . ............ .. .......... 291 What Is the Best Way to Animate? ....... ........... ................ . ........ ........ . . ........ 294 Case Study: Arbor Press .... .. ... . ............................. ... ... ... . . .......... . . ...... . . . 295 Storyboard ................................. .. .......... .. .. . .............. ... .. .... ...... 295 Method 1-Point-to-Point .. .... ... . .. . . ............ . .... ....... .. . ..... . ... . ..... . .. . ..... 296 Method 2- Mates..... . ............ . ...... . ..... . .. . .... ..... . .... . .... .. . . .. . .. .......... 298
-=
Method 3-Motors ...... .. . . . ........................ ... ... .. .. . .. .... . .... . .... . ......... 301
.=
Method 3- Motors (continued) .... .. . ....... ......... . ........... . . . ....... . ..... . ..... . .. 304 Method 4-Basic Motion . . ...... .. ............... . . ..... .. .. . ... . .............. .. ......... 304
C2se S . .
·=
The Law of Simplicity ... . ....... ..... . ............ .. ....... . ............ ....... .. . ..... .. ..... 307
r __
.... ::.
Chapter 11: Introduction to Cameras
.=
Introduction to Cameras .. ... ........ ... ................... .... . .. .. . .. ............. . .... . ..... 310
'
Topics ................. .. ... ....... . . ..... . .. . .... ..... ... ................ ..... . . . .. ... . ..... . 310
Ccse ::: ..._
Camera Terms . .... . .. .. .. . ..... . ........ . ...... . . .. ..... .. .... . ... .. . . ..................... .. . 311 Camera Rotation ... ... ........... . ......................... . . ............. . .... . ........... 311
C.:se 5::.
Camera Translation . ... ... .. . . ..... . . . .......... . .... . ... ........ . . ... . . .. ..... .. ..........312
St c:"lc2-:
Positioning and Aiming Cameras .. ... .. .......................... . . . .. ... . ........ .. . . .... . .....312
)ep:- ::.::
Camera Aiming Methods . .... .. ....... . ........ . .... . ....... .. ... .. . . ..... . . ..... . ......... 313 Adding a Camera ............. . ........ . . ... . . .. ......... . ................. .. .. . ................313
C.:se 5:
xiii
--· . ..... . .. 282 -- -. . . . . .... 282 -·· . . .. .. ... 282 -·· . .. . ..... 283 -· · · . ....... 284 -· · . . ....... 286 ... .. . . .. ... 286 --- ·· · .. . .. . 288 -· · · · ....... 288 -·· . . .. ... .. 289 -·· . .. ...... 290 --- ... ...... 291 ... . . ... . ... 291 -- · . .... . . . . 294 - .. . . . .. . ... 295 - ·· . .. . ..... 295 --- · . . ...... 296 -- -· . . . ..... 298 -· · . ........ 301 ·-· . ........ 304 -- · . .. . . . .. . 304 , -- · · . . ...... 307
.. . .. ...... . 310 .. . .. ...... . 310 -- . .. .. . ..... 311
-- -. . ... . .... 311 -- .. .. . ..... .312 -- -.. .. .. .. .. 312 "".. ...... .. .313 -. -. ... . . .. . .313
Camera Options ................... . .... . .................................... . ... . ..... . ....... 314 Target Point Position, and Rotation . . .... . ... . . . .......... .... .. . . . ....... .. . .. . .. . ... . . . .. 314 Aiming the Camera ................. . . .... ... . . . ........................ . .. .. . . .. . ...... . .. 314 Locking t he Camera Position ........ . . ..... .. .. ........... .. . . .. . ... . ..... .. . . . ... .. .. . . . . .. 315 Camera Motion Controls .... . ...... . .................. .. ....... . . . ... .... ............ . ... .. 315 Definable Camera Properties ...... .. ..... . ... . ......... . .......... .. ....... . . . ....... . . . .. 316 Case Study: Introduction to Cameras ............. . ....... . .. . ....... . ..................... . .. . .. 317 Camera Position and Target . . .......... . ......... .. ............. . .... . ......... . . . ............ 318 Pe rcent Distance along Selection ... . . . . . .... ........ . .. . ... . . .. . ....... . ..... . .. .. . . . . . . .. 319 Editing a Camera ......... . .... . . . .... . .......... . ........................ .. ...... . ...... . . ... . 322 General Sequence ... .. . . . . . . . ...... . ................ . ... .. ......... . . . ...... .. ....... .. ... 322 Multiple Cameras .... .. ... . . . ........ . . . ....... .. . . ............. . ........ .. ...... . ...... . . ... . 322 Show/Hide Cameras .... . .......... . ......... . ....... . ...... ... .. . ..... . .. .. .. . .. . . . . .. ... 322 Cameras in an Animation ..... . .... . .. . .. . .................. . . ........ . . . ......... . ....... . .... 324 Switching a Camera On ........ ... . . .. ... .. .. . . . . . ..... . ... . . ... ... . . ...... . . . . ... . ... . .... 324 Locking the Camera Posit ion ... . . . . . . ..................... . .......... . ... . . .. . . ... .. ... .. .. 324 Camera Properties ........ . ... .. . . . . .. . ............ . .... . . . .... . .. . . . . ... . . .. . . ... .... . ... 328 Camera Lenses ......... . . ....... . . . .. . ................ . ........ . . . . .... .. . . .. . .. .... . . . . . 328 Field of View . . . ...... .. .. . ........ . ............... .... . . . .. . .. . .. . .. ... . . . ... . ........ . .. 329 View Rectangle ......... . ........ . . . . . . .. . . .. . .... ... . . . . .. .. ........ . .. . .... . . ........ . .. 329 Size of Field .. . ......... . .. . ...... . ......... . . .. . ..... ... . ..... ... ... .. .... . .... . ....... .. 329 Case Study: Camera Lenses .... . .... . ..... . .......... . . ........... .. ... . ... . ... . . .. . ... . . .. . ... 330 View Rectangle .. ....... . ... ...... ......... . .. ......... .. . ........... . ........ . . . . .. .. . ... 334 Camera Roll ... . .......... . ......... . ....... . . ........ ............ . . ... . .. .. . . . .. . ..... . .. 335 Camera Aspect Ratio .... . . .. . . . . . ... . .......... . .......... .. ............ . ............... . . 337 View Area ... . . . .. ... .. ................ .. ............. .... .... . ..... .. ................... . 343 Case Study: Camera Movements . .. . . .......... . .... . .. . ...... . .. .. ..... . .. . ... . . .. ............ 344 Apparent Depth ...... . .......... . ......... . . ..... ... ... ........... ..... ..... .... ... . ..... . . . .. 349 Case Study: Apparent Depth ..... . .. . . ... ... . . . . ... .. . . . .. .. ..... .. .. . .. .. . .... .. .. . . . ......... 349 Standard Lens .... . ......... . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . .... . .... . .... . ........... . .. . . . ........ . .. . . .. 353 Depth of Field .......... . ... . . ...... . .. .. . . . .. . .. .. . . . . ..... . .. .. . ...... . ... . ...... . ..... ... . . 354 Use of Depth of Field . .... ... . . . ..................... . ...... . .... . ........... . ......... ... 354 Case Study: Setting Depth of Field .. . .. . ....... . ... .. .. . . ..... .. . ................. . . . . .. .. . .. .. 355
xiv
Animation Speed .. ..... ... . ................................................. . ............. 362 Rendering Quality ......................................................... . ............... 363
Chapter 12: Walk-through Animations Using Cameras in Animations ............................. .... ...... . ........... . .............. 366
- -c=-:
Topics . ....... . ......... ............................... .... ... ...... ..... . ................ 366 Case Study: Walk-through Animations ............................... .... .. . ...... . ............. 367
=>-
=
Storyboard ............... ................ ... ....... ............. . . . .. .. . ......... . . .. . ... 367 Editing th e Target .. . . ..... .. . . ....... . . . ..... . .. . ... ... ... . .... . .. .. .................... .. 369 Smooth Camera Motion ................. . ........................... . ........... .... ....... 371 Case Study: Walk-through with a spline path .................. ... ............................... 372 Storyboard .... ... .......................................................... . .. . .......... 372 Create Intermediate Point s ............................ . .. . ................ ........... . .... 375
-= =
Walk-through Funct ion ........ . .......... . .... .. . . ...................................... . .... . 377 Walk-through Interface ............ . ................ . .. . . . . . . ............................. . 378 Walk-through PropertyManager ......... ........ ... ... .. . ... . . .. ........................... 378
Cha
Walk-through Control Panel. ............. . ............. . ... .... . ... .. .... .. . .. . . ... . ....... 379
-~-
Walk-through Controls ............... ....... .... .. . . ...... . . ..... .. ........ ... ............ 380 Walk-through Mini Panel. .. ... . .... ........... ... .. . . . . .. ... . . .. .. . .. . . ................. .. . 381 Case Study: Walk-through Function ... . .... . .... . ..... ...... .... . . .. . .. . . .... .. .... .. .. ........ 382 Storyboard ... . . ............. .................... . .. . ................ .................... . 382 Reset. ... ............... . .... ............................ . .. ...... .. . ... . . ... .. .. ... ...... 382
--.:
Saving the Walk-through ................................. ..... ............................ 384
Chapter 13: Using Camera Sleds in Animations Using Camera Sleds in Animations .... . .... . ........ .. .. ........................... ... . .. .. .... 386 Topics .... . .... . ... ..... ............................. ... .. . .......................... .. ... 386 Camera Sleds ... . .. .... . ..... .. .......................... . ... .... ... . .. .. . .... . .. . . . .......... 386 Creating a Camera Sled.... . . ... . ............................... . .. . ....... . .... . ... .. .... ..... 387 Case Study: Camera Sled ......... .... .. ... . .. . . .. . . . ..... .......... . ..... . .. .............. . .. . 387 Storyboard ...... .... .. .... . ................... . .... . ... ... . . .. ... ........ .. . ..... . ... . . .. 388 Additiona l Practice ............. ......................... . ................................. 393 Case Study: Hitchcock Effect ... .... . .............. . ......... . .. . .. . ..... .. . ... . .. . . ........... 393
__ ...,_
,-
. -=--
XV
·- - · ... .... .. 362
Lens Focal Length..... .. . .............. . .......... . ............. .. .................. . .. . .. 397
·- · .. ........ 363
Focal Length vs. View Area . . .......................... . ... . .... ..... .............. ... . .. .. 398
Chapter 14: SolidWorks Motion
·· ··- ........ 366
Chapter Scope ..... ... . . .... . . ..... .. .. ... .. . . .. . . .. . ................ . . ...... . .. . . . .. ...... . .. 402
·· ·-- .. - . . ... 366
Topics ....... . . . .. ...... .. . ......... . ... . .. . . .... ..... . .. ... .. .. . . .. . ... .. .. .. . . .......... 402
, .. .. ...... .. 367
SolidWorks Motion ........ .... ..... ...... ... ... . .. . .... . ....... . .. . ... .. .. . . . . .. . . ............ 402
-- ·· ........ 367
Motion Analysis Study Type ........ . . . .. ....... .... . .. ....... . ... . ................... . .... 402
-- · .... ..... 369
Why Motion Analysis for an Animation? .......... . .. ... . .. . .......... . .. .. . . ... . . .......... 403
. - - . .. ... .. . .. 371
When to Use SolldWorks Motion .... . ............. . .......... . ..... . .... . .......... . ........... 407
·- -- .. . .. .... 372
Case Study: Fly-Ball Governor.. . ... . . . . .... ........ .. .................... . ... .. ................ 407
-- .. . ..... .. 372
Alternate Choices ...... .. ........ . . ..... .. .... . ......... . .. .. . . .... ... . . . . .... .. .... . ..... 409
- - . ......... 375
Review ... .. ....... . .................. . .............. .. .. . . ................... . . . . .... . .... . .. 410
· -- · ........ . 377
Summary of Motion Drivers . ......... .. .... . ..... . .. . . . .. . .. . ....... .. ................ .. ....... 411
-- - - ..... .. . 378 · - ·· .. ...... 378
Chapter 15: Output and Post-Processing
--- · .... ..... 379
Output and Post-Processing . ...... . . .. . ...... . . .. . ... .... . .. . ....... . .. . .......... . . .. . . ... ... 414
--- - ......... 380
Why Post-Processing? ... ......... .. .... .. . . . .. ......... .. ..... . ........ ... . . .. . ...... . .... 414
- -- .. ....... 381
Video Editing ........ . .... . ......... . .......... . ........ ... ......... . .. . .. . . .............. 414
-- - . ....... . 382
Topics ...... ... ....... . ............. . ... ... ............ ... ... ... ... ........ . . . ........ .... 414
--· .. ... .... 382
Animation Output ....... . .... . . .. . .. . ... .... . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . .. ..... .. . . .. . . . .... .. ....... 415
, ___ .. ....... 382
Post-Processing Functions.. ....... . . . .. . .. . .. . . . ..... . .. . . . . ... . . . . . . ... . ...... . ........ .. 415
-- ·· · . . .. .. . 384
Video Editing Programs .. . . . .. ... . ............................................................ .417 External References ......... . ...... . ...... . ... .. .... . ....... ... .... ...... . . ......... . ......... .417 Timellnes ...... . ........... ... ....... .... ................. .............. .. .... . ..... . ......... 418
-- - . ........ 386
Video Compression ........ ...... . ...... .. .......... ... ............ . ................ . .. ....... 418
·- · . ....... . 386
Transitions ......... .. . . . . . . ................... .... .... ............ . ......... . ...... . ..... . ... 419
-- - .. ... . ... 386
Titles and Annotations . . .................................... . .. . .......... . ........... . ... . ... 419
- -- .... . .... 387
Looping.. . ............ . ..... . .. . . . . . . . ... . .. .................... . ............................. 420
·- ·- .. ....... 387
Parallel Processing . ........ . ..................... .. . .............................. . .. ........ . 420
-- -· .... .... 388
Frame Rate ... . ..... .. ......... . .......... . ..... .. ... . ............. . .. . ....... . ............... 421
.. .. .. ... .. .. 393
Rendering Efficiency ........ . ... . . . ..... ..... . .... ....... . . .. . . .... . . . ... . .. . . . ... ... ......... 421
-- -· .. ....... 393
Render to AVI or Images? .... . ....... . .. .. ... . ............... .... .. . ..... .. .................. . 422
xvi
Case Study: Animations f rom Rendered Images . ............... . . ................... . ... . . . ..... 423 Other Choices . . . . ... . . ............ .. . .. . .. ............. .... . . ....... . . . ..... .. .. .. . ....... 427 Case Study: Post-Processing ............ . .. . . . ............... . ..... . . . .. . ......... .. . .. .. . ..... 428 Storyboard .. . ..................... . .............................. . .... . .......... . .. . .... 428
c: --
C=s= :·
Create The First Clip ................ . . .... .......... . ................ . ........ .... ........ 430 Create the Second Clip ..... . ....... . .. . ................... . . . ........ . . . .................. 431 Create the Third Clip . .................. .. ........... . ....... . .. . .. . .............. . .. . ..... 433 Post-Pr ocessing . . . . ... . . ....... .. . . . . . . .... .. . ..... .. ... . . . . .. .... . . . ... .. . . . .... . .. . . .. . 433 Windows Live Movie Maker ............... .. .... . ............. . . . .. . .......... . .. . .. . . ... . ..... 434
-..
Windows Movie Maker .. . ....... . ..... . . . .......... . ..... . . . .................... . ......... 435
-.J
Aspect Ratio ............. . ............... . ..... . .................................. . .. . .. . . 436 Use of Transitions . ............ . ... . .................... . ... . . . ........ . . .. . .. .. .. . . . . . ... 439 Consistency .. .. . .. . .... ... ......... . . . . . ... . . ..... . .. . . . . . .... .. ... . ....... .... .... . ..... 441 Finish t he Movie . .. ... . . .. .... . ........ . . .. . ........ . ... . . . . . .... . . . ...... . . . ... . .. . . . . ... 441
Chapter 16: Advanced Topics and Problems Advanced Topics ....... . ....... . ... . . ........ .. ............. .. .. . ......... . ........ . ..... . ... .444 Topics ... .. ... . ... .. .......... .. .... . . ... . . .... . ... .... .. . . .. ........ ... .. . ........ . ...... 444 Configurations fo r Animations . . . . .. . . ... .. . . . . . . . ....... . . .. .... . ... . . .. . . . .. .. .. .. .... .. . . ... 445 Case Study: Hand Punch ........ . . . ... . . . . .. . . ..... . .... . ... . . . . .. ... . .......... . . .. . . ......... 445 Storyboard ................ . ............ . ........................... . ..................... 446 Clip 1: Assemble t he Punch ..................................... . ......... ... ............. . ..... 447
==-
Limit Mates... . ............ . ....... . ..... . ....... . ........ . . . ..... . .... . ...... .. .. . . . ..... 447 Establishing Shot ... . . .. . ....... . ... . . . . . ........... . ...... . .. . . . ...... . ... . ............. . 451 Clip 2: Show Assembly Action . .. . .. . .... . . .. .. . . .. ....... ... . .. . ... . .. . ....... . . . . . . . .. . . .... . . 453
:: Q
Dynamic Section Cuts ... ......... . .... . ... . . . .............. . .................. . . ... ... ........ 453
S..-..a
Clip 3: Change Punch Tip and Die ......... .. ................ . ... . ... . ....... . .. . ... . . . . . ... . .... 459 Changing Configurations ........................................ .. .................... .. .. .. .. .459 Lock Mates ... . . . .. . ..... . ....... . .. . . .. . . .... . ....... . .... . ... . .......... . ... . ...... . ... .460 M ates ... .. ... . . ..... ......... .. . . . .. . .. . .......... .... .. . .... . ....... . ... . ...... . .... . ... 461
Chap1
Clip 4: Cut Sheet Metal . .... . . . . . ..... . . . . . . ..... .. . . ... .. . . .. . . . . ..... .... . .. . .. . . . . .. .. . ..... 465
In-Cor
Positioning Strategy .............. .. . . .. .. . .. .. . . . . ...... . ... . .......... .. .... . ........ .. .466
:..
Motion Paths ............. .. ....................................... . . . .................... 467
::c.se 5:
xvii
-. - .... ... . .. 423
The Animation Series ....................... . .... . ... .. . . . .. . . .... . . .. ... .... . . ... . .... . ... 469
.. - . ..... .... 427
=>est-Processing...... . ...... ... .. . . .. .. . .... . ....... . .. . ............. . . ...... . ....... . . .. . . ... 469
--- - .. ....... 428
St r oboscopic Effect ....... . ......... . ........ . . . ........ . ....... . .......... . .... . . ... .. ... . ... 473
-·· · .. ....... 428
C:ase Study: Stroboscopic Effect . . .... . ................... . . . .. .. ... ..... ................. .. ... 474
-- · . . .. . .. ... 430 ... .......... 431
Stroboscopic Rate . . ..... ... ....... . .................. ... . ........ ......... .. .. . .... . .... . 475 Calculating Frame Rate ...... .......... .. .. . ..... . ..... . .... . .. ... ............ . ......... . .. 477
--- .. . ....... 433 . . . ... .. .. ... 433
: hains . ..... .. .... . .... . .................. . .................. . .................. . . . . . ......... 478
-- .. . ...... . -434
Chain Animation Considerations .. . ....................... ....... ............. . ............ 479
--- . ..... . ... 435
Troubleshooting the Chain ..... . ........................................................... 483
--- - .. - .. ... -436
Driving the Motion ..... ....... ......................... . .................. . .............. . 487
-- .. . .. ... . .. 439
M aking the Animation Longer ...... . . . .. .. . . .. . . .. ........ . ..... . .............. . . . . . . .. ... . 487
--- .... . ..... 441
Physics-Based Solution ................ . .......... . ....... ................ ........ . .... ... . 488
-.. .. ...... .. 441
3elts ..... . . . . .......... .. .... .. ....... .. .. . . ..... .. .... . ........ .......... ... . ..... .......... 490
Chain Animation Setup ..... . ..... . ....... . .. . ... .. ..... . .... . .... . .... . . .... . ..... .. . . . ... 478
The First Law of Animations ........... . .......... . ...... .... ..... ...... ..... ...... . .. .. . .. 490 Animating t he Belt .... ... .. ..... .. .... . .............. . . ..... . ............... . ...... . . . . . .. 493
-- - -- --------444
Moving the Marker . .. ......... .. .... ... .. . .. . . ... ...... . ......... ...... .................. .494
-- - ---- ..... -444
Motor Speed .......................... . .. .. ..... . .... . ... .. . ...... ...... .... ............. 495
-- - .. -.... .. . 445
=>lanetary Gear System . . ............................. . .. . .... . .. . . .. ... .. ..... . .... . . ... . ..... 497
--- --··· ···· -445 ... . .. ....... 446
Storyboard .... ........... ............................. .. . . . . ........................ . .... 497 Preparatory Work .... . ......... . ..... . . . . . . . . .... . .. . .... .. . . .... . ..... . .... . ..... . ... . ... 498
--- --... .. ... 447
Mating Gears . . . . . . . . . ... . .... . .... .. . . . .. . .. . . .. . . ...... . .... . .... . ..... . ................ 500
--- - . .. ...... 447
Capture Appearance Settings ... . . .. ... .... . ..... . .... . .... .. .... . .... . ........ ........ . ... 505
-- -- -........ 451
Case Study: Shadow Study ....... .. ... . . .............. ......... . . .. .. .. .... ... ... ........ . .... 506
-- - . ... ...... 453
Display Considerations . .. . . . . . ............. . . ... . . .. . ........ .. . . ....... . ..... ...... . ..... 507
-- - .- .-.- ... . 453
Shadows in ReaiView . ...... . . .. ...... ............... . ....................... . .... . .. . ..... 509
-- -- ----- . .. -459 -- - -... ... . .. 459
Moving the Lights ........ .. . ... .... ..... .... ............ .......... .......... . . . . . .. . . ..... 509 Recording the Results . ..... . . ... .. .. ...................... ................. .............. . .512
-- -- .. . ..... .460 -- -..... . -... 461 ... . . . ..... .. 465 - -- ---- .. - .. .466 -· . . ..... .... 467
Chapter 17: Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling Animations Using In-Context Features .... . .............. . ...... .. ... . ..... . ..... . .......... .. .. 516 Case Study: Pencil Sharpener .. ..... .... ... . ..... .. .... .. ... ... .. ....... . .... . ..... . ........ . .. 516
xviii
Storyboard ...... .. . . ....... ... .... . .. . ................ . ... . . . .... . .. . ......... .. ... . .... .. 517 Plan the animation .. . . .... ....... .. . .. .. ... . ... .... . . . . .. ... . . . ... .... . . .. ... .... . . . .. .. ... 518 Preparation Work ............... . .... . .... . .......... . . . .... . ... .. . .... . .... . ... ... ....... 519 Assembly Cut .... .... .......... . ..... . . .. . . . . ... .. ......... .. .... . ... . . .. .. . . . .. .. ........ 520 Animate Appearances . ..... .... .... . . ..... .... ...... ... . . .. . . .. .... . . . .. ... .. . . . . ... ..... . 526 Pencil Appearances ... ..... . . . .. . . . ... . . .. ....... . .. . ..... .. ... . . . .............. . ... ... ... 527 Viewpoints ...... .. .. . ... . . . .. . . . ..... . . . . . . ..... . .... . .... . . . ..... .... . . . . .. . . .. ... . .... . 527 Lengthening Your Animation ... . .. ... . . ... . .. .. . . .. . . . .. .. . . . . . .. . .... .. ....... . . .. . . ...... 530
= '==-
Case St udy: Jigsaw ........................ . ...... .. .. . ...... .. ............. . . .. ............... 532 Storyboard . . . . . . . . . .. .. . .. ...... .. . ... .. ....... . . .. ... . ... . ....... . . .. . .. .. . .. . . ... .... . . 532 Procedural Appearances .. . . .... .... .. . ..... .. ....... .... .... . .... . .... . . . .. . .. . ... . .. .. .. . .. .. 533 Assembly Cut ... .. ......... .. ......... .. ......... . ............. . .. . .. ... .. . . . ...... . . . . ... 535 Assembly Changes . ........ .. ... . ..... . .. . ..... . .. .. ..... . . . .... .. . .... . .. ... .... ........ . 536 Animation of the Jigsaw Blade ... . ..... . .. . . ... . . .. .. . ....... .. . . . . . . .... .. .. .. .. ... .. ... .. 537 Bending Parts ......... .. ....... . ... . .... . . . . . .. .. .... . . ........ . . ......... .. ..... . .. . ....... . . 542 Case Study: The Pipe Bender ... .... ...... .... . . ..... ... . . .... ..... . . . . . . .... . ... . . . . .. .. .... . . 542 Sto ryboard . . ... ... ........ .... ..... ..... ... . .. .. . . .... . . .. .. . .... . ... .. . . . . . . ... .. . . ..... 543 The Pipe Part ..... . ......... . .......... . .......... . ... . .. . ... . ...... . .. . ........ . . . ....... 544 Case St udy: The American Flag .. . . ... ..... ... ...... . . .. ..... ... .. .. . .. . . . . . . .. . .. . . .... . . .. . . . 550 The American Flag ........... . .. . ...... . ............ . ............ .. .... . ..... . .. .... ...... 550 Sheet Metal Features . . .... . . . . .. . ... .. . . ...... .. . . ....... . . ........ . . .. ... .. .... .. ....... 552 Case Study: SolidWorks Flag... ..... . ......... ...... ... . . . .. ....... . . ... ... . ... . . .. . ... . . . ... . . 553 Rect angular Flag . . . .... . ..... . ... .. . .. ....... . .......... . . .......... . ....... . . ........ . ... 556 Case St udy: Cable Winding Off a Reel ....... . . . .................. .. .... ... . . ....... .. . . . . ..... . 558 Storyboard . . . . . . ..... .... . . ............... .. .. . .... . . .. . . . .. .. .. . .. . . . . .... . ..... . ...... . 558 Cable Solution Method ...... .. . ... . .. . .. . ...... ... .... ..... . ... ...... ..... ... . . ... . .. . .... 558 Creating t he Cable .. .. . ..... .... .. .. . ...... ..... ... ........ ... .... .. ...... ..... .... ...... . 559 Mate Function . . . . .. .... .. . .... .... . .. .. . .. ... .. . . . . . . . ... . ... . ...... . ... . .... ... ....... . . 561
Chapter 18: Tips and Tricks for Better Animations Putting It All Together ..... ....... ... .. .. . . .... .... . .. ... ....... . .. .. ... . ... . .. . ..... . . . . .. .... 566 Planning .. . . . ...... .. . . ...... . ... . . ...... .. .. . .. ... ...... ... . ..................... .... ...... . . 566 Storyboards .. ...... .... ....... .. . . ..... . . .. . . ... ...... . . . . . ...... ... . . .. . . .. .. . ...... . . .... . .566
I
-::::r -
xix
- .. ..... .... .517
Animation Length ..... .......... . . ............................. ..... ...... . ............. . ..... 567
.. .. ... . .. .. 518
Lengthening Your Animation ... . .. ..... . ............. .. . ... .... ... . .... . . . .. .. .. ..... . ..... 567
- . .. ... ..... 519
Organization ... .. .......................... .......... .............. . .... . ... ...... . . . . ........ 567
.. .. ... ... .. 520
Separate Assembly for Animation ........... . ... ............ . ... ............ . ........ . .... . 568
... ... ..... . 526
Mates .......................................... . ............... . .. . . . . ................... 568
.. .. . . ...... 527
Frame Rates ... . .. .. ............ . . .... . .. .. . . . .... .................... ...... ........ . ..... 568
.. ....... .. . 527
Post-Processing...... .. ............. . . .. . ... ........ ................................. ... ...... 569
- .. ......... 530
Viewpoints/Cameras .... . . .... . .. . . . ..... . .................................. . ................. 570
.... .. ..... .. 532
Camera Tips ............. ... .................... . .... . .... .. ................... ......... . . 570
. -- . ......... 532
Establishing Shot . . .. ........ . ............. . ........... ... ................................. 571
--- · · ... .. . .. 533
Tit le Shot......... ... . .......... .............. .. . . .. ........... .. . .... ... . .............. . .. 571
-· ·-· ... .. . .. 535
Credits ........ ...... ... .... . .......... . ................ . ... . . . ... ... .................. . . . .571
-· · .. . .. ... . 536
Rendering Efficiency ... . .......... . ... ... .................. . ....... . ..... . ..................... 571
-- . . .. ..... . . 537
Do It t he Easy Way ........ . ..... . ......................... . . . . .. . . . . ..... ........ .. . .. . ....... 572
•. .. ..... . . .. 542
When Is t he Animation Finished? ......................... ..... . ............................ 573
-- . .. ....... . 542
Consistency.... ................... ... . .. . . ... . .. . . . . ........ . .. .. ..... . ....................... 573
--· . ...... . .. 543
Large Assembly Animations .................................... .. ............ .. ............... 574
.. ... ....... 544
Animation Tips and Tricks ... . ..... . ... .. ..... . .................................. . ............. 574
.. . ..... . ... 550
The First Law of Animations . ................................... . .... . .... .. ............... 575
... . ......... 550 -- . ....... .. 552 -- .. - ..... . .. 553 -- .. .... ..... 556 -- .. . ... .. ... 558 .•.. . .... .... 558 --.. . . . .. ... . 558 .. .. ...... ... 559 -- . ..... ..... 561
·•· · · · · · · · ... 566 .. .. .... .. ... 566 --· ···- . .. ... 566
Introduction
Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Describe t he uses of the MotionManager interface. • Understand the t hree types of motion studies. • Understand the different types of motion used in animations. • Understand the three things that can be animated in a motion study. • Set options within the MotionManager.
2
Chapter 1
About This Book The goal of this book is to teach you how to create animations of SolidWorks® assemblies and save them as video files or still images. The animation capabilities of SolidWorks are robust and feature-rich so it is impractica l to cover every minute detail and aspect of the software and still have the book be a reasonable length. Therefore, the focus of this book is on the fundamental skills and concepts used to create animations in SolidWorks. You should view this material as a supplement to, not a replacement for, the system documentation and online help. Once you have developed a good foundation in basic skills, you can refer to the online help fo r information on less frequently used command options.
--
_,..., -~-
-.::-~::
5.:
Prerequisites To get the most out of this book, you should have the following:
• Basic experience wit h the SolidWorks software • Experience with the Windows® operating system Instructional Design Philosophy The chapters in this book are designed around a process- or task-based approach to learning. Rather than focus on individual features and functions, a process-based approach emphasizes the process and procedures you follow to complete a particular task. By utilizing case studies t o illustrate these processes, you learn t he necessary commands, options, and menus in the context of completing an animation.
There has been considerable effort made in this book to go beyond the "do it this way" app roach and to also cover how the software works, different methods to achieve the animation goa ls and t o compare and contrast those different methods. The idea is to be able to create the desired animation as quickly as possible. Using This Book This book is intended to be used as a self-paced, self-study course.
Obtaining a suitable animation is very subjective. You should continue to experiment with the various settings available within SolidWorks even after the case study objectives have been achieved.
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-
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-----::::.:::.. ':
Introduction
About the DVD
-:Jiies and save :c:l to cover every :~- Therefore, the -:s in SolidWorks. ::cumentation and ~:: the online help
3ound inside the rear cover is a DVD containing copies of the parts, assemblies, and other files that are used throughout this book. qunning the installation wizard on the DVD will create a directory ilamed SolidWorks Step-By-Step Guides that will have a folder for each chapter in the book. Each chapter folder will have two subfolders: Case Study and Videos. The Case Study folder contains the files used during the various chapters. - he Videos folder contains completed videos referred t o in the chapters.
earning. Rather s o:he process and c:ate these c::mpleting an • atJproach and t o s cild to compare -ation as quickly
3
-' 8 • SolidWorks Step-by-Step Guides
-" ..!.
Creating Animations with SolidWorks Chapterl
_ Chapter2 _
Chapter3
_
Chapter4
_. ChapterS ..- Chapter6 _
Chapter7
" _ ChapterS " .,. Case Study Built Parts _ Coil Spring _ Incontext
Wheel Assembly Several of the above folders have a subfolder called Built Parts. Videos ,., Whenever possible, complet ed animations are provided as _. Chapter9 additional motion studies in the assemblies included to do the case _!, Chapter 10 study. In some cases, t his cannot be done because the case study Chapterll or exercise requires additional parts to be created. To avoid confusion and missing references, a complete new assembly and set of parts are provided in the Built Parts folder representing the files as they would be at the completion of the case study. These files are always denoted by the suffix "_& :'
Images The images and screenshots in this manual were made using SolidWorks 2012 running on Windows 7. If you are running Windows XP or Windows Vista®, you may notice differences in the appearance of the ;nenus and windows. These differences do not affect the performance of the software.
Software Updates
,.,;th the various c::::hieved.
SolidWorks software is continually being updated and refined through each version and service pack. These changes become more noticeable in areas where numerical solution methods are used such as the solvers for both Basic Mot ion and SolidWorks Motion. Wh ile every effort was made t o insure that the results you get when doing the case studies are the same as those presented in the book, there may be differences due to changes in the software.
4
Chapter 1
Conventions Used in This Book This book uses the following typographic conventions: Convention
Meaning
Bold Sans Serif
SolidWorks and MotionManager commands and options appear in this style. For example, Insert, New Motion Study means select the New Motion Study option from the Insert menu.
Typewriter 17 Do this step
Feature names and file names appear in this style. For example, Tool Vise.sldasm. The numbered steps of the case studies are indicated by sans serif bold type with the numbers themselves accented in color. This helps to distinguish the step-by-step procedures from the explanatory text that is interspersed through the chapters.
--=
• lit
-'= ::..
The SolidWorks MotionManager SolidWorks MotionManager is an interface to the t hree motion study types found in SolidWorks. It is fu lly integrat ed into the SolidWorks software t o create animations and/or motion analyses from SolidWorks assemblies. The MotionManager can also work with Photo View 360 to produce photorealistic animations to add visual impact to presentations and documents. Some of the key features of MotionManager are: • Timeline
The MotionManager uses a key fra me-based interface built into a timeline. The time line allows easy access to the key frames, simplifying the editing process. • Animation Wizard
The Animation Wizard provides a simple interface for converting exploded views and phys ics-based simu lations to key frame-based animations. • MotionManager design tree
The Motion Manager design tree duplicates the assembly components and sequence of the assembly. • Output
The MotionManager can output to an AVI file or a series of image files.
::-
Introduction
5
Motion Study Purposes The MotionManager is used to create and solve motion studies. These motion studies can be created for any of three purposes: • Animations
Animations are the focus of this book. They are videos or a series of still images used to show how components move. • Interference Detection
Component motion can be used to determine int erference as parts move along their motion path. • Motion Analysis
Motion analysis is the focus of the SolidWorks Motion training course. The purpose of a motion analysis study is to determine the values of motion variables such as velocity. power. and acceleration.
History of the MotionManager The current MotionManager interface was developed to have a standard interface to control all three motion study types that are used to create animations and motion ana lysis. This came from the merging of two different product s. SolidWorks Animator and COSMOSMotion (now called SolidWorks Motion). into SolidWorks. So!idWorks. It is ·2Jyses from
Motion Study Types There are three motion study types that can be used in the MotionManager to create animations:
~::~duce
• Animation
-e:ine allows easy
This is the primary motion study type used to create animations. Components move either by setting their position at specified t imes. or by the interaction of ot her components through SolidWorks mates and motion drivers. With animations. there is no physics involved in the solution. so components have no mass. momentum. friction. or contact. • Basic Motion
2~0
physics-based
ce of the assembly.
Basic Motion is an outgrowth of physical simulation and uses features from both Animation and SolidWorks Motion study types. It can use many of the same inputs and contacts between components as SolidWorks Motion. but does not provide the ana lysis. Basic Motion is used instead of Animation for dynamic systems where the physics of the problem must be solved for a realistic animation.
6
Chapter 1
• Motion Analysis Motion Analysis is the motion analysis module and uses SolidWorks Motion. We use this motion study type when we are trying to determine such things as t he power required to move a system, or the accelerat ion of a component. Although it is not the primary intent of t he software. SolidWorks Motion can also provide animation output and can be used t o create animations when additional realism is needed for dynamic systems of mot ion.
-.e
The Animation and Basic Motion study types are part of core SolidWorks. SolidWorks Motion is pa rt of SolidWorks Premium.
What Is the Output? In general, we use Animation and Basic Motion study types to create animations. In other words, our desired output is a video or a series of still pictures, to show how something works. When we use SolidWorks Motion, our primary goal is a motion analysis to determine forces, power, loads, and the like.
Animations An animation is like a small movie. It is composed of a series of frames, or photographic images, shown in sequence to display motion. It is import ant to understand that t he focus of this book is t he creation of animations of mechanical systems using t he Animation and Basic Motion study types. We will also look at some elements of SolidWorks Motion however. we will only look at a small portion of its capabilities as they relate to creating an imations. If your focus is the analysis of mechanical motion, where you need to know such t hings as the power required to drive a mechanism or the acceleration of a component, see the training course SolidWorks Motion offered by your local SolidWorks reseller. Important! The motion products in SolidWorks are not intended to animate nonmechanical systems such as human movement or to create computer graphics (CG) movie effects.
Basic Animation Concepts What is it that we animate? If we relate our animation to a movie or video, there are only three things that change during an animation or movie: • Component position Each component in the animation can be moved t o different positions using the various too ls available. In a movie, this would be the movement of the actors. vehicles, set pieces, etc.
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.....
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Introduction
_se this motion :: 1ove a system, ~~vare,
•.::"imations when
7
• Component properties Most properties can be changed during an animation. Properties such as appearance can change the way components look on the screen, or they can be changed to make them disappear, become transparent, or become wireframe. Other common properties changed during an animation could be the intensity or color of a light. the focus of a camera, and many more. In a movie, this would be like actors changing costumes or makeup.
; '/,otion is part of
• Viewpoint Viewpoint is the position of the camera. In our animations, this can be controlled either by using SolidWorks camera s or t he standard view commands such as Pan. Zoom, Rotate, and Roll.
:::-.er words, our ',~en we use :::.:ds, and the like.
Throughout this book, we will be focusing on just those three topics and the various ways to achieve ::hem.
Basic Workflow ::ach person that creates an animation may have a different opinion as to the order in which the three :>asic items (component position, properties, viewpoint) need to be an imated. Thro ughout this book, our "irst goal in each animation will be to define the component motion as this is usually the heart of the animation and generally takes the most work. Once the components move as desired, t he appearances :till be animated. Finally the viewpoint or camera will be animated. By leaving the viewpoints until last, ·.ve will be able to change our viewpoint as needed during the first two stages in order to make sure the animation is working the way we want.
gs as the power c~-se SolidWorks -<:..,ical syst ems
o:-rty three things
.a-ious tools ces, et c.
Why Create an Animation? An animation is just a movie made with 2D or 3D computer products. If it is a video, why use the computer instead of a real camera? There are two basic reasons we use a computer to do t he animation: • The subject does not exist in the physical world. The product we are designing has not yet been built but we need to show how it will work fo r a marketing campaign, progress review, trade show or any number of other reasons. Using SolidWorks to provide t he model and one of the animation tools, we can create videos of the model t hat look like the actual product. • To add special effects that are not available or achievable in the physical world. The effects that can be created on the comput er are not limited by the laws of physics. We are only moving mathematical volumes, not actual solids, so there are things we can do on the computer that are either not possible in t he real world or require post-processing of t he video. For example, we can make a part move through space without having to hold it or attach it to a fixture. Component s can accelerate with infinite acceleration or disappear. Objects that appear to be solid can move through each other. We can also make solid objects transparent to see what is inside or behind them.
8
Chapter 1
Should We Ever Use a Video Camera? With the relatively cheap price of both video cameras and video editing software, there are cases where shooting a video may be a better choice than creating an animation. In cases where we have a physical model. making a video can be faster than creating a photorealistic animation. There may also be times when we need the mix of a product that does not yet exist physically plus interaction by people. In these cases we may want to do an animation of the product and merge it with other video. We see this in many commercial movies where actors are filmed in front of a green screen and then merged with computer-generated animation for t he final product. We also see meteorologists on news reports stand in front of a moving animation, again using a green screen.
Building Animations In many ways, animations are created just like the parts and assemblies we create in SolidWorks, that is, as a collection of small features. When we learn SolidWorks, we learn the individual commands such as Extrude, Revolve, Combine, and t hen it is up to us to apply t hese commands in the proper order and combination to create ou r parts and assemblies. Creat ing animations is similar in t hat we will learn the different tools to move components, change their properties, change our viewpoint, and edit the timeline. Once we understand these tools, it is up to us to apply them in the right order and combination to create the desired animation. Good animations are the sum total of many elements that come together to create the final result. To be able to put all the different elements together, you must first understand what each control does and its cause and effect on the outcome. Because this book is more about the animation process than the final video, many of the case studies and examples will show individua l effects in isolat ion, rather than as part of complete animation. In many places, we will discuss different approaches to achieve a given result. As in part modeling, you can get the same result with different methods and commands, so you should not look at met hods shown in this book as the "right way" to do something. Rather, the methods shown here are just "one way:' So, what is the "right way" and what is t he "wrong way"? The right way is whatever gives you the end result that you were trying to achieve. Among t he different right ways, the differences in methods may result in longer process ing time or harder edits, but once you have a suitable video, it is time to forget about those issues and move on.
Animation Results Obtaining a suitable video animation is very subjective. When we design parts and assemblies with SolidWorks, our goal is to achieve the design intent. Knowing if we have achieved the design intent is very objective and should be able to be answered with a yes or no. if 10 different people review a design, based solely on the design intent. all 10 should agree on whether or not the design intent was achieved.
-~=
Introduction
e are cases where rc i ave a physical ::'-ysically plus ::1d merge it with ::"a green screen :.e "TTeteorologists
9
...;i11ike design intent. knowing if we have achieved our goals wit h a video is very subjective. Subtile ::Jferences in the paths of the components, position of the objects against the background, smoothness ::" mot ion, camera angle, and more. can cause different people to see the output differently. If we had -J different people review our video, we might never get a consensus as to whether it meets the -;<:ended goal. .;:::Jditionally, it can t ake many more animation passes to refine the output t han it does to make a change i the part and rebuild it. Th is, coupled with the fact that recalculation t imes are genera lly longer than -ebuild time, can add up to a lot of time spent tweaking the animation to get acceptable results. .rou should cont inue to experiment with the various features and settings available within the motion even after the chapter objectives have been achieved.
s~u di es
SolidWorks, that :, ::ommands such :::&oper order and : ·;:e will learn the a:-d edit the .- 21d combination :-:e final result. To - :ontrol does and ::::-ocess than the c<::on, rather than ::J achieve a given :::;nmands, so you cer, the methods ? - he right way is :.rt right ways, the rcu have a suit able
:;semblies with ? design intent is .e review a design, :eilt was achieved.
When Is the Animation Finished? :Jeople who work in computer graphics say that their work is never done, only abandoned. There are always refinements that can be made to component positions, camera settings, color, light. What causes 11ost animations to be finished are deadlines. At some point, you must realize that all the extra time spent on the animation is not creating a proportional improvement. so you need to abandon the project and move on. This can be summed up by the following: The Law of Diminishing Returns -\t some point, more and more effort is required for smaller and smaller improvement.
Rigid Body Motion Juring animations and motion simulations, all components are rigid. That is to say they do not deform. _ater in this book, we will explore methods to create animations where components change size or shape, but we will do this through animation techniques, not by actually changing t he shape of a body.
10
Chapter 1
Types of Motion There are three different types of motion when creating animations. Depending on the components t hat make up our assembly and the way they are intended to move, we could have one. two, or all three of these motion types in our animation. • Free
Free motion only exists in the computer world where component s are only mathematical volumes that have no mass or physical boundaries. In free motion, components are directed to go from one position to another without regard for anything that might get in thei r way. Properties such as gravity, momentum, and force do not exist in free motion. Example: Play the file Free Motion .mp4 found in the Chapter l \ Videos folder. The block and ball are given both starting and ending positions where they must move diagonally across the plate. Each component moves independently of the other and they actually move t hrough each other when t hey cross.
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• Kinemat ic
Kinematic motion is based on the mates and connections between each component. Components move based on enforced or constrained motion and can only take one path even if we change the amount of force. Example: Play t he file Sarrus Mechanism. mp4 found in the Chapter l \ Videos folder. In this example, the position of each component is controlled by the mates. Changing the mass of any part, the angle of the part relative to gravity, or external loads will not change the motion.
Introduction
~compone nts that
'"'·or all three of
:atical volumes :: :o go from one es such as gravity, =:tack and ball are e :Jlate. Each ;;::~er when they
-::. Components ! ,·;e change the :;.der. ln this :ss of any part, the
11
Dynamic In dynamic motion, components interact with each other and can take different pat hs depending on input conditions, such as forces or gravity. The individual components do not have fixed positional relationships with each other. The motion of components depends upon the mass of the individual components and the applied forces. lf the mass or app lied forces change, then the motion behavior is different ::xample: In the sorting machine shown below, the balls move by gravity, contact with the machine and :::ntact with the other balls. The ba lls can interact with each other by co llision. The balls have different s:arting positions in t he two animations, so the path of each ball is different in each animation. If the < ass of any ball changes. or t he angle of the machine changes with respect to gravity, then the ::-imation changes. ::lay the two AVl files Sorter-l.mp4 and Sorter-2.mp4 found in the Chapter I \ Videos folder. You :an see that the colored balls have different starting positions and can move independently of each ::::her.
12
Chapter 1
Which Motion Study to Use With three types of motion (Free, Kinematic, Dynamic) and three motion study types (Animation, Basic Motion, Motion Analysis). how do you choose which to use? There are two primary questions that you must ask yourself: • Does the physics of the problem need to be solved? • Are there any in-context relationships that have to be solved? lf you must solve the physics of the problem. then you must use either Basic Motion or Motion Analysis (SolidWorks Motion). lf t here are in-context relationships that need to be so lved in the animation, t hen you must use t he Animation study type. If you need to solve both the physics of the problem and incontext relationships. then you will need to first solve the animation with either Basic Motion or Motion Analysis and then import the results into an Animation motion study. This technique will be covered in Chapter 9. The following table shows the choices that generally work best. These are not hard and fast rules. however, but only recommendat ions. Type of Motion
Animation
Free Motion
X
Kinematic
X
Dynamic
Basic Motion
SolidWorks Motion
X
X
There may be cases where two or three motion types are be present in the same animation. Later in t he book, we will discuss the method used to combine motion from the three study types.
~ . -~
5
~
Introduction
· ~imatio n.
Basic .estions that you
Motion Drivers ::ach of the t hree motion study types has specific tools that can be used to create motion. We will see .ater t hat many of t hese tools have capabilities in the different motion study types. For instance. a -notor can be used in all three motion study types; however. t he servo motor type can only be used in SolidWorks Motion. Basic Motion
SolidWorks Motion
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X X
X
MotionManager Pane X
- he MotionManager pane must be enabled in the toolbar listing.
:. here to Find It -.::: ion. Later in the !'S.
13
• Menu: Tools. Customize, select MotionManager Menu: View, Toolbars, MotionManager
14
Chapter 1
Procedure
Enable MotionManager. In the Customize dialog box. click the Toolbars tab and select t he MotionManager.
1
Click OK.
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Toolbors
0
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O lll
Enable CommandManager
0
0
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Introduction
15
MotionManager User Interface The MotionManager software uses a key point-based interface with a time line to define, edit, and save animations. The Mot ionManager interface appears when a Mot ion Study tab is selected.
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t tot t ttt ttt • tt tt t t tt tt t t tt tt t .. t t tt t ttt ttt t t Ht ttt t t ttt ttt t
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' - - - - Motion Study Tabs
Model Tab The Model tab is used when actua lly changing the model. and any changes affect all studies globally. Motion Study Tab The Mot ionManager allows you to create addit ional t abs 1 Modo! 1 COfi]l!eted Motionsb.Jdy 1 MotionS!!Jdy.L 1 Exploded below the graphics window. In addition to the Model and Motion Studies tabs, there could be additional tabs for Simulat ion and Design Studies. The default Motion Study tab is named Motion Study l but it can be renamed. Clicking the appropriate tab allows you to swit ch between Model and MotionManager modes. You can create multiple animations.
16
Chapter 1
Tip Click Collapse Motion Study ® to collapse the MotionManager pane to just the too lbar.
MotionManager Components
:sa
The components of the assembly are listed in t he MotionManager design t ree. Simu lation elements are also listed. The time line sits to the right of the Motion Manager design tree with t he toolbar above both of them. /
Motion Study type
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Timeline and Time Bar The timeline is a temporal interface used to display and control the sequence of events in an animation. Symbols are used to represent events at specific t ime intervals. The yellow highlight on the timeline indicates the portion that has been calculated. The time bar is a vertical line in the timeline that can be dragged to display the an im ation at any point in time. It can also be used to place an event at a specific t ime.
s /
Oseconds
10 sec I
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The slider ;--·--------·- -__ls.J60secl__···--1 also moves the t ime bar L_ J - . but it does not show changes in the animation until it is released.
Note In some video editing software, the time bar is also called the current t ime indicator or CTI, which aptly describes its funct ion.
-=~--...-.
Introduction
:~olbar.
a::ion elements are ;:;;olbar above both
Key Points .ey points t control a characteristic of a component or view at a specific time.
rge.- toolbar \!!)
12 sec I
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Key Frames and Changebars ' ey frames appear as connected strings of key points. The line : onnecting the key points is called the changebar.
~.-. ~®.~ >
/
2 sec
Tooltips -ooltips are available by floating the cursor over any key point. The ::ooltip will graphically display the current settings of the key point.
...,. .....
f+
Key point 1I
- 1e colors of the key points vary and have specific meanings see Key Points on page 57)-
17
I
I
I
I
I
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Changebar
Completed Motion Studies ::ach of the following chapters and exercises has specific assembly files that you will use to complete ::he case study. In turn, most assembly files contain one or more motion studies named Completed Motion Study and another named Motion Study 1. This motion study named Completed Motion Study contains the comp leted procedure and can be viewed for reference.
3ecause some assemblies need add itional components to be added t o create t he animation, some assemblies do not cont ain these motion studies. Instead, t he completed animations are found in t he separate assemblies provided in the Built Part s fo lders.
18
Chapter 1
Completed Videos Describing in words what should happen in a video can be difficult. Most case studies and key topics will have videos of the completed project. In one of the early steps, you will be told to play the video. The purpose will be to help you visualize what it is you are trying to achieve by doing the steps in the case study. The videos provided on the DVD will require different CODECs: • • • •
Microsoft Videol lnteliYUV codec Cinepak CODEC by Radius TechSmith Screen Capture CODEC
The first two CODECs should have been installed on your computer as part of the Windows operating system installation. If you are using a 32-bit operating system, the Cinepak CODEC by Radius will also be installed however. this CODEC is not available for 64-bit syst ems. The TechSmith CODEC can be obtained free at www.techsmith.com. If you are using the 64-bit version of SolidWorks, you must download BOTH the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of t he TechSmith Screen Capture CODEC (TSCC) from TechSmith. The reason for this will be explained later.
Right Way /Wrong Way Just as in modeling products in SolidWorks, there are many ways t o achieve a satisfactory animation. Throughout the book, we will explore a variety of methods to accomplish various tasks. Our goal is to learn multiple techniques, so there may be times when you question a method in a case study and ask "Why are we doing it this way? I think I could do it better by... :· Questioning is a good thing as it means that you are thinking about applying the techniques and are not focused on just the "picks and clicks:' So, as far as we are concerned, the "right way" to do something is a way that results in the animation you were trying to achieve. The "wrong way" is a method that does not achieve the desired result. This will be discussed again in later chapters.
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.
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Introduction
'"'d key topics will "I the video. The ii:eps in the case
19
Getting Help MotionManager help files are part of the larger SolidWorks Help. The help files shipped with SolidWorks are in HTML Help format and are also available online. This offe rs improved search and display functions, as well as a consistent look and feel with Microsoft's online help. Where to Find It • Menu: Help, SolidWorks Help • Menu Bar: click Help (!EJ
";xiows operating by Radius will th CODEC can be :
animation . i:
-, the animation =sired result. This
Knowledge Base The SolidWorks Knowledge Base is available to all customers with subscription support. It is accessed through the SolidWorks website, and can be searched by topic or keyword. The Knowledge Base contains answers to Frequently Asked Questions and Technical Tips that describe procedures for both beginn ing and advanced operations.
Creating Simple Animations Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Understand point-to-point animations. :::1
Use the Animation Wizard to create simple animations.
• Create Rotations. ::1
Create Explodes.
• Create Collapses. • Create an AVI video file of an animation.
22
Chapter 2
Animation In the Introduction we learned that there are three motion study types that can be used to create animations and that they are all controlled through the MotionManager interface. The simplest and most used of these is Animation and it will be our focus in this and the next few chapters. We use the Animation motion study type for both free motion and kinematic motion. When using the Animation motion study type, the physics of the problem are not solved and all components are just mathematical volumes that have neither mass nor solid boundaries. The resu lts of these conditions allow components to change velocity or direction instantaneously and also allow components to pass through each other without interference. Topics The topics covered in th is chapter include:
--_c--
• Exploded views Components can be exploded manually in an animation by moving and rotating them. a Storyboard The storyboard is our design intent for the animation. It is like a road map to help us plan and then guide us through the process.
.s:..
• Animation Wizard The Animation Wizard automates t he creation of three types of animation motion: rotation, explode, and collapse. ·:· Rotation The rotation option rotates the model (part or assembly) about an axis a set amount of turns. ·:· Explode The explode option takes the exploded view in an assembly and converts it to an animation. ·:· Collapse The collapse option reverses the explode settings to animate a return from the exploded state. • Save Animation Use Save Animation to generate a movie file from t he completed animation.
-~
Creating Simple Animations
23
Point-to-point (Key Point) Animations
sed to create € s implest and :::ers. We use the
.','ithin the Animation motion study type, animations are done point-to-point. As the name implies, point::::-point animations have components move from one point in space to another. Each of these locations .s captured by a key point on the timeline in the MotionManager interface. These are also called Key ::oint animations because the key points control the location of each component
o
::::nmponents are scheduled such that they are to be at point A at o seconds and at point Bat 1 second, :~c. When the animation is run, they move in a direct path from one point to the next
2l"'il.
_s plan and then
Exploded Views ,',"nen we create exploded views of assemblies, we are creating a schedule of point-to-point moves for ::-:e various components. Exploded views are a useful way to create the basic moves for some =.-.imations . .=xploded views may at first appear to be a little off-subject when talking about creating animations -·::mever, exploded views can be a source for movement in other animations and some of the tools =-·:ailable in exploded views are not found in the MotionManager.
Case Study: Exploded Views -this case study, we will create and edit a simple exploded view of an assembly and explore the basic _::-inciples of point-to-point animations.
-otation, explode,
Procedure
'::Junt of turns.
Open an assembly file. :::Jen Dart Gun Explode.sldasm from the Lesson 2 ,Case Study\ Dart Gun Explode folder.
- c:nimat ion.
Create an exploded view. '.'ake the configuration Case Study active. :::::ick Insert, Exploded View from the menu.
exploded state.
24
3
Chapter 2
Move the Arrow.
Select the Arrow part. The move t riad will appear. Drag the green arrow. Using the ru ler, move the Arrow to about SOmm. Click in the graphics area to end the step.
4 Complete second step. Select the Arrow part. Drag the red arrow. Using the ruler, move the Arrow to about 200mm. Click OK to stop adding exploded views.
Animating Exploded Views The movement of components between their collapsed and exploded views can be animated through the Animation Controller.
Where to Find It • Shortcut Menu: Right-click ExplView in the ConfigurationManager. Animate collapse or Animate explode
Animation Controller The Animation Controller becomes active whenever an Animate explode or Animate collapse is selected.
~
Animation Controller
jKJ ll> 1>1 ..
Iii
I rill IB
J
q 4-t I ~·; ~"' I ,
4.00 / 4.00 sec.
Playback Options There are several options for replaying the animation. The basic controls are essentially the same as those on the most common audio or video recorders/players: 1<1
Start
Rewind
l>
Play
II>
Fast Forward
1>1
End
II
Pause
Iii
Stop
riJI
Save as AVI
Normal
q
Loop
*
Reciprocate
Slow Play
!>XZ
... l>x;
1.76 }4.00 sec.
Fast Play Progress Bar
Important! When the Animation Controller is active (visib le). most other commands are disabled. The
Animation Controller must be closed to regain access to the commands.
--- --
._
26
Chapter 2
Review Creating an exploded view in the assembly file allowed us to quickly create point-to-point paths for both parts and assemblies. If we need mult iple paths for components t hat explode along t he same direction. we have the auto-space tool, which is not available elsewhere. We will see that starting wit h an exploded view can be very helpful when a lot of individual paths are needed in the animat ion. When creating the exploded views. all the mates were ignored and not solved. There were things that cou ld not be done when creating an exploded view, such as rotating components or changing the timing of the events or total length of the animation. To create a more customized animation, we must use the MotionManager.
The Animation Study Type As noted in the Introduction, there are three motion study types t hat can be used to create animations. The first of these three that we will discuss is Animation. The primary method of creating animation motion in the Animation motion study is by using key points to define the location of components at specific times. In addition to this key point animation. components can be driven either by motors or by other components through mates. Key point animation of components is on ly ava ilable in the Animat ion motion study type and not in either Basic Motion or Motion Analysis.
Animation Wizard The Animat ion Wizard can be used to automate the animation process and Rotate, Explode, or Collapse an assembly. Any combination of t hese types can be used in the creation of the animation. It can also be used to import motion from physics-based studies created in Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion. • Rotate The rotate option rotates the model (part or assembly) a set amount of turns about one of t he three screen axes. • Explode The explode option takes the exploded view in an assembly and converts it to an animat ion. • Collapse The collapse option reverses the explode settings to animate a return from the exploded state. Where to Find It • MotionManager Toolbar: click Animation Wizard ~ • Shortcut Menu: Right-click in the timeline, Animation Wizard
-.:
Creating Simple Animations
Stages in the Process ::~:Ti
paths for bot h -:e same direction, g with an exploded
-;he key st ages in the creation of an animation include: The storyboard This is the design intent of the animation. s;
:cting components :-e customized
Basic paths These define part movement and viewpoint.
• Edited paths Once the basic paths are defined, they can be refined for a smooth flow. • Recording the animation This makes it viewable on other computers and available for import into ot her documents.
::reate animations. Eating animation ;~ components at · e i !::Jy motors or by
::2 and not in
27
either
xplode, or Collapse .ction. It can also be ::~;'o'orks Motion.
:...:: one of the three
· cllimation.
=xploded state.
The Storyboard .; storyboard is the design intent of an animation and lays out the overall plan for the animation. Storyboards can be in various forms, ranging from a simple !ist of events to a series of sketches with a descript ion of the action. The more events planned for the animation, however, the more important it is ::o have a good, detailed storyboard. Throughout this book, each case st udy will have some sort of storyboa rd, but they wil! be in different fo rmats to show some of t he options. Some may be as little as a sentence describing what is t o happen. Others wi!! be in table format and some wi!! have screen-shots :o show key events. There are no hard and fast rules as to what the storyboard should !oak !ike or exactly Nhat it should contain. Even if you do not write down the storyboard information, you should always ~hink through the process and what you are trying to create and how it will be used . Storyboard Development .\ good animation tel!s a story. To he!p deve lop you r story, there are several questions to ask yourse lf: • What is the purpose of the animation? ·:· Sales ·:· Marketing ·=· Design review ·:· Assembly instructions ·:· Service and maintenance ·:· Training
28
Chapter 2
• What type of output do I need? ·:· Standalone video ·:· Object for importing into another program (e.g.. PowerPoint®. Word) ·:· Video loop ·:· Web ·:· E-mail attachment ·:· Sequence of pict ures • What size will the output be? ·:· This is driven by the output type ·:· Standa lone videos are generally full screen ·:· Web videos are much smaller to allow faster transmission
Case Study: Animation Wizard This project will use an exist ing assembly to generate an animation that includes the basic animation funct ions to rot ate the assembly, explode and a collapse of the explode. The Animat ion Wizard will be used to leverage the mot ion created in an exploded view.
=basic animation : ':::i1 Wizard will be
Creating Simple Animations
29
Storyboard :...:r purpose in this first animation is to demonstrate the Animation Wizard. To do t his, we will create a :=.::quence which involves three animat ion types combined into one cont inuo us animation. The types are rtotate Model. Explode, and Collapse.
~ Rotate Model
Dl
l
Explode
ID I
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ol
~
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01
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-
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30
Chapter 2
Procedure 1 Open the assembly. Open the assembly Tool Vise f rom the Chapter 2 \ Case Study\ Tool Vise folder.
2 Set time bar. Click t he Motion Study 1 tab. Select Animation from the drop-down list. Drag the time bar to lili)SolidWorks
File
o seconds as the start point. ~
Edt
Tools
Insert
Dcontrol
Soatap
~
Show
C~ts
~~J
»
~
~ Tool Vise (Default
_.. tAl Annotations ->~ ~ Ughts, Cameras ond Scene <& Frorl: <& Top <& Right
1. o.nn
Ay Z
>
.!
v
0 sec "-
.=J
~Tool V"ISC (Defd
@ Orientation and Camera Views I&! Lights, Cameras and Scene
IL
~ (f) Sadcle (Defauit<
I
10 sec
1
I
I
15 sec
1
I
I
.._ ~ (·) comp<><.nd center member <1 i ~ (-) . _ comp<><.nd member<2 -tJ ~ (-)upper plote < l > (Defaull:«l
~ ~ (-)upper plate<2> (Default«! 1 .tJ ~ (-)lower plate < ! > (Defaull:«r :n ~(-l ri., lklder Defned
Eciting Assembly
20 sec
1
I
I
Creating Simple Animations
31
Rotate Model - he Animat ion Wizard gives us three choices fo r t he rotational axis. The X, Y. and Z axis for rotation is always relat ive to our :1ew screen, not the axes of the model. /
,
~ /: I
:::.ockwise and counterclockwise directions are based on viewing : -:e origin from the positive X, Y. or Z axis.
-..r: 4
../
~
Z Axis
- ne blue arrows in t he graphic show the direction for clockwise -:Jtation.
J elete Existing Paths ,','hen we use the Animation Wizard, t he results can be added to :xisting paths on the timeline, or we can select Delete all existing paths, and the Animation Wizard will remove all paths from the t ime line so t hat we are starting ~om scratch.
Add a rotation. :::iick the Animation Wizard
~
Sei«t an Animotion Type
~ This wizard "i help )'1lU to aeate sinple "'*"-ns aliomalicaly.
? · -EIA
.}
~
.......,
::nsta-1\30
-
--
»
:., the first page of the wizard, select ~otate model. ~.so,
- B X
select Delete all existing pat hs.
: iick Next.
~
To be9n. seled the type d anirMtjon 'fO
~~
/ .o· ::~ Colapoe
Import mot.on fmm B.-: ro~ot.cn
:.t] Delete al exisUlg ~
lmpo.1 mot.on fmm f,lotJon klarl"$
Explode and Colapse are available
any afte< an explode view has been aeated
Basic Motion Is available any after a sinulation has been calculated in • motion study. Motion Malysis is availoble any J the SoidWorks Motion add-in Is loaded and ...,._., have been calculaled in a motion study.
Ci:a I
20 s ec I
I
I
~ ~~ > :f)
0
I
Next >
II
Ca1ce!
II
Help
l
32
4
Chapter 2
Select axis of rotation.
Sel«t a:~ Ax& of Rotation
On the second page of t he wizard, select Y-axis and Clockwise.
Select "" 8lds d Xi!Xis
oY...os
Keep the Number of rotations at 1. Click Next.
5
Set animation control options.
On the third page of the wizard, set t he Duration to 5 seconds and the Start Time to o seconds. Click Finish.
NunOer d rd2llions
1
Ammation Control Options
To cortrol the speed d the rinalion. se1 the dtmion d the ..m lriMilon below lllr.mon {
~
To delay the movemert d objects et the beginrjng d the rinalion. set the oll!rt tine. Start Tme (seconds)
0
Creating Simple Animations
33
5 View key frame. - he timeline shows that the Orientation and Camera Views changes at each key point (one-second 1tervals) across the key frame.
,__
t~J~ ~~ il" ."' ~ ~ Tool 111se (oefaut
0 sec
111111 I II
J2 sec
liiJliJII
J4 sec
111111111
J
@ Oroentotion
~ Uo#cs, Cameras and Scene
_.. ~ (f) sadde (Defoui:<
IIWi>dc>W>e
.-, ~ (·)upper compound member<2 _., ~ (·)upper plate (Defauit«i' ;t ~ (·)upper plate<2> (Defoult«ll b ~ (·)lower plate (Defaut (Defaut<<£il <
~
Play from start. Help
-=-
"""""""""""'the 5
_,.a !he
•theD~time
::::ick Play from start ~ to see the rotation in real time. You can ::.so drag the time bar to see the animation. ' :r::e This is a complete animation and cou ld be saved as a movie =.e {AVl) now. However, we will add more informat ion to the ::1imation before recording it =:::r more information, see Recording Animations on page 41.
S
-
~An~ _j ~
- , e details of how the Animation Wizard converts SolidWorks exploded views to an animation will be =:scussed in How Explode Works on page 54. Jte Before you create an exploded animation, the assembly must already contain an exploded view. ::~u cannot create an exploded view in MotionManager.
34
Chapter 2
8 Explode. Click Animation Wizard ~-
Select an Animation Type Ths 1\izard 1\ill help you t o create srnpie animations automaticaly.
On the fi rst page of the wizard, select
To begi1, se!ect the type of animation you want to create and dick Next.
Explode.
l Rotate model
(() , Explode
Clear Delete all existing paths and click
' l
Next.
Colapse hnport motion from Bas1c Motion
n Delete al existing paths
Import mofion from U.otJon Ma~ps
Exp!ode and Co!apse ore available only after an explode view has been created. Basic Motion is avaiable onl-1 after a simulation has been calculated in a motion study.
MctDl Analysis is avaiable only if the SolidWorks Motion addin is loaded and =ults have been C
< Eack
9
Set the time.
On t he second page of the wizard, set the Duration t o 5 seconds and the Start Time to 5 seconds.
Next >
J
I
Cancel
I\
Help
Animatio n Control Options
To control the speed of the aninalion, selthe duation of the entire ani:nation below.
Dt.ration {seconds):
!l
To delay the movemert of objects at the beginning of the animation. sel the start line.
This makes t he explosion end at 10 seconds.
Start Tme (secoods):
5
Click Finish.
< Back
Finish
II
Cancel
II
Help
Creating Simple Animations
35
:o ~~
View timeline. The model rotates once and explodes.
I'i? I~ 'ib: ~ 'i1
f~
x"iol¢.
10 sec I
"" d ~ Tool Vise (Default
® Orientation and Camera Views
"'*"'
~ ~ (f) Saddle (Defaul«Defa! ~ (-) compound center member< ! Efl
Pnalys;s
~ (-) upper compound member<2j
&; ~ (-)upper plate (Defauit«
1
.tJ ~ (-)upper plate<2> (Default«~
=e!n treaed
::n eCIOiionstudy.
i:il ~(-)lower plate (Default«(! ltJ ~ (-)lower plate<2> (Default«[tl
I
I
I t I
I I
12 sec
, , , ,, ,,II
14 sec
I I I I
•• •••
..,e !;;} Ughts, Cameras and Scene ~Mabon
I
<
••
I
6
(;
II ' {
16 sec
IJ I I ' l i l t
IBJ sec
lttlt
..
••
J II
jl 0 secI Ll .l
t
I
·-·••
·-· ••
••
l::aiEd ..,.; results
Explode key points. ~ ~ ~
"-"
lllllliD:n_ oe!the
!"C"ct the
o:fle:mttine.
~ ~
::.Xpand the lower plate component. There are three subfeatures: Move, Explode, and Appearance. .Ve can see that t he explode steps are listed both under the part it self and the explode feature.
- - lVI~ 'ib: ~
'ill
.il ~(-) upper plate (Default«ll ce ~(-)upper plate<2> (Default < (Default<
®Move
d
Explode Appearance Efl ~ Motes n Tool Vise i±l '% (-)lower plate<2> (Default< ., ~ (-) eccentric(Default<(Default«Dell <
fl'
10 sec
: I
I
•:• ••
I f It
t I I
12 sec
ll tlltt l
I
14sec I l
l
I
-
lilt
16 sec
llltlttl l
·-· t ct=t
·-·"*·
18 sec
·~·
II
ttlll I
I
11
:•
sec
II'
I '
• •• ••
View Orientation ::ne of the three things that we can create in an animation is the specific viewpoints or camera motion. Jepending on your workflow choice, you may or may not want to create the viewpoint movement at the =ame time as the component motion. As animations increase in complexit y, however, it is generally :asier to create the component mot ion without creating the viewpoint motion. Once all the components 1ove as desired, then the view orientations can be created separately. n ere are two sets of choices with view orientation key points. During the phase of our animation where •;e a re creating the component movement, we can either create view key points or disable the creation ::f t hese key points. Juring the playback portion, we can either have the viewpoint or camera move, or we can disab le the 1ovement in order to see what is happening from a different view.
36
Chapter 2
Creating Viewpoint Keys All viewpoint motion is recorded in the time line associated with t he Orientation and Camer a Views component. The Orientation and Camera Views timeline can be thought of as inst ructions to the cameraman to move the camera {our viewpoint) or to zoom the camera in and out. If Disable View Key Creation is not selected, viewpoints are recorded every time you pan, zoom, rotate, roll, or change camera position. If Disable View Key Creation is selected, keys are not created for t he viewpo ints. Where to Find It • Shortcut Menu: Right-click Orientation and Camera Views in the MotionManager design tree, Disable View Key Creation Viewpoint Playback When checking t he animat ion, it is sometimes easier to check the component motion with viewpoints ot her than those that have been recorded with the animation. The playback of view keys can be disabled separately from components.
--
~
Where to Find It • Shortcut Menu: Right-click Orientation and Camera Views in the MotionManager design tree, Disable Playback of View Keys Unlock view orientation. Clear Disable View Key Creation to unlock it and allow view orientation changes to be recorded. The Orientation and Camera Views icon image changes, removing the red circle and diagonal line.
12
'
~ ' Qisable Playback of View Keys @ D!
t!idefShow Tree Items ... Customize !::J.eru
13 Adjust time bar. Drag the t ime bar to the end of t he animat ion (10 seconds). Click in the graphics window and use Zoom In/Out (gJ or other view manipulation methods t o size the assembly to fit within the window.
10 sec
I t 111 1 1 t l
"'" .:=- ~Tool \lise (Defd:
l>. ~ "' ~ _.. ~ .±. ~ .±. ~ .._ ~
Lirjlts, Cameras and Scene
(f) Sadde(Defau~<(Defid< (-)o..werplate <2>(Defd< 0 ~ (-)lower plate (Defd<
~Move
I<
+ + + + • + +
12 sec
11111 111 1
I" sec
1111111 1 1
j6 sec
t l tl l l ll l
j8 sec
. ... .. • ..... • ••
II f t l l i t I
10 sec
I 1 I 111
•
Note When t he assembly is zoomed, the Orientation and Camera Views key frame is extended to the position of the t ime bar.
:er 5
Creating Simple Animations
:amera Views .ctions to the ;able View Key or change tiewpoints.
2~
design tree,
37
· ..! Lock view orientation. ~ight-click t he Orientation and Camera Views component and select Disable View Key Creation t o :;-event further view changes f rom being recorded .
Modifying Key Points 1 e timeline contains both single key points and key frames. Key points can be deleted, suppressed, =tided to the timeline, or moved by dragging. :::: her changes are based on key point type. Interpolation Mode and Appearance changes can be applied : ::; ma ny. but not all. types.
· 3 Drag key point.
•~h viewpoints ::an be disabled
::::1ag the rightmost key point of the Orientation and Camera Views key frame back to 6 seconds . - ,is will force the view scale change to be complete 1 second after t he rot ation ends. 6 seconds
e;- design tree.
~of \liew Keys
mLoy Creation
;J
~ Tool \lise (Default (Default«Defa• (ti
__
rtDln
· -eenems...
0sec
~~~~~ ~ ,.
~ (·)compound center member
it! ~ (·) upper plate (Default«! o±J ~ (·)upper plate<2> (Default«! S ~ (·)lower plate (Default«( ®Move
"~
I<
1I
•+• ••• ••
1 I
I J I I I !
+
j2sec
I I I I
•
I
ll I I
J4sec
I I I I
+ +
I
J6
sec
I I
I
I I I I
I
I I
I I
jBsec J I I I
I
I I I I
110secI I
I I
I
I
~
.
• •••••·• •• ·-· .". :
Interpolation Modes
_,
~s
extended to
.Vhen we play an animation, SolidWorks interpolates the position of each compo nent between each key ::oint based on the setting of Frames per Second and the time between key point s. As an example, if a :::art must move 100mm between two key points that are 2 seconds apart and the Frames per Second is set at 10 frames per second, SolidWo rks will divide the move into 20 segments (2 seconds X 10 frames :::Jer second}. SolidWorks will capture the image of where t he part is at 0 seconds. then it will move it 2head 1/10 of a second (Smm} and capture another image. This will repeat until t he last image is captured at 2 seconds. All togethe r there will be 21 images, as it captured an image at 0 seconds plus 20 mo re thro ugh the movement.
38
Chapter 2
The default interpolation mode for all moves is linear, so that if we command a part to change position between time 0 and time 1 second, it will move at a constant velocity between 0 and 1 second. That means that it will have a step function for velocity and an infinite acceleration at o seconds and infinite deceleration at 1 second. Nothing in the physical world can move with these characteristics; however, in some animations it is acceptable. When sudden speed changes are not acceptable, the Interpolation Mode can be changed t o make the transition more realistic.
~-
lSi:
The Interpolation Mode can be changed to set the transitional effect of key point(s) as they change with time. In addition to t he default interpolation of Linear, there are four other interpo lation modes t o modify the movement. Mode
Description
Linear
IL
Constant rate of change
Snap
u
No interpolation, immediate change
Ease in
Ll
Accelerating rate of change
Ease out
t=
Decelerating rate of change
ll:
Accelerating to decelerating rate of change
Ease in/Ease out
::cp:
To see this visually, play the animation Interpolation Assembly.mp4. The five blocks all start at the left edge and move to the right edge at the same time. Each block has only two key points. one at the start position and one at the end position. Each uses a different interpolation mode. All change color at the same time. So they are all grey at o seconds, cyan at 4 seconds. and red at 10 seconds.
Creating Simple Animations
change position 1 - second. That ::conds and infinite ''"";sties; however, in :--e Interpolation i::l
39
3elow is a composite image showing what happens when the animat ion is played.
Snap
w
Ease In I tS ~hey change with
:::on modes to
Lioeoc
II
I
~
I
Ease Out ::ase In/Ease Out
I I
•I
I
!
Distance
Color change ~
T ~o
T ~ 2
II
I
I components start at the left edge at
I
D l
I
T=4
I
II
T=6
T ~8
I
I
Tal Q
I
o seconds and are at the right edge at 10 seconds.
Snap: The component stays at the position of the first key point {left edge) untillO seconds. when it ~stantaneously jumps to the second key point. all start at the :mints, one at the
- ;
~cs,
and red at
::ase In: St arts slowly and builds up speed to reach the second key point at 10 seconds. ~in ear:
Moves exactly the same amount during each time interva l.
::ase Out: The component must move quickly in the beginning so that it can slow down smoothly at the end and still be at the second key point at 10 seconds. ::ase In/Ease Out: St arts slowly like Ease In and ends slowly like Ease Out and must move very fast in :1e middle. At the midpoint of the animation, Linear and Ease In/Ease Out are at the same place, 30 percent of the full travel.
·:1ere to Find It Shortcut Menu: Right-dick a key point in the time line, Interpolation mode. select the type. :J te The rate of acceleration and deceleration cannot be edited.
40
Chapter 2
16 Change interpolation mode. Right-click the end key point of t he Orientation and Camera Views and se lect Interpolation mode, Ease out. Float the cursor over the key point to see the setting. [Animation
vJ ~ te> f>
-
'ii' l~'ib ~ ~
I
a ~ Tool \'ise (Defd) ct.
® Onent~bon and Camera VIewslfiJ Lights, Comeros ond Scene
~ ~ (f)Sadde < l> !B ~ (-) CCfTllOUOd center member &> ~ (-)upper ccmgound member (<, ~(-)'-"P""plate ttl~ (-)'-"P""plote ~(-)lowerplate
J [ll!l
+ +
I
2 sec
1I
I
I
f
~ ~ • ~ G) 14Is eI c I I I I I I
WJ•+ ® I
I
I
I
I
§ ~ & ~ 16Isec 18Isec I I I J I I I
I
f
I
t
1
1
1
Orient ation and Camera \l'iews 6 sec
~=*Isometric
•
t:
••*'. ••• •• •• ••
+ • •
•
•
17 Play. Play the animation to see the modified effect. The zooming occurs more quickly but not instantaneously.
Collapse Collapse is the mirror image of the Explode animation. The sequence of the key points in the explode is reversed. Manually reversing the direction of a path will be discussed in Reverse Path on page 138.
18 Collapse. Add a Collapse using the Animation Wizard. Set a Duration of 5 seconds with a Start time of 10 seconds.
Select ~n Ani~tion T)pe
This '"'Izard >Ail help )'OU to creii!lte simple or1malions altomatically. To be!;n. oe!ec! the type of ar-ima!ion you wart to create ond dick Next.
r
The collapse directly follows the explode.
P.otae model ' Explode
@Colapse 1rt'I)Ort mO!Ion from 8a"c J.!ot.an
n Delete al exisl61g paths
:-x:=
Explode and Colapse are avar..ble orit after"" ""!'lode view has been created
Basic MOOon is available oriJ after a oioolalion has been cabJaled in o mcmn otudy. Motion J\nai;'Sis is available only if the ScidWOiko Motion add1n is lc
stua,.
Ne>t >
II
c..,ceJ
II
Help
Creating Simple Animations
~opying
rpolation mode,
I
I
t
I
I
applies its properties at t hat position.
::e Using right-click Copy and right-click Paste copies the key point with properties in the same ,-.=nner. However, using right-click Copy and right-click Place Key copies the key point without ::: -:::perties.
I
~
•
..
Key Points
· Ef points can be copied t o re-use the properties within the key. The copy is placed along the same line ~=
a sec.
41
~
Copy key point.
=-ess Ctrl and drag the initial key point of t he Orientation and Camera Views key frame to the end : =~::-te current line (15 seconds) and drop it. This action copies the key point and its properties t o a new : :ation. The copied key point returns the Orientation and Camera Views to the in itial state. ~
i;,stantaneously.
l.tl~ ~ ~ .g " - ~ Tool Vise (Defoull:)
@ Orientation and Camera Views
·, the explode is
:. = :.:;: :.
J [!!
~ ~ II> £> &J
~ Lights, Cameras and Scene
~(f) Saddle< ! > ~(-)compound center member < l > ~(-) upper compound member<2 > ~(-) upper plate
=
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.oe""''lie ~
"""-
-
....~
- aea.d ~ :clicn Sudy.
eC ;nl res
~ ~
- -e view returns to t he initial state too soon because it starts as soon as the zoom out completes. To =" this, we need t o copy the key point from 6 seconds (the point where t he zoom out is complet e) t o -= seconds. Because these two key points are the same. the view will rema in constant from 6 to 12 ~=:onds.
=-ess Ctrl and drag the key point at 6 seconds of t he Orientation and Camera Views t o 12 seconds ~-j dro p it.
Recording Animations : "lee the animation has been completed and plays properly in t he : -;1e line, it can be saved as a movie or series of images. When we -e:::ord the animation, MotionManager will record a series of still ---,ages that will be played back in rapid sequence. These images ::-e t he digital equ iva lent of the frames of movie film. To make the ::--:imation usable outside of SolidWorks, it must be recorded in a =::::rmat compatible with media player software. Two ::msiderations when recording the animation will be t he size and :ompression.
~~
Tool~'i!:e. i5Vi
~
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Too1VIsi!-Cl007.bmp
42
Chapter 2
Video File Format There are a variety of file fo rmats in which to save video files. MotionManager only uses one of t hese: AudioVisual Interleaving, or AVI (*.avi). AVI is Microsoft's Video for Windows file format. native to the Windows Media Player. Image File Formats Image files can be created at set time intervals, generating a series of numbered files. In Chapt er 15, we will discuss the use of images to create video files. MotionManager supports the creation of the following image file types for output: • Series of Windows Bitmaps (* .bmp) • Series of Truvision Targa files(*.tga) Renderer The image can be set to the default SolidWorks screen or PhotoView if Photo View 360 is installed and added in. If PhotoView is selected, it builds each frame using the scene, appearances, and lighting applied to the model. Image Size and Aspect Ratio The Image Size and Aspect Ratio option allows for the setting of standard or custom aspect ratios, image size, or a specified camera aspect ratio.
CODEC CODEC is short for COmpressor/DECompressor or COder/DECoder depending on which reference you use. CODEC is any technology used to compress and decompress data. Different technologies perform this in different ways with either hardware, software, or a combination of the two. The CODECs available on each computer may be different and will depend on the video products t hat have been loaded. SolidWorks uses whatever CODECs are installed on your system. It is important to keep this in mind when choosing the CODEC to compress your video files as the destination computers must also have the same CODEC installed. The CODEC you use with SolidWorks is also specific to 32- or 64-bit versions. As more than half of SolidWorks commercial seats are 64-bit, this book was written using a 64-bit version of SolidWorks and the CODECs available for 64-bit systems. As essentially all media playback systems are 32-bit. both 32and 64-bit versions of the CODECs have to be loaded. The primary CO DEC used in t his book is from TechSmith as it is readily available and free. If you do not have the CODEC from TechSmith, visit their website at www.techsmith.com and download and insta ll the TSCC CODEC. If you are using 32-bit SolidWorks, you only need the default 32-bit CODEC; if you are using 64-bit SolidWorks, you must download both versions and inst all them. The 64-bit version will t hen be used to compress the video files and the 32-bit version will be used to decompress the video file for the media player.
Creating Simple Animations
~ses
one of these: -.at, native to the
s .n Chapter 15, we ·eation of the
is installed and 5 , and lighting
)50
~
aspect ratios,
1ich reference you :;mologies perform
- rame Rate _,imation is based on a principle of human sight called persistence of vision. lf you view a series of -::!ated still images in quick succession, you perceive them as continuous motion. Each individua l image s referred to as a frame, and the illusion of motion comes from the fact t hat your visual system retains =ach frame for a short time after you see it. =-arne Rate is measured in frames per second (fps) and will determine how many frames are produced =:;-the screen or video. Frame rate is controlled separately for the screen and video and does not have ::be the same value. ln Chapter 16, we will discuss when they should be the same and why. =:~ complex animations. keep t he frame rate low (3-5 fps) for testing purposes. Once you are sure t hat =.eryt hing moves as planned, increase the frame rate for t he final output. As a fra me of reference, .-~tio n pictures are recorded at 24 fps . Television standards are 30 fps in t he United St ates (NTSC) and =~ fps (PAL) in Europe. At rates higher than this, the human eye cannot really t ell the difference. Frame :::es between 15 and 20 fps will tend to give good results in your animations. lf the frame rat e is too s :w, the motion will appear jerky. You can also record at too high a frame rate and again get jerky -:tion. This comes from exceeding the capabilities of your computer graphics. ~ere
to Find It
• '.1otionManagerToolbar: Click Motion Study Properties ~. type Frames per second in the 4-opertyManager [sets the frames per second for the computer screen] • '.1otionManagerToolbar: Click Save Animation .5IJ, type Frames per second in the dialog box [sets the =;-ames per second for the AVl file]
>-artial Animations ::eo products t hat <: is important to l~,ati o n computers
:;;ethan half of ·of SolidWorks and a-e 32-bit, both 32;:::".is book is from :-Smith, visit their ~are using 32-bit :rks, you must ~;Jre ss t he video ::layer.
43
==-.:ial animations can be recorded by specifying the specific t ime range to render.
44
Chapter 2
Key Frame Key frames are frames wit h all the information for the entire frame. Other frames may only record information that has changed from the previous frame. When recording videos with a stationary background, you can reduce the number of key frames that are recorded to reduce the size of the video file. There is no specific number of key frames to record. The default value is to record a key frame every eight frames. To see the effect of not recording enough key frames, set it to a higher value and observe the results. In the images below you can see t hat t he image gets noisier as the number of frames between key frames increases. You can see that the color is no longer uniform, particularly in the areas indicated by t he arrows.
• ::1
-
~- -
Image Quality The quality of the image recorded is set within SolidWorks. To change the image quality, from the Tools menu, select Options, Document Properties, Image Quality. The time required to record the animation will be affected by the image quality. The higher the quality. the longer the time t o render. Video File Output Size The size of the video file will be determined by a combinat ion of the following settings: • Total t ime
This is a linear relationship. With all other settings remaining constant. doubling the length of the video doubles the file size. • Frame size
The frame size determines the number of pixels that make up each frame. Doubling the frame size quadruples the number of pixels and therefore quadruples the fi le size.
-'
Creating Simple Animations
45
Frame rate The total number of frames that are recorded will be equal to the frame rate t imes the length of the video plus one additional frame at 0 seconds. Doubling t he frame rat e dou bles t he file size.
r.ray only record
Key frame The effect of the key frame is hard to quantify because it de pends on t he individual animation and the amount of change from frame to frame.
ey frames that are :-:es to record. The =!::Jiding enough key ~ see that the image -at the color is no
CODEC CODECs are also hard to quantify because different CODECs use different methods to achieve compression.
"'ere to Find It ·~
\ilotionManager Toolbar: Save Animation ~
IP-:)(edure Save. : ::k Save Animation :::ions:
~very
40 frames
ill and set the following
c -gs:
S•ve in:
,.. Tool Vise
Size and Aspect Ratio :ustom aspect ratio: 4:3
Re """"''
Renderer:
~m e
Information =-ames per second: 10 =:ntire animation: selected
S.ve
Tool Vise.avi
I ISolidWorics screen
·l
l
SchedUe
I
Cancel Help
lm"'le Size and Aspect Ratio
El
1680
UJ
Fr""'" Information 1260
2] Fbced aspect ratio
·:. ::k Save to complete the dialog.
4 :3
Fromes per second·~
rn
~Entire animation
Use camera aspect ratio
[
•g the frame size
::J
S.ve as type: Microsoft AVI fie (".aVI)
10\ Cuotom aspect ratio (~idth : height) ]
; :'le length of the
• lml•
@ "
T
No items: m atch your search.
:=eneral Settings =ne name: Tool Vise Save as type: Microsoft AVI file ~enderer: SolidWorks screen ~ge
..c..ty, from the Tools ecord the animation -ender.
~
~ S.ve Animation to File
•
rme ranQe 15
to
15
l
46
2
Chapter 2
Set video compression.
Set the video compression as f ollows: • Compressor (CODEC): TechSmith Screen Capture Codec • Compression Quality:
85
• Key Frame Every 8 frames
Video Compression
OK
Corr4>
ITechS!Mh Scteen Captue Co · I •,
-
[iJ Key Frame Eve
I , I Comgt.re... I
rnom..
Caned
1 ~
.. 1
Click OK. We chose the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec because it is available in both 32- and 64-bit versions and is also free and readily available. If you on ly intend to play t he animation on your own computer, experiment with the other CODECs you may have installed. The animation begins to play and record the movie. During the recording process, an image is captured, then the time line is advanced based on t he frame rate (1/10 second). Another image is captured and so
=-=-=-
on until the end of the time line. We have a 15 second animation at 10 f ps which is 150 frames plus one additional frame at time zero for a total of 151 f rames.
3
Play movie.
Play the movie in an appropriate media
-= :-::--
player. The default Windows Media Player can be used.
4
Save and close all files.
--.:.-:
- =-~ .: =-=-- -
Creating Simple Animations
OK
o=Co · l
~
• I Cor/9Jre... I I Pl»J.... I lanes
•c 64-bit versions
- own computer,
..mage is captured, 5 captured and so ~ ;rames plus one
47
Dragging a Component :-he process of dragging a component to display motion can be captured as an animation. General Sequence Nhen you are moving components to create animations, the general sequence is as follows:
2. 3~-
Drag the time bar to the starting time. Move the parts to their initial position or orientation. Drag the time bar to the ending time. Move the parts to their final position or orientation.
Procedure Open the assembly. Open the assembly Motion from t he Chapter 2\Case St udy\ Mot ion fo lder.
:-he defau lt view orient ation and position will be used as the initial position fo r the 2nimation. ::; Select motion study. Select the Motion Study l tab. Timeline Colors - he timeline changes color depending on the situation. After a step is completed, an imations require calculation t o complete :hem.
- he small yellow strip in the t ime line (top right} indicates that the 2nimation requires calculation by using Calculate Simulation ~ ::Jr Play from Start ~ After the animation has been ca lculated (center right), the :imeline changes to yellow for t he duration of the animat ion. .f changes are made to t he animation (lower right). reca lculation
:s required and the yellow includes a hatch.
0 sec
I
I
I
15 sec I I
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1-..!l l
j5sec I I
·I 1- 1
•• ••• •------• ·----• •.- - - - - • 1
I
. .
-~0 sec I
0 sec
1
I
'-·
I
I
~------
•=======~
j10 sec I
I
110 sec I
I
10 sec I
I
48
3
Chapter 2
Drag the time bar.
Drag the time bar to 10 seconds. This marks the end of the animation. 4
Drag component.
Drag a vertex, face, or edge of the arm component, turning the crank clockwise and less than halfway around as shown. Play the animation. The driving motion (crank.sldadm) is shown in a green key frame while the driven motion of the yokes, spider, and pins is in yellow. 1171 ~ ~ -~ 'i3 B ~Motion (Default (Default«Defaul::> [rl ~ (-) Voke_M< l > (Default« Default (;; ~ (-) spider (Default« Defd>. ~ (-) Voke_F (Default<
®
I±) ~(-) pin (LONG«LONG>_Photcj Ill ~ (-) pin<2> (SHORT < _D;, 1 fB ~ (-) pin<3> (SHORT «SHORT>_Dis
Ill ~ (-) crank (Default
10 sec
.0.
I
I
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I
15 sec I I
I
I
1 0 sec I
I
•• ••• ••• •...
Tip The movement is based upon the starting and ending positions. If you turn the crank more than halfway around, the motion will move in the opposite direction using the shorter path. Creating Reversed Animations
There are many cases where we need a mirror image of an animation, such as the explode-collapse sequence we creat ed earlier. In other cases, it may be easier to create the animation backward, working from the ending position to the starting position. Within the MotionManager, entire animations or specific key frames can be easily reversed. This will be covered in more depth under Reverse Path on page 138. Where to Find It
• Shortcut Menu: Select the keys to be reversed, right-click one of the keys, Reverse Path 5
Reverse the animation.
Select bot h the key points of the crank key frame using either window selection or Ctrl+select. Right-click on one of the key points of the path and select Reverse Path. Play the animation to rebuild it.
··- ;nore than halfway
::X;Jiode-collapse - :Jackward, working e animations or =- Reverse Path on
rse Path
::- Ctrl+select.
Creating Simple Animations
49
·1otion Study Tabs .'::>tion study tabs can be added, renamed, duplicated or deleted. Multiple tabs can be added and used -::create multiple motion studies of the same assembly. New tabs are empty and hold blank motion =::!dies. to Find It .'lienu: Insert, New Motion Study Shortcut Menu: Right-click any motion study tab, click Create New Motion Study
~ ere 1:.
~
- =rename, duplicate, or delete a mot ion study, right-click the motion study t=:J and click the appropriate choice from the menu.
Duplicate
·: Rename the animation tab. :; ght-click t he tab Mot ion Study l and click Rename.
Create New Motion Study
Rename Delete
- 'Je the name Drag ~
Create New Design Study
or.ag [.
Save and close all files. . .J •evtew 'olile this was a very simple demonstration of dragging components, we can see that all the mates were ~:::ved , making this an easy way to have many components move based on the motion of just one ·:::mponent. Within the Animation study, mates are solved unless we suppress them. When we used the ,->imation Wizard to create the explode and collapse, we did not have to sup press the mates as it was :::ne automatically by the Animation Wizard.
',e could also see that using the drag method, creating rotary motion could be tedious as we have to :-eate at least three key points per revolution. Later we will learn how to do this with other methods ·.1ich will make the process much easier.
Editing the Time line
Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: Understand how exploded views are imported into a motion study. Zoom t he t imeline display. Scale t he length of th e t ime line by dragging. Understand the color codes used f or key points and key frames. Select and move key points in the timeline.
Chapter 3
52
Editing the Timeline This project will use an existing assembly to generate an Explode animation. The timeline of the animation will be edited to explain options with key points and components. e soJidWorks
F;l,
t'
)
~
Insert ~Is
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Components
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Da1: Goo Explode (DefaUt
~Sensors .:!l }J Annotations 1iJ .6) Lights, Cameras and Scene
A ,( z y
<:S>- Front Plane <:S>- Top Plane <:S>- Right Plane
<
>
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l
v
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l ? l iiiilo~'iil\1 iJ
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·----·
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Motion
v1
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under Defred
Editing Assembly
Topics
The topics covered in this chapter include: • How explode works The details of how an exploded view becomes an an imation are discussed. • Zooming and scaling the time line Manipulation of the timeline for visibility and control is discussed. • Timeline symbols The color coding of the key points and changebars can be interpreted and modified.
I
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1
Editing the Timeline
?
Moving key points
of t he
? · -
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-
~
0"'
~
Changing displays and appearances ::::omponent displays (hide/show, t ransparency, display, and appearance) can be manipu lated across :1e timeline. 5:oryboard - - s sequence involves creating an Explode ~- -:1ation and edit ing the key point s and ::-ponents in the timeline. The final a- 1ation includes simultaneous explode -:; :es for multiple components, a shortened · -?line. and transparency changes to a ::-;:>onent
D
Timeline Editing
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54
Chapter 3
Case Study: Editing the Timeline In this example, an Explode animation is created and manipulated by editing the key point settings and positions. Procedure Open the assembly. Open the assembly Dart Gun Explode from the Chapter 3\Case Study\Dart Gun Explode folder.
1
Several components of t he assembly are in a suppressed state. Animate explode. Right-click the top level icon and click Animate explode. Watch the animation to see which components are moving.
2
When done, collapse the assembly. How Explode Works The explode steps in the assembly are mapped into the MotionManager design tree as key frames in order (Explode Step l . Explode Step 2. etc.} using the same default time span for each one. The key frames are placed end to end. If multiple components are used in the same step, the key frames share the same start and end times. The time assigned t o each changebar is equal, derived from t he overall time set in the Animation Wizard divided by the number of explode steps. Explode Step 1
Explode Step 5 Explode Step 3
10 s I
8
.J ExpiViewl
~ Explode
SteplH ~ Explode Step2 ~ Explode Step3 ~ Explode Step
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~ Explode stepS Explode Step6
:
~ Explode step7
•
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•• • + •
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Explode Step 4
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Explode Step 6
Editing the Timeline
3 ~
point settings and
_ ,
Explode. Animation Wizard ~ . create an Explode that -as a Duration of 7 seconds and a Start Time of 3 seconds.
@' -
~
~sing the
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.4
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55
~
Play the animation. =: ::e that each st ep takes 1 second because there were 7 steps and the animation was created for -:- ~:onds. -
v~ fe> ,..
~
~~ ~'ibl:~ i.l ~ :Jert Gu'l Explode (OefaUt
e as key fra mes in :- each one. : ep. the key frames cerived from the
..
• "'t H ~Rri(DefaUt<
1
rm
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0 s ec
..,'..,. ·lA a It>
12sec
14s ec -
~ § ~ ~ .'!;;1
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._,. ·-· ·-· ·--·• ·•- ··-· ·-·-· I
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••• • •• •
-=om in. =.:xun In ~ in the lower right corner of the Motion Manager to expand the time line display and -=-e ::etail. ·~
--
J [Irl -
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~ ii ~ ~ {J
0 s ec
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••• •• ••• • t
-
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v' -+·liJ i& l 4'1+ ~ § /it> Ejf 12sec l1 1 13 s ec It j4 s ec
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56
Chapter 3
Scaling the Timeline The time line can be scaled, up or down, by pressing and holding the Alt key while dragging t he right key point of t he t op level assembly component. All the changebars are sca led by the same factor. For example, scaling the change bar from an end time of 5 seconds to 10 seconds doub les the length of the animation and each changebar. 6 Scale the timeline. Scale the whole timeline by selecting the right key point of the Dart Gun Explode component and Alt+drag it to 14 seconds.
ljAnrnation
v
1 17 1~ ~ ~
s
- - - - - J j!EI
~ It> fP
iJ
~Dart G<.n Explode (Default(8est«llest>l lil ~ (·)Nozzle-! (Default< (Default«Defa l r:tJ ~(·)Plunger· I (Defauit«Defac 1 ~; ~ (·) F'noer Grip-! (Default«D< do ~ (·) Atrow-1<1> (Default< (Default«Defd "" ~ (·)PuiRing-l(Default<
10sec
1 111 1 1 I I I
•• ••• ••• ••
12 sec
111111111
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14sec
111111111
•
•
16sec
+ @ § ~
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• •
18sec
t; gj
1111111 I I
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• • •
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112sec
I 1111 1 111
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·-
All of the key frames are stretched equally. We can see that each step now takes 2 seconds ( 14 + 7 = 2 }. If we had just dragged the key, only t he end time would have changed but all the st eps would have still been 1 second.
7 Disable view orientation changes. Drag the time bar to the beginning of the timeline (o seconds) and click in the graphics window. Zoom the assembly to fit. Right-click the Orientation and Camera Views component and se lect Disable Playback of View Keys. The view orientation will not change along the timeline.
~Orientation and Camera Views
1
Editing the Timeline
57
Timeline Symbols :he right key :::or. For ength of the
:::onent and
12 sec
- ne time line uses color coding to graphically display information about components, key points. and key -ames.
Components ::::;mponents are mapped from the SolidWorks assembly (* .sldasm) file 8 ~ (f) fYlain Body-! < I > (Best<.
I I 1 1 111 I
~
~ey Points --e Key Points are used to control charact eristics of the associated component or view.
Symbol
+
nds c: •• the steps
-.~•dow.
Description
•
General (Unsuppressed)
0
General (Suppressed)
• •
Not yet solved Position cannot be reached
:·e Right-clicking a red key point and selecting Replace Key updates the status for that key point. It ::: ..:seful when a change, such as unsuppressing a mate. allows motion where it was previously prevented.
·=y Frames - -e area between key points is called a key frame. an and Camera Views
58
Chapter 3
Change bars The changebars are used to connect key points and transition between them. Description
Symbol
Overall animation duration Orientation and Camera Views Disable Playback of View Keys selected Driving Motion
•
•
Driven Motion (no key points) Explode
t-------·
Appearance
•
•
Mate dimension Note Interim key po ints and key frames (bordered) may appear for components that are driven indirectly. They may become driving at a later time.
Editing Key Points Key point s can be moved, copied, and set to precise times very easily.
Drag Key Point Key points can be dragged from one point on the t imeline to another.
Control Drag Key Point Press Ctrl and drag a key point to copy it to another location on the timeline.
Copy/Paste Key Point Select a key point and press Ctrl-C to copy a key point and then select a new location on the timeline and press Ctri-V t o paste it.
Drag Multiple Key Points To move multiple key points, window-select or Ctrl select them on the timeline, then drag the group together to the new location.
Editing the Timeline
59
Edit Key Point Time :oce a key point has been entered on the timeline, it s position (time) can be :::lit ed simply by moving it Getting a key point to a specific time can be done by =~oming in close on the time line or by a more precise method of editing the key -::lint time. - -:e time can eit her be entered as the exact time by selecting Exact Time ~ or ::s an offset from the current location by selecting Offset t• .
1ere to Find It Shortcut Menu: Right-click a key point on the timeline, click Edit Key Point Time fP .
-.1' X ~ (£) ~?
.1oving the Time Bar - -:e time bar can be moved simply by dragging it to the desired time. If precise positioning is needed, ·l.ove Time Bar can be used to input a precise time. ~ere
to Find It
Shortcut Menu: Right-click in the timeline, Move Time Bar, enter the desired time.
•
+
;:he t imeline
; the group
Move Time Bar
Select~
iG§
Animation Wiz..-d.. .
~~~ ~- 70s
.-
-.1' X ~~+ t?
=.dit the Sequence -::he next steps, we will change the start and end t ime of different components so they all move at the ::c-ne t ime.
6o
Chapter 3
8 Drag key points. Drag the key points for t he Nozz1e-1<1> to align with t he start and end points of the End Cap-1 < 1 > component.
Repeat for the Nozz1e-1 <2> and Arrow-1<1> components. 1 '\71~ ~ ~ iJ
0111111111 sec
12 sec I I Ill
!Ill
I" sec Ill!
I
I I I'
16 sec
,,, , ,,,,,
18 sec
,,,,,,,,,
j1 0 sec
, , , , ,,, ,,
112 sec
1
I I I , , , , , , ..._
~Dart Gun Explode (Delatit
(6] Lio;!hts, Comeros ond Scene
.tJ ~ (f)MainBody·l< l > (Best<
1.±: ~ (·)illoz2ie·l < l >(Deld«Delaul :E ~ (·) End(ap-1<1> (Del.ut<(Delault<
"' '% (·)FtnQer Gr""l < l >(Defaut<
~ (·) Arrow· I
~
i¥01 Mates
(Default « Defaut,
~(·) Nozzle· I <2> (Default «Defouli
~
(·) Pul Rng-1< 1> (Delatit<
~-
-- • :
- ·· -· ~t
I
+
+ +
I
+
+
+ + +
•• ••
:
Tip Moving a key point changes the t iming of t he action. It does not affect the distance or direct ion of the act ion. 9 Adjust Finger Grip key points. Drag the first key point of the Finger Grip-1 < l > component to line up with the end of the En d Cap-1 < l > component. Move the second key point (highlighted) about 2 seconds after the start. ~~~~ ~ 'lit!
iJ
0 sec
, , , , , , .. ,
12 sec
,,, , ,,,,,
14 sec
,,,.~,,,,
16 sec
,,,,,,,, ,
18 sec
"'''''''
110 sec
1 111 11111
112 sec
lll t l ltll
11
.::. ~ Dart Gun Explode (Delid
c!l ~ (f) Main Body· I < I> (Best«Best >l .£ ~ (·)Nozzle· l < l >(Default< (Delault< (Deld< (Delaui:«De I±) (· ) Arrow·! (Default < (Default< (Defaui:<
'% '%
;±}
(iljjl Mates
·-
---·
+
+ + + +
------·
••
-
I
Editing the Timeline
61
·: Box-select. Select multiple key points (not t he top level key point) by dragging a selection box around them. Drag :-:em to the left to 10 seconds. The top level key point will automatically move with the others. I.YJ~~~Ie -
~ o..rt Gun Explode· I (Defoult
~
- aJ Lights, G>meras and Scene .:. ~ (f) MoO> Body·l(Best<_PhotoW .,. ~ (·)Noz>le·l ,. ~ (·)ErdCap-1<1> - ~ Pil.nger·l ~ Fnger Grip· I - ~ (·)Arrow-1< 1> .:. ~(·)Nozzle· I <2> ~ ~ PuiRr.Q·l < l>
-"
12 s ec
11
• •• ..~-·•• •• 1l 1 I l l
=II Motes
0sec
111111111
j2 sec
1 1 111111 1
14 sec
1111 1111 1
• -· -· -· -· ~·
•
j6sec
11 1 111111
jBsec
111111 111
jl 0 sec
lillil!ll
j12 sec
I I I L}IJII
r-
• •
•
: .e Because we have moved the end key points for all the components, the key point for the top leve l J2rt Gun Explode moves to 10 seconds as well because there is no motion aft er this point.
Save the assembly. Sc :e the assembly and the animation . · -: Set the time bar. :-::g the time bar to the starting position (o seconds) of the animation.
:tion of the
:::~m ponent
Appearance
: points can be created to control the appearance of components. The procedure is the same as for ::~;Jonent position: move the time bar. change the appearance. This will be covered in more depth in : -::;Jter 5: Animating Appearances and Properties.
~
~
12 sec I l
l
IIIII
!1
I
Set to transparent.
:: _51t-click the Finger Grip component in the Motion Manager : "=:;;gn tree and select Change Transparency. The component =.-sparency changes immediately.
Set the time bar.
•• ---··•• ••
: :g the time bar to the ending position of the animation .
~ ' Invert Selection Component (Finge r Grip· I )
·~ · Hide Isolate 6<[
Chonge Transparenc~ _ _
Component Display
).. I Move wlh Triad
®
Move .•.
Matenal
- Set to opaque.
·=5
::-click the Finger Grip component in the MotionManager ::.:2:: gn tree and clear Change Transparency. The component ~-sparency is removed.
. . Appearance
(j'
Component Properties .••
~ Zoom to 5elecWn
Hide/Show Tree Items .•• Custorrize Menu
'
1·.
..,.-;:--
- ~ -----~-----------------------------------------""'!!!------
62
Chapter 3
16 Play the animation. Play the animation using Play from start ~-The component start s in a transparent state and t ransitions back to an opaque state. Expand the Finger Grip component in the MotionManager design t ree to see the key frame added for t he Appearance.
I.YJ~ 'ib ~ ~ B ~Dart Gun Explode-! (Oefault (Be>t<_PhotoWor~ ffl ~(-)Nozzle-! ~(-)EndCap-1<1 > !l3 ~ PILnger-1<1 > S
~
Fnger Grip-! <1 >
®Move
,dJ Explode (l Appearance 9 ~ Mates in Dart Gun Explode-! Ill ~
(-)Arr.,..,..l !ll ~ (-) Nozzle-1<2> IE ~ PuiRing· l
tfJ lj11j1Mates
12 sec
••• •• • •• : •
••• • • • ·••
!IIlli
I l l d 1 1 11
-·
14 sec
11 111 1111
16 sec
j8 sec
10 sec
..f. ! I I
11 1 111111
11111111 1
10 sec
1 lll llltl
112 sec
1 1 1 11 1 1 ( 1
·-"
Tip Expanding t he component distinguishes the individual key frames of the component so that t hey are easier to see and edit. If the component is not expanded, the key frames appear overla pped.
j
!:C
~at
Editing the Timeline
63
·- Set interpolation. :::rag t he left Appearance key point, lining it up wit h t he start of it s movement as shown. Set the nterpolation Mode for t he right key point to Ease Out 1'::::.
~ ~Dart~
Explode-!
(Defa~~;;:~~s~ ::.~
~ Or~entotoon and Camero V>OW> ..: ~ Lights, Cameras and Scene ± ~ (f)MainBody-l(Best<_PhotoWorl .:. ~ (-)End Cap-1<1 >
12 s ec I I I I
t1
t I I t
z ~ Plunger- ! = ~ FingerGrp-1<1>
j
~Move
d
Explode Appearance .r.. .§] Mates in Dart Gun Explode-!
e-
.:; ~ (-) Arrow-1<1> :. ~ (-)Nozzle-1<2> .:; ~Pu'IRing-1<1> : f j Mates
0sec
1
l l tllll!l
••• •• •• •• • • • t
14 sec
12 sec ll t d
t tll
1 11111111
-·
j6sec
, ,,,,,,, ,
j8sec
llltl t lll
110 sec '
' ''' ' "'
112 sec ,,,,,,,,,
• • • • • __. • ••• • • -
·-
~
Play the animation. --e transit ion from t ransparent to opaque begins just =:; ~he component starts to move along the explode
®
=c-::1.
: Save and close all files.
they are
~
1
View Orientations
Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Understand how the view orientation can be manipulated during the animation. • Lock and unlock the view orientation. • Suppress the view orient ation. • Use Zoom to Selection.
66
Chapter 4
View Orientations Establishing and moving the viewpoint are important considerations in creating a good animation. In movies, this is the view we see in the camera. In this chapter, we will explore one method of creating our point of view in the video, and that is through t he use of t he standard SolidWorks view tools. Topics The topics covered in this chapt er include: • View orientation
The Orientation and Camera Views component is used to record the zoom, pan, rotation, and roll of t he model. • Locking and unlocking the view orientation Using Disable View Key Creation locks and unlocks
the view orientation and determines whether or not Orientation and Camera Views key point s are added to the timeline.
• Suppressing the Orientation and Camera Views Suppress prevents the model view from changing during
playback, or while you are editing the
animation. • Zoom to Selection The Zoom to selection
option zooms a selected component.
• Perspective
When we create models in SolidWorks, we generally do it with pers pective off to make the modeling process easier. With perspective off, para llel edges are parallel. In the physical world, perspect ive makes parallel edges appear to converge at some distant point.
Viewpoints There are two ways to establish our viewpoint in SolidWorks. The first is to use the Pan, Zoom, Rotate, and Roll tools to est ablish the view. The second way is to use a camera, just as if we were creating a video with a video camera. Both methods can achieve the same results as fa r as the view of t he model on the screen; however, the camera option will give us some additional tools to create more realistic images, such as depth of field. We will discuss the camera in Chapter 11 thro ugh Chapter 12. When we use the Pan, Zoom, Rotate, and Roll tools in SolidWorks, our general percept ion is that we are moving the model. This is usually the result of looking at the model through a computer monitor that is stationary on our desk. However, the reality is that the model is fixed in model space and we are moving our point of view through these tools.
View Orientations
67
Positioning the Viewpoint
ltion. In
1 e primary too ls for changing the viewpoint are Zoom, Pan, Rotate, and Roll. These tools can be s elected in several diffe rent ways.
s through
7oolbar Buttons --.e following toolbar buttons are available: I"" Zoom to Fit: Zooms in or out so the entire model is visible. ·~
Zoom to Area: Zooms in on a portion of the view that you se lect by dragging a bounding box. The :;:;-~ter of the box is marked with a plus (+) sign.
n, and roll
rhether or
~
Zoom In/Out: Zooms in as you press and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse up. Zooms :...:t as you drag the mouse down. ~
Zoom to Selection: Zooms to the size of the selected entities.
tZ Rotate View: Rotates the view as you press and hold the left mouse button and drag t he mouse =::-::.md the screen. ~ th e
.·2 · Ro ll View: Rotates the view about an axis normal to the screen as you press and hold t he left mouse :-_::on and drag the mouse . .:. Pan View: Scrolls the view parallel to face of your monitor.
ddle Mouse Button Functions
modeling pective
n, Rotate, ::>ating a the model ·ealistic
--= 'llidd le or wheel mouse button on a three-button mouse can be used to dynamically manipulate the ::s: :ay. Using the middle or wheel mouse button you can do the fo llowing: Function
Button
Wheel
32Jtate
Press and hold the middle mouse button. As you move the mouse, the view rotates freely.
Press and hold the wheel mouse button. As you move the mouse, the view rotates freely.
3
Click the middle mouse button on the geometry. As you move the mouse, the view rotates about that selected geometry.
Click the wheel mouse button on the geometry. As you move the mouse, the view rotates about that geometry.
..3tate about .;s:ometry
1at we are tor that is removing
The geometry can be a vertex, edge, axis, or temporary axis. ~il
or Scroll
Press and hold the Ctrl key together with the middle mouse button. The view will scroll as you drag the mouse.
Press and hold the Ctrl key together with the wheel mouse button. The view will scroll as you drag the mouse.
68
r
Chapter 4
Button
Wheel
Zoom
Press and hold the Shift key together with the middle mouse button. The view will zoom larger as you drag the mouse upward, smaller as you drag the mouse downward.
Spin the wheel mouse button. The view will zoom larger as you spin the wheel downward, smaller as you spin the wheel upward.
Zoom to Fit
Double-click the middle mouse button.
Double-click the wheel button.
Function
Arrow Keys
Left/Right arrow keys
-.:;
Up/Down arrow keys
Arrow keys can be used to rotate the viewpoint about the three axes of the computer monitor. The up and down arrow keys rotate the viewpoint about a horizontal X axis through t he center of the monitor. The right and left arrow keys rotate t he viewpoint about a vertical Y axis through the center of the monitor. Pressing and holding the Alt key while using the right or left arrow keys will rotate the viewpoint about the Z axis normal to the monitor screen. Holding the Shift key with the arrow keys changes the rotation to 90°.
/
Alt + Left/Right arrow keys
Adjusting the Arrow Key Movement The amount of move ment caused by t he arrow keys is controlled in the SolidWorks Options. The default value is 15°, which is generally good when modeling, but may be too much when trying to position the model for an animation. To use t he arrow keys for small movements, change the arrow key movement to l degree. This is essentially small enough to nudge the viewpoint slightly.
Where to Find It • Menu Bar: click Options ~. System Options, View • Menu: Tools, Options, System Options, View
-sa
on. The tJ spin the s you spin
ton.
· crrow keys
:i:s
,_ The default osition the 1ovement to
View Orientations
Reference Triad - ;-.e viewpoint can be moved by selecting different aspects of the reference triad. This can ::every helpful when creating key points to rotate the model. As noted above, the standard .:ew tools rotate the view about t he screen axes, while the reference triad allows you to -3tat e about the model axes. Result
Select an axis
See the view normal to the screen.
Select an axis that is normal to the screen
Change the view direction 180 degrees.
Shift+ select
Rotate go degrees about the axis.
Ctrl +Shift+ select
Rotate go degrees in the opposite direction.
Alt +select
Rotate about the axis by the arrow keys increment specified in Tools> Options> System Options> View.
Ctrl + Alt + select
Rotate in the opposite direction.
::::sition. We can save the existing viewpoint, section view, or camera view for later use. -: save the current view as a named view, press the Spacebar to open the Orientation :: .:::og. Click New View ·~ and type the name of t he view.
-=:::hange the viewpo int to a named view, double-click the named view. .::.'Tied views are particularly useful when creating animations as we can establish our ?Npoints for the animation before we start animating the components. -ere to Find It .:enu: View, Modify, Orientation .eyboard Shortcut: Spacebar
f "
~~·.
Action
'amed Views =: - ce we estab lish a viewpoint, we can save it so that we can easily return t o the same
69
Orientation
~
I I~ ~ ~ 4'
70
Chapter 4
Perspective View We normally do not create solid models in perspective views because it is generally easier to view parallel edges as parallel. When rendering we are trying t o make t he final output appear as it would to our eyes. For this, a perspective view is very helpful. If we are not using a camera, we must add perspective manually. If we are using a camera, the perspective will be determined by the lens we use. Where to Find It • Menu: View, Display, Perspective • Heads-up View Toolbar: View Settings, click Perspective ~ Modify Perspective View Perspective in t he real world, as well as in SolidWorks, is related t o the size of the object being observed and the distance of that object from the observer. You can modify the perspective by specifying the observer position as Object Sizes Away in the Perspective View dialog box.
[CYI' .
··VJJ
'.
¥' )( Observer Position
,___
e/ 3
1t
---,:::---"'1
View Orientations
- he smaller the value, the closer the observer position is t o the object and therefore the greater the amount of perspective distortion. For finer adjustments, use decimal values, e.g. 3.5.
;ier to view
it would to ·.ust add -e lens we use. - as
Rr
Position
*
:I Perspective -
0.1
Perspective - 3
Perspective - 1
Perspective - Off
-e-e to Find It .'enu: View, Modify, Perspective ; You must be in a perspective view to change the perspective setting.
71
72
Chapter 4
View Orientation States The Orientation and Camera Views feature is standard on all MotionManager t imelines. It resides below the top level feature in the MotionManager design tree. It is used to control manipulation of the view during the animation. View manipulation can be changed using the Zoom, Pan Rotate, and Roll tools.
Disable View Key Creation Disable View Key Creation is the default condition applied to new timelines. With Disable View Key Creation selected, new view key points are not added as you change your viewpoint of the model. This allows you to concentrate on creating t he component motion wit hout adding unintentional view changes.
Disable View Key Creation Cleared When the Disable View Key Creation is cleared, changes you make to the Orientation and Camera Views are recorded as key points at the time bar in the timeline.
Disable Playback of View Keys With Disable Playback of View Keys selected, all key points in the timeline for the Orientation and Camera Views are grayed out and ignored. Disable Playback of View Keys prevents the model view from changing during playback, or while you are editing the animation. It is helpful for editing the t imeline after it has been recorded.
Disable Playback of View Keys Cleared With Disable Playback of View Keys cleared, all viewpoint changes recorded in the Orientation and Camera Views feature will be shown during playback. Orientation and Camera Views State
Symbol
Description
Disable View Key Creation (Disable Playback of View Keys cleared)
®
View changes ignored by the timeline
Disable View Key Creation Cleared (Disable Playback of View Keys cleared)
~
View changes captured by the timeline
Disable Playback of View Keys
~
Disables all Orientation and Camera Views key frames
Creating View Key Points Viewpoints are only controlled by key points. The general method to create view key points is the same as creating key points for component position. You place the time bar at the time at which you want to create a key point. then change the viewpoint to the desired position. Key point s can either be created automatically or manually.
View Orientations
73
-::1 you are manipulating the view for the animation, the general sequence is as follows:
:resides on of the 1d Roll • ew Key odel. This Nchanges. Camera
:.ion and .odel view •g the
3.tion and
time line 1e timeline d Camera
sis the same want to er be created 1 you
Right-click the Orientation and Camera Views component and clear the Disab le View Key Creation option. Jrag the time bar to the ending time. Change the view orientation to the final orientation. Select Disable View Key Creation to prevent further unwanted changes.
,'iew Orientation Changes =.:' orientation changes can be captured in the animation to enhance t he visual display. The view -.::-::pulation tools are those found in core SolidWorks.
Establishing Shots and Leaders - ;)U play a video file one time through by just double-clicking on it in Windows Explorer, Windows must :-::=.1 t he default video player and then start showing the video. At the end of the video. the video player ::lose automatically right at that point. If your motion starts right at t ime zero and ends at the end ;:-= :1e video file, it is difficult for the people watching the video to get oriented and it looks
.:~-ofessiona!.
~.:::1er
than start motion at time zero, it is much easier on the people watching if you wait one or two ~,e: :mds. This allows the player to open and have enough time for people to look at the player and =.:;)gnize what they are looking at. In the video industry, this is called an establishing shot as it :s:c:blishes the time and location of the scene. At the end of the video, you also want to allow the motion ::stop and leave the still image on the screen for a second or two before t he video player closes. This : :·.vs people viewing the video to recognize the video is over because motion stopped rather than :::c:use the player suddenly disappeared. .: :1e video is intended to be a seamless loop, establishing shots and leaders are not used as you are :::
74
Chapter 4
Case Study: Viewpoints This project will use an existing assembly to show how to change and record viewpoints. Storyboard Our animation will show the light exploding and collapsing as we change our view to better see the process. To organize our work, we create a simple storyboard by just listing the things we want to do in the animation. The basic storyboard might look like t his:
View Orientations
P escripfio"' C,....e~fe ~ sf~r+i"'J
vieVV'.
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 0
"{(';'
C)~'f)
S.+~r+ vvifL, I seco,.,d o~ vid e o
vvifL, ,.,ofL,i"'J """ovi"'J.
3
cL,~"'de + L..e vieVV' fo s L..o vv f L..e cofl ~psed s+~+e.
Zoo""" ov+ ~s f L..e ~sse""" b /'1 explodes so +L..~+ ~II f l...e co"""po.-.e ,.,fs re""""'"i"' vis ible.
5
Rof~fe fL, e
e>(p/oded
~sse"""h/'1 fo f[,e opposife o•ie,.,f~fi o.-..
G
Coll~pse ~.-.d z.oo""" i.-..
7
Add I s eco.-.d o~ v ideo vvif L, .-.ofL,;"'J """ovi"'J.
Play the file Views.mp4 from the Videos folder t o see the desired results.
0
0
0
0
2
0
II'~ t?
0 0 0
.....
.,q-p'
~~
c. ..
()
~
0 0 0 0
Cl
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
.
View Orientations
75
ocedure Open the assembly.
~~ o
:J :J~ 0
::::len the assembly Views from the :-.::mpter 4\Case Study\ Views folder.
Examine the assembly. - -is assembly has one configuration and an exploded view.
=
Create named views.
:;: turn the assembly to the same pos ition as when it was opened. :>ess the spacebar. The View Orientation dialog will appear.
0
0
D
~
~~
:: ick New View
~ . Type Start for
the name of the view.
Create another view. :: \plode the assembly. Zoom, Pan, and Rotate as necessary to get -e view shown. We want the assembly aligned roughly on the ::~een diagonal with all the components visible on the screen. ::~eate
-~
a named view called Explodedl.
Create another view. :::Jllapse the assembly. Press F on the keyboard to Zoom to Fit. ::~eate
1\
,
·~
()'~
a named view called Collapsedl.
-sing this method, t he only view effect between Explodedl and ::::;llapsedl is the zoom. The model should not otherwise move on the screen.
Create another view. .:.(plode the assembly. Zoom, Pan, and Rotate as necessary t o get -e view shown. We want the assembly aligned rough ly on the 3~reen diagonal. but reversed f rom the named view Explode l , with ::. , the components visible on the screen. ::-eate a named view called Exploded2.
Create another view. ::Jllapse the assembly. Press F on the keyboard to Zoom to Fit. ::-eate a named view called Collapsed2.
t::)~\l 1\~
~
~~
'
76
8
Chapter 4
Check the views.
We should now have the fo llowing views: Explodedl
"g;,'
Exploded2
,~ ~
Start
C{'(!j
Collapsedl
Collapsed2
Views Explod ed! and Collapsed! shou ld be the same model orient ation, only different zoom levels t o insure all the pa rts are visible on the screen. The same applies to views Exploded2 and Collapsed2.
9
Create a motion study.
Creat e a new motion study. Name it Views. Select Animation for the Type of Study.
,
View Orientations
·a
Disable view creation.
3y default Disable View Key Creation should be selected; ---rake sure that it has been selected.
~
8 W
'
'IIC 'I'i:::.
\ V Ii:ICUI L , Ur.::I C U II..
V l=:tt fa y
n
o.H C U::
'
,'.'ith this option selected. we can change our viewpoint as we :-eate the component motion without creating any view key points. We do this just to make it easier to ~et the component motion the way we want it without accidently creating view key points.
"'~
'
~
:oom levels to Collapsed2.
Add component motion. ', e need to add motion that explodes the assembly an d t hen collapses it. The easiest way to do this is ~·~:h the Animation Wizard. _se the Animation Wizard to add an explode motion starting at 2 seconds with a duration of 5 seconds. -::d collapse motion at 8 seconds wit h a du ration of 5 seconds.
: Play the animation. --e parts should explode and collapse at the appropriate times and t he view should not change.
:: Change viewpoint. •: ve the time bar t o 7 seconds. Press the spacebar and do uble-click the named view Exploded!.
- Play the animation. --..s animation should be exactly the same as in step 12. - -E-e are several things we can learn from this: 3ecause we have Disable View Key Creation selected, no view key point was added at 7 seconds. =1en though we have Disable View Key Creation selected. there was an initial view key created at :seconds. When we play the animation from the beginning, the viewpoint will change to t his initial ·:::y point. ',e can change our viewpoint while the animation is playing. ='.'le move the time bar to any place other than 0 seconds. we can change our viewpoint and the ::..1imation will play at that viewpoint. ~ · . we
wilt add some viewpoint changes.
Unlock view orientation. =-· =the time bar to 0 seconds.
-=·L- .-click Orientation and Camera Views and clear _ante View Key Creation. - :ilis option cleared. each time we change the model view. it will be recorde d as a key point. For = ··:; this is the same as Autokey tfl is for components and appearances.
78
Chapter 4
16 Add a viewpoint. Move the time bar to 7 seconds. This is where our assembly is fully exploded. Press the spacebar. The View Orientation dialog will appear. Double-dick the named view Explodedl. A key point is aut omatica lly added to Orientation and Camera Views at 7 seconds.
17 Play the animation. The viewpoint starts changing at 0 seconds. We would rather have the viewpoint hold fo r 1 second before it starts t o move. To make it hold position, we need to copy t he view key point from 0 to 1 second. Select the Orientation and Camera Views key point at 0 seconds, press and hold Ctrl and drag the key point to 1 second. Note The most common method to copy a key point is to press Ctrl and drag the key point, which makes a copy of it. The exception is when copying a key point from time zero. All components must have a key point at 0 seconds, so if you try to drag a key point from o seconds, you will copy it even without the use of the Ctrl key.
18 Add additional viewpoint. Move the time bar to 8 seconds. Press t he spacebar and double-dick the named view Exploded2. 19 Play the animation. The viewpoint now holds posit ion from 0 to 1 second and then changes to Explodedl. At 7 seconds it quickly changes to Exploded2. This change is too fast and we would like to slow it down. To do this, we need to give it more t ime. Drag the Orientation and Camera View key point at 7 seconds to 6 seconds, then drag the key point from 8 seconds to 9 seconds. 20 Play the animation.
While this is better, having a viewpoint go from one change to the next without a pause may be t oo jerky for some. To fix this, we can copy t he key points from 6 and 9 seconds and let them hold the viewpoint positions for a second.
Adjust the timing. Ctrl+drag the key point at 6 seconds to 5 seconds.
21
Ctrl+drag the key point at 9 seconds to 10 seconds.
View Orientations
79
::2 Disable view creation. ~ight-click
:plodedl.
Or ientation and Camera Views and select Disable View Key Creation.
Jnce we have t he basic key points t o control the views. we want to avoid accidently adding key points •there none were intended.
:3 Add key point manually. :cond o 1 second. d drag the 1ich makes
have a key out t he use
'.~ove
the t ime bar to 13 seconds, the end of the animation.
::1ange to the named view Collapsed2. Notice that no key point is created because we have Disable liew Key Creation selected. Select Orientation and Camera Views in the MotionManager design tree. then click Add/Update ?Cey t+] on the MotionManager toolbar. A key point has now been added for this final position.
_.. Play the animation. :=.xamine the res ults.
:=diting Viewpoint Keys ~oded2.
· seconds it J do this, we
!
key point
>ce we see the component motion and viewpoint changes together. we may want to adjust the views :=::ause parts are off the screen during an explode step, the model isn't in t he correct position for -::ximum visual impact. or any number of other reasons. - : update a viewpoint key:
-
Move t he time bar to the time of the key point to be updat ed. Adjust the view using Pan, Zoom, Rotate, or Roll as necessary. In the MotionManager design tree, select Orientation and Camera Views. Click Add/Update Key i:J on the MotionManager toolbar.
- Adjust a viewpoint. rbe too jerky he viewpoint
::would like the first and last viewpoints to be zoomed in so that the model completely fi lls t he screen. :1e t he time bar to 13 seconds. Z-:xlm in until the model fills the screen. 3-:: :=ct Orientation and Camera Views in the MotionManager design tree.
:[ : -< Add/Update Key [t_+, on the MotionManager t oolbar.
_: Play the animation. --=animation now ends with the model filling the screen.
So
Chapter 4
27 Adjust a viewpoint. Now we can do the same thing to the init ial view.
Move the t ime bar to 0 seconds. Zoom in until the model fi lls the screen. Select Or ientation and Camera Views in the MotionManager design t ree. Click Add/Update Key ~ on the MotionManager toolbar. 28 Play the animation. The animation starts at the correct view point, but it zooms out before starting the transition to t he Exploded l viewpoint. The pro blem is with t he key point at 1 second because it is still t he original starting view. 29 Fix the key points. To fix t his problem. we can just delete the viewpoint key at 1 second and t hen copy t he key point from 0 seconds to 1 second.
Select the Orientat ion and Camera Views key point at 1 second and press Delete. Ctrl+drag (or just drag} the key point at 0 seconds t o 1 second.
30 Add leader. We have a one second leader/establishing shot at t he beginning of the animation. but not at the end.
Drag the topmost key point for the assembly from 13 seconds to 14 seconds. The animation is now one second longer. but there is no motion during this last second. 31 Change interpolation mode. All viewpoint changes are current ly linear because that is the default interpolation mode. To smooth out the view changes, we will change t he interpolation mode to Ease in/Ease out.
Window-select the six Orientat ion and Camera Views key points between one and 13 seconds. Rightclick any of the selected key points and click Interpolation mode, Ease in/Ease out. 32 Play the animation. The viewpoints now move as we want.
View Orientations
81
Further Tweaking Could we do anything else to this animation? It would not be difficult to continue to make fu rther adjustments to the animation to correct the viewpoints or timing to make sure the t ransition speeds are just the way we want them. In this case. we could make adjustments to make sure all the parts remain visible on the screen at all times. For a smoother animation. an Ease In/Ease Out interpolation mode can be added to all the key points for the components to make the motion smoother. Ne will not make any further adjustments to this animation as the method and steps have already been : overed. For practice. you can make further adjustments until you are satisfied with the results.
:ion to the original
33 Save and close the file.
Perspective View Effect :y point from
.':/hen we animate views. wit h perspective on. there are cases where the model appears t o zoom in and ::!.lt on its own, resulting in a very unnatural animation. This is a result of the way perspective is :::lculated based on the bounding box of the model. =:specially with a perspective view. cameras define the viewpoint more reliably than noncamera views. ',"ith a camera, the field of view is fixed and doesn't change with t he size of the model. Cameras will be :.scussed later starting with Chapter 11. ~e
Jt at the end. ::ion is now one
Case Study: Visual Bloom _s~ng ~-:::l
:. To smooth out 3 seconds. Right-
following case study will demonstrate this effect. the Sarrus Mechanism we will explore the effects of perspective how the viewpoint changes based on the bounding box.
C..ocedure Open an assembly. :::en Machine.sldasm from the Case Study\ Sarrus Mechanism =-: ::1er. This is a simple kinematic mechanism.
Open a motion study. :::<:il the motion study named Perspective. Set views . . :1 the time bar at o seconds. change to the Front view. :'.::::r Disable View Key Creation and Disable Playback of View Keys.
-::rr- on Perspective by clicking View, Display. Perspective from the menu.
82
Chapter 4
4 Modify perspective. To make sure we see t he total effect of visual blooming, we want a large perspective.
Click View, Modify, Perspective and set the Observer Position to 1. This is equivalent to standing very close to the assembly. Zoom in so that the assembly will fill most of the screen. This will make it easier to see the results. 5 Motion driver. A rotary motor has already been added to the Wheel and set it to rotate at 15 rpm. We will discuss the use of motors in a later chapter, but for now this will drive the wheel several revolutions. 6 Calculate the animation. As the Wheel rotates, the viewpoint zooms in and out as shown in the composite image below. This has been recorded as Video Bloom.mp4 in the Videos folder.
::.e
View Orientations
83
Bounding Box ding very
When perspective is selected, the viewpoint is calculated at each frame. The viewpoint is determined by ::he bounding box of the model which, is based on the extents of the model. The extents change as the :Jox structure expands and contracts.
·esults. iscuss the
~
Bounding Box
0
''- This has
, some animations, t his may not be noticeable as the components that form the extents of the model ::-e not in motion, so the bounding box does not change. In this case, t he width of the assembly does not : l ange, but the height does, as shown above.
Change configuration. -:J demonstrate the effect of the bounding box, change the configuration of the assembly to t he : Jnfiguration Wit h Frame. In this configuration the part Ba se has some additional geometry that is ::rger than the moving components. : :Jam as necessary so t hat t he assembly fills the height of the screen.
Ill. ~
84
Chapter 4
8 Play the animation. We can see that the bounding box does not change size as the components move. This has been recorded as With Frame.avi in the Videos folder. Bounding Box
0 While this extra geometry on the Base helps to describe what is happening, we do not want it in our animation. Instead of adding geometry to an existing part, another approach is to add an additional part that keeps the bounding box from changing size and then make the part invisible.
9 Change configuration. Change back to the Default configuration. Hide added part. Move the time bar to o seconds.
10
Unsuppress the part Spacer. Like the previous example, this geometry will keep the bounding box from changing size, but it is a separate part, so we can hide it.
Hide the Spacer. Right-click the part Spacer and click Hide Components on the menu.
11
12 Play the animation.
Notice that the animation still shows the zoom in and out from the perspective. This is because the bounding box is based on the visible components and the Spacer is not visible. You can tell the part is hidden from the hollow icon in the Featu reManager® design tree.
13 Show the Spacer. With the t ime bar at a seconds, right-click the part Spacer and click Show Components on the menu.
View Orientations
85
14 Change transparency.
s been
Right-click the part Spacer and click Appearances. Edit the appearance. Change the Transparency amount t o 1.00 by moving the Transparency slider to the far right under Advanced, Illumination. Click OK.
15 Examine the part. Notice t hat the part icon is still solid because the part is not hidden. The part is showing, but is 100 percent transparent. So, while hiding a component and making it transparent give us the same visual results. we do not get the same view results.
1.00
SpeaJiar amount: 1.00
;: J
5peaJiar color:
5peaJiar spread: 0 .689999998
i6 Change display style. While the shaded face of the Spacer is transparent, the edges are not. In order to conceal t he edges, change the display mode to Shaded.
7 Play the animation. 1ant it in our =dditiona\ part
LOO
l lnlnous intensity:
7he view should now be steady as the bounding box shou ld not change. This has :Jeen recorded as With Spacer.avi in the Videos folder. •8 Save and close all files. -portant! While the method of adding a spacer part to the assembly works. it is generally not a -:1eferred method to solve this problem unless you are so far along on the animation that changing all :1e views may not be an effective way to use your time. Alt ernative Methods -addition to the methods shown there are alternatives for fixing this condition:
nding box from
because the tell the part is
1
ts on the menu.
Turn off perspective If we turn off perspective. the viewpoint will not change. Whether or not this is a good solution depends on t he animation you are making and how important the perspective view is. If perspective is important for the realism of the animation, then this is not a suitable choice. Add a part 'J we add a very small part or parts to the assembly at t he limits of where we need the bounding box :o be, they could hold the bounding box size. These parts could be so small that it is not visible. but .-;ill keep the size of the bounding box fixed. Use a camera :::ameras are much more stable for viewpoints and have many other options that generally make t hem :1e option of choice in serious animations. In Chapter 11, we will explore how to set up and use :ameras in our animations.
Animating Appearances and Properties Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Change the appearance of components along the timeline. • Use display states to change animation appearances. • Change the component display. • Add lights to the animation. • Render animations using Photo View 360.
88
Chapter 5
Animating Appearances The visual properties of a component can change across the time line. Any appearance attribute can bE animated. This includes color, transparency, the hide/show state, and the applied appearance.
Topics • Controlling appearances
Component appearance can be controlled through the standard SolidWorks tools. • Display states
Display states are used t o control and recall appearances in the same way named views are used tc control and recall viewpoints. • Display Pane
The Disp lay Pane provides a listing of visual properties assigned to components as we ll as a way tc change the properties. • Animating lights
Lights can be animated to change their position and aim point as well as properties such as intensit and color. • Rendering animations with PhotoView 360
For added realism, photorealistic rendering of animations can be done using Photo View 360.
Animating Appearances and Properties
89
:hanging Displays and Appearances ·ibute can be 1Ce.
-: ::aimate an appearance, set the time and edit the appearance using the PropertyManager. Visibility, ~-sparency, display, and appearance can be set differently at different times using key points. For :. =-nple, a component can begin the animation hidden and be shown at the end. The key point changed :s ::ased on the position of the time bar. --=chart below lists the display and appearance options available for components.
; are used to
3ption
Suboptions
Description
None
Toggles the visibility of the component
None
Toggles the transparency of the component to 75 percent
~so late
Dialog
Hides all other components except those selected
Component Display
Wireframe ~
Changes the display of the component from the Default Display set by the assembly
;-!ide and Show las a way to
as intensity
~
Change Transparency
' 360.
~
Hidden Lines Visible fQ1) Hidden Lines Removed ~ Shaded With Edges ~ Shaded ~
Default Display Appearance ~
Appearance ~
Changes the appearance of the component.
90
Chapter 5
Interpolation Modes for Visual Properties Transitions across the timeline for visual properties can be set using Interpolation Modes. The default mode is linear interpolation. just as it is for component s. The interpolation mode can be changed in exactly the same way as it is done for component movements. For more information, see Interpolation Modes on page 37.
To see this visually, play the animation Appearance Interpolation Modes.mp4. In t he composite image below, each flashlight has most of its components change from opaque to transparent in 10 seconds. The interpolation mode is diffe rent for each flashlight for comparison.
Snap
~~ ;>
Ease in ~
5
Linear
~!!f.>
=
Ease Out ~
!!!f:.
Ease In/Ease Out T=O
T =2
T=4
T=6
- ...c
T=8
T = 10
-.s -
Animating Appearances and Properties
"he default nged in
Case Study: Component Visibility Changes
·erpolotion
---..sis a simple case study to demonstrate how to hide ::::oj)onents and change their transparency. Play the file 7.:.e-:vs.mp4 from the Videos folde r for this lesson to see -=intended result.
nposite 1t in 10
5~oryboard
~
-: ..mdersta nd the sequence of events, we write a s imple ::::oyboard that looks like this:
Tir"Vte
Pesc.r-ipfio"'
0- l
Esf... blisl-.i"8 sl-.of
I - 2
Hide fl-.e Re-C'Iec.for- c:."''d Le"'s c.Over-
3
2-3
Hide fl-.e Swivel
-=
3-5
Hide fl-.e Mi"'' ic..fvr-e Bvlb
-::>
3-
Hide fl-.e Hec:.d c:."''d Swivel Clip
6
5-7
Hide fl-.e Rov"'d Swivel Cc:.p
7
7-8
Hide fl-.e svbc:.s5er"Vtbl'1 c.or"Vtpo"'e"'fs Clip c:."'~d Swifc.l-.
g
7- 10
Cl-.c.."Be fl-.e fr-c:."''spc:.r-e"''c.'1 o-C' fl-.e svbc:.sSer"V\bl'1 c.or"Vtpo"'e"'f Holder-
tO - II
E"'d lec:.der-
S+ep
~
~
p~
p~
1
"''O
c:."'~d Locki"B
Pi"'s
c.l-.c:."Bes
-·ocedure Open an assembly. :::en Views.sldasm f rom the Chapter 5\Case Study folder.
=10
91
--.sis the same assembly we were working with in the previous chapter.
Create a motion study. =.-eate a new motion study. Name it Appearances. ::::.ect Animation fo r the Type of Study.
3 Hide component. Hide these components using the schedu,e .s.:ec ~r -::: but the table below is just for clarity. The basic procedure is to move the time bar to the end ;::~E Copy the key from 0 seconds to the start time of the hide. Hide Components
::; g-:
_
~· :-~
St art Hide (seconds}
Reflector and Lens Cover
:=-::::-e-: c:nd die~ Hid:
End Hide (seconds} 2
Swivel and both Locking Pin components
2
3
Miniature Bulb
3
5
Head and Swivel Clip
3
6
Round Swivel Cap
5
7
Subassembly components Clip and Switch
7
8
4 Change transparency. Change transparency for the su bassembly component Holder using the schedule listed be low. Change Transparency
Start Change (seconds}
End Change (seconds}
Subassembly component Holder
7
10
Note When a change of visibility is applied to a component, it is applied at the position of t he time bar. If t here were no existing visibility changes, as is the case in this example, the key frame starts at the o seconds and extends to the current time bar position. The change occurs using linear interpolat ion between t hose times. The key points on either end of the key frame can be moved.
5 Add an establishing shot/end leader. We have the establishing shot because our first change started at 1 second, but the animation ends at the end of the last change so we need to extend the animation one second. Drag the end key point fo r the top level icon to the right to 11 seconds.
6 Change interpolation mode. Window-select all t he key points after o seconds. Right-dick one of the selected key points and cha nge t he interpolation mode to Ease in/Ease out.
Animating Appearances and Properties
(!1e storyboard,
View timeline. - -=completed timeline looks like t his. ~W3~~ ~
and click Hide.
93
~ Views_& (Default)
0s ec I I I I I
I I
I I
12s ec
I I I I ( I I I I
14 sec I I I I
l
I I I I
16s ec I t
I I ( I I I f
IBs ec I
I I
I
I
I I I I
110 s ecII I I
I
I I
I
{I) Orientation and Camera Views
- :aJ l ights, Cameras and Scene ~ (f) Base_& ~Move
Hide :onds)
d
Explode
flo Appear.mce +
~ Mates in Views_&
• ~ (f) Holder_&
~ ~r§@i~l'
>" ~ (·) Switch_& • • • • •
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
(·) Round Swivel Cap_& (·) Swivel_& (·) Battory AA_& (·) Head_& (·) Miniature Bulb_& (· )Battery AA_&<2> ~ (·)locking Pin_& ~(·)Locking Pin_&<2> ~ (·)Swivel Cfip_& ~ (· ) Reflector_& ~ (·)Lens Cover_& ~ (·) BatteryCover_& · > Mates
..__.
•• ..__. .___. ..__. ..__. •
..__. •..__.
• • •• •
•
. fi
below. Change onds)
... View key point properties. ·: use over a key point. The callout will show the visual =-::;Jerties of the component at that t ime.
[ Switch....S.l > 8sec
• =o @J=Ioo% lL: rJ ~ lL:
Play.
==y t he animation. It should look like the Views.mp4 animation provided with the course files. lf the time bar. starts at the interpolat ion
nation ends at
Its and change
?
·
94
Chapter 5
Display States Display st ates are the visual settings counterpart to configurations. Display states are used to set the visibility, appearance, display mode and transparency of components at the assembly level. In a part, display states can be used primarily to change the appearance or t ransparency of features, but can also be use to change the display state or hide/show bodies. A display state is often associated with a specific configuration but may also be common to all configurations. Display states can make it easier to set the ap pearances in an animation. In the previous chapter, named views were used to provide predefined views that could be used in the animation. With appearances, display states can be used the same way but are much more useful. Named views really only affected single keys on the timeline and could easily be used again by editing a single key and then copying it to another location. With appearances. it is not as easy to just copy and paste as the changes may affect many components. By using display states, we can set the appearance of every component at once. If we then choose to edit one or two of the appearances and then determine that t he edits are not what we want it is easier to go back to the display state than to try to undo all the individual edits.
Stored Display States The display states are stored separately from the configurations under the ConfigurationManager tab. They may be linked together so that each configuration has a specific disp lay state assigned, or the configurations and display states may be independent from each other. Each configuration has at least one display state.
B ~ Support_Frame_& Configuration(s) (RH_Burners) £!) {jf Tables LH_Burners I Supp ort_Frame_& I Planks_i>last!C I Support_Frame_&] Planks_Wood [ Support_Frame_&] RH_Burners I Support_Frame_&] Smgle_Tray! Support_Frame_& I
J Link Display States to Configurations
Animating Appearances and Properties
95
Display States vs. Configurations Jisplay states are used to capt ure changes in the appearance of components. Configurations are used :o create alternate versions of assemblies by suppression, positioning, and differences in mate values.
lffected t ing it to lY affect once. If 1ot what
(RH_Burners)
~II ,)
Configurations
Display States
Suppress/Resolve components
Hide/Show components
Component positioning
No equivalent
Select part material properties
Assembly-based Appearances
Select part configurations
No equivalent
Select part appearances
Assembly-based Appearances
No equivalent
Display Mode (HLR, Shaded)
No equivalent
Assembly-based Transparency
Set numeric values (mates)
No equivalent
Display Pane - he display settings can be controlled and visualized through the ~~ Jisplay Pane » of the FeatureManager. Clicking on the icon in t he row ~--==- t'lith the component name brings up a menu to change it. It can be used ~Mfi:IOOWJ ~ sensors [t, ~ Amotaticns :o change a component at any level of the assembly. Ef,
«fSib GJ ft&f
~ lights, Cameras ..-.d Scene ~ Front Plane
~ Top ~'~Me ~ Right Plane
t. Origin ~ (f) Base 1£ ~ Rcx.nd Swivel Cop< I > ~ (·} S·Mvel < l > S ~ (·)Ba~ryAA< l>
B ~(-)Heod l3l ~ (·) Mini•b..re Bulb< l > 00 ~ (·) Ba~AA<2> 1!J ~ (·)Locking Pin< I > 1B ~(·) Locking Pin<2> &, ~ (· ) SwiveHlp ~(-) Reflector 1!J ~(-}Lens Cover IE ~ Battery Cover< I>·> _l'tl ~@ Matl!s
~
~ ~
t.
~~ ~~0 ~ ~Ll ~ ~ Ll ~ ~ LI ~~0 ~ lr.J L1 ~ ~ Ll ~ ~ Ll ~ ~ .t:l ~~0 ~ lr.J 0 ~ ~ Ll
96
Chapter 5
The column options include: Option
Icon
Description
Hide and Show
A toggle that can be set to Hide or Show a component
Display Modes
The display mode sets the display of individual components: Wireframe Hidden Lines Visible Hidden Lines Removed Shaded With Edges Shaded Default Display (of the assembly)
Appearances
Sets the appearance
Transparency
A toggle that turns component Transparency on or off
=Setting these visibilit y options can be done through the Display Pane, the Assembly toolbar, or by rightclicking a component. Regardless of how the setting is creat ed, it is shown in the Display Pane.
Display Pane Icons The icons used in the Display Pane are used as both a visual display of the current state and as a method of changing the setting. The appearance options use one or two triangles to represent, for example, the part appearance (lower) and the component appearance (upper) or override. If there is only a single {lower) t riangle, the part appearance is used as t he assembly component appearance.
r ~
(omponent Appearance
s-
\_Part
Appearance
3
Selecting Display Pane Options One way t o select options for a component in the Display Pane is to dick the icon you want t o change in the row of the component you want to change.
=
Animating Appearances and Properties
--other way is to right-click on the component row in the Display Pane. - -;s method shows all the options availab le for that compone nt in one -:nu. ponent
'<:omponent (Swivel·l}
f§b .!:!ide @ §l
['JJ
J eating Display States -=create a new Display Stat e, right-click in the ConfigurationManager =:-d then click Add Display State. A new display state will be added. -:he FeatureManager design tree, expand the Display Pane.
97
~irefi-ame Htdden Lines Visible
(j
Hidden lines Removed ~ded l',lth Edges
rJ
Sh~tded
fill ~faUt
Display
e-
A!!~Jearance
6,!
g,ange Tr.,...porency Co~Tl>onent Display Stole
:= -ange the display properties as necessary.
Display sta~ ( DefauJt_oiSPI
@
Add[)isp!ay State
---
~ Bename Dispkly St>lte E!:jl Oear AI Iop level OVerrides Customize Menu
Case Study: Changing Appearances - ;:his case st udy. we want to show the product in the different appearances in which we intend to sell 1ay the Display States.mp4 file from the Videos fo lder for t his lesson to see the intended result
: 0
n or off !r, or by right?ane.
- Component Appearance
- Part Appearance
Storyboard --e storyboard is quite simple; we want t he =:ssembly to spin continually. At each rotation, we .::nt the appearances to change to reflect the : .=.;erent color schemes in which t he assembly will ': e manufactured.
D D D
Display States
D D D
Sfep
2
Tio'Vle
Pescripfio"'
D
0
- I
Esfc:..h/isL,;"'J sl.,of
D
I - 17
Rofc:..fe c:..SSeo'Vlhl'1 cov"'ferc.f ockvvise
D D
Pe.(:'c:..vlf color scL,eo'Vle
D
3
0
L{
2 - b
Reed c olor scL,eo'Vle
5
b - 10
6ree"' color s cl.,eo'Vle
b
10
7
8
nt to change
- I
D D
- IL/
D
Bl ve col or scL,e o'Vle
D
H- 18
Yellovv color scl.,e o'Vle
D
17 - 18
E
"'ed 1ec:..eder
-
-
- --- - - - - - -
~ '--
!to '
~ "-._
~ ...._
D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
98
Chapter 5
--
Procedure Utilize the assembly. Continue with the assembly Views.
1
~ --c
- -= --
2 Change to Model view. Move the time bar to o seconds so that all the appearances are at the starting values.
Select the Model tab. Important! Because the assembly has on ly one display state, that state is whatever the appearances are currently set to in the assembly. If we left the t ime bar at the end of t he animation, t he default display state would look like the model at the end of the animation, rather t han t he beginning.
3 Create display states. In the ConfigurationManager, clear Link Display States to Configurations. Because we cannot change configurations in an animation, we want to be able to use each display state in whichever configurat ion we use. Right-click in the ConfigurationManager and click Add Display State. Create four disp lays and name them Red. Green. Blue, and Yellow. At this point, all the new display states will be t he same as the Default.
4 Change appearances. We are going to apply appearances to only four components.
- ==:. =,
Double-click the display state Red to make it active. In the FeatureManager design t ree, expand the Display Pane by clicking
>> •
Select the components Holder and Head.
_ .....
-,::.
Select the Appearances tab in the Task Pane. Expand the Plastics folder and select High Gloss.
:::_ .
In the bottom pane, double-click red high gloss plastic. The Display Pane will now show that the red appearance is attached in the assembly at the component level and the green appearance is attached at the part level.
-..::.:: I
'
Component ~
~}··~ (f) Holder_:& ~~~ . Part _ , /
Animating Appearances and Properties
:;
99
Add additional appearances.
_se t he same procedure to apply t he various appearances at the component level. All appearances are - gh gloss plastic. Display State
Component Red
Green
Blue
Yellow
Holder
red
green
blue
yellow
e ap pearances , the default
Head
red
green
blue
yellow
~ ning.
Switch
white
black
white
black
Locking Pins
white
black
white
black
cannot change configuration
:Jte As color schemes and appearance choices are very subject ive, you should not feel bound to use
~r
3ys and name :? same as the
:-:e exact choices shown in t he table. The important thing is that you have fo ur extra display states in ::::ldit ion to the default display state.
:
Return to default display state.
::::eturn the assembly to the Default Display State.
Create a motion study. :reate a new motion study. Name it Display States. Select Animation for the Type of Study.
Add rotation. ~asition
the model in the named view Start.
.....se the Animation Wizard to rotat e the model about t he Y axis four times for a duration of 8 seconds, ;;~arting at 1 second. ~
Play the animation.
- his rotation does not look very good as the model is rotating about theY axis of the screen rather t han :'leY axis of the model. This rotation makes the model appear to wobble in space rather than rotate.
~
~~~
~ -
- ::l
fix this, we will redo the rotation using a technique of modifying key points.
ote Later in the book, we will explore the use of cameras to control our viewpoints. A camera would ::e preferred for this animation, but we will make do with the view controls for now.
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Chapter 5
10 Delete the view keys.
In the timeline. window-select all the view keys except the key at 0 seconds. Press Delete.
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Create rotation. Move the time bar t o 1 second.
11
Change to the Right view. Click in the graphics area to change the focus, then press the down arrow on the keyboard twice. With the standard settings in SolidWorks. t his will rotate the model 30 degrees about the horizontal axis of the screen. Select Orientation and Camera Views in the Motion Manager design tree. then click Add/Update Key [~+] on t he MotionManager toolbar. Move the time bar t o 2 seconds. Press the up arrow on the keyboard twice; this rotates t he model to the back to t he right view. Hold Shift and press the right arrow key; this rotates the model to the back view. Press the down arrow on the keyboard twice. This positions the model t o look like it has rot ated about it's Y axis. Select Orientation and Camera Views in the MotionManager design tree. then click Add/Update Key [t-+J on the MotionManager toolbar. Move the t ime bar to 3 seconds and repeat t he arrow combination. then create a key point. Do the same at 4 seconds. You should now have key points to rotate the 270 degrees. Note This process appears tedious but once you create a couple of key points. it actually goes very quickly. Tip To make it easier to position t he time bar over the key points, zoom in on the timeline by using the zoom tools in t he lower right of the timeline.
~~~
Animating Appearances and Properties
101
.:. Play the animation. --:s rotation looks better because the model appears to rotat e around its vertical axis rather than t he ~:-e en axis.
~.
::serve the reference triad as the animation plays. You will see that --:model is in fact rotating about the Y axis of the assembly.
A i<:rJ , :J Y
z
J{
3 Copy key points. : ·.v that the rotation looks correct, we will copy it three times to get a total of fo ur rotations. We did -:.: create a key point that woul d return the viewpoint to the starting view as we can just copy the =::aiting view key point to finish the rotation. Because we need several rotations, we will not create this 2Si: key point yet.
d twice. With zontal axis of
• 1dow-select the key points from 1 second to 4 seconds. : :rl+drag the key point from 1 second to 5 seconds. Because all the key points were selected, all are
:::lied. i/UpdateKey
=:;:>eat the copy process twice more to 9 seconds and 13 seconds. :u should now have key points to 16 seconds. We need one final key point to return the model to the =-st position of the rotation, so copy the key point from 1 second to 17 seconds.
Hold Shift row on the
?W.
- Play the animation. --is rotation looks bett er.
•e can now add the appearance changes. :!/Update Key
3raphics Display Modes . Do the same f goes
very
·:;en creating or recording an animation, we can use either OpenGL or Rea iView graphics display If installed, Photo View 360 can also be used to create photorealistic animations. Photo View 360 ::n only be used during the recording portion as it must render each frame individually and is not : mamic like OpenGL and Real View. -::~des.
· 3 Change graphics dis play mode. sing
~ ~E).
- _rn on ReaiView graphics display by clicking View, Display, ReaiView Graphics from the menu.
102
Chapter 5
16 Add appearance key points. Make sure that AutoKey [f] is selected. Move t he time bar to 2 second. In the ConfigurationManager, double-click the Red display state. Move the time bar to 6 seconds. In the ConfigurationManager, double-dick the Green display state. Move the time bar to 10 seconds. In the ConfigurationManager, double-click the Blue display state. Move the t ime bar to 14 seconds. In the Configuration Manager, double-click t he Yellow display state.
17 Examine the callouts. Mouse over the key points fo r the Holder part and notice how the callout shows the appearance assigned at t hat key point. . 1!;
% (f) Hold er_&
dJ Explode
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18 Play the animation. At each complete revolution of the assembly, the appearance changes.
19 Modify the animation. The appearances are in constant change as the assembly rotates, which is not very appealing. We want t o add additional key points so that the appearances change between the time the model is viewed in the right view and when it is viewed in the back view. This will make the appearances change during 90 degrees of rotation and then hold the appearance for 270 degrees of rotation. We could copy and paste the key points, but because we are dealing with appearances, we have to make sure we copy all the appearance key points for each view. That might get tedious and it is easy to make an error. Because we have display states, it is just a matter of moving the time bar to specific times anc changing to the display state. Move the time bar to 1 second. Change to the Default display state. Move the time bar to 5 seconds. Change to the Red display state. Move the time bar to 9 seconds. Change to the Green display state. Move the time bar to 13 seconds. Change to the Blue display state. 20 Play the animation. This looks a little better as the appearances change fast er and hold for most of the revolutions so we can study the co lors before the appearance changes again.
Animating Appearances and Properties 103
2'
1y state. splay state. play state.
display state.
Save the assembly.
Rotation by Reference Triad 1 e method of creating a view rotation about an axis of the assembly worked reasonably well, but there " as a significant number of keystrokes involved as well as a lack of flexi bility getting the assembly :-iented the way we would like. An alternate method is to use the Reference Triad to change the .ewpoint. The specific keyst rokes involved were covered in Reference Triad on page 6g.
Case Study: Reference Triad Jearance
- this case st udy, we will use a copy of the previous motion study and create a new view rotation based :., the model starting in the t rimetric view and rotating about the Y axis of the assembly. Play the •:ews_Reference Triad.mp4 file from the Videos folder fo r this lesson to see the intended resu lt.
P..ocedure Duplicate the motion study. :: ght -click the Display States motion study tab, created in the previous case study, and click Duplicate. =ena me this study Reference Triad.
Delete keys. ::.ete all the Orientation and Camera View keys except the one at 0 seconds. aling. We want el is viewed in mge during go
e have to make s easy to make !Cific times and
First key point. ':.ve the t ime bar to o seconds. : :ar Disable View Key Creation so t hat we do not have to manually record the key points. :-.ent the model in the Trimetric view. ' -:.ve t he time bar to 2 seconds. Press and hold both Shift and Ctrl. --:n click theY axis arrow of the reference triad. The viewpoint will -::ate go degrees counterclockwise about the Y axis. ·e If t he refe rence triad is not visible, it can be turned on in t he :;: .idWorks Options under System Options, Display/Selection, - •:Splay reference triad.
•olutions so we
Shift+ Ctrl + Click~
'
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104
Chapter 5
4 Add views. Move the time bar to 3 seconds and then press and hold both Shift and Ctrt then click the Y axis arrow of the reference t riad. Repeat this procedure again at 4 seconds. Click Disable View Key Creation to avoid adding additional view key points. Copy the key point from 0 seconds to 1 second. We now have a 1 second in leader and then keys at 1. 2, 3. and 4 seconds rep resenting the four points of the rotation. 5 Copy keys. Select the keys from 1 to 4 seconds and copy them to 5. 9. and 13 seconds.
Copy the key from 2 seconds to 17 seconds to complete the fi na l rotation. 6 Play. This animation should look almost the same as the previous case study.
Using the reference triad to rotate t he model, we could have used any initial orientation of the assembly and quickly created the first rotation about any axis of the assembly. Copying and pasting t he initial four key points provided a quick method to get a consistent rot ation of the assembly with little work. 5i
7 Save. Save and close t he assembly.
Animating Appearances and Properties
105
Animating Lights e Y axis arrow
_:ghts can also be controlled in an animation. The position and properties can be controlled with key .::lints just as appearances, viewpoints, and component position can. --ere are two things t o keep in mind wit h lights:
en keys at 1, 2,
The maximum number of lights in a model is nine. This is a limit in SolidWorks and is not specific to animations. Lights cannot be attached to geometry. Light position can only be controlled by specifying its position in space either through Cartesian or spherical coordinates. They cannot be attached to other objects.
Scene and Environment =::::enes create t he setting around our model. Without a scene. the model would always be displayed with -"Jthing around it. It could not cast shadows as t here would be nothing for t he shadow to fall upon . .=ovironments provide a 30 world around our model to provide something to be seen in the reflections :1 t he mode l and t o provide more realistic lighting. "' t he assembly the initial four -cle work.
',ilen we create animations, t he scene is not controlled by the MotionManager as it is neither listed in MotionManager design t ree nor are there key points on the timeline. You can create several AVI files : "' the same animation with different scenery by simply changing the scenery selection and recording :~e animation again. :~e
:..ock to Model or View ',1 en we use scenery elements or light s. the relationship between t he model and scenery or lighting can .:e either of two types. Lock to Model or Lock to Scene. :ur common perception is that when we use the view tools Rotate, Zoom, Pan, or Roll, t he model moves. - reality, however. the model stays fixed and we move our viewpoint relat ive to it. _ock to Model kee ps the scenery or lights attached to the model. Imagine a studio with the lights on ::-ipods resting on the floor. The camera (our viewpoint) is held in our hands. To rotate, pan. zoom. or ro ll. •;e move our viewpoint. That is, we move the camera to a new locat ion. When scenes or lights are locked ::J the model, t hey maintain their posit ion with respect to t he model regardless of viewpoint position. ·.~len you change your viewpoint. only the camera changes position. ~ck
to View keeps the scenery or lights attached to the camera. As you move the camera. the light · eeps its position relative t o the camera and moves with the camera. For scenery this would be =quivalent to the camera and scenery being attached t o the floor, an d then moving the model.
106 Chapter 5
Lighting Proper lighting can greatly enhance the quality of the animation. The same principles used by photographers and videographers work well in SolidWorks and Photo View 360. Lights are created and positioned in SolidWorks. If Photo View 360 is going to be used to render the animation, it has a few additional controls to refine the qua lity of the light and shadows. For more information on Photo View 360, see the book Photorealistic Rendering Using SolidWorks and Photo View 360 Step-by-Step available through the So lidWorks webstore: http://store.solidworks.com, or Amazon.com.
Types of Lights SolidWorks and Photo View 360 use several different types of lights: • Ambient In the physical world, ambient light illuminates the model evenly from all directions. In a room with white walls, the level of ambient light is high, because t he light reflects off the walls and other objects. In SolidWorks, ambient light is a brightness control fo r the entire scene that simulates the effect of real world ambient light. The ambient light has no effect in Photo View 360 as light from the scene is actually calculated. • Directional Directional light comes from a source t hat is infinitely far away from the model. It is a collimated light source consisting of parallel rays arriving from a single direction. like t he sun. The central ray of a directional light points directly at the center of the mode l. • Spot A spot light is a restricted, focused light with a cone-shaped beam that is brightest at its center. A spot light can be aimed at a specific area of the model. You can adjust the position and distance of the light source relative to the model. and the cone angle through which the beam spreads. • Point A point light comes from a very small light source locat ed at a specific coordinate in the model space. This type of light source emits light in all directions. The effect is like a t iny light bulb floating in space • Lighting appearances Lighting appearances are used t o make a surface act as a light source. These can simulate LEOs, neon tubes, backlit LCDs, and area lights. • Environmental lighting Environmental lighting. also called image-based lighting, is the closest type of lighting to the real world. It uses high dynamic range images and indirect lighting to light the model and scene. Imagebased lighting is only used in Phot oView 360, and not in OpenG L or ReaiView.
Animating Appearances and Properties
107
Creating Lights J epending on the scene used, SolidWorks creates two or more lights when you select a scene. Each part ::::1d assembly t emplate has a scene and its associated lights set as a defau lt. These are normally ..;mbient and Directional! and possibly Directional2. '.'here to Find It Menu: View, Lights and Camera, Add [Directional/Spot/Point] Light. Shortcut Menu: Right-click either the Lights and Cameras fo lder or any light in the Lights folder, Add (Directional/Spot/Point] Light ote There is only one ambient light. You cannot delete it nor add any more.
Shadows ::1adows are important to t he process of creating realistic animations. They can be used t o do the =:11lowing:
:s.
-CE
:-
Define spatial relationships Without shadows. the relative position between objects may be difficult t o understand. The soap bottle in the left image looks like it is sitting on the wood surface. Adding shadows shows that it is actually floating above the surface.
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Chapter 5
• Reveal alternate angles
Shadows can be used to show a side profile to help define the overall shape of an object. The shadows in this example show both the front and side profile of the bott le.
• Add contrast
When the subject and background are of similar tone, a shadow can help to separate the two.
Animating Appearances and Properties 109
ldows
).
• Add to the composition of the image Shadows can be used to break up a background pattern or to help lead the viewer's eye to the subject.
Indicate off-screen space The shadow in the above picture can also be used t o indicate that there are other objects just out of view. This helps to show that the world is larger than just the image.
:lhotoView 360 supports shadows and has controls for individual shadows. Lighting Coordinates Spot and point lights can be positioned using Cartesian or spherical coordinates. Directional lights can :::nly be positioned using spherical coordinates because they always point at the origin of t he part or assembly. The origin of the coordinate system is always the model origin. The direction of the axis depends on whether the scenery is locked to model or locked to view.
Nhen the scenery is locked to the model, the principal directions are relative to the Front reference :>lane. 'Nhen the scenery is locked to the view. the principal directions are relative to the face of our monitor.
no Chapter 5
Positioning Lights The position of directional, spot, and point lights can be adjusted either of two ways: • Numerical input a Dragging the light by its manipulator
Spot Lights Spot lights are probably the most useful lights available to add realism to the rendering. They most closely represent the properties of the lights used by professional photographers in a studio. Spot lights are restricted, focused lights with a cone-shape beam that is brightest at the center. Spot lights can be aimed at a specific area of the model. The position of the spot light can also be adjusted relative to the model. Cone angle and edge properties can be adjusted to add more realism.
Where to Find It • Menu: View, Lights and Camera, Add Spot Light • Shortcut Menu: Right-click either the Lights and Cameras folder or any light in the Lights folder, Add Spot Light Adjusting the Light Positions
The spot light position, target, and cone angle can all be adjusted by dragging the manipulators. When the manipulators are used, the position information is updated in the PropertyManager. For consistency, the lighting values will be given as their numerical values. You should practice adjusting the lights by numeric input and dragging the lights to gain practice at both.
Lights in Animations Most properties of lights can be animated in the same way as anything else in a point-to-point an imation. That is, set the time, then edit the light to set the properties as the light should appear at that time. There is also a shortcut menu to turn the light on or off at any point in time. Turning a light or or off will change its brightness from or to 0, respectively. Photo View 360 uses a separate set of controls for lights as the primary method of lighting is image based instead of discrete lights.
Keep Light Scenes in SolidWorks have lights associated with them. You have to be careful and recognize that whechanging scenes, SolidWorks may try to delete some of the lights you have added to your an imation. T: prevent this, for any light you wish to animate, go to the light properties and select Keep light when scene changes.
Animating Appearances and Properties
Case Study: Lighting
"
-this case study we will add lights and scenery to our animation.
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- -:e lights will fade up, then change position and fade to :.ack. A spot light will then turn on and pan along the -odel. Play the video Lights.mp4 fo und in the Videos =:tder.
Lights
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Procedure Begin setup. Jpen the assembly Lights from the Lights folder. This is the same assembly that we have been working Nith earlier in this chapt er. :::
Turn on ReaiView.
112
Chapter 5
3 Examine lights. Examine the Lights folder in the DisplayManager. There are just three lights. Ambient, Dir ectionall, and Directional2. Note If you have Photo View 360 turned on. each directional light will have two icons. one for its status in SolidWorks and the other for its status in Photo View 360. If PhotoView 360 is not turned on. there will be on ly one status icon next to each light as shown at right
4 Create a motion study. Create a new mot ion study. Name it Lights. Select Animation for the Type of Study.
5 Change scenery. Select the Appearance, Scenes and Decals tab on t he Task Pane. Expand the Scenes folde r and select Studio Scenes. In the bottom pane. double-click the scene Reflective Floor Black.
6 Check the lights. Examine the DisplayManager and the MotionManager design tree. When we changed the scene, the number of lights changed. There should now be t he Ambient light plus three directional lights. With PhotoView 360 added in, there is also an icon for Scene Illumination.
• ~ Scene (Reflective Floor Blade) Lights :« Seen~ Dlumination
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tal
<:( Ambient
9' ~ DirectionaB 9' (j::J Oirectionat2 9' r$J Oirectional4 ~Camera Walk-through
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7 Turn Lights off. Move the time bar to 0 seconds. Expand the Lights, Cameras and Scene folder in the MotionManager design tree.
8 ~ Lig hts (DI!fau~)
.@ E' {;a)
Orientati on and Camera Views Lights, Cameras and Scene )01; Scene lllumination
<:(Ambient 0 0
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Right-click each of the lights and click Off in SolidWorks from the menu.
8 Turn lights on. Move the time bar to 4 seconds. Select the two directional lights. then right-dick and click On in SolidWorks from the menu.
Animating Appearances and Properties 113
lctional l , r its status l on, t here
Play the animation. - -:e default interpolation mode is linear, so both lights should smooth ly increase in intensity between · ::nd 4 seconds. - te If we wanted the lights to snap on at 3 seconds, we cou ld just change the interpolat ion mode t o
Snap.
: Hold the lights constant. we change the light positions, we want to hold them in position for a second. Copy the key points =:::.- the two lights from 4 seconds to 5 seconds. ~=fore
Move the lights. the time bar to 9 seconds.
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::: ght-click the first directional light and : .ick Properties. This will open t he :>opertyManager for the light and also : -::Jw the manipulator that can be used -:::drag the light to a new position.
~ [j Keep lght when scene dlanges
0
(jig
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_ock to model should already be :elected. If not, select it.
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:: ~ange the light position: 0.4
Longitude: -lSOdeg Latitude: 6Sdeg Brightness: 0.7.
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::.:ck OK. mer-a VieNS d Scene >on
: Edit the second light. '.'ith the time bar still at 8 seconds, edit :-e properties of the other directional sht.
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Latitude:
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:::nange the properties: Longitude: -lOOdeg Latitude: -2Sdeg Brightness: 1.0 .
·3 Play the animation . .'{e can see the movement of the light t hrough the reflections from t he different surfaces.
.)
114
Chapter 5
14 Turn off the lights. Move t he time bar to 11 seconds. Right-click each light and click Off. 15 Copy key points. Copy the two lighting key points from 9 seconds to 10 seconds to hold the lights in position for one second before beginning to dim. 16 Examine the callouts. The call outs for lights will show the major properties. if the • light is on or off, and the color of the light. '-4--~~~-~------" 17 Add a spot light. Right-click the Lights, Cameras and Scene folder in the MotionManager design tree and click Add Spot Light.
••
Specularity Brightness ' - - - - - Ambient
Click OK to accept the default position and values.
18 Turn the spot light off. With the time bar at 0 seconds. right-click Spotl in t he MotionManager design tree and click Off. 19 Move to first position. Move the time bar to 13 seconds. Turn the spot light On.
' Car~sian
[l) Lod |
Right-click Spotl in the MotionManager design tree and click Properties. Select Spherical fo r Co-ordinate System and select Lock to model. Position the light as shown. This places light 200mm from the model, perpendicular to the axis of the model (Longitude godeg) and on t he Top plane (Latitude odeg).
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The target point is roughly on the surface of the model X = 20mm, at the vertical midpoint Y = Omm. and near the rear of the model Z = 60mm. Use the triad in the lower left corner of the screen to visualize the different directions. Set the Cone Angle to Sdeg. Click OK.
Animating Appearances and Properties 115
:J Turn the spot light off. : npy the key point that we just created to 13 seconds. Move the time bar t o 12 seconds, right-click Spotl in the Motion Manager design tree and click Off. The resu lt is t hat at 12 seconds the spot light is ::.med properly and has all the same properties as at 13 seconds, except that it is turned off.
or one
:· Move to second position.
~~osition
•: ave the time bar to 16 seconds.
J . ~· )pecularit y k ightness \mbient
" Spherical Cartesian
:=::lit the properties of the spot light to those s1own. The only difference will be that the :::rget point has moved to Z = -somm, which :: 'TlS the spot light near the front of the model.
~.J] Lod tn model
~
:: Play the animation.
.·:e do not get what we expected from 11 to 16
seconds. Instead of a beam of light traveling :;,ong the model, it just looks like constant .umination.
. Off.
~
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I
:3 Turn off RealView. -:.~rn
off RealView and play the animation.
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--=:ealView only uses t he first three lights applied to the model and treats them all as directional lights -<=gardless of their actual type. Because of t his, the second section of the animation looks different in :::;eaiView as compared to OpenGL. - ,e three images be low were captured from the same frame of the animation. In OpenGL and :::;hotoView 360, we see just the light from t he spot light. In RealView, the spot light looks like a :::rectionallight.
116 Chapter 5
24 Save and close the assembly. Lighting Properties That Can Be Animated Not all properties are available for all light types. If t he property is available, then it can be controlled in an animation.
• On/Off Each light can be turned on or off at different times in the animation. There are separate controls for OpenG L/Rea lView and PhotoView 360. • Light position Light positions can be changed by specifying locations at specific times. • Light target The aim point of a spot light can be changed with time. • Light color Light color can be edited at any point along the timeline. • Brightness The bright ness controls can be changed individually for Phot oView 360 and OpenGL/ReaiView to allow lights to get brighter or dimmer with time. • Specularity Specularity only affects lights used in SolidWorks for OpenGL and RealView. In Photo View 360, specularity is a property of appearances and not lights. • Cone angle The cone angle of a spot light can be changed with time in OpenGL and PhotoView 360. It cannot be changed in ReaiView as all lights are considered directional in Rea lView regardless of their actual type. • Shadows Shadow controls used for Photo View 360 can be adjusted during the animation and the shadow car. be t urned on or off. Note however that there is no interpolation between on and off, so you either have shadows or you do not. a Fog
The fog distance can be changed with time to allow the fog to ext end further from the light or recede into it. Fog itself can be turned on or off during the animation, but like shadows, there is no interpolation between on and off.
f
Animating Appearances and Properties
117
Rendered Animations
tntrolled
trois for
:::lhotoView 360 provides photorealistic renderings of animations. Just like with SolidWorks OpenGL or ~ealView rendering, Photo View 360 can render an animation either as an AVI file or a series of image =ties. To render a photorealistic animation, PhotoView 360 must be available and turned on. _ust like with OpenGL and RealView, the AVI is recorded frame by frame, based on the frame rate :'los en. However, each frame must be individually rendered before it can be saved. Therefore. if you had :: 20-second animation that was going to be recorded 20 frames per second, that would be 401 frames. =you did a test render of a single frame and it took three minutes to render, it would take about 1,203 •inutes or a little more than 20 hours to render the entire animation. Knowing this, it is very important ::J have everything set correctly before the final recording. -:Jiearn more about PhotoView 360, see the book Photorealistic Rendering Using SolidWorks and :::>,i oto View 360 Step-by-Step ava ilable from the SolidWorks webstore: http://store.solidworks.com, or ~azon.com.
Case Study: Rendering an Animation
?w
to
-. this case study, we will take an assembly that ::.1eady has an animat ion set up and create a -endered animation using Photo View 360. -:;iay the file PV Render TS.avi to see the final -esult.
60,
Procedure 1not be ctual
Start PhotoView 360. Start Photo View 360 using Tools, Add-ins, PhotoView 360.
Open the assembly. : ;3en the assembly PV Render found in the Chapter 5\Case Study\ PV Render folder. ow can ither
recede
118
Chapter 5
3
Open DisplayManager. Click the DisplayManager Tab
~
at the top of the FeatureManager
'e.
design tree. Click View Appearances ~ and then select Hierarchy for the sort order. We can see that appearances have been attached to the model.
3
9 ~ Com ponents blue high gloss plastic . ~ Pu ll Ring 1·2@PW Render ~ Pull Ringl-l @PW Render ~ Ma in Body l -l@PW Render r? ~ yellow high gloss plastic · ~ Nozzlel-2@PW Render ~ Nozzle l -l@PW Render 8 yellow high gloss plastic<2> ~End Ca() l · 2il!l PW Render ~ End Cap 1-l C PW Ren der S . . shiny resin green ~ Finger Gnp l-l®PW Render '? Features R ~ red high gloss plastic Boss· Extrudel ~~ CirPatternl
ti2
ti2
8 ~Part
r-
1it m atte rubber
p
4f m atte rubber<2>
~
V
~ Band2' PW Render
~ Band'PW Ren der yellow high gloss plastic<3>
~ Arrowl
Click View Scene, Lights, and Cameras fjl; and you can see the ~ @ ~ scene and lights that are applied to the model. !===:~~~~~-~ · ~-m -~ - ~~~ ~
es
Scene (Backdrop - Grey with Overhead Light) · ~ Background (Environment) • @ Environment (Backd rop Wrth Overhead Spotlight;. ~ G;] l ights ~ ~ Scene lltumination Am bient q- o$J Directiona ll q- o$J Directionall
' ,
~ Cam era
J...
4
Walk-through
Examine the animation.
Select the Completed Motion Study tab. Play the animation. The lower pull ring is pulled back slowly and then released where it moves fo rwarc rapidly. Just before t he pull ring ends its travel, the arrow starts to move and then t ravels to the right side of the screen. Notice also that the elastic band lengthens as t he pull ring moves. The method to create this action will be covered in Chapter 8.
Animating Appearances and Properties 119
~
:lor ~
s>der
?hotoView 360 Check =:e.core creating a rendered animation, it is a good idea to make sure the PhotoView 360 settings are :::-rect. You should create several test renderings to see how the rendered frames will look at different : : ints along the time line. The number of test renderings is very subjective, but you want to make sure ~ting is correct as parts move and that there is not a dark frame as the viewpo int and lights are not :::posite each other at some point creating dark shadows.
--e test renderings also provide an estimate of how long it will take to render the entire animation since :.-e test renders give you the time to render a single frame and you know how many frames will be in ::-e animation based on total length and frame rate.
b~
0..
Run test renders. · ·'ove the time bar to 3 s econds and render the image. This is the point where the pull ring is fully :xtended. Also do a test render of the final frame of the animation. Each of these frames should look :::s shown below.
onder
<3>
~
~
.:; bt)
!Spotlight)
forward 1e right 1od to
120
Chapter 5
6
Save the animation to file. Click Save Animation !!I] and save the animation using the PhotoView as the Renderer and 3 Frames per second. Use a Custom aspect
lt!l Save Animation to File Save il.
PW Render
Name --" Rendered
Images
Date modified
T)
6/22/20114:58 PM
Fi
Save
j
ratio of 16:9. We are using t hree f rames per second only to speed up the process. You can certainly use a
"'
higher rate, but it will take longer to create the
Ale name:
rendered animation.
Save as type:
Click Save.
Renderer:
PW Render.avi
~soft AVI filer.avi)
u~~;:,:t~ oVIe:.::.w===---
Image Sizo and Aspect Ratio
0
ID
12B(J
y
I
y.!J;J]
I I ~ I Schedule
~::::J
Frame Information
no
PJ Axed aspect ratiO
Frames per second ~ I~ Entire animation
r.-nerange
Us.. camera a<;>e
@ OJstDm aspect ratio ("'idth : heqlt)
7.05
to
7
16 :9
Select t he Microsoft Video 1 CODEC.
Video Compression
I
Compressor:
Click OK.
lt.:::Mcro=•ofl :::..::'.ld=eo=-,:..._--~ yI 1 Compression Quality:
85
LJ
> frames
7
Check PhotoView progress.
The progr ess window will keep you info rmed about wher e you are in the process by telling you which frame is being rendered, plus the elapsed and estimated time remaining.
PhotoView Pf09ress PhotoView rendering in progress; ••
0
Show preview and final render wr.dows (this option takes effect on the next frame)
Render Status
You have th e option to show the preview and fi nal render
Rendering: Completed Motion Sb.Jdy
windows during th e rendering process. This is an ind ividual
Frame: 23 of 106
choice. If you are cont inuing to work on other things while the animation is being rendered, you probably do not want t he windows taking over your screen. If you are rendering on a machine that is only doing t he render task, having the windows v isible can be usef ul t o see if problems occur.
Tme elapso.d : 10:16 Estimated lime n:rnaoq: 38:17
OK Cancel
I ConfigUre... I l _Ab_o~t_._ .. ..JI
L.
Animating Appearances and Properties
121
ote If you choose a different setup, you may receive the following message:
T)
PM
Microsoft Video l compressor has been known to produce corrupt AVIs at the image and keyframe rate you have chosen, especially for motion studies that contain periods _: inactivity.
~.2e
;]~
Fi
£ze
-:::save t ime, the completed animation is provided as PV Render MS.avi in the Videos fo lder.
Play the animation. iave
J
...oole
I
~Wx:e~
l
~
-~e
animation is now much better as we have ~:-:ad ows to give us better spacial relationships :::1d more realistic appearances for the individual ::=ils. - -;e background, however, does not look correct. ~ecause we did test renders of individual - cmes and we know that the Photo View 360 ~ettings are correct, these problems must be a -;;suit of the CODEC that we used. In this case. the Microsoft Video 1 CO DEC does not support a ;:c..fficient color range to get a smooth gradient background.
31oosing A CODEC __st as we did a test render of selected points on the time!ine to make sure PhotoView 360 was set ::::irectly, we also need to record a test animation to determine if a CODEC will work correctly with our ::..,imation. We do not want to spend many hours waiting for a rendered animation to finish, only to find : -at there was a problem with the CODE C. The easiest way to test the CODEC is to create a rendered ~-:imation of just a few frames. There are two ways to create just a few frames: Use a low frame rate Frame rates can be set to values less than one. So if you set a fra me rate to 0.25, one frame will be captured every 4 seconds. With this option, you will get sample frames throughout the animation. - Record a very small time slice By only recording a fraction of a second. you will get just a few frames (based on the frame rate). With this option. you will get successive frames which will tell you if you have enough key frames.
Frame Information Frames per second o~
Entre animation
r. '
Tlrne rlM'lge
0
tx>
•25
7
Frame Information Frames per second
20
O Enli
tx>
6.2
122
Chapter 5
Another approach is not to use a CODEC and record the animation uncompressed. The advantage to this is that you should get a very clean animation. However, the file will be very large. For this animation, t he uncompressed file at 20 frames per second was 371 MB as compared to about 25 MB for Microsoft Video 1. The large file size can also cause a playback problem depending on the capabilities of the computer used to play the finished animation. Uncompressed video files sometimes play back unevenly if the computer cannot process the information fast enough. We will talk about uncompressed video again in Chapter 15.
9 Save the animation to file. Click Save Animation iiJ and save the animation using PhotoView as the Renderer and 3 Frames per second. Use a Custom aspect ratio of 16:9. lf you are using the 32-bit version of SolidWorks, select t he Cinepak Codec by Radius for the Compressor. This animation has been recorded as PV Render CP.avi at 20 frames per second and saved in the Videos fo lder, just to save time. 10 Play the animation.
The animation is now much better as the background is now rendered correctly.
Repeat. Record the animation one more time using the TechSmith Screen Capture CODEC and compare the three videos.
11
This animation has also been recorded as PV Render TS.avi at 20 frames per second and saved in the Videos folder, just to save time. Of t he three. the TechSmith Screen Capture CODEC gives the best results, but it also has a slightly larger file size. Saving a Series of Images Rather than saving an animation as a video (AVI) file. you can break it down to individual images using the Series of Windows bitmaps (*.BMP) or Truevision Targas (*.TGA) options. There are several reasons why a series of images may be desira ble:
• You may need a series of still images for a static disp lay. Having the images created from the animation insures the images are evenly spaced in time and can be done with very little add itional work.
Animating Appearances and Properties 123
The most common use of image output is to use the images to create a video file. While this may appear counterintuitive at first because we still want a video file, saving the individual frames as separate image files provides flexibility and better quality control. It also requires less computer memory as each image comes out of memory once saved. We will discuss the use of rendered image output in more detail in Chapter 15.
~to this
:ion. the >soft the nevenly video
: Save images. ::: :ck Save Animation ~ and use Series of ·.'lindows Bitmaps (*.bmp) as the type.
Save in' ~
1es per
1 the
~
~ Save Animafion to File +'
• @ ~'
PW Render
8·
•
Rendered Images
_se the default name PV Render.bmp for t he - 2 name. _se the same Frame Information as used in AVI :;eation, 3 Frames per second and =ntire animation.
Rle name.
PW Render bmp
ISeries of Windows Bitmaps('bmp) Renderer:
[~hotoV"M!W
lrMge Size
ond Aspect Ratio
a =
ID
·J
~ :] ~ J I Dlneel
~
Frome InfOrmation
no
[J] Fixed aSPeCt ratio Use camera aspect rabo
"<»Custom OSl)eCI ratio {VIidth : heq;lt)
Frames per second
3
@' Enti'e aMI
rrner~
6
to
6.2
l!!m
·~
Select image names.
C ck Save. . Of the rger file
- l e message "The images will be saved with the names PV Render-OOOO.bmp, PV RenderJOOl.bmp, and so on:' appears. ::: ick OK.
using reasons
~s
1e
itional
124 Chapter 5
14 View resulting images. The images are snapped based on t he frame information that was set. With three f rames per second and a seven-second animation, there should be 22 images (3 X 7 +l)
PV
PV
PV
PV
PV
PV
Rend er-OOOO.bm p
Render-OOOl.bm p
Render-0002.bm p
Render-D003.bm p
Render-0004.bm
Render-OOOS.bm p
p
PV
PV
PV
PV
PV
PV
Render-0006. bm p
Render-0007 .bm p
Render-0008 .bm p
Render-0009.bm p
Render-OOlO.bm p
Render-OOll.bm p
PV
PV
PV
PV
PV
PV
Render-0012.bm p
Render-0013.bm
Render-0014.bm
p
p
Render-0015.bm p
Render-0016.bm p
Render-0017.bm p
PV
PV
PV
PV
Render-0018.bm p
Render-0019.bm
Render-0020.bm
Render-0021.bm
p
p
p
Note The resulting images can be combined into an "animation" using image animation softwar e. 15 Save and close all files.
:m
;:n
:rn
Free Component Motion
Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Animate the movement and rotation of components. • Use Move Component and Move with Triad to position components. • Understand loca l and globa l mates. • Reverse the direction of a path.
126 Chapter 6
Overview So far, we have learned that there are three things that change in an animation: component position, properties, and viewpoint. In the previous chapters, we learned the basics of each of these three items In this and t he following chapters, we will expand the methods to move components, views, and appearances, starting with free component motion. Topics The topics covered in this chapter include:
• Motion study properties The three types of motion studies have different propert ies that can be adjusted. • Move with Triad The triad option can be used to move or rotate free components. • Reverse Path A series of key points in a path can be reversed manually. • Editing a key point Key points can be manually adjusted.
How Are Animations Calculated? As our animations become more complex, it is important to understand how SolidWorks ca lcu lates animations. It is also important to understand that Animation motion studies are calculated different!' from the two physics-based animations, Basic Motion and Motion Analysis. The methods used to calculate physics-based motion studies will be discussed in Chapter 9. Master Animator/Assistant Animator In the days of hand-drawn animations, there were two types of animators, the Master (or Key) Animateand the Assistant Animators. The master animator drew all the key frames or key points. These were the specific points and timing of the animation action that conveyed the story. Drawing all the "tweer· or "inbetween" frames was left to the assist ant animators. This is essentially the same workflow we usE to create our animations. We, as the master animators, tell SolidWorks where components are to be a: specific times. So lidWorks then does the work of the assist ant animators to determine all the inbetween points based on the frame rate and motion drivers. How Are the "lnbetween" Points Calculated? In Animation motion studies, all driving parts have known start points, end points, and a specific amour~ of time to get between the two. As parts do not interact by contact and the physical properties do no: matter, the solver just has to divide up the distance based on the number of frames between start an: end.
:
Free Component Motion 127
tion, items.
n Animation motion studies, the frame rate is the controlling parameter, so given the dist ance, time and -cumber of frames. it is a simple matter of determining the position of each driving component at each !:rame. ::lne of the major diferentiators between cnimations in SolidWorks and exporting the 1odel to another type of animation program .s that in SolidWorks. mates are solved at each frame. The significance of this is that 01ith a complicated kinematic system, we :auld add a single driving motion to one : omponent and have hundreds of other : omponents move as a result. lf you export ~he model to an animation program. the action of the mates must be recreated in ::hat program manually, which could take a significant amount of work.
3t es :erently to
=>lay the file Radial Engine.mp4 from the Videos folder. Only a single motion driver, a constant speed -otary motor. was used to create this animation. There are 331 components and 136 mates that are evaluated at each frame. The Solution Process -he process of calculating and recording an animation is very simp le. r.
nimator =were "tween" 1we use to be at
amount s do not tart and
2.
3. 4.
5.
Record the image at 0 seconds. Move the driving components ahead one frame. Rebuild the model (mates and then in-context features are solved}. Record the image. lf at t he end of the animation, stop; if not, go back to step 2.
There are two important things to recognize about this process. First is that components take the shortest route between their key point positions. Second is the importance of step 3. This step is significant because it allows in-context features to be solved at every frame. We will explore this in Chapter 8. We will also see later t hat in physics-based animations, the model is not rebuilt at each frame. so in-context features do not rebuild and update.
128 Chapter 6
Free Component Motion Free component motion is the motion of components that do not have mates {or the mates are suppressed). Generally it is applied where dragging and explode mot ion are insufficient to describe the path. There are two basic tools available: Move/Rotate Component and Move With Triad.
When key points are not created by some other means. such as t he Animation Wizard, the basic process in creating an animation is this: 1.
2.
3.
Move the t imeline to a specific time. Move t he specific component or components to the desired location for that time. Add a key point.
Note This is exactly the same procedure as changing viewpoints or appearances.
Keys Creating and editing key points are the primary controls over component animation. Keys can be createc automatically or manually. They can have bot h their position and time edited.
Auto key When you select Autokey ~. the MotionManager places key points aut omat ically based on your actions wit h the model. With Autokey selected, any action, such as changing the posit ion of a model or its appearance, will create a new key at the position of the timeline.
Where to Find It • MotionManager Toolbar: Select Autokey
~
Place Key Place Key is used t o manually add a key for t he selected component at the current location of t he time bar.
Where to Find It • MotionManager Toolbar: Click Place Key
~
Replace Key Replace Key is used to change the properties of an existing key.
Where to Find It Shortcut Menu: Right-click an existing key, Replace Key • MotionManager Toolbar: Select a component in the MotionManager design tree, Replace Note The same toolbar icon ~ is used to add, replace, and updat e keys.
Key ~
Free Component Motion 129
; are lescribe the
rsic process
Motion Study Properties All three of the motion study types used in the MotionManager have their own set of properties or 8ptions. The more complex the motion study type, the more properties available. Because we have only :,een working in the Animation motion study, we will look only at those properties now.
Animation Properties ~J5l~ F~ l -;-here is only one opt ion or property when using the Animation motion study ~pe, Frames per second. This valu e, multiplied by the length of the animation, ¥1 )( specifies the total number of frames that are captured. This value does not Animation f rames per second: affect the playback speed. r20 ~ 1 ::we set the Frames per second to 10, then when we calcu late an animation, t he II ""illlwtl!!' l'llltiP"~ :Josition of each component will be calculated every 0.1 seconds. This setting is 1dependent of the frames per second when recording the animation to an AVI file. ,.,~m.lli
~~~
~
1
be created
•our actions •l or it s
of the
':here to Find It MotionManager Toolbar: Click Motion Study Properties .§lj M ove and Rotate Component - he Move Component and Rotate Component :~:JO ls can be used to freely move or rotate : omponent s in space as long as t hey are not : onstrained by a mate.
Move Component Use Move Component [@) with the options Free Drag, Along Assembly XYZ, Along Entity, By Delta XYZ, and To XYZ Position to refine the movement Rotate Component Use Rotate Component (@] with the options Free Drag, About Entity, and By Delta XYZ to refine the rotation. =::~r more information on Move Component and Rotate Component, refer to the SolidWorks Essentials ::-aining manuaL
Key ~
130
Chapter 6
Triad The Triad is a tool that allows components to be moved along or rotated about visible X, Y. and Z axes or within the three ort hogonal planes XY. YZ, ZX. The symbol contains three arms (arrows), t hree wings {plane between arms). three rings. and a single center sphere.
Where to Find It • Shortcut Menu: Right-click a component in either the Feature Manager design tree, t he MotionManager design tree, or the graphics area. Move with Triad.
Triad Move and Rotate For axial movement, drag the arm indicating the direction you want to move {X, Y, or Z). You can also drag the wing to move in that plane (XY, YZ, or XZ). For axial rotation, either left- or right-drag the ring indicating t he axis you want to rot ate about {X, Y. o;Z).
Drag Rulers When you drag an axis or ring. drag rulers appear and can be used to accurately position the component. For more precise movements, right-dick on the center sphere and select one of the translation or rotation boxes.
• Translate XYZ Use the Show Translate XYZ Box to move a component to a specific position in space, using the assembly Origin as the zero position. Click in the box, set t he value, and press OK. • Translate Delta XYZ Use the Show Translate Delta XYZ Box t o move a component incrementally from its current location in the X, Y. or Z directions of t he triad. Click in the box, set t he value, and press OK. • Triad Rotate Use t he Show Rotate Delta XYZ Box to rotate a component incrementally about t he X. Y, or Z axes of the triad. Click in the box. set the va lue. and press OK.
Free Component Motion
.... :ouu-• ~.
::e -
131
: :e The rotation angle is based on right-hand rule to determine the :.-ection of positive rotation. Using your right hand, point your th umb in t he :Jsitive direction of the axis. Curl your fingers to indicate a positive direction : = rotation.
a~e
.a;.e J
.so {. c-
)
~eorienting the Triad - -;e triad axes are copied from the assembly coordinate 5 stem but they can be changed to localized axes. Right-click -~e center sphere, select Move to Selection, and drop it on -odel edge or face to orient it to that geometry. You can also _5e Align t o, Align with Component Origin, or Align with ~sem bly Origin to change the position and orientation of the - :ad.
II
I
•
--- ·
~
:;sn-
• 5T'"
eDT ~
Mates ·:ehave seen in previous examples that mates are solved in motion studies. To create free motion, the - Jtion must adhere to any mate on the component. To make a component move in a direction that the -ates will not allow, the constraining mates must be suppressed. Global Mates ', 1en the Model tab is selected, any mate that is added to the assembly is listed in the FeatureManager :esign tree and is considered to be a global mate. Global mat es will appear in all studies.
,'.'hen we creat e a motion study, the assembly mates are repeated in the Motion Manager design t ree as :cal mates . ~o cal
Mates =a motion study tab is selected. any mate added is a local mate and only applies to that study. =a motion study tab is selected when a mate is suppressed, that mate is only suppressed in that motion
~
~;:I;:;:
iC.i
5tudy. In effect, each motion study can have its own set of mates. just like configurations.
132 Chapter 6
Case Study: Free Component Motion This project will use an existing assembly to animate a bolt and nut being moved. rotated and "screwed" into place. Animating the motion of a threaded component. such as a bolt or nut, occurs in many videos so we will cover several different methods to achieve this motion. Storyboard
This sequence involves creating an animation by moving and rotating a component to si mulate a nut being turned and removed followed by the bolt. Play the video Free Motion.avi found in the Videos folder to see the intended motion.
Free Motion
Ti~e
Pesc,-ip fi o..-.
0- I
Es+~hlisf...i"'d sf...o+
2
1- 2
Ro+~+e vieiN" fo see ff...e
.3
2-5
Re~ove
Sfep
..-.vf. Nvf
..-.vf.
,-o+~+es
IN"f...e ..-. ff...,-e~ds e'23"'ded ~"'d s+ops ,-o+~+ i"'d w/..,e"' 0~~ hoi+.
D
D
D
0
CJ
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
i-f
4-5
Ro+~+e vieiN" fo see ff...e hoff.
D
D
5
4- 6
Re~ove +f...e hoff.
D
D
6
6 - 7
Ro+~+e +f...e hoff fo vertic~/.
D
D
7
7 - 8
M ove hoff vertic~/.
D
CJ
8
8 - 9
P~vse
D
D
9
9- 15
Reverse sfeps 2
D
D
10
15- 16
£"'d
ff...,-v 7.
fe~de,-
Procedure 1
Open the assembly.
Open the assembly Free Motion from the Case Study\Free Motion folder. There are two predefined views, Bolt and Nut, that will be used during the animation.
Free Component Motion 133
;crewed" 'Yvideos
Create a motion study. ~ight-click the Motion Study ~ight-click
l
tab and select Create New Motion Study.
the new tab and click Rename. Type Bolt and Nut for the new name.
3
CJ
Disable view creation. Orientation and Camera Views in the MotionManager design tree. Make sure that Disable View Key Creation is selected and also select Disable Playback of View Keys . ~ight-click
• , CJ CJ CJ
;.,s we have seen in previous chapters, with these two options selected, we can change our viewpoint as 1eeded to help us select components without either creating or playing back the views. Once we have .:he component motion set correctly, then we can create the views we desire.
CJ
4 Check the mates. ::xamine both the FeatureManager design tree and MotionManager design tree. There are two fo lders Jnder Mates, one for the mates associated with the Bolt and Nut, and one for all the other mates. ::xpand the Bolt and Nut folder so you can see the individual mates.
CJ
,f you try to move either the Bolt or the Nut, t hey can only rot ate, but all other degrees of freedom are
CJ _ , CJ
CJ • ' CJ CJ
-emoved. ,n the FeatureManager design tree, suppress one of the four mates in the Bolt and Nut folder. Notice that it also suppresses in the MotionManager design tree. Click the tab for Motion Study l. The mate is also suppressed in this motion study.
CJ
Jnsuppress the mat e. CJ CJ CJ CJ
5 Suppress local mates. Change back to the mot ion study Bolt and Nut. In the MotionManager design t ree. suppress the fou r mates in the Bolt and Nut folder. Notice that t hey are suppressed in both the MotionManager design ~ree and also in the FeatureManager design tree. Click the tab for Motion Study l. The four mates are not suppressed in t his motion study, nor the i=eatureManager design tree. Nhen mates are suppressed, with a motion study selected, the mates are only suppressed in that -notion study.
134 Chapter 6
6 Add a distance mate. Select the Model tab.
Add a Distance mate between the two surfaces shown. Use the default distance. Select each motion study t ab and notice t hat this mate has been added to both studies because it is a global mate. 7 Delete the distance mate. With the Bolt and Nut motion study active, delete the Distance mate.
The mate has been removed from both the FeatureManager design tree and the MotionManager design tree. Select the Motion Study 1 tab. The distance mate is still listed in both t he Feat ureManager design tree and t he MotionManager design tree. When we deleted t he mate with a motion study active, the mate is only deleted from that study and no others because it is a local mate. Select the Model tab. Delete the distance mate. Examine t he motion studies and note that the distance mat e has been removed from all st udies because it was a global mat e. 8 Change view. Change to the Bolt view by pressing the Spacebar and then double-clicking the view Bolt. 9 Add a key point. Make sure that Autokey (£] is selected in the Motion Manager toolbar.
We are going to set up the motion of the bolt first. We need it to keep its position during the t ime t he nut will be unscrewed and removed. This will require a key point that is a duplicate of the key point at o seconds. Set the t ime bar to 7 seconds. In the Motion Manager design tree, select the short bolt. Click Add/Update Key MotionManager toolbar.
~
on the
Because the short bolt is in the same position as at 0 seconds, t his key effective ly holds t he bo lt in position.
Free Component Motion 135
- Move. Set the time bar to 9 seconds. :::::ght-click the short bolt component and select Move with -;;tad. : ~ag the
blue axis and use the drag ruler to move the Bolt =-:lOUt SOmm. .
'
47.
.,..0
- ...
~.I' . ...#
..,.,. - 4'10
Rotate. •ow t hat t he bolt is retracted from the hole. we can rotate it. Set t he time bar to 10 seconds. we deleted ·s because it
:light-click the short bolt component and select Move with -;riad. :::;ag the red ring and use the drag ruler to rotate the Bolt godeg.
jies because
_,,s :~
: Play the animation. !.~era 7-second delay, the bolt should extract itself from the -ole and then rotate.
:·. ---
" 1 ~"" /
,~' / tJ~
I
3 Edit key points. - ~er seeing the animation, we would like t he bolt to move a greater distance from the part before it ·otates.
the time the key point at
'. 'ove the time bar t o 8 seconds. ~ight-click
the short bolt component and select Move with Triad.
::ight-click on the center sphere and select the Show Translate Delta XYZ Box.
e he bolt in
,','e want to move t he bolt 2Smm more in the +Z direction. Type 25 in the Delta Z box and click OK. ' .ow that t he component is moved, we must update the key point to reflect this new posit ion. Right-click :1e key point at 8 seconds for the short bolt and click Replace Key l~ ,_
136 Chapter 6
Scrub the Timeline Instea d of actually playing the animation, we can just drag the t ime bar and watch the motion at specif: times. In most video editing programs this is called scru bbing the timeline.
14 Scrub the timeline. Drag the time bar from 7 t o 10 seconds. The bolt now comes out 2Smm further at 8 seconds but it movES back toward the base from 8 to 10 seconds because we haven't yet changed the key point at 10 seconcs Move the time bar to 10 seconds. Right-click the short b olt component and select Move with Triad. Right-click on the center s phere and select the Show Translate Delta XYZ Box. Type 25 in the Delta Z box and click OK. Right-click the key point at 10 seconds for the short bolt and click Replace Key
~
Note We could have dragged the bolt in steps 10 and 11; however, we used the numerical input just tc achieve more accuracy.
15 Move the bolt. At 11 seconds, move the bolt somm in the -Y direction by either dragging or numerical input. Motion of the Nut Now let us turn our attention to the nut. The motion of the nut needs to combine both rotation and translation during the time when it is being unscrewed fro m t he bolt. Once it is disengaged, it can movr straight back like the bolt did.
16 Copy a key point. We don't want the nut to move for the first second of the animation; therefore, we need to ad d a key point at 1 second that is the same as at 0 seconds. Right-click the nut key point at 0 seconds and click Copy. Right-click in the timeline at about the 2 second point and click Paste.
17 Adjust the key point time. Depending on how far we were zoomed in, the key may or may not have been placed exactly at 2 seconds, but it is easy to correct if we were off slightly. Right-click the newly pasted key point and click Edit Key Point Time. Select Exact Time (2:) and type 2.0. Click OK.
Edit lime
.oos
Free Component Motion 137
Move and rotate the Nut. :-z-:ge to the named view Nut.
:.e the time bar to 2.5 seconds.
=--:= t-click the nut component and select Move with Triad.
-~eres
~~-t-click
;;:-::·.:t3
on the center sphere and select the Show Translate Delta XYZ Box.
- : e -3 for Delta Z. It is minus 3 because we are going to move in the -Z direction. : :< OK. _;::ue the time bar at the same position.
=51t-click on t he center sphere and select the Show Rotate Delta XYZ Box. Set the value fo r Delta Z : -go and click OK. Click in the graphics area to end the process.
: Repeat the process.
!S"r : :
=: J eat the process three more times using the same small increments t o creat e a smooth motio n. Our =-c. is to have the nut move 3mm as it rotates go deg in each half-second.
tr.c:
m::>t-e
I I
•
Time (seconds)
Translate Z (mm)
Rotate Delta Z (degrees)
2.5
-3
-go
3
-3
-go
3.S
-3
-go
4
-3
-go
:Jte The key point we created in step 18 is included in the table.
::J
Move.
'·love the time bar to 5 seconds. to:: _ _
_
,
~gain,
using the t riad, move the nut in the
-z direction somm more.
:' Calculate. ;;:::::a..
: lick Calculate, t hen play the animation.
:2
Examine the timeline.
- he bolt does not start until2 seconds after t he nut fin ishes its movement. We would like to change t he :iming so that the bolt starts moving at 4 seconds, right aft er t he nut has unscrewed.
138 Chapter 6
23 Move a key frame. We could move the individual key points for the bolt. but that would be tedious. Instead we can move them all together. Window-select the four key points for the bolt. This selects the entire key frame. Drag the key frame to the left until the first key point is at 4 seconds. '1 0 sec 1 I I I
B
~ Free Motion_& (Default< Delau · ~ Ontntabon and Camtra V!t\ {+1 ~ Lights, Cameras. and Scene + ~ (f) base_&< l> (Default«De •· ~ (·)short bolt_& (Default •- ~ (·) nut_& (Default« Defl ! ~ (·)long bolt_& (Default•
[5B~~~ ~ 8 ~ Free Molton_& (Oefault
:1e;.·
Lights1 Cameras and Scene (f) base_& (Default« De
(·)short bolt_& (Default nut_& (Oefault«Def (-) long bolt_& (Default< (-)
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12 sec
1 1 1 1
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t l ttl tt ll
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14 sec
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16 sec
18 sec
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l l lt lt tll
I l
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l l l tf l l l l
110 secI I I I I
I I I
I
110 sec
I I I 1 !1 J I I
••
• • • .-t f
Reverse Path The Reverse Path option is used to reverse the direction of a path of key points. In this example. t he path will be reversed to place the bolt into the hole.
Where to Find It • Shortcut Menu: Right-click t he key points of a key frame. Reverse Path 24 Copy key frame. Window-select the key frame for the short bolt (four key points). Right -dick the last key point and clic' Copy. Right-click in the timeline at about 9 seconds and click Paste.
25 Reverse. Select the copied key points. then right-click on any of the selected key points and click Reverse Path. 10 sec
l l l l l t tl l
"-
~ Free Molton_& (Oefoult (Default« De + ~(·)short bolt_& (Defa ult I + ~ (· ) nut_& (Default«Dd .$ ~ (-)long bolt_& (Default•
•• •• ••
12 sec
ll tl l t l l '
14 sec l t Il l I
I ll
16 sec
1111 11 111
, , ,,,,,,,
..
Bolt Extraction
~~~·~~ ••• ••• •·
18 sec
110 s ecItt Ill I
I I
112 sec
,,,,, ,, ,
Bolt Insertion
Free Component Motion 139
: Repeat. ·: =:;.y. Paste, and Reverse the key frame for the nut so that the new key frame starts at 12 seconds. ~- Calculate and play the animation. --== animation should now do the following: ~nscrew
and remove the nut and rotate the bolt ~ause for 1 second ""'s ert the bolt .;dd and screw on the nut ~emove
:t'.!'estion -:- did we do the rotations in go-degree increments instead of 360 or 180 degrees? .:..-.swer =::don't use 360 degrees because the component would be in the same position at successive key :.::~1ts so there would be no rotation. If we use 180 degrees, we don't know which way the software will -:::ate the component as both directions are equal distance. Also, after rotating 180 degrees. it could =•erse and rotat e in the opposite direction to get back to 360. 'E
= ·;e are going to rotate something full circle, we need to insure that the shortest route between key :c ..1t is in the desired direction. ::)rtant! Components will take the shortest path from one key point to the next.
:3 Change viewpoint. ·:ve the time bar to 2 seconds. ::C-::nge to the named view Nut. -- ::,eMot ion Manager design tree, select Orientation and Camera Views. Click Add/Update Key tfJ. =:e:::ause Disable View Key Creation is selected. we had to add this key point manually.
-=
e-
Create the establishing shot. :-cg the Orientation and Camera Views key point from o seconds to 1 second. This will hold the init ial ::wpoint for one second before t he change to t he Nut viewpoint begins. :. : Add view changes. _se the named views to change the viewpoint from Nut to Bolt between 4 seconds and 5 seconds. Have : :hange back to the view Nut from 10 seconds to 12 seconds.
140 Chapter 6
31 Create the end leader.
Drag the end key point for the animation to 16 seconds to hold the animation at its final position for one second. 32 Change interpolation mode.
Change t he interpolation mode for all Orientation and Camera Views key points to Ease in/Ease out 33 Calculate and play.
Check your work t o make sure everything moves as it should, t hen leave the assembly open for the nex: case study.
Case Study: Alternate Solution - Motor The process of creating a motion path for unscrewing the nut was very tedious because we could not create rotations of 180 degrees or more. An alternate approach is to use a rotary motor. Motors will be covered in greater det ail in the next chapter so we will only use a basic function of a motor as an introduction. In this animation, we want t he same motion as before. We will use the key points for t he short bolt jus: as they are, but will replace the key points for the nut.
Duplicate Study When creating different but similar animations, existing motion studies can be duplicated. Th is duplicate study can then be edited as necessary to create a new animation. Where to Find It
• Shortcut Menu: Right-click an existing motion study tab, click Duplicate
Procedure 1
Duplicate the Bolt and Nut study.
Right-click the Bolt and Nut motion study tab and click Duplicate. Rename the new study Bolt and Nut-Motor. 2
Delete key frames.
Delete the two key frames for the Nut. Window-select all the key frames for t he nut and press Delete
Free Component Motion
141
Calculate. iE
: _ need to recalculate the motion study at this point as you can see that even though the key points -.: -e been deleted, the MotionManager still has the motion path in memory for the nut. If you play the :::;- r ation without recalculating. the nut will still move. Once you recalculate, the yellow change bars will -~ ·emoved. (ID~ ~ ~ tJII
0 sec
~ Free Motion_& (Default (Default« De - ~ (-)short bolt_& (Default - ~ (-) nut_& (Default« Del - ~ (-)long bolt_& (Default•11
- .i:iJ
b=
I
1 ~'1
.--.
jlO sec ::!1 j5se1c I -<-!'""'"I - 1: : - 1
I
"~ - 1
•I
j1 5s1ec
%-, .-.• • • ./
Add linear motion. C::Ai+drag the key point for the Nut from o to 2 seconds.
c:e the t ime bar to 5 seconds. 15:
_sE the triad to move the nut about somm in the
-z direction.
Reverse path. ::=
~y.
Paste, and Reverse the key frame for the nut so that the new key frame starts at 12 seconds.
Calculate. : ::.< Calculate and then play the animation. It should be exactly like the previous animation except that ~-2 nut does not rotate.
=-=
142
7
Chapter 6
Add a motor.
Click Motor
~
''•
I
I
on the MotionManager toolbar.
Select Rotary Motor. then select the edge shown on the nut.
f11otor Type I
Make sure that the rotation is counterclockwise so that it looks like the nut is unscrewing.
~Rotary Motor
I E!) Linear
Motor (Actuator)
Compon.e nt/Direction
0 ~1-1
~ @~~!-i · t!i$
l~ 1.~.-C_
______,
~o
t Click ~1e gr llPh to enlorge
8
Set the motion.
There are many ways to set up the motor to unscrew the nut and later screw it back on. For this case study we will use the Constant Speed option. This allows us to specify t he rotational speed of the moteSelect Constant Speed for the Motor Type. Type 60 RPM for the Speed. Click OK.
9
Select options.
Click Motion Study Properties in the MotionManager toolbar. Set the Frames per second t o 24. Note The rotation speed of a component and the frame rate have to be set to values that make the r.:
appear to rotate correctly. We will discuss this problem, which is called the stroboscopic effect, in mo~ detail in Chapter 16. 10
Calculate.
Calculate and play the animation. The nut turns for the entire animation. We do not want t he nut to stc.rotating until2 seconds, when it starts to move along the bolt.
On/Off Motors can be turned on or off at key points. If a motor is on, but not rotat ing, it locks the posit ion. • Shortcut Menu: Right-click a motor, click On or Off
Free Component Motion 143
Adjust the motor. r: the time bar to o seconds. Right-d ick the motor in the MotionManager design tree and select Off. ::.r: the time bar to 2 seconds and right-dick the motor and select On.
_ Calculate. - = :!.!late and play the animation.
--=-;,otor now drives the nut when it starts to move along the bolt. To sto p the rotatio n, scrub t he -:line to find the point where t he nut is clear of the bolt, about 2.75 seconds. Right-dick the motor :.: set its speed to 0 RPM.
: Change interpolation mode. motor is now defined, it will rotate at 60 RPM at 2 seconds and 0 RPM at 2.75 seconds. Between -Ese two points it will linearly interpolate the speed so that it uniformly slows down between the two :o=
- Calculate. :=.:ulate and play the animation. The nut should now rotate in the correct direction only when it is being -=-:oved from the bolt.
=
Edit motor. --=motor needs to rotate in the other direction during the t ime the nut is being screwed onto t he bolt.
':.1e the time bar to 14.25 seconds. Edit the motor and set the speed to 60 RPM, then click =:verse Direction 3).
e
· ·:.ve the time bar to 15 seconds. Edit the motor and set the speed to o RPM, t hen click =:verse Direction 3). :cange the interpolation mode for each of these key points to Snap.
144 Chapter 6
16 Calculate. Calcu late and play the animation. This time the motion is correct. but we have an error on the timeline shown in red. 110 sec I
mJ~W'ili 'lb S ~ Free Motion_& (Default< Defau ~ @ Orientation and Camera Vi f:tl ~ Lights, Cameras and Scene ..} RctaryMotor4 Ill ~ (f) ba.e_& (Oefault«D
1 -
1-
1
115 s1
• • . -.--.-. .--.--.1/f'"-fr ----....
, ~ (-)short bolt_& (Dofault1 ~ (-) nut_& (Default«Def If ~ (-)long bolt_& (Default<1
----~ •
(+J
What's Wrong? When the key points were first created t hat moved the nut along the Z axis. the key points not only he: the posit ion of the nut along the Z direction, but also the rotational position of the nut. Because the n:..has been rotated by the motor, it is not rotated to the same orientation. To solve t his problem, we just have to update the keys that are red.
17 Replace the key. Move the time bar to 5 seconds. Right-click the key t hat is red and click Replace Key. This updates the key so that the key captures tr= angular position correctly. Once this key is updated, you must recalculate and then replace t he next key in line. The reason forthis that each key position, in this particular case. depends on the key point before it. 10 s ecI :•
I? ~ Free Motion_& (Defau lt (Default«De <> ~ (-) short bolt_& (Default .,. ~ (-) nut_& (Default«Def $ ~ (-)long bolt_& (Default•
•• +++ ..... ••• !t • • ••
115
I
...• • • • • • • •
Free Component Motion 145
::e What happens if a key continues to stay red? If the animation is playing correct ly, you can consider --::, leaving it as is. Leaving a red key point in an animation is similar to leaving a sketch underdefined - en creating features. While we generally do not want underdefined sketches, there are some cases -ere an underdefined sketch may be acceptable. One example would be a centerline being used for - 1 oring that does not have its length defined. ln that case, changes to the length of the centerline will -c:: affect the way the model rebuilds. ln an animation, the question is one of how the animation looks. :: ::-~e recording is acceptable, you may consider le aving the key red and moving on to the next task.
B Calculate and play the animation. -- 5
time the animation should not have any red key points and works just like the previous case study.
Sase Study: Alternate Solution - Mate case study will explore an alternative to creating the motion of the rotat ing nut and that is to use =:::::rew mate.
- - 5
ocedure
Duplicate the Bolt and Nut-Motor study.
=5;,t-click the Bolt and Nut-Motor motion study tab and click Duplicate. =-=l ame the new study Screw Mate.
Delete motors. ~
==:ete the rotary motor from the Motion Manager design tree. This motor is only deleted from this -:::tion study and will still be present in the Bolt and Nut-Motor motion study.
_ Play.
=·=.y the animation. The bolt and nut should move as before except t hat the nut does not rotate.
146 Chapter 6
Screw Mate The screw mate constrains two components to be concentric, and also adds a pitch relationship betweethe translation of one component to the rotation of the other. 4 Add a screw mate. Move the time bar to 0 seconds. Add a screw mate between the nut and the surface of the base as shown. Select Distance/revolution and enter 2mm. ~rdHates Note We are adding the mate to the base part rather than the bolt part because the base is a fixed [-·~Ha~ component and does not move. In the physical world, rMechanical Mates the bolt and nut interact; however, our only concern (Q) cam is t o make an animat ion so we just need the motion ~lfnge ~Gear to be correct.
The distance per revolution is subjective. You could calculate t he actual value based on the threads on the parts; however. this does not always lead to a good animation as the nut could rotate too fast and not show very well at certain frame rates.
~ Rack. Pinion
f§)Scre'N r
Revolu tlons,lnm
10' Disl:llnce/revolution
, ~ I
2.000nrn
l./JReverse Univer.,O Joint
r~ate
aligvnent:
Examine the results. L_ftil ~ Because a motion study was active when we added this mate, it only appears in this motion study as a local mate. It does not appear in the Feature Managedesign tree.
5
6 Calculate and play. The nut rotates both on and off as it moves. We do not want t o have the nut rot ate after it is clear of the bolt. To stop the rotation, we can suppress the mate at the appropriate time.
7 Suppress the screw mate. Scrub the t imeline and visually locate the point where the nut clears the end of the bolt. This should:::.,;: about 2.75 seconds. With the time bar still at this position, suppress the screw mate.
Free Component Motion 147
Calculate and play. j)betwe;:-
--e nut now only rot ates as it is being removed from the bolt and then stops rotating. To have it rotate -:en it is moving back onto the bolt, repeat step 7 to locate the app ropriate time to unsuppress t he -~te. This will be about 14.25 seconds.
Calculate and play. - -e animation should now look just like the previous t wo case studies.
: Save and close all files.
reManager
n suppress
5 should
be
Motion Drivers
Upon successful completlon of thls chapter, you wlll be able to: Use filters in the MotionManager to reduce clutter. • Drag components to drive motion. • Use mates to drive motion. • Use motors to drive motion. • Understand the different methods to define motor output. • Understand the implications of the 100/360 Rule.
150 Chapter 7
---------------------------------------- -- ------------ \
Motion Drivers Motion can be driven in several different ways. To this point, we have created most motion by dragging components to positions either through exploded views or by direct movement using the Move Component command or triad. We have also seen that many other components move through the solution of their mates to other moving components. In t his chapter we will learn about creating motio:through the other motion drivers used in animation motion studies, mates and motors. Topics The topics covered in this chapter include: • Dragging a component
Manual dragging of components can be used to create motion. • Using mates
Angle. distance, and path mates can be used as motion drivers. Mates also transmit motion to othecomponents. • Using motors
There are two motor types, linear and rotary, each of which can have its mot ion described in differen~ ways. • Using simulation motion drivers
Simulation motion drivers, which include motors, springs, gravity, and contact. can be use t o drive physics-based animations.
Dragging Components Setting the t ime and dragging a part into its new position is the classic animation workflow. However, i: has several disadvantages. First, it can be hard to drag the right part into just the right position. Secane this type of motion doesn't work in physics-based (Basic Motion and Motion Analysis) study types wher we are animating dynamic motion systems. When posit ioning components, key points will be created by default at t he current time bar position an' time you drag a part. When you do not want key points to be created automatically, dear AutoKey W on the MotionManager toolbar. Then you can position parts free ly and use Place Key or Add/Update Keys [~+j to create the keys.
Mates Mates can drive motion in three ways, either by unsuppressing a mate, by solving a mate with a moving compone nt, or through dimensional changes with the distance, angle, and path mates.
Motion Drivers
on by dragging =Move
rough the ·eating motion
151
Suppressing/Unsuppressing Mates - f-Je suppression state of a mat e can be controlled by key points on the timeline. You can suppress or _nsuppress a mate at any t ime in a motion study. Thus, you can suppress mates that are used only for -:ositioning components while modelling the assembly. And. you can unsuppress mates that are only ~sed to guide the animation. You can also use different mates at different times in the animation for ::ifferent types of motion.
Jnsuppressing a mate will not smoothly move components into a position t hat satisfies the mate. ~ather, t he components will jump into position. If you want a smooth motion. you must define key point s 7or the components at the time t he mate is unsuppressed. so the component is in the correct position Nhen the mate is unsuppressed. You can do this using Place Key from the context menu on a key point :Jr Add/Update Keys on t he MotionManager toolbar. otion to other
=din different
Distance and Angle Mates ) istance and angle mates are a reliable way to drive mot ion in a motion study. You can specify the dimensions ~xactly. there is never any ambiguity about the interpolated positions in between the keys. and you won't accidentally move a component and change the va lue of the key.
Nhen mates are edited, suppressed, or unsuppressed with a motion study active. the edit s are ::onsidered local mates and only apply to the active motion study. 1se to drive
w. However, it .ition. Second. iy types when r position any AutoKey [F \dd/Update
11ith a moving
.\s with all motion, using interpolation modes lets you fine-tune t he motion. For example. using Ease In creates an accelerat ing motion. while Ease Out creates a decelerating motion. Path Mates The path mat e is useful in animations where a component needs t o move along a 20 or 3D path. It is superior to using contact as it solves faster and will give consistent results. To use a path mate. a vertex or point on the component is mated to a path curve. The position of the vertex along the curve can then be specified at different key points along the timeline. Mates in Subassemblies Solving mates can be a difficult process. so you need to have a good idea of how mates work. It is important to realize that subassemblies are rigid by default. which means that the individual mates of the subassembly will not solve during the animation, unless the subassembly is made flexible.
You have to be careful when dragging part s inside f lexible subassemblies. If t he part is fixed. then you will be moving the subassembly itself, and that can res ult in undesired results. It is better to fix the subassembly in the top leve l assembly. and float the part inside the subassembly. Generally. the more mates you have. the more problems you are likely to have.
152
Chapter 1
To speed the solution of an animation. turn off all of the mates that you can on the components you're moving. Components with no mates will move correctly. Tip Use mates to define the endpoints and then suppress them while t he parts are moving.
When you are using mates to drive motion, the driving mates need to be in the top level assembly anc not subassemblies. For assemblies where motion is driven by a subassembly component. the animatioi can solve much quicker if you dissolve t he subassembly so that t he components and mat es move into the top level assembly. If you are going to do this. you should create a copy of the original files and make a copy for the intended purpose of creating the animation as t he structu re change may not be what is needed for manufacturing or PDM. Mating Strategies
There are different strategies for mating components when you need to create animations. • Mate the assembly for animation. This isn't always possible as there may be mates needed for the assembly that will not work well i:motion studies. such as limit mates and width mates. • Create a copy of the assembly. This works well if we have to make several different animations from the assembly because we cachange the mates at the global level. which will then apply t o each animation.
The only problem will be that the copied assembly will be nonassociative to the original assemb ly ar.: not show assembly changes. This may not be a problem, however, if all t he changes are to t he individual components of the assembly. • Create local mates. This has the advantage of keeping everything in one assembly. If you have to make multiple animations, you can add all the local mates to the first motion study before adding key points, anc then duplicate t he study as many t imes as required.
Motion Drivers 153
ts you're
nbly anc nimatior ove into ild make • what is
t<
well in
?
we can
nbly anc he
1ts. and
Animating Robots ~obots have many degrees of freedom and several motions that need to ::!e cont rolled simultaneously. While there are many motions to consider, -::Jbot animations generally only requ ire us to control linear and rotary 1otion.
\'hen animating a robot. consider: Most motion drivers are linear or rot ary. These can be animated wit h either mates {distance or angle) or motors (linear or rotary). Mates are easier to control if they do not have to change alignment (negative values). • Mates need to be applied to mimic the drivers in the real assembly in that they should be created between connected parts. • If t he assembly already contains distance or angle mat es. these mat es can be used to drive the motion of the assembly. Mates can also be added as local mates in the MotionManager design tree to avoid changing the primary mates in the assembly. • The value of the mate is set at different time positions to produce the an imation. Mate or Motor?
3oth mates and motors might be used to drive different aspects of the motion. One thing to consider Nhen deciding which to use will be the range of motion. Rotary motion that goes more than 360 degrees s generally easier to do with a rotary motor. Linear motion is frequently easier with a distance mate. Where is zero? 3oth angle mates and distance mates are easier to animat e if the mat es always have t he same sign. .Vhile we can edit t he time line to cha nge the mate orientation, this may take more time to set up and :le more confusing to edit. Rather than change the existing mates in the assemb ly, it may be easier to ) st suppress the assembly mate in the MotionManager design tree and add a loca l mate so t hat distance and angle values are always positive. Nhen using motors, there really is no zero reference as there is with mates. When a motor is turned on, the component will start from wherever it happens to be.
154 Chapter 7
Mate Organization With larger and more complex assemblies, the number of mates can make it difficult to find the specif.: mates we are using in the MateGroup fo lder of t he FeatureManager design tree and MotionManagedesign tree. Two ways to make the process easier are to rename the mates so that their names are descript ive of what they control, and to use folders to group the mates we will animate into one fo ldeand all the mates that we will not use into another folder.
Case Study: Robot Motion This case study will be used to examine motion driven by both mates and motors. We will create the same animation using different combinations of mates and motors just to compare the differences.
Storyboard Play the video Robotl.mp4 to see the intended results. The robot actions are as follows:
D
0
D
0
D
0
D
0
S +ep
Ti"'Vte
Pescrip+io...,
I
0- I
Es+ .... hl isl.,i"'J sl.,o+
D
2
I- 2
Ro+....+e hc..se 90°.
D
3
2-3
Ro+....+e +L.,e +oo/ l.,oriz.o...,+.... l/'1.
'-(
3-'-f
R o+....+e .(:ore.... r"'Vt.
5
'-f-5
Ex+e...,d .(:orec..r"'Vt.
Robot
D D D D D D
5-G
Ro+c..+e vvris+ '-f5°.
D D
r "
0 0 0 0
D D D 0 0
D
D
0
D
0
Motion Drivers 155
- this first animation, all the motion is less than 360 degrees. So, we will use just mates to control ::Jmponent positions.
Part 1: Mates 4-ocedure Open the assembly. :pen the assembly Robot from the Chapter 7 \ Case Study\ Robotl folder.
0
c:: ;::;
c:: 0
0 0 0 ... 0 0 0
0 D
D
Examine the assembly. •·:e can see that t here are six different rotational elements cJid one with linear motion.
the assembly as it is now constructed, all the positions components are controlled by angle or distance 1 ates. The mates of interest to us for an animation have ::;een renamed to make it easier to find the correct mate. =xamine each mate to determine what it cont rols and ·:here the zero angle is located. 1
::~ th ese
~lso note that all the mates are in the top level assembly es there are no subassemblies. In the second part of this :::ase study, we will see the effect s of having subassemblies ::hen we try to create an animation .
156 Chapter 7
3 Organize mates. In the FeatureManager design tree, select all the angle and distance mates. Right-click any of the select ed mates and click Add to New Folder from the menu. Name the folder Control Mates. Se lect the remaining mates and add t hem to a new fold er. Call the folder Other Mates.
~ i~ Mates + Other Matts 8 Control Mat~
LJ t::J
- rl fcr~arm Nen~1cn , rcbct.uj..ptr a:. :._&.~ 1 > rcbct_fcreann_&< 1"'
D Lower-Base (robot_ba~&,robot_lower_axis_&) D Arm -Low..- (robot_arm_right_& ,robot_lower_axis_&) D Upper-Arm (robot_upper_axiS_&,robot_arm_nght_&)
D Forearm-Upper (robot_upper_axis_& ,robot_torearm_&) D Wrist-Forearm (robot_forearm_&,robot_wrist_&} D
Flang e-Wrist (robot_wrist_&,robot_f lange_&)
Tip The mates can be in any order; however, t he order of the angle mates in the Control Mates folder is the sequence order in which the mates will move the assembly components. You do not have to have them in this order, but you will see in the next few steps that it is easier to control t he animation when the mates are in this particular order. The distance mate is not in the correct location, but we will see why t his does not matter in the following steps.
4 Create a motion study. Right-click the Motion Study 1 tab and select Create New Motion Study. Right-click the new tab and click Rename. Type Robot-1 fo r the new name.
5
Disable view creation. Right-click Orient ation and Camera Views in the MotionManager design tree and select Disable View Key Creation and Disable Playback of View Keys. 6 Examine the mates. Notice that it is easier to see t he mat es of interest in t he MotionManager design tree because all the other mates are collapsed under t heir own fo lder. Important! Each mate in the Control Mates folder is between adjacent parts, just as t he motion controllers in the physica l assembly would be.
Motion Drivers 157
Set values.
s
D Arm-tower (robot_ann_right,roboUow..-_axisl
ile first task is to change the values of the angle mates. For each tl ~wJe ""1ate, expand the mate in the MotionManager design tree to show the Angle. Right-click Angle and : lick Edit Dimension .
r-~_&,1>
>)
•&<1>) _&<1>) m_&)
Set the mates for the angle mates using the times and values in the chart below.
1.>)
Jlder is them in 3tes are •s not
sable
•all the
ion
I ~
Mate Name
Time (seconds)
Change to Value
Lower-Base
2
goo
Arm-Lower
3
45°
Upper-Arm
3
135°
Forearm-Upper
4
goo
Wrist-Forearm
6
45
Flange-Wrist
7
270°
Change a mate.
.'{e want the tool to extend lOOmm at 4 seconds. The distance mate Extension is from the back of the
:x>mponent robot_upper_a:xis to the end of the cylinder on the component robot_forearm. The ·:ay in which this mate is defined causes us a problem in that we would have to do this move in two s~eps. We would first have to reduce the mate dimension to zero. Then reverse alignment to move it t he -emaining 73 mm. If this is the only move we are going to make with this mate, it might be okay. However, ::we are going to make several moves, then we would create a lot of extra work. '·1ove the time bar to 0 seconds. ~ight-click
the mate forearm extension in the MotionManager design tree and click Suppress.
158 Chapter 7
9 Create a new mate. We are going to create a local mate in the motion study that will be used in several motion studies we will set up. Rather than suppress the mate we are not going to use in the Motion Manager design tree, which would make that suppression state part of the motion study, we can instead suppress the mate globa lly.
:::E - -
Select the Model tab. Suppress the mate forearm extension. Select the Robot-1 tab. Add a new distance mate between the two faces shown on the component robot_upper_axis and t he component robot_forearm. Set the dist ance to O.Omm. Note The t wo components have been moved apart in the graphic just to
s how the faces more clearly. Notice that this mate only appears in t he MotionManager design tree and not in the FeatureManager design t ree because this is a local mate and is associat ed only with this motion study. We cannot add this mate to the Control Mates folder because it does not exist in the Feature Manager design tree. 10 Rename the mate.
--,
Rename the mate to Extension-2.
11
Extend the robot_forearm. Move the time bar to 5 seconds. Edit the Distance for the Extens ion2 mate to lOOmm.
-'E'WC=-
12 Calculate. Calculate the motion study. All the components should move correctly except that they all start moving at o seconds instead of in sequence. 0 sec
1
8 \jl~ Mates
clJ D Other Mates $- D Centro! Mates @. rl forearm exter.s1on (ro
D Forarm-Upper (ro~otjI $. D D . D Wrist-Forarm (robot_! fh D Flange-Wrist (robot_v
tE H
I
I
f1
I
I
I
jl
sec I
I
I
I
f 11
I
I
j2 sec I
I
I
I
/ 1
I
I
I
j3sec I
I
I
I
11
I
I
I
1 4sec I / 1 1 I
I
I
I
I
I
jSsec I
I
I
I
J I
I
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j6se.c If I
I
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Lower-Base(ro~ot_~,l !ii~~ii~~iiiii!!!!!!!!i!!!!l!!!! 1
i
I
•
l! l (} Arm pLower (robot_an
!
I
Local Extension_2 (robot_,1
Motion Drl-vers l59
: Edit the timeline. =::.:the timeline by using the Ctrl+drag method to copy the starting key points for the mates as shown, ~ :nat each motion takes one second. The two mates Arm-Lower and Upper-Arm should move -=-sether.
=
~·i1 ~ ~ 't"J ~ jO sec 1 1 111
1 .11
1
j1
sec 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
j2 sec
t l t LI
I I
II
j3 sec
1 1 1 1 1 1 .-11 1
J4sec
..
1 1 111111 1
j5 sec
I III I
, H I
II
j61 s11111 ec _ - 1 11 ~
_] Ottte< Motes _] Control Motes
• rl forearm ~tten~on {ro t + D Lower· Base (robot_b,, + + D Arm-Lower (robot_a . f • D Upper-Arm (robot_up, f ' D Fororm-Upper (robot_ + D Wrist-Forarm (robot_~ f • D Flange-Wrist (robot_v • - r-J Local Extension_2 (robot_ f
t
t t t
t
__ t
t
• •
t
· - e You can see the advantage of arranging the angle mates in sequence order as it is easy to follow ·; -e motion across the timeline.
- Calculate. :clculate the motion study. This animation looks a little better. :: Copy and reverse. : -:::Jy all the key points to 8 seconds, then reverse their direction. You should now have the complete
sequence.
; Save. =:.ave the assembly but leave the file open as we will continue with it in the next sect ion.
160 Chapter 7
Mate Problems in Animations During t he calculation of an animation, the mates must be solved at each frame. Occasionally, mat es can flip and solve incorrectly. This is most typical when there is a series of mates as we have in this model. In the robot, this can result in two different problems.
If the Forearm-Upper mate flips, the robot_wrist will appea r to turn in the opposite direction.
If the Upper-Arm mate changes direction, the robot_forearm will not move to the horizontal positior
If these flips occur while you are making changes to other motion drivers, you can ignore them until everything else is set up and the model has been rebuilt. If the problems still exist after a rebuild, you have two choices; either edit the mate that is not solving correctly, or use a different type of motion driver such as a motor.
Motion Drivers
-z:es~
-.s T:::-::.C
"':Jn.
161
ionManager Filters -=nworki ng with larger assemblies, the Motion Manager design tree can get very cluttered and long :e:oause by default it shows every entity that can be animated. This can be problematic when trying to =::-dinate keys for multiple entities. The long tree can result in a lot of scrolling. which can be ~-;b erso me.
-=::void t his, t here are several tree filters which can be used in a motion study. These are No Filter, Filter --irnated, Filter Driving, and Filter Selected. =ilter Type o Filter
V'
: .ick No Filter to remove all =,ters. This is the default : ::tting and all items are shown. :Jos:::.:-
I Uilti! Jtld.yc_ -:otior
Description
m:JiiW
4 sec ~ 'il!:s 'i£] 10.s~c. l . l I 1 I I I I I EJ ~ Robot!_& (Default (Defoult< < t [£ ~ robot_lower_axls_& (Default'. c+, ~ robot_arm_right_& (Default ~ ~ robot_arm_left_& -> (Defau t [+} ~ robot_upper_i5xis_& (Defaut • (~ ~ robot_forearm_& (Default< • til ~ robot_wrist_& (Default«D•rf $ ~ robot_fla nge_& (Default«r,lf s fil!Jl Mate< 3· CJ Othor Mates . .~!:, Coincident21 (robot_low~f
t
Concentric31 (robot_lowll~f .~!:, Coincident31 (robot_! owl @ Concentric4 (robot_arm ~ @ Concentric321 (robot_a1
@
f
;(_ Coincident321 {robot_arrf
@
Concentric331 (robot_up Conc entric341 (robot_fo•! .~!:, Coincident341 (robot_fo/
@
@
1
Concentric361 (robot_wr •:
.~!:, Coincident361 (robot_wr .~!:, Coincident362 (robot_ba
@
S [J
@
Concentridl (robot_bas
J
J f
1
J
Concentric21 (robot_!owi Control Mates forearm on (robot • Lower-Base (robot_base_ f Arm-Lower (robot_arm_r1f Upper-Arm (robot_uppei· Forarm-Upper (robot_uplf Wrist-Forarm (robot_for< f Flange-Wrist (robot_wri
e 1-4 !? D
D ffi D [+} D l+J D 1±: D ~
It>
H
1
t
.•
•
t
j
•' •
J
t •
162 Chapter 7
Filter Type
Description
Filter Animated ~
Click Filter Animated to show only items that change or move. When select ed, this will show every entity that moves or changes as a result of the animation. Components which move only as a res ult of being mated to another moving component will show when this filt er is selected.
?!iil~ ~ ~~ ~o~s~C 1
8 ~ Robotl_& (Default - - - - - - - - - -- -- - - -- - 1 b ~ robotJower_axis_& (Defau~ f ¢1 ~ robot_arm_right_& (Defaultlf . ~ robot_arm_left_& -> (Defau f 1±: ~ robot_upper_axis_& (Defautl ltl ~ robot_forearm_& (Default (Default«D1 1
~.
robot_flange_& 8 @~ Mates S·LJ Control Mates
1;,
+}
D
liJ D D B
Selected .
t
lower-Base (robot_base_ Forarm -Upper (robot_uf>l f • I+J Wrist-Forarm (robot_for
D D
8
'ii' ~(!il~ ~~ ~0 1s~c 1
==--1
t
I
2sec
1
I
j4sec
~ RoboU_& (Defaultl•)>l~' l~----------------I
f
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
8 ~il Mates 8 CJ Control Mates
$ D Arm-lower (robot_arm_r ' t 1 -ffi·JC Upper-Arm (robot_uppe• f! ! l I llll D lower-Base(mbot_base_l ' i i'ti i i 'tl D Forarm-Upper (robot_up! f I t ffi
D
Wrist-Forarm (robot_for<
f
dl D Flange·Wrist (robot_wri~ f
(+"-
H
local Extension_2 (robot_for ~ J.
Filter Selected ~
Se lect items, t hen click Filter
!!l'!!!'iiilllili
Arm-Lower (robot_arm_rl f,
CiJ D Upper-Arm (robot_uppel f
Filter Driving ~
Click Filter Driving t o show only items that cause changes. This shows every entity which has a motion driver or key directly attached to it. It does not show components t hat only move as a result of mates.
(Defau~«l~f
•
'ii' ~ ~~ ~~~0 I sec I I
8 ~ . RoboU_& (Default
g.LJ ijtffll®$1"1
00 H forearm extens1on (robot tt.
D
base_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arm-l ower (robot_arm_r
i:P (robot_ ~ D lower-Base Upper-Anm (robot_uppej r+J
D
Forarm-Upper (robot_uf>l
00- D_ Wrist-Forarm (robot_fon;.
ltl D Flange-Wrist (robot_wrisl
• '
f
•
t
•
Motion Drivers 163
- .e If you have Filter Animated or Filter Driving selected, any part which you select in the ·= r:tureManager design t ree or the graphics area will then become temporarily visible in the ~~_,.:::tionM a n ager design tree. Also, if you select any folder or subassembly, all of the items in that folder -::subassembly will then be shown.
.Csec
otors ·:::::ors are very useful because they can be used in all three mot ion study types: Animation, Basic ::::ion, and Motion Analysis. Once a motor is defined it wil l be listed in all three study types.
::::ors support rotational and linear motion. They can be defined as constant speed, distance, :s::llating segment, data point. expression, or servo. A constant speed motor can also be key framed, :.==:ning different speeds at different times. The speed will interpolate smoothly (depending on the r-:::::rpolat ion mode you choose). including directional changes. The motor will slow down, stop, and =::::: elerate when it s direct ion reverses. unless t he interpolation mode is set to Snap. ~tor
Types ~.::h linear and rot ary motor driving motion can be defined in up to seven different ways. Each type has --=.~y options in defining the motion.
Csec
,_.or Type
Description
Inputs (Rotary Motor)
Inputs (Linear Motor)
c 0
:p 0
c~ 0
V1
0
.....
c:P...ll:: 0
·~~~
.5c ·~ro ;go
<(COlfl
sec
•
-.-........ I ~
==nstant :Leed
The motor drives at a constant speed.
Constant speed in RPM
Constant speed in mm/second or inches/second
X X X
~a nce
The motor will move for a fixed distance or number of degrees.
Displacement in degrees
Displacement in mm or inches
X X X
Start time in seconds
Start time in seconds
End time in seconds
End time in seconds
Displacement in degrees
Displacement in mm or inches
Frequency in Hz
Frequency in Hz
Phase shift
Phase shift
:scillating
Oscillating motion is sinusoidal motion at a specific distance at a specified frequency.
X X X
164 Chapter 7
Motor Type
Description
Inputs (Rotary Motor}
c:::
Inputs (Linear Motor)
0 ~ 0
c;::::;E: 0
c::: ·.;:::
0
0
lll
~
....
-~:::;E:~ .5 -~ ;g
c::: ro o <(COli)
Segments
Motion is driven by a set of piecewise continuous data segments.
Displacement in degrees at intervals
Displacement in mm or inches at intervals
or
or
Velocity in degrees/ second at intervals
Velocity in mm or inches/second at intervals
or Acceleration in degreesfsecond./\2 at intervals Start and end values for X Segment interpolation
L
L X
or Acceleration in mm or inches/second./\2 at intervals Start and end values for X
_J
Segment interpolation Data Points
Motion is driven by a tabular set of values. A curve is fit to the data points using one of three possible curve fits.
Displacement in degrees at intervals
Displacement in mm or inches at intervals
or
or
Velocity in degrees/ second at intervals
Velocity in mm or inches/second at intervals
or Acceleration in degreesfsecond./\2 at intervals Value vs. Time
X X X
or Acceleration in mm or inches/second./\2 at intervals Value vs. Time
---
-
- --
Motion Drivers 165
, ::rt:or Type
c: 0 :;:;
Description
0
Inputs (Rotary Motor)
0
Ill
0
L..
c::;:;~
0
L..
c:
rt1
0
<(COli')
<(a:ll/')
L
0
-~~~ .5 -~ ;g
·- :E 0 ~ u~ .5c: "Virt1 ;:g0
L
0
c::E 0 Ill c: ·.;::; ~
c::E 0
c: 0 :;:;
Inputs (Linear Motor)
~~ession
X
The motor can be driven by an expression created from existing variables and constants.
Displacement in degrees at intervals
Displacement in mm or inches at intervals
or
or
Velocity in degrees/ second at intervals
Velocity in mm or inches/second at intervals
or Acceleration in degrees/second"2 at intervals
.5t:r-r::l Motor
X X X
•
The motor used to implement control actions for eventbased, triggered motion.
• ~ -- :tion available _ • ~-..ted functionality
X
Acceleration in mm or inches/second"2 at intervals
Displacement in mm or inches at intervals
or
or
Velocity in degrees/ second at intervals
Velocity in mm or inches/second at intervals
Acceleration in degrees/second"2 at intervals
L
or
Displacement in degrees at intervals
or
L
or Acceleration in mm or inches/second"2 at intervals
X
166 Chapter 7
Note When using an Expression to define the motor for Animation and Basic Motion. Time is the onl) variable available. If additional variables are needed, the motion study type must be Motion Analysis s: that plots can be generated, which in turn create variables that can be used in the expression. For mar: information, see the training course So/idWorks Motion available from your SolidWorks reseller.
Motor Principles Motors move components in a selected direction, but they are not fo rces. Motor strength does not var based on component size or mass. For example. a small cube moves at the same speed as a large cubE if you set the velocity of the motor to the same value in both cases. If something causes the reference point of t he motor direction t o change, the motor continues to movE the component in the new direction. This can occur, for example, if t here is a collision between the component that is moved by the motor and another component Do not add more than one motor of the same type to the same component Mot ion due to motors supersedes motion due t o any other driving element If you have a motor movir5 a component t o t he left, and a spring pulling a component to the right, the component moves to the le~
Recalculating Studies Motion studies do not automatically recalculate t he animation every time you change something. This saves a lot of time not having to wait for the animation to recalculate. If you make a change and do norecalculate. then click Play. you will see the previously calculated results. You must press Calculat e wheyou want to see t he results of t he edits you have made. Tip Before recalculating a motion study aft er a change, move the time bar t o o seconds and do a forced rebuild {Ctrl+Q) to make sure that all nonanimation changes are also rebuilt
Motion Drivers 167
the only alysis so ·or more :!f.
not vary ·ge cube t o move 1the
·moving 1the le~
ng. This d do no: 3te wheforced
Defining a Motor 'Nhen you define a motor, there are three inputs :hat control what is actually moved: c Motor Location
The Motor Location is the component to be moved by the motor. In the fan example at right, this would be the fan blade component. Motor Direction Motor Direction is defined by an edge or axis. In the fan example, the axis of the motor shaft or the circular edge of the fan hub could be used to define the direction. Component to Move Relative to This is the component that the moving component moves relative to. In the fan example, the fan blade moves relative to the motor housing. -::ortant! If you do not define the "relative to" component, SolidWorks assumes t he motor is attached -::ground. If the motor position is not going to move, this is acceptable. If, however, t he mot or position -25 to move, the animation will fail to so lve. We will explore this problem later in t his chapter.
Part 2: Distance Motor
=•1 that we have one animation of this robot. let's replace some of the mates with motors just to
="'lpare the process. We will start by using a rotary mot or to rotate t he lower -base, and a linear motor -:: 1ove the robot_for earm. For both of these motors. we will use the distance option to describe t he -:;:ion of the motor.
... -~edure Create a copy of the motion study. ~5
.t-click the Robot-1 motion study tab and click Duplicate.
:-:e the new study Robot-2. =~
Delete keys. :::te all the keys after 6 seconds. These are all the keys for the mirror part of the animation.
168 Chapter 7
Motor Options When using a rotary or linear motor, we have the option t o have t he motor move a f ixed distance, specifying a st art time and duration. Notice that this is sim ilar to the way the Animation Wizard was used. One difference is that we need t o specify an additional component that will tell the motor what i: is to move in relation t o. 3 Suppress mate. We are going t o use a rotary motor t o rotate the component robot_lower_axis relative to the robot_base. To avoid conflict. we must suppress t he angle mate Lower-Base. Move the time bar t o 1 second. Right-dick the mate Lower-Base and click Suppress. We should also re move t he existing keys. Select the key points for the Lower-Base at 2 and 13 seconds and delete t hem. Note We could have left t he key on the timeline and it would not have been calculated; however, it is cleaner to re move it to avoid confusion if we need to troubleshoot a problem. Where is Zero? We did not suppress t he mate at t ime zero because we want to make sure the animation starts from th:: same point as the previous animation. Mot ors do not have an absolute set of coordinates; instead, th:: coordinat es a re based on where the components a re when the motor is turned on.
--
170 Chapter 7
Add a linear moto r t o the robot_forearm. The component has an axis feature which shou ld be selecte: for the direct ion. This will keep the motor aligned with the part. Have the motor drive the component lOOmm, starting at 4 seconds with a duration of 1 second.
i'ill 11otor Type
~ Rotary Motor
125.00 ,.--- - - -- - - - - - ,
Notion
Distance
100.00
I
i
75.00
'E
g. 0
50.00
/
l OOmm
"
4.00s
~
25 00
--
l.OOS
0.00 +-~--' -2 5.00
+-+--i-+-+-+-+--+-i--t-+-+4 0.0 1.1 2.2 3.3 4 .4 55 6 .6 7.7 3.8 9 9 11.0 Tme (s )
t,
did< the graph to enlarge
6
Calculate.
Calculate the animation. The first part of t he animation should look just the same as with all. mates. Important! Because we are creating multiple motion studies in the same assembly file, it is im portar:
t o ret urn the time bar to 0 seconds before changing studies. When moving between motion studies, yc_ may get the following message: Due to model changes, the following components or features cannot be set t o their previously-specified locations or valu es at t he start of the animation. This will be followed by a list. Generally you can select No and recalculat e t he study; however, you mu:: evaluate the actions yo u took in the other motion studies before deciding whether to update the sta-: positions or not.
Motion Drivers
171
ld be selected
~eversing the Motion =2'/ersing the animation when we use motors requires some additional work.
:econd.
=o;e examine the timeline we can see that there is only one key point for each motor. but the changebar =:G:ends throughout the entire animation. The reason for this is t hat in the case of the rotary motor. we -=:d the motor to move between 1 and 2 seconds. but from 2 seconds unt il the end of the animation, the ::ltor is still on and holding its distance at go degrees. I.YI~~'il!\1 ~ - ~ Robot (Default)
® Orient.tion and Camera \f~ews
:. .:aJ Lights, Cameras and Scene fi RotaryMotor 1 8
UnearMotor 1
- ~ (I} robot_base<1> (Default)
0s ec
11
1 1111111
12 s ec II
I I 11 1 I
I
j4s ec
llllltt l
l
16s ec I
I l lli tll
18s ec
I l l 1 11 1 11
110
11 (1
•• :~~~~§§§§~~~~ •
:::ecause we used the distance option for the motors, to reverse the motion we will have to do two things. =-st. we will need to add a second mot or to do the reverse rot ation. and then we will have to add key =::ints to turn the motors on and off so that two motors are not fighting each ot her.
Add a rotary motor. -:id a rotary motor. just like we did in step 4. except that we want t he direction revers ed and t he start - 1 e to be 12 seconds. Add a linear motor. ==peat the above procedure to add a second linear motor to retract the robot_forearm from 10 to -: seconds.
t is important 1n studies. you their
:ver. you must date the start
Calculate. :~tice that the components that should be moved by the motors :::not move. The problem is that the two rotary motors and the - r:o linear motors are in conflict with each other. as one motor is :.-ying to move a component while the other is trying to hold it :::ationary.
172
Chapter 7
10 Set motor on/off points.
Move the time bar to 0 seconds. Right-click RotaryMotor2 in t he MotionManager design tree and click Off. Repeat for LinearMotor2. Move the time bar to 13 seconds. Right-click RotaryMotorl in the MotionManager design tree and click Off. Right-click RotaryMotor2 in the MotionManager design tree and click On. Move the time bar to 10 seconds. Right-click LinearMotor 1 in the MotionManager design tree and click Off. Right-click LinearMotor2 in the MotionManager design tree and click On. Move the time bar t o 0 seconds and press Ctri+Q to rebuild the model. 11 Calculate. Calculate the animation. The animation should look just the same as it did with only mates driving tr: motion.
Constant Speed Motor The constant speed motor is also very easy to set up and run in a key frame animation. With a constaspeed motor, the speed can be set at different key points. The motor direction can be changed at ea::key point and interpolation modes can be used to control the rate of change between key points.
To make a component move a given distance, we control the speed and amount of t ime that it is on. Part 3: Constant Speed Motor In this part of the case study, we will use two constant speed motors to drive the robot instead of th: displacement motors used in the last section. Rather than delete the existing motors and replace thewe will only delete two of the motors and edit the defin ition of the other two. Procedure 1 Create a copy of the motion study. Right-click t he Robot-2 motion study tab and click Duplicate.
Name the new study Robot-3.
. i
Motion Drivers 173
Examine the MotionManager design tree . ..::.::e that the motors are now RotaryMotor3 and RotaryMotor4. In the previous motion study. they '=-: RotaryMotor l and RotaryMotor2. The new names indicate that they are different motors from -E ::revious mot ion study and can be defined differently. Delete motors. the time bar to o seconds.
:- 2
:~:~:e
the second rotary and linear motors (RotaryMotor4 and LinearMortor4).
:'i:ant! This only deletes them from this motion study and does not affect the motors in the other studies.
- ; :Ji1
:~
edit the rotary motor. =.e the two keys at 10 and
13
seconds that were used to turn the motors off.
- - :he rotary motor by right-clicking it in the MotionManager design tree and clicking Edit Feature. c:-~e
.
=
the Motor Type to Constant speed and the speed to 15 RPM. We selected 15 RPM because we motor to turn go degrees in 1 second.
~he
:::· OK.
? lay the animation. Calculate and when done, play the animation. The robot begins to spin at 1 second (when the angle ...-~ :.Ower-Base is suppressed) and spins for the entire animation. ::::::-;trol the rotation, we just have to turn the motor off after the robot has rotated go degrees.
,._
:-urn the motor on and off.
=~he time bar to o seconds. Right-click the motor RotaryMotor3 in the MotionManager design ~ :::-:d •~~... .a::
click Off.
=:he t ime bar to 1 second. Right-click the rotary motor and click On. = :he t ime bar to 2 seconds. Right-click the rotary motor and click Off. Now when the animat ion :: : he motor will rotate for go degrees and stop.
174 Chapter 7
7
Reverse the motor.
There are two separate actions necessary to have this motor ret urn the robot to the initial position. Fir5"" it must be turned on. and secondly it must turn in the opposite direct ion. Move the time bar to 13 seconds. Right-click the rotary motor in the Motion Manager design tree and click On. Again. right-click the rotary motor in the MotionManager design tree and click Edit Feature. In the PropertyManager. click Reverse Direction ~ . Click OK.
8
Stop the motor.
Move the time bar to 14 seconds. Right-click Rota:ryMotor3 and click Off. Right-click the motor again and click Edit Feature. Reverse the motor direction. Note If you do not reverse the direction of this key. the motor will try to spin in the direction opposi:: of that at time 13 seconds. resulting in the component going 45 degrees in one direction and 45 degreE in the other direction.
9
Calculate.
Calculate and play the animation. While the robot_base moves as intended. the robot_forearm does not return to the correct starting position because we removed the linear motor that was supposed to do that. We will now edit the one existing linear motor to retract the robot_forearm.
Constant Speed Motors-Alternate Method With the rotary motor, we had the motor run at the same speed throughout the animation. but turned it on and off at the appropriate times to get the desired motion. We could use the same method with the linear motor; however. we will explore a different approach which is to chang: its speed t o zero when we do not want it to move rather than turning it off. When a motor is on with zer: speed. it is essentially a distance mate to hold the parts fixed.
-I Sl
Motion Drivers 175
-=:dit the linear motor. ~ :1e
time bar to o seconds.
...
-------
MotorType
- : -e linear motor. e:: Constant Speed for the Motion Function and Omm/s for the speed. ~ sure the direction is set to extend the forearm.
-=
=:ne time bar to 4 seconds. Select the linear motor and then click Place on the MotionManager t oolbar.
~
~ Rotary MolD<
l E!J L.in~or
I-1<>1D< (ActuaiD<)
[component/Direction -
*i
CQ IIJ.!.£4b.ftxw,. 1¥ w B~
ace keys. - :>tor will be on for the entire animation. However, it will change speed : -ection at several points. We could sequentially move t he time bar and :he motor at that point and then go to the next point. An alternat ive is -~:2 all the keys first and then edit them.
~
~ )(
~ I l>#robot_~r_aXis·:II Axis <
I ~ ~~l_lwer_~ ~MoHon
I
0
*1
Constant Speed Omm/ s
0 l I
- - e same procedure to place additional keys at S. 10, and 11 seconds.
Click the gr oph
-=:dit keys.
to •niarge
s :•e time bar to 4 seconds. Right-click the linear motor and click Edit Feature.
s=the motor speed to lOOmm/s. s :•e time bar to 5 seconds and edit the linear motor. Confirm t hat the motor speed is Omm/s. "' se we copied this key from o seconds, it should already be at zero. - --e key at 10 seconds and set the motor speed t o 100mm/s and reverse the direct ion. -- e key at 11 seconds and set the motor speed to omm/s. ~s you make the changes, you will get t he Update Initial Animation State message indicating ::sit ions cannot be set. Click No each time because the problem will be solved when all t he ~ents are made.
:::hange interpolation mode. :-e-'=ault interpolat ion mode of linear will have the motor speed increase from 0 t o 100 between keys, .- s not what we want. We want the motor to suddenly turn on and off. -:::::.·;-select the four keys for the linear motor between 4 and 11 seconds. Right-click any of the -::::::1 keys and change the Interpolation Mode to Snap. ~e bui ld.
'= :1e time bar to 0 seconds. Press Ctri+Q to rebuild the model.
176 Chapter 7
15 Calculate and play. We should have the exact same animation as we did using the other methods.
16 Save. Leave t he assembly open for the next case study.
Function Builder The Function Builder is a dialog box interface to define three types of motors or forces: • Data Point A set of data points are used to create interpolated data sets as a functio n of time, cycle angle, a.motion study results. • Segment Segments are used to define a piecewise continuous function of time or cycle angle. Each segmer.L can use an interpolation method different from other segments. • Expression Expressions are used to define a profile as a mathematical expression of time, cycle angle, or moticstudy results.
Motion Drivers 177
~er
p .._,.. I [k_;: _~~~J l£ I
V.U (y):
~c..,..,t (dog)
~tvoriable(x): Eme(s) :m.rpoiolion type:
I
I
.
@ubic Splile
~toato ...
TrneCS
,
expresskln
·I ·] ·]
J)
Function Type
IIIII
Data Type
..
'.:..::S ':!I&
~ t~
Velue
:Jtt:-.: addrow
Data Input
-
~
5.0
"ii
-
1.0
2.0
3.0
Tme(s)
L -
I
f
20.0
-a. -8
~ 'jj -20.0
-
;~s)
Graphs
I
ILQ.~
-
~
~
10.0 5.0
·g u
>
I
dr '
2-0
-
I
I
-~
-.
-
i
M 100.0
l
Trne(s)
-a
1,0
3.0
2t0
4.0
~ ~
.... -100.0
I
'
-200.0
Hoke fu-oc1Jon ovalable fix- use elsewhere h d-is dorument
4.0
200.0
-... 0
~ -
~~
I
-- --
I
-60.0
//
- 10.0
\1
-10.0
fl Tme(s)
-5.0
'i.
<
L
/o
1.0 _ _
~
§ I
-
::_1
40.0
I
IFit AI
~Jerlc
./Acceler-atiOn
15.0 10.0
J
o
~ ::s
./Velocity
r
0 OOdeg 50deg 2 OOdeg 700deg 5 OOdeg 10 OOdeg
I';&
~.......n
Show~aphs:
1..-
~@}
-
'
-
Nan\0:
lJ
()( ll
c.nceJ
I!
~
- , e Function Build dialog will look different if Segments or Expression is selected as each has data input requirements.
~=-t
-~
:nput
- : ::1 be entered either by typing it direct ly into the data input table or by clicking Import Data and =-:- -g a text ('''.txt ) or comma-separated variables ("'.csv) file containing the data.
178 Chapter 7
Data Export Values for Data Point. Segment, and Expression types can be saved as external files for reuse in othemotion studies in different documents or internally in the current file for use in other mot ion studies ;the current file. To save the current data set for use in other motion studies in t he current document. select Make function available for use elsewhere in this document and then type a name for the function. ,./j Make fi.nction avaiable for use elsewhere in this doanlent
Name:
User function 1
To save the current data set for use in motion studies in other documents, click Save As ~ in the Function Builder and save the file to a common location. The file will have the extension sldfnc (SolidWorks Function).
Data Point Motors As their name implies. Data Point motors use a set of data points to control displacement, velocity, cacceleration of the motor. Data points can either be typed in manually or read from an existing table.
Importing Data Points Using imported data points. you can use your own motion data to control the displacement. velocity. cacceleration of t he motor. The data points can either be entered directly into the data input table or from an existing text file. The file would be very similar to those used in other parts of SolidWorks wher~ the input data would be comma-delimited. The imported data file must be either a t ext file (*.txt) or comma-separated variables file ("''.csv) format. An unlimited number of data points may be used, but tt-~E minimum number of data points to be defined is four points. The first column in the data point template is always time, while the ot her column is the displacemen~ velocity, or acceleration. These values can be manually defined or imported. Selecting Load From File displays the standard Windows File, Open dialog which allows the selection of a file that contains data point values. The file shou ld contain one data point per line. The data point consists of two values; the time and the value at that time. Commas are used as separators between the values. The file is essentially free-format aside from t hese restrictions.
t
Sample data.b:t... [. =
File
Edit
Format
I @) ~
View
Help
p,o l,. 5 2,2
2.5,7
3,5 4,10
-':E
Motion Drivers 179
: ..:rve Fitting
Data Point
:~·:e
you have the data points entered, there are three ways =:a curve to the data points. To demonstrate the different -~ e fit methods, we will use the data in the table at right.
Time
Value
0.00
0.0
2
1.00
0.5
3
2.00
2 .0
4
2.50
].0
5
3 .00
5 .0
6
4.00
10.0
_ -;Ear
- .inear interpolation, straight lines are drawn between ::oints wit hout any fitting.
=
a; 10.0 !1
~
.,c
!
5.01
i:5
2.0
3.0
4.0
lime (s)
-·-=-.a
e - · 'lla cubic spline interpolation method performs a local - - s method requires information about points in the :- of the interpo lation interval in order to define the -.-= : .ent s of the cubic polynomial. Consequently, each data ..., an Akima spline affects only the nearby portion of the '= 3ecause it uses local methods, an Akima interpolation ::z :-_.ated very quickly. - - .· -na method produces good results for the value of the '71ated function. This method also returns good ~.=:es for the first derivative of the approximated :1 when the data points are evenly spaced. In instances = :1e data points are unevenly spaced, the estimate of "'5: derivative may be in error. The second derivative of .;:;:;: -oximated function is unreliable with this method.
-=
1 10.0
"'... ~ ~ ~
5.0
"' ~ i:5
~~--·~+-~~-+--
1.0
20 Tirne (s)
3.0
4.0
180 Chapter 7
Cubic The cubic spline interpolation method performs a global fit. Global methods use all the given points to calcu late the coefficients for all interpolation intervals simultaneously. Therefore, each dat a point affects the entire cubic spline. If you move one point. t he whole curve changes accordingly, making a cubic spline rougher and harder to force into a desired shape. This is especially noticeable for functions with linear portions. or that have sharp changes in the curve. In these cases, a cubic spline is almost always rougher t han an Akima spline.
~J
]' 10.01
l~ S.OI1 0
l
lj ~ 1
Ll
1.0
..
2.0 lime (s}
I
3-.o
I
4.o
-
General Considerations Both global {cubic) and local (Akima) methods work well on smoothly curving functions. The cubic spline interpolation method. though not as fast as Akima spline interpolation. produces gooc results for the value of the approximated function, as well as its first and second derivatives. The date: points do not have to be evenly spaced. The solution process often requires estimates of derivatives o-= the functions being defined. The smoother a derivative is. the easier it is for the solution process to converge.
, :::ka•-.11
Part 4: Data Points Motor While the above procedures worked, making edits can be difficult because we would have to modify mult iple motors each t ime we want to make a change. If there were additional moves where t he robot_lower_axis moved to several ot her positions. we might have a long list of motors to synchronize An alt ernate approach would be t o use the Data Point fun ction for the motors where we can put all thE moves in a single list for each motor.
Procedure l
Create a copy of the motion study.
Right-click the Robot-3 motion st udy tab and click Duplicate. Name the new study Robot-4. 2
Delete motor key points.
Move the time bar to 0 seconds. Delete the key points for the two motors. Turn on the rotary motor at o seconds.
- :n:.. --
£
Motion Drivers 181
Edit the rotary motor. :-e~ge the Motor type to Data Points and click Edit, this will open the Function Builder and ~lacement. Enter the values shown for Time and Value. :~
:::::t Linear for the Interpolation type. The displacement graph will display the curve shown below.
n
II~
Se9nert•
oaa P
Value (y):
II£
Expression
~t(dog)
~tvarlabfe(x): (nme(s)
J 100.0
.:J
~
·I
:3.
.r
\
"' so.ot • 60.0
Qj
lnt.rpolalion type:
ll.Olear
~
·I
I- ~o..~...--I
rme s)
40.0
"' 1} 20.0.1. ' i5
Voluo
•s
O.OOdeg 90.00deg 90 OOdeg 0 OOdeg
.:s •Js ·~
10.0
5.0
l
:Jet to add row
15.0
Time {s)
- e this interpolation is satisfact ory for an animation where we are not concerned about velocity _-c.-:ges and acceleration, we would like a smoother transition, something like Ease in/Ease out. Select -=~kim a and then Cubic interpolation types just to see the differences. Ne ither of t hese interpolations Nork for the robot so return to the Linear interpolation type. In the next section, we will use a -=erent interpolation method that will give us a smoother result. ~---
Akima ~ 00
II
300.0
'
!
'
I
'E 200.0 !:!
I
6
v
I
~ 100.0 0
i5
.r I'i
I
'
-
'
------- ....
.....
5.0
10.0
Tune (s)
I
I
..
I 15.0
l I
!
Cubic 250.0 ~
"'
200.0
OJ
~
150.0
OJ
fjj 100.0
u
"' 50.0 1} i5
l:
I
I
I
5.0
I
10.0
Tune (s)
I
)
I
15.0
182 Chapter 7
4 Edit the linear motor. Change the Motor type to Data Points and click Edit. Enter the values shown for Time and Value. Select Linear for the Interpolation type, this will give us the curve shown below.
I[Q
[ !~!::{
Segmerts
Dae Pms
IIh
Expresskln
vaue (y): ~cement {11111} Independontvanable (x): lrme {s)
ILhear ln1><>rtData... I
Interpolation type:
[ Trne(&)
Os 4s 5$
10s 11s Cick to add row
T
T
T
~
I I
I
v.we O.OOOnvn 0.0001001 1oa.ooorrrn 100.00011111 0.00011111
4.0
6.0
s.o
10.0 12.0
Time (s)
5 Calculate. Calculate the animation. We now have the same animation as before but with only two motors. If we need to add additional motion to these motors, it is a simple matter of editing the table in Function Builder or creating a texc file and importing it, whichever is easier.
6
Close all open files.
Part 5: Segments Motor When using data points, there is only one interpolation method used for the entire data set. While thi~ may be acceptable for many situations, there are times, such as in this robot. where we need differen: interpolation types for different parts of the data set. When the robot components are moving. we war.. a smooth start and stop. When a robot component is supposed to be stopped, we want it to remain stationary. With t he data points method, we could not achieve both conditions because we needed linec:interpolation to keep the model stationary, but this did not allow for smooth movement between stat ionary points. If we used Akima or cubic interpolation, we could never get the model stationary.
In this part of the case study, we will use the Segments motor to tailor the data set to achieve both conditions.
Motion Drivers 183
edure
Edit the rotary motor. :-c:-ge the Motor type to Segments and click Edit. This will :::F :he Function Builder. The data ent ry area will look similar -:en we added data points but there are some slight -=·ences. -·.=::: Displacement for the Value (y}. Enter the values shown in E :<:~le. Note that the End X will also be t he Start X for t he -:: --:Jw as we are defining a piecewise curve. By default, the ~ .1ent Type will be Cubic for each segment.
lib
~ ~~
Segmenls
Doto Points
Value {y}:
Independent variable {x): End X
Start X Os 1$
Zs 13s 13s 14s 15s 14s Click to add row
2s
Expression
IDisplacement {deg) 3 ITrne (s)
•I Seqment Type
Vll:!ue
0 OOdeg O.OIIdeg 90 Olldeg 90.00deg OOOdeg OOOdeg
1s
JIJ..·
Cubic (Oefa Cubic (De fa Cu bic (Dehl Cubic (De fa Cubic (De fa
Seynent Interpolation Types --:he segment type, t here are 10 different interpolation modes available.The table summarizes the : -_s types of interpolation available using a change in value of one in one second.
~ic
3-4-S
1.0
0.5
0 .5
0 .2
.:.ater
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
4-S-6-7 P
1.0
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
0.2
0.4
0 .6
0 .8
1.0
0 .2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.0
0.5
0.5
0.2
_.:.crter
0.2
Polynomial
::E
~e
1.0
Polynomial
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
s-6-7-8-g
1.0
1.0
Polynomial 0.5
0.5
0.2
0.4
0 .6
0 .8
1.0
I
184 Chapter 7
Half Cosine
Cycloidal
1.0
0.5
0.5
0.2
Quadratic
1.0
0.4
0.6
0 .8
1.0
Linear
1.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
!.C
0.2
0 .4
0.6
O.B
!.C
1.0
0.5
0.5
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
Set interpolation modes. Select the Segment Type cell for each of the segment s in turn and select Linear fo r the three segmer.:::: of the curve we want to be flat and 3-4-5 Polynomial for the segments where the curve changes vaiL= The displacement graph will display the curve shown below. 2
lib
~~~ ~ataPons [j _t; Expreso~n
Segmerns
v.ue (y): !Displacement (deg) Independent variable (x):
!Tome {s)
Star! X
Vaile
End X
I
~I ~I
Segmen!Type
O~OOdeg
li1ear (Oef :>4-5-Pot,m
(),5
1s
0 OOdeg
1s
2s
90.00de;
2s
13s 14s
9Q OO~ cg
Linear (Oef
O~OOt!e~
:>4-5-Pot,m
1Ss
0 OOdeg
Linear(Oef
13s 14s
Cick to ~dd row
5.0 10.0 Tome (s)
15.0
Motion Drivers 185
Edit the linear motor. .=::: the linear motor and use the table below to set up the segments. The displacement curve is shown :-:: :w. II~
Segmerts
Data Pons
Value (y}: ::nd!:pendent variable (x}: -
End X
X
:a
4s Ss
•
...
~
10s 11s
••s
1Ss , ::icl1D add row
j jJ;
ExpressKlO
IDispl•ctment (mm}
lT""" (s} Value
0 OOOmm OOOOmm 1DO.OOOmm 10o.ooomm 0 OOOmm O.OOOmm
Segment Type
Linear (Def 3-4-S-Polyn Linear (Del 3-4-S-Polyn
Lilear (Oef
•I •I
~ 100.0
'E
1
.§.
c.,
g :;:
~ 0
so.of,' : I
---+~L+---+--
-
5.0
10.0
15.0
Time (s)
Calculate.
--= ;novement of the two motors will now start up and slow down smoothly. ~
=-~:E
=. =:=.-iment with the other interpolation types to see the effects of the different options on the .,. . .
~at ion .
~
6: Expression Motor
--::_: -emaining method that can be used with the Function Bui lder is to use an expression to drive a -:::: r. Because the motor movements are direct steps between two values, a STEP function can be ..s-=:cedure
Edit the rotary motor. :-,c-:ge the Motor type to Expression and click Edit. The data ent ry area will look different from when _ ~:::ded data points and segments.
186 Chapter 7
Function Builder-Expressions Expressions can be entered directly into the Expression Definit ion box or funct ions, variables, constant s. and results f ro m mot ion studies can be added by double-clicking them in t he Expr ession Elements area. Function Builder
I[Q
Sogmonts
JJ ~
DNa P<*is
Volue (Y)'
------
IIh
E'l)tessoo
(Displacement (dog)
j
::::J
Expression Elements
Expression Definition
ABS(a) ACOS(a) Alltr(o) ANINT(a}
Absolute va!ue of expression •· Arc cosne of expres::ion an the range [OT- •
ASIN(a)
!Vc,..,. of express;on • i'1 the range [.PI{2;
ATAN(o)
/Vc tono;ent of expression • i'1 the ranoe [-i' Q,Jadrcnt correct arc tang~t of expr~
~'1:-:l!f~t inb!Qer ~..tlcY..e nw~Of"li~
ATAN2(al,.,2) BISTOP(x,xdot,xl,x2,k,e,anax,d) 01EBY(x,x0re'O,al, ... ,a30)
Miode!s a ~p ~ement.
Evaluates a Ch~yshev polynorrtat at a I!Se!r
"' J Velodty
t • 2.637
~:::L ;
i
3.0
E
~ 2.0
~ i5 1.0
: '
:
. :
0.0 • 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 Tme(s)
I~
r-'rinun x value:
J] Accelerotion
v-o
5.or
:
Ma)Qmum x "~:
5.0
5.0
~ 4.0
14
'M' 4.0
N
:! 3.0 6
2.0
:
~ 2.0
1.0
:
]
o.o
0
j_ __
t • 2.637 a • 0
~:::LT : 'B ~
is not ge:
~~ti'l~toa.
... _.:...._.., .. _,~-(
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 Tme(s)
1.0
-a< 3.0
.lj ";;; 2.0
~
1.0
0.0
0.0 -+-<-+-+-<--~ 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 Tme (s)
--+- -t- ~-+-_,_.._..._....
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 Tme(s)
a<
II
c~
s.o
J[£'
2 Enter an expression. In t he Expression Elements pane, scroll down until you locat e t he STEP function. Double-click STEP. Th~ will place the f unct ion into the Expression Definition pane with the cursor between t he two brackets waiting for input of the variables. In t he Expression Element s pa ne select Variables and Constants f ror t he list. The only variable ava ilable f or Animation and Basic Motion stu dy types is Time. Double-click Time and it will be enter ed into t he expression at t he cursor.
Motion Drivers 187
..:::
'=-ow have a step function where the variable is Time. The next - es are the time and value of the start of the step {xo. ho) and the --= and va lue of the end of the step (xl, hl). Complete the expression - at it reads: STEP(Time,l,0,2,90). This says to move the moto r -:; o t o go degrees between 1 and 2 seconds.
.......
'
100.0 '
c;; .,
::::. ;:; E
80.0 '
'
60.0 '
8 40.0 :
"' ~
- ::mplete the rota ry motion, we must add a second step fu nction to ~--n the component back to its origina l position.
0
2D.O '
I 5.0
10.0
Time (s)
...
": J
~--=:- type
or use the Expression Elements to complete the function ::=:at it reads: STEP(Time,l,0,2,90)+STEP(Time,l3,0,14,-90).
:=-.~
~ -~ ..,...
-
~ :_..;r
r:t~
-
c;; OJ
'= : :d not have to use go and 0 as the values for the second step as -~::;;s
::::.
start from wherever they happen to be located.
;:; E
8
Save t he function. - .:.· Save As ~ in t he Funct ion Builder and save t he same directory _ -e assembly with the name Rotary Step for robot.sldfnc.
Calcu late. -
c
::ssembly should now move correctly.
"' ~
100.0
-I
80.0
l
60.0 40.0 20.0
i5
I
l
--+--+--< 5 ..0 10.0
15.0
Time {s)
Save. ~
-
c:nd close t he assembly.
·~
tssemblies :-=assemblies can cause problems in t he solution of an animation if not set up corre ctly. If motio n is = :1ed between different components of a s ubassembly, then the subassembly must either be flexible :e dissolved.
,, .
:•.E:S
s -::-c .:::-
-=~ :n drivers cannot be added to subassembly components. even if the subassembly is f lexible,
cr:=fore the subassembly must be dissolved for motion to be driven by those components.
=-:-t..d Subassemblies ~~~ass emblies
are added to other assemblies as subassemblies, by default they are solved as rigid. --c:. :s, t he mates of the subassembly are not solved in the upper assembly and the subassembly acts .:5
=:t were a single rigid part.
188 Chapter 7
Flexible Subassemblies Making a subassembly flexible allows t he individual components to move relative to each other with t he parent assembly. This means that subassembly mates must be solved during motion. This can slo down the solution significantly.
In cases where we need the subassembly mates to be solved, the subassembly must Sotve as be made flexible. When flexible, the assembly icon will change from rigid ~ to ({I I Flexible flexible ~.Making a subassembly flexible is useful if the subassembly is being driven by other moving components. such as a hydraulic cylinder that is attached at both ends. Where to Find It • Shortcut Menu: Component Properties ~ . select Solve as, select Flexible
Case St udy: Subassemblies In all of our case studies, all the components and mates have been in the top level assembly. When 2 assembly cont ains subassemblies, we can still create animations; however, we cannot drive motion through subassembly mates. In this case study, we will use the same robot that we used in t he previous case study except t hat sorE of the components are now in a subassembly. We will explore the problems that this creates. Procedure 1 Open the assembly. Open the assembly Robot2.sldasm from the Robot2 fo lder. Examine the assembly. In this assembly, the parts shown in blue are now a separate subassembly.
2
3 Open the subassembly. Open the subassembly robot-action.sldasm in its own window.
Motion Drivers 189
Examine the mates.
8
!jl!Jl MateGroupl
D Flaf19"·Wrist (roboUwist·2< 1 >,roboUian~•·2 < 1 >)
- the subassembly we have three angle mates and one :. stance mate.
D Forarm·Upper (robot_upper_axis·2<1>, roboUorearm· 2<1>) D Wrtst-Forarm (robot_fore.,m-2<1>, robot_,...Jst·2<1>) H Distance! (robot_upper_axis-2<1>,robotJcrearm-2<1>)
@ Concentric341 (robot_forearm-2<1>, robot_wrist· 2<1>) @ Concentric331 (robot_upper_axis·2<1>,robot_forearm·2<1>) @ Concentrlc361 (robot_wrist·2<1>, robot_llange·2<1>)
' ake the window with the Robot-2 assembly active.
Create a motion study.
_,(_ Coilcident3'1 I (robot_forearm-2<1>,robot_wrist·2< I>) _,(_ Cohcident361 (robot_wrist-2<1 >, robot_flange·2<1>)
arne t he new study Robot lA. r.: Examine the mates. -the MotionManager design tree, the subassembly -ates are not listed, so we cannot control them in an =..-;mation of the Robot-2 asse mbly.
8 ~ (·)robot-action< ! > ®Move
, } Explode
e
DJ:.
Drag a component. 2r
ce
- - , to drag the robot-forearm component. You cannot :.
Suppress a mate. =:it the subassembly robot-action and suppress the one :stance mate.
AppellrM Ce
S ~ Mates n Robot·2 @,.:1;. Concentric321 (robot_arm_ricj>l:-2<1>) ..( J:. Colncldent321 (robot_ann_ricj>l:-2<1>) .i) LWer·Arm(robot_arm_right-2<1>) ~ (f) robot_upper_axis-2<1> s ~ robot_forearm-2<1> ffi ~ robot_wrlst·2<1> t±J ~ roboU IMge-2<1>
8
!Jl!Jl Motes i±l
9
:J other Motes
:::J Contol Motes
D U>Per·Arm (robot-action,robot_arm_ricj>l:-2<1>) D Lower-Base (robot_base-2<1>,robot_lower_axis·2<1>) .., D Arm-lower (robot_arm_ri>;lht-2<1>,robotjower_axis-2<1>) Iii
=::turn to editing the assembly Robot-2.
Drag a component. - -v to drag the robot-forearm component. Even t hough this mate is s uppressed, the component will -:t move because the subassembly is rigid.
: Make the subassembly flexible. ::: ght-click t he assembly robot-action and click Component Properties ~- For Solve 5 , se lect Flexible.
Solve as ' Rigid
i§ FleXible
Examine the mates. ::~tice t hat making the s ubassembly flexible does not give us access to t he mates of t he subassembly -the MotionManager design t ree.
: Drag a component. - -y to drag the robot-forearm component. The robot-forearm will now ext end be cause the mates of - e subassembly are being solved and the mate cont rolling this motion is sup pressed.
So. while allowing the mates of the subassembly t o be solved, making t he subassembly flexible does not -:lp us gain access to the mates needed to drive the components. To gain access to t hese mat es, we - Jst move t he m int o t he main assembly.
190
Chapter 7
Modifying the Structure of an Assembly There are a number of tools that allow you to manage and modify t he organizational structure of an assembly. When creating animations we are concerned primarily with getting the components and mate~ of interest into the t op level assembly.
The process of promoting components is accomplished in several ways: • Dissolve a subassemb ly. 1!1 Drag and drop component s into or out of subassemblies. • Use drag and drop to reorder compone nts within an assembly or subassembly. Dissolving a Subassembly You can dissolve a subassembly into individual components. This will move the components and mates up one level in the assembly hierarchy.
5
Where to Find It • Shortcut Menu: Right-click the subassembly icon, Dissolve Subassembly • Menu: Select the subassembly, Edit, Dissolve Assembly Reorganize Components Using Drag and Drop Components can be moved from one assembly t o another by dragging and dropping them in the FeatureManager design tree. You can select one or more components using the Ctrl or Shift keys, ar: move them in a single operation. The cursor will change to ' \ as the components are dragged and drop ped onto a subassembly or the top level assembly. The components then become part of t hat assemb ly.
--
=
- :C:l
Reorganize Components Reorganize Components does essentially the same thing as dragging and dropping components between assemblies except that it is done through a dialog box. Where to Find It II! Menu: Tools, Reorganize Components Promoting and Demoting Components Components can be moved from a subassembly t o the t op level assembly by dragging and dropping them. They can also be moved between subassemblies, or from the top level assembly to a subassemt
When you reorganize the components at any level, the mates and any features that reference the selected components are affected. Therefore, if you are reorganizing an assembly in order t o make c:animation. it is best to do it with a copy of t he assembly t o avoid any unintended consequences to yo...manufacturing data.
-=-
Motion Drivers 191
-- -:gs to keep in mind when reorganizing components: ·.:ates of the component move to the mate group of the lowest common parent assembly. '.'oving a fixed component from a subassembly to the top level assembly may overdefine the top level :=ssembly. =eatures that have external references will be deleted if the referenced component moves. A - essage will appear t o inform you of this. :::::~mponent pattern instances cannot be moved. Moving the component that is the seed for a :::nponent pattern will delete the component pattern. A message will appear to inform you of t his. =::;- ::dditional
information on reorganizing assemblies, see the training manual Assembly Modeling.
.: Select Model tab. :t ==t the Model tab. This is necessary to make sure the mat es are moved to the top level assembly as -.c.::::l mates. If we have a motion study active, the moved mates will become local mates in that motion ::.u only. ; Dissolve the subassembly. -=-~-click the robot-action subassemb ly and click Dissolve Subassembly. --e-e will be an error message that shows that there are many warnings in the assembly from mates c. ::re either overdefining the assembly or cannot be solved. ":a:'s Wrong "" ::this looks like a major problem, it is caused by one. easy-to-correct problem. In t he subassembly, ::::mponent needed to be fixed to keep the assembly from moving. This was the component -.-c:._upper_axis-2. Now that the components of the subassembly are in the main assembly, this part ::-ger needs the fixed relationship. rloat the part. =sc ~:he What's Wrong message. --.: =eatureManager design tree. right-click the part robot_upper_axis-2 and click Float.
- =errors and warnings should have now cleared. =xamine the mates. -e mates from the subassemb ly are now in the main assembly and can be placed in the appropriate c~-s.
<::
- cJld now proceed as we did in t he beginning of this chapter and drive the model through the mates ~=:o r s.
192 Chapter 7
17 Close all open files.
Troubleshooting Motor Problems Motors are very versatile and easy to use; however. it is not uncommon that when new users start usir5 multiple motors they suddenly have animations that freeze and fail to solve. There is no numericallirrto the number of motors that can be added to an assembly. What limits the amount of motors in an assembly is the ability of the computer hardware to process the motion fast enough. There are two main reasons why motors do not solve: • Failure to specify the rotation relative to If the component the motor is supposed to rotate relative to is not set. the motor is considered to 1:= attached to ground. • Conflicts between motors A motor that is set not to rotate is not the same thing as a motor that is off. If a motor's speed is seto zero. it essentia lly becomes a distance mate. Troubleshooting a set of motors that will not solve is similar to solving a problem with mates that w; not solve. You need to start by isolating the motors and determining if each motor will funct ion by itse = If they all function correctly in isolat ion. the next step is to start turning them on. one by one. and findif5 the point at which the motion fails to solve. Using just those motors that are turned on, you must thecheck for conflicts.
Case Study: Motor Troubleshooting In this case study we will examine a simple model of a desk fan. It uses two motors to run. one t o rotate the fan blades and the second to oscillate the fan. We will see the effects of not defining the relative to component field. Play the video Fan from the Videos folder. This shows the motion we are trying to achieve with the two motors. Procedure Open the Fan. Open the assembly Fan.sldasm from the lesson fo lder.
1
2 Create a motion study. Create a new motion study and name it Troubleshooting.
=
Motion Drivers 193
•.!,.dd a motor. :: :: ;-otary motor to t he part Fan rotary base. Name the motor Base
-..c.:::on. -c:: s elect a Component to Move Relative to. - ?the motor as fo llows:
27
·~":'Lt:Jn:
Oscillating
-
~
lLJ
j Face~Fan rotary base-l J
Component/Dire<:tion:
t
~ pac;< t>#Fanrotarybase-1 ']
l~
:;[ement: 135deg
=-=-ency: 0.10 Hz as:: Shift: godeg
Set options. :s
-::Motion St udy Properties, set the frame rat e t o 10 fps.
__2J
I
Osclating
./
135deg
~
~=
Jt
r H-.
[r-1~
0,1Hz
A
~ ~d~
:[] l
;
\
CJid< the gr•ph 1D enlar~
Calculate. 2:
t: =en now oscillates from side to side as we expect. As we did not specify a component to rotate
-=:
Suppress the motor.
==the time bar t o 0 seconds. ::::::-ess t he motor.
Add a second motor. :.: 2
rotary motor t o part Fan blades. Name the motor Blade Rotation.
Component /Direction
=
-
~
Constl!nt Speed
0
35RPM
- .:.:.::d: 3SRPM
=an blades now rotate as we expect. As we did not specify a component -:Jve relative to, this motor also rotates relative to ground.
--E
Unsuppress motor. =. e the t ime bar to 0 seconds. _::sJppress the other motor.
J
_j
~lotion
- -=:ion: Constant Speed
Calculate.
~ --
E~an blades-1~
o:-:::t select a Component to Move Relative to. - - e the motor as follows:
__
fFace@Fan blades· I
~o t
CJid< the graph 1D enlar90
194 Chapter 7
10 Calculate.
Even t hough both motors worked correct ly when ru n individually, toget her t he blades rotate but the base does not. Note In older versions of SolidWorks, you might get a different result where the base rotat es and t~ blades do not and t he t imeline may not solve and show red; however, the main point here is that t he motors do not solve correct ly. To see the effect of selecting the Component to Move Relative to, we will select the component in eamotor and observe the results. 11 Edit Base Rotation motor. Move the time bar to 0 seconds. Edit the motor Bose Rotation. Select t he part Fan s tationary base for the Component to Move Relative to.
~Component/Direction
ILl
~"" rotaryba2 .
f?J IFace#fan rotary ba2-.
~~ ·~tationary base- lCF• '
12 Calculate. The base still does not rotate. It is still rotating relative to ground because t he Fan stationary bas:: is a fixed component.
13 Edit Base Rotation motor. Edit the motor and clear t he selection for Component to Move Relative to.
14 Edit Blade Rotation motor. Edit the motor and select the component Fan motor fo r Component to Move Relative to.
15 Calculate.
~mponent/Directlon
I'Cl
j Face < l>~Fan blades·l
r.?JFW~es·l ~
I IFan molxlr·l~an
This time both motors work correct ly.
16 Close. Save and close the assembly. The init ial cause of t his problem was t he conflict between the t wo motors. Not specifying a Componeto Move Relative to fo r t he Blade Rotation mot or causes the motor position to stay fixed in space~ work correct ly. At t he same ti me, the Base Rotation motor was trying to move the Fan motor bt: could not because it was fixed by the Blade Rotation moto r. SolidWorks could not solve both of thes conditions simultaneous ly, which resulted in only one of the mot ors working correctly. Important! When you have multiple motors in an animation and they do not solve correctly, t he maslikely cause is a conflict between what you have defined.
Motion Drivers 195
ling around a Closed Path ==.: ng motion around a closed path can sometimes lead to confusion as to why the moving component 'E5 in a given direction. We have used three different methods to move components, so we will :-e the differences in how components move around a closed path using each of these methods. To --:;w this works. we will look at three different methods to make a component move:
: -ect path ·:::es/Paths "::ors
: _=rt Path --=--parts are set to move between two key points, the in-between points will be created using the :::---:est distance between t he two key points. lt does not matter how you moved the component to :-::.:,ish the two key points, only the position of the component at the actual key points .
.tedure Open the assembly. ..E- the assembly Clock.sldasm. This is just a simple s::-rbly with a clock fa ce and a minute and hour hand. Create a motion study. -=:::e an Animation motion study. - 5 the Motion Study Properties. set the frame rate -J fps.
Set first position. the time bar to o seconds, set the blue hand t o the - : : .ock position. _ 2
Set second position :: 2 the time bar to 4 seconds. Drag the blue hand all ·-:e ·:ay around until it is back to the 12 o'clock position. Play. ~he animation and the hand will not move. Even though we dragged the hand 360° from 12 to 12, - - ~ey point s are at the same location so there is no movement. z
196 Chapter 7
6 Set intermediate position. Delete the key point at 4 seconds. Drag the time bar to 2 seconds. Drag the blue hand to the 6 o'clock position. Copy t he key point from o seconds to 4 seconds. We are doing this to make sure t he starting and end·-: positions are exactly the same. We have three key points now to make the red hand go from 12 to 6 c-o: back to 12.
7 Play. This time. the blue hand will move from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock and then reverse direction back to 12 o'clock. The direction the hand moves will depend on exactly where you established the key points. :o without mates to accurately position the hand, you might have been a little off on both positions. Tr:: hand moved in whichever direction was the shortest to get from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock. As it had to retLto the same starting point. the shortest distance back to start was the reverse of the forward movement.
8
Add key points. Delete the key point at 2 seconds and move the key point from 4 seconds to 6 seconds.
Move the t ime bar to 2 seconds and position t he red hand at 4 o'clock. Move the t ime bar to 4 seconds and position t he red hand at 8 o'clock.
9 Play. The blue ha nd will now make one complete turn from 12 o'clock clockwise back to 12 o'clock. Note We did not accurately place the keys fo r the three positions, but t he playback should still loa~ smooth as the differences in rotation rates will be so small that t hey will not be noticeable. lf you wc..more accuracy, you could use Position Only mates to set the position of the red hand at each key pc10 Continue rotation. Now that the hand rotates one full t urn, how do we get it to rotate further? The easiest way is to jl.!scopy the keys.
Window-select the keys at 2, 4. and 6 seconds. Press and hold the Ctrl key and drag the three keys s: that the copy of the key from 2 seconds is now at 8 seconds.
Play. The red hand will now make t wo complete turns from 12 o'clock clockwise. In each case. t he closest distance from the position at one key point to the next is always a clockwise rotation. If we needed additional turns, we could just continue to copy keys.
11
Motion Drivers 197
-St1g Mates --~ ~im e, we will use an angle mate to rotate the red hand. With mates, we can accurately specify a .: :.:::on.
E,.:;lo
xedure Create a motion study. ::::::e another Animation motion study.
Add a mate. c.· 2 sure the time bar is at o seconds. 13.
:~=::::e
a new angle mate between the Right plane of the Base part and t he Right plane of the Slotted Set the mate angle to o deg.
-=..-~"'part.
F-"
~
::-:s mate has been added while in a motion study, it is a local mate that only applies to this motion _:·/.
:
Add a second point. 2 the time bar to 4 seconds.
Modify Dl@Angiel
~
--e MotionManager design tree, double-click the Angle mat e to open the ::dify dialog box.
~
x
e :? ~
- -c:e 360 and click OK.
Play. --:E olue hand will rotate one turn because 0 degrees and 360 degrees are not the same point.
-·-·-
fS
5 .:....-
•.-
198 Chapter 7
The 100/360 Rule When using mates or percentage/distance along path to move a component. the input values can be from 0 degrees to 360 degrees or 0 percent to 100 percent. When we view these dimensions on a close: path such as a circle or a closed spline, our perception is that 0 degrees and 360 degrees or 0 perceand 100 percent are the same point. While they may have the same X, Y, and Z coordinates, they are ncthe same and SolidWorks sees them either 360 degrees apart or 100 percent apart.
0%
25%
50%
75%
0
100%
To see this difference, after the first rotation, we will make the red hand move around to the 4 o'cloc position.
5 Add key point. Move the time bar to
5.7 seconds.
Double-click the angle mate in the MotionManager design tree and change the angle to 120 deg. 6 Play. The blue hand will make one rotation clockwise and then instead of continuing clockwise from 12 o'clc:' to 4 o'clock, it will reverse and move counterclockwise.
Even though we see the motion as around a circle. the mate values are linear. When the mate got to 360 degrees. t he only way to get to 120 degrees was to go back through 359. 358. 357. etc.
Motion Drivers 199
S?:: -:?""
---
-iow Do We Go Beyond 360 degrees/100 percent? --=method to make it appear that the blue hand continues clockwise from 12 o'clock to 4 o'clock is ~ 1ple, we just have to remember the basic principles of animation. The first principle is that the ~ .;nation is composed of still images played back in succession, and the second principle is that the -ages are captured based on the frame rate. To make it appear that t he blue hand on ly turns clockwise, ce just need to get it t o move from 360 degrees back to o degrees in less t ime t han successive frames. Move to new position. ": te the time bar to about 5 seconds, The exact position is not import ant, only that it is between the ~E points at 4 and 5.7 seconds.
=.::: the angle mate and set it to o deg.
Play. --: blue hand will make one clockwise rotat ion from o to 4 seconds, t hen move counterclockwise from .: : 'clock back to 12 o'clock between 4 and 5 seconds and then move clockwise to 4 o'clock between 5 - : 5.7 seconds.
Adjust the key point. - :1e beginning of the case study, we set the frame rat e to 10 fps, so each ·~-e is 0.1 seconds apart. What we need is for the counterclockwise rotation ..: : ::cur between the frame at 4.0 seconds and the next frame at 4.1 seconds.
Edit lime ~.Ols
~ X [~W !?
=_::5 ::-click the key point at 5 seconds and click Edit Key Point time. Type 4.01 seconds and then click - - - his places this key very close to the key at 4 .0 seconds.
Play. --~
::::lue hand now completes one and one-third revolutions smoothly. There is a quick rewind at 4 .=t:: 1ds, but it is between frames so that it is not visible.
There is a very small timing error when we do this method because at 4.01 seco nds, the hand :l:_ld not be at 0 degrees but really at 0.9 degrees. As you can see from the playback, this is so small ~-: .:: is not noticed and not worth the effort to make the timing exact. The alternative is to figure out :..=:: Nhen the frame is captured at 4.1 seconds, the blue hand should be at 9.0 degrees and set that key
::tor Method -::-:er way to get rotation is to just use a rotary motor as it is less work to set up and we do not have : .: :her with the 100/360 Rule.
200 Chapter 7
Case Study: Path Mate In t his case study, we will move a car component around a t rack. The track will be a winding road where the car must turn both left and right.
Path Mate The Path Mate is an Advanced Mate t hat connects the vertex of a component to a path. The component can be dragged along t hat path using sett ings for Path Constraint, Pitch/ Yaw Control, and Roll Control. In an animation, t he posit ion of the component can be controlled by setting key point s that specify the dist ance along t he path either by percent or distar:: The path can be a single edge or multiple edges using t he Selection Manager.
Storyboard The MGB sports car will drive along the road for one and a half circuits of the course. Play the video Movin g Car.m p4 to see the intended results.
Moving Car
....~ ~
~~ D 0 0
0 0 ' - - - - -----'
=
Motion Drivers 201
~edure
Open the Road. ::21 the part Road.sldprt. --5 ~s a
simple flat plate part with the top surface split and -==-ent appearances applied to simulate a roadway.
Open the car part.
:-:=• the part MGB.sldprt. ==--~-:
the model and note that there are -r:: sketches that each have just a single : -:..We will attach the point in the sketch ....-:;d Tow point to the path curve to pull t: :ar around the path. The point in the .:::~ Trail point will be used to keep the :::- 2 igned with the path.
:=.:c.- ::1f t he two points is about 7.34mm above ~E ::oint
t: 5
where each of the wheels rests on ound.
Create a path . .: '.ant t he car to drive on the left side of ·::t -:Jad (Well what did you expect? It's an
3 with a right-hand steering wheel). so we "'=-== ~o create a path that will be halfway between the cent er line of t he road and the edge and 7.34mm ~ ? the ground. Each of the two lanes is 8omm wide.
-==:e a new plane 7.34mm above the ground and name it Car Path Plane. -:::2:e a sketch on the Car Path Plane and use Offset Entities to offset the inside edge of the road the center of the road. This will create a path down the middle of the inside lane.
----:-~ toward
Create an assembly. : ::.=:e a new assembly from the Road part and name the new assembly Moving Car.
Add the car. ::1e MGB part t o the assembly.
202
6
Chapter 7
Mat e the car to the path.
Add a path mate from the sketch point found in the Tow Point sketch to the spline path you created in the Road part.
[" Mot•s'( & AnalysB)
For Path, select Percent Along Path and a value of 0 .0 %.
~ate ~ Compontnt V~rt•_ x::-:-:::-::--.
Note At this point t he MGB may have an orientation t hat is not level t o the road nor aligned to the direct ion of the road. We will solve t his problem in lat er steps.
7
Create a new motion study.
Name the new study Car Motion and select Animation for the study type.
8
Path
Stl~ction:
I I ®Wi@@!ft@;{@R
l [i•ltdionMan~ §dar~es
~nc:edM"'es
Adjust the frame rate.
Click Motion Study Properties and adjust the frame rate to 2 0 frames per second.
9
~ ~~ow point~MGS.:
..J
Symmetn<
C-'~ \'Jidth
~ Path Mate Path
~ong Pa _.::;t::..:....__~ h
Add a key point.
P.; 0.000000%
Move the t ime bar to 8 seconds.
Rip dimension PitchJYaw
In the MotionManager design tree, right-click PathMatel and click Edit Dimension. Change t he dimension t o 100% . 10
Perform a test run.
~
llntar,l mearCoupler
Calculate and play t he animation.
~ ~J t.ooomm
The MGB will make one lap around the track. However, the orientation will not change as we are just dragging a single point on the model.
I
tr.
30.00deg
..
r.!' •
••
L___ - - - - - - - - -
The start and end points of the animation were at the same physical position, but we know from the 100/360 Rule that the only way the animation can solve is to move linearly fro~ zero to 10 0. Make sure that the car moves around the track counterclockwise when viewed from above. If it does not, edit the direction of the path mate by selecting Flip dimension.
Motion Drivers 203
Modify the mate. '.iove the time bar to 0 seconds and then edit the path mate.
~
Advanced Mates
0
Symme tnc
Width
=or Pitch/Yaw, select Follow Path and X. This will make the X direction of the '.;GB tangent to the path curve. If the car is pointing in the wrong direction. ::elect Flip to reverse t he tangency.
~:
=~r
0PathMat.o Path C~tr.,int:
[¢AiongPath
Jl
~ Rp dmension Pitdl/faw Control:
Roll, select Up Vector and then select t he surface of the road.
IFolow Pa1h
Select Flip for the Pitch/Yaw and Roll as necessary t o cause the car to face in ::-e correct direction with the tires on t he road.
l ox I
-L -
~
~I
Yl
z
::::Rp Rei Control:
t.: Perform a test run.
l
3
~ 0.000000%
(Upvec~or
1
Calculate and play the animat ion.
l.l> Vectx><
: epending on your version and service pack of SolidWorks, this animation may -:::t solve.
I
~]
#H··M'M
/
X
l o YI
Z
[JAip linear;\..,..,.. Coupler
_imitations of the Path Mate rHJl l.OOOn .1ile the path mate works we ll in an animation with just one of the three options L:. 30.00deg ::2~ to an option other than Free, it may frequently fail to solve when more t han :-e option is set to something other than Free. If you select the Model tab and - , the different combinations of options, they will all work. The problem arises : - .y when the animation is solved in a motion study. • 1ile this may appear to be a significant problem, we can easily solve it using other mates to keep the •::s upright and point along the road.
t:~ly il:?-
:
:::~6
3 Edit the path mate . .=:,t the path mate and set both Pitch/Yaw and Roll to Free. - Add other mates. -.:rl a coincident mate between t he sketch point found in the sket ch Trail Point in t he MGB, and the :c::h curve. This will keep the MGB aligned with the road. -.::l a parallel mate between a horizonta l edge on the MGB and the road. This will keep the car upright.
; Perform a test run. - ;:,:::ulate and play the animat ion. The MGB should make one lap around the t rack. : Continue the path. --=next task is to make the MGB go another 50 percent around t he road. ·: ·1e the time bar to 12 seconds. Double-click PathMate l and edit the dimension to SO%.
204
Chapter 7
17 Perform a test run. Calculate and play the animation. For the first eight seconds, the MGB makes one lap counterclockwise around the track. Between 8 c'"': 12 seconds, it moves clockwise for half of a lap.
Path Mate Percent Scale The problem is that the Percent Along Path sca le is linear from o to 100 percent. While we might assur= that after you reach 100 percent, the scale resets to o percent, we know from the 100/360 Rule (page 198) that it does not. To get from 100 percent to any other value, it must go backward along ti-= scale. To make the car continue around the track, we can use the method shown with the clock of creating ;: reset key very close to the end key of the first lap.
18 Add a key point. Move the time bar to about 8.5 seconds. The exact position is not important right now as it will be moved later. Edit PathMatel and change its dimension to 0%. 19 Move the key point. Right-click the key point we just created for PathMate l and click Edit Key Point Time. Enter 8.001s f:r the t ime. We used 8.001 seconds because at 20 fram es per second, a frame will be recorded at eight seconds when t he path mate is at 100 percent. Between 8 and 8.001 seconds, the path mate travels frc100 percent too percent. At 8.001 seconds the path mate starts moving toward 50 percent and t he ne~ frame is recorded at 8.05 seconds. Unless you zoom in very close to the timeline, it looks like there is just a single key at 8 seconds. 20 Perform a test run. Calcu late and play the animat ion.
The MGB should now move smoothly around the track 1.5 t imes in 12 seconds, but in some cases, the cc:may f lip direction during the reset. Additionally, after the model is saved and reopened, a list of mate errors may appear.
What's Wrong? Solving mates in an assembly is not a trivial problem as all mates have to be solved simu ltaneously. lt ..:: complicat ed by t he fact that there can be multiple solut ions fo r each mate, typically aligned and antialigned, but based on the closest solution. The problem in this particular an imation is the sequence in which the keys are solved. During the rese:.. t he tow point moves and then the mates are solved. As mates solve t o the closest solution, the t rail point coincident mate can flip to the alternate solution, which makes the car change direction.
Motion Drivers 205
=::he component we were animating did not have a directional orientation, such as a sphere, we might -=~have even not iced a component flipping and we would not have to make a correction.
·,a c::JC
IS~~
=
ll..Q ...
:-:.5::
'..-:Jther problem you may see is that an animation that already solved correctly, suddenly has over ::fined mates. In this animation, the simplest so lution is to try suppressing mates. In this animation, the :c-allel mate can be suppressed and t he animation will run correctly. ·-=~e
problems such as these may happen often in more complicated animation, so lt is important to .:~erstand the causes and to have alternate solutions available. In t his case, we will look at four ::. :ernatives.
-..n:ernative #1-Suppress the Reset easiest solut ion is to suppress the path mate during the reset.
--:::?
:- Suppress the mate. ':.ve t he time bar to 8 seconds and suppress the path mate. - '. C
~G"..s
=-::-
=5
:: Unsuppress the mate. _-su ppress the path mate at 8.001 seconds. To locate t he correct key, we can zoom in on t he time line, :- .·1e can accurately position the time bar directly. Right-click in the t imeline and click Move Time Bar. - -:e 8.001 and click OK. _-suppress the path mate.
~::. -~
._},
::: =-
=~
Calculate. and play the animation. The car should now make one and a half laps of the track while =-:inuing to point in the correct direction. ~ = ::ulate
IS
:-'E3
--.c:
.5 ~a--
·;:; ::s:;'
===
·-.aernative #2-Two Path Mates -s:ead of having the path mate rewind in a very short period of time, an alternative would be to add a sc:::md path mate. One path mate would drive t he car around the t rack for the first lap while the second :c.~ mate is suppressed. At the end of the first lap, the first mate is suppress and the second mate is _--s.Jp pressed to drive the car around the second lap. While this is a little more work, this method avoids - -= very small discontinuity caused by the reset action and might be beneficial in animations where the :::!" -:1ation viewpoint is zoomed in on the transition point. -..!ternative #3-Key Points "' - e remember the clock example, we could drive the car by establishing three or more key point s along -.o= ;Jath. Once they are created, we could just copy the key points to have the car do additional laps.
206 Chapter 7
Alternative #4-Path Mate Motor Another method is to drive a component around a path by use of a motor.
Path Mate Motor The path mate motor is used to prescribe motion of a point along a path. It is like a linear motor whE: the direction is specify by a curve rather than a single direction. To use a path mate motor requires c path mate t o be defined first. The path mate motor is only available in SolidWorks Motion. Note If you do not have SolidWorks Motion installed, you will not be able t o do the following steps.
24 Create a new motion study. Name the new motion study Path Mate Motor.
25 Suppress the path mate. We could use the existing path mate, but as you will see, we will need to use different options within ::-e mate. so we will use a different path mate for this motion study so that we can keep both motion st uc =:! in the same assembly. Move t he time bar to 0 seconds and suppress the three mates.
26 Add a mate. With the time bar at 0 seconds, suppress the exist ing path mate. Add a local path mate between t he Tow Point and the Car Path.
27 Set the mate options. This time, we will use all three mate options. Set them as follows: Path Constraint: Percent Along Path, Oo/o Pitch/Yaw Control: Follow Path, X
0
Symme!t1c
; J \Ydth 0
Path Mate Path Constraint: Percent AionQ Path
I
~ 0 .000000%
Roll Control: Up Vector, Y, select t he surface of the road.
0 Fl4> dinension Pitdl/Yaw Control:
IFolow Path
-:
l @x l u Y I
-
0 Fi4> RoK control:
IUp vector Up Vector
U!MFH·Mi I
X
0 R;p
I @Y I ::
Motion Drivers 207
:..dd a motor. 2::: Path Mate Motor, t hen select the local path mate.
r--JotorType
El !lJ
.':Jtion type to Constant Speed and soomm/s. ·-
-=
::::
~ Rotary r"iotor
OK.
~
Lnear Motor (Actuator) Path Ma~ l'.otor
te/Direction
..!"
,; get a warning that this motor type is only available in Motion Analysis.
*
~1
-
p:tmi5i¥
~ js;1r.neS$Car Path~Roat::l_sj
2:5.
%
I Road_ll·l~~
~ 0
Constant Speed . - .
~
SOOmm/s
:
- ·
1 "
L""g_j Turn on Add-ln. ::·· Tools, Add-Ins. =:t SolidWorks Motion. - ::·OK.
Change the motion study type. -z-ge the motion study type to Motion Analysis.
lo-§..1
Add -Ins
[ start ~
Activ~ Add.;,;
n n e PhotoV'!e'll 360
~ e
,...:;{;-('
r,/J (} SolidVIor1
J ~ SOiaWorkS Routng
J
[l [ j SolldWorks Simulation
n
S~dWorks Toolbox
Calculate. ::~ ::date and play t he animation. The car will now travel about -.-=e--quarters of a lap in the default animation t ime of five
[l 'ij' ~dWorks Toolbox Browser ~ Sofid'Norks Utiities
..?::: ild S.
(::) SolidWorks Add-ins
_:-gt:hen t he animation to 12 seconds. The car will now t ravel -:::st two laps of the track. _ Close. :C.e and close all files.
~
B SolidWorks Prer:~ium Add ins
JM?
:-J :J
n
0
0 0 0 0 0
SoidWorks Wor1cgrDt4J POM 2011
:::J
SoidWorks Workgr"'-" POM 2012
:::J
C~ToiAnalyst
[J [J
0 0 0 0 0
Flow Simulation 2012
~o'Norks Part Reviewer
I
OK
I
J I
Ll '""
Autotrace ~d>'lorks
-
0 0 0
L cancd=:J
~
208 Chapter 7
Simulation Motion Drivers Simulation elements, which also includes motors, can be applied t o model geometry to drive motion. Motors can be applied to all types of motion studies. The others can only be used in the motion stu:: types Basic Motion and Motion Analysis. Simulation Motion Drivers These simulation element s can be used t o drive motion and apply realistic physics to t he animation. Simulation Element
Symbol
Description
Motor
@
Attaches a Rotary Motor or Linear Motor (actuator} to a selected model edge or face
Spring
3
Creates a spring element attached between points
Contact
~
Defines contact between selected components
Gravity
~
Applies gravity to all components in the study
We will explore the use of simulation mot ion drivers in Chapter 9. Physics-based Motion.
nimating Parts
-.:;Jon successful completion of this chapter, JU wi ll be able to: c:. ~nimate
the size and shape of parts within an assembly.
• :=reate springs that expand and contract with motio n.
210
Chapter 8
Animating Parts In the int roduction. it was mentioned that we animate assemblies and that all parts are rigid. We canr:animate the specific featu res of a part. such as changing t he depth of a blind ext rusion or the type c= feature. However, through the use of in-context modeling, we can have the sizes of parts change bas=: on the motion of other part s in the assembly. This is a very important topic as many of the advance: animations created later in the book require the use of the techniques presented here. If you are nc~ familiar with in-context modeling, see the SolidWorks training course SolidWorks Assemblies availc:: = from your SolidWorks reseller. There are t wo requirements to have a part change shape during an animation: • The animation must be created using the Animation motion study type. In the Animation motion study, the solver moves all the driving components to their position for ec::frame, and then rebuilds the model and captures the image. In Basic Motion and SolidWorks Mor:::-different so lvers are used to solve the equations of motion. The numerical methods used for the solution may require many small steps and iterations to determine the solution. When these soh·?" are used, the positions of each component are recorded based on the frame rate set in the mot i:study properties. These solut ions do not rebuild the model nor generat e key points. • The feature that changes size or shape must be modeled in-context to other moving parts. Modeling in-context will allow the feature definition t o be based on the motion of some other par.: the assembly and at each re build will take the correct shape. Topics The topics covered in this chapter include: • Working with in-context parts In-context parts are created within the assembly using adjacent geometry as references. Consequently, changes are propagated. • Creating springs for animations For springs to be part of an animation, they must elongat e and compress. This is contrary to t he information in the int roduction where all parts are considered rigid. By creating springs as in-con::.3 parts. we can make them move as desired.
5I
Animating Parts
211
=:ase Study: Animating In-Context Parts -~is
example, the Band component represents a rubber band t hat stretches during t he firing of an The Band component must be able to change size and shape as the pull ring part is pulled -c< and then released.
.::...._-:'Ow .
~=ryboard
0
--::sequence involves creating animations by dragging ·c -ebuilding existing in-context parts. the video file Toy Gun.mp4 from the Video ::sr. Our animation will show the pull ring being pulled c -eleased, followed by t he arrow flying off t o t he
2
llo ~~ ~ 0
In-Context Parts
~ --E
10
~::which
0
0
~~,~~ 01
10
P esc.r-i pfi o"'
0
10
E s fe<.b/ is l..,i"'d s l..,o+
0
0
I - L{
Pv// r-i"'d be<.c.k.
0
0
3
t..f- 5
Ri"'d r-e /e ...sed
0
0
~
4.8 - 8
Ar-r-ovv ~l ies o .(:.(: s c.r-ee ....
0
0
-::>
8 - 9
E"'d /ee<.der-
~~ ~ I~
Sfep
Ti~e
0
- I
-xedure
Open the assembly. :::c:s!l the assembly incontext from the - -,pter 8\Case Study\In-context folder. --e default view orientation and position will be used as the initial position.
Ol 01
~ ~0 0
212
Chapter 8
2 Drag the Pull Ring. Before we create an animation, we will first review how an incontext feature works.
Drag the Pull Ring l < l > component away from the assembly as shown. The black band does not change shape yet.
Rebuilding In-Context Parts
After a change, an in-context part will not update unt il the assembly is rebuilt. While the Model tat:.::. active, we can just rebuild the model. If a motion study is active, the assembly will be rebuilt at eacframe when the animation is calculated. 3
Rebuild. Click Rebuild [I] or press Ctrl+b.
The in-context part Band Top now expands to the correct lengt h.
-
4
Reset. Return t he Pull Ring l back to its original position and click Rebuild. Create an In-Context Part
Now that we have seen how t he in-context part works, we will create t he second band for the lower Pull Ring. If you have never created in-context parts, reviev,1:;-c: section Creating a Part in an Assembly, found in the SolidWorks Help. The band will be created as a sweep with the sweep pat h anchored at the ends to the Main the middle of the band constrained to the Pull Ring. 5
Body ~
Hide parts.
To make it easier to concentrate on the new part, hide the two arrows and the parts Pull Ring l Band Top. 6
c:_;:.
Show temporary axes.
ln t he following sketch, we will relate the sweep path to t he axes in the middle of the holes used tc capture the band.
--
Animating Parts 213
:reate a new part.
,
Insert Components, New Part from the menu. Depending on how your options are set, you may '= :o select a part template. Choose a template with millimeter units.
·: :the Top plane in the part Main Body. This is now the Front plane of our new part. We are now ==.r. Sketch mode in Edit Part for our new part. : r- ent to the Top view.
Create the sweep path.
e:a:-=~
, .:.-. r:C'i'
J ;, > -
,... --
:=.:e a centerline from the origin to the middle of the Pull Ring. The exact lengt h is not important as .: constrain in later. Mirror. --;:::: Dynamic Mirror Entities ~ and create the sketch shown. The horizontal lines should be colinear - e temporary axes of the holes.
214 Chapter 8
10 Add dimensions.
Add the 2.Smm sketch fillets and dimensions shown to fu lly define t he sketch. The 1.2Smm dimensi: t ies the length of t his sketch to the inside silhouette edge of t he pull ring. Coincident Coincident
11 Exit the sketch. Exit t he sketch and name it Path. 12 Rename and save. Rename the new part Bottom Band and save it as an external f ile. Return to Edit Assembly mode.
Coincident
Animating Parts 215
--.,._,.-<-~r ·- __,
3 Open the part. ::>en the part Bottom Band in its own window.
02
:-eate t he sweep profile sket ch as a circle with a 2mm :: ::;neter. ,=._~t
the sketch. Rename the sketch Profile.
l_
- Create a sweep. :: .•;eep the Profile sketch along the Path sketch.
'
..........
.
.......... ..........
....
.......... .......... ..........
..........
=: Complete the part. ·:C::nplete the Bottom Band part by revolving a stopper at each end of - =band. : -ange the material of the part t o rubber.
: Show components. ·::~e t he assembly window active. =.. ~t
Edit Part mode, so that you are in Edit Assembly mode.
= ·-'JW
the arrows, Pull Ring 1, and Band Top.
- :!e the temporary axes.
- Create a motion study. ::-eate a new motion study. Name it Toy Gun. S=.ect Animation for the Type of Study.
...........
216
Chapter 8
18 Pull the ring. Move the time bar to 4 seconds. Move the lower puU ring 6Smm in the -X direction as shown. The part Band Bott om wi(( not updat e yet as the assembly has not rebuilt.
t
19 Copy key points. Copy the key point for Pull Ring l < l > from o seconds to 1 second and 5 seconds. This will hold t he puUring in position for the first second of the animation and return it to the start position aft er it has been retracted. 20 Play the animation. The Band Bottom wi(( update based on the new position of the Pull Ring l < l >. 21 Arrow initial point. The arrow should start to move before the plunger stops moving as pressure in the cylinder wi(( be sufficient to move the arrow.
Set the time bar t o 4.8 seconds. Select Arrow l <2 >. Click Add/Update key. This key wi(( hold the arrow in posit ion unt il 4.8 seconds. 22 Drag the Arrow.
Move the time bar t o 8 seconds. Drag the Arrow l <2> away from the assembly until it is just off screen.
23 Play the animation. We have the key elements of the animation, but we can make a few refinements. 24 Adjust interpolation modes. When t he pul! ring is puUed back, it wilt be puUed quickly at first and slow down as resist ance from t he band is met. Likewise, when released, the puUring wiUmove rapidly at first and then slow down as pressure builds in the cylinder and the force of the band is reduced. Also, we expect the arrow to me _ quickly at first and slow down due to air resistance. AI! three of t hese conditions can be met with th: interpolation mode Ease Out. Select the t hree key points at 4, s. and 8 seconds. Right-click any one of them and select t he interpolation mode Ease Out.
-:
Animating Parts 217
Save the animation to file.
:::c: e the animation using the SolidWorks Screen as the Renderer and 20 Frames per second . .c~e
the file Toy Gun.
Review the animation. =;:
the Toy Gun.mp4 file to check your work.
Save and close all files .
.n imating a Spring
,
'c -t of the mechanisms that are animated include springs. There are a few different methods to ~ate springs, but the method shown here works very well and gives a smooth result. To create an -ated spring requires knowledge of two functions:
--context modeling ::Jtions of the Sweep feature
:ase Study: Create a Spring --s Nill be a simple example to create the animation of a simple coil spring. Play t he -ation Spring Assembly-l.mp4 from the Videos folder. We have a sinusoidal -:::on in put and the spring compresses and elongates as we would expect. We will ::::e the spring first, then examine how and why it works. c::-:
,,.
-e case study t hat follows this one, we will use a spring in another assembly as a -.:-e practical problem.
x edure Open a part file. r:::~
End Plate.sldprt from the Spring folder. This is just a flat washe r.
Create an assembly. ::: t: t he End Plate part into a new assembly and save the assembly as Spring Assembly. Add a second End Plate.
x a second instance of the End Plate to the assembly and mate it concentric to the first instance . .s.= a Position Only mate to locate the second End Plate 185mm above the first End Plate. We are -~a
position only mate just to get an initial position fo r the second End Plate. Because the first End -:.--=.-e is fixed, t he only movement allowed in this assembly is the movement of the second End Plate .:-g the Y axis.
218 Chapter 8
4
Insert a new component. Click Insert, Component. New Part from the menu.
Select the Front plane of the first instance of t he End Plate. This makes the Front plane of our r.~ part coincident with the Front plane of the End Plate. We are now in Edit Sketch mode in our new part. 5
Create a sketch path.
llil
Sketch a line fro m the top of the top End Plate to the bottom of the bottom End Plate. The line should be fully def ined and centered in the holes. Exit the sketch. Name the sketch Path. m
6
Create a profile sketch.
Create a sketch on the Front plane. Sketch a circle, lOmm in diameter and 2Smm from the origin. Add a horizontal relationship to fully define the sketch. Exit t he sketch. Name the sketch Profile.
m
Animating Parts 219
:reate a sweep. ~=a sweep
Profile a nd Path
using the two previous sketches as the path
0
~
_ :-3file.
I!Profie
--
I
=---:J
('; Path
:::: j
\ options
:ptions, select Twist Along Path for Orientation/twist ! Jefine by Turns and type 10 for the number of turns.
:::;~
Or!entation/IV.ist type:
lrw;stAiong Path
:J
Define !2¥:
OK.
I
lfil
·]
~ 10. 00
l _[{] Sho~:t
preview
=.xamine the spring.
er ~he spring in its own window. We have the same geometry as we would have ~ ~ed
by sweeping a circle along a helical path; however, we will see that this one is =:-for animation.
Trim the ends.
- -.c
.
..r---n to
the assembly. We can see t hat the spring extends into both end plat es. We are i the Edit Part mode, so we can cut the ends of the spring along the surfaces of the ==.:: ? lates.
220 Chapter 8
Create a sketch on the Front plane of the Spring. Sketch a line coincident to the edge of the End Plate. Extrude a cut through all in both directions. Repeat t he procedure on the other end of the spring.
10 Rename and save.
The spring is currently an internal part in the assembly. Rename the part to Spring and save it as =.external part. 11
Create a motion study.
Select the Motion Study l tab. To drive the animation, we will use a linear motor to move the top End Plate. Click Motor on the Motio nManager toolbar. Select Linear Motor.
Select the top face of the End Plate as shown and make sure that the direction is down (-Y direction).
Monon ~~----------~
osalating ,./~
Set the motor parameters as fo llows:
40mm
f't,.
D.SHz
I10&:
9Ddeg
~
I I
~
I
T
• Motor Type: Oscillating • Displacement: 40mm • Frequency: 0.5 Hz 11
Phase Shift: godeg
. D L gra~:
I
Chl: .
erJarge
I
Animating Parts
221
-:--cse Shift ~ Shift controls the location along the sine curve where the start point is located. Wit h the phase - : et to Odeg, the start point is at the most negative point on the sine curve. With a phase shift of . ...25, the start point is on the vert ical midpoint of the curve which is usually associated with odeg. E ~phs
below show how the motion applied by the motor would change with the t hree different ...:=shifts.
::..=~t .vs. Tirr.e ~-----==---==~--~ @) '9!3
s:;o-r-- - - - - -- - - --,
I
@) I DISplacement .vs. Tim
DISplacement .\ 'S. Time
I
50.00
,..------------~
40 00
:::- 3000 c:
g
0.00
l
I
I
i
:
I
I
:
:
I
I
0 005 1 0 15 202 530 3540 4550
000 5 1.1 5202 5 3 03 540 4550
Tirne (s )
Trne (s )
Phase Shift
=
Odeg
.o.oo
E
~
Q.
-10.00
sooo,----------~
I
:::- 3000 c: 20 oo
E 2t1 oo ~ 10.06
6
@)
Phase Shift = godeg
10.QO
0.00
-1000 I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
0.0 05 1.01.5 2 025 3 0 3 54 0 4.5 50 T1111e (s)
Phase Shift = 180deg
..-.a leu late the study.
Calculate. The study will be calculated for 5 seconds. which is the default time.
Dlay the animation . .e : ::ring will first compress and then extend. )oes This Work? ::Jat we have created the animat ion. we should examine why t his method works. At the beginning -= :::ase study, it was said t hat there were t wo key element s, in-context design and the sweep options. ~= :•:eep path fo r the spring is attached to the two end plates and does not have a specific dimension. always be the distance between t he end faces. The bottom plate is fixed, so only the top plat e =:;. As the top plate moves up and down. driven by the linear mot or. the length of the path changes. E :econd feature is the sweep options. We choose Twist Along Path and a fixed number of turns, e-==ore the sweep will always consist of 10 turns. no matter the length of the path. .::;nbining in-context design with the proper sweep opt ion, we created a pretty good animat ion of :::Jring.
222 Chapter 8
Rebuild Failures
When the animation calculates, it must rebuild the model at every frame. What happens if there is: problem and SolidWorks cannot rebuild successfully? To see the result. we will make a small chang= our assembly. 14 Edit the sweep.
Change the number of turns to 18. Click Rebuild and then Calculate. 15 Examine the result.
The calculation will be slower than before and at some point, the spring will disappear. To see why, select the Model tab. Drag the upper End Plate a short distance to compress the spring. Click Rebuild. Repeat these steps. At some point, t he spring will not rebuild. If you examine the images. you can see that at some point, the individual turns of the coil intersect. Once the surfaces intersect, the model cannot rebuild. So. th is is not an animation problem, but rather a mode l-building problem.
'*'
--
Tip When model geometry disappears during part of an animation. it is generally because the geometry-not be built. Finding the problem requires you to scrub the timeline to the point where the problem occ and then move to just before that point and examine the geometric conditions. 16 Edit the sweep.
Change the number of turns back to 10. Click Rebuild and Calculate. Spring Diameter
Now that we have an animation, the next question is, is it good enough? One problem with this sv animation is that the overall diameter of the coil stays the same through compression and expans::;real coil spring increases in diameter as the spring compresses and decreases as it elongates. If :-: spring is seen from a distance in the animation, we could easily ignore t his effect. If. however, we ::r going to be zoomed in close to a spring and require add itional rea lism, we can easily add this effe:-
Animating Parts 223
~odology
--e existing spring, the diameter of the coil is set by a fixed dimension. What we wa nt is the coil a-eter to be a function of t he length of the spring. This can be done easily with an equation. We want _ -c.ve an equation that will multiply the st arting coil radius dimension by the ratio of the starting spring 2 s-h to the actual spring length.
Coil Radius = Starting Coil Radius x Starting Spring Length Actual Spring Length
c :-:e coil compresses, the ratio increases and the coil expands. As the coil elongates. the ratio ec-eases and the coil contracts. We could make the effect more or less pronounced by multiplying by =~"ficient. but for now this will be OK.
•
•
z ::he animation Spring Assembly-2.mp4. This is what we are trying to achieve . Show the dimens ions. -~-:-click the Annot at ions folder in the Feature Manager design tree and select Display Annotations, :E:!Lay Feature Dimensions, and Display Reference Dimensions. Add a reference dimension . .:.: a Reference Dimension between the top of the upper End Plate and E .::ottom of t he lower End Plate. This should be 18Smm if we are back -e starting position. Rename this dimension Starting Length.
(/) All
...
:J---
l
185
r]J lO
Add an equation. -=.?"'.:me the 2Smm dimension in t he Profile sketch to Coil Radius.
Modify Coil Radius~ofile
~
:-:'-.Jie-click the 2Smm dimension and type Coil Radius in the Modify box. - -=< Tools, Equations from the menu. :i.= :::t Ordered View ~ .
..,.
'
J . '
./ x e;:. ±? ~
.
224 Chapter 8
In the graphics area, double-click the 2Smm Coil Radius dimension. This will place it in the Equation5 dialog as the dependant variable.
-...ase. (
In t he Value/Equation box. type 25*(185/ and then click the reference dimension in the graphics area :: add it to the equation. Type the closing parenthesis. Click OK. The equation should evaluate to 2Smm. - -~
Click OK. Equabons. Global Vanables, and
~~~
'ill'
()Jm~nsoons
Fll ter AN Fields
l j
E2h
IValue I Equation
I Name
"Coil Radus@l'rofile@Spring_&.< l >l = 25 • ( l85/'RD3®Annototions")
I Evaluates to
Icomments
l 25nrn
II I
:
I
l
I I n Autom.tic:aly rebuild []_]
Ar1g
~egr~
OK
canoo Import... Export. ••
Help
I
I I I I
[./j Automatic solve ordor
[ ] Lnk to emrnallile: ~
20 Hide all the dimensions.
Right-click the Annotations folder in the FeatureManager design tree and clear Display Annotations Display Feature Dimensions, and Display Reference Dimensions. 21
Calculate the study.
We now have motion where t he spring diameter is a function of the length of the spring. 22 Close all open files.
Compressed
Start
Elo ngated
Animating Parts 225
Case Study: Wheel Assembly This assembly will allow us to explore not only the spri ng, but different motion driver inputs. Play the animation Steering_Suspension_System.mp4. This will be our initial animation where we want to show the motion of the linkage as ~he wheel moves up and down. We will need to model t he spring ~o have a spring that will compress and elongate as the system 11oves. Question Nhy not use t he Spring on the MotionManager toolbar?
n e spring on the MotionManager toolbar is used to input spring forces and damping. We do not use it "or several reasons: The forces involved in this assembly are of no concern to us when creating an animation. only t he movement of the components. The spring image is only visible in preview and would not be visible in the animation. We would have to use Basic Motion or Motion Analysis instead of Animation to have t he spring available and we do not need any of the other Basic Motion or Motion Analysis tools, so the increase in process time is not worth the effort.
5
f
•
226 Chapter 8
-
--
Storyboard There are t hree motions needed in this animation. The tire starts from zero rotation and builds speed. It stops at the end of t he animation. The wheel assembly must move up and down as if the tire is moving over an uneven surface. Lastly, the steering wheel should turn left and right.
""EO--~-'
Steering Suspension System
~
~;:
There are several choices for driving this motion, so we will explore different options to achieve the desired animation.
-..::;. 0
0 S+ep
Tif"V!e
Pesc.r-ip+ion
I
0- I
Es+c.hlisL..i"'J sL..o+
2 3 L{
I- 2
3- 10 '-( - 10
5
10- II
b
II - 12
WL..ee/ c.c.c.eler-c.+es +o c. c.ons+c.n+ veloc.i+•t V er-+ic.c.l f"V!o+ion o{: VV'L..eel S+eer-i"'J VV'L..ee/ +v.-ns /e{:+-r-JdL..+c.en+er-. WL..ee l s/oVV's doVV'n.
Procedure We will first create a spring for the animation, and then drive the motion t hrough the wheel and steering wheel. Open an assembly file. Open the assembly Steering_Suspension_System.sldasm from the Wheel Assembly folder.
- -=:;:;r
-.=..e!
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-
0
0
:-_--;::
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
.....-_c-
0
0
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Animating Parts 227
Examine the assembly. The fixed points in the system are t he base caps at the ends of the upper and lower arms and the upper strut. There are also two other fixed locations that hold the steering wheel and linkage in place. This would be consistent with the way the system works in a vehicle. The steering wheel is connected to the suspension system through a rack-and-pinion mate. Steering is controlled through an angle mate called Steering Wheel Angle. 2
3 Create the spring part. Clink Insert, Component, New Part. Select the Right plane of the part Strut_Upper. This now becomes the Front plane of our new part. ~ename
this part Spring and save it as an external file.
Create the path. ,'/e want the path to be co linear with t he axis of the two ~ruts so that the spring will be centered on the struts. Click 'l iew, Temporary Axes. 5
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=xit the sketch. mme the sketch Path.
Create the profile. :-eate a sketch on the Front plane of the Spring =<=it. !::
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228 Chapter 8
6
Create a sweep.
Sweep the Profile along the Path using Twist Along Path. Define the sweep by Turns and 10 turns. Trim the Spring? Do we need to trim the ends of the spring? In this case, the ends of the spring are not visible, so unless we intend to zoom in very close to the ends of the spring. it is better to leave them as they are as the processing time will be considerably shorter. Remember that we are using in-context design to create the spring. If we trim the ends of the spring, at each frame, SolidWorks will have to generat e the sweep, then trim each end. By not trimming the ends, we eliminate the calculations of trimming.
7
Exit Edit Component.
Driving the Motion Instead of just applying a motion driver and running the an imation, let's review some of the different motion drivers and see the differences in the end result. We have discussed the following motion drivers: • Position • Mate • Motor In this animation, there are three motions we would like to create: the turning of the steering wheel, the vertical movement of the wheel due to bumps in the road, and the rotation of the t ire. • Steering wheel The steering wheel only needs to rotate go degrees in either direction. The easiest control can be achieved with an angle mate. • Tire rotation The tire only needs to rotate in one direction, but at different speeds. This makes a rotary motor a good choice, but there are several ways to define the motor. • Wheel assembly vertical motion There is not a clear choice for this motion, so we will use three different methods and then compare them. We will first use position, then mates, and then a linear motor.
Animating Parts 229
8
Create a motion study.
9 Input positions. -:he Spindle_Acc part will move up and down to simulate the motion of the t ire going over bumps. ·llove the time bar to 1 second. Move the position of the Spindle_Acc part about somm in the '( direction using either Free Drag or Delta X,Y,Z. "llove the time bar t o 2 seconds. Move t he position of t he Spin dle_Acc part about somm in the-Y :!irection. ~epeat
for 3 and 4 seconds, respectively.
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input positions. we were able to create an ::.1imation. However. the motion is a little jerky. The 1eel moves in a linear velocity and reverses -:stantaneously. If you used Free Drag, the position of --e wheel is imprecise; however, that may be OK :::;>ending on the requirements of the output video.
Create a new motion study. ::3ther than deleting keys in the previous st udy, we will _se a new study. : Add a mate. ·:.ve the time bar to o seconds. :..-eate a distance mate between Pointl on the Spindle_Acc part and the Top plane of the assembly ..5 1g the default distance. ::"Jy the key for the distance mate to 2 and 4 seconds. : 1e the time bar to 1 second. Ed it the distance mate and add lOOmm to the distance.
::-:y the key to 3 seconds. :: Calculate and play. -- s animation should be just like the previous animat ion in t hat the motion goes linearly between key -;;: 1ts. Using t he dist ance mate gave us very precise control over t he dist ance and copying the key _;e -ts made it easy to repeat the motion.
230 Chapter 8
14 Change interpolation. Select all t he key points for the distance mate and change the interpolation mode to Ease In/Ease 0~ 15 Calculate and play. This is a little better because the direction changes are smoother. 16 Delete the distance mate. Delete the distance mate from the mot ion study. 17 Create input motion. We will add a motor t o drive the vertical motion of the wheel. In this first case, we will apply an oscillating input to the Spindle_Acc part to show the motion of the spring and linkages. Add a Linear Motor to the Spindle_Acc part by selecting Plane l wit hin the pa rt. For direction, also select Planel in the part Spindle_Acc. Important! You must use Plane l in the Spindle_Acc part and not a plane outside of the part. This pal. has its internal orientation at angles to the assembly planes. which makes it difficult to apply the motedirection. Using Planel, we can orient the motor direction properly. Select Oscillating for the motion type. The amplitude is lOOmm and t he frequency is 1Hz.
18 Calculate and play. This time we have a smooth sinusoidal motion. For many types of animations, t his type of motion is suitable. But what if we want smooth t ransitions that are not sinusoidal? We can use the linear motor but with a different motion type. 19 Edit the motor. Edit the Linear Motor.
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:: Calculate and play. --e Data Point option for a motor gives us a lot of control using tabular input. This is especially useful -en we need a pulse input yet do not want infinite acceleration.
::' Add a rotary motor. ~d
a Rotary Motor to the wheel.
5E:: the type as Constant Speed and enter a speed of oRPM. ::.-:Jy the key point to 1, 2, 10, and 11 seconds. ::::.~the
key points at 2 and 10 seconds and change the motor speed to soRPM. This should make the -;eel speed up from zero to soRPM between 1 and 2 seconds. hold soRPM until10 seconds. when it - :::ws down to zero by 11 seconds.
232 Chapter 8
22 Turn the steering wheel. The steering wheel is posit ioned by the mate Steering Wheel Angle. With the steering wheel set for the vehicle to roll straight ahead, the mate angle is 180°. This was done to avoid having to set the angle to positions on either side of zero, which would be a pro blem because of the 100/360 Rule. Add key points and adjust the Steering Wheel Angle mate to the values in the table.
23 Create viewpoints. Add a starting viewpoint at 0 seconds to show the overall assembly and then zoom in on just the suspension.
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25 Record the animation. Leave the playback speed at O.Sx and record the animation. Notice that when you play back the animation, it will be 24 seconds because the playback speed also affects the recording. 26 Close all open files.
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Physics-based Motion
Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Understand when to use physics-based motion studies. • Understand contact conditions in an animation. • Animate dynamic systems with springs. • Create animations using physical dynamics.
234 Chapter 9
Physics-based Motion Up to this point in the book, we have been using t he Animation motion study type to create our animations. As a review. we only do three things in an animation:
-
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Move components • Change viewpoints • Change properties 1!1
Other key concepts in the Animation study type: • Components were moved by these actions: •!· Specifying their location at specific points in time (key points) ·:· Using angle or distance mates ·:· Using a motor • All other component motion was derived through the mates. • Parts were not solid and only interacted with ot her parts/assemblies through mat es. • The laws of physics were not considered and part s could change velocity instantaneously with infinit= acceleration and pass t hrough each ot her. • The Animation st udy type was used when we either had free mot ion or kinematic motion.
Topics The topics covered in this chapter include: • Physics motion drivers There are many ways to drive component motion beyond dragging the components to locations anc creating key points. These include physical properties found in the physical world such as gravity, springs, and forces. • Combining motion Motion created in a Basic Motion or Motion Analysis st udy type can be imported into an Animation study type when needed. a Physical dynamics Physical dynamics allows components to become temporarily solid and able t o push on each other.
Terminology Before discussing Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion, it is impo rtant t o understand a few terms and how they are used in this book. • Animation An animation is any type of video that depicts motion. The motion may or may not be a simulation.
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Physics-based Motion 235
• Simulation A simulation shows how components move. Simulations could be in the form of animations or they could just be numerical data. • Analysis Analysis is examination of the mot ion in order to understand or better draw conclusions from it. An analysis could include an animation, or it could just be numerical data. As stated in the introduction, our focus in this book is creating animations. We could get our animations from simulations, which is what we will do with both Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion. However, we have no need to analyze the mechanisms we animate.
Motion Solutions The way motion is calculated in the three types of motion studies is different and should be understood ::o insure that the animations you create will solve, and when they do not, to be able to troubleshoot the ::>roblem. Animation Motion Studies The solution to an Animation study is very straightforwa rd. The timeline defines the position of driving components at specific times. SolidWorks moves the driving component in a direct line between the two end positions. It interpolates the intermediate positions based on the time difference between the key po ints, the number of frames per second, and the interpolation mode. All active mates are solved and the assembly is rebuilt at each fra me. Basic Motion Studies In Basic Motion studies, the position of each component must be determined by the physics of the situation. This takes into account the mass, inertia, gravity, and interaction with other components. At each iteration, t he SolidWorks mates must also be solved. Basic Motion studies are solved using the PhysX solver. 3ecause Basic Motion studies are used for animation, and not analysis, accuracy is reduced in order to speed up the calculations. The user has little contro l over the solver or its settings. !.'""
Motion Analysis Studies SolidWorks Motion is used for analysis and has three different solvers that can be used based on the :ype of motion to be solved and the loading conditions. Because SolidWorks Motion is designed for analysis, it is more accurate than the solver in Basic Motion, but as a result runs slower.
236 Chapter 9
Animation of Physics-based Simulations SolidWorks supports two levels of physical simulation: Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion. Basic Motion is a faster, less accurate. presentation-quality engine. It supports motors, springs. gravity. and contact between parts. SolidWorks Motion is an analysis-quality simulator which adds forces and dampers. and can output plots of the simulation results. Basic Motion is optimized for speed while SolidWorks Motion is optim ized for accuracy. Another way to think about t hese two products. is to thin· of Basic Motion as SolidWorks MotionXpress. When we animate a system with dynamic motion. we need to use either the Basic Motion or Motion Analysis study type. We use these motion study types because we need to solve the physics of t he problem. In the Animation motion studies. we did not solve the physics problem as the components ha:: no mass or volume. What changes when we shift to these physics-based motion study types? The only thing that changes is the way we create component motion. The way we handle viewpoints and appearances does not change. • • • • •
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Motion is driven by motion drivers such as motors. springs. or gravity and not key points. Key points are only created for viewpoints and appearances but not for component motion. A physics-based solver is used to calculate the motion. Components can interact with each other through contact. The laws of physics can be used and we can consider mass and momentum.
Driving Motion In physics-based motion studies, motion can be driven by gravity, springs, forces, or mot ors. Each has different characteristics that can be controlled and are different in Basic Motion studies as compare: to Motion Analysis studies. Motors
Motors were discussed in Chapter 7. They can be used in physics-based motion studies in the same we. as they are used in Animation motion studies except that there are additional options available in Motion Analysis studies. The additional motor types are: • Path Mate Motor
The motor can be used to drive a component along a path mate. • Servo Motor
This motor is only available when using event-based motion. which requires SolidWorks Simulatior Professional or Premium.
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Physics-based Motion 237
Mates
The types of mates used for Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion are important for the solvers to be able to solve the equations of motion. Only standard mates are supported in Basic Motion studies. Advanced and mechanical mates are not supported. Therefore, these are the only mates that should be used in Basic Motion: • • • •
Coincident Perpendicular Concentric Distance
• Parallel • Tangent ~:~ Lock • Angle
If we have other than standard mates in the assembly, there could be unpredictable and erratic behavior. In SolidWorks Motion, most mate types are allowed and some mates not supported in Basic Motion, such as the hinge mat e, are preferred to avoid redundancies. Redundant Mates
Many mates that are added to assemblies are redundant. While these mates may not be a problem in the assembly itself, they can be a problem for the motion study solution. Consider the door and frame shown at right. The actual door uses two hinges to share the load and provide the rigidity for proper alignment. This is necessary in the physical world because everything has some flexibility. In SolidWorks, all components are absolutely rigid, which means that only one hinge is necessary for the motion study. These redundant mates can cause incorrect solutions in an analysis and can cause the motion solvers to fail or give unpredictable results. When a motion study does not run properly, you may have to analyze the existing mates and suppress mates that are redundant. SolidWorks Motion can analyze the mates and rep lace redundant mates with bushings. For more information on redundant mates, see the SolidWorks Motion training course.
238 Chapter 9
Motion Study Properties Each motion study type has its own set of options, but the settings generally fall into two categories: frames per second and contact settings. In Animation, t he frames per second set the number of t imes the motion would be calculated per second through interpolation. In Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion, numerical solvers are used to calculate component position based on the appropriate laws of motion. These solvers work in relatively small time steps that are much smaller than those needed for the animation. In these two motion study types, frames per second controls the number of t imes the component position is recorded for playback.
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With Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion, components can essentially become solid. Because the components are in fact mathematical volumes, the methods and the accuracy used to calculate the boundaries of the components can be adjusted based on t he needs of the solution.
Physics-based Motion 239
Case Study: Ball Sorter - -e ball sorter is a simple device where balls of various ~-=es roll down a trough propelled by gravity. Then, :::sed on t he size of each ba ll, they fall into the :=:::;Jropriate tray. --is is a dynamic system as the path of each ball is ::,trolled by its mass, start ing position, and -:eraction wit h the other balls.
Storyboard - :the start of t he animatio n, all t he balls are in t he :::ding area at t he t op of t he trough. At the end of --e animation, all the balls will be in the appropriate -=y based on size.
.. ocedure
Open an assembly. ::en the assembly Sorter.sldasm from the -~a.pter 9 \ Case Study\ Ball Sorter fo lder.
Examine the assembly. :tice that t here are no mat es in this assembly and t he Sorter part is fixed. The motion of each of -e balls will be determined by gravity, t he trough, :::-:::1 inte raction with the other balls. :~ 1y
Play the animation.
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240 Chapter 9
Gravity Gravity is an important quantity when the weight of a part has an influence on its motion. such as a body in free fall. In motion studies. gravity consists of two components: Direction of the gravitational vector • Magnitude of the gravitational acceleration 1:1
The Gravity Properties allows you to specify the direction and magnitude of t he gravitational vector. YoL can specify the gravitational vector by selecting the X. Y, and Z direction or by specifying a reference plane. The magnitude must be entered separately. The defau lt value for the gravitational vector is the Y direction and t he magnitude is g8o6.ssmm/sec 2 or the equivalent in the currently active units.
Where to Find It • MotionManager Toolbar: Click Gravity
4
~
Create a motion study.
Create a new motion study and name it Basic Motion. Select Basic Motion for the Type of Study.
5
Add gravity.
Click Gravity on the Motion Manager t oolbar. Observe the triad in the lower left corner of the graphics area and we can see that the proper direction fo r gravity will be in the -Y direction. Select Y for the direction and the default value of gravity of g8o6.6Smm/s/\2. Check the green arrow in the lower right corner of the graphics area to make sure it is pointing downward(-Y).lf it is pointing in the +Y direction, dick Reverse Direction ~ in the PropertyManager.
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Physics-based Motion 241
ote If you tried to apply gravity while in t he Animation motion study :ype. you would have been warned that you needed to use either Basic '-1otion or SolidWorks Motion study types. If you did not change to ::me of these motion study types and still tried to apply gravity, it Nould appear in the Mot ionManager design t ree, but suppressed. jJAn:maijon
5 Calculate the study. :lick Calculate. - he study will calculate for 5 seconds (the default) and the balls Nill all drop through the trough. While we are using a Basic '.!lotion study type, that in it self does not make the components solid, to do t hat we must define the component s t hat will require ::ontact to be calculated.
Contact :::ontacts are defined between two or more bodies (a contact pair). During t he definition, whatever ~eature you pick on the parts, the corresponding body will be select ed (and used for the contact ~malys i s). As the motion study is solved, the software calculates if the pa rts interfere at each solution step. In SolidWorks Motion, as soon as contact is determined, a fine r interference calculation is done .Jetween the two bodies and from the ce nt er of gravity of the interference volume. An impact force is :omput ed and t hen applied on both bodies. In a Basic Motion study, the calculat ions are not refined Nhen contact is detected. -o understand t he contact treatment in motion st udies, we first need to remember the original <:ssu mption of motion st udies: all parts in the motion study are rigid. Cont act conditions are used to simulate impact of the two or more colliding part s (which are not rigid in real life). Nearly without exceptions, all impacts feature high relative velocity, which result in elasto-plast ic deformations with severe localized st rains and significant changes in t he local geometry (geometry of the contact region}. .;pproximations are t herefore necessary to achieve a solution .
.'/here to Find It Motion Manager Toolbar: click Contact
~
242 Chapter 9
7
Add contact.
Move the time bar to o seconds. Click Contact
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on the Mot ion Manager toolbar. Select the Sorter and all the balls.
Click OK.
8
Calculate the study.
Click Calculate. The balls now follow the trough and push each other based on their mass.
Contact Groups Contact Groups can speed calculations by grouping components that do not int eract with each other. When contact groups are created, components within a group do not interact with each other, but ead: component in the group will interact with components in the other group.
Physics-based Motion 2 4 3
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Create contact groups.
',e would not normally creat e a contact
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for an animation such as t he sorter, will do it here just t o see what it ::Jes to the animation.
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:::::it the feature Solid Body Contactl in ::-te MotionManager design tree. Select Use contact groups. This will divide :.e selection into two groups. Delete the Sorter from the first group and put it into :1e second group. The component s will - ow be color-coded based on t heir group.
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:::lick OK. · 0 Calculate the st udy. :::lick Calculate.
-;-his time, each ball acts as if t he other balls are not present, but the sorter is.
Remove contact g roups. Obviously cont act groups are not called for in this animation, so edit the cont act feature and remove the groups. Make sure the Sorter goes back int o the single group with the balls. 11
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244 Chapter 9
Change the Animation Speed The animation runs very fast with all motion ceasing in just over 3 seconds. In an Animation motion stuc we could slow down the motion by extending the timeline for the top level component; however, this v. not have t he same effect in a physics-based motion study as the speed of t he components is cont roiiE:. by t he motion drivers. In this motion study, the motion driver is gravity. So if we want t o slow the speed of the balls, we cou.: either change the angle of the sorter relative to gravity or adjust the value of gravity. While it may seeodd to adjust gravity, we have to remember that gravity is just a force and we can adjust that fo rce. ·addition, our purpose is to create a video and not an analysis. People viewing t he video have no way t::: know that the value of gravity is something other than t he gravitational constant. 12 Adjust gravity.
In the Motion Study design tree, right-click Gravity and then Edit Feature. Change the value from the default g8o6.6Smm/s"2 to 1S00mm/s" 2. Click OK.
13 Lengthen the study. Drag the key point for the assembly to 10 seconds. We have to do this because at 5 seconds, t he ball5 will all still be moving. 14 Calculate the study. Click Calculate. At this speed, the motion of the balls is easier to follow.
15 Change starting positions. Move the time bar to 0 seconds. Drag several of the balls to different starting positions.
16 Calculate the study. Click Calculate. This t ime we have a different animation because the balls have to move based on their starting position5 and the motion drivers and contact applied. This is the main reason we used the Basic Motion study typt: instead of Animation.
17 Save and close the files.
-
Physics-based Motion 245
-imitations
-= ::reate animations using the Basic Motion study type, it is just as important to understand the - ;:ations as the capabilities. Because Basic Motion is optimized for speed rather than accuracy, t here : ::things that it cannot do. It is important t o understand the limitations so that you can decide either : ..:se SolidWorks Motion for a more accurate solution or to create the animation using an Animation ~c-.:ion study. ~es
::Csic Motion only supports standard mates. ~~e friction is not available. SolidWorks Motion does support mate friction. which can be added -:::ugh t he PropertyManager of the individual mate.
--= action of a motor may cause conflict with contact conditions if t he mot or action is t ransmitted ~-:mgh other than standard mates.
!otors --=on ly variable that can be used in an expression is time. To use other variables in an expression :-::.~ires So lidWorks Motion to define and solve the variable. S=--1omotors are only available in SolidWorks Motion with SolidWorks Simulat ion Premium.
Jcmping :::~.,ping is controlled by a global value that cannot be edited by the user. In SolidWorks Motion, :c.1ping can be added t o springs or as a separate motion element.
-.:rce - _-:::es (except for gravity) can only be applied in SolidWorks Motion; they are not available in Basic ::ion.
:Untact :::::-:-ectly calculating contact is the result of several factors, including geometry accuracy, solver step 5.-=.e, solver methodology, and rate of closure. In Basic Motion, we have no direct cont rol over the solver : =J size or the solver that is used. We on ly have limited cont rol over the geometric accuracy. With high ::sure rates, the solver can miss the contact because of the distance the geometry moves between ~=Js. Rolling contact is generally solved correctly in Basic Motion, but impact with high rates of closure -c.v not, and could require SolidWorks Motion to be solved.
246 Chapter 9
Contact Friction In Basic Motion, contact friction is set by the materials of the parts in contact. If parts in contact are made from different materials, the average of the two friction values is used. The values of contact friction cannot be changed in Basic Motion, other than changing t he material assigned to the parts. The alternative is to use SolidWorks Motion where the values can be set manually.
Coefficient of Restitution Basic Motion does not support a coefficient of restitution, so it is considered to be zero. Therefore wher two objects collide, there will be no bounce. If the impact angle is other than go degrees, the parts wit. continue to move; however, the angle of incidence will not equal the angle of reflection.
Case Study: Impact This is just a simp le example to show how component s behave at impact in Basic Motion case studies. Procedure 1
Open an assembly.
Open the assembly Impact.sldasm from the Case Study\ Impact folder. The assembly contains a ball with a starting position above the plate.
2 Play the video Impact-l.mp4. This is what we would like to achieve: a ball drops and bounces up and down on the plate until it loses energy and comes to rest.
3
• e e
Open an assembly.
Select the motion study 90 Deg Drop. This motion study has already been set up. Contact has been defined between the ball and the plate and gravity has been applied.
•
Physics-based Motion 247
Calculate and play the animation. - he ball drops and stops abruptly at the plate. This is ;:!so shown in the video Impact-2.mp4.
3
Change motion studies.
-
Select the motion study 45 Deg Dr op.
c 1
Unsuppress a feature. t he Feature Manager design t ree, unsuppress the feature Extrude-Thin l in the part Bounce Plate.
Play the video Impact-3.mp4. nis is what we would like to achieve: a ball drops on t he -:dined plate and bounces as it rolls down the s lope. At the ::::>ttom, it impacts a wa ll and bounces back up the slope and -epeats until it loses energy and comes to rest.
_
Calculate and play the animation .
.!.gain, there is no bounce because there is no way to adjust t he : ;)efficient of restitution in Basic Motion.This is also shown in :::-~e video Impact-4.mp4.
:low Do You Get the Ball to Bounce? ~cause
we cannot adjust the coeff icient of restitution in 3asic Motion, we must either use SolidWorks Motion {which ....as done for videos Impa ct-1 and Impact-3), or create the animations using key points, which could =2 very time-consuming.
Save and close the assembly.
248 Chapter 9
Case Study: Geneva Wheel The Geneva wheel is a very basic element in machine design used to turn constant rot ary motion into~ indexing output motion. In this case study, we will create a simple animation of a Geneva wheel to lear more about the Basic Motion study type. Storyboard We want a simple animation of the Geneva wheel in motion. The input whee l will rotate four times and the output wheel will rotate in steps based on the motion of t he pin in the slot. Procedure 1 Open an assembly. Open the assembly Geneva Wheel.sldasm from
the lesson folder.
Geneva Wheel
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Physics-based Motion 249
2 Play the video. ?lay the completed video Geneva Wheel- l .mp4.
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N
:=rom t he motion in the video, we can see t hat the , ot ion would be difficult to create with key points. If Ne were to create plot s of the angu lar displacement and velocity of t he Out pu t Geneva wheel. we would see that the general shape of the curves could be ::>btained with key point motion, but the smoot h ~a nsitions would be difficult. -:-o have t he Ou t put Geneva wheel driven by t he :::ont act of the pin on the Inpu t Disk. we will need to use Basic Motion or Mot ion Analysis to create t he animation.
180
~1-8: o ttl
g, ~
1
Select Basic Motion fo r the Type of Study.
Add a motion driver.
Add a rotary motor t o t he Input Dis k to have it drive at 15RPM in the direct ion shown.
Calculate.
Calculate t he mot ion st udy. The default length of the study will be 5 seconds . .Ve can see that t he pin on t he Inpu t Disk moves t hrough :he Out put Geneva wheel. ::l
Add Contact.
~eturn
the ti me bar t o a seconds.
Click Contact ~ on the Motion Manager t oolbar. Select bot h the Output Gen eva wheel and the Inpu t Disk. Click OK.
120
1
2.40
>•
I
I
3 60
4.80
I
I
I
6.00
7 20
8 .40
J 10.00
Time (sec)
til
IH l\
Create a new motion study and name it Basic Motion.
:J
t:
0.00
Angular Velocity
3 Create a motion study.
4
~
Angular D•s placement
000
1.20
240
I 360
/\ 4.80
6 .00
TRne (sec)
I 7.20
,/~
8.40
10.00
250 Chapter 9
7 Verify initial position. If there is physical contact between the parts in the cont act group that prevents motion, the motor wit. not be able to rotate. Wit h t he time bar still at
0
seconds, make sure that two components are not in contact.
8 Calculate. Click Calculate. The solver tries to calculate a solution, but the parts either do not move or just move slightly and st op. The assembly behaves as if t here is contact between t he parts. To understa nd what is happening, we have to understand how contact is solved in Basic Motion.
Contact Options Because contact is calculated from numerical representat ions of our components, the geometry used in the mathematical model is not precise. In other words, the smooth cylinders are not smooth, but rather are made up of t riangles, or tessellation data. The coarseness of the tessellation will determine how close the calculated contact is to real contact of solid object s. Also the amount of penetration can be controlled. The more accuracy we demand, the longer the calculation time.
J 30 c~ Resolution: low
J
There are two contact settings in the Basic Motion study properties: • Geometry Accuracy To calculate the contact between components, Basic Motion uses the tessellation of the surfaces. The higher the accuracy, the smaller the tessellat ion triangles and the closer to actua l geometry thE boundary becomes. This makes collision simulation more accurate, but requires more time to compute.
Physics-based Motion 251
• 3D Contact Resolution This controls the allowed amount of interpenetration between the bodies. Higher sett ings allow less penetration but increase the solution time. Using higher values of 3D Contact Resolution produces smoother motion, especially in tight-fit situations. For example, you can include contact information before calculating the smooth motion of a ball rolling in a channel that has very little clearance.
n our assembly, the image quality has been adjusted to show the geometry as very smooth as shown in :he left image. The default contact settings cause the Basic Motion solver to see the geometry more .:ke t he image on the right because t he defau lt settings are relatively coarse to speed calculation. The -esult is that individual facets of the tessellated model are making contact and stopping the motion.
-
- ::: allow our assembly to solve, we are going to have to improve geometrical accuracy to more closely -=?resent what we see on the screen. ::te In t his assembly, the gap between the two parts has been purposely increased t o more vividly :z;monstrate how contact works. Change properties.
::: .ck Motion Study Properties .§11 on the Motion Manager toolbar. - -e default value for Geometry Accuracy is 4. Move the slider t o 7.
Frames per second:
~
ll6 Geometry Accurp
!5.
t""E
~
Basic Motion
l ow
Jf
1
~
Contact
;
4 / 7
JfHigh
R~so~~; ~gh
l ow
r
252 Chapter 9
10
Calculate.
Calculat e the motion study. The study now runs, but we can see a problem in that the motion of the Output Geneva wheel is no~ smooth and appears to bounce along the surface of the Input Disk. There are two things causing this. The first is that while the tesselation triangles are small enough t o allow motion, they still ap pear to be ridges to the solver. Second, the two parts penetrate each other during t he motion. To see the individual effects of the two cont act settings, we will maximize one setting and minimize theother. Change properties. Click Motion Study Properties
11
Basic Motion
~
on the MotionManager toolbar.
Move the Geometry Accuracy slider to 10. This is the maximum value for Basic Motion and as smooth as the solver will allow. Move the 3D Contact Resolution to 1 (far left). 12
Calculate.
Calculate the motion study.
•
Frames pet second:
10
Geometry Accuracy: '
7 ct
.
~
Low
Resolution:
1-i
.r
With the Geometry Accuracy at maximum we still have some bouncing. This is no longer a problem of the tesselation dat a, but rather a result of the minimum value of 3D Contact Resolution. 13 Zoom in.
Move the time bar t o a position where the pin is engaged in the slot and zoom in close. We can see that the pin is not tangent to the surface of the slot but is penetrating it Restoring Force
In the physical world, t he pin would not penetrate the sides of t he slot; however, there would be some deformation of the surfaces based on the materials and loads. In a numerical simulation, the bodies are rigid. The solver used in Basic Motion applies a restoring force based on the amount of penetration.
Physics-based Motion 253
=:emembering that our goal with Basic Motion is to create an animation video and not an analysis, the ::enetration of the parts is usua lly not a problem unless our viewpoint is very close to t he contact area ~a view where the penetration is noticeable. ln those cases, we can increase the 3D Contact Resolution. -cases like the ball sorter in the previous case study, the penetration was not noticeable, so we could "".!n the study with a low value for 3D Contact Resolution.
- Change properties. C.ick Motion Study Properties
~
on the MotionManager toolbar.
·'ove the 3D Contact Resolution to 10 (far right).
'5 Calculate. C::!culate the motion study. --e results are a little better but there is still a little bounce. The remaining bounce is caused by two -- 1gs: the clearance between the two parts and the lack of friction. We ca nnot remove all the :::netration in Basic Motion so even if we have a tight fit, the parts may still bounce. Basic Motion does -::~directly support friction, so if we need to refine the animation further, we must use S:;,idWorks Motion.
S Lengthen the study. :Jur storyboard, we wanted four rotations of the Input Disk. We could either speed up the motor. or E-:gthen the animation. Because the speed of the rotation is satisfactory, we will just lengthen t he total ~ 11ation. ~
:-ag the key point for the assembly from 5 seconds to 16 seconds (15 RPM equals one revo lution in -seconds). - Calculate. =.: .::ulate the motion study. We now have four revolutions. :: Examine the timeline . .:::Ice that the only key point that is not at 0 seconds is the ending key point for the entire assemb ly. :: position key points were generated for the motion of the two components. [ 'V' )~ ~ ~
'L
~ Geneva Wheel (Defat.it
0 sec 1 I
- .d] Lights, Cameras and Scene
+ +
~ RotaryMotor4 Sold Body Contact 4 @ : ~ (·)Output Geneva wheel< I> (Del<
+
~Orientation ~ncl Camera Yiews
.:. ~ (·)Input Disk (Default«Defal
::;
~~:::,~omector(Defou'tl
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254 Chapter 9
19 Play video. Play t he file Geneva Wheel-2.mp4. Now that the basic motion has been established, we will add some viewpoint and appearance changes to the animation to see how they are done in a Basic Motion st udy. 20 Add viewpoints. Generate three viewpoints so that when the animation plays, the model will rotate about 60 degrees.
Right-click Orientation and Camera Views in t he Motio n Study t ree and clear Disable View Key Creation. 2. Move the time ba r to 0 seconds. 3. Change to the Front view, then press the left arrow twice, fo llowed by the down arrow once. 4. Move the time bar to 8 seconds. 5. Change to the Front view, then press the down arrow once. 6. Move the time bar to 16 seconds. 7. Change to the Front view, then press the right arrow twice. followed by t he down arrow once.
1.
21 Play the animation. The viewpoint now changes through the animation.
22 Examine the timeline. The t imeline is now a mixture of driven motion and key point motion as the Orientation and Camera Views now has key points. ~~~~ 'il s
~Geneva Wheel (Defd;
~ U!tts. Camera< and Scene
(t RDtaryMobx'4 ~ Solid l!ody Co(Def< ~ (-) IslU Disl« l > (Defd;<r (Defd:
f£
fi QS&i.\1iU
10 secI
I
5 s ec
1
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I
llO s ec I
I
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ee
!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ·--------------------------------•
Physics-based Motion 255
.:3 Add appearances . .:..s the Output Geneva wheel indexes to a new position, it will change to a new color. Make sure tha t .Wtokey [f] is selected in the MotionManager toolbar.
::..
-
.I
Move the time bar to 2 seconds. Change the appearance of the Output Geneva wheel to yellow high gloss plastic. Move the time bar to 6 seconds. Change t he appearance of the Output Geneva wheel to red high gloss plastic. Move the time bar t o 10 seconds. Change t he appearance of the Output Geneva wheel to green high gloss plastic. Move the time bar to 14 seconds. Change the appearance of the Output Geneva wheel to blue high gloss plastic. Change the interpolation mode for the four new key points to Snap.
: ..... Play the animation. -c.e appeara nce now changes through the animation.
:s
Examine the timeline.
--e ti meline for the Output Geneva wheel is now a mixture of driven motion (yellow) and key point ::oaearance (magenta). The key points on the part key frame are only associated with the appearance ~d not the motion. L5tl ~ 'ih ~ ~ - ~Geneva Wheel (Defaul
@ Orientation and Camera Views "' :aJ Lights, Cameras and Scene @ RotaryMotor4 ~ Solid Body Contact4 - ~(-)Outpui:Genevawheei(Def;
®Move
dJ Explode
e-
Appearance ~ ~ Mates in Geneva Wheel .: ~ (-)lnputDisk(Default«Def. : ~ (f)Gro...-.dConnector
.: fi MateGroupl
_: Close all open files.
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256 Chapter 9
Combining Motion To this point. our animations have used either Animation for key point animations, or Basic Motion when we have dynamic motion. Each module uses different solvers so that we cannot directly combine the motion such t hat some components are driven by Basic Motion and others by key point s. There are cases. however, when some of the components need to be driven by key points and others by the laws of physics, so how do we combine these motions in a single animation? To do t his, we must first create a motion study using Basic Motion and ca lculate the motion for those components driven by Basic Motion. Then, we create a second motion study using Animation and import the Basic Motion st udy using t he Animation Wizard. This will convert the first study into key points in the second animation. Important! This is a nonassociative process, so any changes made to the component motion in the Basi: Motion animation do not propagate to the Animation. If you have to change the motion in the Basic Motion study, you must re-import the study.
Case Study: The Bouncing Ball In t his case study. we will animate a ball that is suspended by a spring. To get the motion of the ba ll, we must use Basic Motion so that we can use gravity and a spring as the motion drivers. We then have to model a spring part t hat will work in-context with the movement of the ball. The assembly will consist of a ball suspended from a frame by a spring. We will start the motion study with the spring exerting an upward force on the ball. opposite gravity. Once the motion is defined, we will add a spring component to complete the animation.
Physics-based Motion 257
::- -,,. -e -
-e ~"e --e--s _ ~s:=y
Storyboard At the start of the animation, t he ball will be in a oosition where it is pulled down from its neutral :::JOsition, almost touching the base plate. The ball will oe released and pulled upward by the spring against gravity. The ball will oscillate until motion almost ceases.
D
D
D
Bouncing Ball
Procedure ~:5 T:ii€
'€2.:: :cs:
D
Select Disable View Key Creation and Disable Playback of View Keys.
4 Add gravity. Click Gravity on the MotionManager toolbar and apply the default value for gravity (g8o6.6somm/s" 2) in the -Y direction.
_..
D
Create a motion study. Create a new motion study. Name it BM Spring Motion. We are using BM in the study name to remind us t hat this study will be done with Basic Motion inst ead of Animation.
3 Disable views. We will first focus on the component motion. so we do not want to worry about different views at this time.
D
t
D
D
~ D
Select Basic Motion for the Type of Study.
~
t
D
Open the assembly. Open the assembly Spring Motion.sldasm. 2
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~
D
D
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!
~ D D
~
D
D
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ID
258 Chapter 9
Springs Springs can be used as motion drivers in both Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion: however, Basic Motion is limited to just linear springs. Both translational and rotary springs can be added to the moti::..study between components.
Translational Spring A translational spring represents the displacement-dependent force acting between two parts over c. distance and along a particular direction. When defin ing a spring in Basic Motion, it must be linear. If you are using SolidWorks Motion, you cc:readily change the force-displacement dependency from linear to another predefined relationship b; selecting the function type from a list. This allows you to se lect the relationship between the force 2-.c displacement. The following force-displacement relationships are supported in SolidWorks Motion:
X. X2 • X3, X4, 1/x. l/x2, ljx3 You specify the location of the spring on two parts. Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion calculate the spring force based on the relative displacement between the two parts, the stiffness of the spring. and the definition of the spring's free length.
1 Spring force: F = -K * (X-X 0 )n + F0
-----..-..-
....X
When the spring force is negative, the spring is in a stret ched position relative to the free length.
Physics-based Motion 259
Magnitude of Spring Force The magnitude of the spring force is based on the stiffness and initial force.
The spring relationship can be written as follows: F = -K (X- Xo)" + Fo
1/IJhere: X = Distance between the two locations that define t he spring a:: :; O..T,
K=Spring stiffness coefficient (always> o) F0 =Reference fo rce of the spring (preload) X0 =Reference length (at preload, always> 0) n = Exponent. For example, if spring force = KX 2, then n = 2. Valid values for the exponent n are -4. -3. -2, -1, 1, 2, 3. 4. ~ ote
For Basic Motion, the only exponent value is 1.
• Positive force repels the two parts. • Negative force attracts the two parts. Where to Find It • MotionManager Toolbar: Click Spring
§
260 Chapter 9
5 Add a spring. Click Spring § on the MotionManager toolbar. The weight of the ball is just under 225 grams. To make sure that the spring acts through the center of the eye on the ball and the center of the arc on the base, reference points were added in the part models. Set the spring parameters as follows:
Spring Type
EJ
Linear Spring
~ Torsional Spring --------~
L
• Exponent of Spring Force Expression: 1 (linear) • Spring Constant: 0.07 N/mm g Free Length: 110mm Note When we define the two points that
define the length of the spring, the distance between the two points will be displayed in the Free Length box. This distance is about 250mm, so by changing the value to llOmm, we start with a spring that has been stretched 140mm.
Display
18
15.000mm
~#
10
0
3.000mm
6 Set spring display parameters. The spring display is only for the period when the motion study is being calculated. It will not be visible when the motion study is played back or in any videos we create. Set the Display parameters as follows: • Coil Diameter: 1Smm • Turns: 10 turns • Wire Diameter: 3mm
7 Set study properties. Click Motion Study Properties .§1] on the MotionManager toolbar. Set the Frames per second to 20.
Physics-based Motion 261
8 Calculate. 1 e ball will oscillate up and down based on the weight of the ball, the spring values, and gravity. 9 Examine the MotionManager. 1 ere are no individual key points in the MotionManager design tree for the moving component. While -:re set the Frames per second to 20, t he solver used a smaller time increment to solve the motion :=;uations. The solution was saved 20 times per second based on the fra me rate.
=-= ll.otion
."
~
j [lrl
I> ~
l'ii'IWs 'ih ~
~
: ~ Spring Motion (Defa
® Orientation and c_..,. View• .,_ bJ Lights, cameras and Scene . , Gravity
§
Li"leorSprinQ l
.0! ~ (f) Bose for SprinQ (Default« j j ~ (·) Bal (.Pefa<.lt<_Di .dl MateGroup l
8i
0 sec
1I
II I
II
I
I
I
12I sec I I I
~ -+·!II II
I
I
I
14I sI ec I I
•
i§§§~~§t
:--------------•
·:::: Play the animation. ,:Jtice that the spring is not visible. The spring we added is used only for the motion study solution and :; not a physical component in t he assembly. We must model the spring as a separate component to :ake it visible. • Extend the animation. ::::-ag the key point for the assembly to 12 seconds to lengthen the animation and then recalculate the ::.1imation. •ot ice that the motion decays with time.
J amping 3asic Mot ion has a global damping const ant that causes energy loss during the solution. ln Basic Motion, :--:e amount of damping cannot be adj usted. In So lidWorks Motion. damping is set as a user defined =:..~antity.
·:
Suppress mates. - ••10 coincident mates were used to keep the ball orient ed correctly. -''Jve the time bar to 0 seconds and suppress the two mates . .'ave the ball just a very small amount, just enough to move it off the defau lt planes.
262
Chapter 9
13 Calculate and play.
Recalculate the motion study and then play the result. Even though the line of action is through the center of the ball, the ball moves off axis after several oscillations. There are times that this occurs even when the starting point is exactly in line. This is a result of using numerical methods for the calculations, as round-off errors can cause the part to becomE imbalanced. Because this is an animation, the two coincident mates are used to counteract the small inaccu racies of the so lution. 14 Unsuppress mates.
Move t he time bar to 0
seconds
and unsuppress the two coincident mat es.
Creating a Spring
Because the spring used to drive the mot ion cannot be made visible in the animation, we must create the spring as a separate part. We learned how to create a spring that changes size t hrough in-conte:G: relationships in Chapt er 8. Therefore, to create our spring part, it must have an in-context sweep pat~ that is tied to the hook in the base part and the eye of the ball. 15 Duplicate the study.
Create a duplicate of the motion study and name it BM With Spring. 16 Set start point.
Move the t ime bar to 0
seconds.
Select the Model tab.
17 Insert new part.
Insert a new part into t he assembly. Select the Right plane of the assembly.
Physics~based
Motion 263
3 Create a sketch. ::
:? Name the part. ::me this new part Spring.
::::: Exit. =xit the sketch. then exit Edit Part. :· Calculate. ::elect the BM With Spring motion study. :. .ick Calculate and observe the sketch in the new ::2;-t. The sketch remains stat ic and does not change =.>gth with the movement of the Ball. even though -:-e lower end of the sketch line is coincident to the ;::;int in the eye of the Ball.
·:elearned in Chapter 8 that the in-context relationships were solved at each key point. The problem --:2;-e is that there are no key points for the components in the Basic Motion study. Therefore, the sketch .:2:1not update. :: Key point to zero . .'-:JVe the time bar to 0 seconds. lf the time bar is at any other position, there will be an error as 3:JlidWorks cannot solve the mat e between the lower end of the spring and the ball.
Importing Simulation Results -.e downside of both Basic Mot ion and Motion Analysis studies is that they do not support simple key ~med part motion; all motion must be defined using the motion drivers. Also, the results are fragile, so =you make changes to the assembly, the results will go out of dat e and will need to be reca lculated. - he calculated results from either motion study type can be imported into an Animation motion study. ;t that point the results are encapsulated as a simple set of part positions. - he advantage of this is t hat the imported motion is robust and will not be lost if you make other ::1anges to t he new motion study or to the model. The imported motion will play back quickly because ~is already calcu lated. lt can be moved and rescaled to change the start time and duration. Additional -notion can also be added to t he beginning or end, or at overlapping times for parts that are not affected 3Y the simulation.
264 Chapter g
The disadvantage is t hat the imported motion is static and will not automatically recalculate if the model changes. If you change your assembly, or want to change the simulation parameters, you must recalculate the simulation, then re-import the motion into the second motion study. Note Only component positions are imported. Anything else you have added to the simulation, such as view orientation changes or, co lor and t ransparency changes, will not be imported.
You can only have one imported simulation in a motion study. Tip Suppress irrelevant parts before calculating. Any part that is in the simulation may move, even imperceptibly, within the simulation engine. When the results of the simulation are imported into a new mot ion study, the imported motion will attempt to position any part that moves. This will interfere with ar.· other motion you add to the part in the second motion study. If t here is a part you want to move separate~ from the simulation, it is best to suppress that part when calculating the simulation.
Best practice is to import the simulation at 0 seconds, and then reposition it to the desired starting time. When you import a motion study, keys will be added to move all parts to their correct positions at the star: of the simulation. If you import at 0 seconds. att parts witt have the same initial position in the new motion study that they had in the Basic Motion study. 23 Create a motion study.
Creat e a new motion study and name it Imported. Select Animation for the Type of Study. 24 Import the study.
Click Animation Wizard on the MotionManager toolbar. Select Import motion from Basic Motion. Click Next.
~
~
U
U
U Tme(s)
U
M
~
U
~
Physics-based Motion 265
E
s ~3
::elect the BM Sprin g With Spring study. =-~ck Next .
Select a Motion Study Select a motion studot. Ond-t motion studies with calculated results are sho'll-n:
:te If you have created other motion ::::!dies and t hen deleted them, they will still ::-,ow in t his list until t he assembly is saved =..-d reopened. Even though the tab for : e!eted motion studies has been removed, - e studies remain in memory until the file is : :Jsed.
f BM$
rm
lmpcrts the catculated component movements from a motion
~1-
J>n imported motiOn ~em wil appear in the motiOn study FeatureMana!l"f tree a! owing the imported results to be moved and rescaled.
~
< Back
H NeJI! > I I
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,..--e default values shou ld be a duration of -~seconds and a start time of 0 seconds, ;-;ich corresponds with the duration and :::art time of t he Basic Motion study.
k [ s.OONimm f8I [1oo.ooomm
:liosition components at the start time to -;;atch the initial simulation state shou ld =·eady be select ed. If not. select it.
: .::::k Finish.
vj
loP e (knear)
0
__ ]] -, ]::.
Update to model changes:
[ 0 Damper Displ ay
:~
12: [zs.OOOmm
Set the frame rate.
~=cause
we are now in an Animat ion st udy,
-e fra me rate might be set differently from
~# rw= j Q) ( 2.500mm
I
--at used in the Basic Motion study. The =-"sic Motion study was calcu lated at .::::: r PS, so we should use the same frame rate in t he Animations st udy so that t he imported data lines -~co rrectly with the animation frames.
=:::t the frame rate to 20 FPS_
:=•• 1enRunthethest udystudy. runs, the 30 sketch follows the motion of the ball because the Animation study type ____ses key points. Now the 3D sket ch can be used as the path for the sweep used to create the s pring.
266 Chapter 9
27 Examine the timeline. We do not see individual key points. The bo rdered yellow key frames indicate motion that is driven indirectly. in this case, the imported mot ion. There is also a new Imported Motion feature in the Mot ionManager design tree. l 'ii~W ~ ~ 'tJI
0sec
I l l i l l I II
12sec
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14sec
1111111 II
16s ec
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18s ec
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110 sec
Ill t l l t l l
112sec 11 / l
., ~Spring Motion_& (Default
@
Orient
(,; ~ liQhts, Cameras an
@ Imported Motion Etl ~ (f) Base for Spring_&.< I> (Defaul•l lb ~ (·) ~-&< 1 > (Default< "' d;
~ (-)[ Spring_ll<'Spring Motion_&. ]<~ 81~ MateGroupl
t
28 Open part. Open t he Spring part in its own window. 29 Edit the path s ketch. Edit the sketch and change the existing line to a construction line. Sketch a line on top of the const ruction line and dimension it 1Smm from each end of the construction line. We are doing this so t hat the path is shorter than the distance between the two points. This will allow us to add a hook to each end of the spring.
L. 1 15
~
II
Exit the sketch.
15
r
E'
Physics-based Motion 267
; :: Create a profile sketch. :=:-eate a sketch on the Front plane of the Spring. ~-
a circle and dimension it as shown.
:=.xit the sketch.
-;· Sweep the spring. :-eate a sweep using the option t o Twist Along Path for 10.5 turns. ::: Edit assembly. =:?turn to the assembly and then Edit Assembly mode.
~~ f-03 7
I ' I' I ' I
1
Errors :JU will frequently get errors in the FeatureManager design t ree with the in-context part. These errors ~e related to the position of the part at the current location of the t ime bar which may be different =-::>m the position where the in-context relationship was defined. -~clear
the error message, return the time bar t o 0 seconds and click Rebuild.
33 Click Calculate. 3-t Play the animation. -:,e spring elongates and contract s as expected. Complete the Spring Part !,.II that is left is to add the end hooks on the spring. Because t his is basic SolidWorks -;odeling. we will not do it here. We defined the sweep path to be 30mm (15mm at each end) ::'10rter than t he construction line, so the hooks will not change size or shape during the ::1imation. It is also important t o remember that in a video. people viewing the video on ly see ·:hat you allow t hem t o see. They cannot pan. zoom. and rotate the model on their own. so if :;e viewpoints you establish are not zoomed in on the spring ends, t hen they do not have t o :::e modeled with great detail. 35 Record. t he animation.
~ecord
36 Close all open files. - .p When creating the Basic Motion st udy, suppress all the components not affected by basic 11otion. This speeds the calculation and prevents unnecessary additional key points from being t;enerated for these components.
268 Chapter 9
Physical Dynamics Physical Dynamics is a funct ion t hat allows component s to exert a force on other components that they may touch. Essent ially, the components are temporarily considered solid. The key options are the ability to specify which components will be used when considering contact anc the sensitivity. Sensitivity controls the mesh size and overlap to determine when component s are considered to touch.
Where to Find It • CommandManager: Move Component. then select Physical Simulation in t he PropertyManager
Capturing the Screen Both still images and video can be captured directly from t he graphics area of the screen. Both tools are fou nd on the Screen Capture toolbar.
Image Capture Image capt ure will capture an image of the graphics area and place it on the Windows clipboard. It c2~ then be pasted into other document s such as the SolidWorks Design Binder or PowerPoint®. Where to Find It Menu: View, Screen Capture, Image Capture • Screen Capture Toolbar: Image Capture m 1:1
Record Video Movements in the graphics area can be recorded and saved to either an AVI video file or a series of Brv.::: or TGA images. Recording t he screen can be useful for a quick video where you just drag components to show how something works. The problem with these videos is that they are neither editable nor repeatable. There is no time line t:: edit. so if you make a mistake. you have to record what you are doing again from the begin ning.
Where to Find It Menu: View, Screen Capture, Record Video or View, Screen Capture, Stop Video Record • Screen Capture Toolbar: Click Record Video Is or Stop Video Record ~ 11
Physics~based
Motion 269
Case Study: Physical Dynamics i-e
::lhysical dynamics uses physical contact to enable motion between components such as gears and stops.
a;r.:
Procedure Open the assembly. :;:>en the assembly Bevel Gears.sldasm from the Chapter 9 \ Case Study\ Bevel Gears folder. - 1e default view orientation and position will be used as the initial position. Start recording. :::lick Record Video ts . Use the default settings
::-:d the name Bevel Gears.
~
!fll Record Screen C•pture to File Save n .
~J
• @
Bevel Gears
Name
,1' ..
§ ·
Date modifi ed No
it~
match your search.
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~
Bevel Geors.avi
Save
I ISolidWorl
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Sove os type: Microsoft AVI fole {".avi) Renderer:
Image 51~ ..-..1 Aspect Rotio
0
800
ID
Use"'"""a~trabo
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~
Frame InfOrmation
600
J; Axed aspect ratio i:5
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Canoe!
~~second
l2o
Tl
270 Chapter 9
3 Select physical dynamics. Click Move Component ~ and select Physical Dynamics and All components. 4 Motion. Click on a face of the bevel3<2> component as shown and drag to engage the gears. Move the component in both directions so that you can see the gears go through the backlash. The 0 icon shows the center of mass.
Rotat
' Options
0 0
Standard Drag
0
Physi~ Oynanics
Coli,;on Oe~on
Ched< bertoeen:
0
AI cxxnponents
0
These ccmponenls
0
Dragged part orly
SenSIIMty
J
5 Stop recording. Click Stop Video Record
.~
.
6 Play the animation. Play the animation using Windows Media Player or another player. As you can see, there were no controls to set the timing or length of the animation.
1
Save and close all files.
Animating Gears There are two approaches when showing gears in an animation. One method is to do as in the previot.5 case study and have the gears interact through contact. This can either be done with physical dynamiG as a bove or through contact in either Basic Motion or SolidWorks Motion. If the viewpoint is zoomed very close to the gear contact point and the gears change direction so that the teeth move through th: backlash, then this method might be appropriate. However, you must realize t hat t here is a high computational overhead to this method as all the faces of each contact set must be continually evaluated for contact with the other parts.
Physics-based Motion 271
=the viewpoint is not close to the gear contact point or the gears only revolve in one direction, using a _5::ar mat e is preferable as it is much easier and faster to calculate the motion.
Case Study: Fly-Ball Governor ='y-ball governors are used to control different types of rotating machinery. ::2rticularly steam-driven equipment. As the un it spins, the combination of ~vity acting on the two balls plus centripetal accelerat ion causes the balls :::move outward and rise. As the balls rise, the linkage closes down on the -Jut valve to slow t he machine. As the rotation slows, the balls lower and ::::.~se the linkage to open the input valve to speed up the machine. ln some _5:ivernors, there may also be a spring to adjust the set point of the governor.
..
"'
• Storyboard ~:art with
the model at rest. Increase speed until the eights rise and then cycle the speed to show the 2:tion of the governor. Finish by having the unit come :::rest. Play the video Fly-Ball Governor.mp4 to ::-ee an example of what we are trying to achieve.
~
-
Fly-Ball
Governor
D
D
D
D
D
D
D D
Animation Approach
D
- ;e first question is what type of motion study :;.-:auld we use to create this animation. If we review :-e assembly, t he parts all move relative to each ::.1er through mates, which would mean that this is a • 1ematic system and the Animation motion study :::~uld be ap propriate. However, the motion drivers :::-e rotat ion and gravity. To account for gravity, we - :ght consider using either Basic Motion or SDlidWorks Motion. Let's start wit h Basic Motion.
D D D D D D
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272
Chapter 9
Mates When we use a Basic Motion or Motion Analysis study type to calculate t he physics of motion, mate types become more important. There are some mate types t hat cannot be used, such as the width mate. and there are others that work better. such as a hinge mate instead of a coincident and concentric mate combination. Basic Motion only supports standard mates. If SolidWorks Motion is used, mates play ar even larger part in the simulation and may have to be changed to get the correct numerical results. The effect of mates in motion analysis is covered in the training course SolidWorks Motion.
Procedure 1 Open the assembly. Open Fly Ball Governor.sldasm from the Chapter 9\Case Stud.y\ Fly Ball Governor fo lder. Examine the assembly. Make sure that the assembly can rotate and the arms are free to move. We want to insure that the assembly is free to move as intended during the motion study. 2
3 Create a motion study. Create a new motion study. Name it BM Governor. Select Basic Motion for the Type of Study.
4 Add gravity. Add gravity at the default value in the -Y direction. 5 Add contact. Add contact between the lower arm and the base. This limits the downward travel of the linkage at slow speeds.
Physics-based Motion 273
a<::::
c:nu..c::-L·: ---2;· 25:: ::·
=:-
5-. ;:s
""'E
Add a spring. - ::d a linear spring between the circular edges of :::..:nks-2 and the Center Shaft. Use the settings shown.
:O»Ifll ¥' )(
~
ring Parameters
£!!
~
EdQe< I >@lrn-2 : Edqe<2>@Center Shaft-1
io.,BI !(linear)
•J
J:
18! .75.000nm
1:
0
- ---
v
~ O.O'IN/mm
k
Update to model dlanges
t_Q_Q.amper
- _
2.}
f;[~~=-O=J~ ~· Qo
JC::: iUE
0 Add motor. -dd a rotary motor to the upper arm, Link-1. 3et the motor type to Data Points, Velocity. Select .-\kima Spline for the interpo lation type.
: :ick Import Data and load the file :.!otor Speed. txt from the lesson folder. This is a :Jmma-delimit ed text file where the first column is : "Tle and the second column will be deg/s.
~.soomm
~ Motor Speed.txt -... l File
i
Edit
0 ,0 1 , 100 2 , 200 4,250 5, 250 6, 250 7 ,1 50 8 , 250 9 ,150 10, J250
Format
j
-, : _~ :·
= I @) • --
v;.,
~torType
~ Rotary Motor
Help A
.
:j~
EJt.near Motor (Actuator)
[% f.1otion
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Data Points
' - - - - - [ EDt...
=:!__1
274 Chapter 9
j[O
SOgnms
I~ DlliB Ifx vu cvl: ~ CdeQ/sl
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2.0
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200.0 100.0
-100.0 ·200.0
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. ----
Design Library The Design Library can be used t o store some motion driver elements, such as motors and springs, f.:repeated use. The methods and principle are the same as using the Design Library to save library par::; assemblies, and features so that we can just drag and drop elements int o our current document to 52 ; time and work. To add a motion element to the Design Library, you can either drag it from the Motion Study design t-~= to the fo lder in t he Design Library, or you can right-click t he motion element and click Add to Library Motion elements are added to the Design Library with the ext ension * .sldmt nfvt.
~-
2"i-":'
-~
Physics-based Motion 275
Add the motor to the Design Library. ~...,··~-;:] are going to use this motor again in the next chapter, so we will add it to the ~ X. :::sign Library to make sure that we are using the same motor parameters. 2
raryMotorl .,~
~ :1e Task Pane, select the Design Library. In the lower pane. right-click and ::c.ect New Folder. Name the new folder Animation Motors.
--
!
I
-- --
Save To F~e
- :he Motion Study design t ree, right-click t he motor and select Add to Library.
~·
name:
-
[fe_Gov _Motor
~
-]
Design Library folder:
:~e
Prope rtyManager, name the new file FB_Gov_Motor and select the -.imation Motors fo lder.
rs~ Creating Animations ... fl3 ~ CreaUng Aninations wi S ~ Design Li>rary t.j
: :k OK.
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t·MM'M§f.it·Ui assemblies features forming tools Mold feat
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smart components
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----
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Examine the Design Library. -, e motor is now listed and ready t o be used in future motion studies. · ::; Calculate. :=xtend the length of t he an imation t o 10 seconds, then calculat e the study.
;,e solver is not able t o solve the motion and we get an error. i..'i(J ~ ~ ~ ':U :. ~ Fly BaK Governor (Default
§ @
Design library
tai)IM) (j ~
13 ~ Design Library 133 Ctl
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tJ assemb~es l:J features
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l
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FB_Gov_Motor
LinearSpriog6
RotaryMotorl4 £ ~ (f) Gov_base (Default<
,'/hat's causing the problem and what can we do about it? If we examine the timeline, we see that the solver fails at about 0.8 seconds into the solution. If we look at the motor properties, we can see that : he angular velocity is rising ra pidly at t his point. As a first test, we can run the animation slower by using a motor that increases slowly to some velocity that is less than our current motor.
276 Chapter 9
Edit the motor. Right-click the rot ary motor and click Edit Feature.
11
Change the motor type to Constant speed and set the speed to o RPM. Move the time bar to 10 seconds and again edit the motor. Set the speed to sRPM. The speed of the motor will be linearly interpolated from o to 5 RPM between o and 10 seconds. 12 Calculate.
This time. the calculation will run longer, but then not only wi ll the solver fail. the contact may break down as well. _yl~ ~ ~
b
a ~ Fly ~I Governor (Default<~ @ Orientation and Carnera Views ctJ ~ LIQhts, CMleras and Scene
ti Gri!VKy
~ Solid Body Contact IS
§
Unear5pring6
~ RotaryMotorl 'I
Note As stated in the Introduction, the resu lts you get may be different as we are using numerical solvers to solve the physics of the motion problem. There can be differences between SolidWorks versions and service packs; however. the point of this step is that the problem does not solve correctly. -::
Now What Do We Do? We are running into the limitations of Basic Motion. As its name implies. t his is only the basic capabilit) found in SolidWorks Motion and we may have exceeded its capabilities with the number of mates, contact conditions, and speed of movement. There are several things we can try at this point. • Refine the contact conditions In the Motion Study options we could increase the Geometry Accuracy and 3D Contact Resolution tc High.
=
• Reduce the solver step size As stated, we do not have direct control over t he step size used by the PhysX solver; however. there is a way to indirectly reduce the solver step size which will be discussed in the next sect ion. • Use SolidWorks Mot ion If SolidWorks Motion is available. we can simply change the study type and calculate the study. In this particular case, this will work and the motion study will calculate. This confirms that it is not a problem in the setup of the motion study, but rather a limitation of the Basic Motion solver. In the next chapter. we will look at alternate solutions for problems where Basic Motion will not work.
--,
Physics-based Motion 277
Calculating Physics-Based Motion St udies It is important to underst and how physics-based studies are calculated so that we know the options available to us when a study fail s to solve. Physics based motion studies must be so lved by numerical methods. A set of coupled differential and algebraic equations (DAE) define the equations of motion of the SolidWorks model. A solution to the equations of motion is obtained by solving t hese equations using an integrator. The int egrator obtains the solution in two stages: first it predicts the solution at t he next time step based on the past history, and then it corrects that solution based on t he state data at that time until the solution is within the desired accuracy. 3asic Mot ion uses the PhysX solver originally developed by Ageia, now owned by NVIDIA. SolidWorks Motion has three different solvers that you can choose from, plus the ability to set solver paramet ers directly, through the MotionManager options. The effect of frame rate on the solution is different with numerical solvers when compared to t he key :Joint solutions of t he Animation motion study type. As discussed in Chapter 6, with the Animat ion 'llotion studies, motion is very predictable as there is no contact. mass, friction, etc. The solver knows .vhere each driving component is going because its starting and ending points are both defined and t he :::omponent can go right through another component if necessary as they are just mathematical volumes . •Vith physics-based simulations, if contact is involved, a part can be deflected fro m its path and that :::eflection must be calculated based on the contact parameters, velocity, mass, friction, and various :::oefficients. The solvers used in SolidWorks Motion have the ability to change t heir step size to obtain 2 solution, while t he PhysX solver does not.
The PhysX Solver - he PhysX solver uses a default step size of 0.025 seconds (1/40 second}. The frame rat e does not : irectly control the solver step size; however. it does have an effe ct. Frame rate cont rols the interval at ;;hich the results must be recorded, so there must always be an integrator step t hat occurs at the time E'Jery frame is recorded and at each key point. If we used a frame rat e of 40 fps, then there would be ::xactly one step for each frame. If we used a frame rat e of 20 fps, the solver could take two steps per =rame and at 10 fps, four steps per frame. If the frame rate is not evenly divisible into 40. say 30 fps, ::-.en the st eps are not evenly divided. Inst ead of evenly dividing the steps between the frames, it will still proceed at st eps of 0.025 seconds, but will then take one shorter step to make a solution step at :ne time of t he next frame. '"the frame rate is more than 40 fp s. the time between frames is less than the defa ult of 0.025 seconds, so each frame will be the same length. which is the time between frames.
278 Chapter 9
Example
To show how this works. the following t able shows the st eps the solver would take at different frame rat es assuming that no key points occur between the frames. Frame Rate
(fps)
Time between Frames (seconds)
Steps (seconds)
5
0 .20
0.025, 0 .025, 0 .025. 0 .025. 0.025, 0.025. 0.025, 0 .025
6
0.16666
0 .025, 0 .025, 0 .025, 0 .025, 0 .025. 0.025, 0.01666
7
0 .14286
0 .025, 0.025, 0.025. 0 .025, 0.025. 0 .01786
7-5
0.13333
0.025, 0.025. 0 .025. 0 .025, 0 .025. 0 .00833
8
0.125
0.025, 0.025. 0.025. 0.025, 0 .025
9
0.11111
0 .025. 0.025, 0 .025. 0 .025. 011111
10
0.10
0 .025, 0.025, 0.025. 0.025
15
0 .06667
0.025, 0.025. 0 .01666
20
o.os
0.025, 0 .025
25
0.04
0.025, 0 .015
30
0.0333
0 .025, 0.00833
40
0 .025
0 .025
so
0.02
0 .02
80
0 .0125
0.0125
The solver must also adjust t he steps when key point events such as viewpoint changes, or motor changes are encountered.
Physics-based Motion 279
Graphically, this would look like this:
..
3:::E
Frame rate/Time between frames
--i
..
.e 0
tn
..
.e
... 0
.e" "' .e tn
833
0
..
....
..
.e 0 N
..
• s t ep 1
....
• s t ep 2
0 ....
•st ep 4
.e tn
.. .e
11 Step3
.. ..
II Ste p 5
.e "' .e
11 Step6 II Step 7 • step&
"'
I !
.. .e tn
,..:
..
.e ...
-
.e"
0.0166~
"'
..
.e tn
0 .0 2 5
0.2
0
0 .0 5
0 .15
0 .1
lime (seconds)
oms 0.2
280 Chapter g
SolidWorks Motion Solvers SolidWorks Motion has three different solvers t o choose from. In addition to t he choice of solvers, you can also directly adjust the maximum and minimum step size to help the solver when there are difficult t ransitions in the motion. Because SolidWorks Motion is optimized for accuracy rather than speed. by default the initial step size is 0.0001 seconds and the maximum step size for all three solvers is 0.01 seconds, which is much sma ller than the 0.025 second step size of t he PhysX solver.
Advanced Motion Analysis Options
Advorud Motion Analysis Options OK
ln!eg:ator Type
[GSTlfF Sl2_GST1FF
Maxm.m Iterations
WSTIFF 0.0001000000
~~
Minimum Integrator Step Size
0.0000001000
f:,
Maximum Integra tor Step Size
0.0100000000
f-: .
lni~al lntegrator
Step Size
.laa>bian Re-
0
Which Solver? If we have an animation which requires the solver to take small steps, which is better, using Basic Motioat a high frame rate or SolidWorks Motion with a low frame rat e and smaller solver steps? If SolidWorks Motion is available, that would be the first choice. If we use Basic Motion with a high frame rat e, we havE not only reduced the step size, but we have also greatly increased t he file size because each step is capturing an image of that frame. If we use SolidWorks Motion wit h a low frame rate and a small ste;:: size, most of the steps are not captured as images for the frames, so t he file is smaller.
Alternate Methods
~
Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Use oscillat ing and expression motor types. • Determine the best way to create an animation.
·!: ~·-~==~L7
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~ · · ·~,
E
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. . =- :::
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282 Chapter 10
Alternate Methods In the previous chapter, we did not always get a satisfactory result with Basic Motion, so what are OU' choices? Generally. we can either get more complex by using SolidWorks Motion or less complex by using a key point animation.
Topics In this chapter we will examine different approaches to create an animation. • Oscillating motors The oscillating motor can be used to provide a sinusoidal driving motion. • Expression motors The expression motor type can be driven by mathematical functions based on time. This motor type provides much more capability than the other moto r types. • Animation comparisons The same animation can be achieved using different motion study types and motion inputs. We wil. use a simple assembly to create the same animation in different ways.
Planning the Animation Our first case study will be to try to achieve the animation of the fly ball-governor that we were unablE to do in Basic Motion. Things that we should consider: • Animation motion study Can we do this study with an Animation study type? Generally. yes. Unless a very precise correlatior between the rotational speed and the position of the linkage is required, we can contro l both motions independently and get a satisfactory result. Remember. our objective is to make a video. NOT to analyze the motion. • SolidWorks Motion motion study If a precise correlation is required between the rotational speed and position of the linkage in the video. we could use SolidWorks Motion to create the video as it has more powerful solvers. We wiU do this in the next chapter.
Remembering that our goal is to create an animation. and not an analysis, we have t o consider what it is we want to show. When people look at the finished animation, will they know if the positions of t he arms are correct for the speed of rotation and the governor? Probably not. so we have some latitude as to how to position the components during the animation.
Alternate Methods 283
'J
r
Case Study: Fly Ball-Governor :::ay the video Fly Ball Governor- l.av i. This animation was created with a key point motion study -ather than Basic Motion. 'te will continue the case study from the previous chapter by creating this animation using an Animation -.otion study.
Procedure
-
Open an assembly.
::Jen the assembly Fly Ball Governor.sldasm from the Chapter 10\Case Study\ :-_y Ball Governor folder. '2E.
2' ~
- ,is is t he same assembly we used in the last chapter.
Create a motion study. :::-eate a new motion study and name it Motor-Mate. Select Animation for the Type of Study.
Add a motor. - ,is motor will be used to rotate the links. We saved the motor in the Design Library, so we just need to =-ag and drop it on t he top link, Links< l >. ::1ce it is dropped on the Links< I> part, check to make sure that the references are correct and that ::-e direction of rotation is counterclockwise when viewed from t he top.
-
Add a distance mate.
- ::ld a distance mate between the base and the lower arm Links<2>. Set the initia l distance to omm. This is a local mate because we are :::Jrking in a motion study.
_
Lengthen the animation.
:1ag the key point for t he upper level assembly to lengthen the :.1imation to 10 seconds.
Calculate. - -;;s is just to make sure the assembly rotates as it should.
284 Chapter 10
7
Copy a key point.
Review the mot or speed at right, as we will determine the position of the lower link based on the speed of rotation.
300.0
~ 200.0
!
~
100.0
v
~
Copy t he key point fo r the 1.0 2.0 3.0 '\.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 5.0 9.0 distance mate from a to 1 Tmrfsl I second. We are doing this because t he lower link should not lift off the stop until the rot ation gains some speed.
8
10.0
11.0
Modify the mate.
Move t he t ime bar to 3 seconds. Right-click Distance and click Edit Dimension. Change t he dimensior to 90mm. Move the t ime bar to 4 seconds. Repeat the above procedure and change the dimension t o 7Smm. Move the time bar to 7 seconds. Repeat the above procedure and change t he dimension to somm. Note The exact times and distances used are subject ive. You should experiment with changing the
values to see the resu lts on the final animation.
9
Copy key points.
Copy the key point at 4 seconds to 6 and 8 seconds. Copy the key point at 7 seconds to 9 seconds. 10
Set properties.
Change the motion study properties to 30 frames per second to make sure we capture a lot of data points for a smooth animation. 11 Calculate. The animation should look like our storyboard, and it was done with relatively little work. Also notice that this animation is much smoother than the one done in Basic Motion as t here is much more positive control over the position of the link.
Alternate Approach Instead of using a dist ance mate and having to edit all the key points, we could also use a linear motor. This will allow us to use a single table of values to drive t he vertical motion of t he tower link.
Duplicate the study. Duplicate t he Motor-Mate study and name the new study Motor-Motor.
Alternate Methods 285
Suppress the mate. '::>Ve the time bar to o seconds and suppress the mate Local-Distancel. Create a table. .<: are going to add a linear motor that will be driven by a table of :stance values. Rather than type the values into the PropertyManager, e can do it more easily in Notepad.
-e-s.:;-
::1en Notepad and type the table at right. Use a comma between the two ::lumns. The left column will be the time and the right column will be the :stance the motor t ravels. These are the same values we used for the :stance mate in the previous example. Save the table as Vertical ::::_splacement. txt.
)mm_
Add a motor. ::-;ow the t emporary axes.
w.un.
s::--:=
J
Ve rtical Displace ...
File
Edit
Format
1 = ·HID-~ Vie-N
Help
0, 0 1 ,0 3,90 4,75 6,7 5 7 , 50 8, 7 5 9,150
A
~
-:::d a linear motor to the lower link, ::::..:.nk< 2 >. ~se the temporary axis as a direction so ::cat the motor moves the link along the ~•aft.
::.c:c
:::=teet Data Points and Displacement for -;e Motion type, then import the Vertical Ji...splacement text file we created in the :-evious step. Select Linear Interpolation
:ype.
-.JI 4..o
--t:'
::::s .::l ·-=
- Calculate and play. ','e should have the same animation as in the previous example. =we need to make changes t o either motor, we can easily change the values in the text files and import :~em
again into the motors. This can be a lot easier than the mate method if we have a lot of points.
Close. Save and close the files . .~e These Animations OK? =or most uses, this animation will serve the purpose as many governors spin too fast to make a good ~nimation when shown at operational speed. If this is not suitable, then we will need to use SolidWorks 'liotion.
286 Chapter 10
Case Study: Bouncing Ball The ball suspended by a spring used in Chapter 9 is another case where we could use any of the three motion study types to create an animation. We know that we can do it in Basic Mot ion, but we had a lack of control on t he damping of the system. We could use SolidWorks Motion t o t ake advantage of better solvers and additional features, but is it necessary? Aga in, we have to ask ourselves if precise correlation of spring force, we ight of the ball, le ngt h of the spring, etc. is really worth the effort and whether the viewing audience will know the difference. Instead of solving the motion in eit her Basic Motion or SolidWorks Motion, we can just drive the ball directly with a linear motor.
Oscillating Motors The oscillat ing motor type provides a sinusoidal driving motion. With this motor type, displacement frequency, and phase shift can be defined.
Motion
losc~lcting
Procedure 1
Open an assembly.
Open the assembly SpringMotion_with motors.sldasm from the Case Study\ Bouncing Ball folde r. The spring has not been included just to save time. We could add the spring later in t he same way we did in Chapter 9. 2
Create a motion study.
Create a new motion study and name it Oscillating. Select Animation for the Type of Study.
:bJ
Ckck the groph to enlarge
Alternate Methods 287
...
Add a motor. ~ - ::ld a linear motor to the point in the center of the eye on V' X ::-:e Ball. Select the temporary axis of the Ball as t he mponent/Qiredion C!J 1Point2@51
~
1!0 [Axis
3et these motor parameters: Amplitude: lSOmm Frequency: 2 Hz Phase Shift: Odeg
>@Bal-l
~
~
Calculate and play.
~
[_I S~mn
=:J :
lOdeg
: -- l :
~ [zHz
::.ick OK.
:=L
-~ ·
Motion
./
I
OFl l
.e have a steady sinusoidal motion, however. it is not :::ntered between the hook and the base plate.
abd J gr~
Clck the
:::-ght-c!ick the linear motor and dick Edit =eature. Click on the graph to enlarge it. The :otion of the motor is based on its starting :Jsition. The graph shows that at 0 seconds, --e displacement is zero and it moves :~sitive for 0.25 seconds.
Jl]
to enlarge.
@
01splacement .vs. Time:
187.5a I1WOG
.."
-:::11250 E
750o
CD
~ 37.50 <>.
0"'
000 -3750 00
1.0
2~0
3.0
4.0
5~0
6 .0
7.0
90
8.0
100
Tme(s )
::1ange the Phase Shift to 180deg and :xamine the graph. The starting position of :-te ball will now be considered t he top of :1e motion at o seconds and it will move :::lwnward for 0.25 seconds.
Dosploc~ment
@
.vs. Time
187.50 I15o.oo
~
-:::11250
" ~ u
..
75 00 37.50
~ 0.00
i5
-3750 0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4~ 0
50 Tme (s )
6~0
7.0
80
90
100
288 Chapter 10
Change the Phase Shift to godeg, this will make the ball move down ?Smm first and t hen up 75mm which, will cause the motion t o be cent ered about the initial position of the ball.
Displacement .\IS, Time
f
187.50 .--------~----------. 150.00
A
~ 1 1 2.50
~
75.00
"' 37.50
!
v
0.00
-37.50
+----t~-+--+---->-+~-+-~+----+~+-...._.,1--+--l
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
50
6 .0
7.0
8.0
9 .0
10 0
T
5
Calculate and play.
We now have sinusoidal motion centered on the initial position of the ba ll. If the motion does not nee:: to be damped, then this motor t ype would work well. In our case, we do want the motion to diminish witt ime, so we will use a different type of motor.
Motors Driven by Expressions A motor can be driven by a mathematical expression. In Animation and Basic Motion study types, therE is only one define d variable, which is t ime. In SolidWorks Motion, additional variables can be defined which greatly expand s the usefu lness of this motor type.
Operators Expressions are entered into the PropertyManager in a format similar to standard programming languages such as C or FORTRAN. St andard arithmetic operato rs are shown in t he table along with their solution precedence. For more control, IF and nested IF statements can be used for branching.
Symbol
Operation
**
Exponentiation
I
Division
2
* +/-
Multiplication
3
Addition/ Subtraction
4
Precedence
Alternate Methods 289
Ethematical Functions :: ::-dard functions can be used in the expression. The complete list of allowable functions is located in ~·<: ·~ath e matical Function listing in the Function Builder and in SolidWorks Help.
"'""'
-
=unction
Definition
:..BS
Absolute value of (a)
!.COS
Arc cosine of (a)
' 'NT 'NI NT
Nearest integer whose magnitude is not larger than (a)
~IN
Nearest whole number to (a) Arc sine of (a)
-.TAN
Arc tangent of (a)
!.TAN2
Arc tangent of (al, a2) Models a gap element
31STOP :HEBY
cos
Evaluates a Chebysev polynomial Cosine of (a)
COSH
Hyperbolic cosine of (a)
J IM
Positive difference of (al) and (a2) e raised to the power of (a)
EXP rORCOS rORS IN HAVSIN IF IMPACT OG
Evaluates a Fourier cosine Evaluates a Fourier sine Haversine function IF statement Models collisions
LOG10
Natural logarithm of (a) Log to base 10 of (a)
MAX
Maximum of (al) and (a2)
MIN MOD POLY
Minimum of (al) and (a2)
SHF SIGN SIN SINH SQRT
Remainder when (al) is divided by (a2) Evaluates a standard polynomial Evaluates a simple harmonic function Transfer sign of (a2) to magnitude of (al) Sine of (a) Hyperbolic sine of (a) Square root of (al)
290
Chapter 10
Function
Definition
STEP
Represents a cubic polynomial transit ion step function
STEPS
Represents a quintic polynomial transition step function
SWEEP
Constant amplitude sinusoidal with linearly increasing frequency
TAN
Tangent of (a)
TANH
Hyperbolic tangent of (a)
Variables and Constants Variables and constants can also be used in the expression. The list of allowable functions is locat ed ithe Mathematical Function listing in the Function Builder. Variable
Definition
TIME
Current simulation time
Pl
Ratio of circumference to diameter of a circle
RTOD
Radians to degrees conversion factor
DTOR
Degrees to radians conversion factor
Alternate Methods 291
..... iving Expression
-= f-Jave the animation simulate the ball and spring, we need to define a decaying sine wave. The -:::ependent variable therefore is Time. :::stance = Decay function x Amplitude x Sin [Time] see how the expression works, we will build it in pieces instead of all at once. When we build and test :--e expression in small steps, it is easier to troubleshoot if there is a problem in either logic or syntax. '.'e will start with a sine wave of the appropriate amplitude. We will then multiply t he sine function by a 2mping funct ion that will decrease the amplitude of the sine wave with time.
- :J
cr=-- -
·--
Damping Function
Sine Wave 1.2
!1
I
~
0 .8
0 6
I
'
l:: ~'"""""""""""'""''
-a -
9
Syntax '."nen time is a whole number, we use just Time. If time is to be calculated as an angle for a trigonometric =-_ilct ion such as sine, cosine, it is considered to be a measure of radians.
:
Duplicate the motion study.
:~eate
a new motion study and name it Expression.
Edit the motor. =-ght-click the linear motor and click Edit Feature. ::-:ange t he motor type to
Expression
and in the Function Builder, Displacement.
Chapter 10
292
8
Build the expression.
Click in the Expression box and t ype 100
* and then in the Mathematical Functions list, click SIN(a).
The cursor will now be in bet ween the parent hesis. In the Variables and Constants list, locate and die-Time.
=:::J
Value (y); [~t (tnm) 100"SIN(T'me)
logarittYn tD ~ 10 ofexpr~ a.
LOG10(a) MAX(o1,a2)
Maxinun of two expr~ al and a2.
MIN(.al,a2)
Mrirun of two orpr~ at and a2.
MOO(o1,a2)
R~ofal/al.
PO..Y(x,xo,ao,at, ... ,a30)
Evaluate o standard polynotrial at o us~ sc: Evaluates a ~ harmonic fLnction a-s~\(-,~ r: Transfers the sigl oh2 to the rnagnib.Jde of -
51-F(x,xO,a,w,phl,b) SIGIJ(a l,o2) S!N(o) SN<(a)
Hypert».'k sine of expression a.
.,....,....,..•.-=--:__·
, --
~xvalue:
J Velodty
t. 3.836 d • -63.98_ _
t . 3.836 v. -76.86
...s
e
I>
....~
a
50.0
.s
~
;.o s.o ·50.0 · 100.0
:'-..-
..,">;,;
·lOO.O t
(s) !
o 3.o ;.o s.o
1.0
-so.o
TI
i" .s a
.,'i
~
.li
t • J.S:l
Trne (s) ~
50.0
1.0 2.0 3-'f 4.0
·50.0 · 100.0
J• 76.86 100.0
N' 100.0 <
\
I
MaxiTun x vaUt: S
0
t- 3.836 "-63.98
100.0
~
\\
~
s.o
<
so.o
~
.s ~
·50.0 ·100.0
Click OK.
9
Calculate and play.
Extend t he animation to 20 seconds and then calculate. In t he f uncti on SIN, the variable Time is considered to be radians, so one second equa ls one radian. The ball should cycle every 6.28 seconds =: 360 deg = 2 pi radians.
Alternate Methods 293
;:,. click SIN(a, ccate and c .::;
: Adjust the expression. .2 want the ball to cycle about every two =~::onds, so we will multiply t he variable Time
E'
.s
-:: • 3.
5E ~
,= :it the linear motor and then edit the :::-:pression to lOO*sin(3*Time).
~ -50.0 i5 -100.0
Calculate and play. 'o'e now have the undamped motion of the ball. .ow we need to add damping to the expression.
......
! ...Ca2. """a2. l.S: ~..:zrsc;
Dr•-w(•
~of •
~ UG-ooho I
.: Adjust the expression. - :J dampen the motion, the damping part of the :xpression will be a fraction that has time in the :enom inator. As time increases along the : .me line, the denominator will get larger and ::-~erefore the fraction becomes smaller. At : seconds, the damping fraction should be equal ::J 1, or no damping.
·SO.OT
=dit the linear motor and then edit the expression to \1/(Time+l))*(lOO*sin(3*Time)). ate If the motor does not run, check to make sure you have an equal number of open and closed :)arentheses.
b.. .,
I Jj
·3 Calculate and play. .Ve now have a damped sinusoidal motion shown as the green plot.
8
4
·:me is 8 seconds as
Can we make this bett er? Two t hings could be adjusted for a better animation. First is that ~he initial oscillation is too small. Once we added damping, the first cycle became less than the lOOmm we started with because the damping starts at 0 seconds. Second is t hat the oscillations continue for too long.
-2 -4
-6 -8
+-------
294 Chapter 10
With some experimentation, we can continue to adjust the expression until we get the motion correct as shown in the purple plot.
s
-8
- --
-
-
- - --
-
14 Adjust the expression. Edit the expression.
Edit the linear motor and then edit the expression to (1/(S*(TIME+l )))*(goo*sin(3*TIME)). -so.o
15 Calculate and play. This should be very close to realistic movement for this assembly.
-100.0
1
We built the expression in steps, just for training purposes and to aid in the understanding of how the expression works. if you are familiar with writing expressions, this who le process should only take a ve'i' short time, which ma kes this method very useful.
16 Save and close. What Is the Best Way to Animate? We have seen several different methods to animate the motion of an assembly.
In the Introduction, we mentioned that there is generally no one "right way" to do an animation. becaus: any method that lets you produce the animation you were trying to make is the "right waY: However. among the various methods that might be called the "right way:' some are better than others as they achieve the end result fast er, or can be changed more easily. To better explore the different methods t: create an animation, we will do a relatively easy animation in the following case st udy. This will serve as a review of the various methods that can be used to create the animation and also as a means t o t hecompare the pros and cons of the methods.
Alternate Methods 295
Case Study: Arbor Press -~his case study, we will make a simple animat ion of the Arbor Press closing ::-::J opening. ..!.ttribution --:e model of the Arbor Press is provided courtesy of ~::~i Jack. http://gobijock.com/.
~ s 9 ----
=z::..r
•
Storyboard ··e will creat e a 7 second animation. At the start, the arbor -.::ndle will rotate for 3 seconds until the Rack Pad :=ntacts the Table. There will be a 1 second pause and the n :-e press will return to t he initial position in 3 seconds. We ll not worry about an establishing shot. leaders, changing ews. or appearance. only creating t he motion requ ired. -
- :--: ~.
Ec.~_
I,
-e first thing we need t o do is to determine the best -~tion study type to use. To do that we need t o determine :- e motion type. Because all the component s are t ied ::gether by mates, the Animation study type will be our =-st choice because this is a kinematic system.
- -e completed video is provided as Arbor Press.avi in ::-e lesson fol ders.
.--. IOI ~
r--------r AcbocPcm
Q..i)
1o1 n~
IDI I I I II DI 0 ol
~
IO IO 10 IO
lo
1 01 1~ 1 0
lO I I I Lll 10 1 01
IO
u
10
~
10
1n11 1~
IO
0 e-=a..s: F 'E-
--
c~~== ~as
c, ;.:;er:
I
I
0 lo l 0 0 0
o lil
~
lo 0 0 0
296 Chapter 10
Procedure 1 Open an assembly file. Open Arbor Press.sldasm from the Case Study\ Arbor Press folder.
2
Examine the assembly.
The initial position of the Rack Pad above the table is 40mm. which you can verify with the Measure tool. There is a rack-and-pinion mate to turn the rotation of the hand le int o the linear motion of the rae· After examining the assembly, return it to its original position. There is a named view called Animate which we will use for all animations.
3
Create a motion study.
Create a new motion study and name it Point-to-Point. Select Animation for the Type of Study.
4
Disable views.
In this case study, we are only focused on t he component motion. so we do not want t o create any different views at this time. Select Disable View Key Creation and Disable Playback of View Keys.
5
Create duplicate studies.
We are going to create the same animation in a number of different ways. Our case study so far is th£' initia l position and settings for all the different met hods, so we can make duplicates and be assured t ha: we start in the same place on the variations. Create six duplicate motion studies.
Method 1-Point-to-Point The moving parts only need two positions defined. one where the Rack Pad is at its highest point, anc a second point when it touches the Table. The initial position of t he assembly is correct for the open position. so all we need is to create a key point at the contact position. Within SolidWorks we have a variety of ways to move the Rack Pad. Because all the parts are properly mated, moving a single component is all t hat needs to be done.
Select the Point-to-Point study. 2
Create the key point.
Move the time bar to 3 seconds.
Alternate Methods 297
• Free drag
We can either drag the Rack Pad or use the Move Component ~ tool and drag until it looks like t he two components touch. easure ~:-c:·
Free drag
Drag wit h Move Component
• Move with triad
We can drag with the ruler, input a delta -40mm Y value, or make it go to a position where Y=38.1mm. In the last case. we would use Measure to find the correct Y value for the top of the table. any
-- - _ c.
-~
..:-......
. ._ ::-
n ;d t-c<:
: ·"""1:. a'r'rC
e c~e i' -::..-e a ""g.e
298 Chapter 10
• Move Component tool The Move Component tool also allows the same numerical input as the triad.
W ' t 11 ,.?
~
fMove
~ Spw!Mates
Io.oomm
IL>.v [-40.oomm
AZ ~
I
1\RliY
~,
~ ~es
+ ~~~-,~, AX
~ ~ve
]:
_j : ] :
+
cTo XYZ Position
• x [ 7.924Bnvn •v
l38:10mm
• z ~-oomm
v
~
J: [ -=:J: -
1-
I
3 Copy key points. The two positions for the Rack Pad have now been established. We just need an additional copy of eacr key point to create the remaining motion. For the Rack Pad, copy the key point from 3 seconds t o 4 seconds. Copy the key point from o seconds to 7 seconds.
4 Add interpolation mode. Just to smooth out the animation, select the key points for the Rack Pad key at 3 and 7 seconds. Rightclick either key point and click Interpolation Mode, Ease In/Ease Out. 5 Calculate. Calculate and play the animation. Review Using the Animation motion study type, with a point-to-point sequence. we were able to make a very good animation in just a few seconds.
Method 2-Mates Next. let's make the very same animat ion, but with different mates to control the motion. Change study. Select one of the duplicate motion studies. Rename this study Distance Mate.
1
Alternate Methods 299
Add a mate. Add a Distance mate between the bottom face of the Rack Pad and the top face of the Table.
2
Set the distance to 40mm. Note This is a local mate and only appears in the mate list in the motion study and not in the FeatureManager design tree. It was created as a local mate, because we were in a study and not in the model.
3 Create the key point. Move the time bar to 3 seconds. In the MotionManager design tree, expand the mate Local Distancel. Right-dick Distance and click Edit Dimension. Change the dimension to omm. e~:..-
onC5
4 Copy key points. Just like in the last method, we now have key points at the two extents of the motion of the Rack Pad, but the key points are with the local distance mate. We just need an additional copy of each key point to create the remaining mot ion. For the Distance (under Local Distance! local mate}, copy the key point from 3 seconds to 4 seconds. Copy the key point from 0 seconds to 7 seconds.
5 Add interpolation mode. Again, select the key points for the Rack Pad key at 3 and 7 seconds. Right-click either key point and click Interpolation Mode, Ease In/Ease Out. 6 Calculate. Ca lculate and play the animation. :-
Review We again created an animation almost as quickly as the first case. The only increase in t ime was creating the local mate. When you view them side by side, you shou ld not be able to see any diffe rences between these two animations. Instead of a Distance mate, let's use an Angle mate. If you examined the previous videos, you saw that the handle needs to rotate 180 degrees.
7 Change study. Select another of the duplicated studies and rename it Angle Mate.
300 Chapter 10
8 Add a mate. Add an Angle mate between the Top plane of the sleeve and t he Top plane of the assembly. The default value for the angle will be 20.88deg based on the start ing position.
9 Create the key point. Move the time bar to 3 seconds. In the MotionManager design tree, expand the mate Local Anglel. Right-click Angle and click Edit Dimension. Change the dimension by adding 180deg to t he exist ing angle. Tip You can do the math right inside the Modify dialog by just placing the cursor after the current value and typing +180.
01~3
20.68!6955'ldeQ+JBO!
10 Copy key points.
Just like in the last method, we now have key points at t he two extent s of the motion of t he Rack Pad.
j
~
x
e ~? ~
For the angle (under Local Angle! local mat e), copy t he key point from 3 seconds to 4 seconds. Copy the key point from 0 seconds to 7 seconds.
Add interpolation mode. Again, select the key points for the Rack Pad key at 3 and 7 seconds. Right-click either key point and click Interpolation Mode, Ease In/Ease Out.
11
Calculate. Calculate and play the animation.
12
Review Using the angle mate worked reasonably well in this case because we did not need to move the handle more than 360 degrees. This method would have been much more tedious if we had to do mu ltiple turns as we would need to define three key points per turn to insure that the shaft rotated in t he correct direction. What if we needed just slightly more than 360 degrees to bring the Rack Pad in contact wit h t he Table (remember the 100/360 Rule). Could we have done this more easily? If you look very closely at the animation we just made, you cannot tell if the two surfaces actually make contact unless you use a Left. or Front view and zoom in on the contact area. Because this is an animation and not an analysis, we could move the handle 360 degrees and leave a small gap rather than go t hrough the work of actually making them move to contact.
Alternate Methods 301
Method 3-Motors :--!ext, let's make t he ve ry same animation, but using a motor to drive the motion.
Change study. Select one of the duplicate motion studies and name it Linear Motor.
Add a motor. _eave the time bar at a seconds and add a linear motor to one of the vertical edges of the TBrack. Make sure the direction is down (t oward t he Table).
~ ~-
Set the motor for Constant speed at 13.33 mm/sec because we want the TBrack to move 4Dmm in 3 seconds.
;--------.
3 Calculate. Calculate and play the animation. Because we used a motion drive r, t he default length of the animation s 5 seconds. ne motor drives the TBrack part; however, it does not stop when the Rack Pad reaches the Table. To =ix this, we must turn the mot or off at 3 seconds.
-
Turn off the motor.
':iove the t ime bar to 3 seconds. L ::.l.r-:
~ight-c lick
~
the mot or and click Off from t he me nu.
Calculate.
:=alculate and play the animation. -,is time, the motor stops at 3 seconds and we have the first part of our animation.
Jii•":
=-
,ow the question is, how do we return the components to t heir original position? We can either do it 'lith t he existing motor or add another motor that tu rns on at 4 seconds and drives the TBrack upward. =:rst. let's do it with a second motor.
~ ,~
L--. 1... -
';:---;:: -
.-.e=: ·rc IC
I
-
Lengthen the study.
J ;ag the key point for t he assembly from 4 seconds to 7 seconds.
302
Chapter 10
7 Add a second motor. Move the time bar to 4 seconds. Add another linear motor to drive at a constant speed of 13.33 mm/sec in an upward direction. By default, this motor will start at 0 seconds and oppose the other motor, so we must make this motor be off at 0 seconds and turn on at 4 seconds. Right-click t he key point at o seconds for the second motor and click Off. This turns the motor off at 0 seconds. Now, with the time bar at 4 seconds, right-click the second moto r and click On.
8 Calculate. Calculate and play the animation. The first motor now drives the TBrack downward from o to 3 seconds and then t urns off. The secane motor is off at 0 seconds, turns on at 4 seconds, and runs to the end of the animation. Review Using the linear motor worked satisfactorily, but requi red more work because we had to use two motors to drive the motion and also insure that the motors were not fighting each other. As an alternative, let's do this again using just the first motor.
9 Delete the second motor. Right-click the second motor in the MotionManager design tree and click Delete. 10 Turn the motor on.
Move the time bar to 4 seconds. Right-click the motor and click On. Th is turns the motor back on, but if you run the animation. the motor will drive the Rack Pad through the Table.
11 Edit the motor. To fix the problem, we must not only turn the motor on at 4 seconds, but we must reverse its directiorL With the time bar at 4 seconds, right -click the motor and click Edit Feature. Reverse t he motor directior by clicking Reverse Direction (?J and then OK. 12 Calculate. Calculate and play the animation.
The motor drives the TBrack part to the Table at 3 seconds and then turns off. At 4 seconds, it turns on and reverses direction and runs t o t he end of the animation.
Alternate Methods 303
E
Review We got a satisfactory result with both met hods of using the linear motor. but it was mo re work and we also were not able to use Interpolation Mode t o change the rate of movement of the TBrack; t herefore. it moved with a constant velocity. If we change our motor type to Data Points or Segments. we can have the motor move at different rates during the st roke.
' 3 Move the time bar. Set the time bar to o seconds. :4 Edit the motor. Right-click the linear motor and click Edit Feature.
Point
Time (sec)
Displacement (mm)
0.0
0
2
0.50
5
3
2.00
35
4
3.00
40
5
4.00
40
6
s.oo
35
7
6.50
5
8
7.00
0
Select Data Points as the motor type and Displacement.
rs
Enter the values shown in the t able. Select Cubic for the Interpolation Type.
:-:15
,f we examine the values. we see ~he motor will move Smm in the .::irst half-second, 30mm in the next 1.5 seconds. and Smm in the next second. The displacement is the same at bot h 3 and 4 seconds to hold the motor in posit ion. The Cubic interpolation type will generate nice smooth t ransitions between the data points.
E
~
4Q.Ol
~ JO.O ;
!
Rl5
20.0 : 10.0
I
; 1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
Tme(s)
5.0
6.0
7.0
304 Chapter 10
15 Calculate. Calculate and play the animation. The motor now drives the TBrack part to the Table with a varying velocity. Review By using t he Data Points motor type. we had a lot more control over t he motion, but it was also a lot more work. However. if we needed more control over the motion, this method works very well and we have the option to add many more points if required.
Method 3-Motors {continued) We could also use a rotary motor in all the sa me ways that we used the linear motor. It could be drive;either by Constant speed. Displacement. Data Points. or Segments just as t he linear motor. Because the steps are ident ical except t hat we would apply the motor to the sleeve component and drive the Rack Pad through the rack-and-pinion mate, we will not actually do the steps with the rotary motor as it is less direct, and we would have the additional problem of determining the degrees of rotation of t he sleeve for linear travel of the Rack Pad. Method 4-Basic Motion When we first looked at this problem. we chose to use Animation because this is a kinematic system. What happens if we use Basic Motion instead? Will it work? Because we used a linear motor in the last method. we will use a rotary motor in this method just to lac· at the options.
Change study. Select a Motion Study tab and rename it BM Rotary Motor. 2 Select Basic Motion. Select Basic Motion for the Type of Study.
3 Add a motor. Leave the time bar at a seconds and add a rotary motor to a cylindrical edge of the sleeve. Make su~:: the direction will cause the TBrack to move downward (toward the Table). Set the motor for Constant speed at lORPM because we want the sleeve to rotate 180 degrees in 3 seconds.
4 Add contact. To stop the motion. add contact between the Rack Pad and the Table.
Alternate Methods 305
3
Calculate.
:::alculate and play the animation. Because we used a motion driver, the default length of t he animation 5 5 seconds.
5
View warning.
,'/e get a warning stat ing: 3D Contacts in Basic Motion are not compatible with certain SolidWorks features , including
compon ent patterns, advanced mates, and mechanical mates, and you may experience :.ncorrect results. - o see what will happen, we will note the message, but continue. Click OK.
=
Examine the results. - he motor was able to drive the assembly, but the contact failed to stop t he 110tion. ,'/e now need to investigate the warning message. -;-here are two mates used that are not standard mates, the width mate and -ack-and-pinion mate. Each can be handled differently. The width mate can be -eplaced with a coincident mate and the rack-and-pinion mate could be replaced Nith contact between t he two gears.
3
Replace the width mate.
'v1ove the time bar to
o seconds.
Suppress the width mate.
Add a 6.3Smm distance mate between t he Right plane of t he Column and Planel of the TBrack to ::enter the TBrack in the s lot.
3
Replace the rack-and-pinion mate.
'Nith t he time bar still at o seconds, suppress the rack-and-pinion mate. Add contact between the two gears. 'Tlportant! Make sure the gear teeth are not interfering at 0 seconds. If t he teeth are past their contact point, the animation will not run.
306 Chapter 10
10 Calculate. Lengthen t he animat ion to 7 seconds and then ca lculate.
The first part of t he animation works satisfactorily, but problems develop when the TBrack contacts the Table. Analyzing the Problem The solver has difficulty at this point because of the way we defined the motion. The mot or is commanded to turn for the length of t he animation; however. the contact condition tells it to stop whEthe TBrack contacts the Table. Because the motor is not driving the component that makes contac:: with the Table. the cont act would have to be transmitted back through t he second contact condition c:: the gear teeth. This is beyond the current capabilities of Basic Motion. Another thing to consider is that a physical system would not be set up to have a motor drive components into this type of contact without having something to stop the mot or from continuing tc drive t he mechanism at contact. We need to turn the motor off manually just like we did in an animaticmotion study type.
11 Turn off the motor. Move the time bar to 3 seconds, where the Rack Pad contacts the Table. Right-click the rot ary motor and turn it off. Add a key point, one second later, to turn the motor back on in t he other direction. 12 Calculate.
Calculate and play the animat ion. We now have essentially t he correct animat ion. but it was a lot morE work for no gain. We could also add gravity to this animation to make sure the Rack Pad does not bounce. Using a Linear Motor We will do one more animation using Basic Motion, this t ime with a linear motor attached to the components that will make contact.
13 Duplicate the study. Duplicate the BM Rotary Motor study and name it BM Linear Motor. This study already has the contact established between the gears and the TBrack and Table, so all we need to do is change motors.
Alternate Methods 307
- Change motors. ::.ete the rotary motor and add a linear motor to the TBrack part to drive it toward - =Table at 13.33mm/s. : Calculate. =-=:ause the motor is driving the part that will make contact, it actually stops at ::-~act.
: Change direction. ::e the time bar to 4 seconds. Edit the motor and change its direction to move the TBrack upward. :-,:nge the int erpolation mode t o Snap. This is required to prevent t he motor from going down at 3 xconds to up at 4 seconds with a default linear interpolation. - Calculate. :now have an animation t hat is very close to the first animation we did using the point-to-point -:
The Law of Simplicity - -e best solution is most often the simplest solution.
Introduction to Cameras
Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Understand camera options. • Add a camera to the assemb ly. • Edit a camera. • Use camera motion controls. • Create multiple cameras. • Use cameras in an animation.
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Introduction to Cameras The SolidWorks camera allows a more visual approach to establishing and changing viewpoints. The camera movement s can produce the same results that can be achieved using Pan, Zoom, Rotate, Roll, and Perspective. The camera. however. more closely approximates the actions of a photographer or videogra pher and adds two additional features: depth of field and the ability to get inside object s.
For animations, the camera can be controlled by key point positions. attached to sketches or edges, or attached to a movable assembly component called a camera sled. The use of the camera sled will be discussed in Chapter 13: Using Camera Sleds in Animations. Topics This chapter is about the camera itself and the different options available. The topics covered in this chapter: • Camera terms
Camera movements. bot h translational and rotational. have defined names in t he video industry. There are several different methods t hat can be used to position and move a camera in an animatior~ • Positioning and aiming cameras
There are different methods to define the position and aim point of a camera during an animation. • Adding a camera
Cameras can be added directly to a part or assembly document. Multiple cameras can be added to parts or assemblies and can be used in animations. • Camera options
The sett ings that are ava ilable for the camera include directions. distances, and lens type. • Editing a camera
Cameras can be edit ed to change the settings, including the direction, distance, and lens type. • Camera properties
There are visual properties associated with the camera properties, including depth of field and apparent depth. • Perspective
The camera lens controls perspective. • Effect of focal length
Changing t he focal length of a lens changes the relative size of distant objects to near objects. • Depth of field
Depth of fie ld controls which part of the image is in focus.
Introduction to Cameras
Camera Terms
311
y
: .'hen using a camera for a still image, we generally ::;ag the camera to some location and then aim the :;::;-get line at the point we want centered in the image . .Ye tend to not be as aware of the different controls : J move t he camera as we are when in an animation nhere the camera position, orientation, and aim point 1 ay change throughout possibly hundreds of frames.
Crane
,'lithin the TV and film industry, moving the camera ::long or around the three primary axes of a camera all -;ave defined terms. Knowing the correct terms is ;nportant when collaborating with others, as all 11ovements can be clearly defined. Camera Rotation
Camera rotation involves rotating the camera around the camera's X, Y, and Z axes. Pan
Panning refers to horizontal rotation of the camera about the Y axis of the camera. Tilt
Tilt is just what it sounds like-the camera tilts up or down around the horizontal X axis of the camera. • Roll
Roll is rotation around the Z axis, meaning the camera remains pointed at the same subject. When the camera is aimed at a target and the target point is defined as Target by selection, the camera cannot be tilted or panned and the Camera Rotation section of the PropertyManager only allows the camera roll to be set.
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312 Chapter 11
Camera Translation The following terms describe translational movement of the camera along its three principal axes. During these movements, the camera's position actually changes during the move; however, none of its rotations do.
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• Dolly ~z 600nYn .-: A "dolly" is a wheeled platform on which the camera and t ripod can be "!! '""" "" ' ~ mount ed. In terms of camera movement, "dollying" refers t o moving t he camera forward or backward on a dolly, along the camera's Z axis. If you bring the camera in closer to your subject, the move is referred to as "dolly in," and if you are pulling back away from your subject the term is "dolly out."
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• Truck Trucking is sideways movement of the camera along its X axis. You wou ld use a dolly for this, but instead of moving in and out you would "truck left" or "truck right." • Track The term "t rack" is used to define a movement that is both dolly and truck, but it is usually defined more specifically, meaning to stay a constant distance from t he subject. • Crane A crane shot involves moving the camera in a vertical direction along the camera's Y axis. The move is referred to as either "crane up" or "crane down." The term "boom" is also used t o define this movement. Note The t erms dolly, track, and truck are frequent ly used interchangeably; however, the definit ions above are the most common definitions fo r each term.
Positioning and Aiming Cameras When using viewpoints to control what was seen in an animat ion, our only choice was to create viewpoints by using t he Pan, Zoom, Rotate, and Roll commands and then create key points. In t he animation, t he views were animated by moving directly between views, just as was do ne with components. With cameras, we can also create camera positions as key points and let the camera move directly between those points, but cameras provide additiona l flexibility that allows the path the camera takes between points to be defined. Addit ionally, cameras can be attached t o moving objects so our point o!' view moves with t he object.
Introduction to Cameras 313
- 1e different methods to move a camera: Drag the camera to a position Set the location coordinates of the camera Attach the camera to a spline or edge Attach the camera to a component
-
.-amera Aiming Methods -:1ere are two methods t o aim a camera.
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Aimed at target
When aimed at a target, the Z axis of the camera (the camera to t arget line) is pointed at t he selected target, and the camera position is then controlled by dragging it to the desired location so that the view is what you expect When the camera is aimed at a t arget, it is like adding a mate to the camera that limits the camera's ability t o pan and tilt When the camera is aimed at a point on the moving component, the camera pan and tilt automatically changes to follow the target point.
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When a camera is positioned as Floating, it is not aimed at anything specific, so controls are provided to position the camera by its X, Y. and Z coordinates and then to aim the camera by rotating it about its X, Y, and Z axes.
Adding a Camera
5
Multiple cameras can be added to any part or assembly. Once created, the cameras are listed in the Camera folder in the DisplayManager. To change the view to that of a camera, you can either right-click the camera in the Disp layManager and click Camera View, or press the spacebar and double-click the desired camera view. Where to Find It • Menu: View, Lights and Cameras, Add Camera • Shortcut Menu: DisplayManager, View Scenes, Lights and Cameras, right-cl ick Camera folder, Add Camera
5
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Camera Options When the camera is added, the graphics window is split to show the camera view on the right and a standard view on the left. The camera feature is used to establish a view as seen thro ugh the lens of a camera. Target Point, Position, and Rotation The Camera Type can be set to be Aimed at target or Floating. The Aimed at target option will be used in t hese examples and in this diagram the points are attached to sketch geometry.
Camera Posit ion Target Point
The Target Point and Camera Position locate two ends of a vector to aim the camera. They also establish the distance from the object. • The Target Point (red dot) is t he first aiming point of the camera vector, located at the target object. It can be a vertex, curve, face, or plane. • The Camera Position (yellow dot) is the camera lens View Rectangle position and second point of the aiming vector. It can also be a vertex, curve, face, or plane. Attaching the Target Point or Camera Position to sketch geomet ry allows the point to be moved along that geometry when aiming the camera. • The camera Rotation options are used to set the rotation of the camera about the principal axes of the camera (pan, tilt, and roll). When the camera is aimed at a target only t he roll angle of the camera can be adjusted . Aiming the Camera The camera target point (red dot) can be moved by • Dragging the camera • Selecting a point vertex, curve, face, or plane • Typing numerical coordinates The camera position (yellow dot) ca n be moved by • Dragging t he move triad • Typing numerical coordinates • Attaching the camera to a point, vertex, curve, face, or plane
• Ill
Introduction to Cameras 315
::amera roll can be set in these ways: me:
Define t he up direction by selecting a line, edge fa ce, or plane, and then an angle to that direct ion. Drag the camera roll by holding Alt and dragging with the middle mouse button or wheel.
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_ocking the Camera Position avoid accidently moving a camera position, you can select Lock camera position except when editing. - ,is disables the View commands (Pan, Zoom, Rotate, and Roll) when in a camera view. - :::1
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, 1ere to Find It Shortcut Menu: Right-click a camera, Lock Camera Camera PropertyManager: Select Lock camera position except when editing
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Camera Motion Controls ,'/ith Camera View enabled, the camera can be moved while looking through it, using keyboard/mouse ::::~mbi nations. These controls are only available in the Camera PropertyM anager or if Lock camera ?OSition except when editing is cleared. If Lock camera position except when editing is selected, you :annat move t he viewpoint with the Pan, Zoom, Rotate, or Roll tools and the cursor will change to ~ ~ you try to change the viewpoint. Keyboard/Mouse Action Middle mouse button
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316 Chapter 11
Definable Camera Properties In an animation, the following camera properties can be controlled at Key Points. Property Target Point position
Depth of Field**
Camera position
Field of View {lens)
Camera rotation
Aspect ratio*
Camera in use (when several are available) .,, While aspect rat io can be animated with key points on the timeline, all output formats will only use a single aspect ratio. -:..-~
The Depth of Field option is only available for rendered output using PhotoView 360.
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Introduction to Cameras
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Study: Introduction to Cameras
-- s case study is an introduction to the camera. The camera ~:::>ears as a gray so\"ta ·Image W'nen 'oe\ng aaaea Of ea\'teO. -o keep things simple. we will use an existing assembly with 3
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Open the assembly. Open the assembly Move Camera from the Case Study\ Move Camera folder. ~ate
The existing sketch geometry is offset slightly from the center of the assembly.
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318 Chapter 11
2 Add camera. From the menu, dick View, Lights and Cameras, Add Camera. Make sure that Aimed at target is selected. l
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The camera view Cameral is displayed in the right viewport It remains the camera view until t he Camera PropertyManager is closed. Tip The standard view is displayed in the left viewport It is helpful to change the view orientation to a standard orientation such as Isometric, shown here. y
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Camera Position and Target When adding a camera, we define its position, orientation, properties, and target If we use Aimed at target, there are two positions t hat must be defined, t he position of the camera it self and the point where the camera is aimed, called the target point In the animation, the ca mera position and ta rge~ point will be changed from key point to key point Both the camera position and target point can be defined by point s, edges, lines, cu rves, or discrete coordinat es. Some examples are shown below with the Camera View on the right Geomet ry Attached to circle
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Introduction to Cameras 319
Geometry
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4 Set target and position. Under Target Point, for Target by selection, select (in the left viewport) the endpoint of the sketch line as shown.
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Under Camera Position, select Position by selection and select the sketch line as shown. These selections define the vector direction of the camera.
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5 Adjust camera position. Move the camera Position distance along selected edge/line/curve slider to SO%. This will place t he camera at the middle of the sketch line.
Introduction to Cameras
~
Set rotation.
: .ick Flip Direction to reverse the camera.
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:::.tck in the left viewport and change to an Isometric view. Under Camera ;{otation, click in the Set roll by selection fi eld and select the Right plane.
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322 Chapter 11
Editing a Camera Camera positions and target point s can be changed during the animation.
General Sequence When you want to edit the settings of a camera in a motion study, t he general sequence is as follows: 1. 2.
Expand t he Lights, Cameras and Scene folder. Double-click t he camera feature or right-click the camera and click Properties.
8 Slide the camera. Edit the camera by do uble-clicking the Camera l feature. Select the yellow dot in the Cameral viewport and drag the camera along the sketch line, closer to the assembly. The Cameral viewport updates dynamically.
9 Slide the camera. An alternate to dragging the yellow dot is to move t he slider for Position distance along selected edge/line/curve. Move the slider to 100%, which moves t he camera to the end of the sketch line furthest from the t arget. Click OK to exit the camera. 10 Save the assembly.
Multiple Cameras You can add as many cameras as you want to a part or assembly. Using multiple cameras in an animation becomes a little more involved as more cameras are added. Within SolidWorks and in animations. we can only see the view from one camera at a time, so any split screen video must be done in postprocessing.
Show/Hide Cameras Graphic images of the cameras can be toggled on or off. Where to Find It • Menu: View, Cameras • Shortcut Menu: Cameras folder, Show Cameras
Introduction to Cameras 323
11 Show cameras. Click View, Cameras and toggle on the graphic images of the camera.
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12 Add a second camera. Add a second camera, and select the Target Point and Camera Position as shown using the other line of the sketch. Set the Position distance along selected edge/line/curve to
75%. Under Camera Rotation, click Set roll by selection and select t he Top plane of the assembly from the flyout FeatureManager. Under Field of View, select the somm Standard lens. Click OK.
13 Hide cameras. Click View, Cameras to toggle off graphic images of cameras and their orientations. ~=-
·=
Also, hide Sketchl.
324 Chapter 11
Cameras in an Animation You can view an animation through the lens of an exist ing Camera. If multiple cameras exist. you can switch between the camera views. Camera changes are view changes. The cameras are stored in the Lights folder and as named views.
Switching a Camera On Cameras must be switched on in order to view the animation through their lens. To make the viewpoint that of the camera, you must select Camera View. When in camera view, you cannot pan. zoom, rotat e. or roll the viewpoint. If you try, you will get the warning: The camera is locked. Edit or unlock to allow movement . Where t o Find It • Shortcut Menu: Right-dick a camera in the Lights fo lder, select Camera View • View Orientation: Press the Spacebar, double-click the camera name Locking the Camera Position To avoid accidently moving a camera position, you can select Lock camera position except when editing in the PropertyManager for the camera. Just as in the Model t ab. t his disables the camera motion commands (Orbit, Pan, Dolly, Rotate, and Roll) when in a camera view. 14 Create a motion study. Create a new motion st udy and name it Camera Views. Select Animation for the Type of Study.
15 Unlock view orientation. Right-d ick Orientation and Camera Views and clear Disable View Key Creation. This will cause key points to be created each time we change cameras or views. 16 Set initial orientation. Drag the time bar t o 0 seconds. Change to an Isometric view and zoom the assembly.
• Isometric
Introduction to Cameras 325
17 Select first camera. pu can ;n the
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Drag t he t ime bar to 3 seconds. Change the view orientation to Cameral to turn on the camera. The camera orientation continues from the t ime bar point to t he end of the animation.
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Note The borders that surround the camera view appear in the active motion study but will not appear in the saved AVI file.
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18 Select second camera. ~ editing J~ion
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Drag t he time bar to 7 seconds. Change the view orientation to Camera2. This camera orie ntation continues from t he time bar point to the end of the animation. superseding Cameral.
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19 Select place key. Drag t he time bar to 10 seconds. Select t he Orientation and Camera Views feature in the MotionManager design t ree and select Place Key ~ - This inserts a key point into the timeline for the camera at the position of the t ime bar. NJ~ ~ ~ 'IU d~ Move ~mora (Dmu~< D.t•ult_D, ~ Orientation and Camera View< til ·£1 Lights, Cameras and Scone ~ (f) View«l > (Default
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20 Change orientation. Select the key and change the view orientation to Top and zoom the model. The animation will end with this orientation.
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21 View time bar. Expand t he Lights, Cameras and Scene folder. The beige bars indicate the t imes used by the cameras. The label indicates the orientation at the key point. (Y)it~'i4 lJ "" ~ M0011eCarmn (Dehult
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Notice that the camera views jump instantaneously at the key points as we cannot add interpolation modes to cameras.
Introduction to Cameras 327
23 Edit Cameral. Drag t he time bar to 7 seconds. This is t o make changes to Camera l before it switches to Camera2. Select Cameral in the MotionManager design tree. In the MotionManager design t ree. right-click Cameral and click Properties.
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Move t he Camera Position slider to 25 for Position distance along selected edge/ line/curve. This will make the camera move from t he top of the sketch line to a ~ position that is closer to the assembly. l
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24 Lock view orientation. Right-click Orientation and Camera Views and select Disable View Key Creation.
25 Place key. --e
Move the time bar to 7 seconds. Select Camera2 in t he Motion Study design t ree, then click Place Key. This key point will hold the initial position of Camera2.
26 Edit Camera2. Drag t he time bar to 10 seconds. Edit Camera2. Move the Camera Position slider to 100 for Position distance along selected edge/line/curve. This will make the camera move to the end of the sketch line furthest away from the assembly.
27 Play. Each of the two cameras moves along the sketch lines when it is active.
28 Save and close all files. 10!ation
328 Chapter 11
Camera Properties Whether you are creating a still image or a video. cameras have the same characteristics.
Still cameras and video cameras follow the same principles. The primary differences are that still cameras shoot single images at high definition and video cameras shoot an evenly spaced series of images at a lesser resolution. Another difference is the proportions of the frame. With printed still images. we can essentially use any length-to-width ratio as the final print can be trimmed as necessary to fit its use. In a collage of product images. all the images can be different sizes and pasted together to fo rm an interesting display. With video. the length-to-width ratio of playback devices such as projectors and monitors is genera lly only certain sizes. While we could produce videos at length-to-widtr ratios other than those of the playback device, there would be black unused areas on the screen. There are certainly cases where this may be artistically desirable. but for most videos, the standard sizes work best. Camera Lenses The Field of View section of the Camera PropertyManager contains six standard camera lenses (Wide Angle. Telephoto. etc.) to use with the camera. The lenses use preset combinations of View angle e. Height of view rectangle Jt., and Length to view rectangle i,. The Custom angle option allows you to set your own values.
The six lenses correspond to standard lenses used by photographers. In addition to the standard lenses, you can also create a custom lens which is similar to using a zoom lens.
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Aspect raoo (width : height}: By using lenses. we can control the size of the image similar t o dollying our @:s_.s_ _ __ camera. With the standard zoom tool. we could turn on perspective and control 0Drag Aspect Ratio the perspective independently from the amount of zoom. With lenses, zoom and perspective are tied together. Wit h wide angle lenses (lower focal lengths}. like the 24mm lens. there is much more perspective. With telephoto lenses (longer focal lengths}. like the 200mm lens, there is mucless perspective.
Introduction to Cameras 329
Field of View Field of view controls the magnification of the image by using simulated camera lenses. Lenses have View angles 9 , t hat correspond to lenses used by standard 3Smm single lens reflex (SLR} cameras. The Custom angle option allows you to set your own values.
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View Rectangle The view rectangle helps us to see graphically the relationship between the view angle and the subject. It is initially placed so that the camera view mimics the noncamera view t hat is in effect at the time t he camera is created. The view rectangle distance is init ially set so the angle of the view is equivalent to a standard somm lens. For the view rectangle, the View angle 8 , Height of view rectangle It , and Length to view rectangle e have a basic geometric relationship. The image in the PropertyManager shows this relationship and the simple geometry used to calculat e the height based on the view angle and the length. Using simple geometry, we have t he height: height = 2 * length *tan (view angle/2)
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Drag the field of view edge to increase or decrease the Length t o view rectangle
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Drag the field of view corner to increase or decrease the View angle 9.
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330 Chapter 11
Case Study: Camera Lenses This is a simple case study to explore the different settings that are used with cameras.
Open assembly.
1
Open the assembly Toy Car.sldasm from t he Case Study\ Camera folder. There are two cameras already creat ed in this assembly. 2 Change lenses. Double-click Cameral to displays its properties.
Change to the different lenses and observe the differences in the model. While you observe the changes remember that neither the camera nor the model is moving. Because the Distance to View Rectangle is based on the zoom you have when creating the camera, thE value you see may be differe nt than t hat used to create the images below. To see exactly the same resu lts as s hown below. you will have to set your Distance to View Rectangle to 350mm.
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Introduction to Cameras 331
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Introduction to Cameras 333
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334 Chapter 11
View Rectangle The size and position of the View Rectangle does not affect the final camera view. The camera view is strictly a function of the camera position. target. view angle, and aspect ratio.
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l
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__ v ,
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Introduction to Cameras 335
Camera Roll Camera roll allows the camera to roll about t he camera to target axis from 0 to ±180 degrees. To properly define the roll angle, you need t o specify the up direction, which can be a line, edge, face, or plane. Lines and edges define t he up direct ion (zero degrees). If a plane or face is used. the up direction is normal to the plane or face. If a direction is not specified, the Top plane is assumed making the assembly Y direction t he up direction. The following table shows the camera rotation of Cameral using a SOmm lens and an aspect ratio of 11:B.S. Camera Rotation
Isometric View of Model
Camera View
o degrees C.mer.oltobtioo
~
LJSetroll b;· seledian:
I
I
Top
~
·odeg '
T'
J.-
~:-
J
- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - ------
+45 degrees C.metai!Dbi:IM
!'I
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I
I
Top
~ ~'ISdegT
f.:~
" j_
T
• ,
-45 degrees C.mer.o llotai:IM
o Setrolby >election:
I
Top
~ l-45deg . ~
- * I r:-:r~
~
336 Chapter 11
Camera Rotation
Isometric View of Model
Camera View
+90 degrees Camera Rotation
*
:J Setrol by selection:
I
jTop
~
90deg
'
1
·:
-90 degrees Camera Rotation
~
n Setrolby selection:
fT;"
I
~-90deg
::J - '
~1
'
Introduction to Cameras 337
Camera Aspect Ratio Aspect ratio is the width of an image divided by its height. A 4:3 aspect ratio is an image 4 units wide by 3 units high. SolidWorks provides us with the most common aspect ratios for film and video and we are also free to define a custom aspect ratio by entering values either by direct input of the rat io or by dragging the field of view (FOV} box on the screen. The aspect ratio works with the camera lens. While the camera lens controls the amount of zoom on our model, the aspect ratio defines how our model is framed by the camera. Height is the contro lling quantity. In t he following table, we will use only the somm Standard lens and change just the aspect ratio. Not ice that the view angle, distance, and height remain the same in all images; only the width of the frame will change because of the aspect ratio. Aspect Ratio
Isometric View of Model
Camera View
*
Field of View
0 Perspective
~· ~.!1: '
V
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CAl
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: lc::;:::;:==:::::=::::. h
[t68mm
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Aspect ratio (width : heir#):
! 1:1
__
vj
0Dra
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--
*
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~·h
...±.
~Oirro Standord
8
§ 09
T
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:
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4:3 Standard Video and Print Format
Aspect ratio (width :heir#): r
•
, "
]
" ;
338 Chapter 11
Aspect Ratio
Isometric View of Model
Field o(View _ _ _ _.:..;_ ~
0
Perspective
~1
~mm Standa_rd_ _.v
8 ~99d~
- ~~
e 13somm
---~J
ft U68mm
:'i
16:9 HDTV Format
IAspect ratio (width : height): 16:9
'
0 Drag Aspect Ratio
~
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0
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r-=e---'~
~1 [50mm Standard
8 ~eg T_T_
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e jJsonvn
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~168mm
Vol
Widescree n Monitor Format
Aspect rat<> (Wldth : height):
ra;s-
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-
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v,
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Field or View ,__......
0
~
PerspectiVe
~1
~ Standard- -V '
8
~g --~~1 1.67:1
Aspect r~tio (width : height):
~
0
- v]
Dr~g Aspect Ratio
Cinematic 3Smm format-Europe
Camera View
Introduction to Cameras 339
Aspect Ratio fField of V"oew
0
Isometric View of Model
Camera View
,:::
Perspective
~1 I e
~ 99deQ
t--"j_l
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e r350mm
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Aspect ratio(""*", heiohtl:
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1
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~
field or View
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e 126.99deQ t-=).J. e [350mm . 1r.
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AspectratX>(wiclh =heiohtl:
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Fteld of View
0
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~~ 1SOnwnStandard
e l ;99deQ e~ T
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Aspect ratX><""*", height):
Oo.-ao Aspect RatX>
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340 Chapter 11
Isometric View of Model
Aspect Ratio ~l
@ eldof Yiew
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.v .
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' \168mm
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IT> ---=-
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'"Field of View
l
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2:3
*
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l e ~~ dl qr_L----:c.. 1
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v~
l h. ~
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=-= vl'
Aspect ratio (width : hekjlt):
~
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7:5
Sx7 print format, landscape
Camera View
Introduction to Cameras 341
Aspect Ratio f ield or VIew
-
Isometric View of Model ~
· -
0~1
1
~ Stond
8
26.99deo
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v
l
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Aspect ratio (""dth : heqt): [ 5: 7
0
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If i eld or View
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5:4
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342 Chapter 11
Isometric View of Model
Aspect Ratio FoeldofYM!W
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8.5 :11 US letter size, portrait
Camera View
344 Chapter 11
·--------------- -- ---------------- ------------- -- ---- -Case Study: Camera Movements At the beginning of the chapt er, the six camera movement terms were discussed. To see the differences between the movements, we will do a simple example using a single camera inside the model of a small office. To compare the movements, we will successively change the camera view by moving it through five of the six movements and then use the zoom capability of the camera lens. Procedure
Open an assembly. Open the Full Office assembly.sldasm file from the Office folder of the lesson files.
1
There is one came ra called Camera Movement. We will edit this ca mera to see t he resu lts of the different movements.
Edit the camera. In the DisplayManager, double-click the camera t o edit its properties.
2
t camera Type
~era Rotatior>
----;-
~
Amed at target o Roathg
-13Sdog
)
l ro~]Showrun
~ Odeg
l
[~AJ;gn triad with"""""' Examine the camera's properties. The Camera Type is l.tJ ~camerapositionexceptwhen I ~ lade!l set to Floating so we can adjust the pan and tilt of the l__ _j L ~ ~.==...:..= camera. The settings shown will be the default position fcamera Position P=tion by se!ection: from which we will compare all the movements.
~ ~; tnJ T tJ I I IJ ~ I I I I I I \])11'1'1
j
1
~y 400mm
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.;
ift1i3:J l!i fitl!l i! i l_!f tt" ''-
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mp t! •JII ''' ll ' ' •l d u·'n' j
9
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•
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4: 3
Introduction to Cameras 345
3
Examine the view.
In the left pane of the graphics area we can see the position of the camera. There is a named view called Camera Top which will give you the same view as shown below. The initial camera position is looking diagonally across the room at the top edge of the computer monitors.
4
Compare Truck vs. Pan.
Change the camera's X coordinate to -soomm by dragging the red arrow on the camera. This will cause the ca mera to truck left t o a position near the left wall. Examine the view. Return the X coordinate to 880mm and the Z coordinate to Goomm. Pan the camera to the left by changing t he Yaw to -lOOdeg. Examine the view. This time we are looking at the wall with the window instead of looking along the wall. Repeat the above steps to truck the camera to the right to an X coordinate of 2100mm, then from t he starting point pan the camera to the right to a Yaw of -170deg.
346 Chapter 11
5 Compare the views. You can easily see the differences in the views created by physically moving the camera (trucking) as compared to holding the camera in a fixed physica l position and just rotating it about its vertical axis (panning).
Introduction to Cameras 347
S l:5
Compare Crane vs. Tilt.
Using the same starting position for the camera, change theY coordinate of the camera to 1400mm and then -600mm to crane up and crane down. Then from the starting position, tilt t he camera up and down ±20deg.
348 Chapter 11
7 Compare Dolly vs. Zoom. In this last series, we will compare moving the camera towards or away from the target as opposed to holding the camera fixed and changing the lens zoom. Using the blue arrow. drag the camera near the corner of the room away from the desk. then drag it close to the chair. Return the camera to its starting position and then change the lens to 24mm and then 13Smm.
E
Introduction to Cameras 349
8 Examine the images. The most notable difference between these t wo methods is the amount of perspective. When the camera is dollied in, the lens angle remains the same, and therefore the perspective does not change with distance to the target. With focal lengths above the standard lens, such as the 135mm lens, there is less perspective. With focal lengths below the standard lens, such as the 24mm lens, the perspective :s exaggerated as can be seen in the image. This is most noticeable if you compare t he edges of the desktops and the top and bottom edges of the window.
-;o see the changes made above, view the file Camera View Changes.mp4 from the Videos folder.
Apparent Depth ~s we changed the focal length in the last case study, perspective changed, but because the model was 1ot very deep, it might not have been so obvious. In the next example, we will be able to see perspective :hange more clearly and we will see another effect of different focal lengths: the ratio of the size of the ::>ackground objects to the foreground objects.
Case Study: Apparent Depth -;o show the effects of the lens focal length on both :Jerspective and the background, we will use a simple :Jart. In the last case study, we held the camera in a fixed :Jcation and changed the focal length of the lens. In t his :ase we will move t he camera so that the subject -emains the same size on the screen and observe the effect on the background. iProcedure Open the part. ::Jpen the part Effects of Focal Length.sldprt from the Case Study\ Focal Length folder. .: Examine the part. n e ye llow base has a grid cut into it and the back wall has a decal applied.
nere is a camera already set up. The camera is attached to a sketch named Camera Path and aimed at a point on the edge of a red and blue box.
350 Chapter 11
We will have the camera move along the sketch line towards the box. As the camera moves, we will change the lens from a 200mm lens t o a 24mm lens and observe the effects on t he background image The objective is to keep the closest edge of the box the same size on the screen, so as the camera-to-subject distance is decreased, the focal length decreases.
3
Open the motion study.
Select the tab fo r the Focal Length motion study. Not ice that there is no choice for study type as this is a part and not an assembly.
4
Set first camera point.
With the time bar at 0 seconds, right-click Cameral and select Camera View.
8~ l
®
riJ I..ijlts, ~Skdxhl
~S1retch2 ~Slrddl3 ~SketcM ~Sketdl5 ~!Rtxtt6
~ear-a Path
Double-click Camera l t o display its properties. The camera position is currently at 0% along the sketch line, which in this model is the point furthest awe from the target. Change the Aspect Ratio to 16:9 to give us a wider view of the backgro und. Click OK.
5
Update the key point.
Select Cameral in the Motion St udy design tree, then click Add/Update Key ~· This makes sure th:: the changes we made to the camera properties are properly recorded at the key point.
Introduction to Cameras 351
't a.a
--:cge
6
Set second camera point. Move the time bar t o 2 seconds.
Edit Cameral and set t he Percent distance along selected edge/line/curve t o 37.9%. Change the camera lens to a 135mm Telephoto. Click OK.
7
Update the key point. Select Cameral in the Motion Study design tree, then click Add/Update Key rt+ .
8
Repeat. Repeat the above procedure to add the camera properties shown in t he t able.
Time (sec)
Lens
Percent distance along selected edge/line/ curve
Play the animation. There are several t hings to notice in this animation.
0
200mm
0
2
13Smm
37.9
4
8Smm
66.3
6
somm
8 5.3
9
First is that as t he focal length decreases, yo u can see the change in perspective by the yellow grid and t he edges of the blue face.
s: a.·.?.
-e tt:c::
8 3Smm 93.8 Second is that even though the camera is moving toward the block, it appears that t he camera is moving away 100 10 24mm because the background appears to be getting further away. As the focal length decreases, the lens angle increases, capt uring a larger section of the background. When we view t he image, t he background must fill the width of the screen so it appears to be magnified and looks closer.
352 Chapter 11
Third is t hat the target edge of the block does not stay exactly the same size as the camera moves. This is because t he camera position is being linearly interpolated between key points, but t he focal length differences are not linear. This will be corrected in the next chapter.
200mm Lens
135mm Lens
Camera to Subject Distance = 1,524mm Time = o seconds
Camera to Subject Distance = 1,016mm Time = 2 seconds
8Smm Lens
somm Lens
Camera to Subject Distance = 63Smm Time = 4 seconds
Camera to Subject Dista nce= 38l mm Time = 6 seconds
Introduction to Cameras 353
- -~
~-
3Smm Lens
24mm Lens
Camera to Subject Distance = 267mm Time = 8 seconds
Camera to Subject Distance = 184mm Time= 10 seconds
10 Close the part.
Standard Lens When we selected different lenses, the somm lens was called a standard lens. In photography literature it is also called a normal lens. In still photography, a normal lens is a lens whose focal length is roughly equal to the diagonal of the image projected within the camera. This roughly approximates the perceived field of view and perspective of the human eye. For a 3Smm camera, the image has a diagonal of 43mm. The most commonly used normal lens is SOmm, but focal lengths between about 40 and S8mm are also considered normal.
While video cameras are not the same as still cameras, within SolidWorks, the cameras follow t he convention of 3Smm still cameras. Note The somm foca l length was chosen by Oscar Barnack, the creat or of the Leica camera, as a
compromise between the theoretical value and good sharpness, because lens technology at that time was such that slightly longer foca l lengths were able to achieve optimum sharpness. Note The SOmm lens is the normal lens only for 35mm film. The normal lenses for other film formats
are different focal lengths. For example, a large format camera that uses 4 x 5 inch sheet film has a normal lens of lSOmm.
354 Chapter 11
Depth of Field When we focus a camera on a subject, not all objects in the scene are in focus. Objects nearer and further from the subject will be out of focus. The depth of field is the distance in front of and behind the subject which appears to be in focus. For any given lens setting. there is only one distance at which a subject is precisely in focus, but focus falls off gradually on either side of that distance, so there is a region in which the blurring is t olerable. The exact point at which an object is considered out of focus is somewhat subject ive and depends on, among other factors, the resolution of the human eye and the viewing dist ance. In optics, the fuzziest a point can be and still be called "in focus" is defined, appropriat ely, as the circle of confusion. Fo r film photography this is usually calculated using the Zeiss formu la of d/1730 where "d" is the diagonal measure of the film . For 3Smm fi lm (43mm diagonal), this comes out to be 0.024mm. The exact value of 1730 is subject to some dispute- it's a ballpark figure-so this number is not exact
Use of Depth of Field Photographers and videographers use depth of field to direct the viewer's eye toward the subject and to create mood. For instance, a shot of a woman's face in close-up may have shallow depth of field wittsomeone just behind her visible, but out of focus-a common technique, for example, in me lodramas anc horror films. Depth of field is only available when using Photo View 360, so only animat ions that will be rendered tc Photo View 360 can take advantage of this feature.
Introduction to Cameras 355
a~.c <=urt~ef
~'te subje:?
:: subjec:
.s
·eg:on j ~ :::Jends o: -
Case Study: Setting Depth of Field .e will use an assembly to see the effects of depth of field. We will use an assembly of three toy cars :--at have been arranged in different orientations. Appearances and suitable lighting have already been ~:ded to the scene. We will hold the camera at a fixed position and change the target point from the - ear car to the far car. We will set the depth of field so that it is centered on the target point_ We will ::e able to see features come in and go out of focus as the t arget point moves through the scene.
Procedure Turn on PhotoView 360. - urn on the Photo View 360 add-in. Click Tools, Add-Ins_Select PhotoView 360 from the list.
-~
Add-Ins Active Add-ins f::l SolidWorks Premium Add-ins
!startUp 1. ~
n q Orrut\'ioci
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n
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I
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PJ€} Photx>View 360j
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!
OK
I
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Cancel
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::t.:i
356 Chapter 11
2
Open.
Open DOF Assembly.sldasm from the Case Study/ Depth of Field folder.
3 Add a camera. Right-click the Camera fold er in the DisplayManager and click Add Camera.
Camera;..;. T.:..:. YP;.;;. e _ _ _~
0
Ained at lar<;llll Q FioatinQ
Under Camera Type, select Show numeric controls. This will allow us to input a ( 0 Show runeric controlsJ r.1 Lock e<>mero position except position in space for the camera location. "'-'when editinQ l
• • • • • •
Camera Position: Cartesian CameraX: 280mm CameraY: 80mm Cameral: 440mm Perspective: somm Standard Aspect ratio: 16:9
Introduction to Cameras 357
4 Aim the camera. ?or the Target Point, select a point on the rear wing of the yellow car.
5 Add Depth of Field. Select Depth of Field. mportant! Depth of Field is only available in Photo View 360. If Depth of Field is not available in t he camera PropertyManager, Photo View 360 is not turned on .
..,
8 .,._,e=pt
5 Select the focus point. The focus point is the point in the scene you want to be in exact focu s. This may be different from the point where the camera is aimed. Select Focus by selection. Select the vertex shown on the yellow car.
358 Chapter 11
7
Set Depth of Field.
Type somm for the Depth of Field f . This will be the distance in front of. and behind, the focus point that will be in focus. I
~ !Tl
Click OK.
r~ -
8
I
I'
Rename camera.
Rename the new camera to Render Camer a.
9
Create a motion study.
Create a new motion study and name it Depth of Field.
,.......___ Focus Plar:e ....___ Loss of Foe....
Select Animation for the Type of Study. 10
Change view.
Change the view orientation to the Render Camera view by pressing the Spacebar, and then doubleclicking Render Camera. This is a camera position that would represent the height of a person's eyes if these were real cars. 11
Set the key point.
Select the Render Camera in the MotionManager design tree. Click Add/Update Key to make sure :camera view is saved at the key point.
Set second camera position.
12
Move the time bar to 8 seconds. Double-click the Render Camera in the Motion Study design tree. Edit the Target Point and Focus Point to those shown on the blue car.
Introduction to Cameras 359
This will change the focus area to the blue car. Click OK.
· 3 Set the key point. Select the Render Camera in the Motion Study design tree. Click Add/Update Key to make sure this camera view is saved at the key point. ~ote
If Disable View Key Creation is cleared. we should not have to update the key; however. it is just a precaution to make sure the key has been recorded properly.
·4 Play. Play the animation and watch the camera view change from the yellow car to the blue car. There are no observable changes of the depth of field because we are not rendering in Photo View 360.
/
·s Adjust PhotoView 360 options. Before rendering an animation. t he Photo View 360 options must be adjusted. ln the DisplayManager, click Phot oView 360 Options ~ · Set both the preview and final render quality to Good. As this is just an exercise. Good will be high enough quality to see the results without spending a long time rendering. You can certainly try a higher setting. but rendering t ime will be much longer.
Readeo-Quality
--~ ~
Pr~w render quality: ~
Ftlal
!Good
~1
!Good
·I
remer QUOitv:
~:
[l;l
>:
I!Jtl fi! J J '$ ! t!!!( t1 1Jtll..
360 Chapter 11
16 Test render.
$
~,
Save Animation to File
This will be a test re nder to make sure t he settings are correct before spending the t ime t o have the entire animation rendered.
Save in:
..,. Depth of Field
Name
Date modified
T)
.._. BlueToy Car
10/1/ 2011 2:01 PM 10/1/2011 2:01 PM 10/1/2011 2:01 PM
Fi Fi Fi
..., Red Toy Car
Click Save Animation to File.
... Yellow Toy Car
Select PhotoView for the renderer. Select Use camera aspect ratio as we want to see just what the camera sees.
· ~[
File name:
r
Renderer: {
Set the Frames per second to .25. This will cause one frame t o be rendered every four seconds. For our animation, this will cause t hree fra mes to be rendered at 0, 4, and 8 seconds.
ro
sao
450
:J1 Fixed asoect raijo [
I S
( Frames per second 0. 25 )
@ Entire animation
@ Use camera aspect ratio] () Custom aspect raijo (\\idth : height) 16:9
() Tome range
8
to
~ =~ ;f~
Click Save. Select the Microsoft Videol CODEC. then click OK. 17 View rendering progress.
When rendering begins, an information window will appear to show the progress of the rendering and an estimate of the time remaining to complete the task.
PhotoView Progress
PhotoView renderirlg In progress...
Gil Show preview and Mal render windo•.vs (this option takes effect on the next frame) Render staws
Select Show preview and final render windows.
Save
~)
IPhotoView
Image Size and Aspect Raijo
D
I
DOF Assembly test remder.avi
Save as type : [li-
Change the horizontal image size to 800 pixels to speed up the render time.
I
____----~~--~~~=·--------~
Rendering: Completed Depth of Fiied
Frame: 3 of 161 Tme elapsed: 01:30
Estimated time remaining: 01:23:11
Cancel
8
x
:2
Introduction to Cameras 361
8 Time the results.
,'latch the time it takes to render each frame in the Status section of the Final Render window. This is important to be able -J estimate the time it will take to render the entire animation. ::::epending on your computer, it could take from several seconds :o several minutes to render each frame. "9 Review the results.
o seconds
Out of focus
4 seconds
.'!hen we play back the file, it will show each frame for four 5econds, so it looks like a series of three still images .
Ji
.Ve can see the depth of field results on the cars. The center of =ocus is always near the center of the screen and t he parts of the :ars that are furthest away from the center of the screen are the 1ost out of focus. In the movie industry, changing t he focal I 8 seconds ength of the lens during a shot is referred to as "racking focus': Ne can also see a problem with this animation in that the ~ackground is color banded and does not show the smooth :ransition we observed on the computer screen. This is the -eason we did a test render of just a few frames rather than ~ender the entire animation to then discover that it is not right. - he color banding is a problem with the CODEC. so we will need ~o use a different CO DEC for the final rendering.
Focus
362 Chapter 11
20 Test render. Render the animation again, using t he same settings except use the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec. 21
Review the results.
The background is now better. Examine the three frames again as we are not distracted by the background problem. We can see the effect of the depth of field. Remember that the camera is not moving, but its target point is moving away from t he camera as it goes from the yellow to blue car. 22 Save the animation. Now that we are sure that the animat ion and rendering sett ings are correct we could save the animation as a rendered AVI. However, it is time to figure out how long that will take before we commit the computer to this task. In step 18, we timed the render operation for a single frame, and we know that this animation is 8 seconds. To get a smooth motion, we will need a very minimum setting of 10 frames per second, so 8 seconds at 10 frames per second is 80 frames, plus the frame at 0 seconds is 81 frames to render. If it t ook 2 minutes to render a frame, that would be 162 minutes, or 2 hours and 42 minut es.
This animation has already been saved as DOF Assembly- 8 sec.mp4 and is in the Videos folder. T- animation was recorded at 20 frames per second to make it play very smoothly. Play this file. Animation Speed
When you create and re nder the animation, 8 seconds seems to be a long time. However, when you j:: = it back at full speed, 8 seconds goes by very fast. A common mistake when creating animations is t: make them too short and have motion that is too quick to follow. To show the difference, this same animation was expanded to 32 seconds and rendered. It is provided as DOF Assembly - 32 sec.C ?:= and is also in the Videos folder. When you play the 32 second video, it is easier to concentrate on the details of the cars and to see :: areas of focus and nonfocus. Is 32 seconds the right choice? Because animations are purely subject _ t hat is up to you.
Introduction to Cameras 363
~endering Quality
- so note that there is some graininess in the animation as a result of using a Good setting in ::1otoView 360 instead of Best or Maximum. Whether or not this is acceptable will depend on t he -:_;-pose of this video and the output device you intend to play it on . . ~ Close the file.
E -r-
''CE ::::
Walk-through Animations
Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Create walk-through animations. • Adjust and edit the camera. • Create a walk-around animation using the Walk-through function.
366 Chapter 12
Using Cameras in Animations This project will use an existing assembly to show how first-person or walk-through/wa lk-aro und animations can be created. This will be done both by moving a camera with key points and by attachin~ it to a curve. Additionally. we will explore the use of the Walk-through function in SolidWorks.
Topics The topics covered in this chapter: • Walk-through animations Simulate what you would see when wa lking around or t hrough a large-scale assemb ly. • Adjusting and editing the target Adjust the camera lens and change the camera t arget point aft er creating the animation. • Walk-through function Simulate walking around or through a large-scale assembly by using rea l-time control of t he came:.
Walk-through Animations 367
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Case Study: Walk-through Animations - 1is chapter covers the use of cameras to create a walk-through first-person animation. One advantage : .:: using a camera instead of the view commands is that cameras can go inside geometry. This can be _seful with large plant or building models where we would like to see what a person would see walking ::: ound and through the structure. Storyboard - ,is sequence involves creating animations using a :amera moving around a large-scale assembly, in this :ase a series of tanks and equipment.
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- his first animation will be done by creating ind ividual : amera key points. - he completed animation Walk_Throughl.mp4 is ::>rovided in the Videos folder.
Procedure · Open the assembly. Open the assembly Tank Flat.sldasm from t he Chapter 12\Case Study\ Walk_Through folder.
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Add a camera . Aim the camera at the midpoint of the edge of the up per platform as shown.
Using the camera position controls and Cartesian coordinates. set t heY value to lSOOmm, which is t he approximate height of eye for an adult ma le. Manually position the camera by dragging t he X and Z handles to the position shown.
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368 Chapter 12
With a 24mm lens and an 11:8.5 aspect rat io, you should have approximately the view shown. Rename the camera Walk-throu ghl .
3 Create a motion study. Create a new mot ion study and name it Walk Through-Manual. 4 View key creation. Right-click Orientation and Camera Views in the MotionManager design tree and clear Disable View .~, Creation. This will save us time as view keys will be created automat ically as we move t he time ba~: camera. 5 Look through camera. With the time bar at 0 seconds, right-click the camera Walk-throughl and click Camera View. \',;: should now be looking t hrough the camera lens.
Walk-through Animations 369
Create initial path. •::,ve the t ime bar to 8 seconds and drag the 2,era to t he approximate position shown :..s.ng only the blue arrow.
Create second path . .'ove the time bar to 16 seconds and drag the :amera using the red arrow to the approximate ::osition shown.
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.=diting the Target n e Target by selection field is used to select where the camera is aimed. The aim point can be changed ~t any point in the an imation and defined by key points.
370 Chapter 12
8 Create third path. For t he final path. the camera will dolly in and change aim point. Drag the timeline to 2 0 seconds.
Because we have chosen Cartesian coordinates, the X, Y. and Z axes of the camera are lined up with the assembly coordinate system. This could make it more complicated t o dolly in. The easy fix is to just select Spherical coordinates when we edit the camera, which will allow us to drag the camera along its Z axis. Drag the camera closer to the operator as shown in the image at right
Change the aim point to the corner of the control panel shown. 9 Test the animation. The camera should move at a constant speed between the key points.
Walk-through Animations 371
Smooth Camera Motion When moving a camera it is important to have smooth motion. This includes not on ly changes in speed. but also changes in direction and target point. When you watch professionally produced movies and commercials. you will almost always see cameras start smoothly and not change direction instantaneously unless they are trying to create a special effect. To smooth the camera motion, there are two key techniques: • Interpolation modes Ca mera motion should start with an Ease In and end with an Ease Out. Interpolation modes can also make significant changes in direction easier to view. • Spline paths When we use paths consisting of lines and arcs we have C1 continuity. The result is an instantaneous change where the line (curvature= o) joins the arc (curvature= inverse of the radius). Splines provide better paths for cameras as they have C2 continuity and are curvature continuous. In our last animation, the camera started instantaneously at the beginning of t he animation and moved at a constant speed until it started to turn. At that point, both speed and direction changed instantaneously. In the following steps, we will make a few simple adjustments to make the animation look better.
Add a beginning and end. Rather than have the camera in motion at the start and end of t he animation, we will add one second where the camera is stationary to both ends of the animation.
10
Copy the key point for the camera from
0
seconds to 1 second.
Move all the remaining key points 1 second to the right. Copy the final key point 1 second to the right.
Pause the camera motion. t\t t he point where the camera changes direction from moving along the outside of the assembly to ::Jollying in toward the operator. the camera should come to a stop and pause.
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Copy t he camera key from 16 seconds to 15 seconds. Move the key from 16 seconds to 17 seconds. As ~he keys we both copied and moved are exactly the same. the camera will be stationary between 15 and 17 seconds.
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Chapter 12
Add interpolation to key points. Change the interpolation mode of the following key points:
12
Use Ease In at 8 seconds. Use Ease Out at 15 seconds. Use Ease In/Ease Out at 20 seconds.
13 Play animation. This animation has been recorded as Walk_Through l .mp4 and is in the Videos folder. This animation is better, but probably not as smooth as we would like. We could make further improvements by using a spline for the camera path and controlling the target point better to slow do the speed at which the camera pans as it goes around t he corners.
14 Save. Leave the assembly open for the next case study.
Case Study: Walk-through with a spline path In this case study, the camera path will be defined by a sketch. In doing so, we will have a positive metr~ to control the camera movement that can be easily edit ed.
Storyboard In this case study, the camera will move along a predefined path so that we are viewing what a person would see by walking around the assembly and then up the stairs to the upper platform. This finished animation has been recorded as Walk_Through2.mp4 and is in the Videos folder.
Procedure Examine the model. Using the same Tank Flat assembly, select t he Model t ab.
1
Show the sketch named Camera path sket ch. Note that this sketch is part of the assembly and not in a component.
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Walk-through Animations 373
::Xamine the sket ch. This is a 30 sketch t hat will represent the pat h of a person walking through the ::ssembly. The sketch is composed of only lines and arcs.
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: Add a s pline. -o use the sket ch as a camera pat h, we should do two things. First, all the lines and arcs need to be ::onnected into a single pat h. Second. while the lines and arcs are tangent. t hey do not create a smooth ::hange of direction. To fix both of these problems we can just create a fit spline. =dit the sketch. Right-d ick any of the sketch elements and t hen click Select Chain.
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fJ Delete geometry :::Jdosed sp!a
Click Tools, Spline Tools, Fit Spline from t he menu. Clear both Delete geometry and Closed spline, t hen select Constrained.
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3 Add a camera. =or both Target by selection and Position by selection, select t he sketch spline.
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Set the Percent distance along selected edge/line/curve to 0 % for the camera ;JOsition and 1% for the target position. This positions the camera at the end of the spline aimed at a point just ahead of it along the spline.
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Name t he camera Path Ca mer a.
4 Create a new motion study. Name the new study Wa lk-th r ough-path.
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5 Edit camera movement. ~diit$@@ ,__ Right-dick the camera in the MotionManager design tree and dick Camera View. J% '0 j
Select Orientation a n d Camera Views and t hen Add/Updat e Key.
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374 Chapter 12
Move the time bar to 12 seconds. In the MotionManager design tree. double-click the Path Camera to edit it. Change the Percent distance along selected edge/line/curve t o 99% for t he camera position and 100% fo r t he target position.
7
Select Orient ation and Camera Views and then Add/Update Key.
8
6 Show the cameras. Right-click either camera and click Show Cameras.
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7 Play the animation. Disable the playback of view keys and change t he view so that you can see t he ent ire camera path. When you play the animation from the MotionManager, you can see t he camera moving along the sketch with t he target point just in front of the camera. Note You will also see the camera we created for the previous motion study. It will be stationary at t he position where it was left at the end of the motion study. You cannot hide this camera, but you can suppress it if you do not want to see it.
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8 Play the animation. Enable the viewing of Orient ation and Camera Views and play the animation from the MotionManager. We are now looking through the camera as it moves along the pat h. The prob lem we have is that this i::: not very interesting. Anyone act ually walking this path would be looking at the people and equipment rather than just st raight ahead. To make this happen is just a matter of adding some key points to the timeline to change the camera target point so that the camera will look at different things as it moves This is a good point to create an additional storyboard to understand what we are trying to achieve. ·the image on the next page, camera positions are numbered in magenta and target points are lettere: in yellow.
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Once the camera starts to move at 1 second, it will move at a constant speed until it pauses at 26 seconds. Only the camera target will change during the movement.
9 Create establishing shot. Drag t he Path Camera key point from o seconds to 1 second.
·o Lengthen animation. e
Jrag the Path Camera key point from 12 seconds to 31 seconds.
is that this is :equipment points to the s as it moves. to achieve. lr ; c:re letterec
Create Intermediate Points In some animations such as this one, we may start with only two key points defining the beginning and end of the motion. This provides good smooth motion, but we may want to modify t he t iming or add other events such as changing the camera target without changing the movement of t he camera along the path. Because the current camera controls are in percent distance along the path. how do we determine where the correct point is to edit the t arget point or stop the motion? The easiest way is to drag the time bar to the point where the camera is visually at the point where you want it t o stop. Then select the camera and click Add/Update Key fr:. . Once we have this key, we can copy it to create a motion pause or to have a key point to edit the properties of the camera.
376 Chapter 12
11
Change the camera target.
Move the t ime bar t o 2 seconds. Edit the Path Camera and change the target to the midd le of the forehead of the va lve operator (point A). Click OK. Note Because we edited the properties of the camera, and Autokey ~ is selected, a key point has been added to t he timeline. 12 Change targets.
From our storyboard. we can see that the camera needs to change its target point between 6 and 7 seconds. While we could move the time bar to 7 seconds and edit the camera, this would cause the camera to change targets beginning at 2 seconds instead of 6 seconds. What we need is a key at 6 seconds based on the same camera target as we have at 2 seconds. Move the time bar to 6 seconds. In the MotionManager design tree, select t he Path Camera. t hen click Add/Update Key. Move the time bar to 7 seconds and edit the camera. Change its target point to a point on t he tank at point B.
13 Repeat. Repeat the above procedure to create a key point at 9 seconds and then move to 10 seconds and chang& the camera's target to the console operator at point C.
14 Continue. Use the same procedure to create the camera changes from 16 to 18 seconds and again from 21 t o 24 seconds.
15 Pause and turn. Move the t ime bar to 28 seconds and add a key point for the camera. Copy the key point to 30 seconds. This stops the camera motion fo r 2 seconds. Edit the camera key point at 30 seconds and change t he target to the console operator at point C.
5
Walk-through Animations 377
: Adjust the timing. we stopped the camera for two seconds, the camera will move faster when it moves to the end : =the path. To correct this, we just need to move the last key point 2 seconds to the right so t hat the ·-: '"7ling is back to what we started with. =.~:::ause
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' ove the camera key point from 31 seconds to 33 seconds.
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C:;Jy this final key point to 35 seconds to create the end shot.
- Play the animation. ',e should now have an animation that is close to what we want.
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-te Throughout this case study, we used very specific times to have the camera target changes. This "as done fo r repeatability. Now that you have the basic animation complete, you can adjust the timing =,daim of the camera as you desire to make it smoother.
3 Save. Save the assembly but leave it open for the next case study.
Walk-through Function =:c-2 =-
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Walk-through function allows you to move a camera around a model ~ ~ ~~ !'!' . ,.~G qij ,IJUMf¥ilMu nm,iliiMO the use of the mouse and keyboard. Throughout the instructions =, d tool t ips, the camera is refered to as an avatar as we are simulating the ~ ~ Scene (Backdrop • Studio Room 2) 1ovement in the virtual reality of our mode l. The avatar's view is that of ou r c+) ~Lights .~ Cam!ra ~Cameral :amera. Because the avatar functions as a camera, most of the instructions ~Path Cam""' , this section will refer to camera movements to be more consistent with B ). Walk-through ).,_ Walk-through! :.1e previous material. ::-~rough
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- he Walk-through function is useful when examining or presenting a large plant design or any other large assembly that is easier visualized as if walking around and through the mode l. :-he Walk-through function is different from the viewpoint tools (pan, zoom, rotate, and roll) in two ways: • Viewpoint tools do not allow you to view the model from inside the bounding box so you cannot get inside a room. • The combination of controls allows you to move in multiple directions simultaneously.
/Jhere to Find It • Menu: View, Lights and Cameras, Add Walk-through • Shortcut Menu: DisplayManager. View Scene, Lights. and Cameras. right-click Walk-through, click Add Walk-through • CommandManager: Large Design Review>Add Walk-through UJ
378 Chapter 12
Walk-through Interface
Wolk-through QuiCk Start Instructions.
When a new walk-through is started, the Quick St art Instructions will appear to show the methods that can be used to move the camera.
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• Keyboard arrow keys Translat e the camera left, right, forward, or back. • Mouse wheel Translate the camera forward or back.
[] Don't show message again.
OK
• Left mouse button Pan and tilt the camera.
Walk-through PropertyManager The Walk-through PropertyManager controls the initial setup of the walkthrough. The Viewport Settings control our camera point of view by specifying which way is up and how far the viewpoint is above that plane. This is our camera height or the avatar's height of eye. Motion Constraints allow us t o move the camera along curves, planes, or faces. We can use 20 or 3D sketches, grid feat ures, reference planes, planar faces, or model edges. Multiple constra ints may be added in t he PropertyManager and ordered for ease of use. Only one constraint can be used at a time and that will be chosen while doing the actual wa lk-through.
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Selecting Turn avatar to follow paths means that the camera will face the direction of movement of the camera. This is like the previous case study where the camera target was on the same spline as the camera position.
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Walk-through Animations 379
, ralk-through Control Panel :1ce we st art a walk-through, the control panel will appear at the bottom of the graphics area. The :Jntrol pane l is divided into sections. Motion Motion controls the dolly, t ruck, and crane translations of the camera as well as changing the camera direction through the green arrows. The green arrows are dolly and t ruck movements while the blue arrows control the vertical motion of the camera or the camera crane movements. -+
The speed of the motion is set using numbers from 1 to 9. with 9 being t he fast est. View View controls the camera pan, tilt, and zoom. Record The walk-through can be recorded and saved for later playback.
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Constraints lf motion constraints were added in the Walk-through PropertyManager, they will be available in the list. You can change the constraint at any time by either selecting it from the list or cycling through the constraints with the Next and Previous arrows. ~...:.,L--e
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380 Chapter 12
Walk-through Controls To make a smooth wa lk-through animation or t o do a good live presentation. it is important to understand the different controls and t o be able to use them without searching for t he correct contrc Each of the control functions may be accessed in several different ways, so you should experiment witt he choices until you are comfortable moving the camera. Function Move Forward rd I... Q.l
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Walk-through Animations 381
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Walk-through Mini Panel To reduce the amount of screen area used by the control panel, you can click ~ to show just the movement controls. Click !Q to restore the full control panel.
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382 Chapter 12
Case Study: Walk-through Function We will use the Walk-through function to create a simple walk-through animation. As you can see frcthe definit ion of the fu nction, getting a precise animation will not be possible, so the instructions will t: more general and you should experiment until you become comfortable with the cont rols to move tr: camera.
Storyboard The storyboard is essentially the same as in the previous case study in that we would like to walk arm.:-: the assembly while looking at the two operators and climbing up onto the upper platform. Procedure
Open new walk-through. Continue using the assembly Tank Flat.sldasm.
1
Click the Model tab. Right-click Walk-through in the DisplayManager, View Scene, Lights, and Cameras, then click Add W2-:. through.
2 Select walk-through properties. As we already have the 3D spline path created in the assembly, we will use this for part of the anima~= Wit h t he Motion Constraints box highlight ed, select the spline in the assembly. Clear Turn avatar to follow paths. Clearing this option wilt allow us to look in directions other than wh:: we are moving. Click Start Walk-through. Click OK to dismiss the Quick Start Instructions if they appear.
Reset When moving the camera and its view it is possible to get lost as to where the camera is and where : pointing. There are toots and cont rols to help you locate the camera and find your way back to a kr.:position. • Map View The Map View gives you an overall picture of where the camera is and where it is pointed. • Home position You can establish a Home position at any t ime. Once it is est ablished, one click will ret urn the ccr:= to this posit ion. • Reset View Reset View returns t he camera pan and t ilt back to looking in t he direction the camera is movir&
Walk-through Animations 383
Home position. ~x-:
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M ap View
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we need to do is to get our camera to the end of the s: .ne and then record that point as our starting, or home, posit ion. .:::-: e the home position is recorded, we can return to it easily. - :1e Walk-through Control Panel, click Map View fE. This will : ::en a separate window to show us where our camera is located :=:--::1 which direction it is pointed. -:he Constraints area of t he Walk-through Control Panel, select S;~line l@Camera path sketch. This will lock t he camera to the :o:::ine. ~se th e green motion arrows to move the camera to the end of t he spline shown above and then use the =.1ows in the View section to pan the camera around so that it is looking in the direction of the spline .
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:::.tck Hide/Show Map. When moving around the assembly, the camera will move more smoothly if the -:ap is hidden.
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Move the camera.
J se the Move Forward arrow or roll the mouse wheel to move the camera forward a little bit. J se the View arrows to tilt up and pan left so that you are looking at the operator at t he valve wheel. Jnce the camera either pans or tilts from its initial position. Reset View 0 appears in the View section Jf the control panel.
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J se the arrow key to move the camera along the spline while using t he left mouse button to t ilt and pan :he camera to stay pointed at the valve operator.
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ote This is just for practice and to get a feel for th e controls. You can see t hat this is not precise.
6
Reset the view. Click Reset View to return the camera to looking in the direction of camera motion. 7
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Continue.
Continue moving the camera using the controls until you can move the camera similar to t he way it moved in the previous case study. 8
Return to Home.
Click Go Home -:g.
fm on the Walk-through Control Panel. This will take us back to t he starting point.
384 Chapter 12
Saving the Walk-through Walk-through animations can be saved just like MotionManager animations. The walk-through animatiois first saved in the assembly fi le. If desired, the walk-through can then be exported to an AVI fi le or series of images. To save t he walk-t hrough as you are moving the camera, first click Record on the Walk-through Contrc Pa nel or use the hot key R.
9
Start recording.
In the Walk-through Control Panel, click Record • . The t imer should st art moving. If it does not, you arE probably paused, so just click Pause 1110
Move.
Using t he cont ro ls, move the camera around the assembly to show how t he assembly would look to someone in the real facility. 11
Stop.
When you have finished moving t he camera, click OK open. 12
~
to stop recording. The PropertyManager w:
Play.
Click Play [8 and the walk-through will play. If the walk-through is not what you want, you must record it again as there is no way to edit the animation because we do not have a timeline to work with.
13 Save the animation. Save the animatio n. Click Generate Video ~ - The same options are available to save t he video as w-= have in a standard animat ion. Save t he animation as a Walk-through3.m p4 fil e.
14 Save and close all files.
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Using Camera Sleds in Animations
.... . ._
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Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Add a camera s led. • Add a camera t o t he camera sled.
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• Drive the camera s led with a motor. • Understand focal length and view angle of lenses. 1253
~
E ...;
-<:; h e:
c._
-
386 Chapter 13
Using Camera Sleds in Animations Camera sleds are a useful method to move cameras in certain situations. In this chapter we will ex;:::.. two cases where camera sleds are useful to get the point of view we desire for t he animations.
Topics This chapter includes the following topics: • What are camera sleds and why are they used
Camera sleds are not required to move a camera, but they are very useful in certain situations. • Adding a camera sled
The camera sled can be any movable geometry. You can use existing components or make a speocamera sled. • Adding a camera to the camera sled
The camera sled has att achment points, generally sketch geometry, built into it. The ca mera is attached so that it is properly aimed and oriented. Any component can be a camera sled. Cameras:... be attached to components so that the camera viewpoint sees what the component sees. • Moving and rotating the camera sled
The camera sled component can be moved and rotat ed. This movement effectively moves and rozthe attached camera. The camera sled can be moved using any of the techniques discussed in:previous chapters.
Camera Sleds A camera sled is any object that the camera is attached t o. There are generally only two use a camera sled as opposed to just moving the camera on its own.
r easo.~
• Point of view from the camera sled object This type of camera sled follows the object to which it is attached. Common examples of this W'::_ be the dashboard camera in a police car, cameras attached to racecars, a gun sight camera in aairplane, or a helmet camera on a skier. In each case the camera is unmanned and its point of vi::: determined by the position and direction of t he camera sled. • Driving t he camera motion in a way it cannot be moved on its own There are cases where we cannot drive a camera at varying speeds when using key points. If tr £ motion needs to be controlled by an equation, that cannot be done directly to the camera, but ;: be done to a part. When we drive a part using an equation, and attach the camera to the part, ~ camera is in turn driven by the equation.
Using Camera Sleds in Animations 387
..:J
i..
[S
5-:J
:mating a Camera Sled : J are go ing to create a Camera Sled as a Rotation =Je part, t here are several characteristics " " \ :Jnsider. As this camera sled is just a •. -..r-.11y part that is used to orient and Roll ::::::-'\ ' "=.-sport the camera, having geometry in orientation 'E ::amera sled to help orient the sled can ::e ::dvantageous. When done, the camera ~= is just a camera dolly like those used in -·=:elevision and film industry. --=Aiming Vector is a line, or two points,
..s=:::l to set the aim of the camera and its :-=s:tion in space. IS P-5
j
! j
· ' -
I
Aiming vector
-= -otate the camera sled, sketch geometry axes can be added to the part. --~ camera
roll (about the aiming vector) can be set using a planar face on t he camera sled.
·:e The shape of the camera sled does not matter as it is usually hidden when animation. It should, however, be physically large enough to move and -::ate easily when creating the animation.
-=:::~rd ing the
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Case Study: Camera Sled
a:J
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- -:s case study covers the use of a camera sled to :Jve a camera in an animation. Using an =.~:mation of a car moving around a closed path, 2 will use the car as the camera sled and create =~imations from the point of view of the driver as : II as from points around the car.
~ •
,
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388 Chapter 13
Storyboard In this animation, we will use the model of a car moving around a closed path. We would like to see how this motion looks from the driver's perspective as well as from other cameras positioned to follow t he car around the track.
D D Cameras Sleds in Animations
D
..
·'\~ ···-""
... !..>-
D
We want camera views from the driver's eye position, one from above and behind t he car, and a third camera looking down the side of the car.
D
The completed animation is saved as Moving Car_AM.mp4 in the Videos folder for this chapter.
D
D D D
D D D
D D
Open the assembly. Open the assembly Moving Car from t he Chapter 13\ Case Study\Camera Sled folder.
l
The assembly contains a model of the car and a roadway. 2 Open the car model. Open the part Vanquish. sldprt in its own window.
Examine the model. To use this model as a camera sled, it will be helpfu l to have specific points to attach and aim the camera.
,:
-
.
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Procedure
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Using Camera Sleds in Animations 389
Show sketches.
- :=:::h geometry has already been added to this model. Show the planes Driver Centerline. Drivers ==?-6, and View Points. Also show the sketches Camera Positions and View Circle.
c c:: I c:: ~
c:: ~
--e ~hree planes were added to support the sketches. There is a vertical plane named Driver --==.':erline through the center of the driver's seat. On this plane is the sketch named Camera ?-...S::tions. This sketch has two lines from the top of the driver's seat. The end point of one line =::-esents the position of the driver's eyes. The other line ends above and behind the car. This end point -..z- ~e used to position a camera that follows the car from above.
c: --~;e
is a plane named View Circle which is slightly below the driver's point of view. On t his plane is a with 12 reference points. These points can be used to aim the driver's camera to look around the :..- or as mounting points for other cameras. This view circle is purposely below the point where t he .::era will be attached at the driver's point of view so that the camera will see more of the roadway. =E-:ause we are in a modeling environment, we do not have scenery ext ending t o infinity so we want to - ~what the camera will see. ~:.e
-
~··
.~
nt'i
Driver's point of view
Make the assembly window active.
390 Chapter 13
5
Add a camera.
We did not add cameras in the part model as the animation will be created in the assembly. Add a camera and attach it to t he end of the sketch line shown in the image above that represents ~ driver's point of view. Aim the camera at the reference point Front. Name the camera Driver's -pcSe lect the 3Smm Wide Angle lens and an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
6
Add another camera.
Add a camera and attach it to the end of the sketch line t hat extends above and behind the car. Tt- s camera wil l follow the car. Aim the camera at the reference point named PointlO. Name t he came~ Follow.
Select the 3Smm Wide Angle lens and an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
7
Add another camera.
Add a camera and attach it to the end of the sketch line that extends above and behind the car. Th:S camera will fo llow the car. Aim t he camera at the reference point named Point7. Name the camera Follow.
Select the 3Smm Wide Angle lens and an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
Using Camera Sleds in Animations 391
Add another camera. .::a camera and attach it to PointlO and aim the camera at t he reference point named Point2. Name ~E ::amera Front.
:C : ct the 3Smm Wide Angle lens and an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
Hide reference sketches. - :2 t he sket ches Camera Positions and View Circle in the MGB part. Hide any planes that may be -::-,·;ing. : Open the motion study. ~E ect the motion study Car Motion. --Emotion study is already set up to have the car move around the track once in 14 seconds. :rtant! Because of t he complexity of the car model, the motion driver for t he car is a path mate -.::::>r and the mot ion study is Motion Analysis. All the principles would be t he same if we used a simpler -.::el in an Animat ion study type.
Select camera view Driver POV. :: ~~t-cl ick on Orientation and Camera Views, clear Disable view key creation, then switch to the ::::.ver POV camera view by right-clicking the camera and then clicking Camera View. The animation s ::een through the lens of the camera. : Calculate and play. - -=view during the animation is that of the driver of the car as it proceeds around the track. J
Change cameras. ::e the time bar to o seconds. Right-click the camera Follow and click Camera View.
Calculate and play. --=view during the animation is now from above and behind t he car as it proceeds around the track.
392 Chapter 13
15 Select remaining camera.
Repeat the above procedure and change to the Front camera. 16 Calculate and play.
The view during the animation now looks down the side of the car and views what is behind the car 2:: it proceeds around the t rack. 17 Alternate among three cameras.
With three cameras set up, we can change between the camera views at different times during the animation. Move the time bar to o seconds. In the MotionManager design tree, right-click the Driver POV car.:~ and click Camera View. Move the t ime bar to 4 seconds. In the MotionManager design tree. right-click the Follow camera a; click Camera View. Move t he time bar to 9 seconds. In the MotionManager design tree, right-click the Front ca mera c.~: click Camera View. 18 Calculate and play.
The camera view will now change between the three cameras during the animation. Important! Within the motion study, we cannot crossfade between cameras as they will jump dire::from one camera view to another. To crossfade between camera views, we will have to record sepc.? clips for each camera and then combine them in post-processing.
19 Change the scene.
The scene is not part of the animation and can be changed at any time. From the Heads-Up toolbar. Apply Scene and then select Courtyard Background. 20 Change configuration.
The part Road has two configurations: the first uses grass for the appearance of the ground arou;-: road, the second configuration uses cobblestone instead of grass. In the assembly, select the Moe= and then change the configuration of the Road part to Cobblestone. 21 Slow down the car.
The car makes one circuit of the road in 14 seconds. When we watched the motion from a positio- :the assembly, this looked acceptable; however. when our point of view is close to the car. it appea-s be moving much too fast. To slow down t he animation, change the playback speed to O.SX in the MotionManager toolbar.
Using Camera Sleds in Animations 393
Save t he animation. :::.c.e the animation as an AVI file.
=-·
:1 RealView on, we can see the reflections of the environment on the su rfaces of the ca r. Because the ~- -onment uses an outdoor image that includes the sun, we can see the highlight of the sun as the car _-s.
-.iditional Practice =have not taken this animation as far as it could go because of t he complexity of t he car model and -=resulting computational overhead to calculate the mates and animat ion. What else could we do with - s file to make it better? Depending on the use of the fina l video and the amount of time we have to -=~-< on it, t here are several additional things that we could do to make the video better. In t he first :::; era position, the car is moving on a curved road yet the steering wheel does not rotate. We could ..s=an angle mate to have t he steering wheel appear to turn the car. ~I
: 1e final camera view, the wheels of the car do not rot ate and the front wheels do not turn to fo llow :-E ...oad. An angle mate could be used to make the wheels turn to align with t he road and a rotary motor :: _,d make the wheels turn as if rolling on the road. We would only need to have two wheels rotate as - 1 the wheels on the left side are ever seen in the video.
=
;er_._
Jsed a stock environment for the scene that might not be very realist ic as a place for the car to drive; -.:·.ever, it illustrated the use of RealView to see how the reflections and lighting were ca lculat ed. For _ .:etter video, we would create a more complete road and locate a better image to use for the =--. ;ronment.
... • Save and close all files. C:.::rc.·...
:.ase Study: Hitchcock Effect -- s is the same case study as t he one in Chapter 11 where we moved a camera towards a block while :::-.::1ging the camera lens in an attempt to keep the edge the same size t hroughout the animation. This -=':ement is called a "Dolly Zoom" or a "Hitchcock Effect:' The term "Dolly Zoom" describes what is ~..:::::pening as t he camera dollies in toward the subject while the lens zooms out. The term "Hitchcock ==-=ect" comes from the use of this technique by Alfred Hitchcock in t he movie Vertigo. While this effect !: lore suitable for dramatic film than animations of mechanical systems. it is a good method to show N to use a camera sled driven by an equation. ~
i7€-
- ~hapter 11, we had a problem keeping the edge of the block at the same size while t he camera was -:::ving. In this case study we will use a camera sled to correct the problem and create the correct 21era motion.
394 Chapter 13
When we moved the camera through the key points, its motion was a series of moves, each at a different constant velocity. If we plotted the displacement vs. time, we would have a graph like the one shown, where slope of the curve wou ld be the velocity of the camera. At each key point the camera velocity changes abruptly as seen in the velocity vs. time graph.
LO
2.0
3.0
4.0
s.o
6.0
7.0
B.O
9.0
10.0
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T~me(s)
-L . ·····- - -----· L__\
I
~=·of ! 200.0f ~
~
150.01
100.0 50.0
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I
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U
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6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
~
Tme{s)
By using a camera sled, we can drive the camera sled, and therefore the camera, with a data point motor. By using the motor, we can input the same values used before. However, using a cubic interpolation, we will have a motor that is constantly changing velocity as seen in the lower graph.
LO
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0 Trne{s)
Using Camera Sleds in Animations 395
Procedure Open the assembly.
Jpen the assembly Hitchcock Effect from t he 8ase Study\ Hitchcock Effect folder. - , e assembly contains the model and sketches _sed in this case study. This is the same model _sed in Chapter 11. Create a motion study.
•arne the new motion study Data Points. Insert the camera sled.
-sert t he Camera Sled part found in the Case Study =::,der into t he assembly and mate it to the Camera ?-d.b. sketch line so that it will move along the line and -c: rotate.
Target Point
.....__
Attach the camera.
:-eate a new camera and attach it t o the camera sled at --£' sled's origin with the t arget being the target point on - e camera sled sketch. S=.ect Camera View. Define the motor. '-.::l a linear motor to push t he camera sled toward the blue and
:-:block. : -:ose a Data Points, Distance motor and input the fo llowing ;..:es. These displacement values correspond to the values ...s::l in Chapter 11. In Chapter 11. we defined t he motion as a -.e-:entage along the path. With the motor. we are defining :.-s:2nces from the start point which will be the end of t he =:ch line furthest away from the red and blue block. 2
~
Time (seconds)
Displacement (mm)
0
0
2
SOB
4
889
6
1143
8
1257
10
1340
::::t Cubic fo r the Interpolation type. Calculate.
-= : ..!late and play the animation. The camera should move toward t he block.
396 Chapter 13
7
Edit the camera.
The camera now must be edited at each 2-second point to change the lens.
8
Time (seconds)
Lens (mm)
0
200
2
135
4
85
6
so
8
35
10
24
Calculate.
Calculate and play the animation. We have essentially the same animation we had in the last chapte- _ we can improve the motion by adding and adjusting the motion of the linear motor.
9
Edit the motor.
Add additional data at 1. 3. s. 7. and 9 seconds. Adjust the other displacement values as shown. Note The individual values were determined by t rial and error.
Time (seconds)
Displacerne.(mm)
0
0
1
290
2
495
3
710
4
889
5
1035
6
1143
7
1205
8
1257
9
1305
10
1340
The displacement vs. time curve now has data points every second.
Tllll
Using Camera Sleds in Animations 397
: Calculate. : ::,culate and play the animation.
- -e completed animation is provided in the Videos folder as Camera Sled Data Points.mp4. : tice that the new points we added were all above the original curve so that between each of the :-'gina[ points, the displacement must change quickly at first and then slow down. The edge of t he block s 1early a consistent length throughout the animation. If our goal is to keep it absolutely consistent, we :: Jid add additional points and continue to adjust the values until we are satisfied. Or, we can take a : -=;erent approach through a greater understanding of focal length.
-ens Focal Length -en we change the focal length of a lens during the animation, we are changing the view angle. By :.:.::ault, this will be a linear interpolation. ::!"
-: understand the effects on our camera view, we need to understand how the viewing angle, focal =-gth and view area are related. The lenses used in SolidWorks are based on the 3Smm camera as that <: :'le most widely used camera fo rmat in photography. - -adians, the view angle is calculated as a
=
2 x atan!!... where
2f
a = view angle d =size of the film or sensor in the measured direction. The view angle of t he film or sensor may be 11easured horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. With all lenses in SolidWorks, the view angle is the :ertical view angle and the size is measured vertically. For t he 3Smm cameras, the fil m size is :24 x 36 mm, so 24mm is used for the calculations. f = focal length
398 Chapter 13
A plot of t his equat ion is shown below. Vie w Angle vs. Focal l e ngth 200
-r-- -- - - -
180 .--- - -- -- - - - 160
+1\t-----------~ -------------
1 40 ,_\- \ -- - - - -- - -- - - - - - .fl
120
!
100
1 :>
so
----
+-+\ _ _ __
~- - - - - - - - -- -- - - - --
•.. \ \.
--
-~"'---------------
60 40
_
.....___
- -- - -- - - - -
~=:~~-::::::=:~~~~~~~
20 0 +--r----r---r--r---.---,..-
0
so
100
~so
200
FOGII Length
Because this is a trigonomet ric function. the results are not linear and the angle of view does not :r linearly with the reciprocal of the focal length. However, except fo r wide-angle lenses (focal lengths :are less than somm). it is common pract ice in photography to approximate the field of view as a :::. = Focal Length vs. View Area Doubling the foca l length cuts the view angle in half. The result is that we see only one quart er o=area.
Using Camera Sleds in Animations 399
=.·1e are changing the focal length linearly over time, the dist ance to t he target point must change eit her the square of t ime if we are moving t he camera away from the ta rget, or as the inverse square of --.e if we are moving the camera towards the target. 5
Duplicate the study. :_;:>licate t he motion study and name it Camera Sled Equation . : Delete key points. :.=:ete all the key points for the camera except at
0
seconds.
3 Add camera key point. -:d a camera key point at 7-45 seconds and set the camera lenses to 24mm. t'hy 7-45 seconds? - -e intent was to have the camera lens change focal length at a rate of 2Smm per second. This would :-eate an animat ion of 7.04 seconds t o go from 200mm to 24mm. The problem as we saw in the graph := Focal Length vs. View Angle is t hat the a ~
i
approximation is no longer valid below somm,
-:suit ing in t he added t ime needed. While t his could be figured out mat hematically, it was fast er to do :.::;es i10i:
=. .ttle trial and error t o obtain a suitable number.
o'3'1i
e-:gths ::-z~-·,
c:s a :::=::
- Enter expression. .=::t the linear mot or. Change the Motor Type to =xpression, Displacement. - "Je the expression:
..c-:er of 7::
--5.20'.'(1/ (TIME+l))
~N
u -
~
-100o.oT
:e At o seconds, the camera sled is 1.520mm =-:m the target. As time increases, t he linear -::tor will continue to approach the edge, but it .I never go beyond the edge.
.
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il
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3 .0
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u
u
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u
4.0
5.0
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7.0
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15
--e plot of velocity vs. t ime is now a smooth
~
2
-lSOO.O
1500.0.!
\
:
1000.0
j
500.0
\
5 Calculate and play. - -e motion is now very smooth. The target edge :=the block stays the same size throughout the ::-::mation and the background changes size linearly wit h t ime.
1.0
Tme(s)
- _,e completed animation is provided as Camera Sled Ex pression.mp4 in the Videos folder.
S Save and close all open files.
SolidWorks Motion
Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Have a basic understanding of the capabilities of SolidWorks Motion as they relate to creating animations.
402 Chapter 14
Chapter Scope As the title of this book states, our goal is to create animations using the core funct ionality founc SolidWorks. There may be times, however, when you need to go beyond the capability found in co-= SolidWorks and use the Motion Analysis study type using SolidWorks Motion to obtain the requi-e= result. The goal of this chapter is not to cover the specifics of SolidWorks Motion, but only to hig~ ~ some of its capabilities that apply to creating animations. The specifics of SolidWorks Motion are covered in the training course SolidWorks Motion available from your SolidWorks reseller.
Topics • SolidWorks Motion
There are many capabilities in SolidWorks Motion. Understanding these capabilities can help determine when to use these capabilities and when to use something else to create the anima: -::;• Event-based Motion
This capability is available in SolidWorks Simulation Professional and Premium.
SolidWorks Motion The primary purpose of the Motion Analysis study type is to use SolidWorks Motion (formerly c2 :-: COSMOSMotion) to determine analytical solutions to motion problems. The output goal is usual~ numbers and graphs rather than an animation. However, as part of the result, the Mot ion Analysis s:_ type does create animations that can be saved in exactly the same way as the other motion study:- _
Motion Analysis Study Type A mechanism is a mechanical device that has the purpose of transferring motion and/or forces f•=source to an output. Motion analysis is simply the study of such moving systems or mechanisms. -motion of any system is determined by the following: • • • • •
Mates connecting the parts The mass and inertia properties of the components Applied and reactive forces to the system Driving motions Time
This same list applies to the Basic Motion st udy type as they both must solve the physics of the mechanical system. Notice in the above list, free motion is not one of the motion types and point-::: point motion is not a method used in this study type. A key fact is that all motion comes from so me~ _ of driver that is then transmitted through mates or contact and is based on the laws of physics. 1= need to combine motion created in a Motion Analysis study wit h point-to-point motion, the MoticAnalysis study can be imported into the Animation study through the Animat ion Wizard just as we . . , with Basic Motion.
SolidWorks Motion 403
-.c:;ty four.::: t:: ~::::,d
in co•~ · :he requi;-E: :'(',,y to hig7- ~ '.'otion ere e-_
::ca help --e anima:: :::-
:-e thing that you will notice when using a Motion Analysis study type is that the solution times will be =-ger as the solvers are optimized for accuracy rather than speed. This is the opposite of what we saw ~ 3asic Motion. -en doing a motion ana lysis. we do not do repetitive cycles of motion as the results should be the x..-,e in every cycle. However, when our goal is an animation, repetit ive motion may be required, which ::2:.~ lead to very long solution t imes. ln some cases. it may be sufficient to do one cycle in Motion --alysis and then copy it several times after it has been imported into an Animation study. ','hy Motion Analysis for an Animation? -y would we use SolidWorks Motion and a Motion Analysis study to create an animatio n? The primary :3son would be to gain access to additional tools that are on ly available in a motion analysis.
S:;ne of t he additional capabilities we gain by using SolidWorks Motion:
;~erly
c.:
2:
.S USl!a.,
.:-1alysis £"~ :- s~ucly :-:-=~
· ~.:rces f-c- :-:a1tsms. """"E
Different solvers :-he solution of the motion problem ;-equires numerical methods to solve simultaneous equations. The solvers used by SolidWorks Motion are optimized for accuracy rather than speed. When the PhysX solver used in 3asic Motion is unable to solve the motion study, moving to a Motion Analysis study type may offer a solution.
~
Advanced Motion Analysis Options Advanced Notion Analysis Options
Integrator TYP
iB .
GSTIFF
Maximum l!"'abons
/STIFF
!ntial Integrator St.p Si"'
0.000 !000000
l"'irWrun Integrator St.p Size
0.0000001000
Maximum Integrator St.p Sill!;
0. 0100000000
I
OK
l
I
CMx:el
I
I
Help
I
~ ~.-
~
Jacobian Re-evaluation
:s ::.~the ::.-c :Joint-:::
.::-.some•x : :--vsics. ~ ~·~ ,_e ~Jiotio: _5~
as we::..:
In Basic Motion, we had little control over the solver, but in SolidWorks Motion, we can not only choose from three different solvers. but we can also control the initial solution step size and limits.
{]
Event-based motion All of our animations have been created as time-based motion studies. That is, events are designed to occur at specific points in time. These have been designated through the use of key points on the time line. If we lengthen the time for a given step, we may have to move all the downst ream key points manually to keep the remaining animation steps in t he proper order.
404 Chapter 14
Event-based motion is based on actions that result from triggering events. This is similar to real we-: controls where sensors are used to determine if an object is in position and once the object is re2: some other event must occur. In event-based motion, actions of motors and other drivers can be triggered by sensors rather than at a specific time. Event-based motion is available with SolidWorks Simulation Professional and Premium. Event-based Motion Example In the sorting device, blocks are dropped into the hopper. Play the video Sorting Device found in the Videos fo lder for this chapter. Two sensors will determine if the block has a hole in it or not. If there is a hole, Actuator l will push the block to the second position; if there is no hole it will only be pushed to the first position. After Actuator l retracts. either Actuator 2 or Actuator 3 will push the block into the appropriate bay. The motion of Actuators 2 and 3 is triggered by the sensors and the retraction of Actuator l.
SolidWorks Motion 405
ar to rea l woe-: a~ject is reac l'lers can be
Motors Motors work the same in SolidWorks Motion as they did in both Animation and Basic Motion study types. There are two significant additions to motors in SolidWorks Motion:
m.
·:· When defining the motor type as Expression, the expression can use variables other than time in the equat ions of motion. Any solution variables, such as ve locity. displacement. and acceleration, just to name a few. can be used in the driving expression for a motor. ·:· Stepper motors are available in event-based motion. Their motion can be t riggered by events. Forces and torques Forces and torques can only be applied in SolidWorks Motion. They are defined similar to the way motors are defined:
~
~ ..
r--~a:c:-1 >.. _
·:· ·:· ·:· ·:· ·:· ·=·
Constant Step Harmonic Segment s Data points Expression
Contact Geometry accuracy can be defined t o a much higher level. Instead of just a simple slider. the precision used can be specified through a spin box. or it can be defined as Precise Contact.
i
Basic Mot ion
-
Frames per second:
116 Geometry AcciX
High
J
When Precise Contact is selected, t he actual equations of the surfaces are used rather than tesselation data.
~'
r.
: 'ii
0
ArWnate duTw;J sirr
0
Replace redundant mates
~5
with bushln\ls o.JF'
30 Cont
Low L-
aoth static and dynamic friction can be applied between the contacting components.
*
Motion Analysis
Frames per second:
j
Low
*j
-~ #Ot~
30 Contact Resolutoo:
J
Hcjl
Low
J
HiQh
A Restitut ion Coefficient can be applied to ca lculate t he bounce after impact. Rigid groups Components that have no relative motion to each other can be grouped t ogether to ease the solution requirements.
I Plot Def aults. .• I Advanced Options... I_j
406 Chapter 14
• Mates
SolidWorks Motion has the ability to suppress redundant mat es and replace t hem with bushings All mate types can be used in SolidWorks Motion except the Width limit mates. Mates are considered to be joints in an ana lysis where t he friction, stiffness. and damping can b:= defined.
t~r-,_ z Component Display:
I I Isolate
components
2540000NAn !25400 N·slln
j
ON
r0Fnc:tion P~ameters:
0 Spe
Specfy coeffi::ient
y
z
• Friction
Friction can be added through joints (mate properties) or contact properties. Friction can eitr:=- _ defined discretely or through the material on each element of the joint. • Dampers
Damping can be added to springs or as discrete elements. • Springs
Spring constant and damper can be either linear or nonlinear. Both the Spring Constant (kxe) c.-: Damping Coefficient (eve} can have integer values from -4 to +4.
SolidWorks Motion 407
::;: =_s=-~.
'=.c:.=:--
r
en to Use SolidWorks Motion - 2 SolidWorks Motion provides many excellent capabilities, you must keep in mind that our goal is :: :;-eate an animation, not an analysis. With this in mind, you would not use SolidWorks Motion to create - =-• imation of a system with either free or kinematic motion as there is nothing to be gained except -=::essary complication and the possibility of not getting the animation you want after spending a lot -::-e time than would have been spent using an Animation motion study. As discussed in Chapter 9. ~=• Basic Motion is our choice to create the animation for a system, but it lacks the capability to solve -.: --;10tion, So\idWorks Motion may be a suitable option for solving the problem.
:ase Study: Fly-Ball Governor - :::1apter 9. we tried to create an animation of the
=- -3all Governor using a Basic Motion study. We £ ,1\'
that this animation was beyond the capability
::= 3asic Motion and that we had two choices: :::;:>te an animation using an Animation motion or move to SolidWorks Motion. We saw that -= animation could be created with the Animation ~::tio n study quite easily. Now we will look at the :::. :ernative, using SolidWorks Motion.
~dy,
will initially set up the animation as we did in =-~pter 9 and then run it with SolidWorks Motion. 2
:~e If you do not have SolidWorks Premium -:;tailed, you will not be able to do this case study.
r~~-::.- -=·-
i f; a- =
408 Chapter 14
Procedure 1 Open an assembly. Open the Fly Ball Governor.sldasm from the Case Study\ Fly Ball Governor folder.
2
Create a motion study.
Create a new motion study. Name it FB GOV_BM. Select Basic Motion for t he Type of Study.
3
Add gravity.
Add gravity at the default value in the -Y direction.
4
Add contact.
Add contact between the lower arm and t he base. This limits the downward travel of the linkage at slow speeds.
5
Add a spring.
Add a linear spring between the circular edges of Links-2 and the Center Shaft. Use the settings shown. e
k1:
i(lneor)
~
v
--cl
k ~j;;;.~ :
~I j lOO.OOOmm ~ :
0 Update to model
Displ ay
"] :
!i~ ~
~:
0 \2-SOOnvn
]:
'---
j .
chanQes
18 \ZS.OOOmm
I
-.....
SolidWorks Motion 409
--- ----- -
I[Q Segrre~s ~ ~~
.-..=d motor. :
.:older.
-:~tary
motor to the upper arm. L ink-1 .
- =motor type to Data Points, Velocity. Select Cubic Spline - =Interpolation type.
JT_h
DetaPoits
Volu
Interpojation type:
Import Data and load the file Motor Speed. txt from the __.:, fold er. This is a comma-delimited text file where the first -, is t ime and the second co lumn will be velocity. The :·>tg plot of Velocity vs. Time is shown below.
I Tme s Os
1Cubic Spline
~oata...
7SO.OO~egls
as
Tl Tl
.=-:J
Volle
10s
7s
I
I
!Is
1s
2s
~·
•
~ (s)
o OOdeg.ls 250 OOdegls SOO OOdegls 750 OO~ews 750 OOde!lfs 500.GOdegls 500 OOdegls 750.00degls SOO OOdeg.ls
Ss 6s
.::z:..:!
!Velocity {deg/s)
!J:essoo
Cick to ll
'
=:: ~
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0 Tme(s)
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
11.0
Calculate. --= calculation will fail before there is any meaningful movement
-.. 1ternate Choices =saw in Chapter 10 that we could use an animation study as one alt ernat ive. In addition, we could try -: ::se a very high frame rate such as 5,000 fps with a change in the contact parameters and might : :ssibly get a solution, but the result would be a very large file size as t his is a 10-second animation. so ::.,:::mo fps would result in 50,001 frames. That would be a very large file. =we really want to solve the physics of the problem to obtain our animation, the only other choice is to -=:e SolidWorks Mot ion.
Duplicate the study. :reate a duplicate study and name it FB GOV_MA
9 Change the study type. :::nange the motion st udy type to Motion Analysis.
·o
Calculate.
-he study will now run using t he default settings; however, t here is too much oscillation in the vertical 1 ovement of the mechanism.
410 Chapter 14
11
Add damping.
Edit the linear spring. Select Damper and change the value of C to 1.00 N/(mm/s). Note While we could have selected Damper in the Basic Motion study type, it would not be calcL ~ 12 Calculate.
This time. we get a solution that is more realistic. 13 Close all open files.
Review When the Basic Motion study type cannot solve the motion due to its limitations, we can either t~ Animation study type or Motion Analysis study type. The Motion Analysis study type can sometimes be run with no add itional changes ot her t han to c .a-the motion study type. Whtle t his worked in this case, additional changes could be required depe-:. on the situation. We learned in Chapter 9 t hat we could reduce the time step in Basic Motion by using frame rat es c.~ 40 fps. The problem with this approach is t hat the file size increases proportionally because we c.-= capturing a frame at each time step. By using So lidWorks Motion, we can use a very sma ll t ime ste: _ contro l t he frame rate separately and keep t he file size smaller. SolidWorks Motion has much more capability to solve motion problems than Basic Motion, but :-~ solution times are longer. To put this in perspective, in SolidWorks Motion the default initial ste:: : for all solvers is 0.0001 seconds. ln Chapter 9 we saw that the defau lt step size in Basic Motion is: _ seconds (1/40 of a second). Therefore, SolidWorks Motion is taking 250 steps for each step in Bo Motion. Event-based motion can be used to simulate mechanisms based on trigger event s rather than jus: To learn more about SolidWorks Motion, see the training course SolidWorks Motion available frc~ SolidWorks reseller.
- ---- . : : _
SolidWorks Motion
I
~ - -- - - ----------- - ----- -------- ------- ---- ------------
ary of Motion Drivers Vl
c::
..><:
0
+:: ro E
·c: <( 2:Es
-""E'"
-y; -:_
=
r:::.:s a:::~
c
'E:a:'!'
res:::-. ~
· ~ =.cs= -1!::: ;:__________
I
I •
-
411
'0
c:: .~ ~
$
~:a
-
Vl
0
·-"""0 ~:a
Dist ance
X
Angle
X
Pat h
X X
-'otor
~
z
Difficult to use beyond 180°.
Friction
@
Vl
cv
"""0 Basic Motion limited to standard mates. Width mate not supported.
~
==mact
§
-o ·-
X
X
Fiction can be defined on the Analysis tab of the mate PropertyManager.
Constant Speed
X
X
X
Distance
X
X
X
Oscillations
X
X
X
Harmonic oscillations.
Data Points
X
X
X
Input values directly or import from file. Three interpolation modes .
Segments
X
X
X
Expression
X
X
X
Time is the only variable available in Animation and Basic Motion.
X
Used in event-based motion.
Stepper Spring Linear Spring
3 X
X
X
Nonlinear Spring
X
Spring + Damper
X
Speed can be changed du ring animation.
412 Chapter 14
VI
c
0 ~
1'0
.5 c <(
Damper Force
'
"
~
c
-~ :3 VI 0 ~~
.... 0
5 §
·- ....0 -
-o ·-
s:~ X X
VI
....0 Ql
0 Pr
z
Dampers can be added separately and be linear or nonlinear.
!)
Forces can be defined with most of the same types as motors.
..__
• Ill
-
Output and PostProcessing ately and be lOSt
of the
J pon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: Understand the needs for post-processing of animations. Create a video from images. Understand the basics of post-processing. Add titles. effects, and transitions to video clips. Analyze how post-processing affects t he requ irements of the video clips you create.
414 Chapter1S
Output and Post-Processing Our goal in this chapter is to explore the options t o output our animation into a usable form and t he options available for basic post-processing.
Why Post-Processing? Except for simple animations, the output recorded for SolidWo rks is not fully complete for most presentations. Depending on the fina l product desired, post-processing may be used for these actio~.::. • • • • • • •
Comb ine multiple clips into a longer video Combine individual images into a movie file Add titles and logos Add sound and narration Add video and audio effe cts Change the movie file type Compress the output for better portability
Video Editing Video editing is a long and involved topic and beyond t he scope of this book. It is also very subjectiv= and knowi ng when t he video is done is as much a matter of deadlines as it is of achieving the desire:: results. We will explore only rudimentary video editing. just to get an appreciation of what may hap;::Eto the clips we create in SolidWorks. This is important so t hat you can save t ime by not having to rew:: clips that will be post-processed later into longer videos.
Topics The topics covered in this chapter: • Output considerations
One of the first items in our planning is to define what the output will be. This should include suethings as the file type, output size, aspect ratio, compression method, and t he need for postprocessing. • Post-processing
Post-processing is any operation we do after we have created t he animation output file(s) in SolidWorks. In video editing this generally means the process of combining clips and add ing tit.;=-s transitions. audio, and special effects. • Post-processing software
There are many software programs available to post-process our clips. Microsoft Windows cc- s with a simple video editing program called Windows Live Movie Maker.
Output and Post-Processing 415
=.J:CCs 3:X:
i:C-'5=""
::::::cs are important to t he video editing process as they have a significant influence on the size :o:c ;uality of the finished video. -..ation Output -c: .e seen in the previous chapters t hat there is only one video file type that can be created directly SolidWorks, and t hat is the AVI file type. There are many other video f ile types in common use. ·1V: Windows Media Video ?G: MPEG Video File
:?4: MPEG-4 Video File :
--:-.5 s similar to st ill images. If we see an image on our screen, we do not know if it is a TIF, Targa, PNG, · ::s file. Similarly, when we see a video playing on the screen, we do not know which file type it is. The .:-o::·: 'tance of the different file types is that whichever one we choose must be compatible with the ::ack program. Not all playback programs play all video file types. In this book, we have been using -:::.3ws Media Player as it is normally loaded with the Windows operating system, is free, and plays ~:common video file types. There are, however, many other programs available to play video files.
=-:s:-Processing Functions --~-e are many projects where additional information is needed in the video: E-
- -1otations :leS - ext - :ghlight arrows 3ackground music •.arration - .e it is possible to put some of these items into an animation created in SolidWorks, they are beyond -at the product is designed or intended to do and are very tedious. If you regularly make animations, (:- can use one of the many products available for editing video such as Windows Live Movie Maker, -=:'-ISmith Camtasia Studio®, and Adobe Premiere®, to name just a few.
416 Chapter 15
For anything other than simple animations, some degree of post-processing may be required. When\'= watch a movie, we know t hat the entire movie is not filmed as a single, nonstop process, but rather as : large array of film clips that are then spliced together to form the final movie. Special effects, musi::. and t itles may also be added to improve the final product. When we edit video. we can think of the individual animations made in Solid Works as the individual c:·::: a video producer will make that will then be put together in an editing package. Even if you are only responsible for creating the animation clips in SolidWorks. but not responsible-_ the post-processing. having a basic understanding of how the clips are used can save a lot of time reworking the animation clips. In the introduction, we said that there were only three things we did in animations: change compor?""" positions, change properties, and change viewpoints. ln post-processing there are also just a few bs things we will do: • Clip editing During the editing process. the individual clips are not embedded in the editing software. They.::= linked to the original files, essentially the same way in which a SolidWorks assembly does not er..:e component fil es, but rather has reference links to them. Clip editing generally consists of the following:
·=· Clip order The individual clips can be inserted and repositioned on the timeline. Clips can also be reusec as components can be used many times in an assembly.
.~
·:· Clip trimming Frames can be trimmed from t he beginning or end of a clip to remove unwanted frames or to cc-= timing issues. ·:· Clip transitions Transitions from clip to clip are rarely jump cuts where the first clip just ends abruptly and thE-_ clip starts on the next frame. Instead, some form of transition is generally used where one clip"'?.:. out and the other fades in.
Output and Post·Processing 417
e.::-......-ed. ..:.--e:" ;s
:J~
and annotations -- es can be added to separate frames or over the animation clips.
~es
rc::;er
e.r.;ects. ~
~e .adiviC...!c
- - :Jtations are like titles in that they add additional information to the animation. They could be text :; -:nages such as arrows, or a combination of both, such as ballooned text to call attention to certain =:;-i;as of the annotation. You might also add a company logo to the entire animation in one of the :::-ners.
::
: -espons;:;.= c . a~ o.c t:~;~
!.!Jdio -_dio can be added as background music, for impact or narration.
:-ge COrt:);._.
=ormat :-;ce the editing is complet e, the final file is created. The type of file (<'.AVI, *.MP4, etc.) and : : mpression are chosen and the final file is created as a standalone without links t o other files.
, ...!St
a r t•'
-
eo Editing Programs - -e:-e are many video editing programs available on the market t oday. If you are regularly creating
::c:Js of your products, it may be a good idea to have one available and spend a little time learning its -=::Jres. It is not the intent of this book to teach you how to use any of the specific video editing · "":'E,rams, but it is easier to understand some of the concepts if we see how some of the programs .2'"':::He our video clips.
.·rc:e. •he:· :r:: cces 1o : :::~-
:~e editing program that
:Je reusec :st.
is provided with the Windows operating system is Windows Live Movie Maker. - :; easy to use and has the capability to add sound, titles, and transitions. Because it is a rudimentary .: ...: gram, it has some limitations; however, if you need a basic program to edit clips t ogether and add :::-~sitions and titles, it is a good program to use.
es or to coil::o:l
- -:nid-range program is Camtasia Studio from TechSmith. Camtasia Studio is used frequently t o capture :.:::-een action and narration for training and collaboration purposes. It is also quite good at editing video : :JS.
-:obe Premiere is a higher-end product with a lot more capability; however, it may be too much in both :: st and learning overhead for basic editing.
:.y and the ,...e ? :x 1e clip fa:.=-:
: is important to have a basic understanding of the steps required to produce the fina l movie as this : :-ocedure affects the way we create the source dips.
External References .'ost video edit ing software deals with the individual clip files as external references in a manner similar :: the way SolidWorks deals with component files. When you edit d ips in the t imeline, the actual clips ::-e not embedded or changed. If frames are trimmed off the end of a clip, they are not deleted. Instead, ::1e editing software stops displaying the unwanted frames. If you later edit the sequence and want to ::dd the frames back in, the editing software just shows the frames from the external reference file .
j
418 Chapter 15
Timelines Almost all video editing programs use the time line as the primary user interface. While the specific to::: of each program are different, you can see in the following images that t he time lines are similar. TechSmith Camtasia Studio
Adobe Premiere ;00
00;00;08;00
00;00; 16;00
1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I !1 I I f t I I I I I I I I I
l1
00;00;21;00
I I I I I I I I I I I I I
It I
00;00;32;00 l1 til I
I I I I I I I 1I I J I
00;00;10;00
00;00;~
I I I I I I I I I I !1 I I I I I I II I I 1 1
Robotl.avi'OpacK'(:Opocity•
~
Video Compression Video compression is different from compression of image files. With image files, t he compressic- _ part of the file format If you save an image file as a JPG, the amount of compression can be chosewhile saving the file and you do not have the choice of a different compression. With video files, yo_ save a fi le type using different compressors as t hey are independent of the video file format In SolidWorks, the only video file format that we can save to is the AV I file type, but we can choose whatever video compressor we have available on the computer. When you intend to post-process your animations, it is better not to compress the AVI file when x the animation from SolidWorks fo r several reasons. First, if you're going to be editing the AVI and 2: J. music or voice-over, or splicing two AVIs together, you will want to avoid compressing the vi deos~ as that will result in reduced quality. Second, some video editing programs give you access to me-= compression options than SolidWorks does, which will give you more control over the quality of::-.:: compression. Once you are done editing, you can t hen compress t he final video you produce.
3
Output and Post-Processing 419
=. ::eriment with different CODECs. because different CODECs will be better or worse for each : S J E: ...::: : ·:--·
zz- ""ilation you do. Also. some CODECs have limitations that can cause trouble. For example, the
:s - ~
-osoft Video 1 CO DEC tends to produce corrupt AVIs if t he widt h and height of the image are too C5e. and it also has a limited color range. --= same CO DEC can give very different results depending on the options settings you choose.
-ransitions -::1sitions are t he way we go from one clip to the next. With the exception of the jump cut. the other -=~sitions available have an overlap period where frames from both the clip that is ending and the clip - Bt is starting are playing simultaneously. One of the most widely used transitions is the crossfade. :::....:1ing the overlap period, the opacity of the ending clip changes from 100 percent to o percent :::tnpletely visible to completely transparent} while the starting clip goes from 0 percent to :.J percent.
=:J:!,·
=·;e are only responsible for creating the clips but someone else does the editing. why do we need to
..., ::e chaser c : ~:es. Y~- 3""" r-:at. .n r. moose
Jnpress~o-
e Nhen sc:
~
r.. .~. and cc:: .:.:
e ·:ideos ~· ::= to more .:ality of t'">e
-·:m about transit ions? The importance of understanding transitions is what happens in the overlap : =-iod. If the clip is exactly the correct length for the time it is supposed to play. what happens during --=transition? Some editing programs will just duplicate the starting frame of the clip during the :asition period. This may be satisfactory in some cases. but in others it may not look very good. ·: :-.sider what would happen if we crossfade into something that is supposed to be rotating. If the first : ""ile is just duplicated, during the crossfade the object will be stationary. At the end of the crossfade -~object will start rotating Oust like a jump cut}. If we know that all our clips will have t ransitions added :....:ing the editing process, we could make the animation clips longer so that the object is rotating as the ::-::::ssfade occurs. Think of scenes you have watched on television or in t he movies of t he actua l -:;viemaking process. The director always calls for the camera to start rolling before the action =IITlences and the action commences before the scene actually starts.
r tles and Annotations ::: =ferent video editing programs have different capabilities for adding t itles and annotations. Generally - :.2s can be added to their own frames or over the top of the video. The tit le is essentially just a layer. ~- --JOt ations can also be added as a layer or layers over our video to draw attention to some action or :,...::Jvide explanation. We might also choose to put a company logo in one corner of the screen and have - ::artially transparent like a watermark.
55
'" 0 _ ._.__
- He we will not discuss the specific steps to add titles or annotations into a video. what is important ' _- us when creating the animation clip is to have planned out where t he t itles and annotations will .!!::::ear on the screen. This should be part of t he storyboard so t hat we can plan the camera positions to ::.- oid having the problem of titles going over multiple it ems and backgrounds where they are hard t o = cd.
420
Chapter 15
The key to this process is a good storyboard where you define all the elements that will go int o each c:-: during creation as well as in post-processing.
Looping When some action in the animation continually repeats, it can be much easier to create a clip of one cycle of motion, then add it to the time line multiple t imes in the editing programs. This is especially t r: = when you have to render to Photo View 360 as it can save you a significant amount of time.
Parallel Processing Creating rendered animations using PhotoView 360 can be a very long task as you have to render ec::;frame separately. If we are doing an animation that is 20 seconds long and we are rendering 20 frare5: per second, that is 401 frames (20 x 20 plus one frame at 0 seconds) that must be rendered. If you c: :. test render of a frame and find that it takes 5 minutes to render, you can expect the whole animatic- -= take about 2,005 minutes, which is over 33 hours. SolidWorks does not currently have a method to utilize multiple computers to speed up the rende- -: However, by using post-processing techniques to add separate clips to the same time line, we can:..:;:: multiple computers to our advantage. Steps to take once we are ready to create the rendered animation: Copy the complete files (or have them accessible) to all t he computers that are available for task. 2. Use each computer to render only a specific section of the total animations. 3. Import all the clips into a video editing program. 4. Splice together the clips. 5. Produce the file animation file.
1.
•=
Because there are no transitions to apply as each clip starts on exact ly the next frame after the= frame of the previous clip, it is a simple matter of just import ing the clips and dropping them on :..,c timeline in t he correct order. Important! When you have different computers render different sections of the animations, mak::you render the correct number of frames. As a simple example. suppose you had a two-second ani-z that you were going to render at 10 fps and you were going to use two computers, each renderir5If you had t he first computer render from zero to one second and the second computer render fr::to two seconds. you would have an extra frame which would cause a slight interruption of the rr.:-
lf you just rendered on one computer, t here would be a tot al of 21 frames (2 seconds x 10 fps +- at zero). If you used two computers. each rendering one second, each would render 11 frames for:: of 22 frames. The problem is that both computers rendered the same frame at 1 second.
Output and Post-Processing 421
p into eac- :::
a clip of o;;£ especially...,.,. ~o
·~.
: o render ea:" r:.1g 20 ~rc-e rt=::!. If yoL o: E a1imc:~ ~-
:-e renee- ~ 2 :•e ca;- ..sc
":.:arne Rate - ::: .e rate is of more concern during post-processing than when just creating a single clip. Each clip "'"::uld be created at the same frame rate so that the post-processing program does not have to ---::2rpolate frames as this can cause unexpected results in the final product. T:-ne rate is also important when saving the animation as individua l images t hat will be combined in ::st-processing into a video file. Some post-processing programs have preset frame rates that are -.::Jstry standards. such as 24 fps fo r PAL and 29.97 fps for NTSC. If you are rendering to individual ~ages and distributing the task to multiple comput ers. make sure that all computers are recording to -= same frame rate, and that frame rate is the same one you will use on t he final video. ~endering
Efficiency
-en rendering an animation. there are several things we can do to speed up the rendering of each -=-ne. Keep in mind that our output is going to be a video, where each frame will be shown for on ly a - ::ction of a second, so we do not need the ext reme fine detail of a photograph on each rendered frame. - so remember that the screen resolution of t he device on which we view an animation can be ::1siderably less than t hat of a high quality print of just one of the frames. ::.:::iTle of t he things we can do in the setup:
~te ~Ciu"12
:::-- : .... E - -
·2:-- c-7'E
-:a·=:;....: I C a- -.c:---::e- 5 -a
15
:e-=-:::- :re
-::
~~-=--
::s - ·~
~
.:=- c ~=_,.
Reduce the Photo View 360 out put setting. Check the test renders to see how high you need to go. A setting of Maximum will take about twice as long to render as a setting of Best. For a single image. this may be acceptable, but if the rendered animat ion takes 24 hours at Best, will the increase in quality be even noticeable to make a 48 hour render a good choice? Render to the correct size. If you are creating an animation for a handheld mobile device. do not use an output size larger than the device can display. Rendering is pixel bound, meaning that it is all about t he number of pixels. If you double t he size of the output image, you quadruple the number of pixels and also the rendering time. Close other programs before rendering. The rendering process will try to use all CPU cores at 100 percent. Every time a core is called on to do another task. it is taken away from rendering and as a result, rendering takes longer. Render with the assembly loaded lightweight. Loading the assembly lightweight frees up memory. This is more important on 32-bit systems. but can be useful when rendering large animations to AVl files on 64-bit systems where t here must be enough memory to hold the entire animation until it is finished.
422 Chapter 15
• Adjust your appearances to avoid those t hat take a long time to render. Remember that we are rendering frames that flash by quickly on the screen. Many appearances ::3"" take significantly longer to calculate and the difference will not be noticeable in t he animation. kc appearances such as brushed or satin finish metals. Also. use bump maps instead of displacememaps as displacement maps can take a very long time to calculat e. Important! Make sure you do a test of the settings by creating an AVI file at a very low frame rate -make sure t he sett ings are correct. You do not want to find out that you had an incorrect sett ing 2 - .:: rendering fo r 24 hours!
Render to AVI or Images? To this point, we have created all of our output videos as AVI files directly from SolidWorks. This 3:: efficient method when creating short animations or clips that are not rendered to PhotoView 360. C we are creating longer videos that are rendered using Photo View 360. rendering direct ly to an AV = is less desirable and many people will choose instead to render as individual images. Why the switch? There are several reasons to render to images and then create the video file sepa~C:.. • Editability Occasionally, you may get a corrupt frame in an animation either in the rendering or the compc-~ position. If you created an AVI file. cutting out the bad frames and inserting a new section can sometimes be difficult depending on the software you are using. If you have rendered to indivi::__ image files. you essentially have a stack of images where you can de let e t he bad images andre;:: them with re-rendered images. • Memory usage When recording an AVI video file, SolidWorks holds all the information in memory until t he ent:-:o animation has been rendered. and then creates the AVI file. If you run out of memory before the file is created, you lose everything. If you create the animation as images. each image is saved after it is rendered. This means the:: amount of memory needed is much less as only one image (frame) needs to be in memory at any:• Compression While the individual BMP or TARGA images have some compression. this is different from t he CODECs that are used for the video file. Once the images are put together as a video file. the '• file can be compressed separately. • File format Saving directly to a video file from SolidWorks only allowed us to save as an AVI file . Most ott-eprograms that convert individual images into a video file will allow the video to be saved to m~ video formats.
Output and Post-Processing 423
:ase Study: Animations from Rendered Images oea;-cnces::::: • ....,ai:io;' !. -: : .so.c:ce-e-
C"'il e~= -
: setti.1g c -
- ::his case study, we will create a short video by creating an output t o image fil es and then combining
-e images into a video us ing Apple QuickTime. ortant! To use QuickTime to create a video from images requires the Professional vers ion, which :.::es come at a modest cost. If you do not have QuickTime Professional available, you will not be able =do all the steps in this case study, but you will still be able to see how t he process is done.
::!'
ocedure Open the assembly. -
This .s :=
::oen the assembly PV Render from the case study f iles in Chapter 5. We used this assembly in ::1apter 5 to create an AVI file, so it is already set up to render t he output.
ew360.S~
' :o 2n A\'' =-
= esepa;c:=~Ecompone
;: an can ;:o individ~;c: ;s and
repl2::::
l ;:he entire e=ore the A.
Open the motion study. :oen Completed Motion Study and play the animation just t o review the motion.
Save the animation. Save the animation as a series of bitmap images :::> the Rendered Images folder using the settings shown. Note that we are saving :4 Frames per second. The reason for this will ::e explained in a later step. ate To save time, you can save the images .JSing RealView instead of rendering them. The -endered version of images can also be found in :he folder Rendered Images - Complete =ound in the Case Study directory.
~ Save Animation to File Save in· _. Rendered Images
l'le name:
·om the " e. the vide:
'ost other c to multip!E
Save as type: Series of Windows Bitmaps Image S ize: 1000 x 750 Aspect ratio: 4 :3 Frames per second: 24
,t .. §
PW Render.bmp
·
Save
I
Save ., type· Series d. Wndows Bimaps r .bmp) Rende
a rz
1000
ro
Schedule
Cancel
~
Frame !nformotion
1so
Fixed aspect rotio
Use camera as~ct ratio 0 1Custcm aspect ratio (width : height)
4:3
·] l
•J
~VIew
Image Size and Aspect Rotio
eans that th 1 at any t im::
• @
No items matc h your search.
Frames ~"'' second
o Entile onimotion Tme range
tD
9
124
424 Chapter 15
4 Start QuickTime. Click Start, All Programs, QuickTime, QuickTime Player.
(!1 Open A File look
in.j.... Rendered Images 4X3
ln QuickTime, click File, Open Image Sequence. Navigate to the Rendered Images folder where the images were saved and select the first image, PW Render-OOOO.bmp.
Quick Time will use the images in the fo lder, in file name order, displaying each image for an amount of time based On t he frame rate.
PW PW PW Render.OOOO.bmp Render.OOOl.bmp Render.OOOl.bmp
Fle name:
jP'II/ Render.OOOO.bmp
Flesoitype·
j1mageFiles
r
Open osreod-only
Framerate: j24fi-ames""rs=nd
5 Set the frame rate. We saved the images at a frame rate of 24 fps, so we want QuickTime to display the images at the same rate. Quick Time does not allow frame rates other than those in the list, so you need to check this list to make sure the frame rate you are rendering t o in SolidWorks is available in QuickTime, or whatever program you choose to use.
60 hmes per S
5 I
Output and Post-Processing 425
::
Create the video.
: :ick Open. The video will be saved to the same folder as the images and be named ?7l Render-OOOO.mov (the name of t he f irst image we selected) and the Quick Time player will open.
=.ick Play to see the video.
....
Ota!lil
PW Render-0000
e~
e~
e"""""" : "Z""~
e~
~ ~e::::r:r
c-=c::
' :oe:::n: '~ ~
-=no
e=n:
-.co l: .,tl--il>
08(;)8(;)
Save the movie file. ~lick
File, Save.
~-
(l Save A File Save in: [
,J.
Rendered Images
Select Save as a self-contained movie so that t here are no ext ernal references back to the original image files. With QuickTime, the only file format the video can be saved in is the Apple QuickTime Movie (* .mov).
3 ... (!;] d
lilly
No it~m~ match your search.
!
Fle name:
Save as type: jMovies
r.
Save as a seU·conlained movie
Any external media w~ be included in this movie Estimaled l~e size: 465.77 MB
r
~ I
f:o\?Ji!l!\'!ltl'Z•:o:O:Oiitt'l
Save as a reference movie
Any external movies 'Nil! be required to play ths movie. Estimated lile size: 152.7 KB
:3
Cancel
I
426 Chapter 15
--------- -------------------------- ------------------ 8
Export the video file.
Once we have the initial video file as a MOV file, QuickTime can export it to other file formats. To demonstrate this, we will export the movie file as an MP4 file. In Quick Time, click File, Export
(?1 Save exported file as: Save
in.j _ Rendered knages
PW Render-OOOO.avi
PW PW Render-OOOO.bmp , R~nder-OOOO.mov
Fie name:
jPW Render-OOOO.mov
Sove •• type:
jAil Files r 1
Export:
Use.
Save
:=J
I Movie to MPEG-4
3 3
1Most Recert Settings
For Export select Movie to MPEG-4 from the list Examine the list to see the other choices. Usually you know what is on this list before you choose to create the movie file in QuickTime as you need to know if you can get the final file format you need. The defau lt fi le name will be the same as the original movie file with the mp4 extension.
Cancel
Options
Movie to 3G Movieto~TV
Movie to AVI Movie to DV Stream l>'.ovieto FLC Movie to Hirted Movie l>'.ovie to ~ge Seq.Jence Movie to !Phone Movie to iPhone (Cel<>ar) Movie to iPod
. .-
Movie to P"tdure Movie to QuickTme Media Link Movie to QuickTme Movie
Select Broadband- High for the Use function. The reason for this is that the quality will be lower if we use choices like Dial-up as t he connection speed. This reduction in quality will make the file size smaller for easier transmission with the slower connect ion speeds.
Def•u~ Settings Most Recent Settings
:
.... . .
8roacfland - Medun Brol!d>and • Low Dial"Up Dioi
Output and Post-Processing 427
Set the export options.
MPEG-4 Export Settings
-. Options. Fie Formot.
zaine the different options - 2Jie.
r-
-
we recorded the original ~:::s at 1000 x 750 pixels, we ::-: to record the video at the ~-= size. So you must select - ~m for Image Size and then : t :nthe values.
Oat• Rate:
rsn--
Optirrized for J CD/OVO-ROM
kbls/ sec
3
Image Site: \ Cusiom
W.
P Preserve aspect Rllio using
::::J
Frame Rote· j24
Key Frame: r Automa!Jc
r.
EvOf)'
~ X h.
1Letterbax
::::J
pso-::::J
rframes
I I
Video Options .
..e ~ecorded the still images at :.:. ~s. so that rate should be =5E1 as well.
.2.1 Video: H 264 Video. 1000x 750 (Custom). 672 kbps. 24 00 Ips Ado: No audo track in source movie Streaming: Ale Size: Data Rate: Codonnance: Compatibility:
-E.,. you have ::"Nil,
3 3 3
IVideo Video Format: l H264
~se
-
IMP4
the options set as click OK.
.2J
None Jlcprox 756 KB
Total data I>Jte 672kbps. wil strean over 768kbps DSL./Cable The fre conforms to MP4 fie formot spedficotion
QCl
ea-re
Play the file. __x~~e
the mp4 file you just created and play it. It should play correctly on Windows Media Player.
&
Save. <:
and close all open files.
: :;;er Choices .:; had used a program other than Quick Time, the general flow of the process would have been ~--c1tially the same. :~eate
each frame as an individual image in SolidWorks :::mbine the images into a video file or clip in whichever program you have available :::;nbine clips into a completed video file if necessary ::::ve the video file : -:ange the video file format or compression to the fina l output
I
428 Chapter 15
Case Study: Post-Processing In this case study. we will create and then combine several animation clips that were created from th: same animation. but from different camera views. Then we will add titles and annotations. Finally. the animat ion will be saved as a separate file. Post-processing will be done using Windows Live Movie Maker. We will not get into the specifics of Windows Live Movie Maker or any other editing program; howe\'&" the general procedures are similar among the various editing programs although the specific "picks a~ clicks" will be different. St oryboard Create clips of the toy from t hree different cameras. Combine the clips and add transitions. Add a main title and scene titles.
Play the video fi le Dart Gun.wmv. The video will start with a title. There will then be one camera rotation around the assembly. followed by a close-up of the pu ll ring as it is pulled back and released. Finally. there will be an overall view to show the launch of t he arrow followed by the credits.
Cl Cl
Cl
Dart Gun
D
o ~,...., = =
Cl
= =
Cl
Procedure 1 Open the assembly. Open the assembly Dart Gun.sldasm from the lesson folder. This is the same assembly we used in Chapter 3. The component motion has already been created. so all we are going to do is add cameras.
Cl
D~ ~ .., = =
Cl
Cl Cl
~
=
=
Output and Post-Processing 429
.:.a: first path sketch. - :cameras we use in this animation will move _ ~::;ecified paths.
~?::
S.~~l-
·:
L
v-
=ssembly, create a new plane. 7Smm above the
75
..::-:and name the new plane Camera Path Plan e.
=600mm by 400mm ellipse on this new plane, == on the assembly origin. : -e sketch Ellipse .
..!.dd second path sketch.
@
Pull Rmg of Dart Gun.SLDASM'
-:-.:::a 3D Sketch. Sket ch a line from :::..zdrant point of the ellipse shown,
.
~
this sketch Pull Ring.
~ :.ree
GJ
~
1 .,
~-'
Add cameras. ~ -
c:J
,cu
~-:::the center of the lower pull ring. ~:
(g
*Trimelric
cameras, using 24mm lenses
::Je first two cameras and somm :;e third. All should have an 11:8.5 .a:::ct ratio. - -:::ch the fi rst camera to the ellipse :: aim it at the assembly origin. Name
L,: ~-
ZJ~i
- s camera Orbit. CD *front
-=:::ch the second camera to t he line in
Model
GS:>*Right ·omoleie
-=Pull Ring sketch. Aim the camera ~ :he end of t he line nearest t he assembly. Name t his camera Pull_Ring.
·e You need the underscore between words to differentiate this camera name from the Pull Ring S"et ch name.
430 Chapter 15
Add the third camera. Position this camera manually so that it can view the arrow flying away from tb: dart gun. Name the camera Launch.
Create The First Clip The first clip will be the camera orbiting the assembly along the ellipse while focused on the asserr..:origin. This will be an 11-second clip and no components move in this clip except for the camera. 5 Create a new motion study. Name the new study Camera Orbit. 6 Create first camera key point. Clear Disable View Key Creation so that we can quickly creat e t he key points. With the time bar at 0 seconds, right-click the camera Orbit and select Camera View. Edit the camera properties and set the Percent distance along selected edge/line/curve to 25%. ,' the assembly is viewed from the top, this puts the camera at the six o'clock position relative to <~= assembly.
7 Create establishing shot. Copy the key point from o seconds to 1 second. 8 Create additional key points. We need additional points t o have the camera orbit the assembly counterclockwise when viewed from t he top. We will use a total of five key points with the positions shown in the table. Move the time bar to 3-5 seconds. Edit the camera and set the Percent distance along selected edge/line/curve to 100%.
Time
Perce;-
0
25
3.5
so
6
75
8.5
100
11
25
Create addit ional key points to complete the orbit.
9 Play the animation. There is a problem between 8.5 and 11 seconds as t he camera reverses direction.
Output and Post-Processing 431
-.
?,."., - . . . .-
·~ Problem
-;..: :::~roblem is a result of the 100/360 Rule we learned in Chapter 7. With ellipses, just like circles, ~. ::1 ellipses, and arcs, we cannot control where the zero point is located. !tion
_s
-z the technique from Chapter 7. after the camera position reaches 100 percent. we will add a key
_-: to place the camera at 0 percent. Then we will move this key point close enough to the previous
z point so that the mot ion happens before t he next frame is recorded. The change is essentially -s:antaneous.
Add a key point. :: te the time bar to about 9 seconds. ::::: t the camera Orbit and set the Percent distance along selected edge/line/curve to 0%.
asse;: -:e-a lE
Move the key point. Edrt Time ::-.v that we have the key point created, we need to move it close t o the ~.s1s :J percent key point. If we plan to record the animation at 20 frame s per second, ~llillii!IJa!liill!l~Dniii :::ch fra me will be 0.05 seconds apart. Therefore. we need to move this frame so ~ X ~ . .. t? -at it is less than 0.05 seconds after the key point at 100 percent.
=ght-click the key point foro percent and click Edit Key Point Time. Set the time to 8 .51 seconds. 25% : e~o~=
~
: Play the animation. 1e camera will now appear to smoot hly orbit the assembly in just one direction. The camera still went : .ockwise between t he two key points, but is not seen in the animation. 3 Smooth the camera motion. ::hange the Interpolation Mode of the camera key point at 3.5 seconds to Ease In and for the key point at 11 seconds, Ease Out.
?en:en~
25 )0 1:;,
00
..... .:;,
ote The scene is not part of the motion study so it can be changed before the recording. In the rollowing section, the scene was changed to Backdrop-Studio Room. and both RealView and Shadows in Shaded Mode were t urned on before recording the animation clips.
"4 Record. Hide the sketch Ellipse and then record t his animation at 20 frames per second. Name the clip Orbit.avi. Create the Second Clip This clip will focus on the pull ring and expanding band. The camera will zoom in during the animation; however, it will be a small zoom. If you observe television and movies, you can see that there are many cases where cameras are focused on something but the camera is moving slowly to add effect.
432 Chapter 15
15 Change motion studies. Select the motion study Completed Dart Gun.
16 Set first camera point. Move the time bar to o s econds. Right-click the camera Pu ll_Ring and select Came ra View. Edit the camera position so that the view is approximately as s hown. Select Orientation and Camer a Views and then Add/Update Key. Note The actual Percent distance along selected edge/ line/curve is a subjective setting in this case a nd depends on the length of t he line you created in the 3D sketch Pull Ring.
17 Copy the key. Copy the camera key from 0 seconds to 1 second. We are doing this because the pull ring does not s:at o move unt ill second.
18 Second camera point. Move the time bar to 4 seconds. Edit t he camera a nd zoom in slightly, about 10 percent from t he last camera point.
19 Play the animation. The came ra should zoom in between 0 and 4 seconds and then hold position for the remainder of t he animation.
20 Record. Record this animation at 20 frames per second and name t he clip Pull Ring.avi. Note We are recording the entire 8-second animat ion even though nothing happens in t his view a":? seconds. We will use this extra length to demonstrate how to t rim clips in post-proces sing.
Output and Post-Processing 433
_ =:e t he Third Clip s ::ip, the camera will be stationary and record the motion of the pull ring and the flight of the
Set first camera point.
=:he time bar to 0 seconds.
-:-click the camera Launch and select Camera View. g;::-click Orientation and Camera Views and select Disable Playback of View Keys. -.e :::>mbinat ion of select ing the camera view for the Launch camera and disabling t he playback of <.eys enables us to record this clip without having to modify the keys associated with the -=_Ring camera. Record. - =c=-d this animation at 20 frames per second and name the clip Launch.a vi. =::st-Process ing _"'• that we have t he three clips, we will combine them in Windows Live Movie Maker and add the t itles .:: : ransitions. :: Windows Live Movie Maker should have been installed with the Windows 7 operating system. If -::::, it can be downloaded from www.microsoft.com/downloods.
: :. . =~ to Windows Live Movie Maker, Microsoft offered Windows Movie Maker for Windows XP and , -dows Vista®. If you are using either Windows XP or Vist a, you may have Windows Movie Maker still --s::alled. If you are using Windows 7. Windows Movie Maker will not be listed in the Download Center. ~s:ead you can load Windows Live Movie Maker as part of the Windows Live Essentia ls package. The :. ~erent downloads are available at www.microsoft.com/downloads. These are free downloads.
-
434 Chapter 15
Windows Live Movie Maker Windows Live Movie Maker has an interface that is not a standard timeline but rather will play a collection of clips in order. In some programs this is ca lled a storyboard interface. For simple projeG:s this interface is very easy to use. 1131
I 1..1 -} ,_.. -.
My Movie- Windows Liv~ Mov1~ Maker
~ Click here to browse for videos and phcws
Output and Post-Processing 435
r c
---- -. -
1-
._
__ ,
:.ndows Movie Maker = Ju have Windows Movie Maker and would like to use it instead, you will see t hat it has both a t imeline == storyboard interface.
r~
,. • (t!lshowSto,.,;o~u n I ( 11 "' 8I
.R •... -,
I
· -- - ==o.c(J
L.: w~m.w
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- ~----:-.-- ------ -
~~- ~::~~ ;,r :·~~~~N ~! -_--_,,o
Video B
~ ~~~!"'r
-~ -
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~-
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l,.~ ~i"'lrl~!"'rr~~
Transition
I
Timeline View
Audo
""->:io/f'u
,_
nloOverlay
'<
>
~ ~
A'
.. , •• • [ ~ShowTineline J
-
-lr-
~to~boac~V;ew
l~-' 1
:j ·- ~ 1
E
I ;Jrag_me_di. the storyboa rd to beg!O__making a_m_oyif!.~ I
I :::ixxl::s
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~~
Frocedure Start Windows Live Movie Maker. Establish project settings. :>elect t he Project tab and select t he Standard {4:3) aspect ratio. 3 Import video clips. :::lick in t he right plan to import the video clips.
_ocate t he t hree video clips and select them all. Click Open. n e three files will all appear in the right pane in alphabetical order. In this case, the order is alphabetical :::ecause we select ed multiple files. If we had selected the files one at a t ime. they would be in the order ..1 which t hey were imported.
436 Chapter 15
While there is no classical timeline. there is a time bar. The frame shown in the left pane is from the location of the time bar.
Home
o x ~J Paste
D
Animations
Visu al Effects
Project
View
Edit
) ~~ .~ ~ !=!]
.i~
Chpboard
Add
X
a rcn
Add videos Add Web cam Sn•pshot and photos music ... video Aj j .... Auto~.1 0\Ite themes
Edo!mg
'~ SkyDr1\.--e
.~ Save
movae •
I~ Sign In
Share
Time bar
00:00.00/ 00:28.15
~
J Items se lected
;.;;l
- ~)
Aspect Ratio Notice in the left pane above that there is a black band on each side of the fra me. This comes from the fact that in Windows Live Movie Maker there were only two choices for aspect ratio. 16:9 and 4:3. When we recorded our clips, t he cameras were all created with an aspect ratio of 11:8.5. Windows Live Movie Maker does not stretch the video clip to fill the frame, instead it just leaves t he extra area black.
Some software will stretch the frame t o fi ll the window. While this eliminates the black band. t he proportions of the object in your video may change.
~---------------------
Output and Post-Processing 437
--·-
~
~
--,:; ~mportant point here is that when you create your storyboard, you need to understand the ..:=-abilities of the post-processing software so that you create the clips properly. In this case, we should -: .Jack and change the camera aspect ratios to 4:3 and record the clips again. However, as the black :c-:::l is small and we are just creating the video for practice, we will continue without making the change. Reorder the clips. : :s can be reordered by simply dragging them in the right pane. Drag the clips so that the order is ::':Jit, Pull Ring, and then Launch. ~
Play. ::: :< Play in the left pane. The three clips will play sequentially.
Trim a clip. - -e Pull Ring clip is too long. We want to go from the Pull Ring to the Launch clip after t he pull ring s ::ps moving. : -ag the time bar while observing the Preview pane. The motion stops at about 17 seco nds.
~ ·~~~~ / ~~ ( 00:17.0.2.i00:2lll5
--------------------------- -....
...
1111>
)t2iJ
438 Chapter 15
Select the Edit tab. With the time bar at the point where we want to stop showing t he Pull Ring eli;: click Set end point time. 18 '
ld .., (D • Hom•
0
My Movie· Windows LIVe Mov1e Maker Animations
~ fade in; Non~
v~l~:e ~ Fade out None ~UdtO
-
Visual Effects
•
..
E:sc~ QfOtmd
v;..,.,
Proi•ct
.CJ Spt t d:
1x
[ urat n
colo
Edit ...
- 1-.J
1• 1-J ~ Set start point
Spl~
Trim ( .; S•t •nd point tool '-· _ _....;..--J.
J
Ed1hng
This action hides the frames of this clip after 17 seconds and the following clip moves left t o preve~ : gap. We added this additional second (from 16 to 17 seconds) to make a better transition as we will s~ in the following steps.
7
Play.
The video is a little shorter now and we see the Launch clip start sooner. But the transitions ben·.::wclips present a problem: we see an abrupt change as we go from clip t o clip.
8 Save. Click File, Save Project and save the project to the Case Study\ Dart Gun folder as Dart Gun.w:=.;._ The file extension indicates Microsoft Windows Live Movie Maker.
9 Add transitions. Move the t ime bar to the beginning of the Pull Rin g clip. Time bar
Select the Animations tab. Expand the Transitions section. There are 77 transitions available.
VIdeo Tools
Animations
~l
Visual Eff•cts
ProJ•ct
View
Ed ~
il
~
.Jj _ transtt1om
'
.,
Ouratl~r"
0 Apply to all
Expax:
Output and Post-Processing 439
p-..:!! ? =- i -=.
_:c=~e the
Crossfade transition and select it. This adds the transition between the Orbit and Pull Ring because that is where t he time bar was positioned.
=5
--·
8
·~
~:J
~
::;-c.?-
~
1as \ 'te ••, _ , . and Shopes
::.· :-s :;=~·
~
:
J
...~..JI
J Crosslade
I. .
=-~
Apply to all. The Crossfade t ransition is now -::::.ied to all of the clips as noted by the triangle in -= lower left corner of each clip.
=: G~..-w·-:--
~
Play. --=video now transitions between clips by having one clip fade out while the other clip fades in. -~e
of Transitions -c...,sitions should provide a smooth flow from clip to clip. It was pointed out that there are 77 different ~-sitions available in Windows Live Movie Maker. There may be a t emptation to use a different :--:::-sition for each clip. but you should avoid this. Most professionally done videos use the same ·. "'-sition throughout. Different t ransitions are only used to create a very specific effect. not to show ·-.::t the editor knows that there are 77 different transitions. If the t ransit ions become the show, then ':-wasted time making the clips! "11.0::
..... ~ .fd"C
440 Chapter 15
Add a title. We will add a title to the beginning of the video. Move the time bar to the beginning of t he video.
11
Select the Home tab and then click Title. A black frame will be added before the Orbit clip and a tex: box will appear with the default title "My Movie:· Triple-click the My Movie text to highlight it all, thEtype the name of your video. In this case, just a simple title of "Dart Gun" will be enough. Edit the size and font of the title as you like. The controls are the same as any word processing progrc:IB
kl , l
";
Home
My Movie - Windows Live Movie Maker Anunatlons
'lisual Effecb
---~
Project
Vit>w
.Jt
VIdeo Tool5
Ttxt Tools
Edrt
Format
~Background color ..
t3J S~rt ~~me-
~ tj Text C:ur.~tion.
o.oos -.UKI
.L = 't
J .,
...
12 Edit the title.
Using the controls on the Visual Effects tab, do the following: Change the Start time to 1 second and t he duration t o 3.5 seconds. This will cause the title not to appear for the first second of the video, and then disappear after 3.S seconds. Select the effect Cinematic burst-1. This is a simple visual effect to give the opening a litt le more punch. Effect s, like transitions, is an expanding list and there are 24 different effects that you could use. Important! All of the above settings are very subjective and you should experiment with the diffe-::; settings to see what they do. If you mouse over the different effects, they will preview in the left :.3"'
13 Add captions. Move t he t ime bar over the Orbit clip. Click Caption. This is essentially the same as a title except that it shows over the top of the clip. Type Features and then position t he caption as shown. Edit the font to something you think looks good. Repeat this procedure to add captions to the other two clips.
Features
Output and Post-Processing 441
- Add credits. : -edits appear at the end of the video. :::.ick Credits and a black clip will appear at the end of the video. - :pe your name and date. Adjust the font and position of the text. ! :dan effect from the list.
: onsistency - .·1as not ed that when applying transitions, the same transitions should be used for all the clips except =:-some specific purpose. This also applies to the fonts used for the captions. Captions shou ld generally : -: located in the same position on the screen so that the viewer is not looking to different parts of t he s.:::-een for each one. Consistency should also be t he rule when choosing the effects for the title and :-edits. The rule is that elements such as t ransitions, effects, and captions are used to support the ::eo, not to be the main feature. 3 Play. •th very little work, we have added three clips together with transitions, a title, captions, and credits. : Save. ~ave the project file. =inish the Movie .ow that the movie is complete, it must be saved as a separate file. At this point t he proj ect file is like =SolidWorks assembly in that all the clips are st ill in their original locations. When we finish the movie, e will create a self-contained file without references. - Save as a movie file. :::.ick Save movie, For computer from the Movie Maker ~ tab. - 1pe the file name Dart Gun and browse t o the Case Study / Dart Gun folder. :lick Save. - he movie will be created and saved.
· 3 Play the movie. - he movie has been saved with the extension WMV, which is a Windows Movie file. These files play on ,'lindows Media Player and are usually satisfactory for playing videos on your computer. If you need t o :hange the format. you will need to use a different program. · 9 Close all open files.
Advanced Topics and Problems Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Animate configuration changes. • Create dynam ic section views. • Create an animation of a moving belt. • Create an animation of a roller chain and sprockets. :::1
Understand the stroboscopic effect on rotary mot ion.
• Create a shadow study of the sun moving over a buil ding.
444 Chapter 16
Advanced Topics This and the following chapter are about application of what we have already learned. As we have seethe principles used to create animations are not very complicated. Creating more difficult animations a just a case of developing techniques to use the basic principles. To t hat end. we will explore additiona case studies t o see how to apply what we have already learned. Topics This chapter covers the fo llowing topics: • Animating configuration changes Configurations of components cannot be changed with key points on the timeline. To change configurations we will use a technique of changing between multiple instances of components ar.~ changing their visibility. • Dynamic section cuts The Section View tool only creates st atic views. so it cannot be used in an animation. Instead an assembly cut will be used to animate the dynamic section cut. • Stroboscopic effect Rotating components can look like they are rotating at t he wrong speed or in the wrong directio;- = the frame rate used to calculate and record an animation is not matched to the rotational speed :t he components. • Gear systems Gear systems are easy to animate using gear mates and motors. Common problems when anima::...,: gears are being able to see the t eeth move due to the st roboscopic effect and conflicts betweemotors trying to drive motion in different directions. • Belts Technically you cannot animate a belt; however. we can make the viewer believe that the belt is moving. • Chains The concepts needed to animate a chain are simple; however, the process is tedious and computationally intensive. • Shadow studies Creating an animation of where shadows fa ll due to the sun is simple and requires only a few kE' points to be solved.
Advanced Topics and Problems 445
==migurations for Animations -~e following case
study, we are going t o make multiple video clips to depict different operations. This :::ause us to add components in different motion studies that are not needed in all of the motion _::es .
~
s:::s
1=-a::· =--
.e create all the motion studies in the same configuration, we will have to either hide components in -;:: 11otion studies where they are not needed, or suppress them globally. If the components are hidden, -=v are st ill calculated in the animation and slow down the process. If we suppress a component ~ ::Jally, we have to remember to unsuppress the component if we need to return to that study to --::::ify it. Generally speaking, making a configuration for each motion study is preferred unless all the ::1ponents and mates are used in all motion studies. - second animation issue is changing the configuration of a component during an animation. Technica lly -::_cannot add an animation change to the time line, but the process of visually changing from one :::figuration to the next is quite simple and we already know the basics of how to do this.
Case Study: Hand Punch
=-- . . 5~2:
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t::e: s
rcew key
--e hand punch will be used to show several : = erent operations. -.:tribution --:is example is adapted from a :-esentation given at SolidWorks World .:::Jog by Gerald Davis.
=:ay the video Punch Assembly.mp4 :cated in the Videos fo lder for this lesson. :Ju can see that t here will be some post:;ocessing to add titles, credits, and :::-ansitions to clips we create in SolidWorks.
446 Chapter 16
Storyboard There are four different things we want to show in this animation: • • • •
How to assemble the punch How the punch works, using a sect ion view How to change the punch and die The punch in use, cutting a hole in a piece of sheet metal
Rather t han create one long animation, we will create four shorter clips and put t hem toget her in Windows Live Movie Maker. In postprocessing. we will add transitions. tit les, and credit s. Our goal creating the final movie is to further explore the process of using a video edit ing program for pos:processing and to see how this affects the choices we make while creating the source clips.
=-..2 Clip 1
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Assembly
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Clip 4 Cut Met al
Clip 3 Change Punch and Die
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Advanced Topics and Problems 447
Clip 1: Assemble the Punch - he easiest method to create the assembly st eps is to create an exploded view in the assembly and then :nport the collapse into a motion study using the Animation Wizard. When creating assembly ~•imations, showing all the components at once and then having them move into position can be a little :onfusing. The animation will be cleaner if the individual components start out hidden and then become .'isible just before they move into position. By making each component become visible just before loving it into place, t he animation draws the viewer's eye to the next component ~ether
in Our goal i;:1 for postiJS.
Procedure Open the assembly.
Jpen Punch Assembly.sldasm from the Case Study/Punch Assembly folder. :
~
J Cl
Create named view.
:hange the view orientation to Dimetric, then zoom in until the punch fills the screen with a reasonable :::10rder around it Create a named view called Full Model. 3
Examine the assembly.
Jrag the Top Handle and notice that it moves to a certain point and stops. If we examine the mates. we can see that there is a limit mate, LimitAnglel, that st ops the motion of the Top Handle.
Cl
Limit Mates
Cl
Limit mates do not work well in animations. They are computationally intensive as they must be continually solved during t he motion. Angle and distance mates are better choices as they can be cont rolled by key points in the MotionManager and can be used to drive the components.
Cl Cl Cl Cl Cl Cl
0 Cl CJ
Because our assembly has a limit mat e. we need to replace it with an angle mate to make our animation. Our question is: should we do this at the global level or the loca l level? If we were making a single animation and we were using our manufacturing assembly, the choice would be to add the angle mate in the motion study as a local mate. Because this is a copy of our manufacturing assembly and we intend to make several animat ions. we will add the mate at the global level.
D
4
0
Select the Model tab.
Change mates.
0
,a
Expand the MateGroupl folder and notice that a mate Anglel has already been added to the assembly and it is suppressed. Suppress mat e LimitAnglel and unsuppress mate Anglel.
448 Chapter 16
5
Add a mate folder.
There are a lot of mates in this assembly and the only one that we are initially concerned with for t he animation is Angle l. Create a fo lder and na me it Not for Animation. Put all the mates into this foldeexcept Angle l.
6
Create configurations.
Create four configurations for the assembly and name them Clipl, Clip2, Clip3, and Clip4. Make sure that the Advanced Options, Suppress new features and mates and Suppress new components are both selected.
7
Copy exploded view.
Advanced Options
[J] Suppr..-..s new n,atiK"" and ma2S
U ~new components lJl S..Wess new CDIT!>OOents fl Use configuration :;pedfic cnlcr c.o:or ..
An exploded view has already been created in the Default configuration of t his assembly. Copy the exploded view into the configuration Clipl.
8
Activate configuration.
Make configuration Clipl active.
9
Watch exploded view.
Exp lode and collapse the assembly t o see how the parts move. All parts except t he Drive Lever he ~ single movement s. The Drive Lever moves in two steps, one to disengage it from t he Punch Tip c:~: a second to move it away from the assembly. 10
Create a motion study.
Create a new motion study and name it Clipl. Select Animation fo r the Type of Study. 11 Set motion study properties. Set the motion study properties to record 2 0 frames per second. 12
Establish the starting point.
Because we are going to collapse the assembly, we need to start the a nimation with the assembly exploded. With the time bar at o seconds, explode the assembly. Press Ctri+Q to rebuild the assembly. This also updates the key points at 0 seconds to reflect t he -=a. that all components are at their exploded position.
13 Create collapse steps. Use t he Animation Wizard to insert the collapse steps into the t ime line. Start t he collapse at 0 seco....... with a duration of 16 seconds.
Advanced Topics and Problems 449
•4 Play the animation. - he components should all collapse correctly.
·~
·s
Hide components. -\ssembly animations can look better when the individual parts are hidden until it is their turn to move J'lto position. To do this. we will first hide everything except the Main Jaw. We will then show each component when it starts to move.
- ..... -....::
Nith the time bar at o seconds. in the MotionManager design tree. select all the components except the Main Jaw. Right-click in the graphics area and click Hide. ~ 6 Show components. We now need to show each component at the time when it will begin to move. There is no easy way to do this other than to move the time bar to the time when a component starts to move. right-click the component in the MotionManager design tree, and click Show.
Show all the components at the appropriate time. These are the fi rst few steps:
'·;:;:. . - -~;: ~
• Move t he time bar to 0 seconds. right-click Punch Tip, and click Show. • Move the time bar to 1 second. right-click Driver Lever, and click Show. l,yliilll ~'ill
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Note You do not need to do the key points in order from left to right. Any order is okay as long as you get them all.
450 Chapter 16
17 Play the animation. Each component fades in and is fully visible when it starts to move. and the timeline should look like tr.:: image below. I5Z_Il!a ~ ~ 1J d ~ F\mch Assembly (BI of Materials<
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Orientdt:ion and C.!!mera Views
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18 Change the fade-in point. We do not want t he components to st art fa di ng in at until just before the component sta rts moving.
o seconds, but rather, we want them to st ay h ide~
For each of the components, Ctrl+drag the key point at 0 seconds t o 0.3 seconds before the key pcthat t ells the component to move. l'i? l~'illl:~ ~ d ~ Punch Assembly (Bill of Materials«Bil ® Orientation and Comeral'iem l:tJ t&) Ur;:ilts. Cameras and Scene 1<; ~ Main Jaw< I > (Defaul«Default >. IB ~ FlotUri<(Default< (Def_ "' ~ Top Hande (DefaUt< (Defalk<(Defoul<
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Advanced Topics and Problems 451
·..E --.
-;p It can be hard to just Ctrl+drag all these key points to exactly the correct place on the timeline. Rather :han moving the key points back and forth until they are exactly correct, you can just drag them until they are d ose. Then, mouse over each point and see if the tooltip says it is in the correct location. If it needs to be -noved, right-click the key point and click Edit Key Point Time. You can then enter the time exactly. ~ote
Because of the way we imported the motion, all component motion starts on an even second. Therefore, all fade-ins start at 0.7 seconds after the previous second.
·g Play the animation. This t ime all the components stay hidden until just before t hey move.
,•,
Establishing Shot - his will be the first clip in our final animation. In post-processing. we are going to add a title to the final animation and then crossfade into this clip. We do not want t he motion of t he clip t o start until after t he u ossfade is complete, so we will add one second to the beginning of our clip where nothing happens.
.:o Move key points. -:-o add one second of no motion to the beginning, we are just going t o select all the key points and move ~hem one second. } :;.:3' -
u.:-e-
.Vindow-select all the key points for the components. Do not select the key points for t he MateGroup Lights, Cameras and Scene.
:Jr
WI€ ':.f!Y' ::X.
)rag the key points to the right 1 second. )rag the final Orientation and Camera Views key point from 17 t o 18 seconds. This wi ll add one second to the clip at t he end where nothing happens. This still time will be used during the transition <=rom this clip to the next clip in the series .
.:1 Make final adjustment. 3ecause the Punch Tip was never hidden, it is showing during the time of the establishing shot. We .vant this component to start hidden and fade in from 0.7 seconds to 1 second. Hide this component at o seconds and then copy the key point to 0.7 seconds.
.....
452 Chapter 16
22 Change interpolation mode. To make the motion smoother, window-select all the component key points, except those at o seconds. Right-click any of the selected key points and click Interpolation mode. Select Ease In/Ease Out. The final t imeline should look like t he image below. I.YI~
lh ~ 'iLl
d ~ Punch Assembly (~lofMate~~s<
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23 Record. Save t he animation as Clip l.avi. Use a Custom aspect ratio of 4:3 and reco rd it at 20 frames per second.
24 Save. Save the assembly, but leave it opened fo r the next part of the case study.
25 Review. Play the finished video fil e to make sure it recorded correctly.
i
454 Chapter 16
4
Remate the part.
This new part was created with an InPlace mate to hold it in position. Because we want this new pa-: to be able t o move, we must change t he mates. Delete the mat e InPlacel. Add coincident mates between the Right pla ne of the part and the Right plane of the assembly. 2 .... : between the Top planes of the part and assembly. Add a distance mate between the Front plane of the part and Front plane of the assembly. Set tr:= distance to SOmm. Flip the dimension if necessary to make sure that the sketch pla ne is on t he sa--:= side of t he asse mbly as the component called Stop.
- .!: ..-
=~
Top View
Sketch plane (Front plane of part)
::-:eo= 5
Create assembly cut.
Create an assembly cut using the sketch fro m t he part Section Cut Profile. While in Edit Assembly mode, select the Front plane of the part Section Cut Profile, then click Insert Sketch from t he menu. Select the sketch in t he part Section Cut Profile, then Convert Entities. Click Insert, Assembly Feature, Cut, Extrude from t he menu. Ext rude t o a blind depth of 2Smm. Rename the feature Section Cut.
- I @ Seiectl!d components
This cut does not actually cut anything at this point as it stops before the assembly. During t he animation, we will move the part Section Cut Profile t oward the assembly. Because t he assembly cut is tied to this part, the assembly cut will cut the components. Under Feature Scope, select All components.
6
Create a motion study.
Creat e a new motion study and name it Clip2. Select Animation for t he Type of Study.
O l'ropagate featll'e 1D
I
parts
0 Auto....Ject
~
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Moin Rot lill<...:l i!:l'unch ~ !Rat lilk...:2 @!i'l.n:h ~ -
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Advanced Topics and Problems 455
.... Animate the Top Handle . I
r this new par.:
Move the time bar to 5 seconds. In the MotionManager design tree, expand the MateGroupl and locate the mate Anglel and expand it as well.
!SSembly, anc
Right-dick the Angle and dick Edit Dime nsion. Change the angle to 155 degrees.
r bly. Set the ; on the same
8
Play the animation.
The Top Handle moves and the punch opens between o and 5 seconds.
9
Modify the motion.
We want the Top Handle to cycle th ree t imes so that we can get an overall look at the mot ion, fo llowed by zooming in on the Punch Tip and Die. On t he third cycle, we would like to see t he section view. For the Angle key point, Ctrl+drag t he key point f rom a seconds to both 2 and 8 seconds. Ctrl+drag the key point from 5 seconds to 4 seconds. 1
0
Play the animation.
Check to make sure that the Top Handle opens and doses properly. 11 Copy motion. To get t he Top Handle to cycle two more times, we can just copy the appropriate keys. ~en
click
Window-select the four key points for the Angle. Ctrl+drag t hem so that the first copied key point is at 10 seconds. Copy the key points again to start at 18 seconds. This will give us a total animat ion length of 24 seconds .
!.._
---•
:a:nl!n!s
Play the animation.
This is just another check to make sure everyt hing is correct bef ore moving on.
c ~ts
-
12
feimre to
13 Animate section cut.
:le:t •..::~ "= ~
During the second opening and dosing of the punch, we want to show a section view of t he punch. To do t his, we will change the mate distance of the part Section Cut Profile so that it moves into the punch.
• ..: :ePtnch Assem k_~ Assem ~
•....,-.. . .&. . . . _
•
Move the t ime bar to 10 seconds. Locate the mate Distance! in the MotionManager design tree and edit the distance to 2Smm.
456 Chapter 16
14 Modify the cut timing. We want the sect ion cut to start after the first cycle of the handle opening and closing, so copy the :-=> point for the distance mate from o seconds to 9 seconds. For the distance mate, copy the key point from 10 seconds to 16 seconds, and the key point from 0 seconds to 17 seconds. This will cause the cut to start at 9 seconds and complet e at 10 seconds, t-ehold untill 6 seconds when it retracts until17 seconds.
15 Calculate and play the animation. We should now have th ree cycles of the handle, with the section cut occurring only during the seco-= cycle.
16 Modify feature scope. The action of the cut will be clearer if the section cut does not cut the Punch Tip and Die. Because ::-_ section cut is made by an assembly feature, we can control which components get cut and which d o~:In the FeatureManager design tree, edit the Section Cut feature. Expand the Feature Scope and se.::-::Delete the Punch Tip and =...: from the list. Selected components, instead of All components, and clear Auto-select.
Feature Scope
0
AI components
D Propa9ate feature to parts D Auto·select
Advanced Topics and Problems 457
:7 Modify feature appearance. ·f..G9Y t.~E .;~.
'Nhen we create a section view in SolidWorks. there is normally a cap color to differentiate the faces of the cut from the faces of the part.
-: : f01i1
In the Feature Manager design t ree. select the Section Cut feature and edit it s appearance. Change the color to red.
;e::oncs. ~'"'='""
18 Calculate and play the animation. ; :--,e se:::::oc.:
All the motion sho uld be correct. but there is one problem with the section cut: it does not cut the entire model.
L 3eccuse :---: : .·hich c:~ -c·
This cut is defined by a sketch in the part Section Cut Profile. When we created this sketch. the punch was in the closed position. so the rectangle was large enough. With the punch in the open pos ition. the rect angle needs to be larger. Edit the sketch a nd change the height dimension to 400mm.
)pe and se:e-:~ :-"!p cr.c :J"..;
- ~ Notcut
400
.· 1-------- -- --
350 -
-
-------l
~---------350 ----------~
458 Chapter 16
19 Add viewpoints. We now have all the motion defined, so all that is left is to animate the viewpoints. Create the viewpoint s shown either by first creating named views or by manually moving the timelir: and recording the different viewpoints. The exact positioning of the viewpoints is very subjective, so--:: specific guidance is given to set the viewpoint precisely. o seconds
4 seconds
9 seconds
12 seconds
22
20 Calculate and play the animation. This is just the final check to make sure everything works properly. 21
Add a leader.
To allow for the transition in the final video, we want to add 1 second of no motion to bot h the begir. and end of the clip. Window-select and move all the key points fo r all the components and mates 1 second to t he right. Also copy the Orientation and Camera Views key point from 0 to 1 seco~ Drag the final Orientation and Camera Views key point from 25 to 26 seconds.
Advanced Topics and Problems 459
:: Record. --=-~ e;.~
'<::-
::ave the animation as Clip2.avi. Use a Custom aspect ratio of 4:3 and record it at 20 frames per 5eeond.
:3 Save. Save the assembly. but leave it opened for the next part of the case study.
Clip 3: Change Punch Tip and Die - -,e third clip will show how the punch t ip and die components ::-e changed to different sizes. The basic order is as follows: Remove the socket head cap screw that holds the back of the Drive Lever. Move the Drive Lever to the rear while the Top Handle is raised. 3. The Punch Tip is extracted and the Die is unscrewed. -t. The Punch Tip and Die are then replaced with different size components. J. The animation is reversed to assemble the punch. -;-he Punch Tip and Die are each single parts with seven matching configurations. This presents a problem in that we !:annat directly animate configurations through the use of key points.
Changing Configurations There are times when we would like to change the configuration of a part or subassembly during an animation. While this cannot be done directly using key points. there is a very simple technique that will accomplish a configuration change. The key concepts t o change configurations are these: • Showing and hiding of components • Lock mate The procedure to change configurations during an animation is as follows:
e~egi;-..~ · ~ -::~es
1 second
Insert multiple instances of t he component into the assembly. each using a different configuration. Use position only mates to position the instances together so that they occupy the same space. 3. Add a lock mate so the components move together. 4. Hide all instances except the one in use. s. Add a key point where one instance hides and the other shows.
1. 2.
4 60 Chapter 16
Procedure
Activate configuration. Make configuration Clip3 active.
1
Add components. Click the Model tab.
2
Add a second instance of the Punch Tip and Die to the assembly. Edit the properties of each of the two new components and change their configurations from 281 to 125. Lock Mates Lock mates are very useful in animations because they fix two parts in relation to each other. That relation is defined at the time t he mate is unsuppressed in the motion study. Thus, Lock mates can be used to pick up an object at a certain time by unsuppressing the mate at the time that t he two parts should begin moving together. The exact posit ions of the two parts are not critical, as they would be with other types of mates. 3 Mate components. In the FeatureManager design tree, se lect the two instances of the Punch Tip and Die.
Right-click in the graphics area and click Isolat e. Use Position Only mates to locate the new instance of each part in exactly the same place as the originaL Once positioned, add a lock mate to keep the second instance of each part in the same laceas the originaL 4 Create a motion study. Create a new motion study and name it Clip3.
Se lect Animation for the Type of Study. 5 Suppress a mate. To let the Socket Head Cap Screw move out of the hole, we must suppress any mate that limits freedom in the direction of motion.
With the time bar at 0 seconds, suppress the mate Coincident l 8.
Advanced Topics and Problems 461
6
Remove the Socket Head Cap Screw.
Move the time bar to 2 seconds. Use Move with Triad to move the Socket Head Cap Screw about 3Dmm in the Z direction.
7
Play the animation.
This st ep highlight s one reason we made diffe rent configurations fo r each clip and selected the advanced option to Suppress new features and mates. Had we not made different configurations for each a nimation, with this option, t he screw would move into the assembly cut and disappear. As created, the assembly cut is only unsuppressed in the Clip2 configuration. This is easy to test by just changing configurations to Clip2 and recalculating Clip3. When done. change the active configuration back to Clip3.
8
Suppress a mate.
While the Socket Head Cap Screw holds t he Driver Lever in the physical assembly, it is a concentric mate that does it in the assembly file. To allow the Driver Lever to move. s uppress t he mate Concentricl2. Also suppress mate Coincidentll as this mate keeps t he top of the T-slot of the Driver Lever aligned with the top of the Punch Tip.
Mates We have had to suppress severa l mates to make this animation wo rk as we wanted it to. ln this case study, we didn't plan ahead and suppress all the mates at t he beginning. Depending on the complexity of t he overall animation, you can either s uppress all the unneeded mates at the beginning, which speeds the calculations, or do as we did here and suppress t hem when needed.
:e as t•e ;c~e
JCi:
toea: -::-
limits iLS
9
Move components.
There are two actions. The first is to change the mate Anglel t o 155 degrees to raise t he handle as we did earlier. The second motion is to move t he Driver Lever to the ap proximate position shown. You can do this using Move with Triad. The exact distance that t he Driver Lever moves is not impo rtant. only that it is clear of the Punch Tip as shown in t he images. Create the two motions to start at 2 seconds and complete at 4 seconds.
462 Chapter 16
10 Remove tools. Animate t he Punch Tip and Die so t hat they move about 40mm in the positive and negative Y directions respectively. Have them move from 4-5 to 6 seconds.
=
11 Reverse. The second half of the animation is just a mirror image of what we have done so far, so we will cop invert t he time line.
Window-select all the key points on the timeline including t hose at 0 seconds. Ctrl+drag all the ke:points so that the copies fa ll between 8 and 14 seconds. With all the copied key points still selected, right-click any selected key and click Reverse Path fro;menu. We should now have a symmetric set of key points as shown below.
10 sec I I
B ~ PUnch Assembly_& (Clip!
I
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Advanced Topics and Problems 463
· 2 Hide and show components. 1 the time where there is no movement. between the forward animation and the reverse animation. we Nill change which configuration is visible.
:::
=a de out the first Punch Tip and Die (281 configuration) from 6.5 to 7.5 seconds and have the second Punch Tip and Die (125 configuration) fade in during the same time.
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.,..ip When moving appearance key points. remember to expand the component in the Mot ion Manager design tree so that you are only moving the appearance key point. -:j
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464 Chapter 16
13 Add motor.
When the Die is replaced. it is screwed out and the new Die screwed in. To add realism. add a rotary motor to spin the Die. If we scrub the timeline. we can see that the Die starts moving at 4 seconds and the threads are disengaged at 5 seconds. If we want the rotation to properly match the advance of the threads, we can calculate the rotation rate of the motor.
4 seconds
5 seconds
Add a rotary motor to the Die and have it unscrew the Die from 4 to 5 seconds and screw it in frc9 to 10 seconds. Use 100RPM for the rotational speed. Add key points to turn t he motor off and or a::: to reverse its direction. 14 Create viewpoints.
Creat e two viewpoints. one as an overall view to show the entire punch and one to show the Punch Tip and Die being changed.
466 Chapter 16
When t he punch cuts the metal. t he part without the hole will be hidden and the one wit h the hole be shown. The Sheet Metal Slug is a separate part. It can be mated to the hole in the Sheet Meta:. Part if desired, but it really isn't necessary. Instead, it can be positioned in the Die and hidden until :-~ punch st roke, at which time it is shown and made to move out from the bott om of the Die.
Positioning Strategy The one clearly defined position for the Sheet Metal Part is when it is in the punch because the '-::.:: in t he part must line up with t he hole in the Die. Creating t he path for this part is easier if we start ·,· the Sheet Metal Part at this position at the appropriate position on the t imellne and then move part to a position out of the punch where the exact position is not critical.
--=
Procedure 1 Activate configuration. Make configuration Clip4 active. 2
Select the Model tab.
We will add the additional component s before we create the motion study.
3
Add components.
Add t he components Sheet Metal Part and Sheet Metal Slug to the assembly. Add a second inst ance of the Sheet Metal Part and change its configuration t o No hole.
4
Mate components .
Mate the t wo sheet metal part s t ogether so that t hey appear to be one part. Hide the part in the configuratio n No h ole. Mat e the Sheet Metal Part in the position where it will be when it is to be cut. Note You will have to either temporarily add mates to t he Die and St op parts or Fix t hem becaus e they were free to move in the previous animations.
Once mated, suppress the four mates so t hat the parts will be able to move independently.
Advanced Topics and Problems 467
.c
5
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Hide the Sheet Metal Part [Default] and show the Sheet Metal Part [No hole].
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-
Move component .
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Move the Sheet Metal Part [No hole] to its starting position by moving it 30mm in the -Z direction.
6
Mate the slug.
Locate the Sheet Metal Slug concentric to the hole in the Die, then move its position into the Die near where the slug would be at the end of the punch stroke. Hide the Sheet Metal Slug.
7
Create a motion study.
Create a new motion study and name it Clip4. Select Animation for t he Type of Study.
Motion Paths There are three motion paths that have to be created: • The punch must complete one and a half cycles of the handle, ra ising, lowering, and raising again so that the Sheet Metal Part can be inserted, cut, and removed. • The Sheet Metal Part must move in to the cut position, hold while the punch cycles, and then move out of the punch. • The Sheet Metal Slug must move through the Die and fall out the bottom.
8
Hide/show components.
With the t ime bar at o seconds, s how the Sheet Metal Part without a hole and hide the Sheet Metal Part with a hole.
9
Prepare first path.
Using the same techn ique used earlier, animate the mate Angle l t o open and close the punch. Have the punch closed (Anglel = 96.5°) at the beginning of the animatio n. Have it open at 4 seconds (Anglel = 155°), stay open fo r 2 seconds to allow the Sheet Metal Part t o be inserted, then closed in 3 seconds to cut the sheet metal, pause for 0.5 seconds, and t hen open again in anothe r 2.5 seconds. This should make the animation lengt h 12 seconds.
468 Chapter 16
10 Prepare second path.
At 5 seconds, the Sheet Metal Part should be in position to be cut. Because t he part is already in:= correct position, move t he time bar t o 5 seconds, then select the Sheet Metal Part and click Add/ Update Key [ij. Move the time bar to o seconds and move the Sheet Metal Part out of the punc" (30mm in the -Z direction). From 11 to 13 seconds, have the Sheet Metal Part return to its startir_g position. Note Creat ing this motion will extend the total length of the animat ion to 13 seconds.
Hide/show components. During the time when the Punch Tip is cutting the sheet metal part (7.S to 9 seconds). hide t he pawith no hole and show the part with the hole.
11
Prepare third path. Create a path for t he Sheet Metal Slug to start moving in the -Y direction when t he Punch Tip ,5 ? the bottom of its stroke (9 seconds). To add rea lism, create additional key points to have the slug tu- - = once it clears the Die.
12
13 Create a viewpoint. Establish a single viewpoint fo r the ent ire clip where you can see the head of the punch and the s- e metal parts throughout their motion. 14 Play the animation. Make sure everything is moving correctly. 15 Add establishing shot. Add one second of no motion to the beginning and end of the clip. 16 Record. Save the animation as Clip4. avi. Use a Custom aspect ratio of 4:3 and record it at 20 frames per second. 17 Save the assembly.
Advanced Topics and Problems 469
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The Animation Series In this case study, we created four different animations, and in doing so set up and recorded each animation in series. In successive animations, we added additional component s and mates to the assembly. By using different configurations for each animation, we were able to avo id problems with parts created for one animation causing problems in other animations. If we had not created configurations and were to play the first three clips again in the time line, the Sheet Meta l Part would be visible. When we created these clips, t he three sheet metal parts were not in t he assembly, but those clips would now show these parts. If we were not going to use configurations, the parts could have been placed in the assembly before we started creating clips, and then we could have hidden these parts in the clips by creating key points. By having a good storyboard, and understanding what components are necessary, we can minimize these problems. Note The completed assembly provided in t he Built Parts folder has all four clips and configurations. Remember to activate the correct configuration for each clip or you may see errors.
18 Close the assembly. L"E
s.-e=
Post-Processing Now that we have created all the individual clips, we will combine t hem in a video editing program. We will use Windows Live Movie Maker; however, you can use a different program if you like. As you go through each step, you should investigate the other options available and modify the fina l video as you see fit based on your idea of what the final video should look like. Open editing program. Open Windows Live Movie Maker.
es JlE5"
On the Project tab set the Aspect ratio to Standard (4:3).
Import clips. In the right pane, click to browse for the clips we just made. Locat e Clip l through Clip 4 and click Open.
2
Organize the clips in the correct order, l to 4.
470 Chapter 16
3
Add start title.
In the Home tab, click Add title. Type Creating Animations with SolidWorks. Adjust the font and font size t o fill the screen appropriately. The image shown uses a 36 point Comic Sans MS font. Change the Background color to blue. Change t he Start time to 0.00 seconds and the Text duration to 4.00 seconds. Select the effect Zoom in-big
Animations
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4 Add a second title. Move the time bar to the beginning of Clip 1 and click Add title. Type The Hand Punch and change the font to match the previous step but at a larger font size supplied video. the font size is 72 point. Change the background color and effect to match the previous title. Change t he Text duration tc 4.00 seconds. At this point we have two sequential titles that take up less than the t ime of the title clip. If you mouse over each of the tit le clips, the callout will tell you that they are each 7 seconds. If you mouse over the titles, the callout will also tell you the duration. Pan and =com; None
Effects: Ncne
Advanced Topics and Problems 471
5 Edit the titles. By default, each title clip is 7 seconds long. We shortened the t it le's text to 4 seconds, so t he title clip text shows for 4 seconds followed by 3 seconds of blank screen. We can easily edit the title clip durations to make them match the length of t he title text. Double-click the first title clip (the clip, not the text) and then on the Format tab, change the Duration to 4 seconds. Repeat this for the second t itle clip. Both title clips will be the same length as the text that goes wit h them as you can see from the text bars under the clips.
A Creating Ammat1...
. A The Hand
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6 Add annotations. Add annotations to each of the clips. In the fo llowing images, t he annotations have been added in the upper left corner for consistency, except in two instances where the annotation is difficult to see. This is the type of problem that a good storyboard can eliminate. If we had anticipated this problem through the storyboard, we would have known to either change the lighting so t hat t he shadow fell in a different location or we could have changed the viewpoint slight ly to allow room in the upper left corner for t he annotations. :::·-=
... ::)
Assemble Con!poncnts
~
Change Size
tii.!D II ~e--j
#281 #125
472 Chapter 16
7 Add credits. Move the time bar to t he end of the last clip and then click Add credits, Credits. Type your name and t he date. Change the background color to be consistent with t he title clip.
8 Add transitions. Select the Animations tab and then select the Crossfade transition. Click Apply to all. 9 Play. Click Play and check the playback to make sure you have everyth ing correct. 10 Save.
Save the movie project to the lesson folder.
Finish the movie. Select the Home tab and then click Save movie, For computer.
11
Sov< movie ...
Name the movie Punch Assembly and save it to the lesson folder.
Recommen ded setting
Be co mmen d ed fo r t h is p rc, t:C
Click Save. 12 Examine the finished movie.
For !!igh-d
Post-processing made a subtile addition to the animation by placing all the viewer was seeing into context. The entire process takes only a few minutes once you are fam iliar with the tools, and in this case, the video editing software was free! When done, close all open files.
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Advanced Topics and Problems 473
Stroboscopic Effect Ne have all seen old movies where rotating objects. such as wagon wheels in old westerns, appear to -ot ate in the wrong direction. This is called the stroboscopic effect, or aliasing. We must be aware of ~is effect and how to correct it as the method used to shoot a movie on film is the same as that used il animations. In both, still images are captured and played back in rapid succession. In movies, cameras ::nd projectors have a fixed frame rate based on the industry standard of 24 frames per second. ln our ::nimations, we are not constrained to the same frame rate, so we can adjust the frame rate to fit our ;-reeds and correct this stroboscopic effect However, if we change the frame rate to correct the stroboscopic effect, we must be careful if we are creating clips to be post-processed because, as we 1ave seen, post-processing software does not always allow frame rates other than a specific set When :here is a choice, changing the rotational speed is preferred to changing frame rates to nonstandard 'I a lues .
-
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.Ve must recognize also that our goal is to create an animation, and what the components are actually doing is not as important as what it looks like they are doing. The actual speed of rotation is not the determining factor in the way a component appears to rotate in an animation. Rather it is the combination of rotational speed and frame rate together t hat determines what we see. Because this is a function of two variables, we can get the same visual result with more than one combination of rotational speed and frame rate. In our animations. component motion is calculated at a frame rate set in the Motion Study Properties. By default this is 8 frames per second. lf the frame rate is such that a component makes one or more complete revolutions in the time between two frames, it will look like the component is not moving. Similarly, if the component makes just less than a revolution between frames. the component will look like it is rotating backward.
474 Chapter 16
Case Study: Stroboscopic Effect In this case study, we will use a simple part re presenting a spoked wheel to examine the effects of frame rate on the recorded animation.
Procedure Open an assembly.
1
Open Strobe Effect Assembly.sldasm from t he Case Study\ Strobe Effect folder. 2 Create a motion study. Create a new motion study. Name it Strobe Effect.
Se lect Animation fo r the Type of Study.
3
Add a motor.
Add a rotary motor to the part to rotate it counterclockwise at a constant speed of 720 RPM.
4
Set frame rate.
Click Motion Study Properties .§lj on the MotionManager t oolbar. Set the Animation Frames per second to 12.
5
Calculate the motion.
Click Calculate.
6
Play the animation.
It appears that the part is not rotating.
7
View markers.
Change t o the configuration Numbers. This configuration just unsuppressed a numbered extrusion on each spoke so that we can see t he difference between spokes.
8
Play the animation.
Throughout the animation, the part still appears to be stationa ry.
9
Change the frame rate.
Change the Frames per second to 24.
Advanced Topics and Problems 475
·a
Play the animation.
This time, even though the spokes do not appear to move, we can see that the numbers are changing because the part is act ually rotating.
Stroboscopic Rate In the first inst ance, the part was rotating at 720 revolutions per minute or 12 revolutions per second. With the frame rate we selected, we capt ured an image 12 t imes per second. So the part was always in exactly the same position each time we captured an image, making all images look the same. When we changed the frame rate to 24 frames per second, the wheel only rotated 180 degrees between frames, so if we looked carefully we could see that on two spokes. t he numbers were rapidly changing between 2 and 4 and on the ot her two spokes, between 1 and 3. 11
Change the frame rate.
Change t he Frames per second to 11. ~2
Calculate the motion.
Click Calculate. This time the wheel rot ates in the correct direction, but it does not look like it is going 720 rpm. mportant! You must recalculate the motion or you will not see a change.
At 720 rpm, t he part is rotating 12 times per second or 4.320 degrees/second. At 11 FPS, each frame is 0.0909 seconds apart. This means that between each frame, the wheel rotates about 393 degrees. This appears as if the wheel is only moving ahead 33 degrees (393°- 360° = 33°) at each frame.
:3 Change the frame rate. Change the Frames per second to 13.
14 Calculate the motion. Click Calculate. Now the wheel appears to be rotating in the direct ion opposite the one in which the motor is driving it. At 13 FPS. each frame is 0.0769 seconds apa rt. This means that between each frame, the wheel rotates about 332 degrees. This appears as if the wheel is only moving backward 28 degrees {360° - 332° =28°). Now that we see the relationship between rotational speed and frame rate, we will make changes to t he motor speed while holding the frame rate constant as this is more pract ical for animations. ~5 ~
Change initial conditions.
With the time bar at 0 seconds, change the motor speed t o 1440 RPM and the frame rate to 24.
476 Chapter 16
16 Add changes. We will have the motor start at 1440 rpm then drop to 1400 rpm. It will then increase to 1480 rpm a-: return to its starting speed of 1440 rpm. Copy the motor key point from o seconds to 1 second. Move the time bar to 5 seconds. Edit the motor and change its speed to 1400 RPM. Move the time bar to 13 seconds. Ed it the motor and change its speed to 148 0 RPM. Copy the motor key point from
o seconds to 17 and 18 seconds.
This will give us a motor speed that varies as shown in the graph.
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17 Calculate the mot ion. Click Calculate. The completed video is also provided as Constant Frame rate.mp4 in the Videc:E folder. Because the rotation speed changes linearly for a constant motor, the wheel is stationary for the =-sse cond. then appears to begin rotating clockwise. It continues to speed up until 5 seconds. after\',- it slows down and reverses at 9 seconds. It will reach a maximum counterclockwise speed at 13 sec::..,:_ and then slow to a stop at 17 seconds. Remember that throughout the animation, the wheel is rotc:: ~ at speeds from 1400 to 1480 rpm counterclockwise. This example highlights the fact that the actual speed of rotation is not always important to get a g-...: animation. rather it is the relationship between the rotation speed and the frame rate that deterr-..... what we see.
18 Save and close all files.
Advanced Topics and Problems 477
:::==.-
Calculating Frame Rate Frame rate is calculated in two different places:
• Timeline The frame rate used when you click Calculate is that set in t he Motion Study Properties. • Recording The frame rate used for the recording is that set in the Save Animation to File dialog. When you record, if the motion study has already been calculated at the same frame rate as you select for recording, t he recording process will start immediately. If t he recording frame rate is different from the motion study frame rate, the motion study must be recalculated first before recording can begin. Before recording, you should always calculate the motion study at t he same frame rate you intend to use fo r recording. The reason for this is not to save time during recording. but to make sure all the motion is going in the correct direction. In the above example, if you had t he frame rate set to 13 in the Motion Study Properties and recorded the animation at 11 FPS, the output video would not be the same as you saw on the screen.
-~
=-~
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478 Chapter 16
Chains Animating a chain is a conceptually easy; however, it is a tedious process that can be very frustrat '"'; and can be computationally intense. We know that we have three types of motion studies, so whicr animate a chain the best? While it may appear to be logical to use a physics-based motion study c:-: have the chain sprockets drive the chain links, this is very computationally intense for both Basic Me: and SolidWorks Motion. Consider that to use a physics-based approach, we must define contact between t he chain links and sprockets. This means that all the surfaces on all the links must be constantly evaluated against the sprockets. Each link may have from 20 to 40 surfaces and even a •= short chain will need a minimum of 20 links. Likewise, each tooth of the sprocket will consist of at le:s six surfaces. All these surfaces add up to a very difficult computational task. While this can be do.-: there are several alternat ives that give good results with much less work. We will explore three options: • Non-physics-based animation In this approach, we will use an animation motion study and mates to control the relationships between the links and the sprockets. The sprockets will be driven by one motor and the chain b; : path mate. Synchronization between the sprockets and cha in will be a matter of setting the corre:starting key point positions and timing. • Non-physics-based animation using a physics-based solver This will be similar to the first approach except that the chain will be moved by a path mate mo~: instead of a path mate. To use that motor, the motion study type must be Motion Analysis, so we , be using a physics-based solver but ignoring most physical properties. • Physics-based animation With this approach, mates will still be used to connect all the links; however, contact will be usee between the chain links and the sprockets. Motion will be driven by a motor on one sprocket whicwill move the chain and therefore the second sprocket Play the video file Chain l.mp4 from t he Videos folder. This is our desired result, to have the chc: move smoothly around the t wo sprockets.
Chain Animation Setup All three of the above methods have one thing in common: creation of the chain from the individual chc. links. As you will see, this is a very tedious process to add and mate all the links. We cannot do the chc. as a subassembly because all the mates must be solved in the animation and therefore need to be in ~ top level of the assembly.
Advanced Topics and Problems 479
For non-physics-based animations, these are the basic steps:
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Create the assembly with sprockets attached to some back plate. Mate the sprockets together with a gear mate so that they will turn together at the proper speed ratio . Create a path to guide the chain links. Insert the first link and mate it to the path. Add the remaining links, mating each to the path and the previous link. Line up the chain with the sprockets. Drive the lead link around the path.
Chain Animation Considerations When starting to create an animation of a chain, you should consider several things before even starting to create the assembly.
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Mates A chain animation will have a large number of mates to be solved at each frame as all components except for the back plate are moving. To make this animation solve reliably and in a reasonable amount of time, we need a consistent mating scheme that minimizes redundant mates.
Each link needs three degrees of freedom, as it must be able to translate in the X and Y directions and must also rotate about the Z direction. Once we add a single coincident mate between two planes, three degrees have been removed. However, we need additional mates to connect each link to the link ahead and behind it in the chain. Additionally, we need mates to keep the links moving along the correct path. This leads t o a situation where there are a lot of redundant mates. In this case study, the overall method that will be used is to mate all the links to the same plane which will be centered on the middle of the sprocket teeth. The pin in each link will be mated concentric to the hole in the adjacent link. With this method, the coincident mate will remove three degrees of freedom and the concentric mate will remove four, for a total of seven. One alternative to this method is the hinge mate as it will remove only five degrees of freedom, making the calculations easier. In this case study, we will use the combination of the concentric and coincident mates instead of the hinge mate for two reasons. First is that by using the coincident mate, we can use the multimate function to add many mates at once, speeding the setup process. Second, all the links are mated to the same plane rather than to the next link. If we were to mate each link to the adjacent link, we would introduce the possibility of a circular reference. Lastly, by separating the two mates, we make some aspects of troubleshooting easier. To keep the chain links in line, a cam mate will keep them tangent to a dummy part that we will create to define the path.
480 Chapter 16
Chain Path It is difficult to create a path that is exactly the same length as a chain. In a real chain. gravity cat.:::~ the chain to droop and there are clearances at all the connections. Because we will be using a nonphysics-based animation. there is no gravity and our model does not have clearances. Together, t hEX two issues require us to make allowa nces when we close the loop of the chain. The other issue is how to create the actual path the chain links wi ll follow. There are two choices, o;-:= to create a path curve and t he second is to create a path surface. If we use a pat h curve, the mates r ..s be either path mates or coincident mates. While a path mate might appear to be a good cho ice, animations may sometimes become difficult to solve when there are a large number of path mates Coincident mates may also work, but they really are not designed for moving relationsh ips. If we use a path surface, the chain rollers could be mated either t angent or with cam mates. As the motion of t he chain roller along a path surface is really a cam action, this is the best choice. Chain to Sprocket Synchronization Synchronizing the motion of t he chain and the sprockets must be done manually as t here are no mc.:::r that relate the sprockets to the chain. Once the initial chain position is est ab lished, the gear mate r .s be suppressed and the sprockets rot ated into the proper start position. The second part of synchronizing the components is to establish the correct speed of the chain to:-::: rotational speed of the sprockets. Determining t he correct speed is just simple mathematics.
Procedure Open the assembly. Open the assembly Chain Problem.sldasm from the case study fold er.
1
The back plate and sprockets have already been added to the assembly and mated in place. Notice that the Front plane of t he assembly is located along the plane on which we want the chain links to move. We need two measurements from t his assembly: the distance between the axes of the two sprockets, which is lOOmm, and t he diameter of the sprockets at the locat ion where t he roller pins contact the sprocket. This distance is 35.314mm.
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Advanced Topics and Problems 481
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Open a chain link.
Open the part Half Link.sldprt. The link has a centering J lane and a sketch point that can be used to mate each link. It is also important to measure the pin diameter as this will be important when we creat e the path surface. The pin diameter is Smm.
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Create the path part.
Create a new part using millimeters. Create a sketch on the Front plane. This path is for t he center of the pin on each chain link.
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The height is t he diamet er we measured on the sprocket plus the diameter of the pin in the chain link. The lOOmm dimension is the center-to-center distance of the sprockets.
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Create a Fit Spline so that this becomes a single continuous curve.
4
Create a cam surface.
Create a second sketch on the Front plane and offset the first sketch t o the inside by 2.Smm. Extrude this sketch as a thin feature making sure that the feature is created to t he inside of the sketch. The actual thickness is not important. Add a colored appearance to t his feature. This is being done only t o make it easier t o see it in the assembly when we need to select the surface. Save the part and name it Chain path.
First s't_tch Second sketch
1!175.628
482 Chapter 16
5 Insert the part into the assembly. Insert the Chain path part into the assembly and mate it to the origin with the part's planes aligned to the assembly planes. You can now see how t his part is used to guide the chain links.
6 Assemble the chain. Once the path part is inserted and you are sure it is positioned properly and is t he correct size, you can hide all t he other components. This will make it easier to assemble the chain. Hide all the components except the Chain path part. 7 Add links. Depending on your skill at adding and mating parts, you may want to add the links one at a t ime and mate each one as you go, or you may want to add many at once and then mate t hem in sequence. We will add the first link on its own and mate it, since the mates are just slightly different.
-
.. ..._... Insert one inst ance of t he Half Link part. Mate the centering ·-- -.... plane of the part to the Front plane of the assembly. Add a path mate between t he sketch point in the part and t he spline curve in the Chain path part. Set the path mate to Percent Along Path and set the percentage to 0 .0 % .
Advanced Topics and Problems 483
8
Add more links. ow that the initial link is in place we need to add 38 more links. Add five V' more links by pressing Ctrl and dragging the existing Half Link into the (<\ graphics area to add an additional instance.
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Mate all of the links coincident to the Front plane of the assembly using the Multiple Mate Mode ~- While we are only adding the mate to five components, we could do this to all the Half Links at one time if we had inserted more instances. Add a concentric mate between the roller on the second link to the hole in the first link. Then add a cam mate between the roller and the surface of the Chain path part.
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~~ 9 Repeat. Add t he remaining links and mate them as above except for the final link. Troubleshooting the Chain It is not uncommon when mating the links to have links fli p the wrong way as the cam mat es all have multiple solutions that are all equally valid. In the image, all of the links have been added but the chain appears to be short. To solve this problem, we must first find the link or links that are reversed. When examining the chain, we will find sections that look like the image below.
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484 Chapter 16
To solve this problem. you s uppress the cam mates in the affected area and then manually move :-~ links away from the cam surface, then pull on the end of the chain to stretch it. Once the links are c : to their correct position, unsuppress the cam mates. Important! When solving this problem you need to have part of the chain fixed so that the whole c-.a-
does not move. In our case, the path mate is preventing the first link from moving. 10 Close the chain.
When we get to the last link, we need to make a small change. As it is difficult to get the path to b:: exactly the correct length for the chain, and because the chain is made up of rigid bodies, we do not v?" to mate the last link to the first link. Instead, add a second cam mate to attach the hole in the last to the Chain path surface.
-
Note Even if you do get the path length to exactly equal the length of the chain, you still do not war.:
mate the last link to the first link as it can create problems that cause the solution to fail.
Advanced Topics and Problems 485
~1
Adjust the path length.
We can see that the hole in the last link does not match the pin in the first link. To fix this. we must adjust the length of the path. To get the path length correct. measure the distance between the hole and the pin using the Measure tool. We can see that this distance is 3.076mm.lf we move the sprockets toget her by half of this amount, the hole and pin should line up.
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We must make two adjustments as the path was not created in-context with t he sprockets. First we will edit the back plate part and reduce the distance between sprockets to 98.462mm (100- 3.076/2). Make the same adjustment to the first sketch in the Chain Path part. Remember that you can do the math right inside the Modify dialog. The hole should now line up very closely with the pin.
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486 Chapter 16
Show/hide components. Show all the components t hat were hidden. Hide the Chain path part.
12
13 Organize the assembly. It is much easier to work with this assembly if it is organized. We can use folders in both the mategroup and component sections of the Feature Manager design tree to significantly reduce the size of the tree and to make it easier to find things.
How you organize the mates in your assembly is up t o you and t he organization shown in the image is just a suggestion. 14 Add gear mate. Add a 1:1 gear mate between the two sprockets.
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15 Synchronize the sprockets. Move one of the sprockets so that its teeth line up properly with the chain.
Suppress the gear mate and line up t he other sprocket. Unsuppress the gear mate. Tip Use a section view or make t he sprockets
t ransparent to check the alignment.
.::
Advanced Topics and Problems 487
Driving the Motion
At this point, you have to decide how the motion will be controlled. You can either drive the sprockets at a defined speed and then calculate t he speed required for the chain to stay synchronized, or the opposite where the chain speed is specified and the sprocket rotation is calculated. For this animation, we will drive the sprockets at a defined speed and then calculate the chain speed. 16 Add a motor.
Add a rotary motor t o one of the sprockets. Set the motion as Constant Speed and 10 RPM. 17 Set the path mate.
To make the chain move, we have a key at 0 seconds with the path mate set at 0.0%. To make it go one fu ll rotation. we just need to determine the time it will take wit h the sprockets set to 10 rpm. At 10 rpm, the sprocket will rotate one revolution every 6 seconds. Because the sprockets have 19 t eeth, and there are 35 chain links, the chain goes one full revolution for every 1.842 rotations of the sprocket. or 11.052 seconds (1.842 x 6). Move the time bar to 11.052 seconds. Edit the path mate and set the percentage to 100%. 18 Calculate.
If we have done everything correctly, the chain and sprockets should move together as if one is driving t he other. Making the Animation Longer
What happens if we want the animation to play longer? There are several choices: • Make the animation longer. Because the sprockets are driven by a motor, they will just keep rotating at a constant speed for however long t he animation may be. The chain, however, would need some work because of t he 100/ 360 Rule. • Loop the animation. Another method would be to loop the animation so that it plays continuously. This would be satisfactory for the chain itself as all the motion you need is for the links to move forward just one position. In this animat ion, however, we have other component s that need t o move much further, such as sprockets and keys. Because of those components we need the sprockets to turn one full revolution before looping. so in this animation we would need 6 seconds. • Change the method of driving the chain. An alternative is to change the way we drive the chain and use a path mate motor instead of just a path mate. If both the chain and the sprockets are driven by motors, you can just drag the top level key to whatever time you would like and calculate the animation.
488 Chapter 16
19 Delete a key point. Delete the key point for the path mate at 11.52 seconds. 20 Calculate the chain speed. From the previous steps, we know that the chain must go around once in 11.52 seconds. Using the Measure tool we can determine that the path length is 434.55lmm. The chain must therefore go 37.72mm/s.
21 Add a motor. Add a path mate motor to the existing path mate. Set the speed at 37.72mm/s. 22 Calculate and play. The animation should look exactly like the one done with a path mate but now we can easily changelength to whatever length is required.
Physics-Based Solution The remaining alternative is to use Solid Works Motion and have a sprocket drive t he chain and the cdrive the second sprocket. There are a few changes we will need to make to the assembly to run the motion study as Motior Analysis. • Complete the chain. In t he non-physics-based animations, the last link of the chain was not attached to the first lin physics-based motion study, they need to be mated together. In a physics-based stu dy, we will ~2 gravity, so the chain can be a little longer than the original path because it will tension due to its-:: weight. • Remove the cam mates. The cam mate is no longer necessary as the chain will be supported by contact between the chalinks and the sprocket s and the mates between the links. 11
Add contact. Contact calculations can take a considerable amount of time. Because the links are mated toge~ we do not need to add contact between them. The only contact that is necessary is between the and the sprockets. To save t ime, we will define two contact groups, the cha in links and the sproc .cWith the use of groups, the links are only calculated against the sprocket s and not against each:
23 Suppress mates. Select the Model tab. then suppress all the cam mates. Suppress the gear mate as the second sprocket will be driven by the chain.
Advanced Topics and Problems 489
24 Add a link. To make sure t he chain is longer tha n the path, we could either move the sprocket s closer toget her or just add an additiona l link. Add one more Half Link part and mate it to the first and last link of t he chain.
25 Add material. Make sure that a material is assigned to t he Half Link part. Any steel material will be sufficient as the variations in density among all the steel materials are too small to affect the out come.
26 Create a new motion study. Create a new motion study and name it Physics-Based. E
27 Add gravity. Add gravity in the -Y direction at the default value.
28 Add contact. Se lect Use contact groups and place all the links in one group and the sprockets in the other.
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29 Calculate. At this point, you can calculate the motion study if you choose. This study will take a considerable amount of t ime to solve. For comparison, on the test computer, each of the previous motion studies took about 100 seconds to calculate. On t he same computer, this motion st udy took about 55 minut es. To see t he results, play t he file Chain -Physics.mp4 from the Videos folder. You can see t hat t here is more vertical motion of the chain links as they move between the sprockets.
490 Chapter 16
30 Close. Close all open files.
Belts At first. animating a belt may appear to be similar to animating a chain; however, these are very differe~ problems. With a chain, the individual links can be moved around a closed path. Belts, on the other han: are created as single body rigid objects so they do not move. While there is a method to create a be.-c as a swept in-context feature, doing so is not worth t he effort and gains us nothing for an animation. Play the file Belt_l.mp4 found in the Video folder. What is moving in this animation? It looks like t he-:: is no motion. Play the file Belt_2.mp4 found in the Video folde r. What is moving? In th is animation, it looks like tP: pulleys, shafts, and belt are all moving. Belt_l.mp4
Belt_2.mp4
Both of these videos are from the same motion study, the only difference is the co nfiguration and display state of the assembly. In the fi rst animation, t hings that are act ually moving appear to be stationary and in the second, things t hat are actually stationary appear to be moving. This demonstrates a very basic concept in animations which we will call The First Law of Animations. The First Law of Animations What is actually happening in an animation is not as important as what you make t he viewer believe is happening.
Advanced Topics and Problems 491
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Animating a belt involves making the viewer t hink the belt is moving when in reality it is not. When we think of belts in the physical world, we realize that there is not much to see if we have a belt moving over a set of pulleys. What tells us that there is motion are generally nonuniform visual properties such as a logo or markings on the be lt, rather than something physical. In the computer world, the problem is that models are "too perfect" and have no surface imperfections, so the pulleys in Belt_ l .mp4 have nothing t o give us an indication that they are moving. In Belt_2.mp4, the spoked pulleys and the keys on the shafts serve to show motion. Understanding this helps us t o figure out how to make it look like the belt is moving. Because we can not make the actual belt move, we can instead move separate parts around a path defined by the belt. These parts will appear t o be markings on the belt, and therefore give the appearance that the belt is in motion. Procedure 1 Open the assembly. Open the assembly Belts and Pulleys.sldasm from the Case Study folder. Examine the assembly. The assembly has t hree configurat ions: a Default, one with spokes, and one without spokes. The belt has already been created. Notice that it is an in-context part based on creating a sketch offset from the pulley diameters. The offset sketch has been turned into a spline and used to sweep a profile of the belt. The belt has a matte rubber appearance applied.
2
Return the assembly to the configuration Without spokes .
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492 Chapter 16
3 Add mates. Both pulleys will rotate at a fixed speed ratio based on their diameters. Add a gear mate between the two pulleys. The larger pulley has a diameter of 350mm and the smaller pulley has a diameter of 250mm. Remember to select Reverse so that t he pulleys both rotate in the same direction.
4 Create a motion study.
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5 Add a motor. Add a constant speed rotary motor to the larger pulley and set the speed at 15 rpm. Important! When you add motors for animations, slower speeds are generally better as they help to avoid problems with the stroboscopic effect and also make it easier for the viewer to see the motior
6
Play. The animation should play, but no motion is visible. Because there are no discrete features or appearances to show motion, the parts all look stationary.
Advanced Topics and Problems 493
Add an appearance. -\dd the appearance shiny galvanized to the two pulleys.
3
Play.
- his t ime. we can see t he two pulleys rotating because the appearance is not uniform.
v 9
Change configuration.
Change the assembly configuration to With spokes. 10
Examine the assembly.
There are two changes. First. the pulleys both have spokes which will make the rotation clear. even without changing the appearance. The second is that the two shafts have keys and the pulleys have keyways, again making it easy to see the rotation. 11
Play.
The pulley and shaft rotations are now easy to see because of the physical characteristics of the parts.
Animating the Belt Because we cannot actually make the belt move around the pulleys, we will just make it look like it is moving by adding components that will move around the be lt. As the belt model is "too perfect;' even if we could make it move around the pulleys, there would be nothing to see, just as in step 6 above, unless we added a nonuniform appearance.
494 Chapter 16
12 Open the markers. There are three small parts included in the case study files called Markerl, Marker2, and Marker3. These are just basic shapes. Note that each has its origin in the center of t he part to make it easier to mate the parts to the path sketch used for t he belt.
Each of the three parts has a white textured appearance applied. Because belts are not very smooth, this appearance will be similar to that of the belt.
13 Add a marker to the assembly. Insert Marker3 into the assembly. Mate the origin of the Marker3 part to the spline in the path sketch of the belt using a path mate. For Path Constraint, se lect Percent Along Path and set t he value to 25%. As this marker is a sphere, we can leave both Pitch/Yaw Control and Roll Control as Free.
Moving the Marker Moving the marker component around the path could be done by adding key points for the path mate set to different values; however, this does not always give us satisfa ctory results for several reasons. As we saw in Chapter 7. path mates can work well in many situations. However. if we want the mar~ go around more than once, we must contend with the 100/360 Rule. There are also prob lems whe- ~ marker is not a simple sphere and must be kept oriented. A better solution is to use a path mate r::if SolidWorks Motion is available. Using the path mate motor. we can have the marker go around astimes as necessary just by controlling its speed and the length of the animation. The path mate also works with more than one option of the path mate set to something other than Free.
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The only disadvantages are that we must have SolidWorks Motion available and we must use a ' Analysis study type.
14 Add a motor. Change the motion study type to Motion Analysis. Click Motor on the Motion Study toolbar. Select Path Mate Motor. Set the type to Constant Speed and set the speed to 278mm/s.
Advanced Topics and Problems 495
Motor Speed
Determining the motor speed is just basic math. If we look at the large pulley, it has a diameter of 350mm and the sketch used for the belt path {and path mate for the Marker) is offset 2mm, yielding a diameter of 354mm. The circumference is therefore 354mm x pi or l,l12mm. The pulley is rotating at 15 rpm, or one revolution every 4 seconds. Therefore, a point on the circumference movesl112mm/4s or 278mm/s. This value is rounded off to the nearest unit as very small differences between the marker parts and the pulleys will not be noticed. Also. during the animation. the markers will only go around a few times. not enough for a viewer to realize that the marker has moved. 15 Play.
The marker will now move around the belt at a speed where it ho lds a fixed position to the pulleys as it passes them. 16 Add additional markers. Add additional markers using Marker2 (cylinder) and Markerl (box). With these markers you must add a relationship between a plane in the marker part and the Belt Plane. This plane was created in the
middle of the belt part and is used to keep the marker parallel to the surface of the belt. Marker Right-Plane Coincident to Belt Plane 1111
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496 Chapter 16
With Markerl (box) you must also change the Pitch/Yaw option in t he path mate to Follow Path. This is to keep the top of the marker part from tilting up or down as it goes around the path. Pitch/Yaw = Follow Path
Pitch/Yaw = Free
17 Set t he initial positions. When we added the first marker, we set the path mate position to 25%. This will be the position of t hE part when the motor turns on and drives it around the path. Once the motor starts moving the part, th:s value is ignored.
Set the initial positions fo r all the markers by moving the time bar to 0 seconds and edit each mate tc evenly space out t he ma rkers.
18 Hide the sketch. Hide the path sketch in the belt part.
19 Calculate and play. The animation must be calculated before you can play it and have t he motors work. We now have an animat ion where it looks like the belt is moving. even though it is rea lly stationary. 20 Close. Close all files.
Advanced Topics and Problems 497
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Planetary Gear System Planetary gear systems are found in many different power t rains as t hey can provide output that moves in the same direction as t he input. They can also be used when different gear ratios are needed as they can have two inputs combined to create variable outputs. Unless you have a close-up view of the gear teeth where you need to see t he backlash as t he gears change direction, the Animat ion motion study is the easiest to use and provides t he best results. If you use a physics-based motion study and use contact between the gears, calculation time can be very long because of all the surfaces that must be calculat ed t o determine when contact occurs. In this case study, we will use techniques used t hroughout the previous lessons so detailed instructions will only be provided for new topics.
Storyboard To show t he planetary gear system, we will start with an overall view, followed by a rotat ion to see the entire assembly. The assembly will then explode and collapse. Next, we will zoom in to a Dimetric view, and hide some components so that we can see t he five gears. Different gears will be driven or held to show the various input versus out put relationships. Play the file Planetary Gear System.mp4 found in the Videos folder for this chapter. to see the animation we are trying to create. The animation will be recorded in ReaiView.
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498 Chapter 16
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Preparatory Work Before creating the actual animation, there are several t hings we should do or consider having ready s as not to interru pt our workflow when we are creating the key points.
• Apply appearances In this case st udy, the ap pearances are already applied; however, you should check to make sure t-:: model looks as you would like it to appear in t he video. While you could do t he animat ion first an;: then go back and add or adj ust the appearances, it is easier t o set up the animation when you can se= how it will actually look. • Add a second ring gear When we zoom in t o look at the action of the different gears, t he shaft a nd web of the ring gear \'1 hide t he sun gear and sometimes t he planet gears. We cannot just hide the ring gear, because We would then not be able t o see its teeth. To solve this, we make a second configuration of the ring ger part and cut away everything but t he rim and teeth. At the appropriat e t ime in the animat ion. we , change from seeing t he complete part to th e cut-down version. • Create an exploded view The exploded view has been created to explode all components in the direction of the central a:JG.s _ the assembly. • Add gear mates There are two parts t o the process. First is to add the mates wit h t he proper ratio between the gea-: The second is to line up the gear teeth so that the teeth do not clash. We should also be careful ~r the order in which the gears are mated to avo id a circular refe rence. in this case study we will use-__ gear mates, each of which will have the same planet gear as one of t he two parts. &I
Organize the mates Create t wo mate folders. one for the gear mates and one for all the other mates.
Advanced Topics and Problems 499
• Create display states To properly show the gears, we need to hide several components. It may be easier to creat e two display states, one to show all the components and the other to show the gears with t he appropriate components hidden. • Add motors Because all the motion is rotary, we will use three rot ary motors to control all the motion. Remembering from Chapter 7 that a mot or with zero speed is the same as a mate, we can use the motors to hold specific gears fixed at the appropriate times. 5:ac ~s-:
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'5 g::a~: '"' =
E ----==r.5.:=-"·,?
r.:c a
-~::
~ ~=
s==.-s.
:c::-:_ _se~
Procedure 1 Open the assembly. Open the assembly Planetary Gear.sldasm from the case st udy folder. Check appearances. Examine the model in ReaiView. The shadow comes from the first light in the Lights folder so if you want to move the shadow, you must adjust the fi rst (not the Ambient light) light in the list. If you do not like the appearances provided with the model. change them now. 2
3 Check exploded view. Explode the assembly to check how the components will move. If you would like to make any adjustments t o the movement, make them now.
500 Chapter 16
4
Modify the Ring Gear.
Open the Ring Gear part in its own window. Create a new configuration named Ring Only. Use a cut feature t o remove all but the ring and gear teeth. Confirm that Link Display States to Configurations is selected in the Disp lay States manager. Ring Only
5
Add a Ring Gear.
Add a second instance of the Ring Gear part and mat e it t o the first instance so that it matches position exactly. Mating Gears
When mating the gears for an animation, we should keep two things in mind: • Align the tooth mesh Gear mates set the ratio of rotation rates and do not need or consider the teeth themselves in the solution. The initial position of the gears must be set manually at t he start to avoid gear clash. • Avoid circular references In this system we should mate Planet Gear <2> to Planet Gear < l > and then also mate Planet Gear <3> to Planet Gear <1>. Do not mate Planet Gear < l > to Planet Gear <2> and then Planet Gear <2> to Planet Gear <3>.
Advanced Topics and Problems 501
f.
Tip When mating gears. use the number of teeth to set the ratios rather than the pitch circle diameter as the number of teeth is always an integer and we avoid any rounding error. 6 Mate the gears. Choose one planet gear and mate it to the other four gears. These are the number of teeth on each gear:
fir-
• Sun Gear: so • Planet Gears: 20 • Ring Gear: 91
7 Adjust the gear mesh. Once t he gears are mated, you need to make sure the t eeth mesh properly. To do t his. work one mate at a time. Zoom in on the mesh area, then suppress the mate controlling the two gears. Manually move one of the gears until the mesh is correct and then unsuppress t he mate. Repeat until all teeth mesh correctly. 8 Create display states. There are two display states needed, one showing all the components except the second ring gear. and a second display state to the four gears without the components in front of them. These should look like t he images shown below.
-.c: ::.-es
Internal Parts Only
Tip Create an additional display state called Working and make this display state active. This helps to avoid making changes to the other two display states when you are working on t he assembly.
502 Chapter 16
9 Create a motion study. We now have all the preparation work done and can begin the motion study. Start with a full screen isometric view of the full assembly with all parts showing. 10 Create establishing shot.
Move the time bar to 2 seconds and zoom in a small amount. Add a key point.
Rotate the assembly. Use the method described in Chapter 4: Reference Triad to rotate the model go degrees around the Yaxis at 4. 6. 8. and 10 seconds.
11
Add delay. Rather than have the model go from a slow zoom directly to a rotation at 2 seconds, we should add a small delay. Copy the view key point from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
12
13 Change the interpolation and adjust timing. To smooth the motion, the interpolation modes should be changed to ease in and then ease outthe viewpoint changes. The first movement, the zoom in, can be done by changing the interpolation mode cl.S seconds to Ease In/ Ease Out. The interpolation for the rotation requires a little adjustment. First, for the key at 4 seconds, change t-= interpolation mode to Ease ln. Then, change the interpolation mode for the key at 10 seconds to Ease Out.
14 Play. Play the animation and you will see that the rotation is not uniform. If you review the section Interpolation Modes in Chapter 2, when a component uses Ease In, it starts slowly but must be goirg faster at the end t han a component using Linear interpolation. Likewise. for a component using Ease Out, it must start faster than a component using Linear interpolation in order to slow down at the e-: of the motion.
15 Adjust key points. To fix this problem we just have to move t wo of the keys so that the time between the keys using Ease or Ease Out is longer than the t ime bet ween keys using Linear. Move the key point at 4 seconds to 4.25 seconds and the key at 8 seconds to 7.75 seconds.
~
Note This is not scientific in that t here is no exact rule that says how much to adjust the keys. In tr .5 case, as the original keys were all equally spaced it was easy to figure out with a little t rial and errc-
Advanced Topics and Problems 503
16 Play again. This time, the rotation starts smoothly and ends smoothly with a constant speed throughout t he rest of the rotation. Could we have used Ease In/Ease Out on all the view keys instead? No. because the rotation would have stopped at each key, resulting in four discrete quarter t urns instead of t he desired full rotation.
·---..: .... . -... L.. J;;:;::
17 Add explode/collapse. Use the Animation Wizard and add an assembly explode from 11 seconds to 21 seconds and a collapse from 22 seconds to 32 seconds. Change the interpolation mode for all the explode/collapse keys to Ease In/Ease Out.
=~=~
..--~
- :x:~
=
IGS: :-'":
Ring Gear Motion Notice that the second instance of the ring gear did not move during the explode. This is because it was not in the assembly when the explode steps were creat ed so there is no path fo r it. You might think it shou ld move because it is mated to the first instance of the ring gear. but as we have seen in previous case studies. when an explode or collapse is imported into a motion st udy, t he component mat es are ignored. We can see this in the MotionManager as these changebars are orange. To solve this problem, we could go back to the assembly model and edit t he explode steps to include this component. or we could just hide it until it is needed later in the animation.
18 Hide a component. Move the time bar to o seconds and hide the second instance of the component Ring Gear. eg: ...,g ·5 =.ase t: ;::;e e-··c
g Ease ds--
i. lil i ''L5
c
err~-
19 Add viewpoints. When the assembly is exploded, we need to be zoomed out far enough t o see all t he components. As we did not create any named views fo r this, we will do it now. Move the time bar to 21 seconds as this is where the assembly is fully exploded. Zoom out until all the components are in view. Add a view key point. Move this new key point to 12.25 seconds. This causes the zoom out to end when the first pedestal component reaches its explode position. Copy the key point from 10 seconds to 10.5 seconds so that the viewpoint stops moving between t he rotation and the zoom. To return the view back to the starting point at the end of the collapse, copy the key point from to 30.75 seconds and t he key point from 10 seconds to 32 seconds.
12.25 seconds
Change the interpolation mode for the new key points to Ease In/Ease Out.
504 Chapter 16
20 Add motors. Move the time bar back to 0 seconds.
Add three rotary motors. one to the end of each shaft. Set the motors to Constant Speed and o RPM. For consistency, have the motors rotate counterclockwise when viewed from the assembly Front vie·,· Name t he motors for the gear in which they turn. This will make it easier to pick the correct motor as we use them in the animation. 21 Save. Save all the files.
Because we are at essentially the same point visually where we started t he animation, we cou ld chaos: to record this first part and then duplicate the motion study. In the duplicate study, we could remove 2 the key points except for final positions and then go on from t here. In t his case study, we will just continue on with the same motion study.
22 Pause. Copy all the key points from 32 seconds to 33 seconds to create a visual pause. Move the time bar to 35 seconds. Change to the Dimetric view. zoom in to fi ll the screen. We are usi5 the Dimetric view instead of a normal view because it shows t he assembly wit h some depth. If you ~ a normal view. such as the Front view, the assembly will appear very flat and uninteresting.
23 Change the displayed components. At this point. we want to look at the gears. If we change the disp lay state at this point to show only t-: internal components. the change will occur between 0 and 35 seconds, which is not what we want. T-...:: happens because we have no other visual property changes recorded. Move the time bar to 33 seconds. We need appearance key points at this time to hold the visual properties constant from 0 to 33 seconds. In the MotionManager design tree. select all the components and then click Add/Update Key. Move the time bar to 35 seconds and change the display state to Internal Parts Only. You will he : to change the display style to Shaded to hide the edges. This is because we made the parts trans parE'"" through their appearances instead of hiding them. If we had hidden the parts, they would not smoo
Advanced Topics and Problems 505
24 Change motor speeds.
: o RPM.
c:::1t vie"' · ~tor
as
In the next part of the animation we want to show the different motions inside the gear set. It is important to remember that only two mot ors can be on at the same time. The intent is to have one motor off. one motor driving. and the last motor holding (on at zero RPM). With the time bar at 35 seconds, turn off the motor driving the planet gears. Edit the motor driving t he sun gear and change it to 5 RPM with a Snap interpolation mode. Move the time bar to 40 seconds. Turn off the motor driving the ring gear and turn on the motor driving the planet gears. Leave the planet gear motor at 0 RPM.
: : ilOCSE =-~\'2 .....
2
Move the time bar to 45 seconds. Turn off the motor driving the planet gears, turn on the motor driving the ring gear at 5 RPM. Change the motor speed of the sun gear to 0 RPM. Make sure the interpolation mode for each motor change is Snap.
.::::: ...
Note We are using a relatively low speed fo r the motors because of the number of gear teeth. If the rotational speed is too high, it can be difficult to see the teeth.
25 Play.
=-E .J-5
5
- ·::::... ::-""
Extend the animation by moving t he key point for the overall animation to SO seconds. We should now have the three different rotations of the different gears.
Capture Appearance Settings :_;-L'\1
i:-..=
::_'""""'
.!C.
We want all the components to reappear as the assembly returns to the isometric view. First we must capture the appearances as they are before making a change. The problem is how to create the key points fo r just the appearances of transparent parts without creating any unnecessary keys. If we move the t ime to so seconds and double-click the display state Internal Parts Only, nothing will happen as this does not represent a change from the existing condit ion. The simple technique t o solve this problem is t o change the display state t o something else first and then back to Internal Parts Only.
26 Return to start position. ?'E
-s=c-=·~=7E:-~
Move the time bar to 50 seconds. Double-click the display state All Parts Visible, then double-click Internal Parts Only. Move the time bar to 53 seconds and double-click the display state All Parts Visible. The transparent parts will now become opaque between 50 and 53 seconds. Ext end the overall length of the animation to 55 seconds.
27 Play. This is our final check. If everything works as intended, record the animation at 24 frames per second.
506 Chapter 16
28 Save. Save and close all files.
Case Study: Shadow Study In this case we will create an animation of the sun passing over a house at two times during the year t::: see how the shadows fall. The two times of interest are the summer solstice and winter solstice, as these will give us the two extremes. We would like to examine the house from several locations, botn from outside and inside. In our animation, one second will represent one hour. As the summer solstice s t he longest day, we will do that one first and then make the motion of the sun line up in time so that bozconditions can be played together to see the differences. This will make 4:00 a.m. be at time zero. This house is in the area of San Diego, California, at approximately 34° North and 11/ West and oriente: to the southeast. To determine the path of the sun, we could search online and download t he following information frothe U.S. Naval Observatory. ~st ronomical Application~
De pt .
As~ronomical
u.s.
u.s.
Appl ication~
Naval Ob~ ervato=y tllashinqt on, DC 2 0392-5120
Observatory t~a.::shington , DC 2 0 392- 5 120
SAN DIEGO
SAN DI EGO
0
0
0
Altitude: a=td A2iituth o f
Zone:
h
m
04:00 05 : 00 0 6 : 00 07 : 00 0 8 : 00 0 9: 00 10 : 00 11 : 00 12 : 00 13: 00 11: 00 15: 00 16 : 00 17 : 00 18: 00 19: 00 20 : 00
c he: Su..Yl
2011 8h We~t of. Greenwich Altitu d.,
0
-7.1 3 .6 li. 9 26.9 39 . 2 51. 6 63. 8 74.8 79 . 2 71. 1 59. 7 47. 1 3 5. 0 22 . 8 l.l . 0 0 .2 - 10 . 8
'
0
lo1117 0 0, N3'i 00
Wl.17 00 , N31 0 0
JU!l 2 1,
De pt .
Nav~l
Altitude a....,d Azimu th of th e Sun Dec 21, 2011 Zone: Sh Ne!!!t of Greenwich
Azin:.u th (E o f. N) 0
55 . 2 63. 8 71 .5 78. 7 8 6. 0 9 1.5 106. 5 130 .9 192 . 6 210 .0 2 58 .2 268 .6 276 . 5 283.7 291. 0 29 9. 0 308. 1
Altitude
h
m
0 6: 00 0 7 : 00 0 8 : 00 0 9:00 1 0 : 00 11 : 00 1 2 : 00 13: 00 11 : 00 15 : 00 1 6 : 00 17 : 00
0
- 10 .1 1.5
11.5 20.1 27. 3 31.6 32 . 5 30.0 21.4 1 6. 4 6. 9 -1. 0
Azillluth (E o f N) 0
111.5 119. 5 128 . 7 139 . 6 15 2 . 6 167 .6 183 . 8 199.6 213 . 7 225. 7 235 . 7 214. 3
Advanced Topics and Problems 507
g the year tc : :J tstice, as :~ions. both t;.;- solstice is so that batt > e zero.
c"ld oriente:: ~ation
Display Considerations We need to decide on the method to display the model based on the way shadows are calculated. OpenGL will not work as the shadow is based on the orientation of the model and not the lights. Photo View 360 will work. but we have to eliminate all the environmental lighting and the rendering time may not be worth the effort. RealView will work well and does not require long calculation times. This is the method we will use. In RealView. only the first light, the light highest up the list in the DisplayManager that is on, will cast a shadow. Also, all lights are calculated as directional light s in RealView regardless of their actual type. RealView only supports three lights. Procedure Open the model. Open the assembly Shadow Study.sldasm.
1
fror The model of the house and grounds is a single part and has been mated into an assembly in order to orient the house correctly. In the following image, we are looking from the east.
soB Chapter 16
2
Examine the model.
Seven cameras have already been added to the model. One each looks at the house from the south, southeast, west. and east. One camera is from directly overhead. and two cameras are inside t o be able to observe t he amount of light coming through the windows.
3
Set the scene.
Change the scene to Cour tyard. This will create a simple background similar to sky. We want to do tr.s before we add the lights. If we change the scene after we establish the lights. unwanted lights may b:: added by the scene. Change the environment image to black.hdr. This is to eliminate any reflections from the scene on tr ;: house or walls.
Advanced Topics and Problems 509
'e south, =to be abl2
4 Add three directional lights. Do not worry about t he locations yet as we will position the lights in the animation. Name the lights Summer. Winter, and Fill. Make sure that the lights are in this order and the Fill light is last. Also make sure that Keep light when scene changes is selected so that these lights are not lost if we decide to change the scene. Select Lock to model so that the light positioning dimensions are based on the assembly coordinates. Turn off t he Ambient light and delete any other lights in the scene.
Shadows in RealView Remember that in RealView, only the first light casts a shadow. This is why we had to have the Summer and Winter lights first in the list. Because we will only use one of these lights in each animation, whichever one we use will cast the shadows and the Fill light will just keep the shadows fro m being completely black. 5 Change light brightness. Set the Brightness value for the Fill light to 0.1 and for the Summer and Winter lights to 1.0. Position the Fill light to Longitude 28 deg and Latitude 28 deg. It does not have to be accurately positioned. The purpose of t he Fill light is to show some detail in the model when the sun is below the horizon. Without this light, the mode l would be completely black.
6 Create a motion study. Name the new motion study Summer. ::o do th6 ::s 11ay bE e . . . e on tr.:
7 Adjust the lights. Turn off the Winter light. Moving the Lights Because directional lights always point to the assembly or part origin, all we will need is the latitude and longitude for each light at the different times of the day. For each light that re presents the sun, the first point will be at the first time available in the data. following through the last point which will be the last available time in the table.
510 Chapter 16
------ ---- ---------- --- ----- -- ---- -- --- ----- -- ----- ---We must also consider that the coordinate system of the assembly is 180 degrees opposed from the table data. When we lock the light to the model. zero degrees longitude means that the light is coming f rom the south (front view) in our modeL The table data. on the other hand, indicates compass bearings the light is coming from, so a longitude of zero degrees means that it is coming from t he north (back view}. The second part of the problem is that the table dat a spans 0 to 360 degrees while the light is positioned ±180 degrees. While the conversions are straightforward, it is easy t o make a mistake if ym.. are not aware of the differences. To keep the numbers straight. we will calculate the numbers we neec now. Summer
Winter
Time
From Table
Light
Azimuth
From Table
Light
Azimuth
0400 (4 a.m.)
55.2°
124.8°
-7.40
0500 (5 a.m.)
63.8°
116.2°
3.6°
0600 (6 a.m.)
71 .5°
108.5°
14.9°
111.5°
68.5°
-10.1°
0700 (7 a.m.)
78f
101.3°
26.9°
119.5°
60.5°
1.50
0800 (8 a.m.)
86.0°
94.0°
39.2°
128.7°
51.3°
11.5°
0900 (9 a.m.)
94.5°
85.5°
51.6°
139.6°
40.4°
20-4°
1000 (1o a.m.}
106.5°
73.5°
63.8°
152.6°
27.4°
27.3°
1100 (11 a.m.)
130.9°
49.1°
74.8°
167.6°
12.4°
31.6°
1200 (12 p.m.)
192.6°
-12.6°
79.2°
183.8°
-3.8°
32.5°
1300 (1 p.m.)
240.0°
-60.0°
71.4°
199.6°
-19.6°
30.0°
1400 (2 p.m.)
258.2°
-78.2°
59-7°
213.7°
-33.r
24.4°
1500 (3 p.m.)
268.6°
-88.6°
47-4°
225.7°
-4s.r
16.4°
1600 (4 p.m.}
276.5°
-96.5°
35.0°
235f
-55.7°
6 .9°
1700 (5 p.m.)
283.7°
-103.7°
22.8°
244-3°
-64.3°
-4.0°
1800 (6 p.m.)
291.0°
-111.0°
11.0°
1900 (7 p.m.)
299.0°
-119.0°
0.2°
2000 (8 p.m.)
308.1°
-128.1°
-1 0.8°
Advanced Topics and Problems 511
-~
How many points do we need? Once per hour is enough to look reasonably smooth. We might think that we only need two or three points (start, end. and one in the middle), but unless the sun goes directly overhead, the geometry dictates that you use more point s.
8
= ..
:
---
-::,:,-
Position the Summer light.
The earliest time we have for the summer data is 4:00 a.m., so that will be at o seconds on the time bar. Each second will represent one hour of real time . Move t he time bar t o 0 seconds. Edit the Summer light and position it at Longitude 124.8deg and Latitude -7.4deg. Not e that the latitude is below the horizon but it will be above the horizon at the next data point. Move the t ime bar to 1 second, which represents 5 a.m. Edit the Summer light position and set it to Longitude 116.2deg and Latitude 3.6deg. Continue adding points to the light until the sun sets.
9
Adjust the light brightness.
Because the light start s below the horizon. we may want the light to start with an int ensity of zero and then increase to a brightness of one after it rises above the horizon. The first problem is to determine the time the sun rises above the horizon. This does not have to be exact, so the easiest way is to start by showing the lights. In the motion study, change to the Front view.
512
Chapter 16
Scrub the timeline until the Summer light is horizontal to the origin. This should occur at about 0.7 seconds.
Edit the Summer light and change its Brightness to zero. Edit the key at o seconds and also change t he Brightness to zero. The Summer light will now start with no brightness until it rises above the horizon and then rapidly increases to full brightness at 1 second. How fast t he brightness changes is up t o you. You can add additional key points as necessary to get it the way you want it to look. 10 Repeat.
Repeat this procedure for the setting sun, then hide t he lights.
Create a Winter study. Create another mot ion st udy called Winter.
11
Repeat the above steps for the Winter light. Make sure that the t imes are the same. in other words, 8 seconds on the time line is 12:00 p.m.
Recording the Results Because there are no physical component s moving in this animation, you will notice that it does not havE t o be continually recalculated. We can use this to quickly record several videos of this study from different cameras. If Disable Playback of View Keys is selected, it is a simple matter of moving the t ime line to 0 seconds and changing the camera view, then recording the animation.
Advanced Topics and Problems 513
12
Create video files.
Depending on how you choose to use the shadow study, you cou ld make individual video fil es and play them individually or they could be combined into a composite video. Play the video file Shadow Study.mp4. In this video, the shadow paths of summer are compared to those in winter from various views using post-processing to combine mu ltiple views into a single video.
13 Close all open files.
c:J!Ciy ~ .::de
· · -;:)~cs
--
-----
l ~.;k"....:,....,
rG e;::
_..,
: se:::::1:::s
Advanced Tapies with In-Context Modeling Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Lengthen an exist ing animation. • Change between different cameras in an animation. • Use an assembly feature to simulate the cutting of a component. • Create animations where parts appear to change shape. l!l
Create animat ions of parts winding on and off other parts.
516 Chapter 17
Animations Using In-Context Features In this chapter we will look at advanced techniques that require t he use of in-context modeling. Incontext modeling is a key element in many animations. so it is important to understand this technique if you would like to do the animations found in t his chapter. Additional information about in-context modeling can be found in the training course SolidWorks Assemblies available from your SolidWorks reseller.
Case Study: Pencil Sharpener In this case study, we will animat e a pencil sharpener as it sharpens a pencil.
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 517
~
s
Storyboard Using a camera, move around t he pencil sharpener and then zoom in on the gears. While zooming in, have the plastic cover disappear so that we can see the gears. Once centered on the gears, have the motor start.
-
~ I a
--•••••••••J I CJ I Pencil Sharpener
I I CJ I
I
~ ~
CJ I CJ --1 CJ
CJ I
I CJ
~ IBL_ I ~
Change the camera position so t hat we can see t he pencil enter the sharpener, then have the pencil advance into t he sharpener and get sharpened.
CJ I
I CJ
CJ 1:::::::. '\
I CJ
Remove the sharpened pencil from t he sharpener.
CJ -
Ia
The final animation will be rendered using Photo View 360 and be 20 seconds long.
CJ
Play the completed video Pencil Sharpener.avi and review the expected motion.
I~
· zrQ..~ ICJ
,...
--
••
CJ
-7···.~, CJ
I CJ
CJ
CJ
CJ
CJ
CJ
CJ
CJ
I
Procedure Open the assembly. Open Pencil Sharpener.sldasm.
1
Examine the assembly. All the components are at t heir initial position. Only a few components will actually move. 2
'
518 Chapter 17
Plan the animation. Review the storyboard and determine the type of motion study that will be needed plus the viewpoint and appearances considerations. • Component motion There are only two motion streams. One is the rotation of the gears and the cutters. The other is the pencil moving into the sharpener and then retracting.
All component motion can be achieved with key points. The only question is the gears. Because t he motor will drive at a constant speed and there is no concern wit h backlash, an Animation st udy type will work. To show t he pencil being sharpened is going to require an in-context, assembly-level cut. This dictates that the final animation will require the use of the Animation study type. To show t he pencil being sharpened, the pencil moves into the sharpener until it intersects an assembly cut. A lock mate will then be used to make sure that both the pencil and the cut move backwards together. • Appearances The final output will be a rendered animat ion, so we must make sure that the appearances are applied correctly.
The appearances applied to t he pencil can be a problem because the in-context cut will create new faces; therefore, it needs to be modeled as separate bodies wit h the appearances applied to the individual bodies rather than faces. • Viewpoints The viewpoints will be relatively close to the model so perspective will be important. Because the bounding box of the model will continually change as the pencil moves into and out of the sharpener. using a camera will be preferable to using viewpoints.
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 519
3 • Et'·?C·-
!~E; ~s
r=-
~:c.Jse
the S::Jdytyp:
Check appearances.
Appearances have already been added to the components of the assembly. Before you proceed. the assembly should be rendered to make sure that everything looks the way you want it to look. 4 Add gear mate. Hide the Cover and change your
viewpoint so you can see the gears. • sdctates 3an '<: ii:lOVe
Drag either gear as necessary so that the starting position of the gears does not have gear teeth clashing. Add a gear mate between the two gears. The larger gear has 58 teeth and the smaller gear has 11 teeth. 5
c:-e appliec ::eate new ~:::to the
ccuse the =sharpener.
~
Organize mates.
The assembly mategroup already has two folders to organize the mates into those that will be used fo r the animation and those that will not. Drag the new gear mate and drop it into the Assembly Mates folder as we will not make changes to this mate during the animation. Preparation Work
Before starting to build the actual animation, we need to create two things, the cut feature and the camera paths. • Cut f eature
We will need an assembly cut feature to be able to create the cut on the pencil to sharpen it. • Cameras
We will also need some camera paths created to be able to position the cameras during the animation sequence. Our plan is to use three cameras: one for the overall shots, one to show the gears, and a third to show the pencil being sharpened. During the animation sequence, we will switch between the cameras.
520 Chapter 17
Assembly Cut The key to sharpening the pencil is the in-context creation of the cut. The sketch that defines the assembly cut is derived from the face of a component which defines t he profile of t he cut. Once the pencil is moved int o the sharpener, the definition part and the pencil are locked together so it appears as though the cut remains as the pencil is removed. The definit ion part is simply hidden fo r the entire durat ion of the motion study.
A similar technique, not shown in the animat ion, is to create a part based on sketches derived in-context from ot her assembly components. The new part geomet ry then cha nges as the assembly components are moved. 6 Create t he cutter part. Creat e a new part using millimeters as the length unit.
8 Ad the:
• (
.
(
• I
Creat e the sketch shown on the Front pla ne. Extrude the sketch to a depth of 2 mm.
9 In t
Save the part as r evolve cut assembly feature.
~~l____________________________\_1~-·~ ----------~~ -~--------------------------80--------------------------~
Note A red appearance has been added to the component to make it easier to see in the assembly.
7
Insert the component into t he ass embly.
Hide the Blade and Gear Housing components so that
we can see the cutters. Change your viewpoint so you can see the cutters.
Exr
Cre Sel
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 521
es the Once the 1 it appears ~n e entire : in-context :mponents
8 Add Mates. Add three mates to position this component so that this part lines up with the cutter. • Coincident: Front face of revolved cut
assembly feature to Front plane of t he assembly. • Coincident: Top edge of the revolved cut assembly feature to Axis l in the assembly. This axis is the pat h of the pencil. • Distance: Vertex of the revolved cut assembly feature t o the inside face of the Shreddings Tray. Set t he distance to S8mm. 9 Create revolved assembly cut. In the assembly, create a sketch on the front face of the revolved cut assembly feature part.
Use Convert Entities to convert the edges of the part into the lines of the sketch. Exit the sketch. Create an assembly cut by clicking Insert, Assembly Feature, Cut, Revolve from t he menu. Select the sketch we just made. ssembly.
522 Chapter 17
In the PropertyManager, expand the section Feature Scope. Select Selected component and then select the component Unsharpened Pencil. By using the Feature Scope. the only component t hat will be affected by the cut will be the Unsharpened Pencil.
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Add a lock mate.
Add a lock mate between the pencil and the revolved cut assembly feature part. Suppress this mate. We will need this mate during the animation. but we will start with this mate suppressed. After the pencil moves into the sharpener to its extreme position, we will unsuppress t his mate to lock the cut feature to the pencil so that they will move together and t he pencil will retain the cut. 11
Create a camera path plane.
Click the Model tab. Create a new plane, lSOmm above the Top plane of the assembly. Name the plane Camera Plane.
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Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 523
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12 Create a camera path.
Create a sketch on the Camera Plane, like the one shown. There are two splines and a line. The splines are tangent at point 2 and the spline and line are tangent at point 3. Name the sketch Camera Path. The sketch is approximate at this point and we can adjust it later once we see how the camera views look. 13 Create a target pat h.
The key aim points for the cameras will be along the axis traveled by the pencil. Because there are no convenient vertices to aim the cameras, we will create a simple sketch to define some aim points. Show the feature Axis l. Create a sketch on the front plane of the assembly. Create a line and make it colinear to Axisl. Add three sketch points and add relations and dimensions to position them. Name the sketch Target Sketch. Points A and B are coincident with the silhouette edges and C is lSOmm from point B. 150
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14 Change appearances.
Change the appearances of the Blade and Gear Housing components back to opaque. Hide the component revolve cut assembly feature because we do not want to see it in the animation. 15 Learn more about appearances.
All of the appearances have previously been added to the components. For more information on appearances and PhotoView 360, see the book Photorealistic Rendering Using So/idWorks and Photo View 360 Step-by-Step available through the SolidWorks merchandise webstore: http://store.solidworks.com. or Amazon.com.
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16 Create a motion study. Create a new motion st udy. Name it Pencil Sharpener. Select Animation for the Type of Study.
17 Diable views. We will fi rst focus on the component motion, so we do not want to worry about different views at this time.
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Select Disable View Key Creation and Disable Playback of View Keys.
18 Add a motor. Add a rotary motor to the Drive Gear 8e Motor part. Set t he motor type to Constant speed and the speed to 230RPM. Important! The speed we choose for the motor needs to accomplish two things. First, it must be a speed that, when coupled with the frame rate, makes it look like the gears are turning and in the correct direction. Secondly, it must be a speed compatible with the rotation of the Blade part so that it is clear what is happening in the animation. In t his particular case. this is difficult because of the small size of the teeth. With 58 teeth. the teeth are only about 6 degrees apart. To make them appear to move, each successive frame must show the teeth moving oni'Y one or two degrees. The logic in this case is to find a rotation speed that is correct for the Blade and then adjust it from that speed to make the gears look correct.
19 Start motor. In our storyboard, we want the motor to start after we see an overall view of the sharpener and then zoom in on the gears.
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Turn off the mot or at 0 seconds and then add a key point to turn it on at 8 seconds.
20 Set pencil motion. The motion of the pencil is simple. It moves from its st art position to a point where the revolved cut will cut part of the Solid Works writing on the flat of the pencil. This is done to make the motion more visible. The pencil then returns t o its start position. We will add the key points to have the pencil start moving at 10 seconds, be at the extreme position at 14 seconds and hold position for 1 second, and return to the st art point at 19 seconds.
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Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 525
Move the time bar to 14 seconds. Move the pencil to a posit ion where the SolidWorks lett ering on the pencil is half cut away by t he revolved cut
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21 Add return path. Copy the key point from 14 seconds to 15 seconds to hold the pencil at the cut position for one second.
Copy the key point from 0 seconds to 9 seconds and 19 seconds This will cause the pencil to hold its start posit ion for the first 9 seconds while we orbit the assembly and watch the motor st art It will also return the pencil to the starting position between 15 and 19 seconds. 22 Add intermediate key point. The pencil should move quickly until the moment it contacts the cutter, and then it moves more slowly as the wood is cut away. Rather than drag the pencil to the point of contact and then drag it further. we create the full motion first and then break the motion into two parts: before the contact and after. It is easy to adj ust the timing after that to get the right speeds. This technique is used to make the movement of the pencil more natural.
Drag the time bar until the end of the pencil is just about to enter the Gear Housing (about 13.5 seconds). In the MotionManager design tree, select the Unsharpened PenciL then click Add/Update Key. ~:::·. -g~· -
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Drag this new key point to 12 seconds. By moving this key point, we have shortened the time the pencil has to move from the start position to contact with the cutter and lengthened the time the pencil is being cut. The pencil will now move quickly from 9 to 12 seconds as it moves into the sharpener, then move slowly during the sharpening process from 12 t o 14 seconds.
23 Animate mates. The only mates that must be animated are for the component revolve cut assembly feature. The existing mates will hold it in place until the pencil is fully inserted. At t hat point. the lock mate must be unsuppressed to lock the two parts together. At the same time. we must suppress the distance mate to allow the revolve cut assembly feature component to move. Otherwise. the mates would be in conflict Move the time bar to 14 seconds. Suppress the distance mate FOR ANIMATION- CUT LOCATION and unsuppress the lock mate FOR ANIMATION-CUT LOCATION. By suppressing the distance mate, the revolve cut assembly feature part is free to move in t he direction in and out of the sharpener. By unsuppressing the lock mate, the revolve cut assembly feature part and the Unsharpened Pencil become locked together in their current relative positions.
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24 Calculate. Calculate the animation just to ma ke sure the mot ion is correct.
Animate Appearances Now that the mot ion of the compone nts is correct, we can move on t o t he appearances. There are t hree tasks in appearances. • The component revolve cut assembly feature must be hidden fo r the entire animation as it is r-::a real part of the sharpener. • The Cover needs to be hidden after the animation starts so that we can see the motor, gears. anc blade. • The Gear Hou sing needs to be transparent so t ha t we can more easily see the pencil being sharpened.
25 Hide compone nt. Move the time bar to o seconds. Right-dick the component revolve cut assembly feature in the MotionManager design t ree and click Hide. Important! You must hide this part. not suppress it. as t he assembly cut is a child of this part.
26 Animate the Cover. Move the t ime ba r to 7 seconds and hide the Cover. Copy the key point from 0 seconds to 6 secont"E so that the Cover hides f rom 6 to 7 seconds.
27 Animate the Gear Housing. Animate the Gear Housing so it becomes transparent between 10 and 11 seconds.
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 527
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Pencil Appearances One thing to be aware of when changing part geomet ry in motion studies is the possibility that appearances may be lost. This can happen when faces are cut, or bodies are split. To succeed in having the red paint, the wood int erior. and the gra phite core. all three appearances were attached to independent bodies in the same part. The paint was modeled as a thin shell, so that when the faces were cut. the appearance remains. This is because the internal refe rence of the body did not change. Experiment to find t he most robust appearance you can based on how you change the part geomet ry.
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Viewpoints We will use three cameras for this animation. One camera will give us the overall view of the initial setup and then zoom in on the gears. Once the motor starts, we will shift to t he second camera. which will show the pencil being sharpened, and then use the third camera zoom out t o give an overall view. 28 Add cameras. Add three cameras. Each camera should be set to use a Standard SOmm lens and an Aspect rat io of 16:9. Initially, aim all t he cameras at the assembly origin. Add t he first camera to the long spline and move it to the end at point 1. Name the camera Orbit. Add the second camera to the short spline and move it to t he end at point 2. Name the camera Gears. Add the t hird camera to the line and move it to the end at point 3. Name t he camera Fade Out.
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Note The precise positioning and aiming of these cameras is not important at this point. We will position and aim them correctly in the following steps. For now. we just need to have t he cameras created.
29 Create view keys. Now that we are ready to position the cameras. we can let the view keys be created as we make changes to the cameras. The camera motion and targets are summarized in the image to t he right. Camera times and posit ions are shown in blue and t arget points are shown in magenta. Clear Disable View Key Creation.
C: 18-20 seconds
Origin: 0 seconds A: 8-10 seconds
30 Attach the camera. Click the motion study tab. Move the time bar to 0 seconds. In the MotionManager design tree. right-click t he camera Orbit and click Properties. Set the Percent distance along selected edge/ line/curve to 0% so that it is at point 1. Leave the target point as the assembly origin.
/ 1
0 seconds
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 529
31 Set Orbit camera. Move t he t ime bar to 8 seconds.
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In the MotionManager design tree, right-click Cameral and click Properties. Adjust the Percent distance along select ed edge/line/curve to 100% so that the camera is at point 2. Change t he Target Point to point A on the Target Sketch. Make sure a key point is created for the camera at this point.
32 Set second camera. Leave the time bar at 8 seconds. Edit the Gears camera and adjust the Percent distance along selected edge/line/curve to 100% (point 2). Move the Target Point to t he point A. This should make the sta rting position and target point for this camera exactly the same as the ending point of the previous camera. Make sure a key point is created for the camera at this point.
33 Second camera path. Move the time bar to 12 seconds. Edit the camera Gears and adjust the Percent distance along selected edge/line/curve to 0 % (point 3). Move the Target Point to point B.
34 Set third camera. Move the time bar t o 14 seconds. ll
Edit the Fade Out camera and adjust t he Percent distance along selected edge/line/curve t o 0% (point 3). Move the Target Point to point B.
35 Establish third camera path. Move the t ime bar to 18 seconds. Edit the Fade Out camera and adjust the Percent distance along selected edge/line/curve to 100% (point 4). Move the Target Point to point C.
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36 Adjust the camera timing. Copy and move the camera key points so that we use the Orbit camera from 0 t o 8 seconds. At 8 seconds, switch to the Gears camera, but do not have the camera move untillOseconds. Have Gea...TS complete its move by 12 seconds. At 14 seconds, shift to the Fade Out camera and have it move frorr 14 to 18 seconds. The timeline should look like the following. [ 'ii' l ~ 'if.*~ ~ 1:J ~ Pencil Sharpener Assembly_& (Def< ~Orientation and Camera Views
13 ~ Lights, Cameras and Scene
Ambient
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37 Calculate. Calculate the motion and review the animation. 38 Edit the animation. After reviewing the animation, you may want to edit the times and camera positions. Remember tha~ each camera is moving along the splines and line of the Camera Path sketch. To edit t he camera positions, edit this one sketch. 39 Record the animation. When you are satisfied wit h the animation, record it at 24 frames per second. Remember to hide the Camera Pat h and Target sketches so that t hey do not show up in the video.
40 Examine the video. When we were creating this video, 20 seconds seemed to be a long time. On playback, however, on playback. the act ion may be too fast. Lengthening Your Animation lf you have put together your animation and you decide it is too short. t here are three ways to lengthean existing animation: • Move the key points This is a case of just dragging key points or groups of key points to locations down the timeline. Th~ method works, as it is just basic editing, but it can be very tedious for anything other than very simp = animations. This method can also be a problem if there is any sequence of complicated timing between components as it is easy to move a key point to an incorrect point.
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 531
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• Stretch the timeline This is a very simple way to lengthen an animation to a very specific length. As was mentioned in t he introduction, you can Alt+drag t he top level key point and the entire timeline will stretch proportionally. There can be a problem with this method when motors are defined t o start at specific times. The defined t ime does not change with this method, causing unpredictable results. • Change the playback speed If we change the playback speed to O.Sx. the recorded animation will be twice as long. This is a very reliable method as there are no changes to the timeline. At first, this method may not seem obvious, but when you set the recording speed to some va lue like playback speed. So during every second of recording. 10 fra mes will be captured. but only O.S seconds of video will have played. So, in effect, you have lengthened the recorded video so that it t akes twice as long to play.
10 frames per second. that will be 10 frames per second at the
41 Lengthen the video. Change the playback speed to o.sx. Record the video again using the same settings as before (20 frames per second).
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42 Examine the video . Everything is the same, except the events go at half the previous speed so t hat the completed video is now 40 seconds long.
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43 Run a test render. Save the animation to Photo View at O.S Frames per second to test the settings. r ~~
44 Render. If you are satisfied with the settings, render the animation using PhotoView at 24 Frames per second.
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The completed video is provided in the Videos folder as Pencil Sharpener.mp4 as rendering this file will take many hours. r:g:-:-
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45 Save and close all files.
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Case Study: Jigsaw In this case study, we will animate a jigsaw cutting through a piece of wood. The jigsaw has several subassemblies, most of which do not need to be animated. The blade, however, needs to reciprocate to be able to cut the wood and will require a setting to allow it to move. We will create the cut in the wood using the same technique used to create a dynamic section view in the Hand Punch case study in the last chapter. Once the saw cuts through the wood, the scrap end of the wood should fall away. The technique used to create this action will be that of multiple configurations of the wood part. The wood has a procedural appearance which will require a small change to the way the configurations of the wood piece are created.
Storyboard Play the completed video Saw Animation.mp4 from t he Videos folder. The camera will do a partial orbit of t he assembly and then zoom in on the blade. The blade will start moving up and down, and t hen the saw will move through the wood, creat ing a cut. During the cut. t he camera will back away from the cut. When the wood is cut through, the scrap end will fall away. There are four major elements to this animation:
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• Camera path The camera path will be two sections of a 3D sketch. one to create the orbit and one to have the camera back away. Because we will not use post-processing, we want to create a seamless transition between the camera paths. • Animating the saw blade The saw blade will follow a reciprocating path.
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Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 533
• Creating the cut in the wood Creating the cut will be done using an assembly cut which is tied to the saw blade, making it look like the blade is doing the cut. • Making part of the wood piece fall away after the cut We will use a technique of two configurations like that used for the sheet-metal cut in the Hand Punch case study.
Procedure Open the part. Open the part Wood.sldprt from the Case Study\Jigsaw folder. The wood part has the appearance unfinished oak applied to the entire part.
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Procedural Appearances Procedural appearances are applied based on the X, Y, and Z coordinat es of each point on the surface. The importance of t his is that when we create the configurations of t he part, each configuration needs to be referenced to the same origin so that the appearance will look correct. This was not important in the Hand Punch case study as the appearance of the sheet metal was just a solid uniform color. In this part. we have to consider the wood grain so that when we shift configurations there will be no visible appearance change. It is also important to remember that procedural appearances are only calculated when rendered in Photo View 360. When a procedural appearance is viewed in RealView, it is shown as a 20 texture as shown below.
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Rendered in Photo View 360
534 Chapter 17
2 Create a sketch. This will be a reference sketch, placed where the saw cut will occur.
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Sketch a rectangle 350mm from the end wit h the origin. Make the rectangle 2mm wide and coincident to the long-side edges of t he part.
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Exit the sketch.
3 Create cuts. Create two overlapping rectangular cuts. using the reference sketch. Both cuts must cut t he area covered by the reference sketch so t hat the combined length of the two configurations is 2mm less than the Full Board configuration. This gap is the equivalent of the saw cut.
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Create configurations. Add two configurations to the part, naming them Long and Short.
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When you are done, the appearances on the Long and Short configurations should be exactly the same as the appropriat e sections of the Full Board.
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5 Create new assembly.
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Create a new assembly and add three instances of the Wood part at the origin. All three instances should be at exactly the same place and be fixed.
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Save. Save and name the assembly Saw Animation. Change configurations. Change the configuration of the second instance of the Wood part to Long. Change the configuration of t he third instance of the Wood part to Short.
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Hide. Hide t he Long and Short instances so that only the Full Board configuration is visible.
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Add the saw. Insert the assembly Jigsaw Assembly.sldasm.
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Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 535
Mate the saw. Mate the saw so that the skid plate rests on the top of the wood. Add a distance mat e to make t he saw blade 3SO.Smm from the end of the wood. This lines up the saw blade with the center of the cut.
10
Position the J igsaw so that the blade is not yet in contact with the wood.
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Assembly Cut When the saw moves through the wood. we want to create a cut in the Wood part as if the saw blade was making the cut. To creat e this cut. we will use an assembly cut that is based on a sketch on the front face of the saw blade teet h. Create a new sketch. Edit the part Blade and create a new sketch on one of the small faces on the blade teeth.
11
Sketch a rectangle with relationships that will keep it lmm wider than the width of the blade teeth. Exit the sketch. t hen rename the sketch Cut Profile. Return to Edit Assembly mode. Note This sketch is wider than the blade because the teeth on t he blade model do not have set as would a real blade. Because there will be no view in the animation that will allow the viewer to see the fine detail of the blade. we can just compensate with a wider cut.
Make assembly cut. While in Edit Assembly mode, select the same face of the blade used in the previous step. then click Insert Sketch from the menu.
12
Select the sketch in the part Cut Profile, then Convert Entities. Click Insert, Assembly Feature, Cut, Extrude from the menu. Extrude Through All and make sure the direction of the cut is away from the Wood part. Rename t he feature Saw Cut. Under Feature Scope. select Selected components, and clear Auto-select. Select just the Wood component.
536 Chapter 17
13 Test the cut.
Drag the Jigsaw Assembly so that the saw blade is in the middle of the wood, then rebuild the assembly. If the cut is correct. return the Jigsaw Assembly to its starting posit ion and hide the sketches. Assembly Changes
Before starting the animation, you must make some important changes to the assembly: • Cha nge t he view display to hide the edges. • Change the subassemblies to give the parts inside them the ability to move. • Suppress internal components in the saw that are not seen in the animation. Suppressing these components can speed up the calculations. 14 Change view display. The default view display is Shaded With Edges.
Normally this is a good display to use when modeling. but for animations in RealView it is more realistic if the edges are not showing. Click Shaded ~ .
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 537
15 Make assembly flexible. The saw blade is in a subassembly of the jigsaw, which is a subassembly of the top level assembly. To be able to animat e the saw blade. its assembly must be made flexible as well as each subassembly that contains it up to the t op level.
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Click the Jigsaw Assembly subassembly from t he FeatureManager Des ign Tree and select Properties ~ Select Flexible and click OK. Re peat the procedure for the Plunger Assembly subassembly.
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Animation of the Jigsaw Blade The animation of the jigsaw blade requires a mot or to an imate t he reciprocat ing motion. 16 Rename the motion study. Click the Motion Study l tab.
Rename the motion study Wood Cut.
538 Chapter 17
17 Set oscillating motor. Click Motor ~ and Linear Motor (Actuator) ~. Select the face of the Blade for the location, the linear edge of the Blade for direction as shown. Select the Skid Plate for Component to move relative to. Set the values for the motor as shown. Because the blade is starting at the top of its travel. t he initial direction should be set as down. An alternative would be to set the direction as up and add a goo phase shift.
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Click OK.
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Note Choosing the correct speed for the blade can be difficult as the blade on a real saw moves fast enough to make seeing the individual features difficult. In an animation we may have to move the blade more slowly to make it look bett er in t he animation.
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18 Disable view keys. Right-click t he Orientation and Camera Views compo nent and click Disable Playback of View Keys. This will keep the view orientation changes from being captured as you zoom in to work.
24
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19 Move the saw. Create key points to have the saw blade start moving at 6.5 seconds from its starting posit ion to about 20mm past the end of the board at 20 seconds. Wit h the existing mates, the jig saw can only move in one direction. 20 Turn motor off and on. Turn off the linear motor at 0 seconds and have it t urn on at 5 seconds. 21 Calculate and play. Test the work so far. Nothing should happen for t he first 5 seconds. The motor should then turn on and 1.5 seconds later, the saw should move through t he board and create a cut.
XYZ.
Drag t comp1 end of
Advanced Topics with ln·Context Modeling 539
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22 Hide/show the wood. Drag the time bar to the point where the saw blade just gets to the end of the cut. This wil l be around 18.5 seconds, but your value may be slightly different depending on the start and end positions of the saw.
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Hide the Wood part (Full Board configuration) and show t he Long and Short configurations.
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Change the Interpolation Mode fo r all t hree parts to Snap.
23 Rotate component. If the Wood component in the Sh ort configuration is fixed, you will have to float it before it can move. In the FeatureManager design tree, right -click the component Wood (Short) and click Float. Move the time bar about 0.4 seconds t o the right. Select the Wood (Short) component and click Rotate Component ~ and select About Entity.
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Select the bottom edge of the Wood (Short) component t hat is next to the blade and drag the component as shown.
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24 Move component. Move the time bar to 20 seconds (end of the animation). Select the Wood (Short) component and click Move Component ~ and select Along Assembly XYZ.
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Drag the component downward as shown. We want this component to move fa r enough to be out of view at the end of the animation. ~
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540 Chapter 17
25 Create a camera path. Create a 30 sketch. In the Top view, sketch a two-point spline from point 1 to point 2, t hen a stra ight line from point 2 to point 3. Use t he spline handles to adjust the shape of the sp line to approximately t he shape shown. The line should be tangent to the spline so that we get a smooth transition between camera views. The intent is that the camera will go from point 1 to point 2 and stop, then it will back away from the saw going from point 2 to point 3. Tip When adjusting a 30 spline, split the window to Four View. When you drag points. t hey will drag parallel to the plane of the view. Start in the Top view and get the general shape. Change to the Front view and drag point 2 vertically. Continue to adjust as necessary.
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Exit the sketch and name it Camera Path.
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Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 541
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26 Add first camera. We are going to add two cameras, both will use a 50mm Standard lens and 11:8.5 Aspect ratio.
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Add a camera to the spline. Have it move from point 1 at o seconds to point 2 at 6 seconds. r;--e sc
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We want the cameras to aim at the point where the saw is cutting the wood. There is, however, no point there, so we will pick something close. Aim the camera at the vertex shown on the Skid Plat e. Name this camera Orbit.
27 Add second camera. Add a camera to the straight line and aim it at the same point as the first camera. Have it move from point 2 at 10 seconds to point 3 at 16.5 seconds. Name this camera Dolly Out. Important! Because point 2 is a common point for both the spline and line, we will be able to switch between these two cameras without a change in the view seen on the screen. If we need to adjust the camera path, adjusting point 2 in t he sketch will move bot h cameras t ogether.
28 Enable view keys. Right-click the Orientation and Camera Views component and clear Disable View Key Creation. This will make it easier to create the camera keys. 29 Create camera keys. We want to start the animation looking through the Orbit camera. It will stop at point 2 and we will see the saw start. We then switch to the Dolly Out camera and back away so t hat when the wood is cut, we will be able to see it fall.
,
Move the t ime bar to 0 seconds. Right-click the Orbit camera and select Camera View. Move the t ime bar to 10 seconds. Right-dick the Dolly Out camera and select Camera View.
542
Chapter 17
30 Calculate and play.
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Note that the blade movement is not smooth. This is the result of the frame rate and t he speed of calculation. We discussed the problem of stroboscopic effect caused by frame rate in the last chapter.
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The other problem may be the camera views. To fix the camera views, edit the Camera Path sketch. Because the cameras are both tied to this sketch, the adjustments are easy to make. There are several parts inside the saw that have no effect on the animation. Some of them may not move and as a result will move outside of the saw body. Once you identify these components, hide them at the beginning of the animation.
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31 Record. Save the animation as an AVI file.
32 Save and close all files.
Bending Parts One of the basic concepts of animations is that parts are solved as rigid bodies. What this means is t hat one body cannot deform through contact with other bodies such as a golf ball being struck by a golf club. In Chapter 8. however. we saw that parts could have their shape changed through in-context modeling. Many advanced animations use in-context modeling. so if you are not comfortable with this concept you will need to learn more about it. In-context modeling is covered in the SolidWorks Assemblies tra ining course available from your SolidWorks reseller.
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Case Study: The Pipe Bender The pipe bender is a case study about bending a part. This animation was first done in 2001. so the techniques used in this animation are not new but it shows some ingenuity in its solution. There have been only slight modifications to the original animation due to some changes in the algorithms over t he years, but they are very small. Attribution The original models and concept for the case study were provided by Mike J. Wilson and used with his permission.
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Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 543
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St oryboard A piece of pipe is inserted into the pipe bender. The bender clamps the pipe and then rotates. bending the pipe 180 degrees. The bender releases the pipe and the bent pipe is retracted. The bender then rotates back to the starting position. Play t he animation Pipe Bender.mp4 found in the Videos folder to see the final result.
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Procedure At this point in t he book, you should be able t o create all the motion necessary to move the tubing into position, close the clamp, rotate the bender, and reverse all the motion, so we will not discuss the specific steps to do that part of the animation. All we will concern ourselves with is the pipe part and how to make it bend.
Open the assembly. Open the assembly Pipe Bender.sldasm from t he Case Study fo lder.
1
Animate the bender. Using the information from the storyboard, animate all the existing components. The Pipe part is not included as we will create it in the following steps.
2
544 Chapter 17
The Pipe Part
4
There are several requirements for this part. When created, it must include the bend. As you will see, we will creat e the bend and then cut it away with a movable sketch. This movable sketch will have an external relationship to a moving part of the assembly. There is an additional requirement for this model because an actual pipe will maintain the same overall length as it is bent. In our model. we will be lengthening one end of the pipe with the moving cut, so we must also shorten the other end of the pipe by the same amount.
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The part is a little difficult to ful ly explain until you see how it works. Therefore, we will build the part and then explain how the geometry works. The basic outline of how this part is created: • Create the pipe as a sweep. m Cut off one end with a movable cut. a Shorten the other end of the pipe by the same amount that t he first end lengthens.
3
Create the pipe part.
Create a new part in millimeters. Name the part Pipe.
Pipe
5 Crea Entit
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PlanE
Path
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 545
4
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18 the part
Create a sketch.
Create the sketch shown on the Top plane. Name the sketch Pipe Layout.
5
Create a path sketch.
Create a new sketch on the Top plane and use Convert Entities to creat e the sketch entities from t he Pipe Layout sketch. Name this sketch Pipe Path.
25 1112
Note This may initially appear redundant. but its purpose will be explained later.
6
R50
Create a plane.
Create a new plane at the end of the long straight line segment shown as point A. Name the plane Profile Plane.
7
Create a profile.
Sketch a circle with a diameter of 32mm on the Profile Plane and add a Pierce relationship to the end of the Pipe Path sketch. Name this s ketch Pipe Profile.
320
m
. .L- -,/ · 8
Create a sweep.
Sweep the Pipe Profile sketch along the Pipe Path sketch.
546 Chapter 17
9 Cut the pipe. Create a sketch on the Top plane. Sketch a line from the center of the arc horizontally t o t he left, past the part Origin. Make sure that the end of the line is coincident with t he center of the arc. Also make sure that the line does not have any other relationships, as we want to be able to pivot it on the center of the arc.
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175
-
270.00'·'
Add an angular reference dimension as shown. We will use t his dimension in an equation that will shorten t he straight end of t he pipe. Name the dimension Cut Angle. Name the sketch Cut Sketch. Use the sketch to extrude a cut which removes the curved end of the pipe. Important! Make sure the angle dimension is a reference dimension and not a driving dimension. 10 Lengthen the pipe.
Create a sketch on the cut end of the pipe and convert the outer edge of the pipe. Extrude the sketch 12Smm. 11 Shell the pipe. Shell the pipe to a wall thickness of 1.7Smm.
We now have all the geometry and we can see how this part works. 12 Bend the pipe.
Edit the Cut Sketch and drag the line to different angles and t hen exit the sketch and let the part rebu ild. The images below show what should happen. When we use this part in the assembly, it will be clamped in the Mandrel at the sket ch line. As the Platform rot ates, the part of the pipe that was form ed by the last Boss-Extrude feature remains a fixed length as the pipe on the other side bends around the Mandrel.
p
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 547
-------- ----------------------------------- -----------When this part is inserted into the assembly. t he Cut Sket ch line will be given a relationship t o keep it aligned with the Platform so that as the Platform rotates. the pipe will appear to bend.
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13 Add the pipe to the assembly. Add the Pipe to the assembly. Mate it concentric to the Mandrel with the orientation such that the 12Smm extrusion is not on the Mandrel. Add a second mate to keep the Top plane of the Pipe parallel to the Top plane of the Mandrel.
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548 Chapter 17
14 Animate t he pipe. The Pipe has only two positions in the animation, the f irst is offscreen and the second is in its clamped position. Move the time bar to 3 seconds. Move the Pipe onto the Mandrel so that the arc of t he Pipe Layout sketch is concentric to the Die. You do not have to use a mate to set this position, just visually adjusting the position from the top view is good enough. Make sure a key point is created for the Pipe.
15 Retract the pipe. Copy the two key points from the Pipe as follows. Copy the key point from 3 seconds to 6 s econds to hold t he Pipe in posit ion while it is bent. Copy the key point from o seconds to 1 second and 8 s econds to prevent the pipe from moving during the establishing shot and to remove the bent Pipe from the bender.
16 Test the animation. The motion s hou ld now be correct, except that the Pipe does not bend. To fix this we need to create a relationship between the line used in the Pipe that cuts off the sweep with the rotation of the Platform.
17 Add a relations hip. Select the Model tab. Edit t he Pipe in-context and then edit the sketch Cut Sketch. Add a Parallel relationship between the line in the sketch and the Right plane of the component Clamp Press Casing. Note You could add this relationship t o any element that rotates with t he Platform. The key is that the sketch line rotates with Platform so that the cut follows the Platform position.
18 Test the animation. This time, the Pipe should bend as the Platform rotates.
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 549
19 Maintain pipe length. The one problem we have with the pipe is that the lengt h of the pipe changes as it is bent because we are just cutting off less of the original sweep as t he Cut sketch rotates. To solve this pro blem and keep the overall length of t he pipe constant. we will add an equation to shorten t he lo ng straight section. The logic is that the equation will calculate the length of the st raight section as follows: Length = Original Length - Arc Length 25
This results in the straight length decreasing as the arc length increases.
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The arc length is just a fraction of t he circumference based on the bend angle. As the bend angle starts at 270 degrees, and we want t he original fraction to start at zero and increase to 50 percent as the bend angle goes from 270 degrees t o go degrees, we have to construct t he fraction:
I 257
m
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(Modify
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::reate a :r..atform.
Fraction = ((360 - (bend angle+ 90))/360
~ =257-{314"(360· ( "Cut ~#Cut sketch"-+90))/360)
This makes t he equat ion:
~
Original Length- (circumference x (360 - (angle+ go))/ 360) Add this equation to the length in the sketch line.
. Clamp
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Question Why is t he original length 257mm? If you examine the geometry, this is the initial length that will cause the bent part shape to be a U shape with equal legs. You could use ot her values for the initial dimension. but the final part would not have legs of equal length. 20 Test the animation.
The animation should now work correctly. The animation is a little fast. so set t he Playback Speed to .sx.
x
e t? ~
550 Chapter 17
The Pipe Layout Sketch Why did we create a Pipe Layout sketch if we were going to duplicate it as the Pipe Path sketch? If we were not creating an animation, we could have just used the Pipe Path sketch and put all the dimensions and equations in this one sketch. With an animation, solut ion problems can result when equations are changing dimensions in sketches absorbed by other features. In this case, the Pipe Path sketch is absorbed by t he sweep feature. By creating a layout sketch as the first feature of the part, the equations solve more reliably.
3 E Open canst side.
-..
21 Close. Save and close all files.
Case Study: The American Flag This is the first of two case studies showing how to create a moving surface. Each case study will animate a flag but by different methods. In the American flag. this is actually a sheet metal part made up of many elements. Motion is driven by a moving spline. In the flowing case st udy of a SolidWorks flag. motion is driven by a rotary motor turning a helix which defines a lofted surface. Play the file American Flag.mp4 t o see how the flag looks when animated. Attribution The original models and concepts for this and the fo llowing case study were provided by Mike J. Wilson and used with his permiss ion. The American Flag In this case study, we will not do all of the steps to create this animation. Instead we will dissect the methodology used to create the animation. While the concepts and steps are easy to do. they are very repetitious and t he solution can take some time. Procedure 1 Open the assembly. Open t he assembly American Flag.sldasm. Examine the assembly. The assembly consists of three parts: two assembly-level patterns and an assembly cut. 2
4 E Open All of lange
Once If we
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 551
>--
3 Examine the flag shaper. Open the part American Flag Shaper in its own window. This part contains just one sketch that has a const ruction line and a spline. The purpose of this part is to move the elements of the flag from side to side.
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4 Examine a stripe. Open the part American Flag Stripe in its own window. The part consists of a series of straight lines. AUof the lines are the same length except for the one that attaches to the Origin, which is slightly longer.
~ Once this sketch is extruded as a thin feature, it is converted into sheet met al. If we select View, Sketch Relations, we can see that each endpoint has a relationship to the sp line.
sect the c:re very
~
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552 Chapter 17
5 Examine the union. Open the part American Flag Union in its own window. The union is constructed in the same way as the stripe except that there are fewer segments .
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Sheet Metal Features What is the purpose of converting these parts to sheet metal? The sheet metal feature comes after the extrude feature in the FeatureManager design tree. When applied. it adds a bend between each segment at the default bend radius. As this bend radius is re latively large, it smooths the section transitions so t hat there is no crease between the straight sections. 6 Open a part. Open the part American Flag Stripe in its own window. Suppress and unsuppress the Sheet-Metal feature and observe the differences in the shape of the surface.
f
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Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 553
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Moving the Surface The way this animation works is to move the American Flag Shaper part. As the points in the sketches of the American Flag Union and American Flag Stripe are related to the spline on the Waving Flag Shaper sketch, they move from side to side. At each frame, the parts rebuild and the sheet metal features recalculate the bends to keep the flag smooth. Play the file American Flagsketches.mp4. You can see that the sketch in the American Flag Shaper part moves past the flag. As sketches in the American Flag Union and American Flag Stripe are related to the spline in the sketch, the points must move back and forth in the Z direction. With this construction, the points can also move in the X direction if the amplitude of the spline increases or decreases.
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This construction shows a lot of capability by using a separate union and patterns to create all t he stripes. A variation of this assembly could use just a single stripe extruded to the full height of t he f lag. Instead of applying appearances to the individual stripes, a decal could be used. To see an example, play the file French Flag.mp4.
7
Close.
Close all open files.
Case Study: SolidWorks Flag This case study demonstrates a diffe rent method to shape a part using a loft with a guide curve. One advantage of this method is that the motion can be driven by a motor which allows for a longer animation and also makes it easier to creat e a seamless loop for an apparent continuous play. Another advantage is that the flag surface is being controlled by curves so that the result is much smoother than t he sheet metal option above. Finally, the animation calculates much faster as there is no need to calculate all t he bend features. Play the video SolidWorks Flag.mp4 to see how the final animation looks.
554 Chapter 17
------------------------------------- -- ---------------Procedure
3
Open the assembly. Open the assembly Flag.sldasm from the SolidWorks Flag l folder.
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·•· Flag.Sl.DPRT •
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2 Open the part. Open the part Flag.sldprt in its own window.
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Expand the loft feat ure Flag and notice that there are three sketches for the loft.
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The loft goes from the straight line sketch named Flag, Beginning to the 3D sketch Flag, End. Guide Curve(Fiag Shape)
The remaining sketch, Flag Shape, controls t he waving of the flag. This is an in-context sketch to the other part in the assembly called Spring.
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Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 555
Open the part Spring.
3
This part contains just one sketch which is a helix. ·
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As the sketch Flag Shape in the part Flag is a 20 sketch. t he projection onto the sketch plane produces a sine wave. In the animation, the Spring part rotates around the axis of the helix producing a moving sine wave in t he Flag Shape sketch.
4
Edit assembly.
Return to Edit Ass embly mode. Select the Completed Motion Stu dy tab.
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Examine the MotionManager design tree and you can see that there is a rot ary motor that drives the Spring part at 12 rpm. At this speed, the helix will make one turn in 5 seconds, so to get a continuous wave we can make aS-second animation and just loop it. This is all that is needed to drive this animation.
556 Chapter 17 ~-- - - -- --- - --- - --- - ------------------- - ------- -- ----- - -
Rectangular Flag To creat e a variation of this flag, all we need t o do is make a slight adjustment to one of the sketches. In the previous steps, t he loft went from a line t o a point If we edit t he 3D sket ch Flag, End and change it to a line, we will get a rect angular flag.
5
Edit the sketch.
7 Cha1
8
ReCI
Open the part Flag in its own window
com Flaf
Edit the 3D sketch Flag, En d.
9
Sketch a vert ical line and make it midpoint to the point in t he sketch.
Play havE
Exit the sketch. 10
6
Edit the loft feature.
Clos
You may or may not have to edit t he loft feature depending on how you drew t he line. If the loft fai ls, it is because the connect or is going from the top end of t he start sketch t o the bottom end of t he end sketch. If t his happens, edit t he loft and reselect the end sketch near the top.
Prof~e(Fiag.
End)
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 557
7 ·e sketches. ! and change
Change decal.
Change th e decal to the Let's Go Design logo.
8
Record.
Record this animation f or 5 seconds. The complet ed animation is provided as SolidWorks
Flag 2 .mp4 in the Videos folder.
9 Play. Play the animat ion in loop mode and you will have a continuously waving flag. 10 Close. Close all open files.
a
II
Is
558 Chapter 17
Case Study: Cable Winding Off a Reel This case study demonstrates another common animation problem, t hat of winding a part on or off another part. There are other methods to accomplish this animation other t han just the method shown in this case study. but the method shown here is very reliable and produces good results. Attribution The original models and concept for the case study were provided by Depak Gupta and used with his permission.
Storyboard The storyboard is simply that both reels will rotate in the same direction at the same speed and t he cable will transfer from one reel t o the other. Play the video Cable Roll On-Off.mp4 to see the finished result.
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Cable Solution Method The method used to create the cable is sweeping a profile along a helix. When first looking at this problem, most people will think to st art the part by creating a helix at the end of the cable and working toward the crossover point. A better solution is to start at the crossover point in the middle and create the helix so that it extends from the crossover point toward the end of the cable. The logic is t hat the geometry of the cable is consta nt in the middle and the only thing that changes is the amount of turns.
The helix is defined by height and pitch. This allows the height of the helix to be controlled by a simple equation.
Procedure Open the assembly. Open the assembly Cable Assembly.sldasm.
1
Cre In tt cabI
eve1 adju
4 Use
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 559
>n or off :hod shown
d with his
:and the :•e fin ished
2 Examine the assembly. The assembly has the two instances of the Reel part. One is positioned on the origin and is mated so that it can rotate around its axis. The second instance is also mated so that it can rotate about its axis and is aligned to the first instance by the Top plane of the assembly. There is also a distance mat e which holds the reels 200mm apart.
... 0
There is a gear mate to make sure both reels turn together. 3 Examine the Reel. Open the Reel part in its own window. Double-click t he feature Revolve l to see the dimensions. The two important dimensions are the diameter of the cylinder, which is SSmm, and the distance between the end plates, 80mm. We will need these numbers to construct the cable.
c<: this .i dworking and create 5 that the _'Ct of turns. -:.y a simple
Creating the Cable ln this case study, we will create a single part for the entire cable. Alternative methods could be used where the cable is constructed as three separate parts; however, creating everything in one part facilit ates making changes when adjusting the animation. 4 Create a new part. Use a temp late with millimeter units.
" I----
80 -
-..-;
zl ..____
_ 105 _ ____,
560 Chapter 17
m
5 Create first sweep. ~l§!mtF= On the Front plane, sketch a circle 6omm in diameter centered on the origin. ~ X Creat e a helix defined by Height and Pitch. Set the height at 34mm and the pitch at 6mm. The exact height is not important at this point as it will eventually be defined by an equation.
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~-
Create a profile sketch of a smm circle and sweep it along the helix.
Parameters 0
pitch Variable pitch
~
Constant
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6 Create a new plane. Create a new plane offset from the Front plane by 6.36mm.
Pitch: 6.GOOmm
::J Reverse direction Stzrti!I«j.e: 90.00deg
0 Oockv.ise Counterclockwise
7 Create second sweep. Create a sketch on this new plane 200mm from t he origin and horizontal to it.
L
Create a helix defined by height and pitch. Set the height at 3Smm and the pitch at 6mm. Again, the exact height is not important , we just need to get the sweep established.
~----200
J
c t
Create a profile sketch of a smm circle and sweep it along the helix.
8 Edit the features. Check the part from the top view. Make sure that the sweeps t urn opposite each other and that t he starting points are on the top.
-----------
t t
............__, -. ......__ ..
-
~
--·
- - - - Start Points
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------ . --
-
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Top View
If necessary, reverse the dimension of the offset plane so that the two helixes have the posit ions shown.
.-~ . .......-__
. .
~
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Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 561
9 Complete the cable. .. ~ . Create a 3D sketch and sketch a line between the two start points. The :-=T,:r111113 ends of the line shou ld be concentric to the end profile of each sweep and on a plane. Create a profile sketch on one end of the line that is coradial with the end of t he cable and create a new sweep.
. -=-=· ·-
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- ~
: ---:---. ~
: _:_
.
Check the part. Back in step 6, the offset plane was set at 6.36mm. This value was determined by simple trigonometry, knowing the pitch and circumference of t he cable, so that the sweep creating the straight section would appear tangent to the two he lixes. You could arrive at this number by trial and error and get close enough. If there is a kink, adjust the distance of the offset plane unt il you have smooth transitions.
10 lll:r:
-
Note An alternative would be to create a loft between the two ends of the helixes and set the end conditions to create smooth transitions. This is actually more work as you would also need to make sure the loft connector does not twist.
l
I
r
Insert the part into the assembly. Save the part as Cable.sldprt and then insert it into the assembly.
11
Mate the part so that helixes are concentric to the reels. At this point, the Cable part should be able t o move only in one direction, along the axes of the reels. Add a dist ance mate between the Front plane of the Cable and t he face of the reel shown. Set the distance to any value between 20mm and 6omm. Rename this mate Moving Plane.
Mate Function This distance mate will be used to move the cable along t he reel during the animation. As the part is now constructed, the coils will just pass through the ends of the reel as we adjust this mate. What we need to do is to smoothly reduce the height of the helix as the plane moves toward the end of the reel. Likewise, on the other reel, the height of the helix needs to be increased by the same amount.
562 Chapter 17
Add equations.
12
For t he helix on the cylinder with the distance mate. the height of t he helix is the va lue of the distance mate, minus some constant to keep the cable sweep from ending in the reel. For the other helix, the equation is a constant minus the value of the dist ance mate.
14 Cree: Mov Mov
Equations, Global Va nables, and 01mensions
r~~~~
..
'il' Filer AI Fields
i rlame 'Helix 2 Height@M.Part' 'Helix 1 Height~eix/Sp;rai2@Cab!e< I>.Port' 2 1
--··
1
Value I Equation • "Dl~vilg Plane' · 6
= 70 • "Dl~o'ing Plane'
Add Evaluates to 34mm 30nvn
I I I I I
Comments
'
=.J Automaticaly rebuild U Lirk to external file:
~
Angi.Aar equation lrlits:
~ees::::::J
OK
Cancel Import .. Export. .. ~
I
I I I I
~ 1Automatic solve order ~
13 Test the assembly.
Edit the value of the distance mate between 20mm and 60mm and make sure the equations work.
-
- I
15 Calc oft~
that
16 ~ Save
Advanced Topics with In-Context Modeling 563
14 Create an animation. s:~=·=
Create a new motion study.
~-.c
Move the time bar to 0 seconds. Edit the distance mate and set it at 6omm. Move the time bar to 11 seconds. Edit the distance mate and set it to 20mm. Add a rotary motor t o one of the reels and set it for a constant speed of 30 RPM.
15 Play. Calculate and play the animation. Notice that the cable appears to unwind even though t he only motion of the Cable part is linear t ranslation. The reels are rotating, but they just help to give the impression t hat the cable is unwinding from the reels.
16 Save. Save and dose all part s.
1'!!.-.
Tips and Tricks for Better Animations Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: • Understand the uses of a good storyboard. • Understand the importance of s mooth camera motion. • Understand the importance of proper animat ion timing. • Make better workflow decisions when creating animations.
566 Chapter 18
Putting It All Together The purpose of this final chapter is to review many of the topics covered in the previous chapters and to highlight techniques that lead to better animations. Some of the items below have been repeated from t he earlier chapters. but the information bears repeating.
Planning Creating an animation is just like designing t he parts themselves in that understanding t he design intent is critical t o achieving the final result There are many questions we need to answer and most of them are captured in some form of a st oryboard.
Storyboards It is easy to think of a storyboard as unnecessary and a waste of time. However, the more complicated the animation. the more time t hat will be saved by a good storyboard. The storyboard is not just a map of t he specific moves. It should also have a section to consider the out put, as you should start with a description of the fin ished project and then work backward to the details. What form should the storyboard take? That is up to you, the important thing is that you understand where you are going. Key elements of the planning: • Definition of the finished product • What is the story you are trying to tell? • What will the format be of final video? Will it be still images. AVI. MOV, WMF, etc.? • What playback device(s) will be used to play the final video? These could be a mobile device. computer screen, TV, projector. etc. • What aspect ratio: 4:3. 16:9. or something custom? • Is there a required t ime length? • Is t here a maximum file size? • Is there a file type required by the playback method? • Which compression techniques will be used? • Will post-processing be required? • Will the fina l video have t o be rendered with PhotoView 360? Will that require distributed processing t o get the video rendered in a reasonable time? • Will the video be looped? If so, will it be a seamless loop or a repeated loop? • Will t itles or annotations be required? If so. where will t he t itles and/or annotat ions be placed? • An imation mechanics • Will this be a physics or non-physics-based animation? • Will in-context parts be required? • Will physics-based interactions be required with in-context parts? • Do we need a separate copy of t he parts and assemblies so that we can restructure t he assembly?
Tips and Tricks for Better Animations 567
: e-s ciid !)2c:ed
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• Can we work with the existing mates of the assembly or does the assembly need to be mated diffe rently? • Do subassemblies need to be dissolved and components moved to the top level of the assembly? • What views are needed? Do we need to use cameras or will viewpoints be sufficient? • How many cameras will be needed? • If we are going to use multiple cameras. how will we change between views? • Will multiple clips be able to be created without interfering with each other due to suppressed parts, additional components, and the like? Will we need additional configurations? • Post-processing • Will you need to include a leader at the beginning or end of a clip, or maybe both? • How will you account for transitions between clips? • Will there be t itles and credits?
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Animation Length If the viewing audience keeps asking you to play the video over and over again, it could be because it is the greatest video they have ever seen, or more likely it is TOO SHORT. When you create an animation. 6 to 10 seconds may seem like a lot. However, on playback, it is very little time. In many cases, the animations we created in the case studies were too short. but if you check the playback time of the included videos. some of them are many times longer. The case study animations were kept short to speed the learning process, but the resulting animations were too short for a finished product. You can start with a short version so that you get all the movements correct and have it solve quickly. When all t he moves are correct, use one of the three methods below to lengthen the video on the t ime line. Lengthening Your Animation There are three methods to lengthen an animation:
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• Move the key points • Stretch the timeline (Alt+drag) • Change the playback speed
Organization Good organization of your files and mates can speed your work by allowing you to find components and mates more easily. As the MotionManager takes up a lot of screen space, being able to COiii;Jress unrelated components and mates into a single line can significantly improve the workflo•·,r.
568 Chapter 18
Separate Assembly for Animation If you have a good storyboard, you can more easily make the decision to either add the motion study to the working assembly or to create a copy just for the purpose of creating animations.
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Things that you need to consider:
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• Do you need to reorder the assembly components to make items sequential in the tree that need to move together? Reordering makes it easier to window-select and move key points together. • Should you create animation configurations or a separat e file? • Shou ld you use flexible subassemblies or dissolve subassemblies? We saw t hat elements in subassemb lies, such as mates, cannot be animated because t hey do not appear in the MotionManager design tree.
Mates • Mates can easily be organized by dragging them to a different point in the MateGroup. Rename mates to make them easy to find in the list. • Use folders to group both mates and components. You only have a limited amount of screen space. • Do not use width or limit mates. Widt h mates are not supported in motion studies and limit mates are computationally intensive. • Only use standard mates if you are going to use the Basic Motion study type. • Determine if it is better to use global mates or local mates based on the original assembly and the need fo r mult iple animations. Frame Rates Frame rates affect several aspects of animations. • Use standard frame rates The television and movie industries use frame rates of 24 and 30 frames per second as it provides a good balance between smooth motion and file size. Higher frame rates can result in much larger files and lower frame rates can resu lt in jerky motion. • Post-processing compatibility The frame rate used must be usable in the post-processing program. Not all post-processing programs can use nonstandard frame rates. Make sure that all clips are created using t he same fra me rate to avoid post-processing problems. • Solution results Frame rate has an effect on the solution of Basic Motion st udies. To significantly reduce the solution step size, ve ry high frame rates are required, which significantly increases file size. It is better t o use SolidWorks Motion t o solve t hese problems if ava ilable rather than Basic Motion.
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• Final frame rate The frame rate is based on clock time, not the timeline time. Clock time is the timeline time divided by the playback speed.
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• Use fewer key frame s Key frames record the entire frame, the remaining frames only record information that changes. For test animations, use fewer key frames (every eight to 10 frames) to speed up the recording process. For the final animation, use more key frames if you have a lot of mot ion. For static backgrounds, use fewer key frames.
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• Stroboscopic effect Before recording an animation, set the frame rate in the Mot ion Study Properties to t he same value as you intend to use for the recording and then recalculate and play t he animation. Examine the playback to insure everything looks like it is rotating in the correct direction.
Post-Processing A good storyboard will help you det ermine if you need to do some post-processing. If post-processing is needed, the storyboard will help you determine the extra frames necessary for the transitions and how to establish viewpoints and camera views so that you can add t it les without having them interfere with the view. • Add titles and annotations where appropriate. If your video will be posted for download, add credits. • Post-processing is much easier if you created the clips correctly. If you observe TV and movies, you will see that changes are almost always done with transitions. Sometimes this is very subtle, such as in news reports, but there are still transitions. In a movie, the transition for an effect could take several seconds. In a news report, it could be just 0.1 seconds, but it is still there. If you Cid not do a good storyboard, and created clips without allowing for the way the post-processing softv.rare creates transitions. you may have to recreate some or all of your clips, which can be costly. • Be consistent with the video transitions. Just because there are many transitions available does not mean that you have to use them. The most common transition is the crossfade, which cre2tes a very smooth transition between clips without drawing attention to the transitio n itself. • There are free utilities available for converting the file type of video files. If you are going to use one of these programs, you need to unde rstand its capabilities and limitations before you ceate your animation.
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Viewpoints/ Cameras Smooth, Smooth, Smoot h Nothing makes a video clip look more amateurish than jerky camera motion. Our eyes are very sensitive to sudden changes in the view, so unless you are trying to create special camera effects, camera motion should be smooth. That means that all changes, whether they are zooming, panning, or changes in target point should st art and stop slowly and smoothly. Cameras should also stop and pause before a change in direct ion. The best t ra ining is to just observe television and movies and look at the camera motion. Most people don't notice the camera motion, because the intent is not to draw att ention to the camera motion, but rather the subject. An exception would be something like the view of a person on a ro ller coast er where changes in direction are purposely very abrupt. To make camera and view orient ation changes smoother, use the Ease in/Ease out int erpolation mode and have the camera come t o a stop and pause before moving in a different direction. For any pair of keys defining a transition, right-click on the second key (the end key) to set the interpolation mode for the t ransit ion. You can also window-select a group of keys and change the interpolation mode fo r all of them at the same t ime. Changes to a camera's definition (such as position, target, roll, lens, depth of field) can be added to a motion study by the same method used for everything else: set t he time, then edit the camera. You can also use t he Place Key and Replace Key commands from the right mouse button menu in the t ime line t o add the current view t o the animation at the time where you clicked.
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Do not use combinations of lines and arcs for camera paths because there is a sudden change of direct ion and rate where t he line meet s the arc. Instead, use splines for camera paths because they are curvature continuous. If you are uncomfortable creating s plines, create the path with lines and arcs and t hen use Fit Spline to smooth out the transitions.
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Changing from one camera to another, or from a noncamera view t o a camera view, will not interpolate. The transit ion will be inst antaneous at the time of the key. Transitions between two noncamera views will int erpolate. To interpolate from one camera view to another, you must use a single camera and interpolate its properties.
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Camera Tips • When using multiple cameras, you can move cameras that are off so that they are already in the correct position when you turn them back on. By using this technique, you can reduce t he total number of cameras.
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• When changing cameras, the view just snaps as you cannot dissolve or crossfade. To avoid a jump cut, have the second camera in the same position and aimed exactly the same as the first camera before the change. The alternative is to record each camera as a separate clip and create a crossfade in postprocessing. • When a camera is set to follow a 3D spline, use a direction reference to keep it vertical.
Establishing Shot Unless you are creating a looping video, an establishing shot sets the stage for what follows. These shots establish the context for the scene by showing the relationship between the important elements of the assembly. Title Shot Unless you are creating videos that you, or someone else, will int roduce, adding a tit le shot makes it clear what the video is about and who made it. Credits For videos that will be posted to the web. add credits at the end so that people know the source of the video and how to get permission to use it.
Rendering Efficiency When rendering an animation, there are several things we can do to speed up the rendering of each frame. Keeping in mind that our output is going to be a video, where each frame will be shown for only a fraction of a second, we do not need the extreme fine deta il of a photograph on each rendered fra me. Also remember that t he screen resolution of the device on which we view an animation can be considerably less than that of a high-quality print of one of the frames. Some of the things we can do in the Photo View 360 setup:
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• Reduce the quality of the appearances. The fine details of the appearances will not be noticeable in the video. Remember that in Photo View 360 renderings of images, the image could be enlarged t o a very large size and the image is static so that people can study the detail. With animations. each frame is only shown for a fraction of a second and at a quality much less than can be achieved with a printed image. The Maximum quality setting is generally not required for a rendered animation. If the output will be to a small screen, such as a mobile device, a setting of Better is usually good enough. Do a test render to make sure of the setting before proceeding to the final render. • If you are using satin finish appearances, turn off Accurate reflections. Accurate reflections will take significantly longer to calculat e and the difference will not be noticeable in the animation.
572 Chapter 18
• For large animations that need to be rendered, render in pieces (possibly on multiple computers). Stitch together the individual clips in a video editing program such as Windows Live Movie Maker. The alternative is to render to images and create the video from the images. This method is generally favored as you can easily replace individual frames. • Final video files are almost always compressed to reduce file size; however, when you create video clips that will be further edited, it is generally better not to compress the file. Multiple compression/ decompression cycles can cause the loss of definition with each cycle. • Before recording an animation, use Photo View 360 to render individua l frames at different points in the animation. This is to make sure that appearance, scene, and lighting are all correct. • Test render the animation with a low frame rate that only renders a few individual frames. This checks the qualit y of the rendering after being compressed by t he CODE C. Important! Both these tests are important. You do not want to find out that you have a problem after rendering for 24 hours! • When you have a lot of mates, you can suppress mates that do not control the motion during the animation. This speeds up the calculation and reduces errors. • Rendering is pixel-bound. That means that the amount of time to render a frame is directly proportional to the number of pixels. Make sure you are rendering to the correct size for the intended output device.
Do It t he Easy Way Analyze the motion type or types that will be required to achieve the animation based on the overall goals in the storyboard. As we saw, both Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion provide a good capability to so lve the physicsbased motion problems. They can also cause a lot of extra work and t ime (time = money) when applied to situations that do not need that capability. We saw several examples where an animation created as an Animation motion study achieved equal or better results than one created with Basic Motion or SolidWorks Motion. Remember, our goal is to make animations, not to do an analysis. What type of motion are we animating. free, kinematic, or dynamic? • Free = Animation • Kinematic =Animation, • Dynamic = Basic Motion or SolidWorks Motion Do not try to force an animation into the wrong type of motion study. Keep in mind the Law of Simplicity and do it the easiest way.
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Tips and Tricks for Better Animations 573
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The best solution is most often t he simplest solution.
When Is the Animation Finished? The suitability of the final animation is a very subjective decision. It is very easy to keep tweaking an animation to get it just right. There is, however, a point where the effort you are putt ing into t he tweaking exceeds any real benefit to the finished animation and you should stop and do the final recording. Remember t he Law of Diminishing Return. The Law of Diminishing Return
At some point, more and more effort is required for smaller and smaller improvements.
Consistency There are several items that help to make animations more consist ent and avoid sudden, unwelcome changes. em after
• Use named views
Named views allow exactly the same view to be ca lled at any time during the animation. • Use display states
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Use the same transition between clips when post-processing.
574 Chapter 18
Large Assembly Animations Creating animations of large assemblies creates some additional problems. With the large number of components. problems can occur with the speed of solution and being able to move components in subassemblies. Difficulties also arise when t rying to locate components and mates in t he FeatureManager design tree, MotionManager design tree, and the timeline. • Working in the assembly The large assembly mode and other options are used t o select a set of options to improve t he performance of large assemblies. Using Selective Open. only components that need to be an imated should be fully loaded into memory. Animations can be created and recorded with components in the lightweight mode. • Use filters Filters provide a simple way to temporarily limit the number of tracks in the MotionManager.
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• Reordering the assembly The order of components in the FeatureManager design t ree of an assembly is not important for the assembly to build correctly, so it can be reordered to make it easier to select groups of components. • Large Assembly Modes Large Asse mbly Mode and Quick view/Selective open are t ools that can be used to improve the performance of large assemblies by reducing the amount of dat a the computer must load int o memory and calculate. Suppressing components t hat do not affect the motion can be used to speed the calculations. Creat e separate configurations just for animations.
• 1
Animation Tips and Tricks The following tips and tricks can help you work faster: • Use the Animation Wizard whenever possible The Animation Wizard simplifies the task of creating animations by rotating parts or assemblies, exploding or collapsing assemblies. • Work with small steps In large animations it can be difficult to get everything in sync. Break up the animation into small pieces by either working on shorter time slices or getting t he key part to follow its path and then working on t he surrounding pieces. • Test animations Do test animat ions to get a good picture of how the animation is progressing. Dragging (scrubbing) the time bar is an easy way to control the speed of the animation.
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• Save often! Save after each step. If you make a mistake, you can always close without saving. When you reopen the file, you will be right back to the point just before the mist ake. An alternative is to use the Reload comma nd to reload the file fro m the hard drive to RAM. Render overnight when rendering to Photo View 360 Rendering to Photo View 360 can take hours to complete. Schedule the render to occur at the end of t he day and let the comput er work overnight. • Test different image qualities SolidWorks image quality determines the quality of the recorded frames. Image quality can be kept low for test animations, then set high for t he final output. • Rigid groups Rigid groups is a function available in Motion Analysis studies. If your choice is to use SolidWorks Motion to create an animation. creating rigid groups can speed the calculations. Rigid groups act like a subassembly in that t he parts all have a fixed relationship with each other so that mates are not solved and t here is no relative motion to be solved. • Workflow • Select Disable View Key Creation while you are animating components to avoid setting unwanted view keys. • Turn off Auto key for complicat ed animations because if you have it on, you run the risk of creating a lot of extra keys that can be hard to back out when you want to make a change. • If you add or change key points and the model jumps around, recalculate. • Use separate folders for mates that are used for animations and those that are not. • Use cameras rather t han viewpoints because they are more stable. Viewports (with perspective on) are based on the bounding box of t he model, so as you move components. the size of the bounding box changes and you get a zoom whether you want it or not. • If you have a problem with the video. try a different CODEC. Use free CODECs for better portability. • If you need to solve the physics of motion for part of t he animation, use Basic Motion or SolidWorks Motion, then import that motion t hrough the Animation Wizard. Suppress all components not affected in Basic Motion or SolidWorks Motion. • You cannot change configurations during an animation. To get aro und this limitation, insert two instances of a component and hide one. Show one and hide the other to change between them. Finally, and above all else, remember the First Law of An imations.
The First Law of Animations What is actually happening in the animation is not import ant. only what the viewer thinks is happening.
577
Index Numerics 3D contact resolution 251
A Akima curve fitting 179 aliasing 473 ambient light 106 angle right-hand rule 131 animating parts 210 animation appearances 533 belts 490 chains 478 configurations 445, 459 credits 571 driven by mates 153 exploded views 24 gears 270, 497 general sequence 47 key point 23 large assembly 574 length 567 lengthen 530, 567 move component 129 physics-based 236 render 117 results 8 reverse path 48, 138 rotate component 129 section cut 453 shadow study 506
sheet-metal features 552 speed 362 spring 217 subassemblies 187 t iming 25 tips and tricks 574 animation concepts component position 6 component properties 7 viewpoint 7 workflow 7 Animation motion study 5, 22, 26 animation properties 129 Animation Wizard 4, 26 animation wizard collapse 40 delet e existing paths 31 explode 33 rotate model 31 annot ation 417, 419 apparent depth 349 appearances 518,533 changing 89 area lights 106 arrow keys 68 adjust 68 aspect ratio 337, 436 assemblies animating exploded views 24 dissolve a subassembly 190
form new subassembly 190 promote/demote components 190 assembly cut 520, 535 autokey 128 AVI files 45
B backlit LCD lights 106 Basic Motion study type 5 belt animation 490 bending parts 542 bounding box 83
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camera 570 add 313 aimed at target 313 aiming 314 aspect ratio 337 depth of field 354 edit target 369 field of view 329 floating 313 focal length 330 in animations 324 introduction 317 lenses 328 on/off 324 position 314 positioning/aiming 312 properties 328
roll 335 rotation 314 sled 386 smooth motion 371 standard lens 353 target 314 target point 314 terms 311 view rectangle 329, 334 camera sled definition 387 changebar 17, 58 clip editing 416 CODEC 42, 121, 415 coefficient of restitution 246 collapse 40 components appearance 61 dragging 150 configurations 445, 459 constant speed motor 163, 172 contact 241, 245, 405 3D contact resolution 251 friction 246 geometry accuracy 250 groups 242 options 250 rest oring force 252 coordinate axes 130 crane 312 create new motion study 49 creating AVI files 45 credits 571 cubic curve fitting 180 curve fitting 179
D damping 245, 261, 406
delete motion study 49 depth of field 354 Design Library 274 directional light 106 disable playback of view keys 72 disable view key creation 72 display modes, graphics 101 display pane icons 96 display states 95 changing 89 creating 97 display pane 95 dissolving subassemblies 190 distance motor 163, 167 dolly 312 drag and drop reorganizing assembly hierarchy 190 dragging components 150 duplicate motion study 49 dynamic motion 11
E editing key point time 59 key points 128 environment 105 environmental lighting 106 establishing shot 73, 451 , 571 event-based motion 403 explode 23, 33, 54 expression functions 289 motor 163,282,288 syntax 291 external references 417
F field of view 329 file formats 42 fi le size 44 file types for output 42 filters MotionManager 161 First Law of Animations 575 flexible subassemblies 188, 189 focal length 397 force 245 forces 405 frame rate 43, 421, 477, 568 free component motion 128 free motion 10 friction 406
G gear animations 497 gears 270 geometry accuracy 250 graphics display modes 101 gravity 240
H help Knowledge Base 19 MotionManager 19 Hitchcock Effect 393
icons display pane 96 image capture 268 formats 42 quality 44
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saving 122 image-based lighting 106 import
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data points 178 motion data 256 simulation results 263 in-context parts 211, 212
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interpolated motor 163 interpolation mode 37-39
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keep light no key frames 17, 44, 57 key point 17 copy 41 create intermediate points 375 display 57 edit time 59 editing 58,128
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modify 37 place 41 place key 128 replace key 128 kinematic motion 10 Knowledge Base 19
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ambient 106 animating 105 animations 11o creating 107 directional 106 keep 110 point 106 positioning 109 spot 106,110 linear curve fitting 179 linear spring magnitude-spring force 259 lock to model 105 lock to view 105 lock view orient ation 37
resu lts 263 limitations 245 motion drivers 236 properties 129, 238 purposes 5 recalcu lating 166 type s 5
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Animation 22, 235 Basic Motion 235 Motion Analysis 235. 402 MotionManager
mates 245, 568 limit 447 redundant 237 suppressing 151 unsuppres sing 151 Model tab 15 motion dynamic 11
Law of Dimin ishing Return 573
kinematic 10
567
completed 17 creat e new 49 import simulat ion
Motion St udy tab 15 motion study t ypes
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leaders 73 lengthening animations 530,
Animation 26 choosing 12 combining mot ion 256
looping 420
explode 54 free 10, 128
Law of Simplicity 307, 573 LCD light 106
summary 411 motion st udies
rigid body 9 Motion Analysis study t ype 6,
402 motion drivers 13, 150 damping 261
lens. f ocal length 397 lighting 106-107 animation 116
gravity 240 motor 163 simulation 208
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springs 258
cha ngebar 17, 58 COD EC 42 defin ition 4 design t ree 4. 16 edit key point t ime 59 filt ers 161 f rame rate 43 history 5 image 42 image quality ~ : key frames ;7. "51 key point ~7 key point d;sp,ay "51 renderer L2 reverse patr i38 save to A\ ~:; st arting ~3
timeline 16 timeline symbols 57 triad 130 user interface 15 video file formats 42 video file output size 44 view orientation 73 visual properties 88 mot or types linear 163 rotary 163 motors 245 const ant speed 172 distance 167 expression 282, 288 import data points 178 motion analysis 405 on/off 142 options 168 oscillating 282, 286 path mate motor 236 reversing 171 servo 163, 236 start posit ion 168 move component 129 move with triad 130 movies See recording animations moving component s drag rulers 130 move 129 rotate 129 triad 130
N named views 69 neon tube lights 106
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motion study 129, 238
online help, MotionManager 19 orientation and camera views. suppress 66 oscillating motor 163, 282, 286 phase shift 221 output 4, 414 aspect ratio 436 f rame rate 421 render choices 422
R rebuild failures 222 recalculating studies 166 record video 268 recording animations 41 redundant mat es 237 ref erence triad 69, 103 rename motion study 49 rendered animations 117 renderer 42
p pan 311 parallel processing 420 perspective view 66, 70 bounding box 83 effect 81
rendering efficiency 421, 571 reorganizing subassemblies 190
modify 70 phase shift 221 PhotoView 360 117, 119 add-in 117 physical dynamics 268
reversing a mot or 171
physics-based motion 234 PhysX solver 277 place key 128 point light 106 post-processing 414, 469, 569 annotations 419 credits 571 external references 417 functions 415 looping 420 titles 419 transition 419 video compression 418 video editing programs 417 properties animation 129
replace key 128 restoring force 252 reversing a path 138 right-hand rule 131 rigid body motion 9 rigid groups 405 rigid subassemblies 187 roll 311,335 rotate component 129 rotation by reference triad 103
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saving images 122 scenes 105 screen capture 268 scrub the timeline 136 section cuts 453 servomotor 163 shadow animation 506
shadows 107- 109 simulation motion drivers 208 SolidWorks Motion 402
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solvers 403 motion analysis 280 physics-based 277 PhysX solver 277 spotlight 106, 110 springs 217, 258, 406 creating 262 force magnitude 259 t ranslat ional 258
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unsuppressing mates 151
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video compression 418 video editing 414
video f ormats 42 video output f ile types 415 videos, completed 18 view key
Motion St udy 15 target by selection 369
creat ion 73 disable creation 72
tilt 311 time bar 16
disable playback 72
symbols 57 t itle shot 571 t itles 417, 419 tool bars animation cont roller 24 MotionManager 14 tooltips 17
perspect ive 66 visual blooming 81 visual properties of a
reorienting 131
video edit ing programs 417 video f ile 44
tabs Model 15
views exploded 23
component 88
t ruck 312
reorganizing 190 rigid 187 suppressing mates 151
colors 47 scrubbing 136
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userinterf ace 15
moving 59 timeline 4, 16
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stroboscopic effect 473, 569 stroboscopic rate 475 subassemblies dissolving 190 f lexib le 188, 189
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view orientation 35, 66, 73 lock 37 lock/u nlock 66 states 72 unlock 36 view rect angle 329, 334 viewpoint 66-71, 518, 570 arrow keys 68 middle mouse button functions 67 named views 69 posit ioning 67
w walk-t hrough 377 381 animation 367 control panel 379 controls 380 interface 378 properties 378 Windows Live Movie Maker 434 Windows Media Player 46 Windows Movie Maker 435 Wizard, Animation 26
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