How To Make An Animation In Solidworks

SolidWorks Motion Studies allows for more complex machines similar engines to exist designed where every part is moving on the right path. This SolidWorks Motion Written report Tutorial volition cover Animation and Movement Analysis.

CAD (Computer Aided Design) programs have e'er been able to transform an engineer or designer's ideas into a existent design through the creation of sketches and 3D models. These models could so be used for visual representations of designs for customers, or they could also exist exported to CNC machines (and 3D printers more recently) for the creation of physical parts.

This has been the breadstuff-and-butter for CAD programs since their inception and pretty much every software parcel has this capability. This applies to singular parts that are easily machined and assembled, merely not to parts that have a dynamic human relationship with each other and move in relation to 1 some other on a certain path.This is where a characteristic like the SolidWorks Motion Studies tin help. It allows for more complex machines like engines to exist designed where every role is moving on the correct path.

The SolidWorks Motion Organization in particular tin help the user in three main areas, where motility is needed, and the degree of difficulty:

Animation
Basic Motion
Motion Analysis

Animation in SolidWorks is classified as when the user would like a visual representation of motility in their design, for marketing purposes or a presentation, but not including whatsoever specific forces like gravity or mass. Motors tin can exist added to drive the motion of the assembly and the position of parts can be set at pre-defined key points.

Bones Motion integrates an extra degree of difficulty into the pattern and adds the effects of springs, gravity, physical collision and mass. Basic Motion is nevertheless quite fast and volition create an impressive, physics-based simulation. If your project requires this, the Basic Motion Study is for you.

Lastly, the nigh complex SolidWorks motion written report level is Motility Analysis. This brings factors like damping, momentum, force and impact into the pattern. If you need this level of detail and then a full Motion Assay will be needed on your projection.

For the purposes of this article, the SolidWorks Blitheness and SolidWorks Movement Analysis volition exist looked at in depth.

SolidWorks Blitheness

All SolidWorks motion studies commencement in the aforementioned style: an assembly is opened, the motion add-in is loaded (if needed), and the tab proverb "Motion Written report" must exist clicked. Now the Motion Report Manager has been opened, the last stride is to select the type of Motility Written report that you will be conducting (Animation/Basic Motion/Motion Analysis) and begin!

There are many assembly models to be found in the programme's Resources>Tutorials folder, we will be using these tutorials to go through each of the motility studies. The plunger model is i of the simpler models, so nosotros will utilize this for our Animation tutorial. You can locate the model in the: install_dir > samples > tutorial > motionstudies > animation binder.

You will want to start with defining a starting position. This will require you to become into the Motion Manager and position the fourth dimension point at zero seconds. You tin can then motion the camera effectually to its starting position, i.e. where you want the photographic camera when the animation begins.

After y'all take positioned the camera, y'all need to select the parts that will exist moving and how long the motility will last. For the plunger, it will be the orangish arm to motion upwardly to a vertical position, perpendicular to the horizontal base.

The function labelled "arm left" must be found in the MotionManager, highlighted with a left click, and move the time bar out to five seconds. This determines how long the movement will terminal for. The "Add Cardinal" button must then exist selected to bring up a horizontal line from nix to five seconds on the "arm left" line. A diamond symbol known as a key betoken will exist positioned at the cease of the horizontal bar.

We have at present selected the role that volition be moving in the animation, and how long it will move for. Next the physical movement of the "arm left" shall be specified. This is quite simple, one must go to the design window where the assembly is located, select the orange arm and movement it to the desired location. One time this is completed, we tin can click the "calculate" button over the MotionManager tree, and the assembly will begin to animate.

If it is desired that the component blitheness will end at the same point it started from, the user must select the diamond keypoint at v seconds, press CTRL+C, and move the keypoint to 2.5 seconds while keeping CTRL pressed. If washed correctly, in that location will be a noticeable piece missing in the dark-green changebar betwixt ii.5 and five seconds, this is a interruption in the blitheness.

Then the original keypoint at 0 seconds volition have to exist copied to 9 seconds on the timeline. This duplicates that start position and gives the animation the path to return to its original position at the end of the motility. The "calculate" button can at present exist pressed again, and the animation tin can be observed.

From here, now that the basic functions of the blitheness take been covered, it is at the users discretion how much customization and move they would like in their animation. You can hide parts, make them see-through, change the appearance or texture amid many other options. Rendering the animation is also an selection to create a much more realistic looking function and environment.

GoEngineer have a video going through the animation workflow in a piddling more detail:

SolidWorks Motion Analysis

For this tutorial a cam and follower case, like those seen in automated lathe machines, will be used. The contact forces between the parts in this associates will exist analysed as they progress throughout the movement. These results volition and then exist plotted on a graph.

Motion Analysis is the most complicated form of move written report bachelor in SolidWorks, and is far more circuitous than the simple animation seen in the concluding tutorial. This is a simulation of a real earth situation, and features real forces and statistics.

This assembly model is located in the: install_dir > samples > tutorial > MotionStudies folder and it is chosen the Valve_Cam.

In MotionManager, select the tab that is labeled as "1200" and then click "Motion Analysis", therefore determining your type of motion study. Every bit the motility is already gear up for this model, the "calculate" push can be clicked directly abroad and the movement of the parts tin be observed.

Now we will start the analysis, the faces in contact that will exist examined must be selected. Click "Isometric View" in the main window, and and then select the "Results and Plots" button above the MotionManager. A "Results Property Manager" window volition and then appear, which includes multiple driblet-down menus.

"Category", the kickoff menu box, will take an choice for "Forces", "Subcategory", the second menu box, will include an option for "Contact Force", and "Result Component", the third menu box, has an option for "Magnitude." The various options that are on offering inside these carte du jour boxes are the factors that determine the assay type, so it is advised to be enlightened of them and somewhat familiar with the bachelor choices.

Now that the three options for the analysis have been called, there is a last "Component Selection" selection. Once selected, you must enter the design window and select both faces that will be examined. The faces we will be using are the surfaces in contact between the camshaft and the rocker.

The analysis is now completely set up, and the desired plots can be generated. Common plots include the reaction forces and displacement between the two surfaces. As tin can be seen in the video below, the reaction force gets bigger every bit the cam begins to elevator up the follower. This is normal every bit in that location is now pinch forces on the jump. The 2nd peak comes as the jump is being relaxed as the rocker passes the cam. The video beneath will go through this process in detail:

Comparing Between Various Studies

So now that nosotros take the results of the adding, say we want to alter some of the parameters on the motion report to run into how that affects the graphs? Well, firstly become to the tab labeled "1200", right-click, and select "Duplicate."

Name the new tab as "2000" as the speed of the motor in the simulation will be upped to 2000 RPM, and the changes to the graphs volition be seen.

The time bar tin be dragged back to the showtime at nil seconds, and the component that is being changed, in this case the "RotaryMotor2" part tin can exist selected. Correct-click the role, and select the "Edit Feature" pick. The motion tin now be adjusted from 1200 RPM to 2000 RPM, and clicking the dark-green tick confirms this change. The "Calculate" button must now be pressed again to re-analyse the motion with the new motor speed.

With this new simulation, a bouncing effect tin can be seen from the rocker hitting the cam after it has been lifted. A video showing this bouncing effect is shown here:

This bounciness is a issue of the faster rotation of the motor. The contact force is zippo at the point when the rocker comes off of the cam, and so we will need to adjust the spring constant to stop that from happening. An increment in the spring constant should ensure the motion is maintained.

To change this, detect the part "LinearSpring2" in the components list in the MotionManager, right-click it and select the "Edit Characteristic" choice.The properties of the spring should now be visible, the k value (spring abiding) should be set to 0.ane N/mm, this can be increased to 10.00 N/mm. Again, select the green tick to ostend the changes and "Calculate"!

The bounciness should now have been eliminated and the modify tin besides exist seen on the generated plots as at that place is more force on the spring that makes sure that the cam and rocker stay in abiding contact at all times.

Conclusion

So in that location is a somewhat cursory tutorial on how to conduct an Animation and Motility Assay in SolidWorks. In one case you are familiar with the functionalities and options that we have covered in this article, you should absolutely exist able to become and conduct your own studies or animations with parts for your futurity projects!

As I am certain yous are aware, the Basic Motility motion written report was not covered in this mail service. This is considering as it is a mix of an Animation and a Motion Analysis, roofing all three methods would take resulted in a very repetitive tutorial! If you are comfortable conducting both the Blitheness and Move Analysis studies, and so a Basic Motility simulation should be no problem.

If you lot practise meet whatsoever issues, remember that there is a earth of data on YouTube covering all of these motility studies in great detail. A cool short clip of a Bones Motion study tin can be found linked beneath:

Both of the examples that we used in the tutorials tin be found in the tutorial binder within the SolidWorks software. They are a bully resource to be aware of and provide a decent foundation of knowledge when information technology comes to motion studies in particular. The SOLIDWORKS help website tin can besides exist referred to for more than tutorials on whatsoever of the move studies.

What nosotros would recommend if yous are a beginner is to try to follow these tutorials as best you can at first, and become familiar with the diverse options bachelor within the different motion studies. In one case you are comfy with the examples and sympathize how everything works, you can and so progress onto your own custom models and continue to enhance your skills in motion studies.

Nosotros hope that you have enjoyed these tutorials and if you would like to come across more of these types of tutorials, please permit us know what you would like to larn more nearly with a comment downwardly below. Thank you for reading and we hope to see you back here again soon!