introduction Objective Modelling the cover

Transcription

1 Tutorials PIVOT JOINT Pivot Joint (LINK) tutorial /8 Related files PivotJointPackage2007.zip includes Automation Module.vcm and AutomationModule.3ds Description The Pivot Joint Package 2007 includes all the needed files in this tutorial. introduction This document describes how to model a pivoting joint defined from a Link node. This functionlaity is useful for modelling hinged doors and machine covers. Objective By the end of the tutorial you should Understand how to model a component like the one in the picture below with a Hinged door that opens interactively. Modelling the cover 1. Clear the simulation world by pressing New NOTE! Unzip the PivotJointPackage2007.zip file to find the geometry needed for the tutorial. 2. Load geometry From the tutorial files select AutomationModule.3ds and drag and drop the file from the Windows file explorer window in to the simulation world. Press Fill from the main toolbar to zoom in on the geometry

2 Tutorials Pivot PIVOT JOINT joint 2/8 The simulation world should look like the following picture. 3. Separate the door geometry from the rest of the geometry In order to make a door that can be opened and closed the geometry of the door must be separated from the rest of the geometry. Go to the Create page and select the geometry from the Node Feature Tree. Alternatively you can go to the Create page and activate the feature selection from the Selection Filter Tool Bar. Now you can select the geometry from the simulation world. Activate the Geometry sets from the Selection Filter Tool Bar to be able to select individual geometry sets from the geometry.

3 Tutorials Pivot PIVOT JOINT joint 3/8 In this particular case the door consists of three separate geometry sets; the door frame, the glass and the door handle. Select all three (select multiple geometry sets by holding down the shift and ctrl keys when clicking with the left mouse button). In order to be able to move the door in relation to the rest of the geometry we must make a separate feature of these geometry sets. This can be done in two ways. Either right click in the simulation world and choose Geometry sets -> Move Sets To Feature from the context sensitive menu or use the button on the Create page in the Geometry section called Move Geosets To Feature. Rename the new feature to Door. The new feature is automatically named Geometry_2. By first selecting the feature and then clicking on the name, the text is selected and the name can be changed.

4 Tutorials Pivot PIVOT JOINT joint /8 4. Add link The feature we want to move must be under its own link. Select the root node called AutomationModule.3ds in the Component Node Tree and right click on it. Select New Link from the context sensitive menu. On the node properties dialog change the name of the link to DoorLink and close the dialog for now. Drag and drop the Door feature into the DoorLink.

5 Tutorials Pivot PIVOT JOINT joint /8 5. Add parameter On the Parameter tab on the Create page create a new Real Parameter. This parameter will define the angle of the door in relation to the rest of the geometry. On the properties page change the name of the parameter to DoorAngle. Uncheck the Rebuild geometry check box and check the Update simulation check box. Update simulation means that the Component Node Tree is re-evaluated. In practice what this means is that when the value of the DoorAngle parameter changes the Component Node Tree is re-evaluated, which means that the angle of the door changes according to the new parameter value. Set the units quantity of the parameter to Angle and the Constraints to Range. Set the minimum value of the range to -110 and the maximum value 0. This way we can restrict valid values for the angle of the door. 6. Add expressions to the link Double click on the DoorLink, add the expression Rx(DoorAngle) as the value for the Joint and close the window. This expression means that the DoorLink, with all its features, is rotated around the x-axis according to the DoorAngle value. Next we need to specify where the pivot point is, i.e. around which or in relation to which point the rotation is done. Activate the Link selection from the Selection Filter Tool Bar. Select the DoorLink either from the Component Node Tree or from the simulation world by clicking on the door feature. Right click in the simulation world to open up the context sensitive menu. From the menu select Links -> Translate Pivot.

6 Tutorials Pivot pivot joint /8 From the dynamic tool bar turn on the snap mode and snap the pivot onto the corner of the door where the hinges would be, as shown in the picture. Now the door works. You can try it by going to the Param page and typing in the value -90 for the DoorAngle parameter. The result should look like in the picture below.

7 Tutorials Pivot joint 7/8 7. Add interactivity To be able to interactively open and close the door in the simulation world we must add one behavior to the link. Make sure you have the DoorLink selected and go to the Create page and add a Jog Info behavior. On the properties page of the JogInfo behaviour set the Offset.Y to 400 and Offset.Z to This is needed to move the origin of the JogInfo behaviour to approximately the same position as the pivot point, so that the JogInfo behaviour rotates around the correct point. Additionally set the DOF to RX and the Variable to DoorAngle. DOF stands for Degree Of Freedom and in this case when setting the value to RX it means that it is setting the rotation around the x-axis. Now you can open and close the door in the simulation world. Right click in the simulation world and chose General -> Interact. Now when you move the mouse pointer above the door it turns into a hand. Click and hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse up or down to move the door.

8 Tutorials Pivot Joint 8/8 8. Save the component On the General tab on the Param page change the name of the component to Automation Module. Select the Save Component As command from the file menu, and name the component as Automation Module.vcm or some other representative name. Be sure to save it in a place inside the ecatalogue folders for future access.