Step 1.2: Add a Part

<< Click to Display Table of Contents >>

Navigation:  Getting Started Tutorials - MechDesigner > Tutorial 1: Add a Part that Rotates - a Crank >

Step 1.2: Add a Part

Objective of this Step

1.Learn how to identify the Mechanism-Editor

2.Learn how to add a Part

3.Identify the elements that are in a Part

Short Summary of this Step:

1.Click Kinematic-elements toolbar > Add Part

2.Drag your mouse-pointer in the graphic-area

Video

Tutorial 1, STEP 1.2: Add a Part

 

Make sure the Mechanism-Editor is active

Mechanism name-tab

Mechanism name-tab

We want to make sure the new Mechanism-Editor is the active editor, and not the Model-Editor.

1.Click the Mechanism name-tabRed-14-1b at the top of the graphic-area

Note:

The symbol for a Base-PartRed-14-2 in the graphic-area is a rectangular Green Part-Outline.

 

 

OR

 

 

1.Click MechanismRed-14-3 in the Assembly-Tree (see image to the left)

Note:

In the Assembly-Tree, the Base-Part is a child to the Mechanism-Editor.
Mechanism in Assembly-Tree

Mechanism in Assembly-Tree

Add the new Part

Drag to Add-Part

Drag to Add-Part

STEP 1: Start the Add Part command

GST-Icon-AddPart

Mechanism-Editor: Click Kinematic-elements toolbar > Add Part
- or -
SHORTCUT: Click the INSERT key on your keyboard

The mouse-pointer changes to Add Part

STEP 2: Use the Drag technique Red-14-3 to add the Part to the graphic-area

Drag = Mouse-button-down...move your mouse...mouse-button-up

•The start-Point is where you mouse-button-down.

•The end-Point is where you mouse-button-up.

GA-AddPart-1

The new Part is in the model

The new Part

•Its Part-Outline Red-14-1b is oval and Blue

•There is a CAD-LineRed-14-2 from its start-Point to the end-Point

•Its XY-AxesRed-14-3 are at the start-Point

•The +X-axis is from the start-Point to the end-Point of the CAD-Line.

Save your mechanism

'DRAG TECHNIQUE'

To Add Part

1.'Left Mouse-Button Down' (and keep it down) - to place the start-Point

2....'move your mouse-pointer'

3....'Left Mouse-Button Up' to place the end-Point.

Note:

Add Part is NOT a persistent command. Thus:

•After you select Add-Part, and before you drag, do not click in the graphic-area. MechDesigner will not add a Part with zero-length.

•If you click without dragging to add the drag, the Add Part command becomes de-selected.