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

1.Learn how to identify the Mechanism-Editor - before and after you add a Part.

2.Learn how to add a Part with the Drag technique

3.Identify the elements in a Part: its CAD-Line, start-Point, end-Point, Origin and its +X–axis direction.

1.Click Kinematic-elements toolbar > Add Part

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

Tutorial 1: STEP 1.2

Add Part

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-tab at the top of the graphic-area

- or -

1.Click Mechanism in the Assembly-Tree (see image below)

Note:

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

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

Mechanism in Assembly-Tree

	STEP 1: Mechanism-Editor: Click Kinematic-elements toolbar > Add Part - or - SHORTCUT: Click the INSERT key on your keyboard
Drag to Add-Part	The mouse-pointer changes to Add Part STEP 2: Use the Drag technique to add the Part to the graphic-area The start-Point is where you mouse-button-down. The end-Point is where you mouse-button-up.
	Notes on the new Part •Its Part-Outline is Blue •There is a CAD-Line from its start-Point to the end-Point •Its XY-Axes 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.

Step 1.2: Add a Part