Getting Started Tutorials - MechDesigner > Tutorial 9: Add Joints automatically as you add Parts

Automatic Joints...

Summary

When Add Part is active, you can drag your mouse-pointer in the graphics-area to add a Part.

You can also move your mouse-pointer above a Point or a Line before your mouse-button down and/or mouse-button up, to automatically add a Pin-Joint and/or a Slide-Joint as you add the Part.

Thus, you will do two commands at the same time: Add Part and Add Pin-Joint or Add Part and Add Slide-Joint.

We recommend that you:

Only use one of these methods when it is unambiguous (certain) with which Point or Line you will add the Pin-Joint or Slide-Joint.

It is unambiguous when their is a only one Point or one Line above which you mouse-button down or mouse-button up to add the Pin-Joint or Slide-Joint.

Note : The term we often use for “move your mouse-pointer above ”is “hover”.

METHOD 1: Part and Pin-Joint

To add a Part and a Joint at the same time

1.Click Kinematic-elements > Add Part

2.Move your mouse-pointer above a Point* so that it is selected ...

3.Mouse-button down....drag...mouse-button up.

RESULT: There is a Pin-Joint between the start-Point of the new Part and a Point* in a different Part.

1.Click Kinematic-elements > Add Part

2.Mouse-button down....drag...

3...move your mouse-pointer above a Point* so that it is selected ...

4.mouse-button up.

RESULT: There is a Pin-Joint between the end-Point of the new Part and a Point* in a different Part.

2.Move your mouse-pointer above a Point* so that it is selected

3.Mouse-button down...drag...

4....move your mouse-pointer above a Point* so that it is selected ...

5....mouse-button up.

RESULT: There is a Pin-Joint between the start-Point of the new Part and a Point* in a different Part

AND

ALSO: There is a Pin-Joint between the end-Point of the new Part and a Point* in a different Part

* Point, start-Point, end-Point, center-Point, or Motion-Point.

METHOD 2: Part and Slide-Joint*

1.Click Kinematic-elements > Add Part

2.Move your mouse-pointer above a Line* so that it is selected

3.Mouse-button down....drag...mouse-button up.

RESULT: There is a Slide-Joint between the CAD-Line of the new Part and a Line* in a is Part.

1.Click Kinematic-elements > Add Part

2.Mouse-button down....drag...

3....move your mouse-pointer above a Line* so that it is selected

4.mouse-button up.

RESULT: There is a Slide-Joint between the CAD-Line of the new Part and a Line* in a different Part.

* Line or CAD-Line.