<< Click here to display Table of Contents for MechDesigner Help and Tutorials >> Navigation: MechDesigner Reference > FAQs and 'How do I...?' > Mechanism Editor: FAQs and How to...?:

What are Part-Outlines and their colours?

Contents

What are Part-Outlines

Part-Outlines are purely Symbolic. You can change the size of the Part-Outline in the Edit menu > Application Settings | Accessibility tab.

You cannot edit Part-Outlines.

Part-Outlines:

•	Double-click a Part-Outline to edit the Part in the Part-Editor

•	The colour of the Part-Outline helps you identify if the Part is kinematically-defined

Why do Part-Outlines have different colours?

MD-Free-Completely

Blue Part-Outlines

•	The Parts have a mobility greater than one(1)

Derived names for Blue Parts are:

•	'Completely Free Part' when not joined to another Part.

•	'Free Part' when joined, but still not fully defined and Blue

MotionDimensionD

Green Part-Outlines

We say the Parts are kinematically-defined. Their Mobility is 0.

We also sometimes say they are 'fully defined, or solved.

•	The Rectangular Base-Part is always Green - it is always kinematically-defined.

•	A Rocker or a Slider is a Motion-Part.

•	The Part can one of the two Parts in a Dyad, or a Geared-Rocker.

•	The Parts can be in a Dyad with a Motion-Path - a Ram-R or Ram-P

•	The Part could be a Pulley Part.

MD-QST13-2-4

Multi-coloured Part-Outlines

The Parts take on different colours when, in the Forces Toolbar, you:

•	Enable Calculate Forces

- and -

•	Display Force Vectors

Why is the Base-Part not Green when I had a Mechanism-Editor?

BasePart-Forces-on

If the BasePart is a different colour, usually the Display Forces icon is toggled in.

: The Display Forces icon toggled in.

When Forces are displayed, each Part is given a new, random colour.

The Base-Part is the new Random colour.

To make the Part Green, you should:

Click the Display Forces icon, in the Forces toolbar to 'Not Display Forces'.

When the icon is gray the Base-Part should be Green.

Why can I not see the Base-Part properly?

BasePart partial hidden by a Plane.

This is usually because the 'Show Model in Mechanism' is toggled in.

: The 'Show Model in Mechanism toggled in.

When the Model is being shown in the Mechanism, we also show the Planes.

The Base-Part is being partly hidden by a Plane.

You can either:

Click the Show Model in Mechanism icon to 'Hide Model in Mechanism'.

- or -

Click the 'Display Planes' icon to hide the Plane that is in front of, or coplanar with the BasePart.

Tutorial and Reference Help Files for MechDesigner and MotionDesigner 13.2 + © Machine, Mechanism, Motion and Cam Design Software by PSMotion Ltd