Force-Vectors: Display

 

<< Click to Display Table of Contents >>

Navigation:  MechDesigner Reference & User Interface > 2.2 Mechanism-Editor: > Force elements >

Force-Vectors: Display

 

Forces toolbar > Force-Vectors: Display

MD-Icon-Force-Vectors-Show

Forces toolbar > Enable Force-Vectors: Display

MD-Icon-Force-Vectors-Hide

Forces toolbar > Disable Force-Vectors: Display

Menu :

Add menu > Forces sub-menu > Enable/Disable Force-Vectors: Display

Force-Vectors show only when...

Enable: Force toolbar > Force-Vectors: Calculate

AND

Enable: Force toolbar  > Force-Vectors: Display

AND

A minimum of one Part is kinematically-defined and it has a mass(kg) - see CAD-Line dialog | Mass Properties.

AND/or

A Spring FB applies a Force between two Points and the Parts are kinematic-defined.

AND

Enable: Display Filters toolbar > Display Part-Outlines (default)

Force-Vectors in the graphic-area

Each Force-Vector is the Force that ACTS-ON a Part at a Joint in a kinematic-chain.

Vector Location: as rays from Points at Pin-Joints, Slide-Joints, Springs, Cam Contacts, gear contacts, belts.

Vector Direction: they are in the direction of the Force-Vector

Vector Length: their length is scaled to the magnitude of the Force - see Vector Scale buttons

Vector Magnitude: the Force that acts on the Point is at the arrowhead of each vector

Vector Color: - see below Colors: Part-Outlines and Force-Vectors.

Rotary Driving Moment / Driving Torque

The Torque-Vector is the Application-Torque that a motor and gear-box must be able to drive.

Location: at a Pin-Joint that you select to drive the kinematic-chain - see Configure Power Source

Length: proportional to the magnitude of the Torque.

Important:

The Torque-Vector does NOT include the torque to accelerate the inertia of a Servo-motor or Gearbox

To select and include a Servo-motor and Gearbox - see Kinematic Servo-motor and Gearbox Sizing.

Linear Driving-Force

The Driving-Force is the instantaneous Force to drive the kinematic-chain.

Location: at a Slide-Joint that you select to drive the kinematic-chain - see also: Configure Power Source)

Length: proportional to the magnitude of the Driving-Force.

Important:

The Driving-Force does NOT include a Linear Servo-motor to drive the kinematic-chain.

There is NOT a database of Linear Servo-motors.

Colors: Part-Outlines and Force-Vectors

When you enable Force-Vectors: Display, the color of each Part-Outline is changed.

The colors become the same color as the Force-Vector that ACTS-ON the Part, at a Point in the Part.


TOP-TIP

To help identify which Force-Vectors that act on a Part:

1.Hover above a Part-Outline

The Part-Outline AND the Force-Vector that ACTs-ON the Part change to the selected color, usually RED.  

Use Configure Power Source to edit the color of each Force-Vector, and/or to hide Force-Vectors that act on different Parts.

See also: Kinetostatic Torque and Speed dialog