STEP 1: Add an element

- see Model Editor ; Mechanism Editor ; Part-Editor

STEP 2: Open the element's dialog

- see How to open a dialog

STEP 3: Edit the element's parameters

- see How to edit a Parameter in a dialog

STEP 4: Close the Elements's Dialog

Close the dialog before you start a different command to add a new element.

Do Steps 1 to 4, again, and again, ... .

Two exceptions: Add Dimension and Add Plane. Their dialogs open immediately.

Element or Dialog name

Dialog Function & Main Parameters

General Purpose Dialogs

Rename

Replace an “Old Element Name” with a “New Element Name”

Model Options / Mechanism Options

Lighting,  Synchronize CAD-Solids

Application Settings

Working Environment, Number-Format, Auto-Profiles, Accessibility, Element Colors, ...

Machine Settings

Machine Speed, # Steps in Machine-Cycle, Engineering Units

Element Properties

Read-only - an element's properties at the Machine Angle, e.g Position, Velocity, Acceleration, Angle, Coordinates,

Model-Editor

Add or Edit Plane

Edit X,Y,Z Angle of Plane or Offset of Plane

Profile / Extrusion

Edit the Extrusion - an MD-Solid

CAD: DXF, SOLIDWORKS

DXF-Element

Select a different DXF Drawing File, change the Units of the DXF Drawing

CAD-Line

> DXF

>> DXF Layers

Import DXF File, Convert Entities to MD Sketch-Elements.

> SOLIDWORKS

> Import SOLIDWORKS file-type - a CAD-Solid

> Mass Properties

> User Mass-Properties, SOLIDWORKS Mass-Properties, Total Mass Properties.

> STL Import

> Import an STL file - a CAD-Solid

> Display Options

> Edit the Color, Transparency, ...

CAMS: 2D and 3D

2D-Cam

2D-Cam:

>> Parameters

>> Edit the Start-Angle and Range (defaults are 0 and 360), Enable Lifetime, Edit Life Safety-Factor.

>> Display

>> Display Cam as: Cam-Profile, Pressure-Angle, Contact-Force, Shear-Stress. Edit Color, Line thickness.

>> Roller Life

>> Select Roller bearing, factors for ISO 281 calculations (Lubricant Viscosity, Temperature, Contamination and Reliability)

>> Cam Life

>> Select Steel type, quality, heat-treatment, hardness - Read Life in Cycles, Hours, Years (Stress)

Conjugate Cam FB

Required for Force Analysis, Cam-Life, Roller-Life with Conjugate-Cams and Groove-Cams.

Cam-Data FB

Plot Contact-Force, Hertzian Shear-Stress, Radius-of-Curvature, Pressure-Angle, or Sliding-Velocity

Cam-Coordinates

Calculate and Export 2D-Cam Coordinates, Save as STEP, TXT, DXF, SLDCRV

3D-Cam

Calculate and Export 3D-Cams - Barrel, Cylindrical, Globoidal. Save as STEP, TXT, SLDCRV

FUNCTION-BLOCKS

Linear-Motion FB

Output is 0 - 360, again and again - a machine clock.

Gearing FB

Modify motion-values with a Linear function.

Motion FB

Link a Motion in MotionDesigner to a Motion-Part.

Motion-Dimension FB

Edit the Base-Value (angle or position) of a Motion-Part.

Motion-Path FB

Edit the starting position of a Motion-Point, Control the length of a sketch-loop

Point-Data FB

Measure a Point's Position, Velocity, and Acceleration relative to the Mechanism-Plane.

Measurement FB

Measure Linear or Angular Position, Velocity, and Acceleration.

Graph FB

Plot up to 4 graphs as a function of one X-axis

> Graph Settings

> Graph Display

Spring FB

Define a force-function for a Spring

Force-Data FB

Measure Force or Torque

CAD Control FB

Control SolidWorks mates from MechDesigner

Magnetic-Joint

Glue Profiles/Curves together

Math FB

User defined functions

Statistics FB

Statistical values for motion-values or force-values

Polynomial Fit FB

Fit Polynomials to data at its input-connector, save as Poly Coefficients, or export directly to MotionDesigner.

Parameter-Control FB

Control the length of a 'static-dimension', Extrusion-Depth, Extrusion Offset with motion-values at its input-connector.

Continuous Crank FB

Make a Crank rotate fully with a modulated speed, as a function of the motion of a different part in the kinematic-chain.

Modeling TOOLS

Design-Set

Add different dimensions and parameters to one dialog

Briefcase FB

Put other FBs in a Briefcase - to make you model easier to review

Make Movie

Produce a GIF file, or a series of PNG, JPG, of BMP images for a machine-cycle.

Point-Cloud

Import XY data, convert to a smooth curve feature.

Pattern

Copy CAD-Solids and/or MD-Solids multiple times and phase-shift in space and time.

OTHER Dialogs

Point Properties

Read / Write the Position of a Point. Display its Velocity and/or Acceleration Vectors.

Blend-Curve

Edit the Angle, Curvature, and Curvature-Rate at the start-Point and end-Point of a Blend-Curve

Ball-Joint

3D Joint for Spatial Mechanisms. Edit its offset from the Mechanism-Plane.

Gear-Pair

Edit the module, number-of-teeth, mesh, ...

Rack-Pinion / Ball-Screw

Edit the module, number-of-teeth, ...

Pulley

Number-of-Teeth on the Pulley

Kinetostatic: Servomotor and Gearbox Sizing

Size a Gearbox and Servomotor for the Application.

Configure Power Source

To move a motor or other power source to the correct joint or cam.

Dimension

Edit an Angular or Linear Dimensional Value.

Miscellaneous

Tutorial Videos

Play Tutorial Video

Example Models

Help menu

Select Elements

Choose one or more elements from a list of elements

Dependent Elements

Show those elements that you also delete

View References

Elements that are referenced by another elements