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 add a new element or edit a different element.

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

Two exceptions: The Add Dimension and Add Plane dialogs open immediately after you add the Dimension and Plane elements.

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 MMA, e.g Position, Velocity, Acceleration, Angle, Coordinates of a Line.

Model-Editor

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

Show a DXF-Drawing file that is in the DXF-Element, Convert Entities to MD Sketch-Elements.

> SOLIDWORKS

> Import SOLIDWORKS SLDPRT or SLDASM file - a CAD-Solid

> Mass Properties

> Edit User Mass-Properties, SOLIDWORKS Mass-Properties, Total Mass Properties (read-only).

> 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

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 data-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

Add and edit starting position of Motion-Points on a sketch-path. 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.

Pin-Joint Friction

Edit the Damping, the Static and Dynamic Friction-Coefficients, and Friction-Diameter to calculate the additional Torque needed to rotate the Joint

Slide-Joint Friction

Edit the Damping and the Static and Dynamic Friction-Coefficients to calculate the additional Force needed to slide the Joint

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