Dialog: Point Properties

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Dialog: Point Properties

Point Properties

Use the Point-Properties dialog to:

•Show the Velocity Vectors and Acceleration Vectors of a Point*.

•Show the magnitude of the Velocity Vector, or, the Velocity Vector with respect to the X, Y or Z axis.

•Find the X and Y coordinates of a Point* on the XY-Plane of the Mechanism-Editor.

•Find the x, y, and z coordinates of a Point* on the xyz-axes of the Part to which the Point is a child.

•Edit the x, y, and z coordinates of a Point* in a Part - but ONLY if the position of the Point* is not limited by ANY dimensions or ANY constraints.

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

How to open the Point Properties dialog

MD-Double-click-Point

To open the Point Properties dialog

1.Double-click the Point in the graphics-area

OR

1.See How to Open a dialog

The Point Properties dialog is now open.

Point Properties dialog

Point-Properties dialog

Point-Properties dialog

tog_minus Kinematic Vectors 
MD-Dialog-PointProperties-KinVect

Velocity and Acceleration Vector check-boxes

❑Show Velocity Vector - evaluated at each machine step with closed-form algorithms

❑Show Acceleration Vector - evaluated at each machine step with closed-form algorithms

❑Show Numerical Vectors - calculated numerically with a simple difference algorithm.

NOTE:

Usually, do not show the Numerical Vectors. If you do show them, you will need use the Machine-Angle Indicator to jog the MMA backwards and forwards a small angle to calculate the values correctly.

If you show Velocity and Acceleration vectors, or both:

•The length of the vector is proportional to the Point's instantaneous Velocity and Acceleration.

•The direction of the Vector is in the direction of the Velocity and Acceleration

•The magnitude of the vector is at the arrowhead

See Edit menu >Application-Settings > Graphics > Display Colors to edit the color of the vectors.

Scope

Calculate and display the Velocity and Acceleration Vectors relative to the:

•Local xyz axes - Mechanism Axes (default)

•Global XYZ axes - MODEL AXES.

Velocity Vector Options

Display Velocity Vectors as:

•Magnitude (default) of the Velocity, or

•X component only of the Velocity, or

•Y component only of the Velocity, or

•z Component only of the Velocity

These can be useful to compare the X (or Y or Z) velocity components of a Point with the velocity of a Conveyor, for example.
Velocity and Acceleration Vectors

Velocity and Acceleration Vectors

Scale and Length of Vectors

Edit the length of the vectors, use the buttons in the Feedback-Area:

Velocity / Acceleration buttons

Velocity / Acceleration buttons

V Click Red-14-1 to increase or Red-14-2 to decrease the length of the Velocity Vector

A Click Red-14-1 to increase or Red-14-2 to decrease the length of the Acceleration Vector

See: App-Settings > Graphics tab > Display colors | Vel/Acc Vectors
tog_minus Mechanism Coordinates (read-only) 
MD-Dialog-PointProperties-MechCoords

The Point's Mechanism Coordinates (X, Y, Z ) are relative to the Origin of the Mechanism-Plane (XY-Plane of the Mechanism-Editor), and also the Base-Part.

The X, Y, Z dimensions are read-only.
tog_minus Point Coordinates: Read-Write 

Point with Constraints

MD-Dialog-PointProperties-PointCoords-Contraints

A Point with Constraints

If you have used the Part-Editor to add one or more constraints or dimensions to locate the Point in the Part, ...

... you cannot edit the Point's x, y, or z coordinates in this dialog.

Point without Constraints

MD-Dialog-PointProperties-PointCoords-Lock

A Point without Coordinates

If the Point does not have a constraint or dimension to locate the Point in the Part, ...

...  you can edit the position of the Point in this dialog.

Lock and Edit Point's Position:

 

◉Lock and Edit here

You can only edit the Point's x, y and/or z coordinates in this dialog.

You cannot add a constraint or dimension to the Point in the Part-Editor.

 
MD-Dialog-PointProperties-PointCoords-PrtEd

◉Edit in Part-Editor

You cannot edit the Point's x, y and/or z coordinates in this dialog.

You can only use the Part-Editor to add constraints and dimensions to locate the Point.