Machine Settings

Use the Machine Settings dialog-box to change the Machine Speed, Number-of-Steps in a machine cycle, and the edit the engineering Units.

See Edit menu > Machine Settings

Machine Settings dialog-box

Machine-Settings

Machine-Settings

tog_minusCycling Parameters
Cycling Parameters

Cycling Parameters

Cycles  ∕  Min: See also Note 1

RPM: Revolutions per Minute, of the Machine

MotionDesigner reads this parameter.

Note: Time  ∕  Cycle: You cannot enter 'time ∕ cycle'  . Calculate as: [60 ∕ (Cycle ∕ min)]

Number-of-Steps: [See also Note 4] gives the number of increments that model calculates after each edit of a parameter.

•This is not the number of cam-points.  Use the Cam-Coordinates dialog-box, see Note 2
•Points along a Graph in a Graph FB
•Facets along a Trace-Point
tog_minusEngineering Units
Engineering Units

Engineering Units

See also Note 3

Linear:

mm (default), cm, metres, inch.

Angular:

deg (default), radians, cycles

Force:

N (Newtons) (default), Pound force [lbf]

Torque:

N.m, N.mm, (default), ft.lbf

Stress:

Pascal [Pa] [N ∕ m2] (default), Mega Pascals [Pa] [N ∕ mm2], PSI [lbf ∕ in2].

Mass:

kg (default), gms (grams), lb, oz
tog_minusNotes...                

Note 1: Cycles ∕ Min does not change the 'animation-speed'. Change the 'animation-speed' with the Animation Speed Slider.

Note 2: To calculate and export cam points for cam manufacture, see Cam-Coordinates dialog-box.

Note 3: We do not display the dimensional units in the graphic-area. However, we maintain the dimension in SI units internally.

If you change the Linear or Angular Units, we change the value of the dimensions is the same 'absolute size', but with new units. For example, a Part is 100 long and the units are set to [mm]. If you change the Units to [Inch], we display the new Part length as 3.94. Similarly, 'Degrees' to 'Radians' - 100 [º] is redisplayed as 1.75 [radians]. In all cases we do NOT display the units.

Note 4 Warnings: The model is calculated for each step of the machine cycle.

•Too many Steps?
•A 'high' value does not make the model more accurate.
•If you want to increment the model with small steps, use the 'spin-box' in the Master Machine Angle DRO.
•We re-calculated each time you enter a new value - use your keyboard to enter the new value one time.
•The value becomes the default value, when you exit.

A 'high' value (the actual 'high' value depends on the complexity of the model) will slow the editing of complex models. Make 'high' (greater than 360) when you want to view, in the graphic-area, more points in a graph, facets along a trace-point, complex cams. In all cases, the model does not become more precise with more steps. To precisely set the model at a particular position, use the MMA.

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