Open MEC file-type

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Open MEC file-type

Why we recommend that you re-build Camlinks models in MechDesigner.

•You will remember your design decisions.

•When you open a Camlinks file, MechDesigner must add many elements you do not need actually need

•We will be able to support you.

•We want to help you use MechDesigner, not how to use Camlinks.

•We can guarantee MechDesigner will run with Windows® 10, and later.

•This Camlinks import option cannot be guaranteed to be perfect in every respect

•We continue to improve MechDesigner in many new ways.

Warning

IMPORTANT

Locked-Points: After you open a .MEC file, Points that you import are locked.

To edit the Position of a Locked-Point:

1.Double-click the Locked-Point to open the Point Vectors and Display dialog-box

2.Click Part Coordinates (Read-Write) and

3.Edit the x and y values

To add and edit dimensions to edit the Position of the a Point:

1.Double-click the Locked-Point to open the Point Vectors and Display dialog-box

2.Click Part Coordinates (Read-Write)

3.Click Edit in Part-Editor radio-button

4.Click OK-tiny-9-12 to close the dialog-box.

5.Edit the Part in the Part-Editor in the normal way.

History Note for Camlinks, and Camlinks Import Limitations.

MOTION: Camlinks4 vs Camlinks3

1.'Camlinks4': Mechanisms and motions are a MEC file-type. The motions were defined with segment and motion parameters. Open a 'MEC' file in MechDesigner to recreate the motions with motion segments in MotionDesigner.

2.'Camlinks3': Mechanisms and motions use also a MEC file-type. However, motions were defined with a list of numbers. Open a 'MEC' file in MechDesigner to recreate the motion, but with a Z Raw Data segment in MotionDesigner.

3.To help you recreate the motion design (with segments), save the Z Raw Data Segment, and use the Overlay Motion tool to design a new motion MotionDesigner: Overlay Trace.

'Throw' Motion-Law

These are available in Camlinks but not imported into MotionDesigner. However, it is possible to design the Throw Motion-Law with two segments and the correct Blend-point Control Button conditions. We can give a Video on request.

Auto-Adjust

Auto-Adjust is not recreated. However, we have a better tool, which we call Magnetic-Joint.

View Outline On/Off as a Function of the Master Machine Angle

MechDesigner uses the Pattern Element - Release 7+

Camlinks Outlines

Camlinks Outlines are DXF Drawings that you have imported onto Parts in Camlinks. The lines and arcs in the DXF Drawing were converted to 'Camlinks Outlines'. They were 'dumb'. You could not edit them in Camlinks.

When you open a Camlinks file with 'Outlines' in MechDesigner, you have three options available. See below.

SSR

We do not import these dyads. You can design the SSR Dyad in MechDesigner. MechDesigner can also make an SSP Dyad.

RamR and RamP Dyads

We do not import these dyads. If you use these Dyads, MechDesigner will crash (23-03-2013).

Forces, Forcebars, Torquebars

Use MechDesigner to add and show forces and torques in your kinematic-chains.

Cams

When a Cam-Follower Roller has 0mm diameter in Camlinks – to define the Pitch-Curve of the Cam – MechDesigner will re-define it as 0.1mm, not as 0.0mm.

You must edit the 0.1mm dimension to make it equal to the real Cam-Follower Radius. Then, to show the Pitch-Curve, use the Pitch-Circle-Path check-box in the Cam Display dialog-box.