Hierarchy of Planes and Mechanism-Editors

We add Mechanism-Editors to Planes. Thus, it is important to understand how to add Planes to different elements, and also understand their hierarchy.

Add new Planes to these elements:

You can add a new Plane to:

•Planes
•Lines and CAD-Lines
•X-axes and Y-axes, (at the start-Point of a Part)

TOP-TIP: Rename new Planes and Mechanism-Editors you add to it to the same Element-Name. The Element-Name will show as the Mechanism-Editor name-tab, and they are easier to find in the Assembly-Tree.

Examples of Add Plane

Add Plane to a Plane

AddPlanetoPlane-ME

The Model-Editor is Active:

Add a new Plane to an existing Plane

Red-14-1b The reference Plane in the Model-Editor, for example Plane2

Red-14-2 The new Plane is along the Z-axis of Plane2, the reference Plane Red-14-1b

Red-14-2 The new Plane becomes a child to Plane2, the reference Plane Red-14-1b

AddPlane2Plane-MechEditor

A Mechanism-Editor is Active:

Add a new Plane to an existing Plane that is a child to the active Mechanism-Editor.

Note: to see Planes in the Mechanism-Editor, you must use Visibility toolbar > Show Model in Mechanism.

You cannot reference a Plane that is not a child to the active Mechanism-Editor.

Red-14-1b The reference Plane itself is a child to a Part.

Red-14-2 The new Plane is offset along the Z-axis of the reference Plane Red-14-1b.

Red-14-2 The new Plane is a child to Plane in the Part Red-14-1b

Add Plane to a CAD-Line or Line

AddPlane2CADLine

In the Mechanism-Editor

Reference a CAD-Line

Red-14-1b The CAD-Line is the reference element.

Red-14-2 The new Plane is at a fixed rotation about the X-axis of the CAD-Line Red-14-1b

The Angle to the new Plane is set in the Add Plane dialog-box.

Red-14-2 The new Plane is a child to the Part.

The new Plane's Origin is the same as the reference CAD-Line.

The new Plane's +X-axis is the same as the X-axis of the CAD-Line - from its start-Point to its end-Point.

AddPlane2Line

In the Mechanism-Editor

Reference a Line

Red-14-1b The Line is the reference element.

Red-14-2 The X-axis of the new Plane is the same X-axis of the Line - from its start-Point to its end-Point.

Red-14-2 The new Plane is rotated about the X-axis of the CAD-Line Red-14-1b in the Add Plane dialog

The new Plane's 0,0,0 is at the Line's start-Point.

The new Plane's +X-axis is the same as the +X-axis of the Line - from its start-Point to its end-Point.

Red-14-2 The new Plane is a child to the Part

Add Plane to the X-axis or Y-axis of a Part

AddPlane2X-axis

In the Mechanism-Editor

X-axis of a Base-Part

(Note: The +X-axis and CAD-Line of an Added-Part give the same result)

Red-14-1b The X-axis is the reference element

Red-14-2 The X-axis and 0,0,0 Origin of the new Plane is the same as that of the reference X-axis

Red-14-2 The new Plane is rotated about the X-axisRed-14-1b reference element

The new Plane is a child to the Part or Base-Part.

AddPlane2Y-axis

In the Mechanism-Editor

Y-axis of a Part or Base-Part

Red-14-1b The Y-axis is the reference element

Red-14-2 The X-axis and 0,0,0 Origin of the new Plane is the same as that of the Y-axis

Red-14-2 The new Plane is rotated about the Y-axisRed-14-1b element

The new Plane is a child to the Part or Base-Part.

Planes in the Assembly-Tree

AT-Planes

Fixed Planes

Front, Top, Right Planes at the origin of the Model-Editor

Moving Planes related to a Line in a Part

The parent of Plane4 and Plane9 is CAD-Line, which is in a moving Part.

Fixed Planes: related to other Fixed Planes

Plane10 is a child to the Right Plane, and a child to the Model-Editor.

Tutorials and Reference Help Files for MechDesigner and MotionDesigner 14.2 + © Machine, Cam, Mechanism, and Motion Design Software by PSMotion Ltd