What is a Plane?

A Plane is flat surface, defined by its XY-axes, onto which we add new Mechanism-Editors.

See also: Add Plane in the Model-Editor.

Add Plane (Mechanism-Editor)

Toolbar-Model-only

Menu :

Add menu > Mechanism sub-menu > Model sub-menu > Add Plane

Model toolbar > Add Plane
STEP 1.Click Add Plane

The Add Plane dialog-box has two formats when you do Add Plane in a Mechanism-Editor.

Its format is a function of the element you select in STEP 2.

STEP 2.Click an element
1.Click a Plane or Mechanism-Editor - see Add Plane to Plane

- or -

1.Click a line or a Part-Axis - see Add Plane to a Line or Part-Axis

Note : To see Planes in Mechanism-Editors, it is necessary to do Visibility toolbar > Show Model in Mechanism.

Edit the Parameters:

btn_delkeyword Add Plane to a Plane

The format of the default Add Plane dialog-box is for Add Plane to Plane.

Red-14-1 New Element Name - the new Plane

Red-14-2 Plane definition - Offset from Plane

Red-14-3 Parameters you can edit -  a function of the element you select - See STEP 2

Red-14-4 Element box : the element you select - a Plane

Dialog-AddPlane-Offset
STEP 3.Edit the parameter Red-14-3

Red-14-3 Distance to New Plane from the Plane Red-14-4
STEP 4.Click OK-tiny-13-17 to close the Add Plane dialog-box

GA-PlanetoPlane-small
btn_delkeywordAdd Plane to a Line or Part-Axis

The Add Plane dialog re-formats when you select a Line or Part-Axis.

Red-14-1 New Element Name - the new Plane

Red-14-2 Plane definition - Angle from Line

Red-14-3Red-14-5 Parameters you can edit - see STEP 3 below

Red-14-4 Element box : the element you select - a Line, with the Mechanism Plane

Dialog-AddPlane-LineAxis
STEP 3.Edit the parameters Red-14-3Red-14-5

Red-14-3 Angle - rotate the new Plane around its active X–axis

and

Red-14-3 Angle - rotate the new Plane around its active Y–axis

and

Red-14-3 Angle - rotate the new Plane around its active Z–Axis

Optionally

Red-14-5 Move the new Plane to the end-Point of the Line in the Element box
STEP 4.Click OK-tiny-13-17 to close the Add Plane dialog-box

GA-PlaneinME-small

Video:  Add Plane to a Fixed and a Moving Line

'Expand' then 'Play'

How to...

Add a Plane to a Line

 

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