To do the Add Mechanism command you must select a Plane. When the command is complete, we add for you a new:

•Mechanism element, which is coplanar with the Plane you select.

The Mechanism element provides one Mechanism-Editor workspace.

Each Mechanism-Editor workspace has:

•a Graphics-area, that is coplanar with the Plane you select.

•a Name-tab for the Mechanism element.

•a Base-Part

•the XY-axes at the origin of the Base-Part and Mechanism-Editor.

To add kinematic and machine elements that build kinematic-chains.

To add Function-Blocks to plan the motion of each kinematic-chain.

To analyze the kinematics of your mechanism.

To watch the mechanisms interact with each other.

To add mass and mass moment of inertia to Parts, when you want to analyze the forces in each Part.

The Mechanism-Editor workspace:

Graphics-area : To which you add Kinematic and Machine elements, Kinematic and Modeling Function-Blocks, Solid elements, Force elements, and other elements.

Name-tabs : Each Mechanism-Editor you add to a Plane has a Mechanism name tab.

Each Mechanism name-tab has a Light-Bulb icon and a Color icon - see Visibility menu > Kinematic-Elements

A Base-Part (not in the image above) is a child to all Mechanism elements. It represents the frame, or the stationary part, of each Mechanism element. The XYZ-axes of the Base-Part are coincident with the Plane you selected to add the Mechanism-Editor. - see Add Mechanism in Model-Editor and Add Mechanism in Mechanism-Editor

Mechanism menu - with the commands that are also in these toolbars:

Model elements toolbar - left of the graphics-area - add Planes and add Mechanism-Editors to Planes

Kinematic elements toolbar - left of the graphics-area - add the basic kinematic elements to build kinematic-chains

Machine elements toolbar - left of the graphics-area - add more complex elements

Function-Blocks menu - with the commands that are also in these toolbars:

Kinematic Function-Blocks toolbar - right of the graphics-area - plan and measure the motion of each kinematic-chain, analyze and calculate cam-coordinates

Modeling Function-Blocks toolbar - above the graphics-area - tools to help you do more complex modeling

Forces menu - with the commands that are also in this toolbar:

Force elements toolbar - right of the graphics-area - measure force, torque, and power that is required to drive each kinematic-chain

MD-Solids menu - with the commands that are also in this toolbar:

MD-Solids toolbar - above the graphics-area - to add MD-Solids as Profiles, extrusions, Holes, ...