Model | Add Mechanism (Editor)

<< Click to Display Table of Contents >>

Navigation:  MechDesigner Reference & User Interface > 2.1 Model-Editor: > Model elements >

Model | Add Mechanism (Editor)

What is a Mechanism?

A Mechanism, in the context of Add Mechanism, is a Mechanism-Editor with a Name-tab.

You add Mechanism-Editors to different Planes to model kinematic-chains (mechanisms, linkages), to design your machine.

You must use the Model-Editor to add a minimum of one(1) Mechanism-Editor.


IMPORTANT: Gravitational Vector ( g = 9.81665 m/s/s )

MD-GRAVITY-VECTOR

Gravity Vector is in the negative Y-axis direction (down the from the Green Arrowhead in the Model-Editor.

Before you add the first Mechanism-Editor, to a Plane, consider the type of machine.

For example, if your machine has a horizontal indexing or rotating table, add the first Mechanism-Editor for the table to the Top Plane, or a Plane that is parallel to the Top Plane.


Add Mechanism

Model elements toolbar

Model elements toolbar

STEP 1:Start the Add Mechanism command:

MD-Icon-AddMechanismEditor

2.Click Add menu > Add Mechanism

OR

2.Click Model elements toolbar > Add Mechanism

The Command-Manager has one selection-box.

Command-Manager - no elements

Command-Manager - no elements

STEP 2: Select a Plane

1.Click a Plane in the graphic-area

or

2.Click a Plane in the Assembly-Tree  

The Plane is now in the selection-box.

STEP 3: Complete the command

1.Click OK-tiny-11-15 in the Command-Manager


Result

You jump immediately to the new Mechanism-Editor.

 

Command-Manager - with Plane element

Command-Manager - with Plane element

RESULT: the new Mechanism-Editor

Graphic-Area of new Mechanism-Editor

Front-View of the Mechanism-Editor

Front-View of the new Mechanism-Editor.

Red-14-1b : Base-Part - the frame of the Mechanism-Editor. It has a rectangular Green Part-Outline

( See also: The Base-Part does not show correctly? )

Red-14-2 : Mechanism name-tab  

Red-14-3 : Toolbars (left and right of the graphic-area)

Red-14-4 : Graphic-Area

Red-14-5 : Local XY-axes of the NEW Mechanism-Editor and Base-Part

It use the right hand rule. The:

+X–axis is horizontal, to the right ( > ).

+Y–axes is vertical, and upwards ( ^ ).

+Z–axis is towards you (◎)

NEW Mechanism-Editor - and the Assembly-Tree

Assembly-Tree and the new Mechanism-Editor

Assembly-Tree and the new Mechanism-Editor

The hierarchy of the new elements

Mechanism2 - is a child to Plane4

BasePart2  - is a child to Mechanism2.

The XY-axes of Plane4, Mechanism2, and Base-Part2 are coplanar and coincident.

Video

Video: Model-Editor: Add Mechanism-Editor to Plane


The Base-Part does not show correctly!

The Base-Part is not Green

Base-Part with Forces ON

Base-Part with Forces ON

The Base-Part is a Random color.

If the Base-Part is a not Green:

MD-Icon-Force-Vectors-Show Forces toolbar > Force Vectors: Display to display the Force Vectors.

When this icon is enabled to display Force Vectors, each Part is given a random color.

To make the Part Green, you should:

MD-Icon-Force-Vectors-HideClick the Force Vectors: Display to not display the Force Vectors

When the icon is disabled the Base-Part should be Green.

I cannot see the Base-Part properly

Base-Part partially hidden by a Plane.

Base-Part partially hidden by a Plane.

The Base-Part is hidden by a Plane.

This is because:

MD-Icon-ShowModelinMechVisibility toolbar > Show Solids in Mechanisms is enabled

When you enable Show Solids in Mechanism-Editors, we also show the Planes.

To hide the Planes:

MD-Icon-Visibility-ModelinMech-HideClick Visibility toolbar > Show Solids in Mechanisms disabled.

OR

MD-Icon-DispFilt-PlanesClick Display toolbar > Display Planes to Hide Planes

The Base-Part is Pink

MD-BasePart-SketchesOn
MD-BasePart-SketchesOn-ISO

MD-Icon-Visibility-Other Mech-SHOW Visibility toolbar > Show other Kinematic and Sketch elements

If you enable this, and another Mechanism-Editor is in front of the active Mechanism-Editor, you see the Pink* Other Base-Part (* default color)

Spin the model to see the Base-Part of the active Mechanism-Editor.


* See Application-Settings > Graphics tab > Display Colors > Background Sketch