What is Auto-Profiles (Mechanism)?

Add Auto-Profile (Part) is a tool to add a sketch-loop and a Profile/Extrusion to each Part in the Mechanism-Editor.

Note 1:

Auto-Profile sketch-elements - are not real sketch-elements. You cannot edit or delete Auto-Profile sketch-elements. You can edit the Radius dimension of each arc in the Part-Editor.

You can edit the Extrusion, that is a child to the Auto-Profile, in the normal way - you must SHIFT+CLICK the Auto-Profile to see the Auto-Profile and Extrusion elements in the Selection-Window.

Note 2:

Use: Visibility toolbar > Show Model in Mechanism to see Profile / Extrusions

Icon-AutoProfiles

Solids toolbar > Auto-Profiles (Mechanism)

Menu :

Add menu > Mechanism sub-menu > Solids sub-menu > Add Auto-Profiles

What to do :

 

This command toggles to do Add Auto-Profiles and to Delete Auto-Profiles.

1.Click Solids Toolbar > Add Auto-Profiles
Parts with Auto-Profiles.

Parts with Auto-Profiles.

Result :

The Rule to add or delete the Auto-Profiles is:

If ≤ 50% of the Parts have Auto-Profiles, then we add:

•Sketch-loops to Parts and Joints in all kinematic-chains
•Auto-Profiles and Extrusions to the sketch-loops

else

If > 50% of the Parts have Auto-Profiles, then we delete:

•Auto-Profiles and sketch-loops, to which we have added the Auto-Profiles

Notes :

The Auto-Profile sketch-elements, that give the shape of the sketch-loop, to which we add the Auto-Profile, have different properties to those sketch-elements you add with the Part-Editor.

1.The Auto-Profile sketch-elements are grey in the Part-Editor
2.There is an Auto-Profile Arc around each Point that is referenced by a Pin-Joint in the Mechanism-Editor
3.AND, there is an Auto-Profile Arc around each Point that is referenced by a Line, that is also referenced by a Slide-Joint in the Mechanism-Editor
4.You cannot delete the Auto-Profile sketch-elements or their constraints
5.You can edit the Radius (dimension) of each Auto-Profile Arc to resize the sketch-loop around Points
6.You cannot add Pin-Joints, Slide-Joints, Ball-Joint or Planes to Auto-Profile sketch-element

Video :

'Expand' then 'Play'

How to...

Add Auto-Profiles to the complete Mechanism

 

tog_minusWhat does Auto-Profiles do?

AddAutoProfiles1-2a

It is best to experiment.

Add Auto-Profiles adds:

1.Sketch-loops around:
a.Each Point and Line in each Pin-JointRed-14-1bRed-14-2 and Slide-Joint
b.Each PartRed-14-3Red-14-4
2. An Auto-Profile to each sketch-loop

AddAutoProfiles1-4

Spin the view with your arrow keys tool to see the Auto-Profile contours. The sketch-elements may hide the Primary contour.

AddAutoProfiles1-3

In this image, you can now see all four extrusions. I have edited the offsets of each Auto-Profile in the Extrusion dialog-box.

You can:

•Set the default diameter of the sketch-loops around the Joints, and the Extrusion Depth, in the Application Settings dialog-box
•Edit the dimensions of the sketch-loops in the Part-Editor
•Edit the Extrusion in the Extrusion dialog-box

AddAutoProfile5

The sketch-elements that give the shape to the Auto-Profile are grey when you open the Part-Editor.

You can only edit the dimensions.

That is, you can edit the length of a Part, the radius of each Arc and the diameter of a circle.

Note:

If the default size of the circle sketch-loop around a Pin-Joint is large compared with the length of the Part, there may be inconsistent results.

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