What is 'Auto-Profiles'?

Add Auto-Profiles command adds:

1.A sketch-loop around the length of each Part
2.An Auto-Profile to each sketch-loop.

In each Part, you can edit the dimensions of the sketch-loop, but you cannot add or delete sketch-elements to change their general shape.

Notes:

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

Icon-AutoProfiles

Toolbar :

Solids toolbar > Auto-Profiles [above graphic-area]

 

Menu :

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

What to do :

 
1.Click Solids Toolbar > Add Auto-Profiles

This command toggles to add or delete Auto-Profiles.

Result :

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

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

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

else

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

•Auto-Profiles and Extrusions Elements are removed
•Sketch-loops, that were for the Auto-Profiles, are also removed

Notes :

The properties of the sketch-elements that specify the shape of each Auto-Profile are different :

1.They are grey in the Part-Editor. This is to help you identify them as different to other sketch-elements
2.You cannot select or delete them in the Part-Editor
3.You must do Add Auto-Profiles or do Add Auto-Profile to the Part to remove the Auto-Profile and the sketch-element from the Part.
4.You can change the dimensions to edit their size
5.You cannot use them to add any other element. E.g. : Pin-Joints, Slide-Joints, Ball-Joints or Planes

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