Tutorial 1: Add a Part that Rotates - a Crank

Plane :

the flat surface that is at a precise angle and position relative to the XYZ axes and XYZ coordinates. We must add a Mechanism-Editor to a Plane. When that Mechanism-Editor is active, the 'Front-View' looks directly at the Mechanism-Plane.

Mechanism-Editor :

the workspace that includes the Mechanism-Plane, the graphic-area, and the Mechanism-Editor name tab.

Base-Part :

the fixed Part in a Mechanism-Editor. The Base-Part has a 'rectangular' Part-Outline.

Part :

an element that becomes a moving, or fixed, rigid-body in the machine. Parts [also called Added-Parts] have an 'oval' Part-Outline.

Joint :

Kinematic-Joints constrain the relative movement between two Parts.

Pin-Joint :

a Kinematic-Joint that constrains together two Points, with one Point in two different Parts.

Kinematic-Chain :

two or more Parts joined together with one or more Joints.

Kinematically-Defined :

a Part or a Kinematic-Chain that moves in a manner as specified by at least one Motion-Part.

Motion-Part :

a Part whose motion is precisely specified with a so-called Motion-Dimension FB

Motion-Dimension FB :

a Function-Block that specifies the angular or linear position, velocity and acceleration of a Part as a function of the Master-Machine-Angle [there are exceptions]

Master-Machine-Angle :

the 'clock' that, when you cycle the machine, moves at a constant rate from 0 to 360, again and a again.

The position of all kinematically-defined Parts and kinematically-defined chains are a function of the Master-Machine-Angle. The Master-Machine-Angle [MMA] 'beats the drum' of the machine.

Rocker :

a Motion-Part that rotates in a specified way relative to a different Part. It may index progressively, rotate continuously [as a Crank], or oscillate back-and-forth.