® ®

Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 4.0

Design Animation
Help Topic Collection

Parametric Technology Corporation

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Table Of Contents
Design Animation ....................................................................................... 1

About Design Animation............................................................................ 2

About Animation ................................................................................... 2

Design Animation Menu Commands and Buttons ....................................... 2

Creating an Animation .............................................................................. 5

To Define an Animation.......................................................................... 5

About the Animation Dialog Box .............................................................. 6

To Edit an Animation ............................................................................. 7

Displaying Icons ................................................................................... 7

Defining Bodies..................................................................................... 8

Creating Key Frame Sequences ............................................................. 10

Creating Servo Motors ......................................................................... 14

Locking Bodies.................................................................................... 31

Defining Connection Status................................................................... 32

Defining Events................................................................................... 33

Including Subanimations ...................................................................... 34

Running and Playing Back the Animation ................................................ 35

Defining the Time Domain .................................................................... 40

Defining Views .................................................................................... 42

Defining Displays ................................................................................ 43

Defining Settings ................................................................................ 44

Defining Transparency ......................................................................... 45

Design Animation Timeline ...................................................................... 47

About the Animation Timeline ............................................................... 47

Animation Timeline Shortcuts ............................................................... 48

Changing the Timeline Display .............................................................. 48

Glossary .................................................................................................. 49

Glossary for Design Animation ................................................................. 49

Index ...................................................................................................... 51

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Design Animation

Design Animation Overview

The Design Animation Help describes the procedure of capturing the movement of a
model in an animation that can be manipulated and exported to other programs. It
offers information about taking snapshots of a model in motion and then creating
and working with the resulting key frame sequences until the animation plays as
required. Refer to these help topics for information on using the Design Animation
environment, tools, and techniques.
For a detailed overview, skim the Help contents.
Basic Tasks for Animation Design

Setting Up an Animation Defining Movement

Defining an Animation Defining Bodies

Applying Settings Applying Servo Motors
Creating Key Frame Sequences Locking Bodies
Defining Time Defining Views

Creating Events Setting Views

Setting a Time Domain Setting the Display
Setting Transparency
Running an Animation

Playing an Animation
Saving an Animation
Using the Animation Timeline

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Design Animation – Help Topic Collection

About Design Animation

About Animation
Use Design Animation to coordinate the components of an animation sequence
and play back an animation.
Click Application > Animation to invoke the Design Animation option. A
timeline window appears below the graphics window, and a toolbar appears below
the Pro/ENGINEER toolbar. You can run, create, and manage your animation
using the menu commands, the toolbar buttons, or the timeline window.
You can use Design Animation to do the following:
• Visualize your assembly's operation. If you have the concept, but have not
defined the mechanics, you can drag bodies to different positions and take
snapshots to create an animation.

• Create an assembly or disassembly sequence animation of your model.

• Create a maintenance sequence, a short animation of steps to take to instruct

a user in how to repair or build a product.

For an introduction and overview of the Design Animation module, and for typical
steps to take to create an animation, see the Design Animation Concepts Guide
online document.
Many models created in Mechanism Design will transfer to Design Animation.

Design Animation Menu Commands and Buttons

The following table lists Design Animation command buttons, and the menus on
which they appear. Click Tools > Customize Screen to customize the toolbar.

Command Location Function Result

Animation Create a new The Animation

Animation
menu and animation dialog box opens
toolbar

Animation Control icon The Display

Animation
toolbar display on your Entities dialog box
icons display
model opens.

Animation Define bodies in The Bodies dialog

Body
menu and your model box opens.
definition
toolbar

Animation Create, edit, The Key Frame

Key frame
menu remove or Sequences dialog
sequence
include a key box opens.
frame sequence

Animation Create a key The Key Frame

Key frame
toolbar frame sequence Sequence dialog
sequence
box opens.

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Command Location Function Result

Animation Create body- The Lock Bodies

Lock bodies
menu and body locking dialog box opens.
toolbar

Animation Create a servo The Servo Motor

Servo motor
menu and motor Definition dialog
toolbar box opens.

Animation Create a new The View @ Time

View @ time
menu and view at a dialog box opens.
toolbar specific time

Animation Create a new The Transparency

Transparency
menu and transparency at @ Time dialog box
@ time
toolbar a specific time opens.

Animation Define The Display @

Display @
menu and component Time dialog box
time
toolbar display at a opens.
specific time

Animation Edit the The dialog box

Edit selected
toolbar and selected entity depends on the
entity
Edit menu on the timeline selected entity.

Animation Undo last

Undo
toolbar

Animation Redo last

Redo
toolbar

Animation Remove the

Remove
toolbar selected entity
from the
animation
timeline

Animation Generate the Generates a new

Start
menu and animation animation from
toolbar defined events.

Animation Play back the Plays back the

Playback
menu and animation current animation.
toolbar

Animation Export the Exports and saves

Export
toolbar animation the current
animation as a .fra
file.

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Command Location Function Result

Animation Change the The Connection

Connection
menu connection Status dialog box
status
status opens.

Animation Include a The Include in

Subanimation
menu subanimation Animation dialog
box opens.

Animation Create an event The Event

Event
menu Definition dialog
box opens.

View menu Zoom in on the The time scale

Timescale
time scale decreases to the
zoom in
selected size. Click
and drag a
rectangle around
the part of the time
scale you want to
see.

View menu Zoom out on The time scale

Timescale
the time scale increases
zoom out
incrementally until
it reaches the
original setting.

View menu Zoom to refit The time scale

Timescale
the time scale returns to the
refit
original setting.

Tools menu Change the The Animation

Time domain
animation time Time Domain
domain dialog box opens.

Tools menu Define the The Interpolation

Animation
interpolation dialog box opens.
interpolation
settings for
views and
transparency

Tools menu Change the The Settings dialog

Animation
animation box opens.
settings
settings

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 Design Animation

Creating an Animation

To Define an Animation
You can create an animation to do many different things. Depending on your
objective, you may use different steps to create your animation.
Following are the typical steps you might take to create an animation:
1. Open an assembly in Pro/ENGINEER.

2. Click Applications > Animation. The Design Animation toolbar and timeline
appear. An Animation menu is added to the Pro/ENGINEER menu bar.

3. Click Animation > Animation or to create a new animation. The

Animation dialog box opens with a default name for your animation. Click
Rename and enter a meaningful name for your animation.

4. Click Animation > Body Definition or to check your body definitions:

o When working with a Pro/ENGINEER assembly, select One Part per

Body and then edit the body to put the parts into the appropriate
moving groups. Since One Part per Body empties the ground body of
parts, make sure to edit the ground body and reassign ground parts to
it.

o When working with a Mechanism Design assembly, make sure that the
bodies are properly defined.

5. Next, define animation components:

o Click or Animation> Key Frame Sequence to create key frame

sequences to specify general movement. Click to move bodies to
specific positions, then take snapshots. Design Animation will interpolate
between these key frames to produce a smooth animation.

o Click or Animation > Servo Motor to define servo motors and

create specific movement between bodies connected by motion axes or
between geometric entities.

6. Add the servo motors and key frame sequences to the timeline if they are not
already present. Any components included on the timeline form the basis of
your animation. Edit the timeline length and increments, the length of the
servo motor or key frame sequence, and the relative timing of all components
in the timeline by right-clicking and choosing the appropriate command from
the shortcut menu or by clicking to edit a selected component.

7. If body locking, events, or connection status have not been included in the
timeline, you can add them now:

o Click or Animation > Lock Bodies to fix a group of bodies relative

to each other for a specified part of the animation.

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o Change the connection status to help assemble or disassemble your

model. If you are working with key frame sequences, click to change
the connection status in the Drag dialog box while dragging bodies to
position them, and then take snapshots.

o To edit servo motors, right-click a selected servo motor, then choose

Edit Definition from the shortcut menu, or click or Animation >
Connection Status.

o Click Animation > Event to define a specific sequence of events.

8. Once everything has been defined, click or Animation > Start. The Run
dialog box opens. The model moves as specified by the animation components
in the timeline, and the timeline shows the progress of the animation.

9. If the animation does not run as expected:

o Make sure that your mechanism is not overconstrained. For example,

check that a servo motor and a key frame sequence do not require
conflicting positions.

o Try increasing the number of time steps by clicking Tools > Time
Domain.

10. Click or Animation > Playback to run the animation again and change
the speed or direction, or to check for interference and other results.

11. Click or Animation > View @ Time to define views along the animation
to display model orientations and magnifications.

12. Click Tools > Animation Interpolation to choose an interpolation

method for your views.

13. Click or Animation > Display @ Time to specify component displays

along the animation for your assembly components.

14. Click or Animation > Playback to rerun the animation and view results.

15. Click File > Save to export the animation as a .fra file and save it with the
model's .asm file, or click CAPTURE on the Playbacks dialog box to save
your results as an .mpeg, .avi,.jpeg, .tiff, .bmp, or .pba file.

About the Animation Dialog Box

Click or Animation > Animation to access the Animation Dialog box and
create a new animation, or to open or delete an existing one.
• Click New to create a new animation with a default name.

Warning: New clears the current animation from the timeline. If you do not
save your model first you will lose the current animation data.

• Click Open to select an animation from the list.

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• Click Delete to remove the selected animation from the list.

• Click Rename to rename an animation:

a. Select an animation from the list

b. Enter a new name in the text box.
c. Click Rename.

To Edit an Animation
Use the following commands on the Edit menu to manipulate components of your
animation. You can also access these commands from the buttons on the toolbar.

• Selected—Edit the component you have selected on your timeline. The

appropriate dialog box opens.

• Undo—Undo the previous command in the animation timeline. You can

click Undo multiple times to take you back to when you started the animation
or last saved your model.

Note: Editing a servo motor, key frame sequence, view at time, or snapshot
cannot be undone. You can undo only modifications to instances in the
animation timeline.

• Redo—Perform the previous command in the animation timeline that was

undone.

• Remove—Remove the selected element from the timeline.

Displaying Icons

About Icon Visibilities

Click or View > Display Settings > Animation Display to open the
Display Entities dialog box to toggle icon visibility. All icons are visible by
default.

Servo motors

Motion axes

Slots

Cams

Gears

LCS

Dependency

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Note: An icon may still be visible, even when toggled off, under the following
conditions:
• Servo motor icons are visible when the Servo Motors dialog box is open.

• All motion axis icons are visible when Motion Axis is selected as a Driven
Entity in the Servo Motor Definition dialog box.

• All connection icons are visible when connection status is being set during a
dragging operation.

• The current local coordinate system (LCS) is visible during dragging operation.
The LCS is used as a reference for each component during dragging operation.

• Body LCS icons are visible when a body is being edited.

• When Dependency is selected, a dotted line appears on the timeline between

an animation element, such as a keyframe sequence, and the event it
references.

To Set Icon Visibilities

1. Click or View > Display Settings > Animation Display to open the
Display Entities dialog box.

2. Toggle the icons on or off as required:

o Servo motors

o Motion axes

o Slots

o Cams

o Gears

o LCS

o Dependency

3. Click for all icons to be visible or click for no icons to be visible.

Defining Bodies

About Bodies
A body is made up of one or more parts that do not move relative to each other.
By default, bodies in Design Animation are created following the Mechanism
Design body rules—parts with a constraint between them are placed in a single
body. For more information, search for bodies in the PTC online help system.
Keep the following points in mind when creating body definitions:

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 Design Animation

• Body definitions created in Design Animation will not transfer to Mechanism

Design.

• Depending on the constraints used to create your assembly, you may want to
redefine the model using One Part Per Body or Add.

• If a body definition has been edited and saved in a subassembly, you cannot
edit the body in a higher level assembly. You must edit the body in the
subassembly, then save it.

• If a subassembly body configuration has not been saved, the default body
definition is created automatically. The default definition can then be edited.

When you click or Animation > Body Definition, the Bodies dialog box
opens:
• New—Create a new body and add parts to it. The Body Definition dialog
box opens.

• Edit—Edit a selected body. The Body Definition dialog box appears, enabling
you to add parts to your body. Any parts added to a body are removed from
any other bodies that previously contained them. All parts belong to the
ground body if they were added to the assembly using Pro/ENGINEER
constraints.

• Remove—Remove a selected body. The parts contained in that body are

moved to the ground body.

• One Part per Body—Create bodies using the one part per body rule. All
connections are retained during this operation.

Note: Use this with caution with large assemblies because every part in the
assembly will become an individual body. You will also have to redefine
Ground.

• Default Bodies—Revert to the bodies originally defined by the connections.

When you select this option, a Pro/ENGINEER regeneration is carried out. Any
body definitions already created will be ignored. You can start creating bodies
from the beginning.

Note: If you do not use default bodies in your animation, the regeneration
may fail when you leave Design Animation, or parts may be placed in a
different location than they were during your animation.

To Create a Body
A body is a part or group of parts that do not move with respect to each other.
Use these steps to define which part of your assembly will move independently
during the animation.

1. Click or Animation > Body Definition. The Bodies dialog box opens
with a list of the bodies in the assembly.

2. Click New. The Body Definition dialog box opens.

3. Enter a name for the new body.

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Design Animation – Help Topic Collection

4. Select parts to add to the body. The Number Of Parts count is updated as
bodies are added.

5. Click OK. The Bodies dialog box opens with the new body included in the list.

About the Body Definition Dialog Box

Use the Body Definition dialog box to add parts to a new body:
• Name—Enter a name for the new body.

• Add Parts—Use the selector arrow and normal selection methods to select
the parts you want to add to the new body:

o Add a subassembly to the body by selecting the subassembly on the

Model Tree.

o The Number Of Parts display box updates incrementally as you add

parts to the body.

Creating Key Frame Sequences

About Key Frame Sequences

Click to open the Key Frame Sequence dialog box. Use it to select a
reference body, take snapshots, and arrange them into a key frame sequence.
When you create a new key frame sequence, it is automatically included on the
timeline.
A key frame sequence is made up of a series of snapshots of your assembly in a
succession of positions and at specific times. The system interpolates between
the snapshots to create a smooth animation.
You can include a key frame sequence in an animation multiple times in different
locations. A key frame sequence included in an animation is called a key frame
sequence instance. When you edit a key frame sequence, all instances of that
sequence are updated. If you want to make a change to a key frame sequence
without changing the original sequence, make a copy of the original and edit the
copy. Then you can include an instance of the copy in the timeline.

To Define a Key Frame Sequence

Every animation must have at least one servo motor or one key frame sequence
in order to move bodies in the animation. To create a key frame sequence, follow
these steps:

1. Click Animation > Key Frame Sequence. The Key Frame Sequences
dialog box opens.

2. Click New. The Key Frame Sequence dialog box opens.

Note: Click on the toolbar to go to the Key Frame Sequence dialog box
directly.

3. Enter a name for the sequence. The default name is KFS#, where # is a
number that increments as you add sequences.

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 Design Animation

4. If you want to use a reference other than the ground body, use the arrow
button under Reference Body to select a body on your assembly.

5. Click to create a new snapshot or select a snapshot from the list.

6. Click to see your model in the selected snapshot.

Note: To correctly capture directional movement when taking snapshots of a

rotating body, make sure all the snapshots are within a range of 180°.
Alternatively, add a servo motor.

7. Enter a time for the snapshot and press ENTER. If you want to change the
initial snapshot in a sequence (time = 0), you must remove it before defining
a new snapshot with time = 0. For any other snapshot time, you can simply
select the snapshot and change the time.

8. Click . The snapshot is listed according to time.

9. Select Linear or Smooth as an interpolation method. This specifies the way

the snapshots are combined into an animation.

10. Click the Bodies tab to define how the bodies in your model are used in the
key frame sequence.

11. If you have changed the constraints associated with any of the snapshots in
your key frame sequence, click Regenerate. The key frame sequence is
regenerated with the new snapshot constraints.

Note: Remember to include your sequence in an animation.

To Control Bodies in a Key Frame Sequence

For this procedure you must be on the Key Frame Sequence dialog box, and
have filled out the Sequence tab. Use these steps to control how the bodies in
your model move during the animation. Sometimes a key frame sequence and a
servo motor may both try to move a body. Change the body’s status to resolve
the conflict.
1. Click the Bodies tab.

2. Select the reference body.

3. Select the bodies to be controlled by the key frame sequence.

4. Select Required, Desired, or Unspecified for each body.

The default status is Desired for all bodies. The bodies defined as Required
or Desired move relative to the reference body during the animation. The
bodies defined as Unspecified may move in an unpredictable way, if not
controlled by another key frame sequence or by a servo motor.

5. Click OK to accept the key frame sequence definition. The new key frame
sequence appears in the timeline.

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About the Key Frame Sequence Dialog Box

Use this dialog box to create or edit a key frame sequence. You can add or
remove key frames, change the times and locations of bodies in snapshots, and
change the reference body and body status for the entire sequence.
This dialog box contains the following items:
• Reference Body—Select the Reference Body arrow, then a body on your
assembly. All bodies whose status is desired or required in the sequence
(specified under the Bodies tab) will be located relative to this body. When
the reference body moves, the other bodies will move relative to it as
specified by the key frame locations.

By default, the reference body is Ground. Most key frame sequences should
keep Ground as the reference body. You may want to change the reference
body from Ground if the reference body will be used in two places.

• Sequence—Create the sequence by selecting or creating the snapshots to

include. You can also preview the snapshot and change the time of the
snapshot in the sequence.

• Bodies—Specify the status of the location of the bodies that are included in
the key frame sequence.

• Regenerate—Select to regenerate the key frame sequence. If you changed

any constraints on parts that are included in a key frame sequence, you
should regenerate the sequence so Design Animation can update locations
based on these changes.

About the Key Frame Sequences Dialog Box

When you select Animation > Key Frame Sequence, the Key Frame
Sequences dialog box opens. Select one of the following commands:
• New—Create a new key frame sequence. The Key Frame Sequence dialog
box opens.

• Edit—Edit the selected key frame sequence. The Key Frame Sequence
dialog box opens. You can change the reference body, the status of the
individual bodies included in the sequence, and the order or the timing of the
snapshots included in the sequence. Any changes you make to a key frame
sequence affect all instances of that sequence used in the current animation.

• Delete—Delete the selected key frame sequence. If you want to remove an

instance from the animation without deleting the master sequence, select the
instance from the timeline and click .

• Copy—Make a copy of the selected key frame sequence. The new key frame
sequence is named copyofname, where name is the name of the selected key
frame sequence. For example, if your key frame sequence is named open, the
copy is called copyofopen.

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• Include—Include a copy of the selected key frame sequence in the

animation. You can have multiple occurrences of a key frame sequence in an
animation at different times. A key frame sequence included in an animation
is called a key frame sequence instance. Each inclusion of a key frame
sequence will be named with a .n extension, where n is the next available
number for that key frame sequence. For example, if you include open2 in the
animation, it will be called open2.1.

About the Bodies Tab on the Key Frame Sequence Dialog Box
Use this tab to specify the status of the location of the bodies that are included in
the key frame sequence. The status is valid for the entire sequence. You can
change the status individually or for multiple bodies.
Body status determines the priority of the key frame sequence. For example, if
two key frame sequences are active at the same time, and body status is set to
Desired in the first sequence and Required in the second sequence, only the
frame with the Required body status will be applied.
Note: Servo motor movement always takes precedence over body status.
Select one of the following options to set body status:
• Unspecified—The body's position is arbitrary and may be controlled by other
servo motors or key frame sequences.

• Desired—The body has priority and will retain this position.

• Required—The body will remain as close to this position as possible, but it

may move based on the movement of any servo motor or other key frame
sequence.

When running the animation, if the bodies do not move to the correct position,
especially at key frames, change the body status to Desired.

About the Sequence Tab on the Key Frame Sequence Dialog Box
Use this tab to enter information required to build a sequence of key frames that
defines an animation:

• —Opens the Drag dialog box to edit or create a snapshot.

• Time—Edits the timing of a key frame in a sequence. A time setting of 0 for

the first key frame is relative to the beginning of the key frame sequence, not
for the time in the timeline. Press ENTER to update the time of the highlighted
key frame.

• —Displays the selected key frame.

• —Adds the selected key frame to the sequence in chronological order.

• Reverse—Reverses the time sequence of all frames in the sequence. Time

values are mirrored for each frame. This is useful when creating an assembly
sequence: you can begin with the assembled model and create a sequence
showing its disassembly. When the sequence is reversed it simulates model
assembly.

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• Remove—Removes the selected key frame(s) from the sequence.

• Interpolation—Sets linear or smooth interpolation for translation and

rotation:

o Linear interpolation varies body position and orientation linearly

between key frames, exactly following the assembly placement at each
key frame.

o Smooth interpolation varies according to a cubic spline fit between key

frames, which results in a smoother movement, but may not have the
exact placement of each body position as defined from key frame to key
frame.

About the KFS Instance Dialog Box

To access the KFS Instance dialog box, select a key frame sequence instance on
the timeline, right-click and select Edit Time from the shortcut menu.
Use this dialog box to change the start time of your key frame sequence instance.
Although you can change the timeline starting point by dragging it, you cannot
change events by dragging.
To set the start time, set the following parameters:
• Time—Enter the time the instance should start after the selected event.

• After—Select the event after which the instance should start.

For example, if you want Kfs2.2 to start 3 seconds after the end of Kfs1.1,
enter 3.00 for Time and Kfs1.1End for After.

Example: Reference Body

When creating a key frame sequence (kfs2), you may want one body to move as
defined by another servo motor or key frame sequence (kfs1), but other bodies
to move as defined in kfs2.
For example, consider a window that rolls down as a car door opens. The door is
referenced in kfs2, although the car is Ground. The window slides down relative
to the door in kfs2. The car door body is Unspecified in kfs2. The car door is
Required or Desired in kfs1and closes relative to the car (Ground).

Creating Servo Motors

About Servo Motors

Use servo motors to impose a particular motion on your model. Servo motors
cause a specific type of motion to occur between two bodies in a single degree of
freedom. You can add a servo motor to a motion axis or a geometric entity, such
as part planes, datum planes, and points.

When you click Animation > Servo Motor, the Servo Motors dialog box
opens. You can select from the following items:
• New—Creates a servo motor. The Servo Motor Definition dialog box opens.
After you create a servo motor, you need to include it in your animation.

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• Edit—Edits the selected servo motor. The Servo Motor Definition dialog box
opens so you can change defined information for your servo motor.

• Remove—Deletes the selected servo motor.

• Copy—Makes a copy of the selected servo motor. The new servo motor is
named copyofname, where name is the selected servo motor's name.

Notes:

o You cannot copy an incomplete servo motor.

o If a copied servo motor is used at the same time as the servo motor it
was copied from, and the difference between the two is not significant,
the model may lock up during the animation due to conflicts between
the servo motors.

• Include—Includes a copy of the selected servo motor in the animation. The

instance is placed in the timeline for the entire duration of the animation. If
you created servo motors for your mechanism using Mechanism Design, those
servo motors are available for inclusion in the animation. Each inclusion of a
servo motor is named with a .n extension, where n is the next available
number for the servo motor.

About the Servo Motor Definition Dialog Box

When you click or select New on the Servo Motors dialog box, the Servo
Motor Definition dialog box opens.
• Use the Type tab to define the entities that you want the servo motor to
control.

• Use the Profile tab to define the servo motor profile.

To Create a Servo Motor

To make your model move during the animation, you can add a servo motor to a
motion axis or a geometric entity.
1. Select Animation > Servo Motor, then New on the Servo Motors dialog
box, or click on the Animation toolbar. The Servo Motor Definition
dialog box opens.

2. Enter a name for the servo motor. The default name in the entry box is
ServoMotor#, where # represents a number that increments as servo motors
are added.

3. Enter Type and Profile information on the relevant tabs.

4. Click OK. A servo motor icon, indicating the motion direction, appears on your
assembly.

5. Select Animation > Servo Motor. The Servo Motor Definition dialog box
opens. The servo motor and its status are now listed. If the servo motor is
correctly defined, its status is Available. If one or more of the entities
associated with the servo motor is suppressed, its status is Suppressed. If
one or more of the entities associated with the servo motor has been changed
or deleted, its status is Incomplete.

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6. Select the servo motor from the list, then click Include to include it in your
animation. The servo motor appears on the animation timeline.

To Define the Servo Motor Type

1. Click the Type tab of the Servo Motor Definition dialog box.

2. Select a motion entity from the Driven Entity menu:

o Motion Axis

o Point

o Plane

3. Click and select a motion axis, point, or plane on the model. This entity
will move when you activate the servo motor.

4. If you selected a point or plane as the driven entity, select Point or Plane
from the Reference Entity list, and select the corresponding entity on your
model. The driven entity will move relative to the reference entity according
to the servo motor profile.

5. If you selected a point as the reference entity, click and select a edge or
datum axis to define the Motion Direction. A magenta arrow appears,
pointing in the direction the driven entity will move relative to the reference
entity.

6. To reverse the direction of motion, click the Flip button.

About the Type Tab in the Servo Motor Definition Dialog Box
Use the Type tab to define which entity is driven and which entity is the
reference for your servo motor. You can define as many servo motors on an
entity as you like. However, to avoid overconstraining your model, do not allow
conflicting or redundant servo motors to run simultaneously in your animation.
For example, if you create both a motion axis rotation servo motor and a plane–
plane rotation angle servo motor in the same direction, do not include both of
these servo motors in the same time period in your animation.
You can enter the following information on the Type tab:
• Driven Entity—The driven entity moves in the model when the motor
activates. Select an entity type from the list, and then use the arrow to select
the entity on your model.

Notes:

o Use a motion axis servo motor for motion in one direction.

o If you select points or planes to define the servo motor, you are creating
a geometric servo motor. The reference entity of a geometric servo
motor may also move if it is not grounded. The servo motor simply
specifies the relative motion of the driven entity with respect to the
reference entity.

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• Reference Entity—Changes according to the entity you select. The driven

entity moves relative to the reference entity according to the information you
enter on the Profile tab:

o Point—Uses a point as the motion reference entity.

o Plane—Uses a plane as the motion reference entity.

• Motion Direction—Specifies the direction in which the servo motor moves

when a point has been selected as the reference entity. Select an edge or a
datum axis to define the motion. If you define a rotational servo motor, the
motion rotates around the edge or datum axis.

• Flip—Changes the motion direction of a servo motor that has a point or plane
as a reference entity.

Note: Use the right-hand rule to determine positive rotation direction. When
your thumb is aligned with the motion axis, and points in the direction of the
motion axis arrow, your fingers curl in the direction of the positive rotation.

• Motion Type—Establishes a direction for the motion of the entity:

o Translation—Movement along a line.

o Rotation—Movement about an axis.

To Define the Servo Motor Profile

1. Click the Profile tab of the Servo Motor Definition dialog box.

2. Select the Specification type:

o Position—Specifies the position of the selected entity.

o Velocity—Specifies the initial position (default is Current). Clear the

Current check box and enter another setting to change the initial
position. Click to preview the new setting by clicking .

o Acceleration—Specifies an initial position and an initial velocity

(defaults are Current and 0.0, respectively).

3. If required, click and enter a value on the Zero Refs tab on the Motion
Axis Settings dialog box to specify a reference position for the servo motor.

4. Select a Magnitude and enter values in the appropriate fields.

5. Click to graph the servo motor profile with current settings.

6. You can change the data to change the servo motor profile as needed. When
you have created the required profile, make sure it is included in the
appropriate motion run, and run the animation.

About the Profile Tab in the Servo Motor Definition Dialog Box
Use the Profile tab to define servo motor motion, a time-dependent change in
position, velocity, or acceleration. An initial position for velocity or acceleration is
used when the animation is run.

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• Specification—Enter the type of movement generated by the servo motor:

o Click to access the Motion Axis dialog box and set or modify the
zero position of the selected motion axis.

o Select Position from the list to specify servo motor motion in terms of
the position of the selected entity.

o Select Velocity from the list to specify servo motor motion in terms of
its velocity. The current position of the servo motor is used by default
when motion starts. To specify another Initial Position, clear the
Current check box and specify a value relative to the motion axis zero
for a velocity servo motor.

o Select Acceleration from the list to specify servo motor motion in

terms of its acceleration. You can also enter values for Initial Position
and Initial Velocity for an acceleration servo motor. If you have set an
initial position for velocity or acceleration, this is the positioin that is
used when running the motion analysis.

o Select the Current check box to use the current position of the model
as the starting position.

• Initial Position—Defines the starting position for your servo motor, and only
becomes available if Velocity or Acceleration is chosen.

• Initial Velocity—Defines the velocity of the servo motor at the beginning of

the analysis, and only becomes available if Acceleration is chosen.

• Magnitude—Each type of servo motor magnitude setting has its own input
requirements.

• Graph—Select one or more items to define graph display layout:

o Position—Graphs the position profile of the servo motor.

o Velocity—Graphs the velocity profile of the servo motor.

o Acceleration—Graphs the acceleration profile of the servo motor.

o In separate graphs—Displays the profiles in separate graphs.

o Click to open the Graphtool window and display the graphs you
have defined.

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Example: Types of Motor Profile

The following graph shows the different types of motion that can be created by a
motor.

The profiles in the above graph were generated using the following values:

Constant Ramp Cosine Cycloidal SCCA Parabolic Polynomial

A=8 A= A=6 L = 12 0.4 A=4 A = –0.1

18

B= B= T=8 0.3 B = –0.6 B=1

–1.2 40

C=3 5 C = –1.5

T=5 10 D=7

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About Magnitude Settings

Servo motors can be defined in many different ways, depending on the type of
motion required. The following table lists functions that are used to generate
magnitude. Enter the values of the function coefficients. The value of x in the
function expressions is supplied by the simulation time.

Magnitude
Description Required Settings
Type

Constant Use for constant motion. q=A

where

A = Constant

Ramp Use for a constant motion or a q = A + B*x

profile that changes linearly
over time. where

A = Constant

B = Slope

Cosine Use to assign a cosine wave q = A*cos(360*x/T + B) + C

value to the motor profile.
where

A = Amplitude

B = Phase

C = Offset

T = Period

SCCA Use to simulate a cam profile

output. SCCA can only be used
when Acceleration is chosen
as the motion type.

Cycloidal Use to simulate a cam profile q = L*x/T – L*sin

output. (2*Pi*x/T)/2*Pi

where

L = Total rise

T = Period

Parabolic Use to simulate a trajectory q = A*x + 1/2 B(x2)

for a motor.
where

A = Linear coefficient

B = Quadratic coefficient

Polynomial Use for generic motor profiles. q = A + B*x + C*x2 + D*x3

where

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Magnitude
Description Required Settings
Type

A = Constant term coefficient

B = Linear term coefficient

C = Quadratic term coefficient

D = Cubic term coefficient

Table Use for more complex profiles

that cannot be specified with
the other functions. If you
have saved measure results to
a table, that table can used
here.

User- Use to specify any kind of

Defined complex profile defined by
multiple expression segments.

Where possible, use a single profile. A combination of profiles can be used to

generate certain types of motion. For example, a combination of ramp and cosine
generates a sinusoidal motion that ramps up over time.

About Magnitude as a User-Defined Function

Servo motor magnitude can be generated by a function created from sets of
expressions and domain constraints. Magnitude is defined as a function of
analysis time, substituting the time for any x variables in the function's
expressions.
1. Click the Profile tab of the Servo Motor Definition dialog box.

2. Select User Defined from the Magnitude list.

3. Click to add a row to the table. Enter values for:

o Expression—Contains t, the default expression representing time. Edit

the default expression directly in the table cell.

o Domain—Contains no values for the expression domain. Specify the

domain values directly in the cell. For example, to enter a range of time
between 1 and 10, enter 1 < t < 10.

4. Select the row and click . The Expression Definition dialog box
opens.

5. Access the symbols required to create an expression:

o Click to open the Operators dialog box and select arithmetic

operators.

o Click to open the Constants dialog box and select constants or

Pro/ENGINEER parameters.

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o Click to open the Functions dialog box and select mathematical

functions.

o Click to open the Variables dialog box and select previously defined
measures or variables.

o Click to open the Expression Graph dialog box and graph your
expression.

6. Click Specify domain to specify a domain for the expression, then use
the arrows to set exclusive or inclusive upper and lower domain bounds.

Note: The Unit Conversion Factor field appears if magnitude was initially
defined in a unit of measure different from the current one. This uneditable
field displays the multiplication factor that is used to convert the values to the
current unit of measure.

Click OK. The expression and domain values appear in the Expression and
Domain columns on the Servo Motor Definition dialog box. Click either
value to edit.

Note: To remove a row from the table, highlight the row and click .

About Magnitude as a Table Function

Servo motor magnitude can be generated using values from a table. You can use
values from an existing table, edit an existing table or create a new onle.
1. If you want to create a new table, use any text editor to create a text file
consisting of two columns of equal length separated by spaces. Put the time
values in the first column, listed in ascending order, and the magnitude of the
velocity or the acceleration of the servo motor in the second column. Save the
file.

2. Click the Profile tab of the Servo Motor Definition dialog box.

3. Select Table from the Magnitude list.

4. To use an external table:

o Click the Use External File check box.

o Click to browse for a saved file, or enter the name of the file in the
box.

5. To edit table values:

o Clear the Use External File check box.

o The original table values appear in the Time and Magnitude columns.

o Edit the table as required. Click a value in either column to edit, or click
to add a row to the table, or select a row and click to remove it.

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6. If you are not using a saved file:

o Make sure the Use External File check box is cleared and there are no
values in the table. Delete existing rows if necessary.

o Click to add a row to the table. Enter an increasing or decreasing

sequence of time values and magnitude values for each row.

7. Click to reenter data from a selected file or click to save table data to
a selected file.

8. Select an interpolation method:

o Click Linear Fit to connect the table points with a straight line.

o Click Spline Fit to fit each set of points with a cubic spline, preventing
uneven motion.

Note: Spline fit is not available for acceleration servo motors.

9. Click OK or Apply.

To Add a Parameter
You can add previously defined Pro/ENGINEER parameters to the Constants list
on the Expression Definition dialog box for later use when defining
expressions.
1. On the Profile tab of the Servo Motor Definition dialog box, select User
Defined from the Magnitude list.

2. Click to add an empty row to the table.

3. Select the Expression value t, then click . The Expression Parameters

dialog box opens.

4. Click to open the Constants dialog box.

5. Click . The Select Parameter dialog box opens.

6. Select a previously defined parameter and click Insert Selected. The

parameter appears in the Constants dialog box.

Notes: When working with parameters, keep in mind the following:

• The parameter name must include only alphanumeric characters. You cannot
use parameter names with mathematical operators or the reserved words e,
pi, and t.

• If you change a parameter value in Pro/ENGINEER after including it in the

user defined function, the profile of your servo motor will also be updated.

• If you delete a parameter in Pro/ENGINEER, the servo motor using it will

become incomplete.

For more information on creating parameters, search the PTC online help system.

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About a SCCA Servo Motor Profile

This profile is only available for acceleration servo motors. The profile changes
over the time period as follows:

q = H*sin[(t*Pi)/(2*A)] for 0 < t < A

q=H for A < t < (1 – C)

q = H*cos[(t + C – 1)*Pi/(2*C)] for (1 – C) < t < (C + 1)

q = –H for (C + 1) < t < (2 – A)

q = –H*cos[(t + A – 2)*Pi/(2*A)] for (2 – A) < t < 2

You must input values for A, B, H, and T (the program calculates a value for C).
A — Fraction of normalized time for increasing acceleration
B — Fraction of normalized time for constant acceleration
C — Fraction of normalized time for decreasing acceleration, where
A+B+C=1

H — Amplitude of the profile

T — Period of the profile
t — Normalized time, where
t = actual_time*2/T

The SCCA profile stops when actual_time = T. If the actual time is longer than
the period, the profile will repeat itself.

About Graphing
You can display the profile of a servo motor as a graph to see the motion your
mechanism will take during the animation.
When you have entered data on the Profile tab of the Servo Motor Definition
dialog box, click to view the profile of the motion for the current settings. You
can then go back and change your data to change the profile. When you see the
profile you are interested in, accept the servo motor, make sure it is turned on,
and run the animation.

When you click , the Graphtool window appears. To work with the graph and
manage its appearance, use toolbar buttons or the following menu commands:
• File

o Export Excel—This option is available on Windows platforms only. Use

it to save the graph data as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. When you
click this command, the Export To Excel dialog box opens. Enter a path
and a file name on the dialog box. Then click OK to create a file with a
.xlc extension. The file contains a pictorial rendition of the graph as well
as a numeric table of graph values.

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o Export Text—Save the graph data as a text file. When you click this
command, the Export To Text dialog box opens. Enter a path and a file
name on the dialog box to create a file with a .grt extension.

o Print—Send your graph to a printer. When you click this command, a

dialog box opens that allows you to output your graph to several print
and graphic formats, or save it as a file.

o Exit—Close the Graphtool window.

• View

o Toggle Grid—Display grid lines for your graph or turn them off.

o Repaint—Refresh the view of your graph, removing all temporarily

displayed information.

o Refit—Restore a graph to its original state. Use this command after you
zoom in on a particular graph segment to return to an unsegmented
state. The software automatically redraws the complete graph in the
current window.

o Zoom In—Zoom in on the graph to get a close-up view. This command

is especially useful when your graph contains too many points, 100 or
more. Zooming in on a section of the graph helps you to display a
specific segment of interest.

• Format

o Graph—Open the Graph Window Options dialog box to manage your

graph and its display window.

About Segmenting a Graph

When your graph has too many points and looks crowded, you can segment it to
display a specific section of interest. Segmenting a graph is especially useful
when your graph contains 100 or more points. You can use one of the following
methods to segment your graph:
• Zoom In—Use the View > Zoom In command on the graph results window
to get a close-up view of a specific graph segment you select.

• Change the Axis Range—Reset minimum and maximum values for the
graph range to define a segment you want to display. The x minimum should
display the x coordinate that is at the left edge of the graph segment, the x
maximum at the right edge, the y maximum at the top edge, and the y
minimum at the bottom edge. Design Animation then redraws the graph to
show the specified segment.

After you finish studying a particular graph segment, you can restore a graph to
its original, unsegmented state. Use the View > Refit command. After you select
the command, Design Animation redraws the full graph in the current window.

About Managing Graphs

When you select the Format > Graph command, the Graph Window Options
dialog box opens. You can also access this dialog box by right-clicking any item,

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such as a legend or axis, in the graph display and selecting Format from the
pop-up menu.
Use the Graph Window Options dialog box to define the visual characteristics
of the graph display window. For example, you can change the background color
of the window or the color of the x and y axes to improve the overall appearance
of your graph. You can also specify new axis labels or adjust the scale for the
graph to have a better view. The data form contains the following tabs:
• Y Axis—Use to modify the appearance of the graph's y axis, its label and grid
lines, and to change the scale for the graph.

• X Axis—Use to modify the appearance of the graph's x axis, its label and grid
lines, and to change the scale for the graph.

• Data Series—Use to control the appearance of data series for the graph you
select and to toggle the legend.

• Graph Display—Use to control the display of the graph's title and to change
the background color of the window.

When you click Apply or OK to close the dialog box, the graph display updates to
reflect the new settings.

About the X Axis and Y Axis Tabs

Use the X Axis and the Y Axis tabs on the Graph Window Options dialog box
to customize the appearance of the x and y axes, to specify new axis labels, and
to adjust the scale for the graph. The tabs display the following fields:
• Graph—This field appears on the Y Axis tab only and displays a list of
subgraphs when they are available. Design Animation uses subgraphs to plot
multiple sets of data that share a common x axis but have different y axes.
From the list, select a subgraph for which you want to customize the y axis.

• Axis Label—Use the input field to edit an axis label. The label is a textual line
that appears next to each axis. You can change the style, color, and size of
the label's font by clicking the Text Style button. Use the Display Axis
Label check box to turn the axis label on or off.

• Range—Change the range of the axis. You can use this area to modify
minimum and maximum values so that the window displays a specified
segment of the graph.

• Tick Marks—Set the number of major and minor tick marks on the axis.

• Tick Labels—Change the alignment of value labels for the major tick marks.
If you want to change the style, color, and size of the font, click the Text
Style button.

• Grid Lines—Select the style for the grid lines. If you want to change their
color, click the color selection button.

• Axis—Modify the thickness of the axis. If you want to change the axis color,
click the color selection button.

• Scaling—Use this area to adjust the scale for your graph:

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o Log Scale—Change the values on the axis to a logarithmic scale. Using

a logarithmic scale can provide you with additional information that you
may not be able to see on a normal scale.

o Scale—This field appears on the Y Axis tab only. You can use it to
change the scale of the y axis.

About the Data Series Tab

Use the Data Series tab on the Graph Window Options dialog box to change
the appearance of data series. Design Animation can display multiple data series
that share common x and y axes in a single graph window. Use the following
fields to work with the data series:
• Graph—Select a graph or subgraph whose data series you want to customize.

• Data Series—Use the input field to edit the label for the selected data series.
To change the color of the graph's points and lines, click the color selection
buttons. You can also modify the points' style and interpolation and the lines'
thickness.

• Legend—Use this area to toggle the legend. If you want to change the style,
color, and size of the font, click the Text Style button.

About the Graph Display Tab

Use the Graph Display tab on the Graph Window Options dialog box to
specify the graph's title and to change the background color of the window. The
following fields appear on the tab:
• Label—Edit the graph's label, which appears in the upper left corner of the
graph window. If you want to change the style, color, and size of the title's
font, click the Text Style button. Use the Display Label check box to display
the title or toggle it off.

• Background Color—Modify the background color. Click the Edit button to

customize the blended background color. If you clear the Blended
Background check box, click the color selection button to change the
background color.

• Selection Color—Change the color you use to highlight points on your graph.

To Include a Servo Motor in an Animation

After you create or edit a servo motor, you must include it in your animation.
1. Click Animation > Servo Motor.

2. The Servo Motors dialog box appears with a list of previously created servo
motors.

3. Select a servo motor from the list.

4. Click Include. The servo motor appears in the animation timeline. The default
start and end times are the start and end times of the animation.

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To Define Servo Motor Timing

Use the Servo Motor Time Domain dialog box to change the start and end
times of your servo motor.
Note: Although you can drag the start or end points on the timeline to change
them, you cannot change events using drag.
1. Double-click a servo motor on your timeline, or right-click the servo motor
and select Edit Time on the shortcut menu. The Servo Motor Time Domain
dialog box opens.

2. Enter values for Start Servo Motor and End Servo Motor:

o Time—Enter the time you want the servo motor to start or end after the
selected event. You can enter a time that is negative with respect to the
selected event. However, the time cannot be negative with respect to
the animation time domain.

o After—Select the event after which you want the servo motor to start or
end.

For example, to set the servo motor to start 4 seconds after the start of the
animation and end 2 seconds after Servo motor1.1 ends, enter 4 for Time
and START for After under Start Servo Motor, then enter 2 for Time and
Servo motor1.1End for After.

About Geometric Servo Motors

If you select points or planes as references when defining a servo motor, you are
creating a geometric servo motor. Geometric servo motors are used to create
complex 3D motions such as a helix.
When you select Geometry on the Type tab of the Servo Motor Definition
dialog box, you must select a point or plane as a reference as well as a motion
direction.
You can create the following types of geometric servo motors:
• A plane–plane rotation servo motor moves a plane in one body at an
angle to a plane in another body. During a motion run, the driven plane
rotates about a reference direction, with the zero position defined when the
driven and reference planes are coincident.

Because the axis of rotation on the driven body remains unspecified, a plane–
plane rotation servo motor is less restrictive than a servo motor on a pin
motion or cylinder motion. Thus, the axis of rotation in the driven body may
change as a function of time.

A plane–plane rotation servo motors can be used to define rotations around a

ball joint. Another application of a plane–plane rotation servo motor would be
to define a rotation between the last body of an open-loop mechanism and
Ground, such as a front loader.

• A plane-plane translation servo motor moves a plane in one body with

respect to a plane on another body, keeping one plane parallel to the other.
The shortest distance between the two planes measures the position value of
the servo motor. The zero position occurs when the driven and reference
planes are coincident.

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In addition to the prescribed motion, the driven plane is free to rotate or

translate in the reference plane. Thus, a plane–plane servo motor is less
restrictive than a servo motor on a slider or a cylinder joint. If you want to
explicitly tie down the remaining degrees of freedom, specify additional
constraints such as a connection or another geometric servo motor.

A plane–plane translation servo motor can be used to define the translation

between the last link of an open-loop mechanism and Ground.

• A plane-point translation servo motor is the same as a point–plane

translation servo motor, except that you define the direction in which a plane
will move relative to a point. During a motion run, the driven plane moves in
the specified motion direction, while staying perpendicular to it. The shortest
distance from the point to the plane measures the position value of the servo
motor. At a zero position, the point lies on the plane.

You cannot define the orientation of one body with respect to the other using
only a plane–point servo motor. The driven plane is free to move
perpendicularly to the specified direction. Lock these degrees of freedom
using another servo motor or connection. By defining x, y, and z components
of motion on a point with respect to a plane, you can make a point follow a
complex 3D curve.

• A point-plane translation servo motor moves a point in one body along the
normal of a plane in another body. The shortest distance from the point to the
plane measures the position value of the servo motor.

You cannot define the orientation of one body with respect to the other using
only a point–plane servo motor. The driven point is free to move parallel to
the reference plane, and may thus move in a direction unspecified by the
servo motor. Lock these degrees of freedom using another servo motor or
connection. By defining x, y, and z components of motion on a point with
respect to a plane, you can make a point follow a complex 3D curve.

• A point-point translation servo motor moves a point in one body in a

direction specified in another body. The shortest distance measures the
position of a driven point to a plane that contains the reference point and is
perpendicular to the motion direction. The zero position of a point–point servo
motor occurs when both the reference and driven point lie in a plane whose
normal is the motion direction.

The point–point translation servo motor is a very loose constraint that must
be used carefully to get a predictable motion. You cannot define the
orientation of one body with respect to the other using only one point–point
servo motor. In reality, you would need six point–point servo motors for this.

The driven point is free to move perpendicularly to the specified direction, and
may do so if you do not specify otherwise. Lock these degrees of freedom
using another servo motor or connection. By defining x, y, and z components
of motion on a point with respect to a plane, you can make a point follow a
complex 3D curve.

About Motion Axis Settings

You can specify the relative orientation or location of the two parts connected by
a motion axis:

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• A rotation motion axis will read zero when the zero reference planes on the
two parts are aligned. The zero reference plane for each part is a plane that
contains the motion axis.

• In a translation motion axis, the zero reference planes are aligned. A zero
reference plane is the plane that is perpendicular to the motion axis and
passes through the motion point.

Notes:

o A motion axis zero reference can only be set for a motion axis servo
motor. You cannot create more than one motion axis zero on any
connection. Motion axis zeros are not required for any servo motor, but
if they are not set, an arbitrary reference is chosen on each body, with
unpredictable results.

o Motion axis zeros and motion axis range limits can be set for all
connection types except a ball joint.

For more information about motion axis settings, search the Pro/ENGINEER Help
Center under Simulation > Mechanism Design.

To Set Motion Axis Settings

To follow this procedure, you must have already created or be in the process of
creating a servo motor.
1. Select a servo motor on the animation timeline, right-click and choose Edit
Servo Motor from the shortcut menu. The Servo Motor Definition dialog
box appears.

2. Click on the Profile tab. The Motion Axis Settings dialog box opens.
The type of motion axis selected appears in the top box.

3. Select references.

4. Click the drag handle to set the model position or enter a new value for angle
or distance in the Current Position box. If a value is outside the set
minimum and maximum range limits, an error message appears.

5. Click . The value entered in the Current Position field becomes the
Regen Value.

6. To use this value as the regeneration value, select the Enable Regeneration
check box.

7. Click the Dynamic Properties button to set restitution and friction values.

8. Click the Preview button to preview your model with the new settings.

9. Once the model moves as required, click , then OK on the Servo Motor
Definition dialog box.

For more information about motion axis settings, search the Pro/ENGINEER Help
Center under Simulation > Mechanism Design.

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About Defining Motion Zero References

Bear in mind the following limitations when defining a rotation axis:
• Point–Point Zero Reference—The system draws a vector from each point in
a direction normal to the rotation axis. The motion zero is the point at which
the two vectors coincide. The points cannot lie on the motion axis.

• Point–Plane Zero Reference—The plane containing the point and the

rotational motion axis must be parallel to the selected motion zero plane. The
point cannot lie on the motion axis.

• Plane–Plane Zero Reference—The planes are parallel at motion zero. Both

planes must be parallel to the axis of rotation.

Bear in mind of the following limitations when defining a translational axis:

• Point–Point Zero Reference—The distance between the points in the
translation direction is zero at motion zero.

• Point–Plane Zero Reference—The distance between the plane and the point
in the translation direction is zero at motion zero. The plane must be
perpendicular to the motion axis.

• Plane–Plane Zero Reference—The distance between the planes is zero at

motion zero. Both planes must be perpendicular to the motion axis.

Bear in mind the following restrictions when defining zero references:

• Planar Connections—You can define point–point zero references only for
planar translation axes. You can define plane–plane zero references only for
planar rotation axes.

• Bearing Connections—You must select a point or a plane on the body that

contains the motion direction definition, that is, the line in the point–line
constraint. This reference is aligned to the point that defines the bearing joint.

Locking Bodies

About Locking Bodies

Use a body lock to fix bodies relative to a lead body over a specific time period
during an animation. The bodies will act as if they are glued together, with no
movement between them.
A body lock does not take effect until a defined start time. If you drag or move
your mechanism into a different configuration before the body lock takes effect,
you may have unexpected results.
Note: Body positions at each key frame are specified by a snapshot. A locked
body can override the key frame position if it has been defined as Unspecified or
Desired in the key frame sequence. If the body lock ends before the key frame
sequence, body position is determined by the body position. As a result, bodies
may jump to a new position, as if they were defined as Desired.

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To Lock Bodies
Use this command to keep one or more follower bodies stationary with respect to
a lead body during a specific time period in the animation.

1. Click Animation > Lock Bodies.

2. The Lock Bodies dialog box opens. Enter a new name or accept the default
name, BodyLock#, where # represents an incremental number that increases
as events are added.

3. Click the middle mouse button to define the ground body as lead, or select
another body.

4. Select the follower bodies. Follower bodies are outlined in red.

5. In the Start Time area, set the following events:

o Enter a start time in the Value box

o Select a reference event from the Start Time After list

6. In the End Time area, set the following events:

o Enter an end time in the Value box

o Select a reference event from the End Time After list

7. Click Apply. The locking event is added to the timeline.

Defining Connection Status

About Connection Status

If you are using an assembly that was created in Mechanism Design, you can use
the connection status command to manage the connections in your assembly.
You can also change the status of a connection within the Drag dialog box for use
when you are taking snapshots to use in a key frame sequence.
Note: If you set a connection status in the Connection Status dialog box, an
icon appears on the timeline next to the connection, indicating that the status has
been changed. This connection status takes precedence over any status defined
in the Drag dialog box that is included in a key frame sequence.

When you click Animation > Connection Status, the Connection Status
dialog box opens. Select a connection, then set the following options:
• Time—Enter a time value in the Value box, then select an event from the
After list. The connection state and locking status will take effect by the
specified amount of time after the selected event.

• State—Select or clear the Enable or Disable buttons to enable or disable the

connection. When you click Apply, a connection icon on the timeline reflects
the connection status.

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• Lock/Unlock—Select or clear the Lock or Unlock buttons to lock or unlock

the connection. When two bodies are locked together, there is no movement
between them. You can only unlock a locked body.

• Click Reset to reset the dialog box.

To Define Connection Status

Use the Connection Status command to make a servo motor connection
inactive or disabled during a specific period of time during the animation. Use this
command, for example, to illustrate disassembly of your model, or to focus on
the movement of one connection at the expense of others.

1. Click Animation > Connection Status or click on the toolbar. The

Connection Status dialog box opens.

2. Select a connection.

3. Enter a time and select a reference event from the After list. The connection
status begins after the reference event and entered time. The time you enter
can be negative with respect to the selected event, but cannot occur before
the start time of the animation.

4. In the State area, select Enable or Disable.

5. In the Lock/Unlock area, select Unlock or Lock.

6. Click Apply. The appropriate connection icon appears in the timeline.

About Connection Icons

When you change the status of a connection, the change is indicated on the
timeline with a distinct connection status icon:

Icon Connection status

Disabled

Enabled and unlocked

Enabled and locked

Defining Events

About Events
Use events to maintain an associative relationship between animation elements.
For example, if you set a timeline component to start when another one ends,
and the animation end time changes, all elements that are defined to start after
the end time are automatically updated.

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Events for the beginning and end of any animation component included in the
current animation are created automatically. In most cases, you can use a
system-defined event and will not have to create one yourself.

When you click Animation > Event, the Event Definition dialog box opens.
Use this dialog box to:
• Name the event.

• Select a reference event. Use the down arrow to display the list of available
reference events.

• Set the time after the selected reference event that you want the event to
start.

When you create a new event, a symbol with the name of the event appears on
the timeline. When you define an animation element start time, a relationship is
set between the element and the event, and a dotted line appears between the
two. Click View > Display Settings > Animation Display to control line
visibility.

To Define an Event
Use events as markers in the timeline to arrange animation component timing.
The default event, Start, specifies the time at the beginning of the animation.
This default event always appears on the timeline. Follow these steps to define
other events:

1. Click Animation > Event.

2. The Event Definition dialog box opens.

3. Enter a name for the event or accept the default name.

4. Enter a time and select a reference event from the After list. The new event
begins after the reference event and time. The time you enter can be negative
with respect to the selected event, but cannot occur before the start time of
the animation.

5. Click OK. An event symbol, with the name of the new event, appears in the
animation timeline. If the event is referenced to an existing timeline
component, a dotted line leads from the reference event to the new event.

Including Subanimations

About Subanimations
Use the Subanimation command to include an animation created with your
assembly or any of its subassemblies in the current animation. This included
animation becomes a subanimation. By default, a subanimation references the
ground body. If your subanimation moves relative to another body, you must
reference the other body. Use the Subanimation dialog box to reference the
other body.

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When including a subanimation, make sure that:

• The reference body is not part of the subanimation. If reference body
movement is defined in the subanimation, the resulting animation may be
erratic due to the conflicting body settings.

• Only the bodies that should move are defined as Desired (the default) or
Required when you insert a key frame sequence in a subanimation. Any
bodies defined as Unspecified will not move with the reference body. Use the
Key Frame Sequence dialog box to change body definitions.

• Only those bodies that are actively defined in a subanimation will move with
reference to the specified body. A body that is not specified will not move. For
example, a door that is opening on a moving car will stop moving with the car
if it is defined for only half of the animation.

Click Animation > Subanimations to open the Subanimations dialog box.

Select the animation to include and click Include. By default, the start time of
the included animation is 0.0 in the current animation.
No animation element details are displayed for the newly-included subanimation
when it appears on the timeline. To make these elements visible, click the plus
sign at the beginning of the subanimation on the timeline.

About the Subanimation Dialog Box

A newly-created subanimation references the ground body by default. Use the
Subanimation dialog box to change the reference body or the time frame.

1. Select the subanimation on the timeline, and then click Edit > Selected,
or right-click and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.

2. The Subanimation dialog box opens. Change the settings as required:

o Select a new reference body.

o Enter a new start time after the selected event. This can be negative
with respect to the selected event, but cannot occur before the start
time of the animation.

3. Click Apply.

Running and Playing Back the Animation

About Playback

After you run your animation, click Animation > Playback or on the
toolbar to open the Playbacks dialog box. Use this dialog box to review, save,
remove, or export animation information:
• Select an animation from the Result Set list.

• Click to play back the animation. The Animate dialog box opens. Click
to play or click another option to rewind, fast-forward, play, and repeat the
animation. The animation plays in the graphics window as the timeline
advances.

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Note: If you play back an animation, then select another one and click ,
the selected animation plays in the graphics window but the timeline does not
update or change.

• Click to restore animation results or select another result set. You can
then click to replay the previous set or select the new set from the Result
Set list and play it.

• Click to save the current animation results to disk with a .pba extension.
Only one file can be saved for each animation.

• Click to remove the current animation results from the current session.

• Click to export the animation playback to a frame file with a .fra

extension.

• Click to save the result set as a motion envelope.

To Run an Animation

1. Click Animation > Start or click on the toolbar to run an animation. If

the animation is already in session, you are prompted to overwrite the results
set file.

2. After you run the animation, click on the toolbar to open the Animation
dialog box and view the results.

To Play Back an Animation

You must run an animation at least once before you can use the Playback
command to play it back.

1. Click Animation > Playback. The Playbacks dialog box opens.

2. Select an animation from the Result Set list.

3. If you want to play an animation saved in a previous session, click and

browse to find the .pba file.

4. To set collision detection options, click the Collision Detection Settings tab.

For more information about collision detection settings, search the

Pro/ENGINEER Help Center under Simulation > Mechanism Design.

5. If you want to specify portions of the results to view during playback, clear
the Display Time and the Default Schedule check boxes. The dialog box
expands.

6. Enter values for the Start and End times:

o Click to add the segment to the list for playback.

o To replay a segment multiple times, add it to the list multiple times.

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o To edit Start and End times, select a segment line, enter new values
and click .

o To delete a segment, select the segment line and click .

7. Click . The Animate dialog box opens. Use the options on this dialog box
to control the speed and direction of your playback.

About the Animate Dialog Box

Use the Animate dialog box to control speed and direction when you play back
an animation result set.

Button Function

Frame slide bar Advances playback one frame at a time and display
the current frame number

Plays the animation backwards

Stops playback

Starts playback

Resets playback to the beginning

Displays the previous frame

Displays the next frame

Advances playback to the end

Sets continuous playback

Reverses playback direction at ends

Speed slide bar Adjusts playback speed

Capture button Opens the Capture dialog box, configures and saves
playback as an avi or an mpeg file, or as a series of
jpeg, tiff or bmp files.

About the Capture Dialog Box

When you click Capture on the Animate dialog box, the Capture dialog box
opens. Use it to save your animation as an mpeg or an avi file or as a series of
jpeg, tiff or bmp files:
• Name—Accept the default name (the extension is determined by the file
type), or enter another name. The file is saved in the current working
directory. To change the default directory or overwrite an existing file, click
Browse and select the directory or file.

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• Type—Accept the default mpeg type if you want to save the animation as a
single mpeg file, or choose another format.

Notes:

o If you select a format other than mpeg or avi, the animation is saved as
a series of files named filename_x, where x is a consecutive number

starting with 1. Click Tools > Time Domain to change a frame

number.

o Use external animation software to create an animation from the

individual frames.

• Image Size—The default width and height values are the dimensions of the
current graphics window (excluding the timeline and the navigation pane).
These values will not change if you resize the graphics window while the
Capture dialog box is open.

• Lock Aspect Ratio—Select this check box to ensure that the width-to-height
ratio remains the same when you resize the graphics window.

• Select the Photorender Frames checkbox to use Pro/ENGINEER

photorendering while recording your animation.

Note: You must set photorender options before capturing an animation. In

Assembly mode, select View > Model Setup > Render Control command
and set values. For more information, search for photorender in the
Pro/ENGINEER Help Center.

• Frame Rate—Set the frame rate at which to record an avi or an mpeg file.

• Compression—Click Select… to open the Video Compression dialog box

and choose a video setting from the list, and then configure the compression
as required, or accept the default Uncompressed.

Notes:

o Compression settings cannot be undone once the animation has been

captured.

o AVI capture can fail for a variety of reasons. If the Capture Failure
dialog box opens, the capture is aborted. Make sure that all compression
settings have been correctly configured or consult the relevant software.

• Click OK to begin recording

About the Create Motion Envelope Dialog Box

Click on the Playbacks dialog box to open the Create Motion Envelope
dialog box after you play back an animation. Use this dialog box to create a
faceted solid motion envelope that represents the full motion of your animation.
You can export the motion envelope in the same manner as a standard
Pro/ENGINEER part.
You can also create a motion envelope by creating a frame file and clicking File >
Save a Copy > MotionEnvlp.

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The following settings must be defined when creating a motion envelope:

• Quality—Enter a value from 1 to 10 to set the motion envelope model quality
level.

Quality is inversely proportional to the size of the triangles used to create the
faceted model. At a lower setting, fewer, larger triangles are created more
quickly, producing a roughly accurate representation of the motion envelope.
At a higher setting, many smaller triangles are created, producing a more
detailed, more accurate representation. A higher quality level makes for a
more complete representation but lengthens the creation time.

Best practice is to start with a low quality setting and preview the results,
then gradually increasing the quality level as necessary.

• Select Components—Choose the parts, bodies, or subassemblies on your

assembly that you want to include in the motion envelope. All components are
selected by default, and the number of components is displayed in the text
box. Click and deselect components to be excluded.

• Special Handlings—The Ignore Skeletons and Ignore Quilts checkboxes

are selected by default. To use skeletons or quilts in your model when the
motion envelope is created, clear these checkboxes. For more information,
search for quilts or skeletons in the Pro/ENGINEER Help Center.

• Invert Triangle Pairs—After you create and preview a motion envelope,

click Invert Triangle Pairs to access these options and adjust the motion
envelope. If the automatically computed motion envelope does not accurately
represent the motion of your assembly, click , and click the edge between
two triangles. These triangles are replaced with the other two triangles that
make up the tetrahedron defined by the triangles' four vertices.

• Output Format—A motion envelope can be saved in one of four formats:

o Part (default)—Creates a Pro/ENGINEER part (.prt) file with normal

geometry.

o LW Part—Creates a lightweight Pro/ENGINEER part (.prt) file with

lightweight, faceted geometry.

o STL—Creates an .stl file (Stereolithography).

o VRML—Creates a VRML (.wrl) file.

For more information, search for tessellated files in the PTC online help
system.

• Output File Name—The default motion envelope file name is based on the
name of the source model, in the format model_name_env0001. When the
source model is a simplified representation of an assembly, the default name
of the motion envelope model is simplifiedrepname_env0001. The .prt
extension is automatically appended to part file names, .stl is automatically
appended to STL file names, and .wrl is automatically appended to VRML file
names.

• Use default template—If you have specified a default template in

Pro/ENGINEER, the system uses that template, or start model, for the motion
envelope part. Click Tools > Options to set the configuration file option

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start_model_dir to specify the location for the default template. Using a

template as a start model allows you to include critical layers, datum features,
and views in the motion envelope model. It is difficult to do this after the
motion envelope model has been exported.

• Click Preview for graphical and textual feedback about the information that
will be captured in the motion envelope model. A shaded representation of the
motion envelope model is displayed and the Pro/ENGINEER message window
displays the number of triangles that make up the facets of the model.

• When you click Create for a Part or LW Part output format, the system
creates a solid motion envelope model. Activate this model and use File >
Save to save it to a part file.

If you selected the STL or VRML output format, the system saves a .stl or
.wrl file to the current working directory. The Create Motion Envelope
dialog box remains open, and the source model remains in session as the
current object.

Defining the Time Domain

To Set a Time Domain

Use the Animation Time Domain dialog box to create a time frame for your
animation. Use time domain factors to alter the time scale, or to increase or
decrease the smoothness of the interpolation between frames.

1. Click Tools > Time Domain to open the Animation Time Domain
dialog box.

2. Select a time domain type from the list and enter values for the End Time,
Frame Count, Rate, and Interval, as appropriate:

3. To change the timeline scale, clear the Default check box and enter a new
value. When you click Apply, the timeline displays your changes.

4. Click OK.

About Time Domains

Three variables are set when creating an animation:
• Frame count—the number of frames in the animation

• Frame rate—the interval after which the frame changes to the next one

• Animation length/end time—the total duration (in seconds) of the animation

When you select a time domain and enter values for two of the variables in the
Animation Time Domain dialog box, the value of the third variable is
automatically calculated.
• For a Length and Rate time domain, enter the animation length (in seconds)
and the frame rate or interval (the number of frames per second). The total
number of frames is automatically calculated.

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• For a Length and Frame Count time domain, enter the animation length (in
seconds) and the total number of frames. The frame rate is automatically
calculated.

• For a Rate and Frame Count time domain, enter the total frame count and
the animation frame rate or interval. The animation length is automatically
calculated.

About Types of Time Domain

There are three types of time domain:
• Length and Rate defines the length of an animation relative to the time
between frames.

• Length and Frame Count defines the length of an animation relative to the
number of frames.

• Rate and Frame Count defines the number of frames in an animation

relative to the time between them.

Keep the following guidlelines in mind as you define an animation:

• If the length of your animation is shorter than the default length, clear the
Default checkbox and enter a smaller value.

• To make room for more frames, increase the Length of the animation.

• To make the transition between key frames smoother, or for more detail,
increase the Frame Count.

• A new Start Time, End Time, or Frame Count value will not update other
fields until you click Apply.

• A new Start Time does not appear on the timeline until you click Apply.

The relation between time domain variables is expressed as follows:

Frame Rate = 1/Interval
Frames Used = [Frame Rate * (End Time – Start Time)] + 1
The Frame Count value does not change if you increase the Start Time, as the
Frame Count is the number of frames available for the entire animation. The
Frame Count value is used to calculate the Frame Rate and Interval.
However, when you run or play back your animation, the Frames Used value
reflects the actual number of frames in use, as shown in the table below:

Start Time 0 5

End Time 10 10

Frame Count 101 101

Frames Used 101 51

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Defining Views

About the View @ Time Dialog Box

Use the View @ Time command to view different orientations of your model
at specific times. When used in conjunction with the Animation
Interpolation command, you can view your animation as it moves smoothly
between different orientations.

When you click on the toolbar or Animation > View @ Time, the View
@ Time dialog box opens. Enter values as needed:
• Name—Select one of the named views or create additional ones (click View
> View Manager in Assembly mode).

• Value—Enter a value for the time at which you want the view to take effect
after the named event.

• After—Select an event from the list after which you want the view to take
effect.

When you click Apply, the view is added at the selected time with the given
name.
Note: The view saved is the one in the graphics window when you click Apply
(including orientation and zoom level). This may not match the saved view in the
name list if you have moved the model.

To Define Views for an Animation

You can use saved views to change the orientation of your model during an
animation. For more information, search for views in the Pro/ENGINEER Help
Center.

1. Click Animation > View @ Time, or click on the toolbar. The View
@ Time dialog box opens:

o Select a view from the Name list.

o Enter a value for Time.

o Select a reference event from the After list.

2. Click Apply. The event appears in the timeline.

3. When you run the animation, the view changes according to the values
you have entered.

Note: Because the system interpolates between views, there are no abrupt
changes. Current interpolation settings appear at the bottom of the dialog box. To
change interpolation settings, click Tools > Animation Interpolation.

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About the Interpolation Dialog Box

Click Tools > Animation Interpolation to open the Interpolation dialog

box. The View Interpolation options define the manner in which the views
defined in the View @ Time dialog box change during an animation:
• Select the Interpolate check box for a smooth transition from one view to
the next,

• Clear the Interpolate check box to jump to the next view without any
transition.

• Select or clear the Linear or Smooth check boxes under Translation and
Rotation to finely tune the interpolation direction and method.

Note: If you want the animation to remain on a view for a specific length of time
and then start moving toward another view, you must apply two instances of the
same view (one at the beginning and one at the end of the time period), to keep
the view constant. You can then apply a third view for transition.
The Transparency Interpolation options define the manner in which the
transparencies defined in the Transparency @ Time dialog box change during
an animation:
• Select the Interpolate check box to set a fade from one transparency event
to another. You can change which transparency events are interpolated by
dragging them in and out of timeline rows. When you drag an event out of an
existing row, interpolation is cancelled, and vice versa.

• Clear the Interpolate check box to treat the transition as a single change
from one transparency state to the next.

Defining Displays

About the Display @ Time Dialog Box

Use the Display @ Time command to control the display of assembly

components during an animation or playback.
You can define a display representation during which some of the components are
invisible, or are displayed in different modes (Wireframe or Hidden Line, for
example). Although you can create several Display @ Time events for your
animation, only one can be active at a time. One Display @ Time event moves to
another with no interpolation.
Click View > View Manager > Style to define display representations for the
components in your model. For more information, search for View Manager in the
Pro/ENGINEER Help Center.

When you click on the toolbar or Animation > Display @ Time, the
View @ Time dialog box opens:
• Select a component display style from the Style Name list.

• Enter a value for the display event start time and select the event after which
the display representation will be active in the Time area.

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When you click Apply, the Display @ Time representation is added to the
timeline. An extension number is added to each instance of the event.

To Define a Display for an Animation

You can use saved display states to define an animation display. For more
information, search for View Manager in the Pro/ENGINEER Help Center.

1. Click Animation > Display @ Time, or click on the toolbar. The

Display @ Time dialog box opens:

o Select a display from the Style Name list.

o In the Time area, enter a Value and select a reference event from the
After list.

2. Click Apply. The event appears on the timeline.

3. When you run the animation, the display changes according to the values you
have entered. There is no interpolation between views.

Defining Settings

About Animation Settings

Select Tools > Animation Settings to set the assembly tolerance and the
action to be taken when a connection analysis fails. The Settings dialog box
opens. You can set the following options:
• Reconnect—Select the Issue a Warning When Assembly Fails to
Connect check box to display a warning message whenever the assembly
fails to connect.

• Run Preferences

o Select either Pause when analysis run fails or Continue when

analysis run fails to set the action to be taken if a run fails. If you
select Pause when analysis run fails, a dialog box opens upon run
failure. You can terminate or continue the analysis, and decide whether
or not to view another warning if the analysis fails again.

o Select the Graphical Display During Run check box to update the
display as you run an animation. When you clear the check box, the
display does not change and calculation may be faster.

• Relative Tolerance—The relative tolerance is the multiplier used by the

system to scale the characteristic length and derive the absolute tolerance.
The default value is 0.001, which represents 0.1% of the characteristic length
of the model. Enter a new value or click Restore Default to reset the realtive
tolerance to 0.001.

• Characteristic Length—The characteristic length is the sum of all part

lengths divided by the number of parts. A part's length is the length of the
diagonal acroos the bounding box that completely contains the part. Enter a
new value or click Restore Default to reset.

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Notes:

o Absolute assembly tolerance is the maximum amount a mechanism may

deviate from a perfectly assembled state. It is determined by the
following formula: relative tolerance x characteristic length =
absolute tolerance.

o If the part sizes in your mechanism vary significantly, or results seem

incorrect, you may need to change a setting. If the characteristic length
does not properly represent the mechanism's moving parts, consider
changing it. For example, if you are interested in the motion of a small
body in a large assembly, change the characteristic length so it is closer
to the length of the smaller body, or adjust the relative tolerance.

To Define Animation Settings

1. Click Tools > Animation Settings. The Settings dialog box opens.

2. Select or clear the Issue a Warning When Assembly Fails to Connect

check box.

3. Select Run Preferences:

o Click Pause when analysis fails to stop the animation if assembly

fails, and to decide whether to terminate or continue it.

o Click Continue when analysis fails to continue the animation if the

assembly fails.

o Select or clear the Graphical display during run check box to set run
performance (the run is slower when the graphic display is on).

4. To change the Relative Tolerance setting, enter a value between 1e–10 and
0.1, or click Restore Default to reset it to 0.001.

5. To change the Characteristic Length setting, enter a value or click Restore

Default to reset it. Consider changing this setting when the largest part is
much larger than the smallest part.

6. Click OK.

Defining Transparency

About Transparency @ Time

Use Animation > Trans @ Time to open the Transparency @ Time dialog
box and control the transparency of your assembly components at specific times
during an animation. You can make a component partially transparent so you can
see through the component's surfaces, or you can make the component
completely invisible. This is useful when you want to focus your animation on the
components hidden inside other components.

To use Trans @ Time effectively, the display style must be set to Shaded.

When you click Animation > Trans @ Time or on the toolbar, the
Transparency @ Time dialog box opens. After the transparency event is

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defined, it appears on the timeline. You can edit, copy, or remove the
transparency directly from the timeline or select another event as a new
reference entity.
You can create several Transparency @ Time events. Although the
transparency events for different components appear on different rows on the
timeline, when you create a series of transparency events for the same
component, all the events for that component appear in the same row.
To set the transition between transparency events, select or clear the
Transparency Interpolation checkbox on the Interpolation dialog box.

About the Transparency @ Time Dialog Box

Click Animation > Trans @ Time or click on the toolbar. The

Transparency @ Time dialog box opens. Select the component(s) to include in
the event, then define the transparency:
• Name—Enter a name for the transparency event or accept the default name.

• Transparency—Enter a transparency value from 0 to 100 or move the slider

until the shading appears to your satisfaction.

• Select or clear the Ignore Surface Properties check box to ignore surface
properties (for example, color or reflectivity) or use standard model shading.
This check box is selected by default for optimal performance.

• Time—Set the time at which the transparency event becomes active relative
to the selected timeline reference entity:

o Value—Enter a value for the amount of time before the transparency

event becomes active.

o After—Select the animation reference entity (start, end, or another

previously defined event).

• Click Apply. The event appears on the timeline.

To Define Transparencies for an Animation

1. Click Animation > Trans @ Time or click on the toolbar. The

Transparency @ Time dialog box opens.

2. Enter a name for the transparency event or accept the default name.

3. Select one or more components to which to apply transparency.

4. Enter a transparency value from 1 to 100 or move the transparency slider.

5. Enter a time Value and select a reference event from the After list.

6. Click Apply. The transparency event appears on the timeline.

7. Click Tools > Animation Interpolation to open the Interpolation

dialog box and change settings as required.

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About the Interpolation Dialog Box

Click Tools > Animation Interpolation to open the Interpolation dialog

box. The View Interpolation options define the manner in which the views
defined in the View @ Time dialog box change during an animation:
• Select the Interpolate check box for a smooth transition from one view to
the next,

• Clear the Interpolate check box to jump to the next view without any
transition.

• Select or clear the Linear or Smooth check boxes under Translation and
Rotation to finely tune the interpolation direction and method.

Note: If you want the animation to remain on a view for a specific length of time
and then start moving toward another view, you must apply two instances of the
same view (one at the beginning and one at the end of the time period), to keep
the view constant. You can then apply a third view for transition.
The Transparency Interpolation options define the manner in which the
transparencies defined in the Transparency @ Time dialog box change during
an animation:
• Select the Interpolate check box to set a fade from one transparency event
to another. You can change which transparency events are interpolated by
dragging them in and out of timeline rows. When you drag an event out of an
existing row, interpolation is cancelled, and vice versa.

• Clear the Interpolate check box to treat the transition as a single change
from one transparency state to the next.

Design Animation Timeline

About the Animation Timeline

Use the timeline window to view and manipulate the animation events. Once an
event is defined, it must be on the timeline in order to be included in the
animation. Use the commands on the Animation menu to create or edit events
or right-click any of the timeline events and select a command from the shortcut
menu.
• The default length and duration of a new animation timeline is 10 seconds.

• To zoom into an area, select View > Timescale Zoom in and draw a box
around the area.

• To change the duration of an animation, double-click on the time scale and

change the animation time domain.

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Design Animation – Help Topic Collection

The following figure shows a timeline with three key frame sequences, a body
lock, an event, a connection status change, and a subanimation.

Animation Timeline Shortcuts

Use these shortcuts on the timeline window to perform many toolbar commands.

Timeline Window Mouse Shortcut

Single select Left-click.

Multiple select CTRL + left-click.

Edit component time Select a component and double-click, or drag the

component.

Edit time Left-click and drag.

Edit vertical position Select a component, middle-click, and drag.

Undo SHIFT + left-click.

Redo SHIFT + middle-click.

Access shortcut menu Select a component and right-click.

Edit time domain Double-click the time scale.

Expand subanimation Click the circle at the beginning or end of the

information display subanimation

Changing the Timeline Display

Click these commands on the View menu to change the visible timeline scale:
• View > Timescale Zoom In—Drag a box around the area to view more
closely.

• View > Timescale Zoom Out—Use after Zoom In to incrementally see

more of the timeline.

• View > Timescale Refit—Resets the animation timeline.

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Glossary

Glossary for Design Animation

You should be familiar with these terms before creating an animation:

Term Definition

Body The basic component of a mechanism model. A body is a

group of parts that are rigidly controlled, with no degrees of
freedom within the group.

Degrees of The potential motion of a mechanism model. Connections

Freedom act as constraints on the motion of bodies relative to each
other, thus reducing the mechanism's total possible degrees
of freedom. Every unconstrained body has six degrees of
freedom, three translational and three rotational.

Dragging Using the mouse to grab and manually simulate a

mechanism's movement.

Event An associative relationship between animation elements.

Ground A body in a mechanism that does not move. Other bodies

move with respect to the ground body.

Key Frame A series of snapshots that show the position and orientation
Sequence of parts or assemblies over a period of time.

Placement An entity in an assembly that places a component and that

Constraint limits the movement of the component in the assembly.

Playback The ability to record and replay the motion of an analysis

run.

Predefined Defines which placement constraints are used to place a

Connection component in the model and restricts the motion of bodies
Set relative to each other, thus reducing the assembly's total
possible degrees of freedom (DOF). Also defines the kind of
motion a component can have within the mechanism.

Servo Motor A servo motor causes a specific type of motion to occur

between two bodies in a single degree of freedom

UCS (User A coordinate system chosen by the user to act as a frame of

Coordinate reference for the direction of the position, acceleration, or
System) velocity vector.

WCS (World A fixed (global) coordinate system that defines the

Coordinate geometric properties of all the components and bodies in an
System) assembly.

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Index
A connection status

animate dialog box ..................... 37 for mechanism models........... 32

Animation defining a servo motor ............. 15

capturing as MPEG or JPEG ....... 37 events.................................... 33

creating....................................5 including a servo motor ............ 27

defining a servo motor.............. 15 playing back the animation ..35, 36

defining displays ...................... 44 running .................................. 36

defining views ......................... 42 SCCA servo motor profile.......... 24

editing......................................7 servo motor profiles ................. 17

events .................................... 33 servo motors........................... 14

including a servo motor ............ 27 subanimations......................... 34

playing back............................ 36 time domain ........................... 40

running .................................. 36 timeline.................................. 47

subanimation .......................... 35 toolbar buttons.......................... 2

time domain............................ 40 using ....................................... 5

timeline .................................. 47 view at time............................ 42

timeline shortcuts .................... 48 views ..................................... 42

toolbar buttons ..........................2 Design Animation ......................... 2

viewing at specific times ........... 42 Display at Time command ........... 43

Animation....................................2 E

B events

bodies defining.................................. 34

control in key frame sequence ... 11 events ...................................... 33

creating....................................9 G

defining .................................. 10 geometric servo motors............... 28

locking ................................... 31 graphing ................................... 24

bodies.........................................8 I

D icon visibilities

Design Animation setting ..................................... 8

capturing MPEG or JPEG............ 37 icon visibilities ............................. 7

component display ................... 44 J

connection icons ...................... 33 joint axis settings

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Design Animation Option – Help Topic Collection

specifying ............................... 30 defining.................................. 15

joint axis settings ....................... 29 geometric ............................... 28

joint zero references ................... 31 including in an animation .......... 27

JPEG file for animation ................ 37 specifying entities .................... 16

K specifying the servo motor profile

.......................................... 17
key frame sequences
table servo motor .................... 22
bodies tab............................... 13
time domain ........................... 28
controlling bodies..................... 11
user-defined servo motor.......... 21
defining .................................. 10
servo motors in animation ........... 14
finder form ............................. 12
settings for animation ................. 44
instances ................................ 14
subanimations ........................... 34
sequence tab........................... 13
T
key frame sequences .................. 10
time domain for animation
L
length and frame count ............ 41
lock bodies .......................... 31, 32
servo motor time domain.......... 28
M
time domain for animation........... 40
magnitude
timeline
as a table function ................... 22
changing the display ................ 48
as a user-defined function......... 21
shortcuts ................................ 48
magnitude ................................. 20
timeline .................................... 47
MPEG file for animation ............... 37
timeline .................................... 48
P
tolerance
playback for animation ................ 35
absolute ................................. 45
R
relative .................................. 45
reference body ........................... 14
tolerance................................... 45
S
Trans at Time command .............. 45
SCCA servo motor profile............. 24
V
servo motor profiles in animation
View at Time command
graphing................................. 24
changing between views ......43, 47
servo motor profiles in animation.. 17
View at Time command ............... 42
servo motors in animation

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