1. Jim Boland P.E., CSWP Creating Animation with SolidWorks Motion Drivers

2. What Is Going To Be Covered? Basic principles of animations. Choosing the right type of Motion Study. Animation, Basic Motion, or Motion Analysis Motion Drivers  Physics − Gravity − Contact − Springs − Friction − Damping  Motors − Constant Speed − Distance − Oscillating − Interpolated (2010) / Data Points (2011) − Segment − Expression  Keypoint  Animation Wizard  Mates − Angle − Distance − Path You’ve go to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going because you might not get there.-Yogi Berra

3. Presentation Goals Explore the different types of motion drivers available. Explore the different methods to create animations. Reduce frustration when creating animations  The tools and principles used are not rocket science.  The UI is similar to other video programs. Tools and Methodology  You can learn what the tools do from the Help menu, but not methodology.  Key is to know how to use the tools and what to do if it doesn’t work.  Methodology and multiple approaches.  Right Way vs. Wrong Way. We made too many wrong mistakes.-Yogi Berra

4. Presentation Goals Questions from the SolidWorks Forum Why aren’t in-context parts solved in Basic Motion? Why do parts overlap when using Contact? Why doesn’t contact stop motion driven by a motor? Why doesn’t my animation solve when I add a second or third motor? How do I animate a robot?

5. Learning Resources Tutorials SolidWorks User Forum Training classes Step-by-Step books

6. Audience Makeup SolidWorks Version  2011  2010  2009 or earlier Animation Experience  Beginner  Intermediate  Advanced

7. Important We are creating Animations NOT Analysis

8. What is an Animation? We are creating movies  Series of still images played back in rapid sequence  Adjustable frame rates  We are in control, not the viewer  No CG animations What frame rate should you use?  Frame Rate Standards: Movies – 24 fps TV – 30 fps What happens if the frame rate is too slow or too fast?  Frame Rate too slow – jerky motion  Frame Rate too fast – jerky motion (OK, 29.97 for the purists)

9. 3 x 3 The 3 things you need to know About The 3 things you need to know

10. The 3 X 3 Choices 3 - Motion Study Types  Animations  Basic Motion  Motion Analysis 3 - Motion Types  Kinematic  Dynamic  Free 3 - Things You Animate  Components  Properties  Viewpoint

11. Free Motion and Kinematic Motion

12. Dynamic Motion

13. The Basic Rules of Motion Studies Mates are solved. Parts are rigid. Frame rates are adjustable in two places. Frame rate means something different in Basic Motion / SolidWorks Motion as compared to Animation studies.

14. Animations Motion Studies No Physics Mass Friction Animation Wizard  Rotation  Explode/Collapse  Import physics results Basic workflow Move timebar Position model Position viewpoint Repeat Keypoint/Keyframe motion  The master animator vs. the assistant Momentum Contact Gravity

15. Animation Motion Studies How is the motion calculated? Frame rate drives the solution Components move directly from one position to the next  At time zero, take a picture  Move the drivers ahead one frame  Rebuild − Solve the mates − Solve in-context features  Take another picture  Repeat

16. Basic Motion / SolidWorks Motion Used when: Physics need to be solved Physical Properties Mass Gravity Forces Contact Momentum Friction Damping Drivers: Gravity Motors Springs Contact Forces Dampers Friction

17. Basic Motion / SolidWorks Motion Studies How are Basic Motion/SolidWorks Motion studies solved?  You have to solve the physics of the model.  Numerical methods using small time steps.  Solvers.  Solver optimization. What does the frame rate do?  As far as the solution is concerned – NOTHING  Frame rate determines the intervals when the data is captured for display. Important: In-context features are not solved in either the Basic Motion or SolidWorks Motion study types.

18. Types of Motion Drivers Key Points Mates Motors Gravity Springs Contact Force Damper

19. Features X = Available Function L = Limit Functionality

20. Keypoint Animations Basic Workflow  Position the Timebar  Position the driving components  Position the viewpoint  Adjust Properties  Record the Keypoint (automatic or manual)  Repeat

21. Remove the Nut and Bolt 01

22. Exploded View Exploded Views provide a simple method to create a lot of motion.  Create exploded views in SolidWorks  Import into Motion Study using the Animation Wizard 02

23. Interpolation Methods Snap Ease In Linear Ease Out Ease In/Ease Out 02

24. Mates Global vs. Local Mates Driving Mates Distance Mate Angle Mate Path Mate Driven Mates Use Standard Mates with Basic Motion Avoid Width mate Screw mate for rotation with translation Mate Organization Mate Order Mate Names Use Folders Sub-assemblies

25. Mates – The Good, The Bad and the Ugly The Good Easy to use The Bad Some mates don’t work (or work well) in animations (Width mate) Some mates don’t solve all options (Path mate) Some mates better for SolidWorks Motion, others better for Basic Motion The Ugly Mates sometimes flip unexpectedly and inconsistently Problems with sub-assemblies

26. Mates Distance Mate Avoid changes in direction and alignment Can be done but sometimes solve incorrectly Replace global mate with a local mate specifically for the animation Angle Mate The 100/360 Rule Path Mate Free Distance Percent 01

27. Path Mates 03

28. The 100/360 Rule When using degrees: 0 and 360 are 360 degrees apart  0 and 360 are not the same.  You cannot use angles >360 degrees When using percent: 0 and 100% are 100 percent apart  0% and 100% are not the same  You cannot input values greater than 100% Difference between keypoints and mates at these values 04

29. When an Animation does not solve If at first you don’t succeed - Try, try again Give up, why be hard headed Try a different method When you come to a fork in the road, take it…… - Yogi Berra

30. Motors Motor Types Rotary Linear Motion On/Off Constant Speed Distance Interpolated/Data Point Segment Expression Oscillating Servo Motor

31. Motor Facts Important: motor force is infinite Motors can be used as mates. (Reduces redundancies) Motors can have problems across mates Must define three things:  What is the motor acting on  What direction is the motor acting  What is the motor moving relative to When motors don’t work, the most likely cause is a conflict between motors

32. Robot There are seven motion drivers required 6 rotary 1 linear

33. Motors Distance Motor Angle or Distance How far Start Duration Graph (no instantaneous change)

34. Motors Constant Speed Motors “ON” time Speed Smooth transitions

35. Motors Interpolated Motion (2010) Data Points (2011) Tabular Input Direct entry From file (tab or comma delimited) Interpolation methods Linear Akima Cubic The Zero Rule Wherever you happen to be – that’s where you are! - Yogi Berra ? 05

36. Interpolated Motor (2010) Linear Akima Cubic

37. Function Builder Used to define the motion by:  Segments  Data Points  Expressions Different data interpolation methods Provides plots:  Distance  Velocity  Acceleration  Jerk

38. Data Points (2011) Input Type in the box Text file Values  Displacement  Velocity  Acceleration Interpolation  Linear  Akima  Cubic

39. Segments (2011) Another way to define curve Piecewise continuous More interpolation types Interpolation defined by segment

40. Expression Predefined functions  Mathematical Functions  Variables and Constants  Motion Study results Functions can be saved and reused (*.sldfnc)

41. Motors Expression Motion Only variable in Animations & Basic Motion is Time Can use most VB functions There are three forms of time (2010) Linear - TIME Radians - TIMER Degrees - TIMED SolidWorks Motion can use other variables Allowable Functions ABSACOSAINTASIN ATANATAN2COSCOSH DIMEXPLOGLOG10 MAXMINMODSIGN SINSINHSQRTSTEP TANTANHDTORPI RTODTIMEIF Important: In 2010, distance units are Meters, in 2011 distance units are the document units. 05a

42. The Problem 135mm 200mm 85mm 35mm 50mm 24mm

43. The Problem

44. Desired Video

45. Camera Lens Equation View Angle α = 2 * atan (d/2f) For lenses longer than 50mm α = d/f 07

46. Gravity Used in Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion Magnitude error in Basic Motion 2009 and earlier Gravity does NOT have to be realistic in an animation, only in analysis

47. Contact Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion only Contact Groups Friction Contact Resolution Contact Accuracy Differences between Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion

48. Spring Used in Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion Spring only shows during calculation Spring Constant F=kx e Linear only in Basic Motion Powers of up to ± 4 in SolidWorks Motion Error in Basic Motion by one order of magnitude Spring damping Global in Basic Motion Adjustable in SolidWorks Motion

49. Problem What type of Motion Study? Animation Basic Motion Motion Analysis Basic Motion Spring Gravity

50. Other Solutions Oscillating Motor Easy to set up No damping Expression Motor Can make the motion anything you like Distance = Decay function x Amplitude x Sin (Time)

51. Combined Curves

52. Contact and Spring Spring for animation vs. spring for visual animation Contact properties Contact Resolution Contact Accuracy Best Method ????? Animation Basic Motion SolidWorks Motion

53. Friction Used in Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion In Basic Motion, friction is determined by material. In SolidWorks Motion, friction can be applied at: Joints Contact

54. Damping Only available in SolidWorks Motion Different from spring damping

55. Force Only available in SolidWorks Motion Options are similar to those used for motors Constant Interpolated Expression

56. The Laws of Animations Remember: You are creating an animation, not doing an analysis. The Law of Simplicity The best solution is most often the simplest solution KISS principle The Law of Diminishing Returns  At some point, more and more effort is required for smaller and smaller improvements

57. Questions

58. The End