Cosmos Motion User Interface Pull Down Menu Motion Toolbar The user interface is split into 3 main components; the IntelliMotion browser, the motion pulldown menu, and the motion toolbar. IntelliMotion Browser This is the graphical interface with the motion model. It allows you to drag and drop parts, right click to modify entities and use standard windows functions for selection and deletion. It provides rapid access for information on motion entities and their related parts, joints, forces. All commands except the export options can be accessed from the IntelliMotion browser. Motion Menu This is the classic pull down; options structured in a logical sequence such that you work from the top down. All commands are accessible by the pull down menu. Motion Toolbar This is a floating toolbar that allows the user to review the motion of the model and modify general configuration options as well as animation replay options. The simulation can also be run from this toolbar. Motion Browser

Cosmos Motion User Interface: Browser Motion Parts Specify moving and stationary parts, and define other motion entities directly from the part. Override mass properties and define initial conditions for parts

Cosmos Motion User Interface: Browser Motion Joints

Cosmos Motion User Interface: Browser Motion Forces

Cosmos Motion User Interface: Browser

Cosmos Motion Pull Down Menu The pulldown menu lists every option available in Dynamic Designer. There is little benefit as defining things with the browser is far quicker.

Options Dialog - World Set Force and Time Units for results Specify gravity or click on world icon to reset to earth gravity World Configure global settings for units and gravity. SolidWorks already provides units for the model and so for motion simulation only two other units have to be set for force and time. Gravity can be turned on or off. If on, direction can be set with one click on the +1 or -1 on any of the global directions. Quickly specify gravity direction in global coordinate frame

Options Dialog - Display Control Visibility of Motion Symbols in SolidWorks Graphics Window Define Symbol Color for Motion Entity selected Assign current Color and Size settings to ALL Motion Entity types Display Dialog allows the user to control visibility and appearance of one or more type of icon in the model. People can define individual entity type settings or globally apply the settings to every entity type. For changes in settings to be applied to existing entities, need to click on the “Apply to existing entities button”. Currently cannot assign size and color separately to all motion entities (can in V2.1+). By default motion symbols are displayed only when the Intelli-Motion browser has been selected. Define Symbol Size for specific Motion Entities Apply changes in Size or color to entities that have already been defined (vs changes only effecting newly defined entities)

Options Dialog - Simulation Specify duration or time step intervals to control length and number of results obtained from the simulation Enable/Disable animation while solving If mass properties have already been calculated, use them for next simulation Simulation Option is the main area where default settings should only be modified when a simulation fails to run or if the user is well experienced with the current model. The time and number of frames should be selected to give the user sufficient resolution for observing the resulting motion and the numerical results. Key Solver Parameters: Maximum Iterations: Very useful for limiting the model from finding a bad solution and then try to work with it. Limiting the maximum value to 110 or less helps keep the solution accurate Minimum Time Step: Limits the smallest time step the solver can take during the simulation. If the error gets less than defined limit, say 1e-6, then the solver will terminate. Maximum Time Step: Limits the largest time step the solver can take during the simulation. Useful when there are rapid changes in accelerations and forces to limit the max time step to values such as: 0.01, 0.001, ... Solver Settings: Should not need to alter these for simple models. Generally only modify time step limits and accuracy

Options Dialog Animation Replay Settings for controlling replay speeds and time range By default, motion symbols are hidden when animated The animation dialog enables you to set the fast forward speed setting as well as the range of motion replayed on the model. The time setting for VRML output allows the user to control how long in real-time a simulation will run. Specify a user defined replay time for VRML animation (ie a time it will take to replay the animation in a VRML player)

Basic Joint Types Revolute Cylindrical Translational Spherical Universal Planar Fixed In Line In Plane Parallel Screw Perpendicular Orientation Origin Orientation 1 Orientation 2 Origin Orientation Origin y-axis x-axis z-axis Origin Orientation Origin Orientation Origin Orientation Origin Orientation Vector Origin Orientation Planer Origin As well as these joint types, Dynamic Designer also maps across the tangency constraints such as: cylinder-cylinder cylinder-plane cylinder cone etc X reference axis Origin Orientation Vector Axis of thread 1st Axis 2nd Axis

Constraint Mapping What is constraint mapping? The automatic transfer of assembly constraints to mechanical joints Intelligence has been implemented to minimize the mechanical joints formed between two specific parts. Basic constraint types are merged to simplified mechanical joints e.g. 1 coincident joints becomes a planar joint 2 orthogonal coincident joints becomes a translational joint 3 orthogonal coincident joints becomes a fixed joint 1 Coincident and 1 orthogonal concentric becomes a revolute joint All assembly constraints are mapped to joints including the surface to surface constraints (eg, tangent cylinder/plane tangent cylinder/cylinder). These are known as compound joints The advantage of constraint mapping is that the user does very little additional work on top of their assembly to get their mechanism moving. Joint concatenation is the simplification of duplicate joints to single, simpler entities. For example; a coincident joint plus an orthogonal concentric joint combine to form a revolution joint.

Mapped Constraints Note: There are 67 different ways of constraining parts in SolidWorks

Redundancies Occurs when one or more overall degrees of freedom of a part are constrained by more than one joint (duplicate constraints) Predominantly the rotational degrees of freedom produce the main areas of redundancies for moving systems. To run a simulation, you cannot have redundant constraints The joints have to be chosen so that only one joint on the part defines a specific degree of freedom. Solver has a built in redundant constraint remover, but you must be careful as it can remove the wrong constraint with a large number of redundancies.