Creating Animation with SolidWorks

Motion Drivers
Jim Boland P.E., CSWP

What Is Going To Be Covered?

Youve go to be very careful if you dont know where you are going because you might not get there. -Yogi Berra Basic principles of animations.

Choosing the right type of Motion Study.

Animation, Basic Motion, or Motion Analysis Motion Drivers

Keypoint Animation Wizard Mates

Angle Distance Path

Motors
Constant Speed

Physics
Gravity

Distance
Oscillating Interpolated (2010) / Data Points (2011) Segment Expression

Contact
Springs Friction Damping

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 doesnt work. Methodology and multiple approaches. Right Way vs. Wrong Way.

We made too many wrong mistakes.

-Yogi Berra

Presentation Goals
Questions from the SolidWorks Forum Why arent in-context parts solved in Basic Motion?

Why do parts overlap when using Contact?

Why doesnt contact stop motion driven by a motor? Why doesnt my animation solve when I add a second or third motor? How do I animate a robot?

Learning Resources
Tutorials SolidWorks User Forum Training classes

Step-by-Step books

Audience Makeup
SolidWorks Version

2011

2010
2009 or earlier

Animation Experience

Beginner Intermediate Advanced

Important

We are creating

Animations NOT
Analysis

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
(OK, 29.97 for the purists)

What happens if the frame rate is too slow or too fast?

Frame Rate too slow jerky motion Frame Rate too fast jerky motion

3x3

The 3 things you need to know About The 3 things you need to know

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

Free Motion and Kinematic Motion

Dynamic Motion

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.

Animations Motion Studies

No Physics Mass

Momentum
Contact Gravity

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

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

Basic Motion / SolidWorks Motion

Used when:

Physics need to be solved Drivers: Gravity Motors Springs Contact

Physical Properties Mass Gravity Forces Contact

Momentum
Friction Damping

Forces
Dampers Friction

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.

Types of Motion Drivers

Key Points Mates Motors Gravity Springs

Contact
Force

Damper

Features

Event Based X

Key Points

Damping

Contact

Friction

Gravity

Spring

Inertia

Mates

Motor

Force

Animation Basic Motion Motion Analysis

X X X X X X X X X X

X X X X X L X L X X

X = Available Function L = Limit Functionality

Plots

Keypoint Animations
Basic Workflow

Position the Timebar

Position the driving components

Position the viewpoint Adjust Properties Record the Keypoint (automatic or manual) Repeat

Remove the Nut and Bolt

01

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

Interpolation Methods

Snap Ease In Linear Ease Out Ease In/Ease Out

02

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

Mates The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

The Good

Easy to use

The Bad

Some mates dont work (or work well) in animations (Width mate) Some mates dont 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

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

Path Mates

03

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

When an Animation does not solve

If at first you dont succeed -

Try, a Try try different again method Give up, why be hard headed

When you come to a fork in the road, take it - Yogi Berra

Motors Motor Types

Rotary

Linear

Motion

On/Off Constant Speed Distance Interpolated/Data Point Segment

Expression
Oscillating Servo Motor

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 dont work, the most likely cause is a conflict between motors

Robot
There are seven motion drivers required

6 rotary

1 linear

Motors

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

Motors

Constant Speed Motors

ON time
Speed Smooth transitions

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 thats where you are!

- Yogi Berra ?

05

Interpolated Motor (2010)

Linear

Akima

Cubic

Function Builder
Used to define the motion by:

Segments

Data Points
Expressions

Different data interpolation methods Provides plots:

Distance Velocity Acceleration

Jerk

Data Points (2011) Input

Type in the box Text file

Values

Displacement Velocity Acceleration

Interpolation

Linear Akima

Cubic

Segments (2011)

Another way to define curve

Piecewise continuous
More interpolation types Interpolation defined by segment

Expression
Predefined functions

Mathematical Functions

Variables and Constants

Motion Study results

Functions can be saved and reused (*.sldfnc)

Motors

Expression Motion
Only variable in Animations & Basic Motion is Time Can use most VB functions There are three forms of time (2010)

Allowable Functions

ABS
ATAN DIM MAX SIN TAN RTOD

ACOS
ATAN2 EXP MIN SINH TANH TIME

AINT
COS LOG MOD SQRT DTOR IF

ASIN
COSH LOG10 SIGN STEP PI

Linear - TIME Radians - TIMER Degrees - TIMED

SolidWorks Motion can use other variables

Important: In 2010, distance units are Meters, in 2011 distance units are the document units. 05a

The Problem

The Problem

Desired Video

Camera Lens Equation

View Angle = 2 * atan (d/2f) For lenses longer than 50mm = d/f

07

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

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

Spring
Used in Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion Spring only shows during calculation Spring Constant

F=kxe 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

Problem
What type of Motion Study?

Animation

Basic Motion
Motion Analysis

Basic Motion

Spring Gravity

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)

Combined Curves

Contact and Spring

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

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

Damping

Only available in SolidWorks Motion Different from spring damping

Force
Only available in SolidWorks Motion Options are similar to those used for motors

Constant
Interpolated Expression

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

Questions

The End