Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex

The tutorials in this guide give you an introduction to

ADAMS/AutoFlex software with ADAMS/View and ADAMS/Car
software, all part of the MSC.ADAMS suite of software.
In all the tutorials, you will apply the different methods for creating
flexible bodies and become familiar with concepts that will help you
use them in your own models.
Before doing these tutorials you should be familiar with the basic
features of the ADAMS/View and ADAMS/Car interfaces.
Click an entry below to get started:
■ Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View, 3

■ Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex

with ADAMS/Car, 41
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
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 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex
with ADAMS/View

Overview
This chapter guides you through modifying a model in
ADAMS/View by adding flexible bodies using ADAMS/AutoFlex.
It contains the following sections:
■ About the Tutorials, 4

■ Building a Flexible Body Using the Extrusion Method, 5

■ Building a Flexible Body Using the Geometry Method, 22

■ Using Parasolid Features to Define Attachment Points, 36

■ Automatically Replacing Rigid Part With Flexible Body, 39

Note: Before doing these tutorials, you should be familiar with the
basic features of the ADAMS/View interface. For
information about the ADAMS/View interface, see the
ADAMS/View online help (From the ADAMS/View Help
menu, select ADAMS/View Help, and then select the tab
Basics.)

These tutorials take about one hour to complete.

 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
4 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

About the Tutorials

The four tutorials in this chapter give you an introduction to using ADAMS/AutoFlex:
■ Building a flexible body using the extrusion method - The first tutorial
teaches you how to integrate a flexible body into ADAMS/View, generating the
flexible body as an extrusion of a section along a centerline path. The tutorial
starts from an ADAMS/View model of a double-rod piston (bi_rod_piston.cmd),
built up using rigid bodies only. The tutorial also introduces you to
ADAMS/AutoFlex basics, such as the options that are available to define the
modal content of flexible bodies before their generation.
■ Building a flexible body using the geometry method - The second tutorial
teaches you how to integrate a flexible body into an existing ADAMS/View
model, generating the flexible body starting from a rigid-body geometry.
■ Building a flexible body by picking Parasolid features to determine slave
nodes - The third tutorial teaches you how to select Parasolid features to
determine the slave nodes with respect to which the attachment locations
(master nodes) belong. You can select the geometry characteristics of vertex,
edge, and face. This is an alternative method to picking or finding nodes
belonging to a finite element mesh.
■ Automatically building and replacing flexible body with rigid body - The
fourth tutorial teaches you how to use the embedded replacing procedure,
which, when starting from an existing rigid body connected to the mechanical
system through joints and forces, automatically:
❖ Determines attachment locations (master nodes)
❖ Creates mesh
❖ Calculates modal properties
❖ Creates the flexible body and substitutes it for the rigid body, connecting it
to the mechanical system
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 5

Building a Flexible Body Using the Extrusion Method

This tutorial helps you learn how to automatically integrate a modal neutral file (MNF),
defined as an extrusion geometry, into an existing ADAMS/View modeling database to
create a flexible body in ADAMS/View.
It contains the sections:
■ What You’ll Simulate, 5

■ Starting ADAMS/View and Importing the Tutorial Model, 6

■ Modifying the Model, 8

■ Simulating the Flexible Model, 21

What You’ll Simulate

In this tutorial, you’ll modify a model of a double-rod piston (Figure 1). The double-rod
piston is made up of two rods, a u-link, a straight link, and a piston. The u-link connects
to the rods through two connection rings. You will substitute the u-link with a flexible link
defined as an extrusion, which you integrate into ADAMS/View using an MNF defined
using ADAMS/AutoFlex. You’ll then simulate the model to see the double-rod piston
moving in an irregular way, because of the u-link flexibility.
Figure 1. Double-Rod Piston Model
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
6 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Starting ADAMS/View and Importing the Tutorial Model

You’ll start the tutorial by running ADAMS/View and importing a command file that
contains a model called bi_rod_piston.

To start MSC.ADAMS and import the tutorial model:

1 To start ADAMS/View:
■ In Windows, from the Start menu, point to Programs, point to MSC.Software, point
to MSC.ADAMS 2005, point to Aview, and then select ADAMS - View.
■ In UNIX, type the command to start the MSC.ADAMS Toolbar at the command
prompt, and then press Enter. Select the ADAMS/View tool . (The standard
command to start the MSC.ADAMS Toolbar is adamsx, where x is the version
of MSC.ADAMS, such as adams2005.)
The Welcome dialog box appears in the ADAMS/View main window.
2 Select Import a File.
The File Import dialog box appears.
3 In the File To Read text box, enter bi_rod_piston.cmd:
■ If ADAMS/AutoFlex was installed correctly, you should be able to simply type
bi_rod_poston and ADAMS/View will locate the file in the install_dir directory.

■ If ADAMS/AutoFlex was installed incorrectly, enter

/install_dir/autoflex/examples/bi_rod_piston.cmd, where install_dir is the directory
where the MSC.ADAMS software is installed.
4 Select OK.
The tutorial model appears as shown in Figure 2 on page 7.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 7

Figure 2. Tutorial Model Imported into ADAMS/View

 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
8 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Modifying the Model

Now, you’ll run ADAMS/AutoFlex and change the u-link to a flexible body. You’ll first
look at how the mechanism behaves with rigid bodies and then start ADAMS/AutoFlex.

Getting Started
The first thing you will do is run a simulation to see how the mechanism behaves with rigid
bodies and then save the results of the simulation so you can compare them to the results
when you change the u-link to a flexible body.

To see the mechanism behavior of the rigid bodies:

1 Perform a simulation with 1000 steps, and end time set to 1 second.
2 Save the results as rigid_conf. To save the results, from the Simulate menu, select
Interactive Controls. From the dialog box that appears, select the Save Simulation
Results tool .
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 9

To display the AutoFlex dialog box:

1 From the Tools menu, select Plugin Manager.

2 From the list of plugins, select autoflex, and then select OK.
3 From the Build menu, point to Flexible Bodies, and then select ADAMS/AutoFlex.
The AutoFlex dialog box appears as shown in Figure 3.
Note: If the ADAMS/AutoFlex command is not available, you did not load the
ADAMS/AutoFlex plugin as explained in Step 1.
Figure 3. AutoFlex Dialog Box

4 In the upper portion of the AutoFlex dialog box, in the FlexBody Name text box,
change the name of the flexible body to flex_u_link.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
10 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Defining the Centerline

Now you’ll define the centerline of the u-link along which the extrusion will be defined.

To define a centerline:

1 In the AutoFlex dialog box, be sure Centerline (the default) is selected.

2 At the left of the AutoFlex dialog box, set Interpolation to Cubic.
For cubic interpolation, the centerline of the u-link must be defined using at least
three points, to take into consideration its curvature. Currently, there are only two
points in the table.
To add a new centerline point to the definition table:

1 In the AutoFlex dialog box, click any cell.

2 Below the definition table, select Append.
Figure 4. Adding a New Centerline Point to the Definition Table

To select the first centerline point:

1 Zoom in on the lower portion of the u-link. See Figure 2 on page 7 for the location
of the u-link.
2 In the AutoFlex dialog box, click a cell in the first row of the table.
3 Either:
■ To select a marker from the screen, select Pick Coord. Reference.
■ To select a marker from the Database Navigator, right-click Pick Coord. Reference,
and then select Browse Coord. Reference.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 11

4 From the screen or Database Navigator, select the marker

.bi_rod_piston.ground.ext_m_1. See Figure 5 for its location in the model.

Tip: To help you see all the markers at a location and select one of them, right-
click when your cursor is over a group of objects in the model. A selection
list appears, as shown below.
Figure 5. Marker Selection

To select the second centerline point:

1 Zoom in on the middle portion of the u-link.

2 In the AutoFlex dialog box, select a cell in the second table row.
3 Select Pick Coord. Reference or Browse Coord. Reference.
4 From the screen or Database Navigator, select the marker
.bi_rod_piston.ground.ext_m_2.

To select the third centerline point:

1 Zoom in on the upper portion of the u-link.

2 Click a cell in the third table row.
3 Select Pick Coord. Reference or Browse Coord. Reference.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
12 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

4 From the screen or Database Navigator, select the marker

.bi_rod_piston.ground.ext_m_3.

The centerline location table appears, as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Centerline Location Table

Defining the Section

Next, you define the section for the extrusion.

To define the section:

1 In the AutoFlex dialog box, select Section.

The section definition information appears, as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7. Section Definition
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 13

2 At the left of the AutoFlex dialog box, select the Generic section type.
The dialog box changes, as shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8. Generic Section Type

3 Select the Linear interpolation method.

4 Select the Pencil tool to open the section sketcher.

To start sketching:

■ In the section sketcher, select the Polyline tool , and define points at the
coordinates (right-click to stop sketching):
❖ -25.0, -15.0, 0.0
❖ -25.0, 15.0, 0.0
❖ 25.0, 15.0, 0.0
❖ 25.0, -15.0, 0.0
Figure 9 on page 14 shows an illustration of sketching the points.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
14 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Figure 9. Defined Point Coordinates

To transfer point coordinates into the data table:

1 Select Fill Table.

2 Select Done.

Defining Mesh Properties

To define mesh properties:

1 Select Mesh/Properties.
The mesh properties definition options appear.
2 Set Element Type to Solid Hexa.
3 Fill in the requested text boxes as appropriate:
❖ Element Size: 20 mm
❖ Number of Modes: 5
❖ Material: .bi_piston_rod.steel
The dialog box should look as shown in Figure 10 on page 15.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 15

Figure 10. Solid Element Type Section of AutoFlex Dialog Box

Defining the Attachments

To display the attachments definition information:

■ Select Attachments.
The attachments definition information appears as shown in Figure 11.
Figure 11. Attachments Definition Information

You need to attach the solid flexible extrusion at its extremes.

 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
16 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

To define a second attachment point in the table:

1 Click a cell in the existing row.

2 Select Append.

To select the first attachment point:

1 Click a cell of the first table row.

2 Select Pick Coord. Reference or Browse Coord. Reference.
3 From the screen or Database Navigator, select the marker
.bi_rod_piston.ground.ext_m_1.
Note: When using the Pick Coord. Reference option, the coordinate reference for
attachment points must be a visible marker.

To select the second attachment point:

1 Click a cell of the second table row.

2 Select Pick Coord. Reference or Browse Coord. Reference.
3 From the screen or Database Navigator, select the marker
.bi_rod_piston.ground.ext_m_3.

The attachment location table appears as shown in Figure 12.

Figure 12. Attachment Location Table
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 17

Setting Color
Finally, you can also set the color of the flexible body.

To set the color:

1 From the bottom of the AutoFlex dialog box, set Color to the desired color.
Figure 13. Color Settings

To generate the flexible body:

■ Select OK.
After flexible body generation, ADAMS/AutoFlex automatically loads the MNF
into your model as shown in Figure 14.
Figure 14. MNF Loaded Into the Model
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
18 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

You can see all the steps that ADAMS/AutoFlex performed in the Message window, a
portion of which is shown in Figure 15.
Figure 15. Message Window with ADAMS/AutoFlex Steps

Replacing the Rigid Body

To replace the rigid u-link with the flexible one, you can use the rigid-to-flexible body
feature available in MSC.ADAMS.
Figure 16. Rigid to Flex Menu Options

To replace the rigid body with the flexible one:

1 From the Build menu, point to Flexible Bodies, and then select Rigid to Flex.
The Swap a Rigid Body for a Flexible Body dialog box appears as shown in
Figure 17 on page 19. It is set to the Alignment tab by default.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 19

Figure 17. Swap a Rigid Body for a Flexible Body Dialog Box

Clear to delete
the rigid body
2 In the Current Part text box, enter u_link (the part to be swapped).
3 Set the first option menu to MNF File, and then enter flex_u_link.mnf.
4 At the bottom of the dialog box, clear the selection of Copy original part because
with the extrusion method, you do not need the geometry of the rigid body for
further modifications.
5 Select the Connections tab.
The Connections tab appears as shown in Figure 18 on page 20.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
20 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Figure 18. Connections Tab

Indicates
move method

You can see all the rigid body markers listed, with their existing connections,
selected node IDs to which to transfer the markers, and relative location with
closest mesh nodes (interface nodes are indicated with an asterisk (*) in the
Interface Nodes column). You have three methods for assigning markers to the
flexible body:
■ Move to the closest node
■ Preserve the original location
■ Preserve the original expression
The options for moving the markers are listed in the Move column, which by
default is simply to move the marker to the closest node on the flexible body (move
appears in the field when this method is set).
6 Select the Move-to-closest node method for all markers, and then select OK. (To
set the move-to-closest node method, place the cursor in the row of the marker,
and then select Move to node.)
The flexible u-link replaces the rigid one.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 21

Simulating the Flexible Model

To see the behavior of the flexible body mechanism:

1 Perform a simulation with 1000 steps and an end time of 1 second.

2 Save the results as Flex1_conf.
3 In ADAMS/PostProcessor, compare the piston x-axis displacement. You can view
the oscillation due to the u-link deflection as shown in Figure 19 on page 21.
Figure 19. ADAMS/PostProcessor Oscillation Display
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
22 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Building a Flexible Body Using the Geometry Method

This tutorial will help you learn how to automatically integrate a modal neutral file (MNF),
defined on an existing solid rigid body geometry, into an existing modeling database to
create a flexible body in ADAMS/View.
It contains the sections:
■ What You’ll Simulate, 22

■ Starting ADAMS/View and Importing the Tutorial Model, 23

■ Modifying the Model, 23

■ Simulating the Flexible Model, 34

What You’ll Simulate

In this tutorial, you’ll modify the same model you used in the last tutorial: the double-rod
piston (see Figure 1 on page 5). The double-rod piston is made up of two rods, a u-link, a
straight link, and a piston. The u-link is connected to the rods by two connection rings. You
will substitute the straight link with a flexible link defined from existing geometry, which
you will then integrate into ADAMS/View using an MNF defined through
ADAMS/AutoFlex. You’ll then simulate the model to see the double-rod piston moving
in an irregular way, due to straight link flexibility.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 23

Starting ADAMS/View and Importing the Tutorial Model

You’ll start the tutorial by running ADAMS/View and importing a command file that
contains a model called bi_rod_piston. This is the same command file you used in the
previous tutorial.

To start MSC.ADAMS and import tutorial model:

■ Follow the instructions in Starting ADAMS/View and Importing the Tutorial
Model on page 6.

Modifying the Model

In this section, you’ll modify the model to integrate the flexible body into it.

Getting Started
The first thing you will do is run a simulation to see how the mechanism behaves with rigid
bodies and then save the results of the simulation so you can compare them to the results
when you change the straight link to a flexible body.

To see the rigid bodies mechanism behavior:

1 Perform a simulation with 1000 steps, and end time set to 1 second.
2 Save the results as rigid_conf.

To display the AutoFlex dialog box and set it up:

1 From the Tools menu, select Plugin Manager.

2 From the list of plugins, select AutoFlex, and then select OK.
3 From the Build menu, point to Flexible Bodies, and then select ADAMS/AutoFlex.
The AutoFlex dialog box appears as shown in Figure 3 on page 9. (The dialog box
is available only if you loaded ADAMS/AutoFlex as explained in Step 1.)
4 In the upper left corner, set FlexBody Type to Geometry.
The dialog box changes to provide options for defining a flexible body using an
existing rigid body as shown in Figure 20 on page 24.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
24 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Figure 20. Geometry FlexBody Type Options

5 In the text box Part to be meshed, enter link to select the straight links as the body to
make flexible.
Figure 21. Geometry Type Option Menu Selections

6 In the FlexBody text box, enter link_flex, as shown next.

Figure 22. Geometry Meshing Options
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 25

Defining Mesh Properties

To define mesh properties:

1 If it is not already selected, from the left of the AutoFlex dialog box, select
Mesh/Properties.

The mesh properties definition options appear as shown in Figure 20 on page 24.
2 Set Element Type to Solid Tetra to obtain a solid mesh from the selected solid
geometry.
Figure 23. Element Type Selection

3 Set Element Specification to Size to enter the mean and minimum mesh size into the
meshing tool.
Figure 24. Element Specification Options

4 Fill the required text boxes as shown in Figure 25 on page 26.

 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
26 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Figure 25. Element Specifications

5 Select Mesh Preview to obtain a temporary mesh, used to define the attachment
points.
After mesh generation, your model appears as shown in Figure 26.
Figure 26. Model Mesh Generation

Note: Mesh Preview generates a surface mesh only of your solid part. When
successful, the Mesh Preview button changes to Del mesh preview. If you
are not satisfied with the element size or distribution of your mesh, select
Del mesh preview to delete the mesh and modify the element specification.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 27

You can look in the Message window to view the steps that ADAMS/AutoFlex performed.
A portion of the Message window is shown below.
Figure 27. Message Window Containing ADAMS/AutoFlex Temporary Mesh Steps

6 Select Close to close the Message window.

Defining Attachments
After generating the temporary mesh, the Attachment Points Definition table appears, as
shown in Figure 28.
Figure 28. Attachment Points Definition Options

You need to attach the solid flexible body at its rotation centers. ADAMS/AutoFlex
creates a node, called the master node, at each attachment point location. You use the Find
Attachments button to automatically find all the connections between the link and the
mechanical system.

To find the attachments:

■ Select Find Attachments.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
28 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

The attachment points definition table appears as shown in Figure 29.

Figure 29. Attachment Points Definition Table

Now you need to define which nodes of the mesh, called slave modes, will be
connected to the attachment point master node.
7 Click on a cell of the first table row, and the attachment locations portion of the
dialog box on the right side automatically shows attachment #1 as shown next.
Figure 30. Attachment Locations Container

In this case, a spherical or cylindrical selection would capture too many nodes, so you must
directly select the nodes.
To select the nodes to connect to the first attachment point:

1 Set Selection Type to Node IDs, which lets you directly select the nodes.
2 Select the nodes you need. In this case, there are nodes on the internal contact
surface of the link hole (right-click to stop selecting).
3 Select Transfer IDs.
The total number of slave nodes appears.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 29

Figure 31. Slave Nodes

4 Select a cell in the second cell row and repeat the same operations for attachment
2.

Setting Color
Finally, you can also color of the flexible body.

To set the color:

■ From the bottom of the AutoFlex dialog box, set Color to the desired color.
Figure 32. Color Settings

To generate the flexible body:

■ Select OK.
After flexible body generation, ADAMS/AutoFlex automatically loads the MNF
into your model as shown in Figure 33.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
30 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Figure 33. MNF Loaded Into Model

You can again look in the Message window to view the steps that ADAMS/AutoFlex
performed. A portion of the Message window is shown below.
Figure 34. Message Window Containing ADAMS/AutoFlex Steps
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 31

Replacing the Rigid Body

To replace the rigid straight link with the flexible one, you can use the rigid-to-flexible
body feature available in MSC.ADAMS. This is the same feature used in the earlier
tutorial.
Figure 35. Rigid to Flex Menu Options

To replace the rigid body with the flexible one:

1 From the Build menu, point to Flexible Bodies, and then select Rigid to Flex.
The Swap a Rigid Body for a Flexible Body dialog box appears as shown in
Figure 36 on page 32. It is set to the Alignment tab by default.
2 In the Current Part text box, enter link (the part to be swapped).
3 Set the first option menu to MNF File, and then enter link_flex.mnf.
4 At the bottom of the dialog box, clear the selection of Copy original part because
with the geometry method, you do not need the geometry of the rigid body for
further modifications.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
32 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Figure 36. Swap a Rigid Body for a Flexible Body Dialog Box

Clear to delete
the rigid body
5 Select the Connections tab.
The Connections tab appears as shown Figure 37 on page 33.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 33

Figure 37. Connections Tab

Indicates
move method

You can see all the rigid body markers listed, with their existing connections,
selected node IDs to which to transfer the markers, and relative location with
closest mesh nodes (interface nodes are indicated with an asterisk (*) in the
Interface Nodes column). As explained earlier, you have three methods for
assigning markers to the flexible body:
■ Move to the closest node
■ Preserve the original location
■ Preserve the original expression
The options for moving the markers are listed in the Move column, which by
default is simply to move the marker to the closest node on the flexible body (move
appears in the field when this method is set).
6 Select the Move-to-closest node method for all markers, and then select OK. (To
set the move-to-closest node method, place the cursor in the Move column of the
marker, and then select Move to node.)
The link_flex replaces the rigid one.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
34 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Simulating the Flexible Model

To see the behavior of the flexible body mechanism:

1 Perform a simulation with 1000 steps and an end time of 1 second.

2 Save the results as Flex1_conf.
3 In ADAMS/PostProcessor, compare the piston x-axis acceleration between the
rigid and flexible configurations. The link has a high degree of stiffness and there
are no evident differences, but a curve subtraction underlines the differences as
shown in Figure 38.
Figure 38. Rigid vs. Flexible Configuration Display in ADAMS/PostProcessor
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 35

The following figure shows the results of this tutorial, which is the model with either the
u-link or the straight link replaced with a flexible element.
Figure 39. Model with Flexible Elements
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
36 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Using Parasolid Features to Define Attachment Points

This tutorial will help you learn how to use Parasolid features to define attachments using
ADAMS/AutoFlex with the geometry method. It is based on the same model as the
geometry-method tutorial, with a different strategy for selecting connection nodes.

Starting the Tutorial

To start the tutorial:

■ Follow Building a Flexible Body Using the Geometry Method on page 22 until
you reach Defining Attachments on page 27, then refer to the following
instructions to define attachments.

Defining Attachments
After generating the temporary mesh, the Attachment Points Definition table appears. You
can use it to automatically determine the connections between the rigid body (to be
transformed into a flexible one) and the mechanism.

To determine connections between the rigid body and mechanism:

■ Select Find Attachments.
Figure 40. Find Attachments Button

The attachment table automatically fills if the connections exist.

To select the nodes to connect to the first attachment point:

1 Set Selection Type to Solid Feature, which lets you select features on solid geometries.
2 Set the filter to Edge, and then select Pick.
Only the rigid body appears.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 37

3 Select the edges at the extremes of the hole, as shown in the figure below. Right-
click to complete selection.
Figure 41. Edge Selection

The complete model and the total number of selected entities appear.
Figure 42. Selected Edges

The first attachment will be connected to all the nodes on the selected edges.
4 Select a cell in the second cell row.
5 Set the filter to Surface, and then select Pick.
Only the rigid body appears.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
38 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

6 Select the internal surface of the hole, as shown in the figure below. Right-click to
complete the selection.
Figure 43. Surface Selection

The complete model and the total number of selected entities appear. The second
attachment will be connected with all the nodes on the selected surface.
To complete this flexible body, continue with Building a Flexible Body Using the
Geometry Method on page 22, beginning with Setting Color on page 29 and following it
to the end.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View 39

Automatically Replacing Rigid Part With Flexible Body

This tutorial will help you learn how to automatically replace a rigid body with a flexible
body built using the ADAMS/AutoFlex geometry method. It is based on the same model
as the geometry-method tutorial, using the automatic attachments detection and automatic
replacing commands.

Starting the Tutorial

To start the tutorial:

■ Follow Building a Flexible Body Using the Geometry Method on page 22 until
you reach Defining Mesh Properties on page 25, then refer to the following
instructions.

Creating and Swapping the Flexible Body

To create and replace the flexible body:

1 Select Replace Part.

Figure 44. Swap Flex Body Check Box

2 Select OK.
ADAMS/AutoFlex performs all the required steps: mesh creation, automatic
attachments definition, automatic connections definition (four nodes nearest to the
attachment), and replace rigid body with the flexible body.
Figure 45 on page 40 shows the steps ADAMS/AutoFlex performs.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
40 Tutorials for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/View

Figure 45. Messages Of Automatic Steps in Message Window

Note: You can also use Replace Part when defining attachments or connections
manually, but only if the rigid body is connected to the mechanism. If you need to
modify a flexible body already connected to a mechanism, you cannot use
Replace Part.

In addition, Replace Part is not bi-directional. You cannot replace the flexible body
with the original rigid part. You can use Replace Part only one time, then, if you
want to go back to the original rigid part, you must manually modify the model
and redefine the original connections in correspondence with the attachment
points.
 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex
with ADAMS/Car

Overview
This tutorial introduces you to using ADAMS/AutoFlex with
ADAMS/Car.
It includes the following sections:
■ About AutoFlex Input Files, 42

■ What You’ll Create, 42

■ Starting ADAMS/Car Template Builder, 43

■ Creating a Template, 45

■ Creating the Attachment Points, 46

■ Creating the Longitudinal Arms, 47

■ Creating the Cross Component, 57

■ Assembling Arms with Cross Component, 61

■ Replacing the Flexible Twist-Beam, 64

■ Exiting ADAMS/Car, 70

This tutorial takes about one hour to complete.

 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
42 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

About AutoFlex Input Files

We distribute AutoFlex input files (AFI) files as examples in a directory in the shared car
database. You can also create AFI and modal neutral files (MNF) by defining the
geometric profile, material, and attachment properties from within an ADAMS/Car
session.

What You’ll Create

In this tutorial, you will learn how to:
■ Create AFI files for the left and right longitudinal arms of a twist-beam
suspension.
■ Create an AFI file for the cross component.
■ Assemble the three components together to generate an MNF, using both
options of the AutoFlex Assembler: selecting flexible bodies or AFI files.
■ Load the MNF file of the assembled components, creating a single flexible
body.
■ Replace the flexible twist-beam part of the _twist_beam suspension template
with the new MNF.
ADAMS/Car writes information about centerline, cross section, attachment points, and
flexible elements to an AFI file, stored in the appropriate database. ADAMS/AutoFlex
parses the input AFI file and generates the corresponding MNF. You can then import the
MNF into an ADAMS/Car session, assign it to an existing flexible body, or create a new
flexible body.
The flexible bodies that you can generate using ADAMS/AutoFlex are from geometry or
those that can be created by extruding a section following a line in space.
In this section, you start the ADAMS/Car Template Builder and begin working in
template-builder mode.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 43

Starting ADAMS/Car Template Builder

Before you start ADAMS/Car Template Builder, make sure that your private
configuration file, .acar.cfg, shows that you can work in expert-user mode. Your
private configuration file is located in your home directory.

To check the user mode:

1 In a text editor, such as jot or notepad, open .acar.cfg.

2 Verify that the following line appears as shown:
ENVIRONMENT MDI_ACAR_USERMODE expert
This line sets the user mode for the ADAMS/Car session.

To start ADAMS/Car in the Windows environment:

1 From the Start menu, point to Programs, point to MSC.Software, point to

MSC.ADAMS 2005, point to ACar, and then select ADAMS - Car (view).

The Welcome dialog box appears on top of the ADAMS/Car main window.
2 Select Template Builder.
3 Select OK.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
44 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

To start ADAMS/Car in the UNIX environment:

1 At the command prompt, enter the command to start the MSC.ADAMS Toolbar,
and then press Enter. The standard command that MSC.ADAMS provides is
adamsx, where x is the version number, for example, adams2005.

The MSC.ADAMS Toolbar appears.

2 Click the ADAMS/Car tool .

The Welcome dialog box appears on top of the ADAMS/Car main window.
3 Select Template Builder.
4 Select OK.
The ADAMS/Car Template Builder window appears, as shown next.
Figure 46. ADAMS/Car Template Builder

Menus grayed out because

you don’t have a template yet

To load ADAMS/AutoFlex:
■ From the Tools menu, point to Plugin Manager.
■ From the list of plugins, select ADAMS/AutoFlex, and then select OK.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 45

Creating a Template
To facilitate the generation of the AFI and MNF files, you first create a template.
ADAMS/Car uses the template as a temporary placeholder for the new flexible left and
right longitudinal arms for a twist-beam suspension. Because the template is just a
placeholder, you don’t have to save it. The template allows you to have graphical feedback
during the generation of the AFI and MNF files.

To create a template:

1 From the File menu, select New.

The New Template dialog box appears.
2 In the Template Name text box, enter temp_twist_beam.
3 Select OK.
A gravity icon appears in the middle of the ADAMS/Car main window.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
46 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

Creating the Attachment Points

In this section, you create the left attachment points as ADAMS/Car hardpoints.
ADAMS/Car automatically creates the corresponding right hardpoints to be mirrored
about the symmetry plane. The hardpoints indicate where the flexible body attaches to the
rest of the suspension.
Note that you can specify the node IDs of the attachment points, making it possible to
modify existing flexible bodies using generated MNFs, and maintain the parameterization
of the interface parts. Because you must define attachment node IDs for both left and right
sides, you must create two AFI files: one for the left arm and one for the right.
For this tutorial, the node ID numbering scheme has been defined such that you can swap
the original MNF in the _twist_beam suspension with the MNF that you will generate.

To create the attachment points:

1 From the Build menu, point to Hardpoint, and then select New.
The Create Hardpoint dialog box appears.
2 In the Hardpoint Name text box, enter to_x_member.
3 Verify that Type is set to left.
4 In the Location text box, enter -250, -750, 500.
5 Select Apply.
This hardpoint represents the location of the attachment of the longitudinal arms to
the cross member of the flexible twist-beam suspension. To replace the original
twist-beam flexible part from the twist-beam suspension template, you must create
four other attachment points.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 47

6 Create the remaining attachment points as follows, remembering to select

Apply after each one, and OK after the last one:

Hardpoint Name: Location:

to_subframe_front -400, -750, 500

to_damper_lwr -5, -740, 540

to_spring_lwr -112, -765, 540

to_driveshaft 0.0, -850, 500

Creating the Longitudinal Arms

Now you will create the left longitudinal arm as a single entity, and then you will
create the right arm. This sequence is required because you have to specify the node
IDs for both left and right flexible bodies that match the nodes of the twist beam
flexible part in the _twist_beam suspension template.
ADAMS/AutoFlex creates the arms by extruding an elliptical section along a
centerline. When creating the centerline, you must specify the following parameters:
■ Reference name of the centerline point - Pick the hardpoint on the screen or
browse for an existing hardpoint in the Database Navigator. ADAMS/Car
stores the location of the hardpoints and uses them during the creation of
the AFI file and the flexible body. The locations are not displayed in the
dialog box to prevent modifications of the coordinates that could
compromise the parameterization of the model.
■ Orientation R1, R2, and R3 - Expressed as Euler-angle rotations (Z, X1, Z2).
■ Scale X and Scale Y - Expand or reduce a section along the extrusion.
■ Max. X and Max. Y - Use to trim a section. Values of -1 indicate that
ADAMS/AutoFlex does not modify the section.
■ Thickness - You can assign a local thickness to the section passing through
each of the centerline points. A value of -1 indicates that ADAMS/AutoFlex
does not modify the section.
You can use the same hardpoints to define the attachment points and the centerline.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
48 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

To create the centerline points:

1 From the Build menu, point to Hardpoint, and then select New.
The Create Hardpoint dialog box appears.
2 In the Hardpoint Name text box, enter c3.
3 Verify that Type is set to left.
4 In the Location text box, enter -112, -750, 500.
5 Select Apply.
6 Create the remaining attachment points as follows, remembering to select Apply
after each one, and OK after the last one:

Hardpoint Name: Location:

C4 -5, -750, 500

C5 0, -750, 500

C6 50, -750, 500

Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 49

Now, you create attachment points that connect to the centerline sections. Note that for
every attachment point you have to define the following properties:
■ Coordinate reference name - Pick the hardpoint from the screen or use the
Database Navigator to browse for an existing hardpoint. ADAMS/Car stores the
location of the hardpoints and uses them during the creation of the AFI file and
the flexible body. The locations are not displayed in the dialog box to prevent
modifications of the coordinates that could compromise the parameterization of
the model.
■ Node ID - Specifies the number associated with each attachment point. You must
enter Node IDs to replace the existing flexible twist-beam suspension defined in
the _twist_beam template with the flexible body that ADAMS/AutoFlex will
generate.
■ ArcWidth - Determines how many sections will be connected to the centerline
point.
■ MPC[0..1] - Determines the density (expressed as a percentage from 0 to 1,
meaning 100% or all) of the section nodes connected to each attachment point.
■ C.Point - Specifies the point (or row) of the centerline that will be connected to
the attachment point. A value of zero (0) means to take the centerline point
closest to the attachment point.
■ Rigid/Ave. - Select the attachment mode:
❖ 0 - Rigid
❖ 1 - Average
Stiffness depends on the distance between the attachment point and centerline
point that it connects.
■ Rel. DOF - The degrees of freedom to be released in the model analysis.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
50 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

To create the longitudinal arms:

1 From the Build menu, point to Parts, point to Flexible Body, and then select AutoFlex.
The AutoFlex dialog box appears, as shown next.
Figure 47. AutoFlex Dialog Box in ADAMS/Car

2 In the FlexBody Name text box, enter arm.

In the autoflex_input table of your default writable database, ADAMS/AutoFlex
creates files named fbl_arm.afi and fbr_arm.afi. The files contain the material (steel),
geometry, and attachment information of both the left and right longitudinal arms.
ADAMS/AutoFlex then processes the file and creates two modal neutral files of the
corresponding flexible bodies.
3 Verify that FlexBody Type is set to Extrusion.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 51

4 Verify that Type is set to left.

When you select left, ADAMS/Car automatically creates the right side arm,
mirroring the centerline and the section about the symmetry plane, but it would not
be possible to explicitly define the numbers identifying the attachment nodes.
5 Verify that Centerline is selected.
6 Set Interpolation to None.
Selecting None causes ADAMS/AutoFlex not to perform any type of interpolation
along the centerline.
Note that the centerline data table, shown in Figure 48 on page 51, already contains
two lines. Each line belongs to a single point of the centerline. Because attachment
points must connect to centerline sections, you must create four additional rows.
7 To add the four rows, select the first row, and below the table, select Insert. Report
the steps four times. (Alternatively, select the last row, select Append, and then
repeat the steps four times.)
Figure 48. Centerline Properties Table

Data
table
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
52 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

8 Use the values in Table 1 to define the location and other parameters of the
centerline points. Figure 49 shows the property table filled with the values.
Note: To enter a value in a text box, click the text box, select Pick Coord. Ref, and
then select the hardpoint from the screen. To browse for the corresponding
hardpoint in the Database Navigator, right-click Pick Coord. Ref, select
Browse Coord. Ref, and double-click the hardpoint in the Database Navigator.

Table 1. Centerline Data

Scale X
and Y Max.
values: values: Thickness:
Ref. Name: R1: R2: R3: (default) (default) (default)

hpl_to_subframe_front 90 90 0 1 -1 -1

hpl_to_x_member 90 90 0 1 -1 -1

hpl_c3 90 90 0 1 -1 -1

hpl_c4 90 90 0 1 -1 -1

hpl_c5 90 90 0 1 -1 -1

hpl_c6 90 90 0 1 -1 -1

Figure 49. Filled Centerlines Properties Table

9 Select View Centerline Geometry to draw a temporary polyline connecting the six
centerline points.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 53

You should see a straight white line near the left hardpoints, as shown in the
figure below.
Figure 50. Centerline
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
54 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

To define the attachment points:

1 Select Attachments.
The Attachment Properties table appears, as shown in Figure 51.
Figure 51. Attachments Properties Table

You can define hardpoints by picking them from the screen (they must be visible on
the screen) or browsing for them in the Database Navigator.
2 In the first row, click Coordinate reference text box, and then select Pick Coord.
Reference or Browse Coord. Reference. From the screen or Database Navigator, select
the hpl_to_subframe_front hardpoint. The name and location of the hardpoint appear
in the data table. Also, a default node ID is assigned (1).
Note: The hardpoint hpl_to_subframe_front belongs to ground, which is a
requirement of all coordinate references in ADAMS/AutoFlex.
3 To add the next hardpoint in the Attachment Properties table, append a corresponding
row in the data table. To add the four rows, select the first row, select Insert, and
then repeat the steps four times.
4 In the appropriate rows and columns, enter the data shown in Table 2 on page 55,
following the same procedure as in step 2. For the first row, you will need to
change the data (for example, change the node ID from 1 to 10011.) Figure 52 on
page 55 shows a filled attachments properties table.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 55

Table 2. Attachment Parameters for the Left Arm

Hardpoint: Node ID: ArcWidth: MPC[0..1]: C. Point: Rigid/Ave.:

hpl_to_subframe_front 10011 10 1 1 0

hpl_to_x_member 1 10 0.4 2 0

hpl_to_spring_lwr 1631 10 0.4 3 0

hpl_to_damper_lwr 2113 10 0.4 4 0

hpl_to_driveshaft 10001 10 0.4 5 0

Figure 52. Filled Attachments Properties Table

5 To define the section properties, select Section.

6 Set Section Type to Elliptical, and then enter the following:
❖ X Semi-Axis: 55
❖ Y Semi-Axis: 45

7 To define mesh properties, select Mesh/Properties.

 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
56 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

8 Enter the following flexible element parameters:

❖ Element Type: Shell Quad
❖ Element Size: 45
This value represents the dimension of the shell element measured in the
direction along the extrusion.
❖ Nominal Thickness: 2
This value represents the thickness of the shell element.
❖ Number of Modes: 6
❖ Material: .materials.steel
❖ Color: red

9 Select Apply.
ADAMS/AutoFlex creates the AFI files, parses them, generates internal
representations of the solids, solves the model, and creates the corresponding
MNFs. If successful, ADAMS/Car creates two new flexible bodies, named
fbl_arm and fbr_arm. Inspect the flexible bodies and look for the mesh
representing the rigid attachments of the connection points to the centerline
points. Your template should look as shown below.
10 Select Cancel to close the AutoFlex dialog box.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 57

Creating the Cross Component

In this section, you’ll create the cross component using the ADAMS/AutoFlex extrusion
method. You’ll then define attachment points and mesh properties.

To create the cross component:

1 From the Build menu, point to Parts, point to Flexible Body, and then select AutoFlex.
The AutoFlex dialog box appears.
2 In the FlexBody Name text box, enter cross.
3 Verify that FlexBody Type is set to Extrusion.
4 Set Type to single.
In the autoflex_input table of your default writable database, ADAMS/AutoFlex
creates a file named fbs_cross.afi. The file contains the material (steel), geometry,
and attachment information for the cross component.
5 Verify that Centerline is selected.
6 Set Interpolation to Linear.
7 Fill the Centerline table by picking or browsing for the following two nodes and
parameters.
Table 3. Centerline Data

Scale X
and Y Max.
values: values: Thickness:
Point: R1: R2: R3: (default) (default) (default)

hpl_to_x_member 0 90 0 1 -1 -1

hpr_to_x_member 0 90 0 1 -1 -1
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
58 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

To define the attachment points:

1 Select Attachments.
The Attachment Properties table appears.
2 Again, select hpl_to_x_member and hpr_to_x_member, and then fill the text boxes as
shown in the table below.
Table 4. Attachment Parameters for the Left Arm

Hardpoint: Node ID: ArcWidth: MPC[0..1]: C. Point: Rigid/Ave.:

hpl_to_x_member 1 10 1 1 0

hpr_to_x_member 2 10 1 2 0

To define the section properties:

1 Select Section.
2 Set Section Type to Generic.
3 Set Interpolation to None.

4 Select the Sketcher tool .

The sketch window appears.

5 Select the Polyline tool , and then select the following points. Use Figure 53 on
page 59 for assistance. (Keep Closed selected in the sketch window.)
❖ -30.0 35.0
❖ -30.0 40.0
❖ -20.0 40.0
❖ -20.0 35.0
❖ 15.0 35.0
❖ 15.0 40.0
❖ 25.0 40.0
❖ 35.0 20.0
❖ 35.0 -20.0
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 59

❖ 25.0 -40.0
❖ 15.0 -40.0
❖ 15.0 -35.0
❖ -20.0 -35.0
❖ -20.0 -40.0
❖ -30.0 -40.0
❖ -30.0 -35.0
❖ -30.0 -30.0
❖ 20.0 -30.0
❖ 25.0 -20.0
❖ 25.0 20.0
❖ 20.0 30.0
❖ -30.0 30.0
6 Select Fill Table.
7 Select Done to close the sketch window.
Figure 53. Cross Component Sketch
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
60 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

To define mesh properties:

1 To define mesh properties, select Mesh/Properties.

2 Enter the following:
■ Element type: Shell Quad
■ Element size: 50
■ Nominal thickness: 3
■ Number of modes: 16
■ Material: materials.steel
■ Color: green
3 Select OK.
ADAMS/AutoFlex creates the AFI file, solves the model, and creates the
corresponding MNF. ADAMS/Car, then, creates the new flexible body,
fbs_cross.

Figure 54. Cross Component Flexible Body

Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 61

Assembling Arms with Cross Component

Now you can assemble the left arm, right arm, and cross component that you created
previously.
You perform assemble operations using the Autoflex Assembler feature, specifying
multiple flexible bodies or AFI files. If any of the attachment points are coincident, then
the corresponding flexible elements are assembled together, creating a single MNF. Doing
this, the number of the attachment points and, consequently, the number of degrees of
freedom are reduced. For more information on the Autoflex Assembler, see the
ADAMS/Autoflex online help.
In this tutorial, the attachment point named to_x_member has the same x, y, and z
coordinates as the attachment points defined in the fbs_cross AFI file.
You also use the Autoflex Assembler to replace the three flexible components with the
new assembled MNF. ADAMS/Car writes a new and assembled AFI file of the three AFI
files to the autoflex_input table in your default writable database.
The AFI list file has the following characteristics:
■ Is a collection of single AFI files used in the assembled operation
■ Can serve as a reference
■ Can be used as an argument to ADAMS/Autoflex, instead of the single file
listed in it.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
62 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

To assemble the flexible bodies:

1 From the Tools menu, select Autoflex Assembler.

2 In the Assembled Flex Body Name text box, enter twist_beam.

3 Select Flexible Bodies.

4 Pick or browse for the three flexible bodies: left arm, right arm, and cross.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 63

Tip: Alternatively, you can:

1 Select AFI Files.
2 Browse for three AFI files: fbl_arm.afi, fbr_arm.afi, fbs_cross.afi.
3 Set Color to blue.
4 Select OK.
ADAMS/Autoflex parses the three AFI files (corresponding to the three flexible
bodies selected), detects the coincident attachment points, and assembles the
flexible components, generating a single MNF file in your default writable
database.
ADAMS/Car then loads the new MNF and creates the assembled flexible body
as shown in Figure 55. You can delete or deactivate the single flexible
components.
5 Close the template.
Figure 55. Assembled Flexible Body
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
64 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

Replacing the Flexible Twist-Beam

To avoid ID conflicts, you must edit the single AFI files and modify IDs of the attachment
points, then load the already assembled AFI file (created previously), which has the
following format:

$---------------------------------------------------------------------MDI_HEADER

[MDI_HEADER]

FILE_TYPE = ’afi’

FILE_VERSION = 8.0

FILE_FORMAT = ’ASCII’

VERSION = ’2005.0.0’

$-------------------------------------------------------------------------MODELS

[MODELS]

MODEL_1 = ’C:/private.cdb/autoflex_inputs.tbl/fbl_arm.afi’

MODEL_2 = ’C:/private.cdb/autoflex_inputs.tbl/fbr_arm.afi’

MODEL_3 = ’C:/private.cdb/autoflex_inputs.tbl/fbs_cross.afi’

$--------------------------------------------------------------------FLEX_BODIES

[FLEX_BODIES]

FLEX_BODY_1 = ’fbl_arm’

FLEX_BODY_2 = ’fbr_arm’

FLEX_BODY_3 = ’fbs_cross’

$----------------------------------------------------------------------ACAR_DATA

[ACAR_DATA]

ASSEMBLED_FLEXBODY_NAME = ’twist_beam’
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 65

To edit the AFI file:

1 Open fbr_arm.afi and search for the MODEL_1_ATTACHMENT_MAP block, shown

below:

$--------------------------------------------------------MODEL_1_ATTACHMENT_MAP

[MODEL_1_ATTACHMENT_MAP]

{id tx ty tz rx ry rz connect link p_ty p_wid p_mcp p_cpid group}

10011.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 4.0 10.0 1.0 1.0 0.0

1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 4.0 10.0 0.4 2.0 0.0

1631.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 4.0 10.0 0.4 3.0 0.0

2113.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 4.0 10.0 0.4 4.0 0.0

10001.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 4.0 10.0 0.4 5.0 0.0
2 Change the IDs as follows:

$---------------------------------------------------------MODEL_1_ATTACHMENT_MAP

[MODEL_1_ATTACHMENT_MAP]

{id tx ty tz rx ry rz connect link p_ty p_wid p_mcp p_cpid group}

10010.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 4.0 10.0 1.0 1.0 0.0

2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 4.0 10.0 0.4 2.0 0.0

542.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 4.0 10.0 0.4 3.0 0.0

1232.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 4.0 10.0 0.4 4.0 0.0

10000.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 4.0 10.0 0.4 5.0 0.0

3 Repeat this process (changing IDs) for the MODEL_1_ATTACHMENT_GEOM block, as

well.
4 Save the modified fbr_arm.afi.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
66 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

To replace the flexible twist beam:

1 Open the_ twist_beam template (from the shared database)

Figure 56. _Twist_beam Template

2 From the Tools menu, select Autoflex Assembler.

3 In the Assembled Flex Body Name text box, enter twist_beam.
4 Select Assembled AFI.
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 67

5 Search for fbs_twist_beam.afi file.

6 Select OK.
ADAMS/Autoflex parses the three AFI files (corresponding to the three flexible
bodies selected), detects the coincident attachment points, and assembles the
flexible components, generating a single MNF file in your default writable
database.
ADAMS/Car then modifies the selected flexible body with the assembled MNF.
The generated MNF represents a twist beam suspension with the left and right
longitudinal arms and a cross-connecting torsional component. Furthermore, it is
interchangeable with the flexible body in the twist_beam suspension template and
the parametric information is maintained.
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
68 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

The new twist_beam model looks as follows:

Figure 57. Twist_beam with Assembled Flexible Body

Note: Due to the current implementation, the AutoFlex Assembler routine searches for
common interface nodes (common location, that is x, y, z coordinates) between
different MNFs (AFI files) and merges the different flexible bodies together in
correspondence with these common interface nodes. It does not remove them, but
only collapses them.

In addition, the number of dynamic modes of the assembled flexible bodies is equal
to the maximum number found in the AFI files.
Therefore, the total number of degrees of freedom of the assembled flexible body is
equal to:
Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car 69

(not common interface nodes for each flexible body + Common interface nodes)*6 +
max number of dynamic modes found in single flexible body components
In the tutorial, each longitudinal arm has 6 dynamic modes and 5 interface nodes
defined.
For the left arm:
10011
1
1631
2113
10001
For the right arm:
10010
2
542
1232
10000
For the cross member dynamic modes and two interface nodes:
1
2
Two interface nodes are common (node 1 and node 2) between the different flexible
bodies, then they are collapsed. Therefore, the assembled flexible body has:
not common nodes*6 modes common nodes*6 modes dynamic modes orthogonalized modes
4*6 + 4*6 + 2*6 + 16 = 76
 Getting Started Using ADAMS/AutoFlex
70 Tutorial for Learning ADAMS/AutoFlex with ADAMS/Car

Exiting ADAMS/Car
To exit ADAMS/Car:

1 From the File menu, select Exit.

The Exit ADAMS/Car dialog box appears.
2 Select Exit.