Modifying Geometry and Part Properties

2 Adams/View
Modifying Rigid Body Geometry

Modifying Rigid Body Geometry

You can modify the geometry of a rigid body using:
• Hotpoints that appear on the geometry when you select it.
• A dialog box to enter information about the geometry, such as the location of anchor points, its
width, or its depth. In addition, some dialog boxes let you easily edit profile point locations
through a Location Table.

Using Hotpoints to Graphically Modify Geometry

You can use hotpoints to resize and reshape the geometry of a rigid body. The hotpoints appear at various
locations on the geometry depending on the type of geometry.

Refer to the help on creating a geometry to see where Adams/View places hotpoints on the different types
of geometry.

To display hotpoints on geometry:

• Click the geometry using the left mouse button.

To use the hotpoints to resize and reshape geometry:

• Drag the hotpoint to the desired location and release the mouse button. See a Picture of dragging
hotpoints.
 Modifying Geometry and Part Properties 3
Modifying Rigid Body Geometry

Using Dialog Boxes to Precisely Modify Geometry

You can precisely control the size, location, and shape of rigid body geometry using modify dialog boxes.
In addition, you can change the name of the geometry as you modify it.

Note: To modify a point, you use the Table Editor because a point only consists of a location. In
addition, for lines, polylines, extrusions, and revolutions, you can use the Location Table
that lets you edit the locations of profile points. For more information, see Editing Locations
Using the Location Table.

To see all the different types of geometry that make up a part:

• Place the cursor on a part and hold down the right mouse button.
Adams/View displays the names of the geometry near the cursor location. If it is a very complex
part, you may need to move the cursor to different locations on the part to see all the different
types of geometry.

Note: You can also use the Info command to view the geometry that belongs to a part. Learn about
Viewing Model Topology Map Through Information Window.

To display a modify dialog box for geometry and modify geometry:

1. Place the cursor over the part containing the geometry and hold down the right mouse button.
2. Point to the name of the geometry that you want to modify and then select Modify.
The modify dialog box for the geometry appears.
3. Change the name of the geometry, if desired, and assign a unique ID number to the geometry, if
appropriate.
4. Add any comments about the geometry that you want to enter to help you manage and identify
the geometry.
To enter comments for extrusions, revolutions, lines, and polylines, select the Comments tool
at the bottom of the dialog box.
5. Enter the values for the geometry, and then select OK. To get help with entering the values, press
F1 when the cursor is in the dialog box.

Editing Locations Using the Location Table

To specify the location of points in lines, polylines, splines, Extrusions, and revolutions, you can use the
Location table. The Location Table lets you view the points in lines, polylines, splines, extrusions, and
revolutions and edit them. You can also save the location information to a file or read in location
information from a file.
Learn more:
4 Adams/View
Modifying Rigid Body Geometry

• Displaying the Location Table

• Working in the Location Table
• Reading and Writing Location Information

For general information on using tables in Adams/View, see Using Tables to Enter Values.

Displaying the Location Table

To display the Location table:

• From a polyline, extrusion, spline, or revolution modify dialog box, select the More button .

Working in the Location Table

To enter values in a cell of the Location table:

1. Click the cell.
The text cursor appears in the cell.
2. Type the values in the selected cell.

To insert text into multiple cells:

1. In the Set Selected text box, enter the text that you want to insert.
2. Select the cells in which you want to insert the text.
3. Select Set Selected.

To resize a column:
1. Point to the right border of the column heading that you want to resize. The cursor changes to a
double-sided arrow.
2. Drag the cursor until the column is the desired size.
3. Release the mouse button.

To resize all columns equally in the Location table:

• Select either the Widen or Narrow tool.

To insert a row before a row:

1. Select the row above which you want to insert a new row.
2. Select Insert.

To insert a row after a row:

1. Select the row below which you want to insert a new row.
2. Select Append.
 Modifying Geometry and Part Properties 5
Modifying Rigid Body Geometry

To delete a row:
1. Select the row or rows you want to delete.
2. Select Delete.

To reset the Location Table:

• Select Reset.

Reading and Writing Location Information

You can save the current location information in the Location table in ASCII format. Adams/View places
spaces between each cell.
You can also read in location information from an ASCII file to be used as the location of points in the
associated geometry. The information must be in the same format as numeric data that you input into
Adams/View using the Import command. For more information, see File Import dialog box help.

Note: Adams/View reads the location information starting at the first line that has numerical
information. If there are headers in the file, Adams/View reads the header information
when you first read in the file and changes the headers in the Location table accordingly. It
resets the headers to the default headers (X, Y, and Z), however, the next time you open the
Location table.

To read or write in location information:

1. Select Write or Read from the Location table.
The File Selection dialog box appears.
2. Double-click the directory that contains the file.
3. In the File Name text box, type the file name you want to open, or highlight the file in the list.
4. Select OK.
6 Adams/View
Modifying Part Properties

Modifying Part Properties

Each moving part in Adams/View can have the following properties in addition to having geometry:
• Location and name
• Mass and inertia
• Initial velocities
• Initial location and orientation

Adams/View automatically calculates the total mass of the part and its inertia based on the part's volume
and density. It also automatically calculates the initial velocity and position for the part based on any
other initial conditions and connections in your model. You can set how you want Adams/View to
calculate these properties as well as define these properties yourself as explained in the next sections.

Note: You can also modify part properties using the Table Editor. Learn about Editing Objects
Using the Table Editor

Modifying Part Name and Location

While you are modifying a part, you can change its name and set its location relative to another location.
You can also set a rigid body so it is a planar part.

To modify part name and location:

1. If you haven't already done so, display the Modify Body dialog box as explained in Accessing
Modify Dialog Boxes.
2. Set Category to Name and Position.
3. Change the name of the geometry, if desired, and assign a unique ID number to the body, if
appropriate.
4. In the Location text box, enter the location of the rigid body. Adams/View applies your location
coordinates in the coordinate system in the Relative To text box.
5. Specify either of three orientation methods and their appropriate value:
• Orientation
• Along Axis Orientation
• In Plane Oriention
6. In the Relative To text box, enter the reference frame relative to which the location and
orientation entries are defined. Leave blank or enter model name to use the global coordinate
system.
7. For a rigid body, to define it as planar, select Planar.
8. Select OK.
 Modifying Geometry and Part Properties 7
Modifying Part Properties

Modifying Mass and Inertia for Rigid Bodies

By default, Adams/View calculates the mass and inertia for a rigid body part based on the part's geometry
and material type. The geometry defines the volume and the material type defines the density. The default
material type for rigid bodies is steel. (Note that any geometry that you deactivate will not be included in
mass calculations.)
You can change the material type used to calculate mass and inertia or simply specify the density of the
part. If you do not want Adams/View to calculate mass and inertia using a part's geometry, material type,
or density, you can enter your own mass and moments of inertia. Learn about Setting Up Material Types.
It is possible to assign zero mass to a part whose six degrees of motion you constrain with respect to parts
that do have mass. You should not assign a part zero mass, however. Any part that has zero mass and
translation degrees of freedom can causes simulation failure (since a = F/m). Therefore, we recommend
that you assign finite masses and inertias to all parts. In addition, a part without mass cannot have mass
moments of inertia.

Methods for Calculating Mass Properties

Adams/View uses two different methods to calculate mass properties. If you modify the number of sides
Adams/View uses to define a part’s geometry, such as cylinder, frustum, or torus, Adams/View may use
a different method to calculate the part’s mass properties depending on the number of sides, as explained
below.
• If the number of sides is greater than or equal to the default number of sides (usually 20),
Adams/View calculates the mass using an analytical equation for the geometry volume. It uses a
true solid that the name of the part indicates.
• If the number of sides is less than the default, Adams/View uses a prismatic solid, which you
actually see on the screen, to calculate mass properties. This method is slower but gives more
accurate results. For example, if you change the number of sides of a cylinder from 20 to 3, the
geometry on the screen is of a triangular solid. This solid’s mass properties will be significantly
different that a cylinder’s mass properties.

To modify mass and inertia:

1. If you haven't already done so, display the Modify Rigid Body dialog box as explained in
Accessing Modify Dialog Boxes.
2. Set Category to Mass Properties.
3. Set Define Mass By to how you want Adams/View to calculate mass and inertia, enter the
appropriate values, and select OK. Learn About Entering Mass Moments of Inertia.
8 Adams/View
Modifying Part Properties

From the pull-

down menu,
select: And enter:
Geometry and In the Material Type text box, the type of material for the part. Adams/View
Material Type displays the material's composition below the text box. Adams/View uses the
density associated with the material type and volume of the geometry of the part
to calculate the part's mass and inertia.

To select a material type from the Database Navigator or create a new material
type, right-click the text box, and then select the appropriate command. Learn
about Setting Up Material Types.
Geometry and In the Density text box, enter the density of the part. Adams/View uses the part's
Density density and the volume of the geometry to calculate its mass and inertia.
User Input Mass - In the Mass text box, enter the mass of the part.

Moments of inertia - Enter the mass moments of inertia.

Center-of-mass marker - In the Center of Mass Marker text box, enter the
marker that is to be used to define the center-of-mass (CM) for the part.

Inertia marker - In the Inertia Reference Marker text box, specify the marker that
defines the axes for the inertia properties. If you do not enter an inertia marker,
Adams/View uses the part CM marker for inertia properties.

About Entering Mass Moments of Inertia

In the Rigid Body Modify dialog box, you can enter either just the principal mass moments of inertia (Ixx,
Iyy, Izz) or enter the cross products of inertia (Ixy, Ixz, and Iyz). You will want to enter the mass products
of inertia if the inertia marker or center-of-mass (CM) marker is not at the center of mass of the part and
not aligned with the principal axes.
To enter cross-products of inertia, select the check box Off-Diagonal Terms. The Modify Rigid Body
dialog box displays text boxes for entering the cross products of inertia.
The inertia matrix is defined as follows:
 Modifying Geometry and Part Properties 9
Modifying Part Properties

The inertia matrix is a symmetrical, positive-definite matrix. You compute the individual terms in the
matrix as follows:

In the above formula, x, y, and z are the components of the displacement of an infinitesimal mass particle
of mass dm, measured from the origin of the inertia marker in the coordinate system of the inertia marker.
The integral is performed over the entire mass of the body. If you do not specify the inertia marker,
Adams/View uses the CM marker. In that case, you compute these quantities about the origin of the CM
marker in the coordinate system of the CM marker.

Note: Adams/View defines Ixy, Ixz, and Iyz as positive integrals, as shown. Some references
define these terms as the negative of these integrals. You should be sure to compute these
values as shown above.

Displaying Calculated Mass Moments of Inertia

If you select to have Adams/View calculate the mass moments of inertia of a part based on the part's
geometry and material type or density, you can view the mass-inertia tensor matrix that Adams/View
calculates.

To view the matrix:

• In the Modify Rigid Body dialog box, select Show calculated inertia.

Modifying Initial Velocities

You can specify initial velocities for parts. Adams/View uses the initial velocity during the Initial
conditions simulation, which it runs before it runs a Simulation of your model.

You can specify translational and angular velocities for rigid bodies and flexible bodies and only
translational velocity for point masses.
• Translational velocity defines the time rate of change of a part's center of mass with respect to
ground or another marker in your model. You can specify translational velocity for each vector
component of the marker.
10 Adams/View
Modifying Part Properties

• Angular velocity defines the time rate of change of a part's rotational position with respect to the
CM marker of the part or another marker in your model. You can specify angular velocity for
each vector component of the marker.
If you specify initial velocities, Adams/View uses them as the initial velocity of the part during initial
conditions simulations regardless of any other forces acting on the part. You can also leave some or all
of the velocities unset. Leaving a velocity unset lets Adams/View calculate the velocity of the part during
an assemble operation depending on the other forces and constraints acting on the part. Note that it is not
the same as setting the initial velocity to zero. Setting an initial velocity to zero means that the part will
not be moving in the specified direction when the simulation starts regardless of any forces and
constraints acting upon it.

To modify initial velocities:

1. If the Modify Body or Create/Modify Point Mass dialog box is not already displayed, display it as
explained in Accessing Modify Dialog Boxes.
2. Set Category to Velocity Initial Conditions.
The dialog box changes so you can enter translational and angular velocity. If you selected
Velocity Initial Conditions from the Modify Point Mass dialog box, only the options for setting
translational velocity are available.
3. Set the translational and angular velocity as explained in the table below, and then select Apply.

To: Do the following:

Select the coordinate system Select the following:
along or about whose axes the
translational or angular velocity For translational velocity, select Ground or select Marker and enter
vector components will be a marker in your model in the text box that appears.
specified.
For angular velocity, select Part CM to select the part's center-of-
mass (CM) marker or select Marker and enter a marker in your
model.
Set the velocity along or about Select the axes along or about which you want to define velocity and
an axis enter the velocity in the text box that appears next to the axes check
boxes. Remember, leaving a velocity unset lets Adams/View
calculate the velocity of the part during an initial conditions
simulation depending on the other forces and constraints acting on
the part. It is not the same as setting the initial velocity to zero.

Modifying Initial Location and Orientation

In addition to specifying initial velocities, you can also control the initial position for a part’s location
and orientation. You should specify the initial position when you do not want Adams/View to reposition
the part. Adams/Solver uses the initial position during an Initial conditions simulation, which it runs before
it runs a Simulation of your model.
 Modifying Geometry and Part Properties 11
Modifying Part Properties

You can control initial locations and orientations for rigid bodies and Flexible bodies and only initial
locations for Point masses.
• Location fixes any of the current translational coordinates (x, y, or z) of the part as the initial
location.
• Orientation fixes any of the current body-fixed 313 rotational coordinates (psi, theta, or phi
angles) as the initial orientation. These rotation angles are those associated with a body-fixed
313 rotation sequence regardless of which sequence you set as the default for the modeling
database. (Learn about Rotation Sequences.)
If Adams/Solver has to alter part positions to obtain consistent initial conditions during an initial
conditions simulation, it does not vary the coordinates you specify, unless it must vary them to satisfy the
initial conditions you specify for a joint or a motion.
If you fix the initial positions of too many parts, the initial conditions simulation can fail. Use initial
positions sparingly.

To modify initial position and orientation:

1. Display the Modify Body dialog box as explained in Accessing Modify Dialog Boxes.
2. Set Category to Position Initial Conditions.
The dialog box displays options for setting position initial conditions. If you selected Position ICs
from the Modify Point Mass dialog box, only options for setting location conditions are available.
3. Select the coordinates or angles that you want fixed during initial conditions simulation as
explained in the Modify Body - Position Initial Conditions and select Apply.