Editing Modeling Objects

Basics
2 Adams/View
Selecting Objects

Selecting Objects
When you create a modeling object, such as a part or force, Adams/View automatically selects it so that
you can edit it. When you create a Rigid body, Hotpoints and an Object position handle appear on the body
so that you can rotate and position the body's geometry.
You can also select objects for editing. You can select one or more objects or select a group of objects
based on their type, such as select all link geometry.

Select Tool
Main toolbox -> Select tool

Selects modeling objec such as parts or forces. Selecting the object deselects any currently selected
object. If you select a rigid body, Adams/View selects the entire body including its geometry.

To select a single object:

1. From the Main toolbox, select the Select tool .
2. Click anywhere on the object.
The object appears with a thicker line width. If the object is a rigid body, its Hotpoints and object
position handle appear on the body so that you can rotate and position the body’s geometry.

To select several objects:

1. From the Main toolbox, select the Select tool .
2. Position the cursor on the screen where you want a corner of the selection box and drag the mouse
to draw a rectangle that encloses or touches the objects that you want to select.
3. Release the mouse button.
The selected objects appear with a thicker line width. If the object is a rigid body, its hotpoints
and the object position handle appear on the body so that you can rotate and position the body’s
geometry.

Selecting Objects from a Crowd

When you are performing an operation, such as setting an object’s appearance, and you need to select an
object from the screen but the object is obscured by other objects, you can display a list of all objects in
that area and then select the desired object from the list. Note that this only works during a modeling
operation.

To display a list of all objects in an area of the screen:

1. Start the operation you want to perform.
2. Click the right mouse button when the cursor is the area of the screen containing the desired
object.
 Basics 3
Selecting Objects

A selection box of all the objects in the area appears.

3. Highlight the desired object from the list, and then select OK.

Selecting a Single Object Using a Shortcut Menu

As an alternative to the Select tool, you can select a single object using the shortcut menu.

To select a single object using the shortcut menu:

1. Place the cursor over the object that you want to select.
2. Click and hold down the right mouse button.
A shortcut menu appears.
3. Point to the object name and then select Select.
The object appears with a thicker line width. If the object is a Rigid body, its Hotpoints and Object
position handle appear on the body so that you can rotate and position the body’s geometry.

Managing the List of Selected Objects

You can use the Select List Manager to view objects you've selected and add to and remove objects from
the Select list. You can add and remove objects based on their name, type, group, and parent.
Learn more:
• Displaying the Select List Manager
• Adding a Single Object to the Select List
• Adding or Removing Objects
• Updating the Select List Display
• Selecting Objects in a Group

Displaying the Select List Manager

To display the Select List Manager:

• From the Edit menu, select Select List.
The Select List Manager appears.
The current objects in the select list appear in the Select List Manager window.

Adding a Single Object to the Select List

To add a single object to the select list:

• In the Object Name text box, enter the name of the object that you want to add, and then select
the Add button next to the text box.
Tips on Entering Object Names in Text Boxes.
4 Adams/View
Selecting Objects

Adding or Removing Objects

You can add multiple objects to or remove multiple objects from the select list. Adams/View gives you
the flexibility to:
• Broaden the search for objects to be included or removed by entering wildcards. You can specify,
for example, to remove all objects that contain a particular character, such as an h. Learn more
about Using Wildcards.
• Limit the scope of the objects to be added or removed to only objects that belong to a particular
object. For example, you can limit the scope from all markers to only markers belonging to a
PART_1.

To add or remove multiple objects to and from the select list based on search criteria:
1. In the Name Filter text box, enter the name of the objects that you want to add to or remove from
the select list. Type any wildcards that you want included.
2. Set Type Filter to the type of object or objects that you want to add or remove. To display all the
different object types, select Browse.
3. In the Scope text box, limit the scope of objects to be added or removed to only objects belonging
to a certain object by entering the name of the parent object.
4. Select Add or Remove.

To remove selected objects from the list:

1. Select Remove Objects.
A list of currently selected objects appears.
2. Select the object or objects to remove. Tips To select objects:.
3. Select OK.

To quickly remove all objects from the list:

• Select Clear All.

Updating the Select List Display

You can update the list of objects in the Select List Manager window so that it reflects any selections that
you made using the mouse or shortcut menus as explained in the previous sections.

To update the select list display:

• Select Refresh.

Selecting Objects in a Group

You can add to or remove objects in a group to the Select List Manager just as you would for any type of
object as explained in Adding or Removing Objects. Before adding the object to the select list, you can
set whether or not you want to list each object in the group in the Select List Manager or just list the name
of the group.
 Basics 5
Selecting Objects

To list all objects in a group in the Select List Manager:

• Select Expand Groups.

Deselecting Objects
To deselect objects:
• From the Edit menu, select Deselect All.

Tip: Ctrl + D.

• Click when the cursor is anywhere on the background of the screen.

6 Adams/View
Editing Objects Using the Table Editor

Editing Objects Using the Table Editor

The Table Editor is a convenient way to manage the objects in your model. It displays the objects in your
Modeling database in table format so you can compare the objects and quickly update them. For example,
you can update the x, y, and z locations of all parts in your model at once or parameterize the locations
of parts to the locations of other parts. The information that you can view and update about an object
depends on the type of object. The Table Editor also lets you create and delete objects.
Learn about:

Display Options
• Displaying the Table Editor
• Setting Types of Objects Displayed in the Table Editor
• Sorting Objects in the Table Editor

Working with Objects and Cells

• Copying Objects in the Table Editor
• Creating Objects in the Table Editor
• Deleting Objects in the Table Editor
• Working with Cells in the Table Editor

Applying and Saving Information

• Reloading Database Values in the Table Editor
• Applying Changes in the Table Editor
• Saving Table Editor Information

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

Displaying the Table Editor

To display the Table Editor:
• From the Tools menu, select Table Editor.
 Basics 7
Editing Objects Using the Table Editor

By default, the Table Editor displays the x, y, and z location of parts in your model.

Setting Types of Objects Displayed in the Table Editor

You can display any type of object that is in your current Modeling database through the Table Editor.
For example, you can select to view all Markers or all motions. You can only view one type of object at
a time.
Adams/View provides option buttons for selecting the most common modeling objects. The option
buttons appear along the bottom of the Table Editor.

To set the type of objects displayed:

• From along the bottom of the Table Editor, select a check box of the desired object type.
Adams/View updates the Table Editor to display the selected type of object.
If you do not see any objects in the Table Editor, the filter may not be set correctly for the type of object
you selected. For example, by default, the filter for joints is set to only display revolute joints. Therefore,
if you have no revolute joints in your model, you will not see any joints displayed in the Table Editor
when you select Joints as the type of object.
You can change the filter the categories of information that the Table Editor displays. You can also narrow
the display of objects based on an object's name or parent, such as to display only markers that belong to
PART_1, which is called setting the scope. You can also narrow the display based on the names of
objects. For example, you can set the name filter to only display the names of objects that contain the
number 2 (MARKER_20, MARKER_21, and so on). Using the scope and name filter together, you can
focus on those objects of interest and filter out the rest.
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Editing Objects Using the Table Editor

The categories of information that you can display about an object depend on the type of object. For
example, for parts, you can display their location, initial conditions, and attributes, such as whether they
are visible or active in the current simulation. For markers, you can view their locations, as well as their
locations relative to ground. For forces, you cannot change the information displayed, only the types of
forces displayed. For joints, you can change the information displayed as well as the type of joints
displayed.

To filter the information displayed in the Table Editor:

1. Set the type of object displayed to a standard object as explained in To set type of objects
displayed.
2. Select Filters from the Table Editor.
A Table Editor Filters dialog box appears. The options in the dialog box depend on the type of
object currently displayed.
3. In the Scope text box, limit the scope of the search, if desired, to all objects beneath a particular
object in the database hierarchy by entering the name of the object. Note that you cannot enter
wildcards in the Scope text box.
For example, enter .model_1 to display all objects under your entire model or enter
.model_1.PART_3 to display objects belonging only to PART_3.
4. In the Name Filter text box, enter the name of the object or objects that you want to display. Type
any wildcards that you want included. By default, Adams/View displays all objects that meet the
scope entered in the previous step regardless of their name. Learn more about Using Wildcards.
For example, enter the following to display all markers whose names start with MARKER_2 or
MARKER_3 (MARKER_20, MARKER_30, MARKER_31, and so on).
MARKER_[23]*
5. Select the categories of information or set the type of object that you want displayed and select
OK.
The following figure shows an example of displaying information about markers. In the example,
you first select Markers from the bottom of the Table Editor. When the Markers Table Editor
Filters dialog box appears, you set the types of information to display about markers. The result
in the Table Editor is a listing of six markers.

Sorting Objects in the Table Editor

You can sort the information in the Table Editor by object name or by a particular column and set the type
of sorting. You can select:
• Alphanumeric sorting, which sorts the information so that alphabetic characters are first
followed by numeric characters.
 Basics 9
Editing Objects Using the Table Editor

• Numeric sorting, which sorts objects based on their numeric value. It sorts any alphabetic
characters as zeros.

Note: When you sort the Table Editor, Adams/View sets the values displayed in cells back
to those stored in the Modeling database. Therefore, you lose any changes that you
made to cells and did not apply to your modeling database

To sort objects in the Table Editor:

1. Select Sorting in the Table Editor.
The Sorting Settings dialog box appears.
2. Set the sorting options as explained in the table below, and then select OK.

To set: Select one of the following:

The category on which • No sorting - Objects appear in the Table Editor in the order they are
objects are sorted stored in the modeling database.
• Sort By Name - Sorts the objects by their name (by rows).
• Sort By Column Labelled and enter the name of the column on which
to sort the objects. To select a column name from a list, select Select.
Sort order • Alphabetic to sort alphabetic characters first.
• Numeric to sort in numeric order. It sorts any alphabetic characters as
zeros.

Copying Objects in the Table Editor

You can create a new object by copying an existing object in the Table Editor. Adams/View assigns the
new object a default name and displays its information in the last row of the Table Editor.

To copy an object:
1. Select the row containing the object you want to copy.
2. Right-click a cell in a row that is not selected. From the shortcut menu that appears, select Copy
Object.
Adams/View creates a duplicate of the object. It places the object in the last row of the Table
Editor.

Note: The operations you perform with the Table Editor are not stored in your Modeling
database until you apply them. Learn Applying Changes in the Table Editor.
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Editing Objects Using the Table Editor

Creating Objects in the Table Editor

Using the Table Editor, you can create certain types of modeling objects. For most types of objects, you
can only create an object if another object of that type already exists in the Modeling database. For
example, if the Table Editor is set to display forces but you currently have no forces in your modeling
database, you cannot create a force through the Table Editor.
You can create parts, points, and coordinate system markers, however, regardless of whether or not an
object of that type already exists in the modeling database. For example, you can create a new marker if
the Table Editor is set to display coordinate system markers. You do not have to have an object of this
type already in the database.
Note that you cannot create a joint through the Table Editor.

To create a part, marker, or point with default values:

1. Display parts, markers, or points in the Table Editor. Learn about Displaying the Table Editor.
2. Select the Create button along the bottom of the Table Editor.
Adams/View creates an object with default values. It displays the object's information in the last
row of the Table Editor.

To create other types of objects:

1. Display the type of object you want to create in the Table Editor. An object of the type to be
created must already exist in the database.
2. Right-click a cell that is not selected. From the shortcut menu that appears, select Create Object.
Adams/View displays a dialog box that helps you create the object.
3. Enter the values in the dialog box, and then select OK.

Note: The operations you perform with the Table Editor are not stored in your Modeling
database until you apply them. Learn Applying Changes in the Table Editor.

Deleting Objects in the Table Editor

You can delete any object in the Modeling database using the Table Editor. Be careful, however, when
you delete non-standard objects, such as view layouts or interface objects. Deleting a non-standard object
may have more consequences that you are not aware of.

To delete an object:
1. Select the row containing the object you want to delete.
2. Right-click a cell in the row. From the shortcut menu that appears, select Delete Object.
 Basics 11
Editing Objects Using the Table Editor

Adams/View deletes the object from the Table Editor.

Note: The operations you perform with the Table Editor are not stored in your Modeling
database until you apply them. Learn Applying Changes in the Table Editor.

Working with Cells in the Table Editor

The cells of the Table Editor display information about the objects in your Modeling database. You can
modify the information displayed about objects to make changes to the objects in the modeling database.
For example, you can move a point by changing its x location in the Table Editor from 50 inches to 60
inches.
Learn about:
• Entering Text in Cells
• Inserting Text into a Multiple Cells
• Entering Object and Information Names in Cells
• Modifying Cells Based on Their Current Contents

Note: The operations you perform with the Table Editor are not stored in your modeling
database until you apply them. Learn Applying Changes in the Table Editor.

Entering Text in Cells

While you can enter text directly into the cells of the Table Editor, you can also use the input box that
appears at the top of the Table Editor, as shown below. The input box lets you add text to more than one
cell at a time and quickly update the values in the cell.

To enter text in a cell:

1. Click the cell. The text cursor appears in the cell.
2. Type the text you want.
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Editing Objects Using the Table Editor

To enter text through the input box:

1. Click the cell whose text you want to edit.
The text in the cell appears in the input box.
2. Place the cursor in the input box and type the text you want.
3. To insert the text in the input box into the cell, do either of the following:
• Select the Lock tool .
• Press Enter.

Inserting Text into a Multiple Cells

You can use the input box to insert the same text into multiple cells at once.

To insert text into multiple cells:

1. Select the cells in which you want to insert the text.
2. In the input box, enter the text that you want to insert as explained in Entering Text in Cells.
3. Select the Insert tool ..

Entering Object and Information Names in Cells

When you create function expressions or parameterize your model, you often need to include the full
name of a modeling object, which is the name of the object's parent followed by the object's name, and
the name assigned to the information you want associated with the object as it appears in the modeling
database. For example, when building a function for a force, you often refer to a marker's displacement
in the x direction. In a function expression, enter the following:
.model_1.PART_2.MAR_1.Loc_X
The Table Editor provides a shortcut for entering the object and field names so that you can build
functions and parameterize your model quickly.

To quickly enter an object's full name and information field into the input box:
1. Place the cursor in the input box where you want the object name to be inserted.
2. Select the Object Name & Field tool f(x) on the Table Editor.
3. Select any cell in the row containing the object whose name you want to input.
Adams/View inserts the object's full name and field information into the cell.
For more information on building functions, see the Adams/View Function Builder online help. For
information on parameterizing your model, see Improving Your Model Designs.

Modifying Cells Based on Their Current Contents

Using the Table Editor, you can quickly update the current value in many cells at once. For example, you
can update the x location of all markers to be that of their current location plus 3. The Table Editor creates
a variable based on the current contents of a cell ( $cell), which you can use to update the cells.
 Basics 13
Editing Objects Using the Table Editor

For a marker example, the Table Editor would create a text string in the input box that represents the
current x location of all selected markers. You would then create an expression to add 3 to any current
cell value. The input box would look like the following:
$cell + 3
When you insert the expression into the x location cell of a selected marker, the variable changes to the
current value of the selected cell. For the marker example, the cell for MARKER_1 whose current value
is 20, now looks like the following:
(20 + 3)
When you apply the changes to the modeling database, Adams/View stores the value as an expression
(an expression in Adams/View always is enclosed in parenthesis ( )):
(20 + 3)
To have Adams/View evaluate the expression and store only a number, enter eval in front of the
expression in the input box as shown below and then insert the expression to the cells:
eval($cell + 3)

To modify the cells based on their current contents:

1. Display the type of object you want to update in the Table Editor, if necessary. Learn about Setting
Types of Objects Displayed in the Table Editor.
2. Select the cells you want to update.
3. Enter how you want to update the cells in the input box as explained in Entering Text in Cells.
4. Select the Cell Variable tool to create a variable representing the current contents of the
cells.
5. Select the Insert tool .
Adams/View updates the cells with the information in the input box.

Reloading Database Values in the Table Editor

If you have made changes to values in the Table Editor that you would like to clear out and reset to the
current values of the object, you can reload the table.

To reload the Table Editor:

• Select Reload.

Applying Changes in the Table Editor

You must apply any changes you make to objects in the Table Editor before Adams/View saves them in
the Modeling database.
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Editing Objects Using the Table Editor

To apply changes:
• From the Table Editor, select Apply.

Saving Table Editor Information

You can save the current contents of the Table Editor in ASCII format. Adams/View places spaces
between each cell.

To save the current contents:

1. From the Table Editor, select Write.
The File Selection dialog box appears.
2. In the Directories list box, select the directory in which you want the file located.
3. In the Selection text box, enter the file name.
4. Select OK.
 Basics 15
Accessing Modify Dialog Boxes

Accessing Modify Dialog Boxes

You use the modify dialog box associated with an object to change the properties of that object. For
example, you modify a simple idealized joint using the Modify Joint dialog box. Follow the instructions
below to learn how to display a modify dialog box band follow the instructions in the appropriate help
topics to learn how to modify a particular type of object using the dialog box.

To display a modify dialog box for an object on the screen:

• Right-click the object whose properties you want to modify, point to the type of object, and then
select Modify. For example, for a joint, the shortcut menu displays the word Joint. You would
point to Joint, and then select Modify.

Tip: You can zoom in on the object on the screen to more easily place the cursor over just
that object. Learn about Defining a Zoom Area.

The modify dialog box appears.

Tip: Double-click the object to display its modify dialog box or select the object and then
enter Ctrl + e.

To use the Database Navigator to display a modify dialog box:

1. Double-click the background of the Adams/View main window to clear any selections.
2. From the Edit menu, select Modify.
The Database Navigator appears.
3. Select the object whose properties you want to modify. Learn about Showing , Hiding, and
Selecting Objects in the Database Navigator.
4. Select OK.
The modify dialog box appears.