MV-1032: Build Models and Simulations Using Wizards

Tutorial Level: Intermediate In this tutorial, you will learn how to build a model using the Assembly and Task Wizards in MotionView, how to view a standard report, and how to modify a model and compare results using the Report Template.

Model Wizards are powerful tools in MotionView that can be used to quickly build models with standard topology that is used repeatedly. There are two standard wizards available: the Assembly Wizard and the Task Wizard (which work in conjunction with one another). Both of these wizards rely on a library of pre-saved system, analysis, and report definition files to automate the processes of building models, analyzing them, and post-processing the results. The wizard mechanics are shown in Figure 1:
Figure 1.


  • A collection of systems and analyses are stored as a library.
  • The Assembly Wizard presents the user with various options for selecting systems to instantiate (in the form of a series of panels).
  • The systems selected by the user in the panels are instantiated using the system definitions contained in the MotionView client library, thereby assembling the model comprised of different systems. An Attachment Wizard is used to select possible attachment options for each instantiated system.
  • Once the model is built, the Task Wizard is invoked in order to attach applicable events to the model. The selected analysis is instantiated using the analysis definition stored in the library.

Build a Front Suspension Model using Assembly Wizard

In this exercise, you will build a suspension model of a vehicle using the standard wizard library available in MotionView.

  1. Start a new MotionView session.
  2. On the menu bar, click Model > Assembly Wizard.
    This will display the Assembly Wizard dialog.
  3. For Model type, click Front end of vehicle. Then click Next.
  4. For Drive type, click Front Wheel Drive. Then click Next.
  5. For Primary Systems for Front end of vehicle, make the selections shown in Figure 2. Then click Next.
    Figure 2.


  6. From Select steering subsystems, for Steering Column choose Steering column 1 (not for abaqus). For Steering Boost choose None.
  7. Click Next.
  8. From Select springs, dampers, and stabilizer bars, specify the options shown in Figure 3. Then click Next.
    Figure 3.


  9. From Select jounce and rebound bumpers, choose None for both options. Then click Next.
  10. From the Select Driveline Systems dialog, for Front Driveline choose Independent fwd and click Next.
    You now have all of the required systems for the model. The Next button is now the Attachments button.
  11. Click the Attachments button to open the Attachment Wizard dialog.
    The Attachment Wizard shows the attachment choices which are available for each sub-system.
  12. Review and accept the default selections in the Attachment Wizard.
  13. Click Finish.
    Your model will look like the example in Figure 4:
    Figure 4.


    This model represents a front end suspension of a vehicle with a Short Long Arm type (also known as Wishbone) of suspension and a steering system. The vehicle body is fixed to ground. The upper and lower control arms of the suspension are attached to the vehicle body at one end through bushings, while they are connected to a knuckle on the other end through ball joints. A wheel hub (no graphics for this body are in the model) is mounted on the knuckle through a revolute joint. The wheel is fixed to the wheel hub.
    The steering system consists of a rack with a translation joint with a rack housing (through a dummy body). The ends of the rack are connected to a tie rod at each end through ball joints and the other end of the tie rod is connected to the steer arm of the knuckle through ball joints. The rack gets its movement from the steering column through a coupler constraint between the rack and the pinion.

Add a Static Ride Analysis Task using Task Wizard

In this step you will attach a static ride analysis for the suspension assembly using the Task Wizard.

The Analysis Task Wizard allows you to assign an event analysis to the model using a wizard. This default suspension wizard is configured such that the available analyses choices are dependent on the system selections made in the Assembly Wizard. Since this is a half-vehicle model, only events that are applicable for a half-vehicle model are available. Through the analysis you will complete in this step, you can study the kinematic characteristic of the suspension for varying vertical positions of the wheels. Both wheels are exercised such that they move vertically along the same direction.
  1. On the menu bar, click Analysis > Task Wizard.
  2. In the Car/small truck - Front end tasks dialog, from the drop-down menu select Static Ride Analysis. Then click Next.
  3. Read the information in the dialog box and click Finish.
  4. In the Vehicle Parameters dialog, retain the current parameters and click Finish.
    Your model should appear similar to the one shown in Figure 5. The Model Tree in the Project Browser now includes an Analysis called Static ride analysis.
    Figure 5.


    Note: The static ride analysis event consists of a pair of jacks that are attached to the wheels at the tire contact patch location. The jacks are actuated through Actuator Forces that exercises them in the vertical direction in a sinusoidal fashion. It is possible to add many different analysis tasks to the same model, however only one analysis task may be active at one time.
  5. Rename the model My Front SLA Suspension by doing one of the following:
    • In the Project Browser, right-click on Model and select Change Label from the context menu.
    • Left-click on Model and press F2 on the keyboard.
  6. In the Project Browser, expand the folders Static ride analysis > Forms and select the Static Ride Parameters form.
  7. In the Forms panel, for both Jounce travel (mm) and Rebound travel (mm), enter a value of 50.0.
  8. Click (Save) and save the model as sla_ride.mdl to your <working directory>.

Run the Simulation and View the Report

In this step you will run the front suspension model simulation and view the standard report.

The static ride simulation is a 10 second quasi-static run. Within the 10 seconds the jack moves in jounce (vertically upwards), then moves down until the rebound position is reached (distance from the initial position downwards), and then back to its initial position. The amount of travel is as per the distance specified in the Static Ride parameters form.
  1. On the General Actions toolbar, click (Run).
  2. Click the and specify the name of the solver file as sla_ride_baseline.xml.
  3. Save the solver file to your <working directory>.
  4. Click the Run button.
  5. When the job is completed, close the Solver window and clear the Message Log.
  6. On the menu bar, click Analysis > View Reports.
  7. In the dialog, choose Front Ride-MSolve SDF based Report My Front SLA Suspension. Then click OK.
    This analysis comes with a Standard Report Template that plots the results and loads the animation in subsequent pages.
  8. Use the and buttons to navigate the plots and animation pages in the report.
    The last page is the TextView client with an open Suspension Design Factors (SDF) report. This report lists the suspension factors at each time interval of the simulation.
    How does viewing pre-specified results work?
    A report that refers to a report template file (a template that contains plot and animation definitions) can be defined in the MotionView model using the *Report() MDL statement. Whenever a model containing such a report definition is submitted to a solver, MotionView writes a record of the report into a log file named .reports. You can specify the location of this file with the preference file statement *RegisterReportsLog(path). The default location of the .reports file is:
    • UNIX - <user home>
    • PC - C:\Documents and Settings\<user>

    You can also set the path of the .reports file by selecting the Set Wizard path option under the Model menu.

    When View Reports from the Analysis menu is selected, MotionView displays the contents of the .reports file in the Reports dialog. When you select a report from the dialog, MotionView loads the requested report definition file into your session.

    The following is a sample entry from the .reports log file:

    Front Ride - MSolve Report Front Static Ride
02/10/XX 06:07:58
E:/Altair/hw/mdl/mdllib/Libs/Tasks/adams/Front/Ride/ms_rep_kc_front.tpl
*Report(rep_kc_frnt_mc, Front Ride - MSolve Report, repdef_kc_frnt,
"E:/Temp/sla_rigid.h3d", "E:/Temp/sla_rigid.h3d", "E:/Temp/sla_rigid.plt")

    The first line contains the report label, model label, and the date and time when the solver input files were saved. This information is contained in the Reports dialog. You should give your models specific names, otherwise they will be labeled Model.

    Line 2 contains the name of the report definition file that the report is to be derived from.

    Line 3 contains an MDL statement called *Report(). This statement specifies the report definition variable name along with the required parameters. Refer to the MDL online help for more information.

Modify the Model Parameters

In this step you will modify the suspension parameters and re-run the simulation.

  1. Return to the MotionView client page.
  2. In the Project Browser, right-click on Frnt SLA susp (1 pc. LCA) and select Data Summary from the context menu.
    This will display the Data Summary dialog.
    Figure 6.


  3. Append +10 to the Z coordinate of Lwr ball jt.
  4. Change the coordinates for LCA frnt bush.
    1. Append -5 to the X coordinate.
    2. Append +5 to the Y coordinate.
  5. Change the coordinates for the UCA rear bush.
    1. Append +3 to the X coordinate.
    2. Append -5 to the Y coordinate.
  6. Click on the Bushings tab.
  7. Change the KZ value of LCA frnt bush to -200.
  8. Change the KZ value of UCA frnt bush to +200. Then click Close.
  9. On the General Actions toolbar, click (Run).
  10. Click the and specify the name of the solver file as sla_rigid_change.xml.
  11. Save the solver file to your <working directory>.
  12. Click the Run button.
  13. When the job is completed, close the Solver window and clear the Message Log.

Compare Results

In this step, you will compare the reports for both suspension simulations.

  1. On the menu bar, click Analysis > View Reports.
  2. Click the most recent report (located at the top of the list) and click OK.
    This will overlay the new results in the plot and animation windows.
  3. Use the and buttons to navigate to the HyperView client page (page 17 of the session).
  4. From the toolbar, change the Color Mode to By Model.
    Figure 7.

    The visualization of the second overlayed model is now changed.

  5. In the Results Browser, go to the Files View . Make the first Model current using the right-click context menu as shown in Figure 8.
    Figure 8.


  6. Change the Color Mode for this model, following step 4 above.
  7. From the Animation toolbar, click the (Start/Pause Animation) button to animate your results. Now you can observe the differences between the two models.
  8. Navigate to the MotionView client page.
  9. Click to save the model.
  10. Click (Save Session).
  11. Save the file as my_susp_analysis.mvw in your <working directory>.
    The model, plot, and animation information is saved in the session file.