Use the Ground tool to define which parts are considered to be ground and therefore
immovable.
Location: Motion ribbon, Connections group
Click the
satellite icon that appears when you hover over the Ground tool to view a list of all ground
parts in your model. All ground parts are shown with an icon in the Model
Browser.
Define Ground Parts
To ground a part, select the Ground tool then select the part.
Ground parts are shown in red. Any parts that were selected prior to
clicking the Ground tool will become grounded automatically.
Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.
Tip:
The Ground tool is helpful when debugging a motion model because it allows
you to temporarily prevent parts from moving.
There are other ways to ground a part. For example, you could use the
Supports tool to apply a support to a face and restrict translation and
rotation in all directions. However, parts that are grounded using
alternative methods will not appear red when using the Ground tool, and will
not be listed in the Ground Parts table.
You can only use the Ground tool to ground parts, not connections. If you
want to ground a fastener or a joint, change its type in the microdialog or
Property Editor to a grounded version (i.e. grounded bolt, grounded screw,
or grounded pin).
Ground Parts Table
The Ground Parts table lists all of the parts in your model and whether they are ground
or not.
Location: Ground tool, satellite icon
Figure 1. Ground Parts Table
To
Do this
Rename the part
Select the cell in the table and then click again to make the field
editable.
Change the ground state
Select or deselect the check box next to the part.
Sort the column
Click the column header. Click repeatedly to toggle between ascending and
descending order.
Add or remove columns
Right-click on a column header to change what result types are shown, and to sort
the order of the columns.
Shortcuts
To
Do this
Unground a part
Left-click a selected (red) feature.
Ground multiple parts
Box select in the modeling window.
Unground multiple parts
Press Shift + box select in the modeling window.
Exit the tool
Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.