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Motion
Set up and run a motion analysis, plot the results, and export the results.
Motion Analyst
The Analyst profile functions as a feature-rich pre-processor, originally inspired by the needs of the automotive industry. Utilizing a hard-point design approach, it provides access to the full suite of MotionSolve features and capabilities. The Analyst profile offers unparalleled flexibility in system modeling and can be highly tailored to specific industry requirements. However, this versatility comes with increased complexity, requiring a higher level of MBD expertise and a specialized mindset for effective use.
Motion Connections
Define motion connections by grounding parts and creating rigid groups and joints.
Advanced Joints
Use the Advanced Joints tool to create and edit a set of special constraints called higher pair joints. Typically, these are constraints that involve a curve or surface on at least one of the two bodies.
Edit Advanced Joints

Welcome
What's New
Discover new features and enhancements.
Get Started
New to Inspire? Learn the basics here.
Tutorials
Start using Inspire with our interactive tutorials.
Variables
Create and assign variables to parametrize a model. This allows you to quickly iterate and compare design concepts by tweaking the values of the variables.
Parametric Modeling
Create parametric sketches, geometry, and PolyNURBS with construction history and variables.
Implicit Modeling
Create implicit models with primitives, lattices, point clouds, fields, offsetting, Booleans, inverting, smoothing, morphing, and filleting.
Structures
Set up your model and run a structural analysis or optimization.
Motion
Set up and run a motion analysis, plot the results, and export the results.
- Motion Designer
  The Designer profile adopts a user-centric approach, prioritizing accessibility and ease of use over complexity. While its feature set is less extensive than that of the Analyst profile, it compensates by streamlining functionality and abstracting complexities through intuitive user interactions. This simplicity empowers users outside the traditional Multibody Dynamics (MBD) community to achieve their objectives efficiently, requiring minimal familiarity with MBD.
- Motion Analyst
  The Analyst profile functions as a feature-rich pre-processor, originally inspired by the needs of the automotive industry. Utilizing a hard-point design approach, it provides access to the full suite of MotionSolve features and capabilities. The Analyst profile offers unparalleled flexibility in system modeling and can be highly tailored to specific industry requirements. However, this versatility comes with increased complexity, requiring a higher level of MBD expertise and a specialized mindset for effective use.
  - Creating Motion Entities
  - Motion Connections
    Define motion connections by grounding parts and creating rigid groups and joints.
    - Ground
      Use the Ground tool to define which parts are considered to be ground and therefore immovable.
    - Rigid Groups
      Use the Rigid Groups tool to define which parts are considered to be grouped together and treated as one rigid body.
    - Joints
      Use the Joints tool to create and edit joints.
    - Couplers
      A Coupler entity defines an algebraic relationship between the degrees of freedom of two or three joints.
    - Gears
    - Advanced Joints
      Use the Advanced Joints tool to create and edit a set of special constraints called higher pair joints. Typically, these are constraints that involve a curve or surface on at least one of the two bodies.
      - Create Advanced Joints
      - Edit Advanced Joints
        Point to Curve (PTCV)
        A point to curve joint consists of a fixed point on one body sliding on a curve that is fixed on a second body. The point is not allowed to lift off the curve. The curve on the second body should be a 3D curve and needs to be specified using an Inspire curve (which is a reference entity).
        Curve to Curve (CVCV)
        The curve to curve constraint consists of a 3D curve fixed on one body rolling and sliding on a 3D curve fixed on a second body. The curves are required to have a unique point of contact and a common tangent at that point of contact. The curve-to-curve constraint is useful for modeling cams where the point of contact between two parts changes during the motion of the system. The curves always maintain contact, however, even when the physics of the model might dictate that one curve lift off the other.
        Point to Surface (PTSF)
        A point to surface joint constrains a fixed point on a body to slide along a surface. The point to surface joint provides five degrees of freedom: three rotational at the instantaneous point of contact and two translational DOF.
        Curve to Surface (CVSF)
        The curve to surface joint provides five degrees of freedom: three rotational at the instantaneous point of contact and two translational DOF.
        Surface to Surface (SFSF)
        The surface to surface constraint consists of a surface on one body rolling and sliding on the surface of a second body. Each of the surfaces are required to have a unique contact point. The surface to surface joint constrains the two surfaces as follows: the surfaces have exactly one contact point, and the normal at the contact point for each is anti-parallel.
        Point to Deformable Curve (PTDCV)
        The point to deformable curve joint constrains a fixed point on a body to slide along a curve that passes through the origins of a specified set of markers. These markers may belong to different bodies. As the markers move in space, the curve is calculated at every time step using CUBIC spline interpolation through the marker origins. Hence, the curve deforms as the markers move about.
        Point to Deformable Surface (PTDSF)
        The point to deformable surface joint constrains a fixed point on a body to slide along a surface that passes through the origins of a specified set of markers. These markers may belong to different bodies. As the markers move in space, the surface is calculated at every time step using CUBIC spline interpolation through the marker origins. Hence, the surface deforms as the markers move about.
    - Constraint Mates
      Use the Constraint Mates tool to connect two parts based on distance, coincidence, or tangency.
    - General Constraints
      Use the General Constraints tool to create a generic expression-based constraint.
  - Motion Forces
    Apply motors, actuators, springs, and gravity to define the elements for a motion analysis.
  - Flexible Bodies
    Convert rigid bodies or rigid groups to flexible bodies and review flexible body modes before running a motion analysis.
  - Motion References
  - Motion Outputs
  - Motion Control
  - Motion Analysis
    Run a motion analysis, plot the results, and extract the results for use in structural (FE) analysis and optimization.
Fluids
Prepare and run a computational fluid dynamics simulation.
Design Explorer
Evaluate designs by using geometric variables and applying a design-of-experiments (DOE) or optimization method. We recommend fully constraining your sketch when sketch variables are used in the design exploration.
Manufacture
Set up and run a basic porosity or thinning analysis.
Print 3D
Prepare and run an additive manufacturing simulation, and export a file for 3D printing.
Rendering
Adjust the materials and environment of objects in the scene to create a photorealistic image.
Inspire Python API
Learn how to access the Inspire Python API including online help, quick start demos, and the Extension Manager.
Reference
View the glossary, frequently asked questions, and errors and alerts.
Keyboard Shortcuts and Mouse Controls
Learn keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls for common operations.

Edit Advanced Joints