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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.
Flexible Bodies
Convert rigid bodies or rigid groups to flexible bodies and review flexible body modes before running a motion analysis.
Replace a Flexible Body
Replace a flexible body with an OptiStruct-generated .h3d file

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.
  - Attachments
    Attachments offer a means to connect definition-based analyst entities such as systems, analyses, data sets and templates.
  - Motion Create
  - Motion Connections
    Define motion connections by grounding parts and creating rigid groups and joints.
  - 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.
    - Create a Flexible Body
      Convert one or more rigid bodies or rigid groups to flexible bodies.
    - Replace a Flexible Body
      Replace a flexible body with an OptiStruct-generated .h3d file
    - Import a Flexible Body
      Import a flexible body with an OptiStruct-generated .h3d file
    - Part Gaps and Overlaps
      Before creating a flexible body from rigid group, ensure that there are no gaps or overlapping parts to avoid under constrained parts, incorrect model frequencies, or failure to create the flexible body.
    - Mesh Controls
      Use mesh controls to assign an element size to parts or faces.
    - Review Flexible Body Modes
      Review and animate flexible body modes using the Analysis Explorer.
    - Flexible Body Contact
      Two methods are available for enhancing the behavior of flexible bodies: FlexContact+ and FlexContact+ for Joints. Both methods involve a form of geometry-based contact to improve flex body results accuracy, capturing realistic behavior of contact area stress/strain and stress/strain near joint locations.
    - Connection Radius
  - Motion References
  - Motion Measurements
  - 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.

Replace a Flexible Body

Replace a flexible body with an OptiStruct-generated .h3d file

On the Motion ribbon, under Profile, select Analyst.
Under Flex Body, select the Flex Body Replace tool.

Tip: To find and open a tool, press Ctrl+F. For more information, see Find and Search for Tools.

A dialog opens noting changes that will result from the Replace operation.
Click Continue in the dialog.
Browse and select the flex body .h3d file.
If there are interface nodes on the flex body whose coordinate offsets are greater than what is specified in Preferences > Inspire Motion > Visualization > Flex Body Node Tolerance, a dialog opens warning of the misalignment.
There are two options in the dialog:
- Align – Move the motion entity attachment locations to match the locations of the interface nodes.
- Continue – Do not move the motion entity attachment locations and accept the misalignment with the interface node.
Note: When a part is replaced with a flexible body using the Replace option, existing Motion-Designer joint types will be automatically converted to Motion-Analyst joint types. This conversion is permanent. A part cannot be replaced with a flex body more than once. A flexible part introduced using Replace cannot be re-created using Flex Body Create.