Tutorial: Getting Started with Motion Designer

Tutorial Level: Beginner Learn how to create connections, add a motor and spring damper force, and run a motion analysis.

In this lesson you will learn how to:

Open the CAD model

Press F7 to open the Demo Browser.
Double-click the M01_FourBar.x_t file in the Motion folder to load it in the modeling window.
If not already visible, press F2 to open the Model Browser.
Check that the display units are set to MKS.
Under File > Preferences > Inspire Motion > Run Options change the solver units to MKS.

On the Motion ribbon, select the Ground tool from the Connections category.

Tip: To find and open a tool, press Ctrl+F. For more information, see Find and Search for Tools.
Select the Base part to ground it.
The part turns red, and the part icon in the Model Browser changes to indicate that it is a ground part.
Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Select the Rigid Groups tool.
Select the Base, Mount Crank, and Mount Clevis parts in the bottom half of the mechanism.
The parts turn red as you select them.
Click the floating Create New Group icon to place the parts you selected into a new rigid group.
Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Click the Quick Run button on the Analyze Motion tool to see the model in motion.
Notice that the ground parts remain stationary and some of the unconnected parts fall due to gravity.

Note: The Quick Run is a toggle button, so you can also use it to stop an analysis that is still running.
After the analysis has stopped running, the icon appears and you are automatically placed into review mode. Click the Review Motion Results icon or double-right-click to exit review mode.

Select the Joints tool.
Check that the guide bar is set to the default settings (All Parts, All, Auto).
Click , then the button.

Joints are created at neighboring parts in the model. The colors indicate the joint state (in this case all have been set to Active).
Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Open the Gravity tool:
1. On the Motion ribbon, under Forces, select the Gravity tool.
  
  By default, the gravitational acceleration (G) is set to 9.80665 m/s² in the -z direction.
Notice that a vector is displayed which indicates the direction of gravity.

Figure 1.
Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Hover over the Analyze Motion tool, then click the Run Settings icon to open the Run Motion Analysis window.
Change the Output Rate to 100 by entering the value in the field or clicking the 100 button.

Figure 2.
Expand the Gravity section and verify that the Yes radio button is selected.
This is the default setting for a motion analysis.
Close the Run Motion Analysis window.
Click the Quick Run button on the Analyze Motion tool to see movement of the model with the joint connections in place.

A message will appear warning of redundant constraints. This is because we have all rigid bodies in the model and the combination of four revolute with three rigid bodies is over-constraining the model. There are different ways to resolve redundant constraints, but shortly we will address it by replacing a rigid part with a flexible body.
Figure 3.
Click Continue.
Click the Quick Run button again to stop the analysis.
Double-right-click to exit review mode.

Select the Motors tool.
Click the Cen (center) snap point of the Link Crank part to define the shaft connection point.
The feature turns red.
Select the Mount Crank as the base connection.
The motor is created, and a microdialog appears with the Speed set to 60 rpm.
Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Select the Coil Spring tool.
Select the Link Dual Slot part.
Select the Base part.
Click the Mid (middle) edge snap point of the Link Dual Slot part.
The selected feature turns red.
Figure 4.
Click the Mid (middle) edge snap point of the Base part.

Figure 5.
Click Accept to create the spring.
A coil spring appears and the microdialog shows the default settings.
In the microdialog that appears, change the K stiffness value to 2500 N/m and C Damping to 1 N*s/m. Leave the Force and Length options as the defaults.

Figure 6.
Click and drag the white arrow manipulator to reduce the spring diameter to .01 m.
Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Click the Run Settings icon.
Change the End Time to 2 s by entering the value in the field or clicking the 2 button.
Close the window.
Click the Quick Run button, then click Continue on the Redundant Constraint message dialog, to see movement of the model.
After two seconds, the run will complete and you will automatically be placed into the Review Motion Results tool.
Optional: Click the Play button on the animation toolbar to review the results.
Left-click and swipe to exit the animation context.

Change the Time on the animation toolbar to 0.73 s by dragging the slider bar.
Select Coil Spring 1 in the modeling window to see a plot of the spring forces.
Select Motor 1 to see a plot of the motor's output.
Click on the pin connecting the Link Single Slot to the Link Dual Slot to view a plot for the pin.

Note: Right-click on the plot to view other components that can be plotted.
Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.