28. Simulation Structure

The Simulation Structure contains the structure of your dynamic simulation. It contains rigid bodies, joints and solids. Rigid bodies can be collected into groups for a better overview of larger documents.

Before the addin is activated for a document, the simulation structure only contains the activation button:

../_images/SimulationStructureActivate.png

Initially when loading a previously created document, activating the add-in, there will be only one rigid body with all the components and solids. This is to reduce the risk of loading a huge document, with too many components, resulting in too many rigid bodies leading to unmanageable slow simulations. Therefore the add-in always starts from one rigid body, where the user can split and merge bodies into the structure that is desired for the simulation.

28.1. Locate in Simulation Structure

../_images/LocateInStructure.png

Whenever one or more solids, components or joints are selected in the model, the context menu in SpaceClaim will show the entry Locate in Simulation Structure which will locate and highlight the corresponding entries in the Simulation Structure:

../_images/LocateInStructureSimStructure.png

28.2. Enabling/Disabling

Checking and unchecking objects in the simulation structure will specify if the object should be part of the dynamic simulation or not. A rigid body (and its constraints) will be automatically disabled if it contains no enabled components.

Enabling currently selected solid(s) and or component(s) can also be done by right clicking either in the simulation structure:

../_images/DisableForSimulationSpaceClaimStructure.png

Same goes for enabling previously disabled objects.

Note

To work yourself through your model, use the SpaceClaim select tool, clicking edges or surfaces, CTRL+Shift+MouseWheel up to navigate through the model and specify your selection. Then use the right mouse click menu for fast access of the most common commands such as enable for simulation, split/merge etc.

28.3. Merge/Split

Merging and splitting bodies can be done by selecting objects in the tree (bodies and or components) and right click to get a menu, or by the ribbon edit buttons, or by drag drop in the simulation structure.

../_images/SimStructureRightClick.png

28.4. Groups

Rigid bodies can be collected into groups. This helps in structuring the simulation document for larger models. Creating a group is done by:

  • Right click on a rigid body and select Add to group. This will create a new group and move the selected rigid body/bodies to the new group:

../_images/AddToGroup.png

  • Right click the Simulation (root of the tree) and select Create group:

../_images/SimulationCreateGroup.png

28.5. Change View

The Simulation Structure can be grouped in three different ways - Group by Bodies (default), Group by Components or Group by Joints:

../_images/SimulationStructureRightClickRoot.png

Attention

In the above image, the Select all components enabled for simulation will change the current selection to all components that is currently enabled for simulation.

28.6. Selecting components/solids

It is possible to select all solids/components which belongs to either a rigid body or a group. Right click a group or a rigid body and select the Select all components/Select all solids

../_images/SimulationStructureSelectAllSolids.png

28.7. Right click menu for Joints

When right clicking a joint menu appears:

../_images/SimulationStructureUseInSequenceEditor.png

  • Use in Sequence Editor - Toggles the use of this joint in the Sequence Editor.

  • Convert to Hinge joint* - Convert this joint to a Hinge Joint

  • Convert to Cylindrical joint* - Convert this joint to a Cylindrical Joint

  • Convert to Prismatic joint* - Convert this joint to a Prismatic joint

  • Disable Joint for Simulation - Will disable the joint from the simulation. This will also automatically enable collision between the two rigid bodies.

  • Reverse direction - This is only available for hinge, prismatic and cylindrical joints attached to two bodies. This will swap the two attached rigid bodies. Effectively it will also flip the order of the joint.

  • Rename - Rename the Joint. Also available with the F2 button.

* Depending on the type of the currently selected joint

28.8. Passive mode

If Momentum is operating in passive mode the Simulation Structure is per default hidden by a refresh button. Press this refresh button to temporarily show the simulation structure. Note that the structure view will be hidden again when any modifications are done to the document.

../_images/SimulationStructurePassiveMode.png