Creating Animation
with SolidWorks
Motion Drivers
Jim Boland P.E., CSWP
What Is Going To Be Covered?
Youve go to be very careful if you dont know where you are
going because you might not get there.
-Yogi Berra
Basic principles of animations.
Choosing the right type of Motion Study.
Animation, Basic Motion, or Motion Analysis
Motion Drivers
Keypoint
Animation Wizard
Mates
Angle
Distance
Path
Motors
Constant Speed
Distance
Oscillating
Interpolated
(2010) / Data
Points (2011)
Segment
Expression
Physics
Gravity
Contact
Springs
Friction
Damping
Presentation Goals
Explore the different types of motion drivers available.
Explore the different methods to create animations.
Reduce frustration when creating animations
The tools and principles used are not rocket science.
The UI is similar to other video programs.
Tools and Methodology
You can learn what the tools do from the Help menu, but not
methodology.
Key is to know how to use the tools and what to do if it doesnt work.
Methodology and multiple approaches.
Right Way vs. Wrong Way.
We made too many wrong mistakes.
-Yogi Berra
Presentation Goals
Questions from the SolidWorks Forum
Why arent in-context parts solved in Basic Motion?
Why do parts overlap when using Contact?
Why doesnt contact stop motion driven by a motor?
Why doesnt my animation solve when I add a second or third motor?
How do I animate a robot?
Learning Resources
Tutorials
SolidWorks User Forum
Training classes
Step-by-Step books
Audience Makeup
SolidWorks Version
2011
2010
2009 or earlier
Animation Experience
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Important
We are creating
Animations
NOT
Analysis
What is an Animation?
We are creating movies
Series of still images played back in rapid sequence
Adjustable frame rates
We are in control, not the viewer
No CG animations
What frame rate should you use?
Frame Rate Standards:
Movies 24 fps
TV 30 fps
(OK, 29.97 for the purists)
What happens if the frame rate is too slow or too fast?
Frame Rate too slow jerky motion
Frame Rate too fast jerky motion
3x3
The 3 things you need to know
About
The 3 things you need to know
The 3 X 3 Choices
3 - Motion Study Types
Animations
Basic Motion
Motion Analysis
3 - Motion Types
Kinematic
Dynamic
Free
3 - Things You Animate
Components
Properties
Viewpoint
Free Motion and Kinematic Motion
Dynamic Motion
The Basic Rules of Motion Studies
Mates are solved.
Parts are rigid.
Frame rates are adjustable in two places.
Frame rate means something different in Basic Motion / SolidWorks
Motion as compared to Animation studies.
Animations Motion Studies
Animation Motion Studies
How is the motion calculated?
Frame rate drives the solution
Components move directly from one position to the next
At
time zero, take a picture
Move
the drivers ahead one frame
Rebuild
Solve the mates
Solve in-context features
Take
another picture
Repeat
Basic Motion / SolidWorks Motion
Used when:
Physics need to be solved
Physical Properties
Drivers:
Mass
Gravity
Gravity
Motors
Forces
Springs
Contact
Contact
Momentum
Forces
Friction
Dampers
Damping
Friction
Basic Motion / SolidWorks Motion Studies
How are Basic Motion/SolidWorks Motion studies solved?
You have to solve the physics of the model.
Numerical methods using small time steps.
Solvers.
Solver optimization.
What does the frame rate do?
As far as the solution is concerned NOTHING
Frame rate determines the intervals when the data is captured for
display.
Important: In-context features are not solved in either the Basic Motion or
SolidWorks Motion study types.
Types of Motion Drivers
Key Points
Mates
Motors
Gravity
Springs
Contact
Force
Damper
Features
X = Available Function
L = Limit Functionality
Keypoint Animations
Basic Workflow
Position the Timebar
Position the driving components
Position the viewpoint
Adjust Properties
Record the Keypoint (automatic or manual)
Repeat
Remove the Nut and Bolt
01
Exploded View
Exploded Views provide a simple method to create a lot of motion.
Create exploded views in SolidWorks
Import into Motion Study using the Animation Wizard
02
Interpolation Methods
Snap
Ease In
Linear
Ease Out
Ease In/Ease Out
02
Mates
Global vs. Local Mates
Driving Mates
Distance Mate
Angle Mate
Path Mate
Driven Mates
Use Standard Mates with Basic Motion
Avoid Width mate
Screw mate for rotation with translation
Mate Organization
Mate Order
Mate Names
Use Folders
Sub-assemblies
Mates The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
The Good
Easy to use
The Bad
Some mates dont work (or work well) in animations (Width mate)
Some mates dont solve all options (Path mate)
Some mates better for SolidWorks Motion, others better for Basic
Motion
The Ugly
Mates sometimes flip unexpectedly and inconsistently
Problems with sub-assemblies
Mates
Distance Mate
Avoid changes in direction and alignment
Can be done but sometimes solve incorrectly
Replace global mate with a local mate specifically for the animation
Angle Mate
The 100/360 Rule
Path Mate
Free
Distance
Percent
01
Path Mates
03
The 100/360 Rule
When using degrees: 0 and 360 are 360 degrees apart
0 and 360 are not the same.
You cannot use angles >360 degrees
When using percent: 0 and 100% are 100 percent apart
0% and 100% are not the same
You cannot input values greater than 100%
Difference between keypoints and mates
at these values
04
When an Animation does not solve
If at first you dont succeed -
Try,
Try atry
different
again
method
Give
up,
why be
hard headed
When you come to a fork in the road, take it
- Yogi Berra
Motors
Motor Types
Rotary
Linear
Motion
On/Off
Constant Speed
Distance
Interpolated/Data Point
Segment
Expression
Oscillating
Servo Motor
Motor Facts
Important: motor force is infinite
Motors can be used as mates. (Reduces redundancies)
Motors can have problems across mates
Must define three things:
What is the motor acting on
What direction is the motor acting
What is the motor moving relative to
When motors dont work, the most likely cause is a conflict between motors
Robot
There are seven motion drivers required
6 rotary
1 linear
Motors
Distance Motor
Angle or Distance
How far
Start
Duration
Graph
(no instantaneous change)
Motors
Constant Speed Motors
ON time
Speed
Smooth transitions
Motors
05
Interpolated Motor (2010)
Linear
Akima
Cubic
Function Builder
Used to define the motion by:
Segments
Data Points
Expressions
Different data interpolation methods
Provides plots:
Distance
Velocity
Acceleration
Jerk
Data Points (2011)
Input
Type in the box
Text file
Values
Displacement
Velocity
Acceleration
Interpolation
Linear
Akima
Cubic
Segments (2011)
Another way to define curve
Piecewise continuous
More interpolation types
Interpolation defined by segment
Expression
Predefined functions
Mathematical Functions
Variables and
Constants
Motion Study results
Functions can be saved
and reused (*.sldfnc)
Motors
Expression Motion
Only variable in Animations & Basic
Motion is Time
Can use most VB functions
There are three forms of time (2010)
Linear - TIME
Radians - TIMER
Degrees - TIMED
SolidWorks Motion can use other
variables
Allowable Functions
ABS
ACOS
AINT
ASIN
ATAN
ATAN2
COS
COSH
DIM
EXP
LOG
LOG10
MAX
MIN
MOD
SIGN
SIN
SINH
SQRT
STEP
TAN
TANH
DTOR
PI
RTOD
TIME
IF
Important: In 2010, distance units are Meters, in 2011 distance
units are the document units.
05a
24mm
35mm
50 m
m
85mm
135mm
200mm
The Problem
The Problem
Desired Video
Camera Lens Equation
View Angle = 2 * atan (d/2f)
For lenses longer than 50mm = d/f
07
Gravity
Used in Basic Motion and
SolidWorks Motion
Magnitude error in Basic Motion
2009 and earlier
Gravity does NOT have to be
realistic in an animation, only in
analysis
Contact
Basic Motion and SolidWorks
Motion only
Contact Groups
Friction
Contact Resolution
Contact Accuracy
Differences between Basic
Motion and SolidWorks Motion
Spring
Used in Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion
Spring only shows during calculation
Spring Constant
F=kxe
Linear only in Basic Motion
Powers of up to 4 in SolidWorks Motion
Error in Basic Motion by one order of magnitude
Spring damping
Global in Basic Motion
Adjustable in SolidWorks Motion
Problem
What type of Motion Study?
Animation
Basic Motion
Motion Analysis
Basic Motion
Spring
Gravity
Other Solutions
Oscillating Motor
Easy to set up
No damping
Expression Motor
Can make the motion anything you like
Distance = Decay function x Amplitude x Sin (Time)
Combined Curves
Contact and Spring
Spring for animation vs. spring
for visual animation
Contact properties
Contact Resolution
Contact Accuracy
Best Method ?????
Animation
Basic Motion
SolidWorks Motion
Friction
Used in Basic Motion and SolidWorks Motion
In Basic Motion, friction is determined by material.
In SolidWorks Motion, friction can be applied at:
Joints
Contact
Damping
Only available in SolidWorks Motion
Different from spring damping
Force
Only available in SolidWorks Motion
Options are similar to those used for motors
Constant
Interpolated
Expression
The Laws of Animations
Remember: You are creating an animation, not doing an analysis.
The Law of Simplicity
The best solution is most often the simplest solution
KISS principle
The Law of Diminishing Returns
At some point, more and more effort is required for smaller and smaller
improvements
Questions
The End
