Creating Animations with SolidWorks Step-By-Step
Description: A self-study guide to animating 3D CAD assemblies. Learn the fundamentals of SolidWorks Animations at your own speed, as you progress from simple to more complex animations.
Features:
- Unlock the full power of SolidWorks® design tools with the helpful instructions and tips available only from technical training experts on staff with DS SolidWorks Corporation.
- Build your skills and confidence quickly with 24 easy-to-understand tutorials and practice exercises, each building upon the previous lesson.
- Reinforce your new skills with the accompanying CD, which features time-saving project files for tutorials and practice exercises.
- Learn at your own pace - review each lesson as often as you want or quickly move on to the next lesson.
- Follow along with more than 400 full-color images and screen captures that serve as easy-to-understand visual cues.
- Prerequisites: SolidWorks Essentials: Parts and Assemblies
The topics covered in this guide are:
Chapter 1: Introduction
About This Book
The SolidWorks MotionManager
History of the MotionManager
Motion Study Types
Animations
Basic Workflow
What is an Animation?
Building Animations
Animation Results
Types of Motion
Which Motion Study To Use
Motion Drivers
MotionManager User Interface
Getting Help
Chapter 2: Creating Simple Animations
Animation
Point to Point (Key Point) Animations
Case Study: Exploded Views
The Animation Study Type
Animation Wizard
Stages in the Process
Case Study: Animation Wizard
View Orientation
Interpolation Modes
Recording Animations
Dragging a Component
Chapter 3: Editing the Timeline
Editing the Timeline
Case Study: Editing the Timeline
Timeline Symbols
Editing Key Points
Chapter 4: View Orientations
View Orientations
Viewpoints
Positioning the Viewpoint
Named Views
Perspective View
View Orientation States
View Orientation Changes
Case Study: Viewpoints
Perspective View Effect
Case Study: Visual Bloom
Chapter 5: Animating Appearances
Animating Appearances
Changing Displays and Appearances
Case Study: Component Visibility Changes
Display States
Case Study: Changing Appearances
Animating Lights
Lighting
Shadows
Spot Lights
Lighting Characteristics
Lights in Animations
Case Study: Lighting
The PhotoWorks Buffer
Case Study: Rendering An Animation
Saving a Series of Images
Chapter 6: Free Component Motion
Overview
Free Component Motion
Keys
Motion Study Properties
Case Study: Free Component Motion
Move and Rotate Component
Triad
Mates
Reverse Path
Case Study: Alternate Solution - Motor
Duplicate Study
Case Study: Alternate Solution - Mate
Chapter 7: Motion Drivers
Motion Drivers
Dragging Components
Mates
Animating Robots
Part 1: Mates
MotionManager Filters
Motors
Part 2: Distance Motor
Constant Speed Motor
Part 3: Constant Speed Motor
Interpolated Motors
Part 4: Interpolated Motor
Sub-assemblies
Case Study: Sub-assemblies
Simulation Motion Drivers
Chapter 8: Animating Parts
Animating Parts
Case Study: Animating In-context Parts
Animating a Spring
Case Study: Create a Spring
Case Study: Wheel Assembly
Chapter 9: Basic Motion
Basic Motion
Animation through Simulation
Driving Motion
Motion Study Properties
Case Study: Ball Sorter
Gravity
Contact
Limitations
Case Study: Impact
Case Study: Geneva Wheel
Combining Motion
Case Study: The Bouncing Ball
Springs
Translational Spring
Importing Simulation Results
Physical Dynamics
Capturing the Screen
Case Study: Fly-ball Governor
Storyboard
Chapter 10: Alternate Methods
Alternate Methods
Case Study: Fly Ball Governor
Alternate Approach
Case Study: Bouncing Ball
Oscillating Motors
Motors Driven By Expressions
What is the Best Way to Animate?
Case Study: Arbor Press
Chapter 11: Introduction to Cameras
Introduction to Cameras
Camera Options
Adding a Camera
Case Study: Introduction to Cameras
Camera Position and Target
Editing a Camera
Multiple Cameras
Cameras in an Animation
Case Study: Camera Lenses
Apparent Depth
Case Study: Apparent Depth
Standard Lens
Depth of Field
Case Study: Setting Depth of Field
Chapter 12: Using Camera Sleds in Animations
Using Camera Sleds in Animations
Using a Camera Sled
Case Study: Camera Sled
The Camera and Camera Sled
Case Study: Focal Length 2
Chapter 13: Walk-through Animations
Using Cameras in Animations
Case Study: Walk-through Animations
Case Study: Walk-through with a Fixed Location
Case Study: Walk-through Using Only a Camera
Case Study: Camera Aimed Along a Path
Chapter 14: SolidWorks Motion
Chapter Scope
SolidWorks Motion
When to Use SolidWorks Motion
Case Study: Fly Ball Governor
Review
Summary of Motion Drivers
Chapter 15: Post-Processing
Post-Processing
Video Editing Programs
External References
Timelines
Video Compression
Transitions
Titles and Annotations
Looping
Parallel Processing
Rendering Efficiency
Case Study: Post-Processing
Windows Movie Maker
Chapter 16: Advanced Topics
Advanced Topics
Configurations for Animations
Case Study: Hand Punch
Clip 1: Assemble the Punch
Clip 2: Show Assembly Action
Dynamic Section Cuts
Clip 3: Change Punch Tip and Die
Changing Configurations
Clip 4: Cut Sheet Metal
Post-Processing
Producing The Movie
Case Study: Animating Sub-assemblies
Procedural Appearances
Stroboscopic Effect
Case Study: Stroboscopic Effect
Case Study: Pencil Sharpener
Chapter 17: Large Assembly Animations
Large Assembly Animations
Assemblies for Animations
Case Study: Large Assembly Animations
Working in the Assembly
Chapter 18: Tips and Tricks for Better Animations
Putting It All Together
Animation Length
Storyboards
Viewpoints/Cameras
Separate Assembly for Animation
Post-Processing
Rendering Efficiency
Do It The Easy Way
Consistency
Animation Tips
Miscellaneous Tips and Tricks
SolidWorks Premium - Dynamics
Prerequisites: Must have attended the basic SolidWorks Simulation class, or must have an experience with SolidWorks + working basic knowledge of finite elements and of basic mechanical principles. The knowledge of basic principles in Vibrations is strongly recommended, but not required.
Who should attend: Designed for users who would like to become productive fast, the advanced course offers hands-on experience on the use of SolidWorks Simulation Dynamics modules. The one-day course provides an overview on a wide range of dynamic analysis topics.
Length: 2 days.
Topics Covered
Analyses Covered
- Modal time history analysis
- Steady-state harmonic analysis
- Random vibration
- Response spectrum analysis
- Introduction to nonlinear dynamic simulation
Damping
- Rayleigh damping, modal damping, composite damping
Excitation
- Load vs. time data for nodal forces, pressure loads
- Uniform and nonuniform base excitations in the time or frequency domain for displacement, velocity and acceleration
- Harmonic excitation for nodal forces, pressure loads, uniform and nonuniform ground motions and varied phase angles
- Power spectral density (PSD) excitation curves for nodal forces, pressure loads, uniform and nonuniform ground motions
- Response spectrum analysis (SRS and VRS) excitation for uniform base motion
SolidWorks Flow Simulation
Prerequisites: Some experience using SolidWorks.
Who should attend: The two-day training program provides an indepth session on the basics of fluid flow analysis, in addition to covering meshing concerns, modeling concerns, analysis, post-processing, available options and preferences.
Length: 2 days.
Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Basics of Fluid Flow
- Fluid Flow Definitions
- Governing Equations
- Meshing principles
- Monitoring convergence
Running
- Meshing concerns
- Modeling concerns
- Applying boundary conditions
- Post-processing (vectors, contours, iso-lines, particle tracking)
- Global data (mass/energy balance, bulk values, et cetera)
- Analysis Types
- Steady State
- Transient
- Conjugate heat transfer
- Open/closed systems
Flow Features
- Compressible and incompressible
- Newtonian / non-Newtonian fluid
- Fan Curves
- Particle trajectories
- Supersonic flows
- Cavitation
- Relative humidity
- Conjugate heat transfer
Advanced Features within SolidWorks Flow Simulation
- Manual mesh control
- Manual convergence
- Export of results to SolidWorks Simulation modulus (stress analysis)
SolidWorks Premium - Nonlinear
Prerequisites: Must have attended the basic SolidWorks Simulation class, or must have an experience with SolidWorks + working basic knowledge of finite elements and of basic mechanical principles
Who should attend: Designed for users who would like to become productive fast, the nonlinear course offers hands-on experience on the use of SolidWorks Simulation nonlinear module. The two-day course provides an overview on a wide range of nonlinear structural/mechanical analysis topics.
Length: 2 days.
TOPICS COVERED
Geometric Nonlinearities
- Large displacements problems
- Large strain formulation
Material Nonlinearities
- Nonlinear elasticity
- Hyperelasticity (Mooney-Rivlin, Ogden)
- Plasticity (von Mises, isotropic/kinematic/mixed hardening rules)
- Temperature dependent material properties
- Visco-elasticity and creep
Contact (Boundary) Nonlinearities
- 3D nonlinear gap/contact analysis (with or without material nonlinearities).
Numerical Procedures
- Solution control techniques (force, displacement, and Arc-Length controls)
- Equilibrium Iterations schemes (Newton-Raphson, modified Newton-Raphson)
- Termination schemes (convergence and divergence criteria)
Special Topics
- Adaptive automatic stepping algorithm
- Prescribed non-zero displacements associated with time curves
- Deformation dependent loading
- Analysis stabilization techniques
Viewing the Results
- Deflected shape plots
- Displacement and stress color filled contour plots
- Animation of deflected shape, displacement, and stress contour plots
- X-Y plots for response quantities Isoplanes and sectioning
SolidWorks Motion
Prerequisites: Knowledge of SolidWorks and the basics of the MotionManager is required. If you are not familiar with the basics of the MotionManager, the class manager will send you a self-paced lesson that should be completed before class begins. Knowledge of basic mechanical engineering concepts is recommended.
Who should attend: This course has been designed for new SolidWorks Motion users who would like to learn to perform motion analysis on their designs. The course provides an in-depth session on the basics of building, simulating and refining a mechanical design system.
Length: 2 days
TOPICS COVERED
Basics
• Introduction to user interface
• Constraint mapping concepts
• Action only forces and moments
• Action/Reaction forces and moments
• Motion drivers
• Building models for kinematic analysis
• Create displacement, velocity, acceleration and force graphics
• Translatory and torsional springs
• Translatory and torsional dampers
• 3D Contact to simulate realistic interaction between parts
• Impact forces
• Using Function builder and Expressions to build complex motions and forces
• Flexible connectors - Bushings
Advanced Topics
• Kinematic and Dynamic analysis
• Redundancies - Importance and how to avoid/solve them
• Export of results to SolidWorks Simulation (stress analysis)
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