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