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Calculating Aggregate Mass of Parts

You can have Adams/View calculate the total mass and inertia of a part or parts in your model. Adams/View returns the information in the Information window or in a specified file. It ignores the ground part or any part that has no mass.

By default, Adams/View calculates all location coordinates and orientation angles in the current global coordinate system. You can select a different coordinate system or reference frame relative to which you would like the coordinates and angles returned. When you express the aggregate mass in the global coordinate system, Adams/View essentially places a temporary marker at the center of mass location and then it provides the inertia properties in principal moments, not off-diagonal terms.

The orientation shown is the orientation of the principal moments of inertia.

To calculate aggregate mass:

1.	From the Tools menu, select Aggregate Mass.

The Aggregate Mass dialog box appears.

2.	Set Bodies to one of the following:

•	Selected to calculate the mass of only certain parts.

•	All to calculate the aggregate mass of all the bodies in your model.

3.	If you selected to calculate the aggregate mass of only a selected set of parts, select Select . A list of parts in your model appears. Select the desired parts.

4.	In the Relative to text box, if desired, enter another coordinate system, with respect to which you'd like calculations to be relative. By default the calculations are relative to the global coordinate system.

5.	Set Info Window to one of the following:

•	Replace to replace existing information.

•	Append to append existing information.

•

None

6.	Select how you want the output displayed. You can display it in the information window and to a file. (Note that currently, Brief Output has no impact on the type of information displayed.)

7.	If you want to save the results to a file, in the File Name text box, enter the name of the file in which you want to save the information. If you want the information written to a directory other than the one from which you are running Adams/View, enter the path.

8.	Select OK.