Defining Moving Parts

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The first step in creating a mechanism is to indicate which components from your SolidWorks assembly model participating in the motion model. You can do this using the drag-and-drop method or right-mouse activated menus.

When COSMOSMotion is active, the FeatureManager displays the IntelliMotion Browser. In an assembly that does not yet have any motion parts defined, all of the assembly components are listed under the Assembly Components branch in the Browser.

To add a component to the motion model using the drag-and-drop method:

Activate the IntelliMotion Browser.
Select one or more of the components listed under the Assembly Components branch using one of the following methods:

Select a single component.
Select multiple components by holding Ctrl and selecting each component.
Select multiple components by selecting the first component, pressing and holding Shift, and then selecting the last component. All of the components between the first and second selected components are selected. You can also drag-select by pressing the left-mouse button and moving the mouse so that the selection rectangle intersects the components. Any components within the selection rectangle are selected.

Once you have selected one or more components, drag them by holding down the left-mouse button, moving the mouse until the cursor is over either the Moving Parts or Ground Parts branch of the Browser, and then releasing the mouse button.

If you drop the components on the Moving Parts branch, the components are added to the motion model as motion parts that can move. If you drop the components on the Ground Parts branch, the components are added to the motion model as motion parts that are grounded (cannot move).

To add a component to the motion model using right-click menus:

Right-click one or more components listed under the Assembly Components branch.
To add components to the motion model:

For moving parts, right-click the part and select Moving Part.
For ground parts, right-click the part and select Ground Part.

Any time a component is added to the motion model, COSMOSMotion looks at all of the assembly mates that are attached to that component. If an assembly mate between the newly added component and another component that is already participating in the motion model is found, a motion joint that maps to the assembly mate is generated. This allows you to take a fully constrained assembly model and quickly build a simulation-ready motion model by indicating which components from the assembly participate in the motion model.

If a subassembly is flexible, COSMOSMotion automatically expands the subassembly into individual parts. These parts are displayed in the assembly components branch, or under the moving parts branch in the IntelliMotion Browser (if mapped to moving and ground).

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