Visualizing the Material Flow

Visualizing the Material Flow introduces you to the most important tasks you will face when you create and visualize your simulation model in 3D

3D differentiates between simulation objects, animatable objects, graphic groups, state groups,state graphics, and graphics of the selected object.

Simulation objects have a counterpart in 2D, i. e., they are connected with a 2D simulation object via their name if you activated the check box in the dialog that clicking 3D Properties > Create In 3 on the Home ribbon tab opens. Connected 2D and 3D Simulation objects have the same location in the model hierarchy and may share some common data like the position. The dialog Show 3D Graphic Structure show the graphics in a tree structure all elements, which can contribute to the three-dimensional visualization of a simulation object but not the simulation objects contained in a Frame. To show simulation objects that a simulation object of type Frame contains, you have to open the dialog Show Structure for the Frame.

Plant Simulation shows a selected simulation object in green in the 3D window.

When you open a simulation object, the 3D window shows a green border on the inside.

Animatable objects do not have a counterpart in 2D as the only serve for the animation in 3D. For this reason animatable objects have a number of attributes that describe them and can be controlled via SimTalk commands.

Plant Simulation shows a selected animatable object in purple in the 3D window.

When you open an animatable object, the 3D window shows a purple border on the inside.

Graphics are all geometric elements and groups of geometric elements , which describe the entire shape of a visual element.

Plant Simulation shows a selected graphic in yellow green in the 3D window.

Graphic groups define, through the graphics they contain, a possible three-dimensional representations of an animatable object and have a name that is unique for this object. This is similar to the 2D icons of the simulation objects. You can set if a graphic group is locked, i.e., cannot be selected in the 3D window and if it is external or internal. External graphic groups represent the object towards the outside, while internal graphic groups only serve for the interior decoration of Frames. The properties, which graphic groups are internal or external, are, together with the graphic structure, an object property that can be inherited. A graphic group can be totally hidden, i. e., be invisible everywhere, to enable switching between the different graphic groups. Each object contains at least one graphic group named default and optionally any number of additional graphic groups, which you can show or hide independent of each other. The visibility of the graphic groups also is a 3D object property which can be inherited. You can create, delete, or replace graphic groups on the Tab Graphics in the dialog Edit 3D Properties and in the dialog Show 3D Graphic Structure.

State graphics correspond to the LEDs in Plant Simulation 2D, compare States and Icons. Plant Simulation shows a state graphic whenever a simulation object is in the respective state, i.e., when it also displays the corresponding LED in 2D. Note that a simulation object can display several state graphics at the same time.

State groups are groups of generated state graphics that represent all the states in 3D that are predefined for a simulation object. You can create, delete, or replace the state group and the underlying state graphics on the Tab Graphics in the dialog Edit 3D Properties. You can choose between two representations, which you can move and scale as you need them: As vertically stacked illuminated rings or as horizontally aligned cuboids.

Some of the videos on the Start Page provide an introduction to 3D or introduce certain modeling tasks in 3D.

Go to Create a Model in 3D

Go to Working with the Scene

Go to Working with Objects

Go to Working with Graphics

Go to Creating an Animatable Object

Go to Modeling a Complex Receiving Department

Go to Working with Paths

Go to Modeling Joints and Poses

Go to Creating a Realistic Looking Model

Go to Optimizing a Graphic

Compare Introducing 3D

Compare Functions for Accessing 3D Objects in SimTalk

Compare Modeling in Tecnomatix Plant Simulation 2D

Compare Animating the Simulation Model and Viewing the Results

Compare Getting to Know Tecnomatix Plant Simulation