Graphing forces

In this tutorial, you will create a graph of the force a driving joint exerts.

1: Setup

  1. On your desktop or the appropriate network drive, create a folder named excavator.

  2. Click the link below.

    Download the part

  3. Extract the file to your excavator folder.

  4. Start Simcenter 3D or NX.

File

Open

  • Navigate to the excavator folder you created.

  • File name

    graphing_sim.sim

  • OK

     
2: Reset dialog box memory

The options you select in dialog boxes are preserved for the next time you open the same dialog box within a given session. Restore the default settings to ensure that the dialog boxes are in the expected initial state for each step of the activity.

File

Preferences→User Interface

  • Options

  •   Reset Dialog Memory

  • OK

     
3: Divide the graphics window into two viewports

You can divide the graphics window into multiple viewports, each displaying a different view, such as the model view, animation, animation of specific components, or XY graphing. For this activity, you will divide the graphics window into two viewports.

Results

 Side by Side (Layout group)

4: Graph the driving joint

Motion Navigator

  • Joints

  •  jack3

  •  

  • Absolute→Force

    The software displays the graph data with respect to the absolute coordinate system.

  • Force Magnitude

  • Create Graph Object

    In the Motion Navigator, the graph object appears under Solution_1→Results→XY-Graphing.

  • jack3->FM,Force(abs)

  • the right side of the graphics window (the right-side viewport)

    The graph appears in the right side of the graphics window and the model remains displayed in the left side.

5: Animate the mechanism

 Play (Animation group)

  • The excavator scoops up one of the soil spheres. As the motion progresses, the graph dynamically shows the force exerted by the jack3 joint as it lifts the bucket and the load of soil.

  •  

  • Finish (Animation group) after the animation finishes

File

  • Close→All Parts