Assembly joints position components and fully define the degrees of freedom.
Access
Ribbon: Assemble tab
Relationships panel
Joint
The Joint command creates relationships which control position and movement. You can select endpoints, midpoints and center points to create relationships.
Joint tab
Type
Automatic - The origin selections are used to determine one of the following joint types:
- Rotational is selected if the two selected origins are circular.
- Cylindrical is selected if the two selected origins are points on a cylinder.
- Ball is selected if the two selected origins are points on a sphere.
- Rigid is selected for all other origin selections.
If you know the connection requirement, you can choose one of the following defined joint types:
Rigid - Positions a component and removes all degrees of freedom. Use this joint type for components that do not move. Welded and bolted joints are examples of a rigid joint.
Rotational - Positions a component and specifies one rotational degree of freedom. Supports user specified limits. Hinges and rotating levers are examples of a rotational joint.
Slider - Positions a component and specifies one translational degree of freedom. Supports user specified limits. A slide block moving in a track is an example of a slider connection.
Cylindrical - Positions a component and specifies one translational and one rotational degree of freedom. Supports user specified limits. A shaft in a hole is an example of a cylindrical joint.
Planar - Positions a component and specifies two translational and one rotational degree of freedom perpendicular to the linear. Use this joint to place a component on a planar face. The component can rotate or slide on the plane. Supports user specified limits.
Ball - Positions a component and specifies three rotational degrees of freedom. Supports user specified limits. A ball and socket joint is an example of a ball joint.
Gap
Gap value - Specifies distance by which connected components are offset from one another.
Name
Creates a unique name for the connection in the browser. You can enter a name or leave blank and a default name is automatically created.
Joint selection
First origin - Selects endpoints, midpoints and center points on the first component. The first selection origin is previewed in the same color as the select button color bar in the graphics window. The first selected component moves to the second selected component.
Second origin - Selects endpoints, midpoints and center points on the second component. The second selection origin is previewed in the same color as the select button color bar in the graphics window.
Flip component - Reverses the direction of the component.
Pick part first - Limits the selectable geometry to a single component. Use when components are close to or partially obscure one another. Clear the check box to restore selection mode.
Align selection
First alignment - Selects direction vector faces or edges on the first component.
Second alignment - Selects direction vector faces or edges on the second component.
Invert alignment - Reverses the direction of the alignment.
Animate
-
- Select to play the joint behavior on the moving component in the graphics window.
- on change
- Select to preview the joint behavior when the joint type is changed. Clear the check box to disable automatic preview.
Limits tab
Angular
- Start
- Sets the minimum extent of connection rotational movement. Check the box to activate. Clear the check box to deactivate. The assigned value is retained when the check box is cleared.
- Current
- Sets the temporary rest position. The position is subject to be overridden.
- End
- Sets the maximum extent of joint rotational movement. Check the box to activate. Clear the check box to deactivate. The assigned value is retained when the check box is cleared.
Linear
- Start
- Sets the minimum extent of joint translational movement. Check the box to activate. Clear the check box to deactivate. The assigned value is retained when the check box is cleared.
- Current
- Sets the temporary rest position. The position is subject to be overridden.
- End
- Sets the maximum extent of joint translational movement. Check the box to activate. Clear the check box to deactivate. The assigned value is retained when the check box is cleared.