Enter properties for force joints

Add properties to force joints after creating the joint. If you like, you can scale and/or color the force vectors so they are easier to see.

There are two types of force joints:

  1. Spring/damper/jack
  2. 3D contact

There are five types of spring/damper/jack joints:

  1. Spiral spring
  2. Spring
  3. Spring damper
  4. Damper
  5. Jack

Spring/damper/jack - Spiral spring, spring, and spring damper

  1. In the Dynamic Simulation browser, right-click a Spring/damper/jack joint and then select Properties.
  2. On the Spiral Spring: Spring/Damper/Jack dialog box, clear the Suppress actuator check box, if necessary.

    While suppressed joints still appear in the graphics window, they are excluded from all calculations.

    Note: The joint is unsuppressed by default. The Suppress actuator is not selected.

    Because the available properties depend upon the spring/damper/jack type, select the type before you enter or select any more properties.

  3. Click More to see the type selection box.
  4. Select Spiral Spring, Spring, or Spring Damper from the type menu.
  5. Define the stiffness , free length , and damping as follows:
    • Click at the right of the box to open a menu, and select either Constant value or Input grapher.
    • If you select Constant value, enter the value in the text box.

      Constant value is the default.

    • If you select Input grapher, click the Input grapher icon that appears in the text box and use the Input grapher to define a value that varies during the simulation .
  6. Alternatively, for free length, click Update free length to automatically set the free length to the current length of the spring.

    The remaining properties affect the display in the graphics window without affecting calculations.

  7. Define the display properties.
    • In the Radius text box in the Dimensions group, enter the spring radius.
    • In the Facets text box in the Properties group, enter the number of facets in the spring.
    • If you select Spring Damper, enter the length of the spring in the Length text box in the Dimensions group.
    • If you select Spiral Spring or Spring Damper, enter the number of turns in the spring in the Turns text box in the Properties group and enter the radius of the wire constituting the spring in the Wire radius text box.
    • To define the degree of transparency for the joint in the graphics window, move the indicator on the transparency bar.
    • If you want to change the color of the joint when it is transparent in the graphics window, click the color box to open the Microsoft Windows standard color box and select a color.
    • To show the force vector, click Display.

      This setting enables the Scale and Color fields.

    • If you want to change the scale to make the entire vector visible in the graphics window, enter the value in the Scale box.

      The default for scale is 0.01.

    • If you want to change the color of the vector in the graphics window, click the color box to open the Microsoft Windows standard color box and select a color.
  8. Click OK.

    This setting applies the properties and closes the dialog box.

Spring/damper/jack - Damper

  1. In the Dynamic Simulation browser, right-click a Spring/damper/jack joint and then select Properties.
  2. On the Spiral Spring: Spring/Damper/Jack dialog box, clear the Suppress actuator check box, if necessary.

    While suppressed joints still appear in the graphics window, they are excluded from all calculations.

    Note: The joint is unsuppressed by default. The Suppress actuator is not selected.

    Because the available properties depend upon the spring/damper/jack type, select the type before you enter or select any more properties.

  3. Click More to see the type selection box.
  4. Select Damper from the type menu.
  5. Define the damping as follows:
    • Click at the right of the box to open a menu, and select either Constant value or Input grapher.
    • If you select Constant value, enter the value in the text box.

      Constant value is the default.

    • If you select Input grapher, click the Input grapher icon that appears in the text box and use the Input grapher to define a value that varies during the simulation.

    The remainder of the properties affects the display in the graphics window without affecting calculations.

  6. Define the display properties.
    • In the Radius text box in the Dimensions group, enter the damper radius.
    • In the Facets text box in the Properties group, enter the number of facets in the damper.
    • In the Length text box, enter the length of the damper.
    • To define the degree of transparency for the joint in the graphics window, move the indicator on the transparency bar.
    • If you want to change the color of the joint when it is transparent in the graphics window, click the color box to open the Microsoft Windows standard color box and select a color.
    • To show the force vector, click Display.

      This option enables the Scale and Color fields.

    • If you want to change the scale to make the entire vector visible in the graphics window, enter the value in the Scale box.

      The default for scale is 0.01.

    • If you want to change the color of the vector in the graphics window, click the color box to open the Microsoft Windows standard color box and select a color.
  7. Click OK.

    The program applies the properties and closes the dialog box.

Spring/damper/jack - Jack

  1. In the Dynamic Simulation browser, right-click a Spring/damper/jack joint and then select Properties.
  2. On the Spiral Spring: Spring/Damper/Jack dialog box, uncheck Suppress actuator, if necessary.

    While suppressed joints still appear in the graphics window, they are excluded from all calculations.

    Note: The joint is unsuppressed by default. The Suppress actuator is not selected.

    Because the available properties depend upon the spring/damper/jack type, select the type before you enter or select any more properties.

  3. Click More to see the type selection box.
  4. Select Jack from the type menu.
  5. Define the value of the jack force as follows:
    • Click at the right of the box to open a menu, and select either Constant value or Input grapher.
    • If you select Constant value, enter the value in the text box.
    • If you select Input grapher, click the Input grapher icon that appears in the text box and use the Input grapher to define a value that varies during the simulation.

      Input grapher is the default.

    The remainder of the properties affects the display in the graphics window without effecting calculations.

  6. Define the display properties.
    • In the Radius text box in the Dimensions group, enter the jack radius.
    • In the Facets text box in the Properties group, enter the number of facets in the jack.
    • In the Length text box, enter the length of the jack.
    • To define the degree of transparency for the joint in the graphics window, move the indicator on the transparency bar.
    • If you want to change the color of the joint when it is transparent in the graphics window, click the color box to open the Microsoft Windows standard color box and select a color.
    • To show the force vector, click Display.

      This setting enables the Scale and Color fields.

    • If you want to change the scale to make the entire vector visible in the graphics window, enter the value in the Scale box.

      The default for scale is 0.01.

    • If you want to change the color of the vector in the graphics window, click the color box to open the Microsoft Windows standard Color dialog box and select a color.
  7. Click OK.

    The program applies the properties and closes the dialog box.

3D contact joint

  1. In the Dynamic Simulation browser, right-click a 3D contact joint and then select Properties.
  2. On the 3D Contact dialog box, uncheck Suppress joint, if necessary.

    While suppressed joints still appear in the graphics window, they are excluded from all calculations.

    Note: The joint is active by default. The Suppress joint is not checked.
  3. Define the stiffness, damping, and friction as follows:
    • Click at the right of the box to open a menu, and select either Constant value or Input grapher.
    • If you select Constant value, enter the value in the text box.

      Constant value is the default.

    • If you select Input grapher, click the icon that appears in the text box and use the Input grapher to define a value that varies during the simulation.
  4. Click More to show parameters that affect the display of the joint in the graphics window without affecting results.
    • To show contact points on the first component, click Contact points on Part 1.
    • To show contact points on the second component, click Contact points on Part 2.
    • If you show contact points and want to show fewer than all of the contact points, enter the number in the Max number text box.
    • To show the force vector, click Display.

      This option enables the Scale and Color fields.

    • If you want to change the scale to make the entire vector visible in the graphics window, enter the value in the Scale box.

      The default for scale is 0.01.

    • If you want to change the color of the vector in the graphics window, click the color box to open the Microsoft Windows standard Color dialog box and select a color.
  5. Click OK.

    The program applies these properties and closes the dialog box.

Parent topic: Physical environment