Dynamic Simulation Settings

Sets options that apply to the entire Dynamic Simulation session.

Access:

Ribbon: Dynamic Simulation tab Manage panel Simulation Settings

Automatically Convert Constraints to Standard Joints	Activates the Constraint Reduction Engine. This function converts assembly constraints to standard joints . For a new assembly, this option is checked by default. If you turn off automatic constraint conversion by clearing this box, a message asks you if you want to maintain the automatically created joints. Select No to delete the joints. It is possible that constraints for components such as cotter pins, gears, and so on, are translated so that their DOF is not what you want or not translated. When this translation error occurs, context menu commands Retain DOF and Ignore DOF assist in correcting the DOF.
Warn when mechanism is over-constrained	Causes the software to warn you before automatically converting all mate and insert constraints to standard joints if your mechanism is over-constrained. For a new assembly, this option is checked by default. If this option is checked and the mechanism is over-constrained, the software shows a message before it creates the standard joints. Note: You can change your mate and insert constraints while in Dynamic Simulation mode. You can also request that the over-constrained message not appear again.
Color Mobile Groups	Assigns predefined colors to the various mobile groups. The Grounded group uses the color “glass”. If the Glass color is not present in the Styles Library, the assigned assembly color of the component is used. This option aids in analyzing component relationships. To return the components to their normally assigned colors, uncheck the checkbox in the settings dialog box or right click the Mobile Groups node and select Color Mobile Groups
Offset in initial positions
	Sets initial positions of all degrees of freedom to 0 without changing the actual position of the mechanism. This function is useful for viewing variable plots starting at 0 in the Output Grapher.
	Resets initial positions of all degrees of freedom to the initial positions given during joint coordinate system construction.
Export FEA to
AIP Stress Analysis	Prepares all FEA information for analysis by AIP Stress Analysis.
ANSYS Simulation	Prepares a file containing all FEA information for export to ANSYS. Note: If you are using Ansys Workbench 10 or 11, an additional file modification is required. See Export to FEA.
ANSYS file name	Provides the name for the file containing FEA information for export to ANSYS. Available only if you select the ANSYS Simulation option.
	Saves the file for export to ANSYS. Available only if you select the ANSYS Simulation option.
(More)	Displays more properties.
Display a copyright in AVIs	Displays your copyright information on generated AVI files.
Copyright entry box	Specifies your copyright information. Available only if you select Display a copyright in AVIs.
Input angular velocity in revolutions per minute (rpm)	Enter angular speeds in rpms. The output, however, is in the units defined when you selected the empty assembly file.
3D Frames
Z axis size	Sets the length of the assembly Z axis in the graphics window. By default, the size of the Z axis is equal to 20% of the diagonal of the bounding box.
Micro Mechanism Model	Adjusts model precision to work especially for micro mechanism values. When the Micro Mechanism Mode is activated, mass or inertia must be greater than 1e-20 kg and 1e-32 kg.m2. The Gauss precision is set to 1e-32.
Assembly Precision	Applicable to closed loop and 2D Contact cases only. 2D Contact: defines the maximum authorized distance between contact points. The default value is 1e-6m = 1 μm Closed Loop: same as 2D Contact, but can also have angular constraints.
Solver Precision	Dynamic equations are integrated using a five order Runge-Kutta integration scheme.
Capture Velocity	This parameter helps the solver to limit the number of small bounces before constant contact results. Applicable to simulating collision shock. The shock model uses a restitution coefficient “e”. The value, specified by the user, is from 0 through 1. Where e = 0, there is maximum energy dissipation. Where e = 1, there is no energy dissipation.
Regularization Velocity	Regularization is driven by the velocity regularization parameter. In 2D contacts, a real non-linear Coulomb friction law is used. In joints and 3D contacts, for simplicity and to avoid a hyperstatic condition, a regularized Coulomb law is used.