Basic animation of a simple thing

[DanPihlaja]

Motion Study Basic Animation

Is this the literally stupidest thing in the world? Or am I a complete idiot? GRRRR

I just spent the last hour trying to figure out how to create a simple animation of a swing clamp opening and closing and I cannot figure it out.
I can get 1 direction of movement. But then, once I try to add the rotational or another linear motion, then it seems to cancel out the original.

Absolutely NOTHING is intuitive! I look at the help files and it literally says:

And that is it. Might as well have said nothing.

I tried to look at videos of how people used a motor, and apparently no one has ever tried to do the same thing at all.

Are there any good tutorials out there on how to create a simple motion animation?

[zxys001]

Motion Study Basic Animation

Is this the literally stupidest thing in the world? Or am I a complete idiot? GRRRR

I just spent the last hour trying to figure out how to create a simple animation of a swing clamp opening and closing and I cannot figure it out.
I can get 1 direction of movement. But then, once I try to add the rotational or another linear motion, then it seems to cancel out the original.

Absolutely NOTHING is intuitive! I look at the help files and it literally says:
image.png

And that is it. Might as well have said nothing.

I tried to look at videos of how people used a motor, and apparently no one has ever tried to do the same thing at all.

Are there any good tutorials out there on how to create a simple motion animation?

Hello Dan... what type of Swing Clamp mechanism? Do you have a simple example or image/video in how it articulates?

..here's my guess/example...

[mattpeneguy]

@dpihlaja,
For something like this I'd reach out to my VAR. I don't do animations enough to be any good at it at all.

[SPerman]

This probably isn't much help. I'm not logging in to read the responses.

https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/101297

https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/33439

Every time I try and do a motion study it takes me half the day to remember how to properly define the motor.

Edited to add:
https://www.atlantis-press.com/article/25901888.pdf

[MJuric]

Motion Study Basic Animation

Is this the literally stupidest thing in the world?

I've spent many hours banging my head doing what I think should be "Simple" things to get an animation. To me this is pretty poorly put together in SW.

Simple things like resetting a view seem like a Rubic's cube to figure out.

For motors- Make sure that there isn't something keeping it from moving, mates, other parts etc. When you think you have it going the right way because you have the arrow going the direction that makes sense....it's probably backwards.

The "Timeline" is absolutely brutal, in my opinion. If you try and change things and haven't set something to the right point it changes it in an odd position and then you can't get rid of it and on an on.

I really can't offer an intelligible advice because every time I think I have something figured out it stops working. My only advice is, no, it's really that stupid and even if you read the tutorials, watch videos, most of what you read and watch won't work quite like shown. At least that has been my experience.

[JSculley]

Motion Study Basic Animation

Is this the literally stupidest thing in the world? Or am I a complete idiot? GRRRR

I just spent the last hour trying to figure out how to create a simple animation of a swing clamp opening and closing and I cannot figure it out.
I can get 1 direction of movement. But then, once I try to add the rotational or another linear motion, then it seems to cancel out the original.

Absolutely NOTHING is intuitive! I look at the help files and it literally says:
image.png

And that is it. Might as well have said nothing.

I tried to look at videos of how people used a motor, and apparently no one has ever tried to do the same thing at all.

Are there any good tutorials out there on how to create a simple motion animation?

Don't use motors. Position the clamp in the starting position. Drag the time bar to a future time and right click to add a key frame. Then drag your clamp open or closed, rotate it and what not. SW Motion will interpolate the motion in between. I'm home now, but I'll try to create a simple example in the morning.

[SPerman]

You've saved me hours the next time I need to do a motion study.

[Lucas]

Try choosing "Distance" in Motion. For a Rotary Motor you will set an angle and for Linear Motor a measure. Also set the Start Time and Duration Time. Then press Calculate

[Lucas]

Also about the problem with the motors interfering themselves, if you add another Motor with the same type of motion the first one won't move.

To solve this you need to create a Off Key using RMB (this will suppress the Motor), drag it to a time before the next Motor starts.
Also the last Motor must start after the first one finishes it movement.

If two Motors of the same type are unsuppressed during a determined time, a motion will not occur at that interval - or might have some strange results. (Check Motor 3 - to fix it drag the LinearMotor2 Key Point past the 4 sec mark)

[JSculley]

I'm home now, but I'll try to create a simple example in the morning.

Like this (click to view screen recording):

[DanPihlaja]

Also about the problem with the motors interfering themselves, if you add another Motor with the same type of motion the first one won't move.

To solve this you need to create a Off Key using RMB (this will suppress the Motor), drag it to a time before the next Motor starts.
Also the last Motor must start after the first one finishes it movement.


image.png

If two Motors of the same type are unsuppressed during a determined time, a motion will not occur at that interval - or might have some strange results. (Check Motor 3 - to fix it drag the LinearMotor2 Key Point past the 4 sec mark)

I think that this is the issue that I was running into.

I am not sure that this is documented anywhere.

Thank you

[DanPihlaja]

I've spent many hours banging my head doing what I think should be "Simple" things to get an animation. To me this is pretty poorly put together in SW.

Simple things like resetting a view seem like a Rubic's cube to figure out.

For motors- Make sure that there isn't something keeping it from moving, mates, other parts etc. When you think you have it going the right way because you have the arrow going the direction that makes sense....it's probably backwards.

The "Timeline" is absolutely brutal, in my opinion. If you try and change things and haven't set something to the right point it changes it in an odd position and then you can't get rid of it and on an on.

I really can't offer an intelligible advice because every time I think I have something figured out it stops working. My only advice is, no, it's really that stupid and even if you read the tutorials, watch videos, most of what you read and watch won't work quite like shown. At least that has been my experience.

I am really glad that I am not the only one. LOL

[mattpeneguy]

The whole keyframe editing thing is difficult to get your head into. I had played around with some video editing software that used it and it was confusing there. But with SW it seems even more difficult. The way it works isn't intuitive to me. VARs are trained on how to do it the right way. May want to give reaching out to them a try.

[DanPihlaja]

Hello Dan... what type of Swing Clamp mechanism? Do you have a simple example or image/video in how it articulates?

..here's my guess/example...

Yes, your picture looks like the type of swing clamp I am working on. Basically, it rotates into position while moving downward for clamping.

I think that you are using a SW version that is newer than mine. I am using SW 2018 SP5.

I was trying to use a motor, and, while I could get 1 motor to work, as soon as I added the 2nd one, all movement stopped.
I just couldn't figure out why.

[DanPihlaja]

OK, obviously. I was frustrated yesterday.....


I will look back into it again today.

Thank you all for the great responses!

[Lucas]

I think that this is the issue that I was running into.

I am not sure that this is documented anywhere.

Thank you

Glad to help. I also learned it today

Like this (click to view screen recording):

Pretty cool method, thanks for sharing

[Dwight]

For animation, I find it easiest to work with dimensioned linear mates and dimensioned angle mates, then edit the dimensions. Motors are okay.

I like the keyframe controls, once I got used to them. Being able to cut and paste them is big, and mirroring is huge. Nice to create a series of moves then easily reverse the series to bring it back to start.

Dwight

[MJuric]

Yes, your picture looks like the type of swing clamp I am working on. Basically, it rotates into position while moving downward for clamping.

I think that you are using a SW version that is newer than mine. I am using SW 2018 SP5.

I was trying to use a motor, and, while I could get 1 motor to work, as soon as I added the 2nd one, all movement stopped.
I just couldn't figure out why.

Take this for what it's worth, a complete novice, but what about doing this with a single motor and actually making the cam for the rotate? Although making the cam path actually work might be just as tricky as using two motors

[MJuric]

Don't use motors. Position the clamp in the starting position. Drag the time bar to a future time and right click to add a key frame. Then drag your clamp open or closed, rotate it and what not. SW Motion will interpolate the motion in between. I'm home now, but I'll try to create a simple example in the morning.

This has NEVER worked for me. I don't know if I'm missing some simple key point but I have NEVER been able to get the drag to position and interpolate to work....and I've tried A LOT because that is the simplest approach. Being able to do this would have saved me HOURS and HOURS on one animation I did for a presentation....it just wouldn't work for me....I was very angry when I just quite and used motors.

I use to have a video editing software that had similar abilities and it was easy peezy. Click, start phase out here, click, end phase out here...render...look it worked. I wanted SW to do that, it revolted.