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Learn what you can do when components are created or imported in a specific location and orientation, and how to apply joints to maintain a position while adding degrees of freedom.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
4 min.
Tutorial resources
These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:
Transcript
00:03
This lesson explores the use of adding as-built joints to imported data,
00:07
engage design history to assist in joining the assembly, and move components and capture their position.
00:14
Expand the File menu and select Open,
00:19
then select Open from my computer.
00:22
Select the U-Joint.step file, then click Open.
00:27
A STEP file is a neutral file format that most modern 3D design programs can open.
00:34
Click Save to save the design to your current project.
00:39
This assembly was created in another CAD system and imported.
00:43
Trying to select components in an assembly will prove difficult unless the Component Drag option is selected.
00:50
Expand the Select menu, and you see that Component Drag is selected by default.
00:57
Note that if this option is deselected, you can also press and hold the Alt key to select and move components.
01:04
Since this design is from a STEP file, it has no design history, or Timeline.
01:10
Because of this, you are not alerted when components are moved,
01:13
and you are not given the option to capture their new position or revert them.
01:18
To turn on the design history, first undo any moves, then right-click the top level in the Browser and select Capture Design History.
01:27
Now, if you move the components, you can always revert them back to their original position.
01:32
Before you begin applying joints it is good practice to ground a component.
01:37
Select Yoke:1, then right-click and select Ground to Parent.
01:44
That way, you have a fixed part to start with.
01:47
Also, notice that Block:1 is grounded and will cause issues when adding joints.
01:54
Unground it by right-clicking Block:1 and selecting Unground from Parent.
01:59
Rather than pulling the assembly apart to apply regular joints, you can use as-built joints,
02:04
which consider the current locations of the selected components.
02:08
To add an as-built joint, expand Assemble and select As-Built Joint, or press Shift+J.
02:17
For the first joint, select Spring:1, because that will be the part that moves.
02:22
Yoke:1 is grounded; select that second.
02:26
Change the motion type to Revolute, and then select a circular edge as a center reference.
02:33
This will enable the ring spring to spin around the yoke.
02:37
Click OK to create the joint.
02:39
Next, press Shift+J to open the As-Built Joint dialog again.
02:44
First, select the pin, part 90692A741:1, and then Yoke:1.
02:53
Set the Motion Type to Rigid.
02:57
Continue by using the Marking menu to start the As-Built Joint tool by right-clicking and dragging up.
03:04
Select Block:1, and then the pin.
03:10
Change the Motion Type to Revolute, and then use the center of the pin as the snap point.
03:18
Without clicking OK, you can simply repeat the As-Built Joint process, selecting Block:1 and Yoke:2.
03:27
Since you are still on Revolute, select a circular edge on the side of the block.
03:33
Start the As-Built Joint tool again.
03:37
First, select Spring:2 and then Yoke:2.
03:42
Select a circular edge, and then click OK.
03:47
Now, if you click and drag the Yoke:2 component or the Block:1 component,
03:52
you see that you can move this U-joint, including moving the springs in the way that the assembly should move.
03:59
This enables you to make your assembly perform the desired tasks.
04:04
At this point, you can capture this position or revert it back to its original position, if preferred.
04:11
Using As-Built Joints is an effective way to create assembly relationships in an imported assembly.
Video transcript
00:03
This lesson explores the use of adding as-built joints to imported data,
00:07
engage design history to assist in joining the assembly, and move components and capture their position.
00:14
Expand the File menu and select Open,
00:19
then select Open from my computer.
00:22
Select the U-Joint.step file, then click Open.
00:27
A STEP file is a neutral file format that most modern 3D design programs can open.
00:34
Click Save to save the design to your current project.
00:39
This assembly was created in another CAD system and imported.
00:43
Trying to select components in an assembly will prove difficult unless the Component Drag option is selected.
00:50
Expand the Select menu, and you see that Component Drag is selected by default.
00:57
Note that if this option is deselected, you can also press and hold the Alt key to select and move components.
01:04
Since this design is from a STEP file, it has no design history, or Timeline.
01:10
Because of this, you are not alerted when components are moved,
01:13
and you are not given the option to capture their new position or revert them.
01:18
To turn on the design history, first undo any moves, then right-click the top level in the Browser and select Capture Design History.
01:27
Now, if you move the components, you can always revert them back to their original position.
01:32
Before you begin applying joints it is good practice to ground a component.
01:37
Select Yoke:1, then right-click and select Ground to Parent.
01:44
That way, you have a fixed part to start with.
01:47
Also, notice that Block:1 is grounded and will cause issues when adding joints.
01:54
Unground it by right-clicking Block:1 and selecting Unground from Parent.
01:59
Rather than pulling the assembly apart to apply regular joints, you can use as-built joints,
02:04
which consider the current locations of the selected components.
02:08
To add an as-built joint, expand Assemble and select As-Built Joint, or press Shift+J.
02:17
For the first joint, select Spring:1, because that will be the part that moves.
02:22
Yoke:1 is grounded; select that second.
02:26
Change the motion type to Revolute, and then select a circular edge as a center reference.
02:33
This will enable the ring spring to spin around the yoke.
02:37
Click OK to create the joint.
02:39
Next, press Shift+J to open the As-Built Joint dialog again.
02:44
First, select the pin, part 90692A741:1, and then Yoke:1.
02:53
Set the Motion Type to Rigid.
02:57
Continue by using the Marking menu to start the As-Built Joint tool by right-clicking and dragging up.
03:04
Select Block:1, and then the pin.
03:10
Change the Motion Type to Revolute, and then use the center of the pin as the snap point.
03:18
Without clicking OK, you can simply repeat the As-Built Joint process, selecting Block:1 and Yoke:2.
03:27
Since you are still on Revolute, select a circular edge on the side of the block.
03:33
Start the As-Built Joint tool again.
03:37
First, select Spring:2 and then Yoke:2.
03:42
Select a circular edge, and then click OK.
03:47
Now, if you click and drag the Yoke:2 component or the Block:1 component,
03:52
you see that you can move this U-joint, including moving the springs in the way that the assembly should move.
03:59
This enables you to make your assembly perform the desired tasks.
04:04
At this point, you can capture this position or revert it back to its original position, if preferred.
04:11
Using As-Built Joints is an effective way to create assembly relationships in an imported assembly.
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