Creating Mechanisms

You can create mechanisms to simulate the motion of different bodies through time.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Create or open a physical product or component assembly.

Important: Your physical product or component assembly must include angle or distance mates to simulate movement.

Create Mechanisms

From the Assembly section of the action bar, click Mechanism .
The mechanism is created in the tree, under the Mechanisms node, and an analysis case is created under the Scenario node.

Select one of the following options to define the mechanism. For more information on each option, see the sections below.

Option	Description
All products and mates	Lists all the products and mates to include in the mechanism.
Choose products first then mates	Lists products first, followed by the mates.
Choose mates first then products	Lists mates first, followed by the products.

Select All products and mates.
Select Show included products and mates to display the list of products and mates to include in the mechanism.

Note: You cannot edit the list of products and mates.
Click .

Select Choose products first then mates.
From the lists, select the products and mates you want to enforce to the mechanism.
In the lists, products or mates appear grayed out when they cannot be added or removed from the mechanism.
Optional: To remove a product from the mechanism, clear the product check box.
The mate or mates associated with the product are cleared.
Optional: To dissociate a mate from its product or products, clear the check box of the mate.
Click .

Select Choose mates first then products.
In the lists, products or mates appear grayed out when they cannot be added or removed from the mechanism.
From the lists, select the products and mates you want to enforce to the mechanism.
Optional: To dissociate a mate from its product or products, clear the check box of the mate engineering connection.
Optional: To remove a product from the mechanism:
1. Clear the check box of every mate associated with the product.
2. Clear the product check box.
Click .

You can make changes in the list of products and mates selected in your mechanism.

Select the active mechanism in the tree and, from the Assembly section of the action bar, click Mechanism .

Tip: You can also click the mechanism in the tree and select Edit Mechanism .

Use the following tools to help with your selections:

Option	Description
Search	Type the name or partial name of a product or mate and click  to filter the displayed list. Note: Click  to clear the search box.
	Use the Select all, Clear all, or Clear all selections options. From the Included mates menu, select Show associated physical products or Hide associated physical products to display or hide the products associated with the mates.