Creating a Kinematic Track

You can create a kinematic Track in simulation or workplan mode.

This task shows you how to:

Create a Kinematic Track in Simulation Mode
Create a Kinematic Track in Workplan Mode

Create a Kinematic Track in Simulation Mode

You can create a kinematic Track within a manufacturing simulation.

Before you begin: Open data that contains at least one kinematic mechanism that is part of a manufacturing simulation.

From the Simulation section of the action bar, click New Kinematic Track .
If there is more than one possible mechanism to select, the Kinematic Track: Mechanism Selection dialog box appears. If there is only one possible mechanism, it is selected automatically and the Kinematic Track: Track Authoring dialog box appears directly.
Select the mechanism.
The Kinematic Track: Mechanism Selection dialog box is updated.
Click Next.
The Kinematic Track: Track Authoring dialog box appears. The Track Properties tab is clicked in the authoring options. The Track Authoring context toolbar and Experience Player also appear.
To create the Track, click Record to establish the first Trajectory point (T-Point) in the Track.

To jog the mechanism, either use the handle in the 3D, move the sliders under Kinematic Command Simulation or use the spinner to refine the movement more precisely. When you get to the T-Point you want to create, click Record

Tips: You can specify the home position of the mechanism using the Use Home Position list. Click the list and select the required home position.

Selecting a home position in the list overwrites the current values with the selected home positions' DOF. The mechanism is displayed in the 3D accordingly.

If a resource position with posture is defined on the operation, you can specify this posture as the first T-Point of the kinematic Track by selecting the posture indicated by an asterisk in the Use Home Position list combined with the use of the Modify command.

Note that actions such as recording the T-Point, moving the mechanism in the 3D, or using the slider to reposition the mechanism reset the list name to its default display, that is, Use Home Position.

The 3D data moves as you manipulate the slider and the second T-Point (TPoint 2) appears in the TPoint Properties tab of the authoring options.

Note: No representation of the trajectory appears on the 3D data.

Use the handle or slider and Record to create three or four more T-Points.

From the TPoint Properties tab:

Select a point in the list of T-Points, and use the handle, slider, or spinner to modify the position of the selected point, then click Modify in the context toolbar.

Note: You can modify the DOF of the first T-Point so that the simulation starts from this posture.

Select a different point, and click Delete

in the context toolbar.

Tips:

You can also right-click a point in the table, and click Delete Selected in the context menu. If there is only one T-Point for the Track, the Delete Selected and Delete All commands are not available.
Deleting the first T-Point of the kinematic Track defines the subsequent point as the new first T-Point.

The point disappears from the list of T-Points.

When you have finished creating and refining the kinematic Track, click OK.
A Kinematic Track thumbnail appears in the Excitations panel.

Create a Kinematic Track in Workplan Mode

You can create a kinematic Track when you are in workplan mode. That is, when you have PPR context data that is not part of a manufacturing simulation.

Before you begin:

Open data that contains at least one kinematic mechanism in a PPR context.

In the tree, right-click an operation with a product assigned that contains at least one mechanism and select Insert > Create Kinematic Track.
If there is more that one possible mechanism to select, the Kinematic Track: Mechanism Selection dialog box appears. If there is only one possible mechanism, it is selected automatically and the Kinematic Track: Track Authoring dialog box appears directly.
Select the mechanism.
The Kinematic Track: Mechanism Selection dialog box is updated.
Click Next.
The Track Authoring context toolbar, Experience Player, and Kinematic Track: Track Authoring dialog box appear.

Note: In workplan mode, you cannot change the product selection. All the implemented products of the operation are considered for the kinematic mechanism by default.
To create the Track, either use the handle in the 3D, move the slider under Kinematic Command Simulation, or use the spinner to refine the movement more precisely. Stop at each spot you want as a T-Point and click Record , then moving to and recording the next T-Point until you have completed the Track.

Note: For details on using the Track Authoring context toolbar commands with the Kinematic Track: Track Authoring dialog box, see Create a Kinematic Track in Simulation Mode.
When you have finished creating and refining the kinematic Track, click OK.
The Track appears under the operation in the tree and in the Behavior panel.

Notes:

When you click the Reset All DOFs command, the slider values for all the DOFs are restored to their original positions. The original positions are stored at the time of launching the command.
When you click the Restore Nominal Values command, it overwrites the current DOF values of the mechanism and restores the default command values according to the design model.
When you click the Previous command, you go to the initial Kinematic Track: Mechanism Selection dialog box again. This command is enabled until the first T-Point is recorded. Once the T-Point is recorded, the command is disabled. This command is also disabled when you start the Kinematic Track: Track Authoring dialog box by editing a Track (by double-clicking the Track).