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Image Size and Aspect Ratio options are available only when you do not use a camera. Without the camera, you are at the mercy of the size and shape of the SolidWorks graphics window until you save the animation to a file.

The Schedule button enables you to schedule the output for a more convenient time. You would normally use this option when using PhotoView 360, because rendered animations can take many hours to complete, depending on render settings, length of animation, and the number of frames per second.

Frame Information enables you to set the quality of the finished rendering. Low frame rates result in choppy motion. High frame rates are much smoother, but the files may become unmanageably large. High-quality animations generally fall into the 25 to 30 frames fps range.

Running test animations

Depending on the length of the animation and the other settings, test animations might run in the 10 fps range. You might also consider using a specific range of time to test just a part of the animation.

Unfortunately, many of the decisions that you make regarding animation quality settings directly relate to the time you have to produce the final movie file. The biggest time-saver is to avoid PhotoView 360. If RealView suits your needs, you are well ahead on time.

Selecting a compressor

When you save the animation, the software prompts you to select a video compressor (codec). Typical options are the Microsoft Video and Cinepak compressors. Sometimes when you record or play back a movie with a particular compressor, you end up with a lot of video noise in the movie. If this happens, try another compressor. For example, if you use Microsoft Video for an animation, and it has a lot of video noise, you can switch to Cinepak to see if the results are better.

Animating with Basic Motion

Basic Motion is the functionality formerly known as Physical Simulation. It involves setting motors to turn parts, gravity to move parts and springs, and collisions to create animations that cannot be driven by mates or free motion. It uses a different solver than the rest of the animations in this chapter.

Basic Motion does not take into account effects such as momentum, bounce, resistance/friction, viscosity, and reaction forces. To analyze for these effects, you need to use Motion Analysis (formerly COSMOSMotion).

The study type selection box appears in the upper-left corner of the MotionManager. You need to use Basic Motion (refer to Figure 23.2) for this example.

Using gravity and contact

Figure 23.29 shows an assembly that demonstrates the gravity and contact functions of Basic Motion. The problem is easy to set up. The part that is to move (the ball) is under-defined, using only one mate to keep it in plane as it moves. The zigzag part uses a Fixed constraint.

On the DVD

The assembly used in this example is labeled zig zag.sldasm.

When you have added the physical simulation items, the MotionManager design tree looks like Figure 23.30. Editing items such as contact and gravity does not use the interface options that have been available in the rest of the SolidWorks software. Left-click (select) does not bring up a context toolbar; you have to right-click and access the full RMB menu.

Because this example goes by so quickly, you may want to use the Playback Speed drop-down menu to get a better look at it. You can also set playback looping options with the drop-down menu to the right of the Playback Speed.

FIGURE 23.29

Setting up contact and gravity

FIGURE 23.30

The MotionManager design tree with added items

Using motors and springs

The use of motors does not necessarily require Basic Motion, but if you include springs, or contact or gravity problems, it does. Torsion springs require Motion Analysis, but linear springs only require Basic Motion. This example (on the DVD in the Animation folder as ratchet.SLDASM) shows a motor driving a gear with a ratchet held to the gear teeth by a spring, as shown in Figure 23.31. A swinging ball on a spring is added to show this isn't simple 2D functionality.

FIGURE