CAD Forum - tips, tricks, discussion and utilities for AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit and other Autodesk products [www.cadforum.cz]

CAD tip # 7824:

Question CAD
% platform category

Using constraints for simulations of mechanisms in AutoCAD.

With geometric constraints in AutoCAD you can simulate functionality of simple mechanisms. An example employing blocks of the Czech toy construction set "Merkur" is shown in the AutoCAD video #26.

This example uses a set of "coincident" constraints - see the ribbon Parametric > Geometric > Coincident), command GCCOINCIDENT. The constraints are applied in the pivot points (joints) of the individual parts. Another three fixed constraints, anchors (command GCFIX) are applied in the positions marked with the block "NUT" (white dots). When applying constraints, first select the object which will drive the movement.

The drawing Merkur1 used in the above video can be downloaded from the Block library - see Merkur1.dwg.

By rotating the wheel block you can drive the whole mechanism. The LISP file driving the rotation (angle) parameter is attached to the blocks (rename the .TXT file in the attachment to .LSP and load it into AutoCAD).

ACAD2011

* CAD

27.2.2011 5891×

Comments Tell a friend

applies to: AutoCAD 2011 ·

See also:
Tip 11497:	Automatic grouping of drawing objects.
Tip 11354:	Animate dyn.block parameters and dim.constraints in AutoCAD DWGs.
Tip 10039:	Two types of equidistants (offsets) to an ellipse.
Tip 9339:	When moving one entity, the adjacent entity moves too.
Tip 8846:	Parametric triangles - isosceles, right-angled, equilateral

Selected tip: SketchUp 8 format SKP files and Revit 2011.

Back All CAD Tips

How to plot PDFs without the tab (layout) name. « | » Some viewports do not fit the right zoom conditions.

Have we helped you? If you want to support the CAD Forum web service, consider buying one of our CAD applications, or our custom software development offerings, or donating via PayPal (see above). You may also add a link to your web - like this "fan" link:

CAD: OS: Categ:
Text:	FAQ glossary

Featuring:
Track your time spent working on AutoCAD or Revit jobs - automatically with
CADstudio JobTime More info

Please use these tips at your own risk.
CAD Studio (Xanadu) is not responsible for possible problems that may occur as a result of using any of these tips.


Login/Register:
Visitors: 5255