Learn more about SimMechanics Link

About CAD Translation

Introducing the Case Studies

The case studies of this chapter illustrate the stages of converting CAD assemblies, through SimMechanics Link export, into SimMechanics models. Each study presents an example or set of examples based on a specific machine type represented in CAD. The SimMechanics models in each study are generated with default settings.

• Translating a CAD Part into a Body presents the simplest case, translating an assembly with a single part or body. (SolidWorks)

• Translating CAD Constraints into Joints describes in detail how you translate assemblies with constrained parts into bodies with degrees of freedom represented by SimMechanics Bodies and Joints. (SolidWorks)

• Updating and Retranslating a CAD Pendulum presents an example of translating a CAD assembly into a SimMechanics model, modifying the original assembly in several ways, then retranslating it into an updated model. (Pro/ENGINEER^®)

• Translating a CAD Robot Arm illustrates the translation of an assembly representing a simple mechanism, including subassembly-subsystem hierarchy. This study also introduces post-translation additions to the model. (SolidWorks)

• Translating a CAD Stewart Platform presents the translation of a moderately complex assembly with many degrees of freedom, subassembly-subsystem hierarchy, and visualization of its motion. (SolidWorks)

Requirements for the CAD Translation Case Studies

The following CAD assembly and exporting examples require the SolidWorks or Pro/ENGINEER CAD platform. To complete all the steps, you also need SimMechanics Link and SimMechanics software.

You can recreate these examples with other CAD platforms. The assembly, geometric, kinematic, and part details differ from platform to platform. In SolidWorks, constraints on CAD parts are called mates.

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For More About CAD Assembly Export

See Getting Started with Export for an overview of export procedures and concepts.

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For More About SimMechanics Import and Model Generation

Note   Mechanical import and model generation require SimMechanics software and a previously exported Physical Modeling XML file.

For complete information about mechanical import and model generation and editing, see the SimMechanics Visualization and Import Guide.

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For More About Simulink and SimMechanics Blocks and Commands

For SimMechanics software, consult the block and command reference of the SimMechanics documentation.

For Simulink software, consult the block and function reference of the Simulink documentation.

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Defining Specialized CAD Terms

The glossary of the SimMechanics documentation defines specialized terms used in the context of computer-aided design (CAD).

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Computer-Aided Design Translation

Translating a CAD Part into a Body

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