Best way to Model flexible material for Animation

[jimradney]

I need to model a flexible material that is will be used in an assembly.In the assembly the material will be wrapped around a core like paper towels are wrapped around the cardboard tube. The hard part is that I need to be able to Animate the Assembly showing the material un-rolling and re-rolling like a tape measure. Can anyone explain the best way to accomplish this task in Solidworks.

Thanks
JR

 

[bcampbell]

» I need to model a flexible material that is will be used in an assembly.In
» the assembly the material will be wrapped around a core like paper towels
» are wrapped around the cardboard tube. The hard part is that I need to be
» able to Animate the Assembly showing the material un-rolling and
» re-rolling like a tape measure. Can anyone explain the best way to
» accomplish this task in Solidworks.
»
» Thanks
» JR

I've done similar animations is SW. Mine was a spring and the coils expanded as the distance was increased. I used equations to change the pitch and length of a spiral curve. Then I produced each frame and captured each image. I then merged the images using photoshop.

I used animator to change the view and location of components, then when geometry needed to change it was frame by frame.

Have parts recompute their shapes during an animation is possible, at least from what I know.

 

[emanglicmot]

» » I need to model a flexible material that is will be used in an
» assembly.In
» » the assembly the material will be wrapped around a core like paper
» towels
» » are wrapped around the cardboard tube. The hard part is that I need to
» be
» » able to Animate the Assembly showing the material un-rolling and
» » re-rolling like a tape measure. Can anyone explain the best way to
» » accomplish this task in Solidworks.
» »
» » Thanks
» » JR
»
» I've done similar animations is SW. Mine was a spring and the coils
» expanded as the distance was increased. I used equations to change the
» pitch and length of a spiral curve. Then I produced each frame and
» captured each image. I then merged the images using photoshop.
»
» I used animator to change the view and location of components, then when
» geometry needed to change it was frame by frame.
»
» Have parts recompute their shapes during an animation is possible, at
» least from what I know.

Please share with me how to simulate a compression spring in Solid Works.

 

[bcampbell]

» » » I need to model a flexible material that is will be used in an
» » assembly.In
» » » the assembly the material will be wrapped around a core like paper
» » towels
» » » are wrapped around the cardboard tube. The hard part is that I need
» to
» » be
» » » able to Animate the Assembly showing the material un-rolling and
» » » re-rolling like a tape measure. Can anyone explain the best way to
» » » accomplish this task in Solidworks.
» » »
» » » Thanks
» » » JR
» »
» » I've done similar animations is SW. Mine was a spring and the coils
» » expanded as the distance was increased. I used equations to change the
» » pitch and length of a spiral curve. Then I produced each frame and
» » captured each image. I then merged the images using photoshop.
» »
» » I used animator to change the view and location of components, then
» when
» » geometry needed to change it was frame by frame.
» »
» » Have parts recompute their shapes during an animation is possible, at
» » least from what I know.
»
» Please share with me how to simulate a compression spring in Solid Works.

You have a distance between 2 components. I used a ref distance instead of the actual mate distance. Infact, I don't even remember if the distance wasn't the result of some other stuff. None the less, put a ref dim between the two components.

Use this ref dim to drive the length of helix curve. You may want to sweep along this curve to make a 3D spring. As the ref dim changes, the part spring will regenerate and produce a spring that resizes based on the distance between the parts.

When I did this, SW couldn't store variables in the equation editor, in the last couple of years this is now possible so now you can have a variable called index=.1 :spring_len=spring_len+index. I quess you could write this spring_len=spring_len+.1;

This way you could drive the distance .1 each regen.

I think back when I did the spring SW2001, I wrote a macro to control the distance. With animator, you can set it up to capture the screen when ever it changes. Run the macro, and animator caught all the frames. Then you could save them to an AVI file.

 

[emanglicmot]

» » » » I need to model a flexible material that is will be used in an
» » » assembly.In
» » » » the assembly the material will be wrapped around a core like
» paper
» » » towels
» » » » are wrapped around the cardboard tube. The hard part is that I
» need
» » to
» » » be
» » » » able to Animate the Assembly showing the material un-rolling and
» » » » re-rolling like a tape measure. Can anyone explain the best way
» to
» » » » accomplish this task in Solidworks.
» » » »
» » » » Thanks
» » » » JR
» » »
» » » I've done similar animations is SW. Mine was a spring and the coils
» » » expanded as the distance was increased. I used equations to change
» the
» » » pitch and length of a spiral curve. Then I produced each frame and
» » » captured each image. I then merged the images using photoshop.
» » »
» » » I used animator to change the view and location of components, then
» » when
» » » geometry needed to change it was frame by frame.
» » »
» » » Have parts recompute their shapes during an animation is possible,
» at
» » » least from what I know.
» »
» » Please share with me how to simulate a compression spring in Solid
» Works.
»
» You have a distance between 2 components. I used a ref distance instead of
» the actual mate distance. Infact, I don't even remember if the distance
» wasn't the result of some other stuff. None the less, put a ref dim
» between the two components.
»
» Use this ref dim to drive the length of helix curve. You may want to sweep
» along this curve to make a 3D spring. As the ref dim changes, the part
» spring will regenerate and produce a spring that resizes based on the
» distance between the parts.
»
» When I did this, SW couldn't store variables in the equation editor, in
» the last couple of years this is now possible so now you can have a
» variable called index=.1 :spring_len=spring_len+index. I quess you could
» write this spring_len=spring_len+.1;
»
» This way you could drive the distance .1 each regen.
»
» I think back when I did the spring SW2001, I wrote a macro to control the
» distance. With animator, you can set it up to capture the screen when ever
» it changes. Run the macro, and animator caught all the frames. Then you
» could save them to an AVI file.

Thank you Q/A board

 

[spada3839]

I have a similar question about flexible material but it does not have to do with springs.
I am modeling a folding futon type piece of furniture. It would have a mattress on it that in reality is made of foam, so it can fold over on itself and then open up to be flat. Is there a way to model this so that it can be set up for an animation of the piece opening and closing?