Creating Swept Volumes

You can create swept volumes that collectively plot the position of the selected part at each step of the simulation. Swept volumes are created on three-dimensional products or parts. After the sweep plots the position of the selected part at each step in the simulation, then it connects the discrete position plots with continuous geometry based on the specified interpolation options. The result is a smooth three-dimensional body.

Before you begin:
  • The Result must be generated. See Simulating and Generating Results.
  • Double-click the Result node under the kinematics simulation to enter the Kinematics Postprocessing workbench.
  • Make sure the scenario result that you want to trace is the current one. To set the scenario result as the current one, right-click it, and select Set as Current.
Related Topics
Simulating and Generating Results
About Traces

  1. Click Swept Volume.

  2. In the dialog box that appears, enter a name for the geometric representation that will be created by the sweep.

  3. Click Finish.

    The Swept Volume dialog box appears.

  4. In the specification tree, select the scenario result for which you want to compute the swept volume.

  5. Select the parts in the model that you want to sweep.

  6. Optional: Select the Reference product. By default, the main product is selected in the Reference product box. The motion of the sweep will be relative to the motion of the reference product (see VPM Volume Computation User's Guide: About swept Volumes).

  7. Although the kinematics animation includes mechanism positions for only discrete time increments, the volume sweep can interpolate the positions of the mechanism between these increments to generate a smoother shape.

    • To interpolate the mechanism positions, select the Filter Positions check box, and enter the maximum distance between positions in the Filtering precision box.
    • To prevent interpolation of the mechanism positions, clear the Filter Positions check box.

  8. To create an envelope around the selected parts, select the Enable Wrapping check box, and enter a grain value in the Wrapping grain box.

  9. To simplify the representation of the selected parts, select the Enable simplification check box, and enter an accuracy value.

    Important: The simplification is available only if the Enable Wrapping check box is selected.

  10. Click OK.

    The swept volume opens in a new window. In the kinematics simulation window, Swept Volume is created under the current scenario result.

    Important: The swept volume is associative with the simulation result. If the latter is modified, you can update the swept volume (the Update mask appears on the icon) by right-clicking it in the specification tree and selecting Update. The swept volume opens in a new window and is updated in the original window.

    In the following example, Swept Volume.1 is the feature, and Swept Volume is the link to the geometric representation of the sweep.

  11. To display an existing swept volume, right-click the swept volume representation in the specification tree, and select Display Representation.

    The swept volume opens in a new window.

  12. To update a swept volume, right-click the swept volume in the specification tree, and select Update.

    Important: The Simulate and Generate Results capability does not update the swept volume.

    The swept volume opens in a new window. In the kinematics simulation window, Swept Volume is updated.