Learning Basics

2 Adams/View
Overview

Overview

Starting Adams/View
You or your system administrator can customize how you start Adams/View and how Adams/View looks
after you start it.

To start Adams/View in UNIX:

1. At the command prompt, enter the command to start the Adams Toolbar, and then press Enter.
The standard command that MSC provides is adamsx, where x is the version number, for
example adamsx, which represents Adams 2012.
The Adams Toolbar appears.
2. Click the Adams/View tool .
For more information on the Adams Toolbar, see Running and Configuring Adams.

To start Adams/View in Windows:

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to MSC.Software, point to Adams 2012, point to
AView, and then select Adams - View.
For more information on running Adams products from the Start menu, see Running and
Configuring Adams.

Starting a New Modeling Session

When you start Adams/View, Adams/View displays a Welcome dialog box that lets you to create a new
Modeling database or use an existing one. The Welcome dialog box also lets you to specify your working
directory.
Adams/View also displays the Welcome dialog box when you use the New Database command to create
a new modeling database in which to store your models. The Welcome dialog box is shown below.
 Learning Basics 3
Overview

To create a New Model:

1. Specify the directory to be used as your working directory. Adams/View saves all files in this
directory. You can change the working directory at any time. Learn about specifying working
directory.
2. If you selected to create a new model, do the following:
• In the Model name text box, enter the name you want assigned to the new model. You can
enter up to 80 alphanumeric characters. You cannot include special characters, such as spaces
or periods.
• Select the gravity settings for the new model. You can select:

Earth Normal - Sets the gravity to 1 G downward.

No Gravity - Turns off the gravitational force.
Other - Lets you set the gravity as desired. The Gravity Settings dialog box appears after
you select OK on the Welcome dialog box.
3. Select a preset unit system for your model. In all the preset unit systems, time is in seconds and
angles are in degrees. You can set:
4 Adams/View
Overview

• MMKS - Sets length to millimeter, mass to kilogram, and force to Newton.

• MKS - Sets length to meter, mass to kilogram, and force to Newton.
• CGS - Sets length to centimeter, mass to gram, and force to Dyne.
• IPS - Sets length to inch, mass to slug, and force to PoundForce.
4. If you do not want any of the preset unit systems, you can change the units as required. Learn
about changing the default units.
5. Select OK.
Adams/View creates a new model for you. If you selected to set gravity when creating a new
model, the Gravity Settings dialog box appears. Learn about specifying gravitational force.

To open an Existing Model:

1. Using Browse option:
a. Right-click a text box that requires a file name to display a shortcut menu.
b. Select Browse to display the Select File dialog box.
c. Double-click the directory that contains the file.
d. In the File Name box, type the file name you want to open, or highlight the file in the list.
The file name with extension .bin, .adm and .cmd can be opened through Browse option.
e. Select Open.
2. Using a Search Path:
a. Right-click a text box that requires a file name to display a shortcut menu.
b. Point to Search, and then select a search path that contains the file you are looking for. For
example, if you are searching for a examples view files, select $aview_dir/examples.
The Select File dialog box appears.
c. Locate the file in the list, and then select Open.

Adams/View Main Window

After you create the new or open the existing model the Adams/View main window appears.
 Learning Basics 5
Overview

Adams/View 2012 Ribbon based Interface

Exiting Adams/View
To exit Adams/View:
1. On the File menu, select Exit.
2. If you did not save your work, asks you if you want to save your work:
• To save your work and exit Adams/View, select OK. If you want to save the modeling
database with a new name in the current directory, enter the new name in the Filename text
box.
• To exit without saving your work, select Exit, Don’t Save.
6 Adams/View
Overview

• To continue using Adams/View, select Cancel.

Note: If you accidentally exit without saving your work, you can use the Adams/View Log file
(aview.log) to recover your work. Learn about using the Adams/View log file

Starting Adams/View (Classic)

You or your system administrator can customize how you start Adams/View and how Adams/View looks
after you start it.

To start Adams/View in UNIX:

1. At the command prompt, enter the command to start the Adams Toolbar, and then press Enter.
The standard command that MSC provides is adamsx, where x is the version number, for
example adamsx, which represents Adams 2012.
The Adams Toolbar appears.
2. Click the Adams/View tool .
For more information on the Adams Toolbar, see Running and Configuring Adams.

To start Adams/View in Windows:

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to MSC.Software, point to Adams 2012, point to
AView, and then select Adams - View.
For more information on running Adams products from the Start menu, see Running and
Configuring Adams.

Starting a New Modeling Session

When you start Adams/View, Adams/View displays a Welcome (Classic Interface) dialog box that lets
you create a new Modeling database or use an existing one. The Welcome dialog box also lets you import
modeling data and specify your working directory.
Adams/View also displays the Welcome dialog box when you use the New Database command to create
a new modeling database in which to store your models. The Welcome dialog box is shown below.
 Learning Basics 7
Overview

To start a new session:

1. Select one of the options explained in the table below to indicate how you'd like to start using
Adams/View, and then select OK.

The option: Does the following:

Create a new model Lets you start a new modeling session with a new modeling database.
Follow Steps 2 and 3 to create the new modeling database.
Open an existing Lets you open an existing modeling database. Learn about Opening a
database Modeling Database.
Import a file Lets you start a new modeling session by reading in a model from an
Adams/View command file or an Adams/Solver dataset.

• Import - Adams/Solver Dataset Files

• Import - Adams/View Command Files
Exit Lets you exit Adams/View without performing an operation.

2. Specify the directory to be used as your working directory. Adams/View saves all files in this
directory. You can change the working directory at any time. Learn about specifying working
directory.
3. If you selected to create a new model, do the following:
• In the Model name text box, enter the name you want assigned to the new model. You can
enter up to 80 alphanumeric characters. You cannot include special characters, such as spaces
or periods.
• Select the gravity settings for the new model. You can select:

Earth Normal - Sets the gravity to 1 G downward.

No Gravity - Turns off the gravitational force.
Other - Lets you set the gravity as desired. The Gravity Settings dialog box appears after
you select OK on the Welcome dialog box.
4. Select a preset unit system for your model. In all the preset unit systems, time is in seconds and
angles are in degrees. You can set:
• MMKS - Sets length to millimeter, mass to kilogram, and force to Newton.
• MKS - Sets length to meter, mass to kilogram, and force to Newton.
• CGS - Sets length to centimeter, mass to gram, and force to Dyne.
• IPS - Sets length to inch, mass to slug, and force to PoundForce.
5. If you do not want any of the preset unit systems, you can change the units as required. Learn
about changing the default units.
6. Select OK.
8 Adams/View
Overview

Adams/View creates a new model for you. If you selected to set gravity when creating a new
model, the Gravity Settings dialog box appears. Learn about specifying gravitational force.

Modeling Process
The steps that you use in Adams/View to create a model mirror the same steps that you would use to build
a physical prototype. Click a step below or use the arrows on the right to read the steps sequentially.

Functional Virtual Prototyping Process

Although we’ve listed the steps that you perform to create a model as though you create the entire model
at once and then test and improve it, we recommend that you build and test small elements or subsystems
of your model before you build the entire model. For example, create a few modeling objects, connect
them together, and then run a simple simulation to test their motion and ensure that you are connecting
them correctly. Once these are modeled correctly, add more complexity to your model. By starting out
slowly, you can ensure that each subsystem works before moving on to the next step. We call this the
crawl-walk-run approach.
 Learning Basics 9
Overview

Adams/View Main Window (Classic)

After you start Adams/View, the Adams/View main window appears.

Initial Adams/View Window

Menu bar Welcome (Classic Interface)

Main toolbox

Status bar

Exiting Adams/View
To exit Adams/View:
1. On the File menu, select Exit.
2. If you did not save your work, asks you if you want to save your work:
• To save your work and exit Adams/View, select OK. If you want to save the model with a
new name in the current directory, enter the new name in the Filename text box.
• To exit without saving your work, select Exit, Don’t Save.
10 Adams/View
Overview

• To continue using Adams/View, select Cancel.

Note: If you accidentally exit without saving your work, you can use the Adams/View Log file
(aview.log) to recover your work. Learn about using the Adams/View log file

Displaying Product Information

When using any Adams product, you can display the following information:
• Software version number and the date it was built
• Directory where Adams is installed
• Copyright statement

To display information about Adams/View:

1. From the Help menu, select About.
2. View the information, and then select OK.

Tip: Shortcut from the Status bar, select .

Loading and Unloading Plugins

MSC has many add-on modules or plugins to Adams/View, which expand its functionality. The plugins
include Adams/Controls, Adams/Vibration, Adams/Durability and Adams/Mechatronics. You run these
products from within Adams/View. You can set Adams/View to load them automatically when you start
up. You can also unload them while in your current session of Adams/View. To run a plugin, you must
have a license to it. (To learn more about the various plugins, see their online help.)

To see if there is a license available to run a plugin:

1. From the Tools menu, select Plugin Manager.
The Plugin Manager appears.
2. At the top of the Plugin Manager, select a plugin.
3. At the bottom of the Plugin Manager, in the text box Licenses, view the number of licenses
available.

To load an available plugin:

1. From the Tools menu, select Plugin Manager.
2. In the Load column, next to the plugins you want to load, select Yes.
3. Select OK.
The commands or menus for the plugins are added to Adams/View.
 Learning Basics 11
Overview

To unload a plugin:
1. From the Tools menu, select Plugin Manager.
2. In the Load column, next to the plugin you want to unload, clear the selection of Yes.
3. Select OK.
Adams/View removes any plugin menus or commands.

To set up a plugin so it loads automatically when you start Adams/View:

1. From the Tools menu, select Plugin Manager.
2. In the Load at Startup column, next to the plugin you want to load automatically, select Yes.
3. Select OK.

Executing a System Command

You can execute an operating system command from within Adams/View so that you do not have to leave
the Adams/View window.
You can select to display the results of the command in the Information Window or the Log file. If you
select to display the results of the command in the Information window, you can:
• Clear the window and only view the results of the command.
• Save the results of the command to a file.

If you select to display the results in the log file, you can keep the command results with the other
commands that you execute so that you can cut and paste the information together into a new file.

To execute a system command within Adams/View:

1. On the Tools menu, select System Command.
The Execute System Command dialog box appears.
2. In the Command Text text box, enter the operating system command that you want to execute.
See your operating system documentation for more information.
3. Select whether or not you want the output of the command to be displayed in the Information
window or the log file.
4. Select OK.

Using the Adams/View Log File

Adams/View generates a log file during each Adams/View session, called aview.log.
While you are running Adams, you can display the current contents of the log file. In addition, you can
display the log file in a text editor. The following sections explain how to display the log file in
Adams/View and set the type of messages displayed.
• Viewing the Log File in Adams/View
12 Adams/View
Overview

• Updating the Log File

• Setting the Log File Information

Note: You can change the name of the log file through the initialization file .mdi_init. For more
information, see Running and Configuring Adams.

Viewing the Log File in Adams/View

You can use the Log File command on the Tools menu to display the log file. You can keep the dialog
box open as you execute commands so you can keep track of the commands and messages that you
receive.
To help you use the log file as a command file, Adams/View marks any messages as comments so that it
does not try to execute them when you import the command file. It indicates a comment by placing an
exclamation mark (!) in front of the message. Adams/View also displays as comments any commands
that it executes when it starts up. To help you distinguish the startup commands from messages,
Adams/View follows the exclamation mark (!) with the command prompt (>>).

To display the log file:

1. On the Tools menu, select Log File.
The Display Log File dialog box appears.
2. Select Info to display all messages written to the log file. The default is to display only warnings,
errors, and fatal messages.

Updating the Log File

Adams/View does not update the Display Log File dialog box each time you execute a command.
Therefore, if you want to see the commands that you executed since you opened the dialog box, you must
update the log file.

To update the contents of the log file:

• From the Display Log File dialog box, select Update.

Setting the Log File Information

When you display the log file, Adams/View displays only warnings, errors, and fatal messages that you
have received. You can change the type of messages that Adams/View displays as well as display the
commands that Adams/View has executed. You can also display only lines that contain certain
information, such as display only commands that create links, and remove any duplicate lines that occur
if you encounter the same error again.

To set the type of information displayed in the Display Log File dialog box:
1. Select the Show only lines of type check box and then select one of the following:
• Info - Displays all commands that you have executed in Adams/View.
 Learning Basics 13
Overview

• Warning - Displays non-fatal messages that warn you of possible problems with commands
you entered.
• Error - Displays fatal messages that Adams/View did not understand and, therefore, did not
successfully process.
• Fatal - Displays messages that indicated that your model would not simulate.
2. If desired, select Show only lines containing and enter the text that the line must contain in the
text box. You can also enter wildcards. Learn about using wildcards.
3. Select Apply.

To remove duplicate lines:

• From the Display Log File dialog box, select Suppress duplicate lines.

Using Wildcards
You can use wildcards to narrow any search, set the type of information displayed in a window, such as
the Database Navigator or the Log file, or specify a name of an object in a dialog box.

This character: Represents:

* (asterisk) Zero or more characters
? Any single character
[ab] Any one of the characters in the brackets
[^AB] Any character other than the characters following the caret symbol (^) in the
brackets
[a-c] Any one character in a range enclosed in brackets
{AB, bc} Any of the character strings in the braces

Tips on Using Wildcards

Here are some tips for entering wildcards:
• Case is insignificant so xYz is the same as XYz.
• You can match alternative sequences of characters by enclosing them in braces and separating
them with commas. For example, the pattern a{ab,bc,cd}x matches aabx, abcx, and acdx.
• You can form character sets that match a single character using brackets [ ]. For example, [abc]d
matches ad, bd, and cd
• You can use a dash (-) to create ranges of characters. For example, [a-f1-4] is the same as
[abcdef1234].
• You can use a backslash (\) to include a special character as part of the character set. For
example, [AB\]CD] includes the five characters A, B, ], C, and D.
14 Adams/View
Overview

Here are some examples of more complex patterns and possible matches:
• x*y - Matches any object whose name starts with x and ends with y. This would include xy, x1y,
and xaby.
• x??y - Matches only those objects with four-character long names that start with x and end with
y. This would include xaay, xaby, and xrqy.
• x?y* - Matches all of those objects whose names start with x and have y as the third character.
This would include xayee, xyy, and xxya.
• *{aa,ee,ii,oo,uu}* - Matches all those objects whose name contains the same vowel twice in a
row. This would include loops and skiing.
• [aeiou]*[0-9] - Matches any object whose name starts with a vowel and ends with a digit. This
would include eagle10, arapahoe9, and ex29.
• [^aeiou]?[xyz]* - Matches any object whose name does not start with a vowel and has x, y, or z
as the third letter. This would include thx1138, rex, and fizzy.
• You can use quotation marks to identify all objects with a certain naming pattern. The following
example describes how to set a damping ratio of 0.05 to all beams in .model_1 that have
‘_beam’ in the name.
for var=the_beam obj=.model_1."*_beam*" type=Beam
force modify element_like beam &
beam_name = (eval(the_beam).name) &
damping_ratio = 0.05
end !for

Adams/View Tools
Adams/View provides following tools. Click on each tool to learn more.
• Coordinate window
• Command Navigator
• Command Window
• Message Window
• Information Window
• Database Navigator
• Table Editor
 Learning Basics 15
Ribbon Capability

Ribbon Capability

Introduction
The Adams 2012 introduces the new ribbon based style interface and the GUI explained below.

Figure 1 Adams/View 2012 Ribbon based Interface

Main Menu
Main menu divided in to following sections.
• Text-based menus
• File handling Strip
16 Adams/View
Ribbon Capability

• Selection Strip

• View Plane Strip

• Object Manipulation Strip

• View Manipulation Strip

Text-based menus
• File
• Edit
• View
• Settings
• Tools

Important: Those users who customize the Adams/View main text menu should be advised that this
text menu's location is .gui.main.mmenu_menu.mbar_refresh. The
Adams/View main text menu for the Classic interface style remains .gui.main.mbar
as it has been in previous releases. To learn more about customizing Adams/View refer to
Customizing Adams/View.

File handling Strip

• Create New Model

• Save Database

• Redo

• Undo
 Learning Basics 17
Ribbon Capability

Selection Strip

Select, clear the select list. Double click to display model.

View Plane Strip

• Set the view orientation in front

• Set the view orientation to right

• Set the view orientation to top

• Set the view to isometric

• Set the view plane to coincident with the xy plane of an object users select

Object Manipulation Strip

• Create Material

• Change Entity Color

This will allow you to change the entity color. Right click on the button for more color
option.

• Reposition objects relative to view coordinates

• Create new group

View Manipulation Strip

• View Fit

• Dynamic Pick
18 Adams/View
Ribbon Capability

• Center

• Rotate

• Dynamic Translate

• Dynamic Zoom

Ribbon: Tabbed icon

Bodies

Solids

• Box Tool

• Cylinder Tool

• Sphere Tool

• Frustum Tool

• Torus Tool
 Learning Basics 19
Ribbon Capability

• Link Tool

• Plate Tool

• Extrusion Tool

• Revolution Tool

• Plane Tool

Flexible Bodies

• Adams/Flex

• Rigid to Flex

• Flex to Flex

• MNF XForm

• Discrete Flexible Link

• ViewFlex

Construction

• Point Tool
20 Adams/View
Ribbon Capability

• Marker Tool

• Polyline Tool

• Arc Tool

• Spline Tool

• Point Mass

Booleans

• Unite Tool

• Merge Tool

• Intersect Tool

• Cut Tool

• Split Tool

• Chain Tool

Features

• Chamfer Tool
 Learning Basics 21
Ribbon Capability

• Fillet Tool

• Hole Tool

• Boss Tool

• Hollow Tool

Connectors

Joints

• Fixed Joint Tool

• Revolute Joint Tool

• Translational Joint Tool

• Cylindrical Joint Tool

• Spherical Joint Tool

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Ribbon Capability

• Constant-Velocity Joint Tool

• Hooke/Universal Joint Tool

• Screw Joint Tool

• Planar Joint Tool

Primitives

• Parallel Axes Joint Tool

• Orientation Joint Tool

• Perpendicular Axes Joint Tool

• Inplane Joint Tool

• Inline Joint Tool

Couplers

• Gear Joint Tool

• Coupler Joint Tool

Special

• Point-Curve Constraint Tool

 Learning Basics 23
Ribbon Capability

• 2D Curve-Curve Constraint Tool

• General Constraint

Motions

Joint Motions

• Translational Motion Tool

• Rotational Motion Tool

General Motions

• Point Motion

• General Point Motion Tool

Forces
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Ribbon Capability

Applied Forces

• Single-Component Force tool

• Three-Component Force tool

• Six-Component General Force tool

• Single-Component Torque tool

• Three-Component Torque tool

Flexible Connections

• Bushing Tool

• Rotational Spring Damper

• Field Element Tool

• Translational Spring Damper Tool

• Beam

Special Forces

• Contact

• Tire

• Modal Force
 Learning Basics 25
Ribbon Capability

• Gravity

Elements

Data Elements

• Spline Tool

• General Spline

• Array

• Create/Modify Matrix

• Data Element Create Curve

• Create/Modify String

• Create FEMDATA

• Data Element Create Plant Input

• Data Element Create Plant Output

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Ribbon Capability

• Data Element Create Plant State

System Elements

• Create/Modify State Variable

• Create/Modify Differential Equation

• Create/Modify Transfer Function

• Part Create Equation Linear State Equation

• Create/Modify General State Equation

Function

• Function Builder

Controls Toolkit

• Create/Modify Standard Controls Block

Design Exploration
 Learning Basics 27
Ribbon Capability

Design Variable

• Create/Modify Design Variable

Measures

• Object Measure

• Point-to-Point Measure

• Angle Measure

• Orientation Measure

• Range Measure

• Computed Measure

• Function Measure

• Display Measures

Instrumentation

• Create a Request

• Create/Modify Sensor

• Create Run-Time Clearance

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Ribbon Capability

Design Evaluation

• Create Design Objective

• Optimize Objective Evaluate

• Create Design Constraint

• Optimize Constraint Evaluate

• Evaluate All With Default Analysis

• Design Evaluation Tools

Adams/Insight

• Adams/Insight Export

• Adams/Insight Display

Plugins

Controls

• Controls
 Learning Basics 29
Ribbon Capability

Vibration

• Vibration

Durability

• Durability

Mechatronics

• Mechatronics

Note: Plugins located on this tab may be initially loaded by clicking the corresponding icon. To
unload these plugins or to subsequently reload these plugins one must use the Plugin
Manager located under the Tools menu. To learn more about the Plugin Manager, see
section Loading and Unloading Plugins.

Simulation

Setup

• Create/Modify Simulation Script

• Import ACF
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Ribbon Capability

Simulate

• Interactive Controls

• Scripted Controls

Results

Review

• Animation Controls

• Create Trace Spline

• Linear Modes Controls

Adams/PostProcessor

• Adams/PostProcessor
 Learning Basics 31
Ribbon Capability

Model Browser

Browse
The browse tab is the default tab. It depicts a hierarchy of all the objects in the database. It has nine top
level folders that contain the objects by type. The objects that do not fit into the first eight categories, are
included in the "All Other" folder.

Groups
The Groups tab allows the user to gather database objects together.

Filters
The Filters tab enables you to create and save complex searches which can update dynamically.
To learn more about the model browser see section Model Browser.
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Ribbon Capability

Status Toolbar
View Setup Strip

• Set background color

• Toggle visibility

• Window layout

• Single: Toggle grid visibility. Double - grid settings

• Toggle project between orthograpic and perspective

• Wireframe/Shaded toggle for current view

• Toggle icon visibility for current view

Information Strip

• List information about database objects

• Stop command
 Learning Basics 33
Setting Preferences

Setting Preferences

Setting Default Coordinate System

Coordinate Systems in Adams/View
When you first start Adams/View, it displays a View triad in the lower left corner. The view triad displays
the global coordinate system for the Modeling database.
By default, Adams/View uses a Cartesian coordinate system as the global coordinate system with three
axes (x, y, and z). Adams/View attaches the ground part to the global coordinate system and by default
positions all other modeling objects to it.

Rotation Sequences
Adams/View uses three orientation angles to perform three rotations about the axes of a coordinate
system. You specify the order in which axes are rotated about as a sequence of three numbers (1,2,3),
which correspond to x-, y-, and z-axes, respectively. For example, a rotation order of 312 produces
rotations about the z-, then x-, and then y-axis. Adams/View provides you with a set of 24 rotation
sequences from which to choose. The most commonly used rotation sequence, body 313, is the default
sequence.
The figure below shows how successive rotations defined by the rotation angles orient the axes. Dashed
lines represent original orientations and solid lines represent new and unchanged orientations.

• The first angle rotates the coordinate system about its z-axis. This repositions the x-axis and the
y-axis (see a in figure).
• The second angle rotates the coordinate system about its new x-axis (x´) to reposition the new y-
axis (y´) and the z-axis (see b in figure).
34 Adams/View
Setting Preferences

• The third angle rotates the coordinate system about its new z-axis (z´) to reposition the new x-
axis (x´) and the second new y-axis (y´´).
Together and in sequence, these rotations define the orientation of the coordinate system (see c in figure).
The right-hand rule defines the direction of positive rotation about each axis. For example, if you are
looking down the initial z-axis, positive rotations are counterclockwise and negative rotations are
clockwise.

To set the default coordinate system:

1. Do one of the following:
• On the Settings menu, select Coordinate System.
• On the Move tool stack of the Main toolbox, select the Coordinate System tool .
The Coordinate System Setting dialog box appears.
2. Select the type of location coordinate systems: cartesian, cylindrical, spherical
3. Select the type of rotation sequence. See Rotation Sequences.
4. Select either:
• Space fixed - Adams/View applies the rotations about axes that remain in their original
orientation.
• Body fixed - Adams/View applies the rotations about axes that move with the body as it
rotates.
As Adams/View applies each rotation to an axis, it produces a new set of axes.
5. Select OK.

Specifying Gravitational Force

You can specify the magnitude and direction of the acceleration of gravity. For each part with mass, the
gravitational force produces a point force at its center of mass.

To turn off gravity:

• From the Gravity Settings dialog box, clear the Gravity check box.

When you turn on gravity, an icon appears in the middle of the Adams/View Main window. To turn off
the display of the gravity icon, see Edit Appearance Dialog Box.

To turn on and specify gravitational force:

1. Do one of the following:
• On the Settings menu, select Gravity.
• On the Create Forces Palette and Tool Stack of the Main toolbox, select the Gravity tool
.
 Learning Basics 35
Setting Preferences

The Gravity Settings dialog box appears.

2. Select the Gravity check box to turn on gravity.
3. Set the acceleration of the gravity in the x, y, and z directions with respect to the global coordinate
system. See the table below for assistance.
4. Select OK.

To enter: Do the following:

A value Enter the acceleration value in the X, Y, or Z text boxes as appropriate.
A standard value Select a standard button (+ or -) for the direction you want to set. The standard
(+ or -) acceleration value appears in the apropriate X, Y, or Z text boxes.

Setting Screen and Printer Fonts

You can change the font Adams/View uses to display text in a view, such as the name of a part or a note
on the screen, or to print text to a printer. The fonts available for displaying text in a view are those
available with your operating system. The fonts available for printing text are a fixed set of 12 fonts. Note
that your printer may not support all of these printer fonts. Learn about Printing Models.

To select a screen or printer font:

1. On the Settings menu, select Fonts.
The Fonts dialog box appears.
2. In the Screen Font text box, enter the name of the font you want Adams/View to use to display
text in a view. To browse for a font, right-click the text box, select Browse, and select a font.
3. Set Postscript Font to the font you want to use to print text.
4. Select OK.

Specifying Working Directory

By default, Adams/View searches for and saves all files in the directory from which you ran
Adams/View. You can change the working directory.

To change the working directory for the current session:

1. On the File menu, select Select Directory.
Select the directory in which Adams/View should save files.
2. Select OK.
You can also set the working directory when you start Adams/View. Learn about starting a new session.

To change the working directory for all sessions:

1. On UNIX:
36 Adams/View
Setting Preferences

• From the Adams Toolbar, right-click the Adams/View tool, and then select Change Settings.
• In the Registry Editor, select WorkingDirectory, and then change the working directory.
For more information, see Running and Configuring Adams.
2. On Windows:
• On the Desktop, right-click the Adams/View shortcut, and then select Properties.
• In the Start In text box, enter the working directory.

Setting Units of Measurement

You can set the units that Adams/View uses in modeling, importing, and exporting files. You can select
individual units or select a set group of units.

Units of Measurement in Adams/View

The units of measurement that Adams/View provides for you are shown in the table below. The table also
shows the default units when you start a new session

For the The default

dimension: Its supported units are: unit is:
Length Meter, Millimeter, Centimeter, Kilometer, Inch, Foot, Mile, Millimeter
Micrometer, Nanometer, Angstrom, Microinch, Mils, Yard
Mass Kilogram, Gram, PoundMass, OunceMass, Slug, KilopoundMass, Kilogram
Tonne, Milligram, Microgram, Nanogram, Us_ton
Force Newton, KilogramForce, Dyne, PoundForce, OunceForce, Newton
KiloNewton, KilopoundForce, MilliNewton, CentiNewton, Poundal,
Micronewton, Nanonewton, Meganewton
Time Second, Minute, Hour, Millisecond, Microsecond, Nanosecond, Day Second
Angle Radian, Degree, Revolutions, AngularMinutes, AngularSeconds Degree
Frequency Radians per second, Hertz Radians per
second

Entering Unit Measurements in Text Boxes

When you enter a numeric value in a text box, you can specify the units of measurement that you want
used for the value or let Adams/View use the default unit. For example, you can specify the length of a
link in millimeters even when the default unit is set to meters.
When you want to enter an alternate unit, you include the value and its unit. Adams/View encloses the
value and unit in parentheses ( ). You can also enter an abbreviation for the unit. For example, to specify
60 millimeters, enter the following:
(60mm)
 Learning Basics 37
Setting Preferences

You set default units when you create an Adams/View model or you can use the Units command on the
Settings menu to change the units.

Unit Labels
To enter units other than the default in text boxes, you can use either simple unit labels or composed unit
labels.

Simple Unit Labels

Simple units: Simple unit Labels: Minimal abbreviations:

Length centimeter centimeter
cm c
foot f
ft ft
inch i
kilometer kilometer
km km
m m
meter met
mile mile
millimeter millimeter
mm mm
Angle am am
angular_minutes angular_m
angular_seconds angular_s
as as
degree d
radian r
Mass gram g
kg kg
kilogram kilogram
kpound_mass kpound_m
lbm lbm
megagram meg
ounce_mass ounce_m
pound_mass pound_m
slug sl
Time hour ho
millisecond millis
minute min
ms ms
second s
38 Adams/View
Setting Preferences

Simple units: Simple unit Labels: Minimal abbreviations:

Force dyne dy
kg_force kg_
kilogram_force kilogram_force
knewton kn
kpound_force kpound_f
lbf lbf
millinewton millin
newton ne
ounce_force ounce_f
pound_force pound_f
Frequency hz hz
radians/second radians/sec

Any unique abbreviation for a simple unit label is acceptable. For example, you can abbreviate radians
in the following ways, since none of the abbreviations conflict with abbreviations for any other units:
radians = radian = radia = radi = rad = ra = r
There are three exceptions for entering unique aliases:

Aliases: Unit Labels:

d degrees, although it conflicts with dynes
kg kilograms, although it conflicts with kg_force
m meters, although it conflicts with mile, minute, ms, millisecond, and millinewton

Here are some examples of unit labels associated with a number within text boxes:
• 1mm
• 1.2 inch (spaces are not significant)
• 24in (you can use abbreviations)

Composed Unit Labels

Composed unit labels enable you to create aggregate units. You do this by combining Simple Unit Labels
and operators. There are three operators for composing aggregate units from existing simple units:

Operator: Notation: Comment:

Exponentiation ** Right operand must be an integer: inch**2
Multiplication - or * foot-pound_f = foot*pound_f
Division /
 Learning Basics 39
Setting Preferences

A composed unit label is always enclosed in parentheses to eliminate ambiguity. Here are some tips and
examples of composed unit labels:
• To indicate torque, enter: 3.3 (newton*meter)
• To indicate composed acceleration, enter: 9.8 (meter/sec**2)
• To indicate angular acceleration, enter : PI (rad/sec**2)
• To indicate multiplication with a dash, enter: (fun(1)*3)(in - lbf)
• You cannot include parentheses inside of composed units. Therefore, the following is incorrect:
1.2 (inch / (sec*deg))
Instead, enter the following:
1.2 (inch / sec/deg)

Tip: In general, if you see units associated with numbers in the information window, command
file, log file, and so on, you should be able to take that unit string and use it in a text box
without error.

To set the unit of measurement in Adams/View:

1. On the Settings menu, select Units.
The Units Settings dialog box appears.
2. Select the unit of measurement for each of the dimensions using the table below for assistance.
3. Select OK.

To select: Do the following:

Unit for a specific Select the individual unit from the pull-down menu associated with the dimension.
dimensions
Predefined unit Select one of the following buttons. In all the unit systems, time is in seconds and
system angle is in degrees. When you select a predefined unit system, the units selected
appear in the upper portion of the dialog box.

• MMKS - Sets length to millimeters, mass to kilograms, and force to Newtons.

• MKS - Sets length to meters, mass to kilograms, and force to Newtons.
• CGS - Sets length to centimeters, mass to grams, and force to Dyne.
• IPS - Sets length to inches, mass to pound mass, and force to PoundForce.
40 Adams/View
Setting Preferences

Interface Style
The user is provided with the option to switch 'Classic' View interface. This options provided under the
main menu Settings  Interface style  Classic. If user wants to switch back to the new ribbon based
view then select Settings  Interface style  Default.

Saving and Restoring Settings

You can save the current settings of the display of your model and any other settings you specify through
the Settings menu. Adams/View saves your settings in the file aviewBS.cmd in the directory from which
you ran Adams/View.
The settings that Adams/View saves include:
• Part and model display
• Rendering mode, colors, and translucency
• Visibility of the View triad, Screen icons, Working grid, and Coordinate window
• Settings for working grid, units, and screen icons
• Force graphics
• Toolbox and toolbar display and placement
• Simulation preferences
• Solution controls

When you start up Adams/View, Adams/View reads the settings stored in aviewBS.cmd, if it exists in
your path, and uses them instead of any settings in the Modeling database.

To save settings:
1. Set the display of your model and any other Adams/View settings, as desired.
2. From the Settings menu, select Save Settings.

To restore the saved settings:

1. From the Settings menu, select Restore Settings.
 Learning Basics 41
Model Browser

Model Browser

Welcome to the Model Browser

Model Browser represents a hierarchical overview of all objects in the database. It also provides
advanced functionality to:
• Search the objects in the database.
• Create and manage filters.
• Create and manage object groups.
42 Adams/View
Model Browser

Model Browser Interface

The Model Browser provides a simpler and intuitive interface for model construction, and easy access to
hierarchical objects in the database. It is an integral part of to the Adams/View window and located on
the left side, as shown below:

The Model Browser window can be divided into three sections, based on the three tabs:
• Browse
• Group
• Filters

These three tabs are discussed in detail in separate sections, later in this chapter.
 Learning Basics 43
Model Browser

Moving and Docking/Undocking the Model Browser

You can dock/undock and move the Model Browser window. It can be docked on the left (default) or right
edge of the Adams\View window.
• To undock the Model Browser, double-click on its control bar. The browser gets undocked.
• To dock the undocked Model Browser, double-click on its control bar. The browser gets docked
on its previous location.
• To dock the undocked Model Browser on a different (right/left) location, click on the browser’s
control bar and drag the window where you want to dock the window; when you get close
enough, the browser will jump into the docking position.
• To move the undocked Model Browser, click on its control bar and drag anywhere on your
screen.

Working with objects in the Model Browser

• To select a single object, click on it.
• To select multiple objects, hold down the Ctrl key and click on the desired objects.
• To select a range of objects, hold down the Shift key and select a range of objects.
• To copy objects, hold down the Ctrl key and drag objects.
Alternatively, you can copy and delete objects from the right-click menu.
These actions may differ slightly depending on the current tab (Browse, Groups, or Filters) and are
discussed in detail in respective sections.
The text objects, selected in the browser window get synchronized with their corresponding objects in
the graphics viewport as well as with the corresponding objects in the graphical topology display. For
example, if you select an object in the browser the same object gets selected and highlighted in the
viewport.

Right-click Menus
When you click right mouse button, different shortcut menus appear depending on the tab and the entity
selected in the Model Browser. The menus can be divided in three types:
• Shortcut menu: Appears, when you right-click in the free space in the Model Browser.
• Context menu for single selection: Appears, when you right-click on a single entity in the Model
Browser.
44 Adams/View
Model Browser

• Context menu for multiple selection: Appears, when you right-click after selecting multiple
entities.

Shortcut Menu
When you click in the free space of any tab of the Model Browser a shortcut menu appears. The options
in this menu differ in different tabs but some common functionality is described below:
• To expand all nodes in the Model Browser tree, select Expand All from the shortcut menu.
• To collapse all nodes in the Model Browser tree, select Collapse All from the shortcut menu.
• To refresh the Model Browser, select Refresh from the shortcut menu.
• To sort the objects in the Model Browser by either type or name, point to Sort Entities by on the
shortcut menu and click either Type or Name, as required.
Note that the Browse section provides only one option: Sort Entities by Name.
The options under the context menus for single and multiple selection differ depending on the current tab
(Browse, Groups, or Filters) and are discussed in the respective sections.
 Learning Basics 45
Model Browser

Browse Tab
The browse tab is the default tab. It depicts a hierarchy of all the objects in the database. It has nine top
level folders that contain the objects by type. The objects that do not fit into the first eight categories are
included in the "All Other" folder.

A drop down menu at the top of the browse tab displays currently active model. The browse tab has a
quick search box that enables you to specify search criteria and find matching objects in the database.

Modifying Objects
The Model Browser lets you modify database objects.

To modify objects:
1. Right-click on the object, and then select Modify. Based on the object type selected the relevant
Modify window appears.
2. Modify the specified values as required and click OK.

Editing Object Appearance

You can also edit object appearance here.
46 Adams/View
Model Browser

To edit object appearance:

1. Right-click on the object, and then select Appearance. The Edit Appearance Dialog Box appears.
2. Modify the specified values as required and click OK.

Checking Object Information

The complete information about an object can be checked by following the instructions, given below.

To check object information:

1. Right-click on the object, and then select Info. The Information Window appears.
2. Check the information and click Close when done.

Creating Measure
The procedure of creating object measure is described below. Read About Measures for more information
on object measures.

To change object measure:

1. Right-click on the object, and then select Measure. Based on the object type selected the relevant
Measure window appears.
2. Provide the measure values and click OK.

Renaming Objects
You can rename an object in the model browser.

To rename an object via the Rename Object window:

1. Right-click on the object to rename, and then select Rename. The Rename Object window
appears.
2. Type the new name of the object and click OK.

To rename an object in-line:

1. Left-click on the object to rename.
2. Move the mouse cursor slightly to somewhere else on the object name and left-click again. The
object name highlights.
3. Type over the object name with the new object name and press Enter.

Activating/ Deactivating Objects

From the Model Browser, you can deactivate objects and/or their dependents and reactivate deactivated
objects.

To activate/deactivate objects:
1. Right-click on the object to Activate/Deactivate, and then select (De)activate. The
Activate/Deactivate window appears.
 Learning Basics 47
Model Browser

2. Choose one from the following:

• To deactivate the object and its dependents, deselect the Object Active checkbox.
• To deactivate only the dependents of selected object, deselect the Object’s Dependent Active
checkbox.
• To reactivate a deactivated object and its dependents, select the Object Active checkbox.
• To reactivate the deactivated dependents of an object, select the Object’s Dependent Active
checkbox.
3. Click OK.

Hiding/Showing Objects
You can change object display preferences.

To hide an object or show a hidden object:

• Right-click on the object, and then select Show or Hide, as required.
48 Adams/View
Model Browser

Groups Tab
The groups tab enables you to create and manage groups in the database. Group creation and
modification is supported along with the facility to drag-drop members across groups.

Grouping Objects
The Groups tab enables you to select and group database objects based on your preferences. It is shown
below.

To create a new group:

1. Right-click in the free space in Groups tab, and then select New Group. The Group Create
window appears.
2. Provide the required information in the fields in the Group Create window, and then click OK.
The new group gets created.

Modifying Groups
The Model Browser lets you modify the object groups.
 Learning Basics 49
Model Browser

To modify groups:
1. Right-click on the group, and then select Modify. The Group Modify window appears.
2. .Modify the specified values as desired and click OK.

Removing Objects from Groups

If you want to empty a group (remove all group entities from the group) follow the instructions given
below.

To empty a group:
1. Right-click on the group, and then select Empty. All the objects get removed from the group.

Sorting Groups
You can sort groups by either name or type.

To sort groups:
Right-click in the free space in Groups tab, and then point to Sort by and select Name or Type as
required. The groups will get sorted.

Quick Search
The quick search box will also be present at the bottom of the groups tab. It functions in exactly the same
way as on the Browse Tab, but only displays group names or those items present in groups.
50 Adams/View
Model Browser

Filters Tab
The Filters tab enables you to create and save complex searches which can update dynamically.

Filtering Objects
You can select search criteria in the filter input area located at the bottom of the browser window, and
type text in the search text field for this search. When you press or click the blue refresh button on the
right of the input field, it executes the filter search and either creates a new filter in the browser area or
updates an existing one as dictated by the Filter Name field above it.

To create a filter:
1. Right-click in the free space in Filter tab, and then select New Filter. The Filter Creation
window appears.
2. Type the name of the filter and click Add Filter. The filter gets added.
3. In the Filter text box, enter the name of the objects that you want to display. Type any wildcard
that you want to include.
4. From the pull-down menu below Filter text box, select the type of object or objects that you want
to display in the Model Browser.
5. To only display active or inactive objects, set the pull-down menu below the Filter objects to
either Active Objects or Inactive Objects.
 Learning Basics 51
Model Browser

6. Select the Dynamic check box if you want the filter to update automatically when new objects
that meet the filter specifications are added or when the Refresh All option is selected.
7. Press Enter.

Combining Filters

You can create a new filter by combining two filters. One of the three operators: AND, OR, or NOT can
be used for combining the filters.

• AND: Creates a filter that consolidates the two filters as: F 1  F 2 , only the common objects of
both filters will be in the resulting filter.
52 Adams/View
Model Browser

• OR: Creates a filter that consolidates the two filters as: F 1  F 2 , all objects of both filters will
be in the resulting filter.
• NOT: Creates a filter that consolidates the two filters as: F 1 – F 2 , only the objects that are in
F 1 but not in F 2 , will be in the resulting filter.
Where F 1 and F 2 are the names of the filters to combine.

To combine filters:
1. Select the two filters to combine and right-click on them.
2. From the right-click menu that appears, point to Combine and select one condition from AND,
OR, or NOT, as required.
The new filter will be created, satisfying the condition selected.
The order of the filter combination is determined by the order in which the filters appear in the list from
the bottom to top. For example, if two filters A and B are selected for combination such that A appears
above B in the list, then the filter created with an AND operation between the two will be B_AND_A
(and will be so named as the default). In order to create a filter A_AND_B, the list needs to be sorted first
(using the 'Sort Filters' option from the context menu that pops up when the list is right-mouse clicked.).
The filter operations AND and OR are inherently commutative and as such the order of the filter created
by a combination of these do not matter as far as the result is concerned. For example, the filter created
with the combinations (A AND B) and (B AND A) will yield the same result. The filter combination
NOT however is not commutative and the order here can be determined by the sorting method as
explained above.