Preferences Dialog

From the Preferences dialog, you can access various MotionView options for your model.

Starting in version 2021.2, all client preferences are available in a single dialog which can be invoked from File > Preferences.

Appearance

Set various display options for MotionView.

From the Preferences dialog, select Appearance.


Figure 1. Preferences - MotionView - Appearance
The following options are available:
Colors To change the color of one of the following features, click on a color box, select a new color from the palette, and click OK.
  Mesh lines Changes the mesh line color of the graphics.
  Global X/Y/Z Axis Changes the colors of the global X, Y, and Z axes.
  Parametric field background Changes the background color of all parametric fields.
Show Global axes The global axes can be displayed in the lower left corner of the MotionView window. Click the Global axes check box to toggle the display of the axes on or off.
  Model Title The model title can be displayed at the top of the window. Click the Model Title check box to toggle the display of the title on or off.
Image and Video Capture Select a color setting for the background/foreground during image and video capture.
  • Auto
  • Maintain onscreen color
View Cube Select from the various View Cube display options:
  Show view cube Use this option to set the visibility of the view cube. The view cube can be set to be visible Always|Never|Mouseover. When set to Mouseover, the view cube is visible when the mouse is over its position.
  Position Set the location of the view cube. The view cube can be positioned in the Lower Left | Lower Right | Upper Left | Upper Right corner of the modeling window.
  Show axis arrows Set the arrow pointer visibility of the Global Axis triad.
  Geometry Sets the shape of the view cube. Chamfered Cube | Simple Cube. The Chamfered Cube offers additional view orientation choices than the Simple Cube.
  Show view cube rotators Use this option to set the visibility of the view cube rotators. The view cube rotators can be set to be visible Always|Never|Mouseover. The rotators can be used to rotate the views both in plane or about the plane of modeling window.
  Show view cube reflectors The reflectors can be used to set the view to the planes that are hidden. The reflectors can be set to be visible Always | Never | Mouseover.
  View cube rotators increment angle Angle in degrees that the view would rotate when using the rotators.
  View Cube Front Face Orientation

Defines the Front face direction of the View cube. The available choices indicate the plane of the global the front face of the cube would be parallel to.

For example, -YZ would make the Front face parallel to the YZ plane with the side along the direction perpendicular to the plane indicated by the negative sign (clockwise rotation of Y towards Z) imagining the triad at the center of the cube.

General

Select Check Model and Build Model options for MotionView.

From the Preferences dialog, select General.


Figure 2. Preferences - MotionView - General

Check Model

The Check Model options allow you to select which information from the model file will be displayed when the Check Model tool is run.

Select the check box next to one of the available options to include this information in the Check Model dialog (which is displayed after the check of the model is completed). The information for each activated option will be displayed in its own tab.
Option Description
Check model on opening Checks the model immediately upon opening a model. When this check is off, the model is not checked for errors upon opening.
General model information This option provides general information about the model. The information contains the count of each type of entity apart from the number of inactive system or analyses.


Figure 3.
Degrees of freedom Provides degrees of freedom information. The total DOF is calculated by including all DOFs contributed by bodies and subtracting DOFs removed by constraints:

Model DOFs = DOFbodies - DOFconstraints

Refer to the DOF Tables section below for details on body and constraint DOF contribution.


Figure 4.
Note: The DOF calculation does not consider redundant constraints.
List files used This option lists the reference files that the model uses for flex bodies, graphics, and curves.
Suspect data This option captures possible suspect data that could cause problems during solution. The suspect data could include:
  • Ratio between largest and smallest mass
  • Zero stiffness for SpringDamper
  • Free bodies
Use entity labels in messages With this option turned on, the messages posted in the message log will refer to MotionView entities by their label. Otherwise, the message will refer to the entities by the variable names.
Note: The Error Message and Warning Messages options are automatically displayed in the Message Log and will always be active, therefore these options have been disabled in this dialog.
Degree of Freedom Tables
Body Type Adds DOF
Rigid body 6
Point mass body 3
Flex body - CMS Number of active modes in the flex body
NLFE body 12 x number of points defining the NLFE body
Polybeam body 6 x number of points defining the Polybeam
Joints Type Removes Translation DOF Removes Rotation DOF Total DOF Removed
Atpoint 3 0 3
Inline 2 0 2
Inplane 1 0 1
Orientation 0 3 3
Parallel Axis 0 2 2
Perpendicular 0 1 1
Ball 3 0 3
Constant Velocity 3 1 4
Cylindrical 2 2 4
Fixed 3 3 6
Planar 1 2 3
Point to Curve 2 0 2
Revolute 3 2 5
Translational 2 3 5
Universal 3 1 4
Advanced Joints Type Removes Translation DOF Removes Rotation DOF Total DOF Removed
Point to Curve 2 0 2
Curve to Curve 1 2 3
Point to Surface 2 3 5
Curve to Surface 2 3 5
Surface to Surface 2 3 5
Point to Deformable Curve 1 3 4

Build Model

The Build Model options allow you to control how shared instances should be handled while modifying them and enable saving commands in the Python window to a log file.
Option Description
Use updated symmetry Use true symmetric inertia properties for body pairs. When off, the product of inertia values of the follower side has the same values as on the leading side.
Break shared instance when modified Use this option to control how shared instances should be handled while modifying them:
  • This option is activated by default, indicating that any modification to a shared instances will result in a separate definition.
  • Deactivate this option to retain the sharing and apply a change to one instance to the other shared instances also.

See the Managing Shared Definitions topic for additional information.

Python command logging Activate this check box to enable saving commands in the Python window to a log file. See MotionView Python Reference Guide.

Lighting

Determine the light sources to be used for illuminating graphics in MotionView.

From the Preferences dialog, select Lighting


Figure 5. Preferences - MotionView - Lighting
There are two lighting modes:
Multiple Lights
Use the standard placement of multiple lights. The following option is available:
Shininess Use the slider bar to set the shininess (0-128).
Single Light
Specify the shininess, direction, and specularity of the light. Any combination of light properties may be used to light the graphic.


Figure 6.
Shininess Use the slider bar to set the shininess (0-128).
Vertical Use the slider bar to set the vertical direction of the light.
Horizontal Use the slider bar to set the horizontal direction of the light.
Specular Color The specular color defines the color reflected back on shiny surfaces. To change the color of the graphic, click on the color box, select a new color from the palette, and click OK
Tip: To disable specular highlighting, set the Specular Color to black.

Visualization

Set the zoom factor and rotation angle options for MotionView.

From the Preferences dialog, select Visualization


Figure 7. Preferences - MotionView - Visualization
The options available include:
Zoom factor Specifies the multiplication factor that is used to increase or decrease the scale of the current view while zooming using the scroll wheel. The default is 1.20.
Rotation Angle Specifies the increment (in degrees) that will be used when rotating a model using the view controls toolbar. The default is 15.