Rotating Substructures

Components of a machine or structure can be made to rotate during animation by defining each component as a Substructure

• Each Substructure with Yes selected in the Rotate column in the Substructures spreadsheet will rotate during shape animation.

• Each rotating Substructure rotates about its Center Point Any Point that is referenced in the Center Point column of the Points spreadsheet in a Structure window. A Point that references a Center Point is called a Radial Point. If a Center Point has a Machine Rotation Animation equation, all Radial Points that reference the Center Point will exhibit rotational motion about the Center Point during animation. Center Points are also created to make a SubStructure rotate during animation. Rotation occurs about the Z-axis of a Center Point. To make a SubStructure rotate during animation, a non-zero speed must be entered in the RPM column, and Yes selected in the Rotation column of the SubStructures spreadsheet. or Points.

• Each rotating Substructure rotates about the Z-axis of the Measurement A measurement is a series of time domain or frequency domain samples stored in a Data Block or Acquisition window. Each measurement has a unique Measurement number (M#). Each shape component in a Shape Table is also called a measurement, and each component has a unique M#. Axes of its Center Point or Points.

• If "None" is selected in the Animation Source Any Data Block, Shape Table, or Acquisition window that is open in the Work Area is an Animation Source. The currently connected Animation Source is displayed in the Animation Source list on the Toolbar in the Structure window. During animation, data from each M# in the current Animation Source is animated using the Animation equations for each Point on the structure model. list, all Substructures setup for rotation will rotate when animation is initiated.

The rotational speed of all rotating Substructures is scaled to the speed (in RPM or Hz) of the shape being animated.  For example, each cycle of animation of an ODS ODS is an acronym for Operating Deflection Shape. An ODS is the deformation of a structure at two or more locations and/or directions due to its own operational forces and/or other applied forces. A time domain ODS characterizes the structural deformation at a specific time. A frequency domain ODS characterizes the structural deformation at a specific frequency. An ODS is a summation of contributions of the mode shapes of all resonances being excited by the specific operating condition. taken from the running speed of a machine will coincide with the rotation of a rotating Substructure of the same speed.

Creating a Rotating Substructure

• Create the Substructure to be rotated. (See the Draw | Substructures | Add Selected Objects to Substructure command reference for details.)

• Select the Substructure

• Execute Draw | Create Center Point to create a Center Point for the Substructure

• Execute Draw | Animation Equations | Equation Editor.

• On the Measurement Axes tab, orient the Measurement Axes of the Center Point so that its Z-Axis coincides with the axis of rotation.

Rotation will only occur about the Z-Axis of a Center Point.

• Depress the Rotate button for the Substructure in the Rotation column of the Substructures spreadsheet.

• Enter the RPM of the rotating Substructure into the RPM column of the Substructure spreadsheet.

Testing the Rotation

• Select "None" in the Animation Source list on the Structure window Toolbar.

• Execute Draw | Animate Shapes.