Visible results in a Simscape Multibody Animation

Dear MathWorks community,

I created a machine in Simscape Multibody. When I start the simulation and perform a movement with my motor, I can see the deformations of my machine body in the scopes, but they are so small, that they are not visible in the animation.

I would need a animation for a presentation, where these deformations should be visible with the eye, in order to get a general understanding of the impact on the machine. Is there a integrated way in Matlab to enhance these effects? Or do I just have to scale all my spring parameters till I can see visible results?

Thanks everybody and best wishes.

Answer 1

[Ayush]

Hi Marco,

I understand that you want to emphasise on some deformations in your Simscape Multibody Animation to visualise and understand the impact on the machine.

It can be done in the following way:

1. Adjusting visualisation settings: Using the “Mechanics Explorer” app in Simscape, you can explore various options to change the color, line thickness or transparency of bodies, joints, etc for better visualisations of the intended deformation and make them more emphasised. Please refer to the below documentation to know more about “Mechanics Explorer” app in Simscape:

• https://www.mathworks.com/help/sm/ref/mechanicsexplorer-app.html

2. Using external animation software: To access more advanced visualisation options, you can export the simulation results to other animation software such as “Simulink 3D Animation” or other third-party software for finer and more diverse control of the animation. Please refer to the below documentation to know more about “Simulink 3D Animation”:

• https://www.mathworks.com/help/sl3d/index.html

3. Scaling the deformations: Lastly you can increase the scale of your spring parameters in the model. By increasing the stiffness or damping coefficients of the spring joints, you can amplify the displacement and thus make them more visible in the animation.

It's recommended to experiment with different techniques and find the balance between visual impact and accuracy.

Hope it helps,

Regards,

Ayush Misra