Animating Assemblies

in Inventor:
Applications in MAE3
Dor Ashur
Dr. Nathan Delson

Lecture Overview
Review of Constraints
Animation Basics
Two methods to specify animation
movement
Recording an animation

Constraints

Animation Basics

Animation Methods

Recording Animation

Constraints Basics
Constraints can be made between any two of the
following:
Face (Origin plane, flat, curved or cylindrical)
Edge (straight, round or circle)
Point

2 Constraints cannot conflict

You may need to re-constrain your assembly to
correctly animate your parts.

Constraints

Animation Basics

Animation Methods

Recording Animation

Types of Constraints

Mate

Angle
Insert

Flush

Tangent

Constraints

Animation Basics

Animation Methods

Recording Animation

Animations In Inventor
Simple Animations Driving Constraints

Drive a single DOF within an assembly

Complex Animations - Inventor Animation

Studio

Creates sequence of motion events in a timeline.

Required to animate complete robot

Constraints

Animation Basics

Animation Methods

Recording Animation

Animation Overview
Make sure your assembly is properly
constrained
Test the animation a constraint : Right click Drive
Constraint
Open Inventor Studio : Applications
Menu
Animate Constraint :

Animate Components :

Control the change in

offset

Control the change in

coordinates

Save your animation

Constraints

Animation Basics

Animation Methods

Recording Animation

Driving Constraints
Use Drive Constraints while still in the assembly
mode, as a test run for animating one constraint.
(Right click on the constraint and choose Drive
Constraint)

Constraints

Animation Basics

Animation Methods

Recording Animation

Inventor Studio
Screen Shot
To Access Inventor Animation Studio:

Applications Inventor Studio

Animate
Component
s
Animate
Constraints

Part
Tree

Animation Timeline
Action
Editor

Simple Tutorial

Animating with Inventor Studio tutorials can also

be accessed through the Getting Started page
under Try it Tutorials

Constraints

Animation Basics

Animation Methods

Recording Animation

Animation Methods in
Inventor Studio
Animating
Constraints

Animating
Components

Change the offset of

a constraint over a
set time.

Free Motion

Ex: Angle constraint

goes from 0 to 90 in 5
second.

Change the x, y, z
and rotational
components over a
set time
Ex: Ball moves +5 in
the y-axis and - 4 in

Constraints

Animation Basics

Animation Methods

Recording Animation

Animating Constraints
Procedure
Inventor Animation Studio allows you to
drive multiple constraints at once
Right click on the constraint and choose
Animate Constraint
Options:

Specify:

Drive
Constraint

End
Position

Enable

Start Time

Constraint

End Time

Suppress
Use the timeline and action editor to easily edit
Constraint

actions

Constraints

Animation Basics

Animation Methods

Recording Animation

Animating Components
Example of Ball Launching
1. In Inventor Studio choose Animate Components.
2. Select the object you want to move and click on
Position
Input
the x, y z coordinates by:
Clicking on the axis, plane or black ball to input 1, 2 or 3
coordinates respectively
or
Clicking and dragging
on an axis.

Input the rotation coordinates about the x, y and z axis

by:
Clicking on that axis and entering the rotation angle, or
dragging the mouse through that rotation angle .

Constraints

Animation Basics

Animation Methods

Recording Animation

Recording Animation to .Avi file

Maximum file size for MAE3 animation and
presentation is 100 MB (they will be posted on the
web), maximum length is 10 sec.
Avoid Rendering these beautiful images are
hard disk hogs!
Lower the frame or the compression ratio to
decrease the size if needed.

Animation Overview
Make sure your assembly is properly
constrained
Test the animation a constraint : Right click Drive
Constraint
Open Inventor Studio : Applications
Menu
Animate Constraint :

Animate Components :

Control the change in

offset

Control the change in

coordinates

Save your animation