An animation is recorded as a series of part positions called control positions. These positions are like snapshots of object locations in the viewport. When you play the animation, movement is interpolated between each control position, so you only need to capture a new position when you want to change the object's direction or coordinate its movements with other objects.
For example, the series of positions below is recorded in an animation. The cube starts at 0, which is its original position. We moved and rotated it to 1, which is recorded as position 1. We then rotated it again and moved it to position 2.
Physical simulation will cause animated parts to interact with each other as solid, real-world objects. For example, if you move an object, and it bumps into another object, it will move or go around the other object. This behavior is controlled by the
Physical simulation in animations in the Define Animation dialog box. To simulate physical movement, move one part then select Physical in the Relations / Physical section.
To define an animation,
1. Click Relations and then, in the Animation group, click Define. The Define Animation dialog box opens.
2. To edit an existing animation, click Animation and select the animation in the Structure Browser.
3. To create a new animation, click New Anim. The New Animation section opens at the bottom of the menu panel.
a. Select an Owner in the Structure Browser. The owner must be:
▪ An assembly or container holding all the objects and relations you want to use.
▪ Writable, but objects such as parts or subassemblies below the owner can be read-only.
b. Type a Name.
c. The Attachment box determines whether the animation is saved in the Contents or Instance file. For more information about these files, read
3D Data files files.
4. Click Accept. The menu changes to display the animation options.
5. Move objects in the viewport with the Position controls.
6. You can change the following options:
◦ Click Selected in the Snapshot section to specify multiple objects.
◦ Click Next to clear the selected objects list, or Reset Pos to restore the initial or previous location of the control position.
◦ Physical in the Relations / Physical section simulates physical interaction between two or more objects. See
Physical simulation in animations.
◦ Consider Physical, under Navigate, turns physical simulation on or off while you play the animation.
◦ Change the Insert Time if you want this segment of the animation to be longer or shorter. The default value is 1, which is one second.
◦ Change Delta Time to slow the movement of objects.
7. Click >> Capture Position <<.
8. Repeat these steps until you are finished defining the animation.
Define. The Define Animation dialog box opens.
to complete the operation.