You can trace an animation to help visualize the path of each animated object. For example, you can use this to verify that a moving part doesn't collide with a fixed part.
Each time you click the Play button, a new container named [animation_name]_objects_traced[x] is created below the animation owner. If the animation owner is read-only, the container is created at the root level. The traced animation is stored inside this container as shared parts or 3D curve geometry. See the description for each geometry type below.
To trace an animation,
1. Click Relations and, in the Animation group, click Trace. The Trace Animation dialog box opens.
2. Click Animation and select an animation to trace in the Structure Browser.
3. Select any number of the following geometry element types in the Trace Objects section:
◦ Vertices: The points of each traced vertex are combined to draw a polyline or a b-spline.
◦ Edges: For each specified edge and for each step one copy of the edge is added to a wire part.
◦ Parts: A shared part is created for each part to represent each step in the animation.
4. Click or clear the Consider Physical check box to turn physical simulation on or off, respectively, while you play the animation.
5. Use the animation playback controls to play or advance the animation.
Trace. The Trace Animation dialog box opens.
to complete the operation.