Setting Up a Snapshot Animation
After you have created your animation, follow this procedure to define the way in which the elements of a snapshot animation will move.
1. Check the rigid body definitions:
a. Click 
Rigid Body Definition. The Animation Rigid Bodies dialog box opens.
Rigid Body Definition. The Animation Rigid Bodies dialog box opens.b. If you are working with a standard assembly, you must define the rigid bodies so the assembly moves the way it should. Select One Part per Body, and then select a rigid body and assign an appropriate group to each part. Since One Part per Body empties the ground body of parts, make sure to edit the ground body and reassign ground parts to it.
c. If you are working with a Mechanism Design assembly, the rigid bodies should already have been defined. Click each rigid body and review the rigid body assignments to ensure that they are correct.
d. If you plan to use a Mechanism playback file as the basis for the animation, make sure to run it before you set up the animation.
2. Define the animation components:
◦ Click 
Key Frame Sequence to create key frame sequences and define general movement.
Key Frame Sequence to create key frame sequences and define general movement.◦ Click 
Drag Components to manually drag bodies to specific positions, and then take snapshots. The key frames are automatically interpolated to produce a smooth animation.
Drag Components to manually drag bodies to specific positions, and then take snapshots. The key frames are automatically interpolated to produce a smooth animation.◦ Click 
Servo Motors to define servo motors and create specific movement between rigid bodies connected by motion axes or other geometric entities.
Servo Motors to define servo motors and create specific movement between rigid bodies connected by motion axes or other geometric entities.3. Add rigid body locking, events, or connection status to the timeline:
◦ Click 
Lock Rigid Bodies to define the position of a group of rigid bodies relative to each other for a specific segment of the animation.
Lock Rigid Bodies to define the position of a group of rigid bodies relative to each other for a specific segment of the animation.◦ To facilitate model assembly or disassembly when working with key frame sequences, click Drag Components to change the connection status of selected rigid bodies, then drag the rigid bodies into new positions and take snapshots.
Drag Components to change the connection status of selected rigid bodies, then drag the rigid bodies into new positions and take snapshots.◦ The components that appear on the timeline are the basis of the animation. You can edit the timeline length and increments, the length of a servo motor or a key frame sequence, and the relative timing of all components in the timeline. Click 
Selected to edit or add selected servo motors and key frame sequences.
Selected to edit or add selected servo motors and key frame sequences.◦ Click 
Connection Status to edit servo motors.
Connection Status to edit servo motors.◦ Click 
Event to define a sequence of events.
Event to define a sequence of events.4. Click 
to run the animation.
to run the animation.