Introducing the Components
The template-based products offer a number of component definitions that allow you to quickly and efficiently create components such as springs, dampers, and tires in the Template Builder. This allows the expert user to generate complex components without being overly concerned with the underlying elements, such as parts, markers, and geometry.
Components provide the building blocks required to define topological systems. Components are designed to be intuitive, to allow you to create templates quickly and easily.
The expert user can create, modify, and delete components using the Template Builder. In the Standard Interface, either the standard or the expert user can only modify components. Learn about user access.
The components within a template are parametrically defined such that you can use a single template to represent numerous subsystems.
General Information About Components
Information About a Particular Component
Creating Components
You can create components only in the Template Builder. The Template Builder design leads you through a step-by-step process for creating components: the Build menu is organized such that you can start at the top of the menu, building basic components, and work your way down, attaching these basic components together and building increasingly complex components.
For information about a certain component, see the topic for that component.
The following example shows how you can create arm geometry. You follow the same basic steps to create any other component listed under the Build menu.
To create arm geometry:
1. From the Build menu, point to Geometry, point to Arm, and then select New.
3. Select one of the following:
■OK if you want to execute the command and close the dialog box.
■Apply if you want to execute the command but keep the dialog box open so you can continue to work in it.
■Cancel if you decide not to execute the command and close the dialog box.
Modifying Components
Depending on the component you want to modify, one or more of the following methods will be available:
Modifying Component Parameters
You can modify component parameters in either interface, as follows:
■In the Template Builder - After you create components in the Template Builder, you can modify any of their parameters, as needed.
■In the Standard Interface - The standard user can reference an existing template by either opening or creating a subsystem file. The standard user can modify only selected parameters in the Standard Interface.
The following examples show how you can modify component parameters in either interface. You use the same basic steps to modify any component’s parameters.
In Standard Interface, to modify arm geometry:
1. Right-click an arm geometry, and then select Modify.
3. Select OK.
Note: | You can only change a limited number of parameters in the Standard Interface. |
In Template Builder, to modify arm geometry:
1. From the Build menu, point to Geometry, point to Arm, and then select New/Modify.
3. Select OK.
Modifying Component Property File
You can modify property files using either of the following:
■Any text editor - When working in any of the template-based products, you can open a text editor, such as vi on Linux and Notepad on NT, display the property file referenced by the component you want to change, modify any of the parameters as needed, and then save your changes.
■The Curve Manager - You can modify some property files as explained in Modifying Property Files Using the Curve Manager.
Modifying Property Files Using a Text Editor
If you want to modify a property file using a text editor, you can find the location of the particular database that a property file uses by following the steps outlined next.
To find the location of a database:
■From the Tools menu, point to Database Management, and then select Database Info. The Information window appears, displaying the path of the database.
Modifying Property Files Using the Curve Manager
You can use the Curve Manager to modify a select set of property files.
To modify Adams Car property files:
1. From the screen, right-click the component you want to modify, for example a spring, point to the component name, and then select Modify.
The Modify Spring dialog box appears.
2. Select the Curve Manager tool 
.
. The Curve Manager appears.
3. Change any parameters as needed.
Replacing Instance Definition
Another way of modifying components is to change the definition of the component you are using with another definition of the same component. For example, you can replace a coil spring with an air spring. The following example shows how you can change a component's definition. You follow the same basic steps to change the definition of other components.
Components currently supported include: air spring, bushing, damper, and spring, as well as application-specific components.
Note: | In Adams Car you can change the component definition only in the Standard Interface. |
To change component definition:
1. In Standard Interface, right-click a component, point to its name, and then select Replace Instance.
2. Press F1 and then follow the instructions in the dialog box help for Replace Instance Definition.
3. Select OK.
Deleting Components
You can delete components only in the Template Builder. If you try to delete a component that is dependent on other components, your template-based product informs you that the component is dependent on others, and if you delete it, the dependents also are deleted.
Because not all the components you can create and delete in the Template Builder have a graphical representation, you cannot delete some components by right-clicking on them. The following procedures explain how you can delete both types of components: those that have a graphical representation as well as those that don’t.
To delete components that do not have graphical representation:
1. From the Build menu, point to the component you want to delete, and then select Delete.
The appropriate Delete dialog box appears.
2. Fill in the dialog box as appropriate, and then select either of the following:
■OK if you want to execute the command and close the dialog box.
■Apply if you want to execute the command but keep the dialog box open so you can continue to work in it.
Your template-based product does one of the following:
■Deletes the component.
■Checks if the component has dependencies, and if the component does have dependencies, it informs you and gives you three options:
♦Proceed with the delete command
♦Highlight and list the dependents
♦Cancel the delete command
To delete components that have graphical representation:
■Do one of the following:
■Right-click the component you want to delete from the screen, point to the component name, and then select Delete.
■Complete steps 1 and 2, above.
Your template-based product does one of the following:
■Deletes the component.
■Checks if the component has dependencies, and if the component does have dependencies, it informs you and gives you three options:
♦Proceed with the delete command
♦Highlight and list the dependents
♦Cancel the delete command
About the Naming Convention
The template-based products use a naming convention to allow you to easily determine a component’s type from its name. When you create a new component in the Template Builder, your template-based product automatically adds a prefix based on the component type and symmetry. The first two letters of the prefix indicate the component type. The third letter indicates the symmetric information of the entity. This letter can be l, r, or s, indicating left, right, or single, respectively.
The exception to this rule is the prefix for geometry entities, where the first three letters are always gra. The next three letters describe the type of geometry. These letters can be arm, cyl, ell, lin, and out, corresponding to the following types of geometry: arm, cylinder, ellipse, link, and outline.
The following table lists the prefixes associated with the Template Builder entities. The list is sorted alphabetically by prefix.
Prefix: | Entity type: |
|---|---|
af[lrs]_ | Adjustable force |
ar[lrs]_ | Anti-roll bar |
bg[lrs]_ | Bushing (always active) |
bk[lrs]_ | Bushing (kinematically inactive) |
bs[lrs]_ | B-spline geometry |
bu[lrs]_ | Bumpstop (Adams Car only) |
cd[lrs]_ | Contact definition |
cf[lrs]_ | Construction frame |
ci[lrs]_ | Input communicator |
cl[lrs]_ | Runtime clearance |
co[lrs]_ | Output communicator |
cp[lrs]_ | Contact parameter array |
css_ | Condition sensor |
da[lrs]_ | Damper (Adams Car only) |
fb[lrs]_ | Flexible body |
fe[lrs]_ | FE part |
ff[lrs]_ | User-function feedback channel |
fr[lrs]_ | Joint friction |
ge[lrs]_ | General part |
gk[lrs]dif_ | Gear differential (kinematically active) |
gk[lrs]red_ | Gear reduction (kinematically active) |
gp[lrs]_ | General parameter |
gr[lrs]dif_ | Gear differential (always active) |
gr[lrs]red_ | Gear reduction (always active) |
graarm | Arm geometry |
gracyl_ | Cylinder geometry |
graell_ | Ellipse geometry |
gralin_ | Link geometry |
graout_ | Outline geometry |
gs[lrs]_ | General spline |
gv[lrs]_ | General variable |
hp[lrs]_ | Hardpoint |
ip[lrs]_ | Interface part |
jf[lrs]_ | Joint force actuator |
jk[lrs]_ | Joint (kinematically active) |
jm[lrs]_ | Joint motion actuator |
jo[lrs]_ | Joint (always active) |
lf[lrs]_ | Leaf spring |
loa_ | Loading object |
loacon_ | Loading configuration |
mo[lrs]_ | Adams Machinery Motor |
mt[lrs]_ | Mount part |
nr[lrs]_ | Nonlinear rod |
ns[lrs]_ | Spring |
pf[lrs]_ | Point force actuator |
ph[lrs]_ | Hidden parameter variable |
pt[lrs]_ | Point torque actuator |
pv[lrs]_ | Parameter variable |
re[lrs]_ | Reboundstop (Adams Car only) |
sw[lrs]_ | Switch part |
ti[lrs]_ | Tire force (Adams Car only) |
ue[lrs]_ | User-defined entity |
va[lrs]_ | Variable actuator |
wh[lrs]_ | Wheel part (Adams Car only) |