WORKSHOP 4
MACROS AND PARAMETER SYNTAX
ADM704B, Workshop 4, February 2013
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ADM704B, Workshop 4, February 2013
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• Workshop Objective
–
To understand Adams/View Macros
–
To learn how to write Macros with Parameters
• Software Version
–
Adams 2012
• Files Required
–
load_online_doc_macros.cmd
–
ch_par_start.cmd
–
disk_start.cmd
–
part_replicate_single_mac.cmd
–
part_replicate_multi_partial_mac.cmd
–
custom_window_start.cmd
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• Suggested Exercise Steps
1.
Macros syntax for parameters
2.
Writing a Macro with parameters
3.
Modifying a macro
4.
Exporting a macro
5.
Macro that calls another macro
6.
Organizing macros
7.
Using a build file
8.
Further learning
9.
Optional tasks.
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Step 1. Macros Syntax for Parameters
•
Getting started
1. Start Adams/View from the directory, mod_04_macro_syntax.
2. Select Create a new model, using the default settings.
3. Create two markers on ground in two different locations in the window.
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Step 1. Macros Syntax for Parameters (Cont.)
•
Example of a simple macro
– The online help has some basic macro examples. One of the macros,
ex1_mar_mid, will create a new marker midway between two existing
markers that you specify. Let’s look at it closer to see how it works.
•
To take a closer look at the macro:
1. Import the command file, load_online_doc_macros.cmd.
• This loads the macro (and a few other example macros) into the database.
2. Using the Command Navigator, select the ex1_mar_mid command.
• Adams/View automatically generates the Ex1 Mar Mid dialog box. The text boxes
correspond to parameters in the macro.
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Step 1. Macros Syntax for Parameters (Cont.)
3. Close the Command Navigator.
4. Run the macro as follows:
•
First Marker: MARKER_1
•
Second Marker: MARKER_2
•
New Marker Name: midway
5. Select Apply. Adams/View creates a marker named midway, halfway
between the two markers you specified.
6. Display the macro commands that created the marker:
• From the Tools menu, point to Macro, point to Edit, and then select Modify.
• From the Database Navigator, select the macro ex1_mar_mid.
7. Move the macro editor so it is alongside the Ex1 Mar Mid dialog box, so you
can compare its text boxes to the text in the macro editor.
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Step 1. Macros Syntax for Parameters (Cont.)
8. Review the macro commands, noting the following:
a) Three parameters (indicated by $ at the top of the macro) are used to pass in the
data you entered in the three text boxes.
b) These parameters have type qualifiers indicated by T=...
• Note: The type marker is different from the type new_marker.
c) The labels in the dialog box correspond to the naming of the parameters without
the underscore and $ characters. Therefore, Second Marker corresponds to
$SECOND_MARKER.
d) A new marker will be created at the
location calculated from the
database values of the existing
marker locations. It will have the
name that is passed in through the
$NEW_MARKER_NAME
parameter.
c
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a
b
d
Step 1. Macros Syntax for Parameters (Cont.)
9. Right-click the New Marker Name text box that currently contains the text
midway, point to Field Info, and then select Validate.
• Notice that the text box turns yellow and Adams/View issues a warning
message. Here you see the parameter's type qualifier in action. The
qualifier specified that parameter must be a new marker and since
midway already exists it is an invalid choice. Now, if you want to create
another marker between markers, you will have to choose a unique
name.
10. Close the Ex1 Mar Mid dialog box.
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Step 1. Macros Syntax for Parameters (Cont.)
11. Display information on the midway marker you created and review its local
location expression.
((MARKER_1.loc_x + MARKER_2.loc_x) / 2),
((MARKER_1.loc_y + MARKER_2.loc_y) / 2),
((MARKER_1.loc_z + MARKER_2.loc_z) / 2)
• Notice that the expression ($FIRST_MARKER.loc_x) in the macro has become
(MARKER_1.loc_x) after the data was passed through the macro.
• Tip: Use the eval function in your macros to reduce an expression to literal values.
• Now you have seen the structure of a basic macro. Let's write one
by hand.
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Step 2. Writing a Macro with Parameters
•
Write a macro to change the parent of several markers
– Let's write a macro that will swap the parent of several markers from one part
to another.
•
To write a macro with parameters:
1. Delete the current model from the database:
•
Close the macro editor.
•
Select the Select tool
•
From the Edit menu, select Delete. The model is selected in the Database
Navigator.
•
Select OK. Adams/View should delete .model_1.
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so nothing is selected.
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Step 2. Writing a Macro with Parameters (Cont.)
2. Import the command file named ch_par_start.cmd.
PART_3
The markers
belong to
PART_2. You
will write a
macro that
swaps the
parent part
PART_2
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Step 2. Writing a Macro with Parameters (Cont.)
3. Display the Macro editor so you can create a new macro.
• Tip: Under the Tools menu, point to Macro, point to Edit, and select New.
4. Clear the Macro Name text box by placing your cursor at the start of the text
box and pressing Ctrl-k.
5. Name the macro, mar_swa_par.
6. Clear the selection of Use Macro name.
7. Give the macro the User-Entered Command: marker swap_parent.
• The command string you enter must be unique. You cannot redefine an existing
command, although you can add a new keyword at any level to an existing
command. For example, entering MARKER CREATE is invalid because a
MARKER CREATE command already exists. Entering MARKER GENERATE is
valid.
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Step 2. Writing a Macro with Parameters (Cont.)
8. Set Wrap in undo to No.
• You can specify whether or not the entire macro can be undone with a single
UNDO command. Note that UNDO, while convenient, may consume a great deal
of memory for a very large macro or slow macro execution noticeably, even if you
do not actually use the UNDO.
• Tip: You can check the memory usage of UNDO with the following command:
list_info undo write_to_terminal = on
• To learn more about UNDO commands in general, open the Command Navigator,
point to undo, and then select HELP at the bottom of the window.
9. Now it's time to construct the macro by entering text in the large Commands
text box.
• Adams/View does not check your entries in the Commands box for correct syntax
when you create the macro; it checks the syntax only when the macro is executed.
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Step 2. Writing a Macro with Parameters (Cont.)
• Enter the following parameters and commands:
!$marker:t=marker:C=1,0
!$new_parent:t=part
!END_OF_PARAMETERS
variable create variable=tmp_model &
object_value= (eval(DB_DEFAULT(.system_defaults,”model”)))
for variable=tmp_loop object=$marker type=marker
marker modify marker=(tmp_loop) &
new_marker_name= &
.(eval(tmp_model)) . ($new_parent.name)
(tmp_loop.object_value.name)
end
variable delete variable=tmp_model
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Step 2. Writing a Macro with Parameters (Cont.)
• Here's a description of what some of the key pieces do (see the next page for
helpful figure):
a) The C=1,0 is a Count qualifier that specifies the number of values required. Here, it's
allowing one or more markers to be passed into the macro.
b) The colon character is used to separate the various qualifiers for a parameter.
c) The temporary variable tmp_model passes in the name of the default model. This
variable is later used as a part of the name of the new marker and is then deleted at the
end of the macro.
d) The FOR/END loop is operating on the set of objects passed in through the $marker
parameter. For each marker, it will swap the parent from its current part to that which is
passed in through $new_parent.
e) The new_marker_name is constructed in pieces. The use of parentheses is required on
some pieces because they are expressions (that is, accessing database values). Here's
a breakdown of each:
(eval(tmp_model)) becomes MODEL_x
($new_parent.name) becomes PART_x
(tmp_loop.object_value.name) becomes MARKER_x
So the new_marker_name takes the form: .MODEL_X.PART_x.MARKER_x.
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Step 2. Writing a Macro with Parameters (Cont.)
a
b
c
d
e
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Step 2. Writing a Macro with Parameters (Cont.)
• Note: If the .name database operator had not been used on the $new_parent
parameter, the macro would not have worked. That is because the full part name
would have been expanded, and as a result, an unacceptable name would have
been formed, like this:
10. Select Apply. Adams/View creates the macro.
• Tip: For further discussion of macro parameters, the exclamation point (!),
END_OF_PARAMETERS, and more, see the Knowledge Base Article
KB8014517, available at:
http://simcompanion.mscsoftware.com/infocenter/index?page=content&id=KB8014
517
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Step 2. Writing a Macro with Parameters (Cont.)
11. Run the macro from the Command Navigator so that a dialog box is auto
generated.
• From the Command Navigator, select marker, and then select swap_parent.
Adams/View displays the dialog box.
You may have noticed from
other dialog boxes that
some text box
backgrounds are white
while others are gray. This
color difference
distinguishes the required
text boxes (white) from the
optional ones (gray). Here,
both of your text boxes are
white, therefore all of your
parameters are required.
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Step 2. Writing a Macro with Parameters (Cont.)
12. Enter the following:
•
Marker: Browse and select the following markers on PART_2: MARKER_2,
MARKER_3, MARKER_4
•
New Parent: Pick the blue part (PART_3) from the screen.
13. Select Apply. The markers now belong to PART_3.
•
•
If you had made any typographical mistakes, error messages would have been
issued. This is quite common as it's difficult to type a macro without any errors,
even with substantial experience writing macros.
Even if your macro was successful, review the next section because
it covers essential information for developing your own macros.
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Step 3. Modifying a Macro
• Modifying a macro that isn't working
–
It’s important to know that an auto-generated dialog box grabs and stores the
parameters from the macro when it is initially generated. If you subsequently
modify the parameters in the macro, they are not automatically updated in
the dialog box. Therefore, you must delete the auto-generated dialog box
and re-issue the macro from the Command Navigator so that Adams/View
will use the new macro parameters. If you only modify commands, you do
not have to delete and regenerate the dialog box.
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Step 3. Modifying a Macro (Cont.)
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Step 3. Modifying a Macro (Cont.)
•
To modify macro parameters and commands:
1. Delete the macro's auto-generated dialog box.
•
From the Tools menu, point to Dialog Box, and then select Delete.
•
At the bottom of the Database Navigator, set Sort by to No Sort.
•
Scroll down until you see your dialog box name.
2. Select the dialog box you want to delete, that is mar_swa. This dialog box
should be at the bottom of the list in the Database Navigator.
3. Select OK.
4. Modify your macro (using the macro editor) to correct the syntax errors.
5. Select Apply.
6. Access the macro command using the Command Navigator. Adams/View
generates a new dialog box.
7. Run the macro to see if your modifications have fixed the problem.
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Step 3. Modifying a Macro (Cont.)
•
To modify commands only:
1. Modify your macro (using the macro editor) to correct the syntax errors.
2. Select Apply.
3. Run the macro to see if your modifications have fixed the problem.
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Step 4. Exporting a Macro
• Exporting a macro
–
Once your macro is functioning the way you want it to, you should save it for
future use. Although you could save the database and the macro would be
stored there, we don’t recommend it. It's a better idea to save your macros in
ASCII (flat text) format, like a command file. This will ensure successful
upgrades from one Adams/View release to the next.
–
Because a macro is not the child of a model, it will not be written out when
you export your model as a command file. The macro export is done through
its own command language.
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Step 4. Exporting a Macro (Cont.)
•
To export a macro:
1. From the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then select Write.
•
Macro Name:
.mar_swa_par
•
File Name:
mar_swa_par.cmd
2. Select OK.
3. Review the exported macro in a text editor. It should look similar, if not
identical, to the way it did in the macro editor.
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Step 5. Macro That Calls Another Macro
• Writing a macro that calls another macro
–
Because the macros you write become extensions of the Adams/View
command language, it is easy to begin using them just like any other
command. For instance, you can write a macro that calls another macro you
have written. In this section, you will write a macro for making multiple copies
of a part and project them along the axis of a marker. The macro will achieve
this by calling another macro (for single replication) in a FOR loop so that it is
executed repeatedly. This is similar to how you copied the diskettes in
Workshop WS02, Conditional Constructs and Loops, but this time you will
use a macro with parameters.
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Step 5. Macro That Calls Another Macro (Cont.)
•
To write a macro that calls another:
1. Open a new database and then import the command file, disk_start.cmd.
2. Import the macro part_replicate_single_mac.cmd.
•
From the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then select Read.
•
Macro Name: par_rep_single
•
File Name: part_replicate_single_mac.cmd
•
Accept the defaults for the remaining text boxes and then select OK.
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Step 5. Macro That Calls Another Macro (Cont.)
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Step 5. Macro That Calls Another Macro (Cont.)
3. Display the macro in the macro editor and review the commands used.
•
Items of special interest in this macro are (see next page for helpful figure):
a) Use of a List type qualifier for $which_axis. This allows the user to choose from a list of
axes: x, y, and z. The default qualifier, D, has set the default value to z. If the user
doesn't choose an axis, the z-axis is used.
b) Temporary local variables ($_self.tmp_mod, $_self.tmp_name) are defined up front. This
is good macro programming practice. They are often used to store a value or object up
front, such as the model name, so that you don't have to do a database lookup or write a
lengthy expression every time. That's why $_self.tmp_mod is there. In other cases, they
are handy for prototyping out strings, such as message text or part names. Here, the
$_self.tmp_name is used to construct the name of the replicated copy.
•
The $_self is often confusing at first glance, but is actually pretty straightforward. It
is possible to create an Adams/View variable as a child of anything. This includes
macros. This is very useful when creating clean macros with variable names that
make sense. Overall, it cleans up the entire structure of the database.
•
This is what $_self is if you were to think of it as a macro parameter defined at the
top of a macro: !$_self:T=macro
•
Therefore, $_self is the macro itself, and $_self.tmp_var is a variable whose parent
is the macro.
c) Use of IF/ELSEIF/END logic to decide along which axis to project the copy.
d) Clean up local variables at the end of the macro by deleting both of them with a simple
wildcard, $_self.*.
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Step 5. Macro That Calls Another Macro (Cont.)
a
b
c
d
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Step 5. Macro That Calls Another Macro (Cont.)
4. Save the database as disk.bin so you can quickly reopen it later.
5. From your working directory, open the file
part_replicate_multi_partial_mac.cmd in a text editor.
•
This file contains an incomplete version of the macro you need to write. The
parameters you need to use can be found in the commands but have not been
properly qualified at the top of the file.
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Step 5. Macro That Calls Another Macro (Cont.)
6. Define the parameter qualifiers at the top of the file, keeping in mind the
following:
•
You can only specify a single marker along which to project.
•
The distance to offset each replicate (that is, copy) is a real number with a default
of 100.
•
The maximum number of copies you can make with a single execution of the
macro is 25 and the minimum is one. Use a default value of three copies.
•
Let the z-axis be the default axis, but choose from a list of three: x, y and z.
•
For more information, see the Customize tab in the Adams/View online help.
7. Save your macro file as part_replicate_multi_mac.cmd.
8. Import the macro par_rep_multi.
•
Tip: If you encounter errors and want to refresh the model, just open a
new database and choose the file disk.bin which you saved earlier.
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Step 5. Macro That Calls Another Macro (Cont.)
9. Execute the macro you wrote so that it makes three copies of DISK_1 offset
5 mm a piece along the z-axis of the diskette's center-of-mass.
•
In the Command Navigator, select part, select replicate, and then select multi.
–
Marker To Project Along:
.model_1.DISK_1.cm
–
Offset Distance:
5
–
Number Of Copies:
3
–
Which Axis:
z
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Step 5. Macro That Calls Another Macro (Cont.)
10. Select OK. The DISK_1 part has been successfully replicated three times.
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Step 6. Organizing Macros
• Example of how to organize a suite of macros
–
Sooner or later you will have written enough macros that keeping them
organized will be a task in and of itself. Let's look at one approach you could
use to organize a suite of macros.
–
Several versions ago many macros were assembled together as a toolkit
named ‘TK_toolkit’. Since then, Adams/View has changed quite a bit, making
many of the macros in the toolkit obsolete. However, there are still some
very useful gems: a fine set of examples from which you can harvest tricks,
expand your understanding of macro syntax usage, and see some creative
ideas.
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Step 6. Organizing Macros (Cont.)
•
The Arc Toolkit example
–
A large portion of the macros in the TK_toolkit dealt with the creation of arc
geometry. Here we have taken that subset of macros and grouped them
together in a custom interface window complete with its own set of menus
and called it the Arc Toolkit.
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Step 6. Organizing Macros (Cont.)
•
To organize a macro:
1. Open a new database, and select Create a new model.
2. Draw a simple arc on ground (using the Main Toolbox).
3. Load the Arc Toolkit by importing the command file,
custom_window_start.cmd.
•
Notice that the standard toolbar is updated with the new icon Arc Toolkit ,
4. To display the Arc Toolkit, from the standard toolbar, select the Arc Toolkit
icon
5. Browse through the menus to see the variety of choices available. Behind
each menu push button is a separate set of macro commands.
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Step 6. Organizing Macros (Cont.)
6. Select one of the menu buttons and fill in the text boxes in the dialog box
accordingly.
7. Pick one or two of the macros and review their commands in the macro
editor.
•
Tip: You can find the macros inside the library, my_cust.
•
Do you notice anything different about the macro(s)? One big difference is that
$_self was not used. Why? Because it didn't exist back when the macros were
originally developed. Keep that in mind when you review these or any other
macros, because some of the techniques used may be a bit dated when judged
against the latest standards or available commands and features.
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Step 7. Using a Build File
• Using a build file
–
When you imported the file that built the Arc Toolkit, the building was being
done in a creative way. All of the macros for the Arc Toolkit are in a separate
subdirectory. An environment variable stores the path. When the build file is
imported, it uses the value of the environment variable to know where to look
for the macros. Here you’ll learn more about how it was done.
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Step 7. Using a Build File (Cont.)
•
To use a build file:
1. Open the custom_window_start.cmd file in a text editor.
2. Review the general structure of this build file. (We refer to it as a build file
because it builds the toolkit.) Here are the primary sections (see the next
page for a helpful figure):
a) The PUTENV design-time function is used so that the environment variable
tk_tools is set to the directory path where all of the macros reside. (Setting the
environment variable using a command in this fashion is optional. Although you
must set the environment variable for the macros to load properly, it is not
necessary to set it with this command. You could set it directly in a UNIX or DOS
shell, if you prefer.)
b) An Adams/View library is created, which acts as a repository for all the
customizations of the Arc Toolkit, such as macros and menus. This keeps the
database organized so that everything customized is isolated from the standard
interface objects.
c) Adams/View reads the macros into the database and stores them in the library,
.my_cust. The path to each macro file is constructed by getting the value of the
environment variable and concatenating that string with the known path beneath
the known macros subdirectory structure.
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Step 7. Using a Build File (Cont.)
a
b
c
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Step 7. Using a Build File (Cont.)
d) An interface window, menu bar, and menus are created.
d
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Step 7. Using a Build File (Cont.)
e) Menu push buttons are defined, with each having an underlying macro command.
•
You will learn more about d and e in Workshop WS05, Creating Custom Menu Buttons.
•
This is one approach for building a suite of customized macros. You might consider
doing something similar with the macros you develop.
•
You have learned to write macros. You can find more information about the syntax in the
online help.
e
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Step 8. Further Learning
• Other resources
–
This workshop contains a few macros from the Knowledge Base Articles on
MSC Simcompanion. You can find the macros in the subdirectory from_kb.
Some of the subdirectories are:
•
contact_site - Contains a macro, cont_site_mac.cmd, for visualization of the site of
contact. This is a good example of how to use comments in your macro for
documentation purposes.
•
fixed_jnt_selected parts - Contains two macros for creating fixed joints for every
part that is on the select list.
•
geometry_select_only - Contains a menu button that uses a parameterless macro
to loop through all the parts on the select_list and find the immediate children that
are of type=geometry. Then, it empties the select list and replaces it with those
geometries that it found. It also displays the select list manager so you can remove
some geometry from the list.
•
line_of_markers - Contains a macro, line_of_markers_mac.cmd, that uses a FOR
loop to generate a number of new markers equally spaced along the line between
two existing markers. All new markers will automatically belong to whatever part is
currently the default and will be given unique names like MAR_1, MAR_2, and so
on. The new markers will all have their primary axis (which is the z-axis, by default)
pointing from the first marker toward the second marker.
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Step 8. Further Learning (Cont.)
•
list_inactive_objects - Contains a macro, check_if_inactive.mac, that will loop
through parts, forces, and joints in a model. When it finds an object that has
attributes of active=off, it will put it inside a group. This group of objects will be
listed later in the Information window when the macro finishes running.
•
solver_curve_to_polyline - Contains a macro, curve2poly.mac, that will convert an
Adams_curve entity to a Polyline entity. All you have to do is specify the curve that
you want converted and the marker representing the reference frame for the data.
The polyline will be created and will belong to the parent of the marker specified.
– For more information, see the MSC Simcompanion at
http://simcompanion.mscsoftware.com/infocenter/index?page=home
•
To find macros, use the keyword 'macro' or perform boolean searches
like 'macro* and joint' or 'macro* and beam'.
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Step 8. Further Learning (Cont.)
–
Several older macros old_v8_macros. This directory contains many macro
examples that were shipped with version 8.x (as mentioned in Knowledge
Base Article KB8012455 , which is available at:
http://simcompanion.mscsoftware.com/infocenter/index?page=content&id=K
B8012455). None of the macros provided there have been updated for
release 9.x or beyond. In fact, it's possible that the functionality provided by a
given example may now be superseded by standard Adams/View features.
Regardless, they represent an assortment of examples from which you can
improve your understanding of syntax and expression and what you can do
with the macro language in general. See the file readme.txt in that directory
for a list of the macros available.
–
The macros for this training course are available from your instructor.
ADM704B, Workshop 4, February 2013
Copyright© 2013 MSC.Software Corporation
WS4 - 47
Step 9. Optional Tasks
•
Optional tasks
1.
Write a macro that creates markers at every vertex of a given polyline. Use either a
FOR/END or a WHILE/END construct.
2.
Write a macro, poly_2_outline_mac.cmd, that converts polyline geometry to outline
geometry.
3.
Review the commands for the macro that was used to sweep the value of a design
variable. You can find the macro var_swe_mac.cmd in the subdirectory DV_sweep.
4.
Write a macro, cre_imp_sfo_mac.cmd, that creates an impact SFORCE from two
markers and the IMPACT function parameters: stiffness, damping_coefficient, and
free_length. For simplicity, for this example, hardcode the exponent to 1.0 and the
penetration to 0.1.
5.
Write a macro, display_joint_mac.cmd, that displays a joint and its parent parts.
6.
Try out the macro tra_swe_btw_mar_mac.cmd which can sweep the animation trace
in Adams/Post Processor from one marker to another.
ADM704B, Workshop 4, February 2013
Copyright© 2013 MSC.Software Corporation
WS4 - 48