How to create Animations

Step 1 - Open your desired Procedure in Studio by clicking on the "Add Steps" button. This opens Studio in new tab of your browser.

Step 2 - Once your CAD model is loaded, click on the "Add New” sub menu item under “Animations” menu button at the top. This opens the animation pane at the right of the screen.

Step 3 - Click on the specific component in CAD displayed on the 3D canvas which you want to animate. This enables the 3-axis for you to use them in moving that part in any of those directions.

Similarly, select other components you want to use in creating animation. 

Step 4 - When you are finished creating your animation, click on the "Play" button to preview your animation.

Step 5 - If you need to make any changes, you can click on a specific part's track to make adjustments to its movement or properties.

Step 6 - When you are satisfied with your animation, click on the "Save" button to save your animation.

While you create Animation, you can use several available features - 

3-Dimensional Axis:  

When any component is selected it enables the set of three perpendicular lines or axes - the X, Y, and Z axes around which the 3D model can be rotated. This axis can be defined in any direction, and is used to specify the orientation and movement of the model in 3D space. These axes intersect at the origin point, which is usually located at the center of the 3D model. By rotating the model along one or more of these axes, the user can change its orientation and view it from different angles. 

Multi-Select: 

Click on the "Toggle Multi-Select" button on the 3D canvas. This button is usually located at the bottom of the canvas and is represented by a multi-select icon.

With the multi-select feature enabled, click on the parts of the CAD file you want to include in your animation. 

Once you have selected all the parts you want to include in your animation, use the 3-axis to create your animation by moving, or rotating the parts over time.

Starting placement:

Animation starting placement refers to the position and orientation of a 3D model at the beginning of an animation. This provides you two options – Initial and Previous. 

Initial placement will always start the model from its initial orientation of CAD. 

With Previous placement, the model will pick the previous animation orientation. This helps in creating the flow if you desire to show the animation as transitioning from last animation.

Note- You can select the previous animation from the dropdown to load that orientation.

Based on the selected placement option the model will be oriented before the animation starts playing. This is an important feature for creating visually compelling animations because it allows you to control how the model appears to the viewer at the beginning of the animation. 

Position:

Position for parts during animation refers to the process of moving individual parts or components within a 3D model. Other than using 3D axes to move the parts or components, you can also edit the exact X, Y, Z position property in the animation panel.

Reset button on Position will move the part or component back to its home location in CAD.

Rotation:

Rotation for parts during animation refers to the process of animating the rotation of individual parts or components within a 3D model. This feature can be used to show how a particular part moves or operates within a larger system. For example, in an animation of a mechanical device, the rotation of gears or pulleys may be animated to show how they interact with other components in the system.

Rotation can be defined along different axes, such as X, Y, or Z, allowing for complex movements and interactions between different parts within the 3D model.

Fading effect:

The fading effect is a visual effect used in animations to smoothly transition between different steps or stages of an animation. It involves gradually increasing or decreasing the opacity of an object or element over a specific period of time, making it appear to fade in or out of view. The fading effect can be used to create a smooth and visually appealing transition between different steps in an animation, and can also be used to add emphasis or highlight certain elements of the animation. 

Animation duration:

Animation duration refers to the length of time it takes for an animation to play from start to finish. It is measured in seconds in Mentor and determines how long the animation will take to complete. The duration of an animation can be adjusted depending on the desired effect and the specific needs of the step. 

Longer animations may be used to showcase more complex movements or interactions, while shorter animations can be used to create quick visual cues. 

Key frames:

In Mentor, trainers can create keyframes that can be used to create the animation of specific parts at different points in time. By creating a series of these keyframes, the animator can create a smooth animation that shows the animation sequence. 

Performance Indicators: 

There are two important performance indicators to consider that can impact the quality and efficiency of the animations. They are the number of polygons and the mesh structure of the model.

Number of polygons: The number of polygons in a 3D model can impact the performance of the animation, particularly when rendering or animating complex scenes with many objects. A high number of polygons can slow down the animation and make it difficult to manipulate and edit the model. Therefore, it is generally best to keep the number of polygons as low as possible without sacrificing the quality of the model. A good rule of thumb is to use only as many polygons as are necessary to achieve the desired level of detail and realism. The recommended limit is under 500,000 polygons and 200,000 are the optimal no. of polygons for any model.

Mesh structure: The mesh structure of a 3D model can also affect its performance. A well-structured mesh with clean topology can make it easier to manipulate and animate the model, while a poorly structured mesh can make it difficult to control and edit. When creating or importing 3D models, it's important to ensure that the mesh is clean and well-structured, with a uniform distribution of polygons throughout the model. This can help to improve the overall quality of the animation and make it easier to work with.

By monitoring these indicators and optimizing the 3D model accordingly, you can create high-quality, efficient animations that effectively communicate the desired information.

To check these indicators in Mentor, click on the highlighted icon -