| Version 3.0 (R2008b) SimMechanics™ Software Release Notes | |
This table summarizes what's new in Version 3.0 (R2008b):
| New Features and Changes | Version Compatibility Considerations | Fixed Bugs and Known Problems | Related Documentation at Web Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes—Details labeled as Compatibility Considerations, below. See also Summary. | Bug
Reports at Web site | Printable Release Notes: PDF Current product documentation |
New features and changes introduced in this version are
The visualization has been upgraded with new features and a new interface. It now supports
Customizable body geometries with STL (stereolithographic) files
Customizable body colors
Better dynamic view control
Better animation speed control
Consult the new SimMechanics™ Visualization and Import Guide for complete information.
For more about creating STL files, see BodyBuilder for Creating STL Body Geometry Files following.
The old SimMechanics visualization allowed you to save visualization settings to a MAT-file associated with a SimMechanics model.
When you open such a model in the new version, the model will attempt to load the MAT-file, as before, and map the old visualization options to the new options as closely as possible. This is a one-time conversion. The MAT-file has to be on the MATLAB path so it can be found when you open the model.
To save these converted visualization settings:
You must open the visualization window and save these settings to the model.
Then you must save the model itself.
Use the visualization controls to save the settings to the model. See the SimMechanics Visualization and Import Guide.
Caution To save visualization settings from an old model in the new visualization, you must follow these steps, in this order. Otherwise, you might lose the old settings permanently. |
To compress a recorded animation of a simulation, you need the Indeo 5 codec. This codec might not be available on the 32-bit Windows Vista™ operating system and the 64-bit Windows® XP and Windows Vista operating systems. If you require compression and the codec is not found, the animation AVI file is still saved, but without compression. A warning appears.
For further details, consult Technical Solution 1-4G50RI at the MathWorks web site.
The status bar of the new visualization window, below the machine display, does not appear at all on the Intel® Mac® operating system. On other operating systems, the status bar shows simulation time, as well as Body block and coordinate system names.
The new visualization and animation interface is not available on the Solaris 64 UNIX operating system. SimMechanics software automatically reverts to the old visualization interface.
Consult the R2008a SimMechanics User's Guide (PDF format) on the MathWorks Web site for more information about the old visualization interface (chapter 6).
The new SimMechanics Link utility provides a bridge from third-party mechanical design and modeling applications to the system and control design features of MATLAB and Simulink. It connects computer-aided design (CAD) platforms to mechanical modeling with SimMechanics software by enabling export of CAD assemblies into the Physical Modeling XML format that allows for automatic generation of SimMechanics models.
Refer to the SimMechanics Link documentation for more information. The SimMechanics Link utility requires MATLAB, but not Simulink, Simscape™, or SimMechanics.
The new mech_import command works with externally defined Physical Modeling XML files to automatically generate SimMechanics models. It supports a new SimMechanics feature, updating models generated previously.
Physical Modeling XML files generated by the old CAD-to-SimMechanics translators remain compatible with mech_import. Using this command, you can still import old XML files to generate SimMechanics models. Because these models have no associated exported STL body geometry files, they will visualize using the standard (noncustom) body shapes.
The updating feature of mech_import works only with Physical Modeling XML files generated by exporting from the SimMechanics Link utility. This feature does not work with Physical Modeling XML files generated from the old CAD-to-SimMechanics translators.
You should replace all existing instances of the import_physmod command with the new mech_import command. See Command Being Removed following.
Caution Do not attempt to use the import_physmod command in older SimMechanics versions with Physical Modeling XML files generated by the new SimMechanics Link exporter. |
| Command Name | What Happens When You Use Command? | Use This Instead | Compatibility Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| import_physmod | Still runs | mech_import | Replace all existing instances of import_physmod with mech_import. |
In addition to generating STL body geometry files automatically from a CAD assembly, you can also create STL files by hand or by using a body geometry editor. BodyBuilder is an application based on MATLAB that provides a graphical means to create STL files for use in SimMechanics body visualization. You can obtain BodyBuilder from MATLAB Central.
The SimMechanics documentation is now organized into four books.
| Book | Includes Material from Old Chapters |
|---|---|
| SimMechanics Getting Started Guide | 1, 2, and 3 |
| SimMechanics User's Guide | 4, 5, 8, and 9 |
| SimMechanics Visualization and Import Guide | 6 and 7 |
| SimMechanics Reference | 10, 11, 12, and 13 |
A new CAD translation case study, available from MATLAB Central, demonstrates assembly export and re-export, along with SimMechanics model import and update, using SimMechanics and SimMechanics Link software. The study is based on Pro/ENGINEER® and models a double pendulum, subsequently modified to a triple pendulum. The study illustrates how you can update an existing generated CAD-based model with successive changes to the original CAD assembly.
A recent MATLAB Digest article explains how to simulate mechanical friction with Simulink, SimDriveline™, and SimMechanics models. A set of models accompanies the article in a compressed zip archive available from MATLAB Central.
| SimMechanics Release Notes | Version 2.7.1 (R2008a) SimMechanics Software | |
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