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Getting Started Using Adams/Driveline

Adams/Car - Driveline Module

Getting Started Using Adams/Driveline
This chapter includes the following sections:
• Configuring Adams/Driveline
• Starting Adams/Driveline Standard Interface
• Starting Adams/Driveline Template Builder
2 Getting Started Using Adams/Driveline

Configuring Adams/Driveline
If you want to simulate assemblies with a comparably high number of degrees of freedom or modeling
elements, before you start Adams/Driveline, you may have to enable Adams/Driveline to run larger
models.
If the available memory is not sufficient during a session, Adams/Solver, the analysis Driveline, prompts
you to increase a certain array size. To do so, you must first exit the session after saving your assembly,
including the subsystems.

To set the memory size on Windows:

1. From the Start menu, point to Programs, point to MSC.Software, point to MD R2 Adams, and
then select Adams - Settings.
2. From the treeview on the left side, double-click AView.
3. Select Preferences.
4. Click the memSize row and set the option menu to huge.
5. Select Apply.
6. From the treeview on the left, double-click ASolver to expand it, and then select Preferences.
7. Click the memSize row, and then set the pull-down menu to huge.
8. Select OK.

To set the memory size on UNIX:

1. At the command prompt, enter the command to start the MD Adams Toolbar, and then press
Enter. The standard command is adamsmdx, where x is the version number, for example
adamsmdr2.
The MD Adams Toolbar appears.
2. From the MD Adams Toolbar, right-click the Solver tool , and then select Change
Adams/Solver Settings.
3. Click the memSize row and set the option menu to huge.
4. Select OK.
5. From the MD Adams Toolbar, right-click the View tool , and then select Change
Adams/View Settings.
6. Click the memSize row and set the option menu to huge.
7. Select OK.
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Getting Started Using Adams/Driveline

Starting Adams/Driveline Standard Interface

Note: Before you start Adams/Driveline, set the Adams/View and Adams/Solver memory to
huge, as explained in Configuring Adams/Driveline.

In the UNIX environment, you start Adams/Car from the MD Adams Toolbar. In the Windows
environment, you start Adams/Car from the Start button. For more information, see the online help for
Running and Configuring MD Adams (from the online help window, use the navigation list on the left
to select Running and Configuring).

To start in the Windows environment:

1. From the Start menu, point to Programs, point to MSC.Software, point to MD R2 Adams,
point to ADriveline, and then select Adams - Driveline.
The Welcome dialog box appears on top of the Adams/Driveline main window.
2. Do one of the following:
• If the Welcome dialog box contains the options Standard Interface and Template Builder,
select Standard Interface, and then select OK.
• If the Welcome dialog box does not contain any options, then Adams/Driveline is already
configured to run in standard-interface mode. Select OK.
The Adams/Driveline Standard Interface appears.
The Adams/Driveline Standard Interface window appears as shown in Figure 1. Familiarize
yourself with the Adams/Driveline window and read the tips in Familiarizing Yourself with
Adams/Driveline.

Figure 1 Adams/Driveline Standard Interface

4 Getting Started Using Adams/Driveline

Window title bar

Menu bar

Status bar

View triad Main shortcut menu

To start in the UNIX environment:

1. At the command prompt, enter the command to start the MD Adams Toolbar, and then press
Enter. The standard command that MSC.Software provides is adamsmdx, where x is the version
number, for example adamsmdr2.
The MD Adams Toolbar appears.
2. Select the Adams/Driveline tool .
The Welcome dialog box appears on top of the Adams/Driveline main window.
3. Do one of the following:
• If the Welcome dialog box contains the options Standard Interface and Template Builder,
select Standard Interface, and then select OK.
• If the Welcome dialog box does not contain any options, then Adams/Driveline is already
configured to run in standard-interface mode. Select OK.
The Adams/Driveline Standard Interface appears.
The Adams/Driveline Standard Interface window appears as shown above. Familiarize yourself
with the Adams/Driveline window and read the tips in Familiarizing Yourself with
Adams/Driveline.
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Getting Started Using Adams/Driveline

Starting Adams/Driveline Template Builder

Before you start Adams/Driveline Template Builder:
• Make sure that your private configuration file, .acar.cfg, shows that you can work in expert
user mode. Your private configuration file is located in your home directory.
• Before you start Adams/Driveline, set the Adams/View and Adams/Solver memory to huge, as
explained in Configuring Adams/Driveline.

To check the user mode:

1. In a text editor, such as jot or notepad, open .acar.cfg.
2. Make sure that the following line appears as shown:
ENVIRONMENT MDI_ACAR_USERMODE expert

To start Adams/Driveline Template Builder on Windows:

1. From the Start menu, point to Programs, point to MSC.Software, point to MD R2 Adams,
point to ADriveline, and then select Adams - Driveline.
The Welcome dialog box appears on top of the Adams/Driveline main window.
2. Select Template Builder.
3. Select OK.
The Adams/Driveline Template Builder window appears as shown in Figure 2. Familiarize
yourself with the Adams/Driveline window and read the tips in Familiarizing Yourself with
Adams/Driveline.

Figure 2 Adams/Driveline Template Builder

6 Getting Started Using Adams/Driveline

Window title bar

Menus grayed out because Menu bar

you don’t have a template yet

Status bar

Main shortcut menu

View triad
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Getting Started Using Adams/Driveline

To start Adams/Driveline Template Builder on UNIX:

1. At the command prompt, enter the command to start the MD Adams Toolbar, and then press
Enter. The standard command that MSC.Software provides is adamsx, where x is the version
number, for example adamsmdr2.
The MD Adams Toolbar appears.
2. Click the Adams/Driveline icon .
The Welcome dialog box appears on top of the Adams/Driveline main window.
3. Select Template Builder.
4. Select OK.
The Adams/Driveline Template Builder window appears as shown in the figure above.
Familiarize yourself with the Adams/Driveline window and read the tips in Familiarizing
Yourself with Adams/Driveline.
8 Getting Started Using Adams/Driveline

Switching Between Interface Modes

Once you have started Adams/Driveline in the Standard Interface or Template Builder modes, you can
easily switch between them.

To switch between modes:

• In Standard Interface: From the Tools menu, select Adams/Driveline Template Builder.
• In Template Builder: From the Tools menu, select Adams/Driveline Standard Interface.
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Getting Started Using Adams/Driveline

Familiarizing Yourself with Adams/Driveline

As you familiarize yourself with Adams/Driveline, note the following:
• You use the menu along the top of the window to execute commands and display dialog boxes.
Notice that some menus are shaded in grey. This indicates that you cannot execute these
commands because you do not have a subsystem open. When you open a subsystem, these
menus change to black, indicating that you can execute the commands.
• You can use the main shortcut menu to execute simple commands, such as rotating views,
zooming, and fitting assemblies in the main window. To display the main shortcut menu, right-
click in the main window, away from any entities.
• Instead of manually entering text in boxes that require database objects, you can have
Adams/Driveline automatically do this task for you. To do this, right-click the text box of
interest, and then do one of the following:
• Point to Hardpoint (or the entity of interest), and then select Pick. On the screen, place the
cursor on top of the hardpoint. When the color of the hardpoint changes, click the left mouse
button to select that hardpoint.
• Point to Hardpoint (or the entity of interest), and then select Guesses. From the pop-up menu
that appears, select the entity name you want to use.
• Point to Hardpoint (or the entity of interest), and then select Browse. Adams/Driveline
displays the Database Navigator, which contains a list of entities, hardpoints in this case.
Double-click the entity name you want to use.
10 Getting Started Using Adams/Driveline

Plotting Results
When you’re ready to review the results of your analyses, you can display the post-processing tool and
view the results of the simulations you performed.

To plot results:
1. While in Adams/Driveline Standard Interface, from the Review menu, select Postprocessing
Window, or press F8.
Adams/Driveline launches Adams/PostProcessor, a post-processing tool that lets you view the
results of simulations you performed. For more information about Adams/PostProcessor, see the
Adams/PostProcessor online help.
2. To return to Adams/Driveline, select the Return to Modeling Environment tool or press F8.