Connection types

Table 1 summarizes the connection types available when creating connector sections. You can define basic, assembled, complex, and MPC connection types.

Table 1. Connection types.
Basic Types Assembled/Complex Types MPC Types
Translational Rotational
ACCELEROMETER ALIGN BEAM Beam
AXIAL CARDAN BUSHING Elbow
CARTESIAN CONSTANT VELOCITY CVJOINT Link
JOIN EULER CYLINDRICAL Pin
LINK FLEXION-TORSION HINGE Tie
PROJECTION CARTESIAN FLOW-CONVERTER PLANAR User-defined
RADIAL-THRUST PROJECTION FLEXION-TORSION RETRACTOR  
SLIDE-PLANE REVOLUTE SLIPRING  
SLOT ROTATION TRANSLATOR  
  ROTATION-ACCELEROMETER UJOINT  
  UNIVERSAL WELD  

Basic types

Basic connection types include translational types and rotational types. Translational types affect translational degrees of freedom at both endpoints of the wires to which the connector section is assigned and may affect rotational degrees of freedom at the first points of the wires. Rotational types affect only rotational degrees of freedom at both endpoints of the wires. You can use a single basic connection type (translational or rotational) or one translational and one rotational type.

Assembled types

Assembled connection types are predefined combinations of basic connection types.

Complex types

Complex connection types affect a combination of degrees of freedom in the connection and cannot be combined with other connection types. They typically model highly coupled physical connections.

MPC types

MPC connection types are used to define multi-point constraints between two points.

For a description of each connection type and the equivalent basic connection types that define the kinematic constraints of assembled type connections, see Connection types and General multi-point constraints.