Simulating Driving a Vehicle

You can perform complex simulations of driving vehicles.

1. In the Palette, select the Models tab and, in the Model tree, select the model to simulate.
2. On the Physics subtab, for Simulation Type, select Vehicle.
3. Click Vehicle Wizard.
   In the Vehicle Setup Wizard, you prepare the vehicle for simple turning and dynamic driving simulations by specifying which parts to use as wheels and calipers. Wheels are parts that spin and steer. Calipers are parts that steer but do not spin.
4. In the Vehicle Setup Wizard, select a setup mode:

   Option	Description
   Automatic Mode	(Recommended.) Automatically splits and assigns wheel and caliper parts for each wheel set. For example, select this mode if the individual parts that comprise the wheel define the geometry of all four wheels (for example, as a result of using Appearance to group parts during import). Based on the selected driving direction and the location of the parts, this mode automatically splits the parts into four quadrants and assigns them to the respective wheels.
   Manual Mode	Lets you manually assign wheel and caliper parts for each wheel set. For example, select this mode if the geometry is already separated into different parts for each wheel (for example, as a result of using Automatic or Retain Structure to group parts during import). You need to manually assign parts into the corresponding quadrants.

5. Click Next and for Step 1, select the direction of travel of the vehicle (+X, -X, +Z, -Z). In manual mode, also select or delete parts to include.
6. Click Next and for Step 2, check the setup of the wheels.
   If you need to make changes, go back and adjust the setup or use Manual Mode.
7. Click Next and for Step 3, check the setup of the calipers.
   If you need to make changes, go back and adjust the setup or use Manual Mode.
8. Click Apply.
   The caliper and wheel parts are grouped in the model tree.
9. On the Physics subtab, for Driving Behavior, specify a method for driving the vehicle:

   Option	Description
   Controller	Uses the keyboard or a gamepad. For the keyboard, the default key assignments are: Key Action W Throttle S Brake/Reverse A Steer Left D Steer Right Q Brake E Handbrake You can edit the key assignments in Keyboard Shortcuts.
   Straight	Moves the vehicle along a straight line.
   Turn	Moves the vehicle in a circle.
   Path	Moves the vehicle along a path that you define. Create waypoints under Path Properties on the Physics subtab.

10. On the Physics subtab, under Vehicle Setup:
    1. Select a Vehicle Type.
       Depending on the type of vehicle you select, different values are assigned for properties such as mass and acceleration. You can adjust the values.
    2. For Drive Wheels, Brake Wheels, and Steer Wheels, select one of the following
       • Front
       • Rear
       • All
11. Under Advanced Vehicle Details, adjust properties such as maximum steer angle, wheel friction, and wheel damping rate.
12. Click View > Show Simulation Manager.
    The Simulation Manager appears at the bottom of the screen. The Animation interface also appears. Optionally, you can record the simulation as a key frame animation and replay or render it.
13. In the Simulation Manager, click Toggle Physics .
    The simulation starts and the vehicle becomes drivable.