Tracking Panel

The Tracking panel allows you to track any entity during animation. When an entity is tracked, the view remains constant with respect to the selected displacements and rotations of that entity. This enables you to view the dynamics of a model as the selected entity remains in the same location.

To access the Tracking panel, click on the Tracking button on the Results toolbar, or select Create > Tracking Systems from the Results menu.

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Tracking panel with Plane selected

HyperView now supports both model based and window based tracking systems. Tracking systems still belong to a particular model and are still defined using entities from a particular model, however the mode for a tracking system can now be set to either model based or window based. By default, a newly created tracking system will be model based. To change the mode to window based, activate the Window track option (located on the right side of the panel).

In addition, tracking systems can also be aligned with global coordinate systems in order to transform the outputs back to global directions. To use this feature, activate the Align with global (T=0) option (located on the right side of the panel).

Tracking Systems

The tracking systems defined for the current model are listed in the Tracking Systems list.

Tracking systems can be added to the Tracking Systems list (using the Add button) and then defined using a node, plane, component, or system. You can also select one or multiple tracking systems and click the Delete button, in order to delete the selected tracking system(s) from the list.

Keyboard shortcuts are also available for selecting items within the list:

•	Press the SHIFT or CTRL key on the keyboard + the left mouse button to select multiple items from the list.

•	Press the CTRL + A keys on the keyboard to select all items in the list.

•	Press the DELETE key on the keyboard to delete the selected tracking system(s).

A tracking system is activated, or deactivated, using the radio button.

In addition, you can access the following context menu options by right-clicking anywhere within the Tracking Systems list:

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Delete - Deletes the selected tracking system(s) from the list.

Rename - Displays the Rename dialog, which allows you to rename the selected tracking system.

Make Current - Allows you to select which tracking system will be activated and displayed in the graphics window. This option performs the same action as clicking the radio button "on" next to a tracking system.

You can sort the items in the Tracking Systems list by clicking on the list heading.

If Clear Tracking System is selected, no tracking system will be applied to the model.

Activating the Clear Tracking System option clears the contour, and deactivates all of the tracking systems listed.

A tracking system is associated with a model. When overlaying two models in the same window, you need to define a tracking system for each model for model shape comparison.

Tracking systems from other models in the window will be displayed in the Tracking Systems list provided those tracking systems are "window" based. For example, the first tracking system (T1) from the first model (M1) will be displayed as M1:T1 in another model's tracking systems list.

Track

The Track options allow you to set the parameters that define a tracking system. Select an option from the drop-down menu and then define a node, plane and plane type (see below), component, or system.

The model is animated with respect to the selected entity. A new node, plane, component, or coordinate system can be defined and tracked at any time during animation by picking different nodes or components in the window (see Input Collector below).

Plane type

This option is activated for Plane tracking systems only!

For tracking systems defined by a Plane, the local axis of the tracking systems can be aligned with any specific global direction by specifying the Plane type (available options are: OXY, OYZ, and OZX). This is useful in situations where the global coordinate system alignment differs from the model coordinate system.

This option allows you to specify the local plane defined by three nodes. The normal vector of the plane is computed by a cross product of planar vectors formed by N1, N2, and N3:

•	The first node (N1) always defines the Origin of the local coordinate system (the tracking system).

•	The direction from the first node (N1) to the second node (N2) defines the local axis. Use the Plane type drop-down menu to select one of the following:

OXY - X-axis

OYZ - Y-axis

OZX - Z-axis

•	The third node (N3) lies in the plane of interest.

Input Collector

The input collector allows you to select, or change, the entities which will be used to define the tracking system. You can do this by picking entities directly from the screen or by clicking the Nodes, Components , or Systems input collector. See Selecting Entities Using the Input Collector for more information.

Displacements

Use the check boxes to select which displacements remain fixed within the window.

Global X

locks the view to the X position of the selected entity as it moves. The entity appears to remain stationary along the global X direction during animation.

Global Y

locks the view to the Y position of the selected entity as it moves. The entity appears to remain stationary along the global Y direction during animation.

Global Z

locks the view to the Z position of the selected entity as it moves. The entity appears to remain stationary along the global Z direction during animation.

Rotations

Entities can be tracked with respect to rotation. Activate the Lock rotations check box to lock the rotational movement of the selected entity.

Window track

Activate this option to change the tracking system mode from "model" based to "window" based. Window based tracking systems from other models in the window will be displayed in the current model's tracking systems list (provided the current model also contains window based tracking systems). For example, the first tracking system (T1) from the first model (M1) will be displayed as M1:T1 in another model's tracking systems list. The entity definition for other models cannot be changed, however other properties of the tracking system can be changed (even though they are not part of the current model).

A tracking system will be removed from another model's tracking systems list whenever the Window track option is deactivated (changing the mode from "window" based back to "model" based).

Click the links below for further information regarding window based tracking systems.

Note - All of the use cases below assume the following scenario: a window containing two models (M1 and M2), and each model contains a tracking system (T1 and T2).

If M1:T1 is set to “window” mode and it is made current, then M2’s current tracking system will be reset to 0. Whenever M2 is drawn, it will check to see if any window based tracking system is active in the post window and if that is true, M2 will use that system’s transform for drawing itself.

At this point, M2 can still override the window based tracking by setting M2:T1 as current. If M1:T1 mode is set to “window” but it is not made current, nothing will happen.

If M1:T1 is set to “window” mode and it is made current, then M2 will use M1’s tracking transform for drawing.

At this point, if M1:T1 is deleted, M2 will be drawn as if the ”Clear tracking system” option was set for M2.

If M1:T1 is set to “window” mode and it is made current, then M2 will use M1’s tracking transform only for drawing/animation (similar to the Deformed panel).

In the context of M2, if the “Use tracking” option is activated in Contour panel, it is equivalent to applying the contour with no tracking system.

If M1:T1 is set to "window" mode and it is made current, then when M2 is made the current model, M1:T1 will display in the tracking system list. If M1:T1 is then changed to "model" based, it will be removed from M2’s tracking system list.

Align with
global (T=0)

Activate this option to align the tracking system with global coordinate systems and transform the outputs back to global directions.

This can be useful for obtaining intrusion outputs in the global orientation while removing the rigid body motion. Displacement-based contour and vector plots, as well as all location based measures like position, relative displacement, and distance between are affected when the Use tracking option is selected.

1.	From the Tracking panel, click Add.

A tracking system is added to the list.

2.	Rename the tracking system.

-	Right-click on the tracking system name.

-	Select Rename from the context menu.

The Rename dialog is displayed.

-	Enter a new name.

Click OK.

The tracking system is renamed.

3.	Select the tracking system from the list.

4.	Click Delete.

The tracking system is deleted from the list.

1.	From the Tracking panel, select a tracking system from the list.

2.	From the Track drop-down menu, select Node.

3.	Select a node using the input collector or pick a node on the model display.

4.	Under Displacements, select the axes along which the view will be constrained.

5.	Click the Start/Pause Animation button (on the Animation toolbar) to animate the model.

1.	From the Tracking panel, select a tracking system from the list.

2.	From the Track drop-down menu, select Plane.

3.	From the Plane type drop-down menu, select one of the following types:

•	OXY - X-axis

•	OYZ - Y-axis

•	OZX - Z-axis

With each of these types, the first two nodes picked (N1, N2) define the local axis as selected above.

4.	The normal vector of the plane is computed by a cross product of planar vectors formed by N1, N2, and N3. Click N1 if it is not already highlighted.

5.	Select a node using the input collector or pick a node on the model display.

The first node (N1) defines the Origin of the local coordinate system (the tracking system).

6.	N2 is automatically highlighted - pick a second node.

The direction from the first node (N1) to the second node (N2) defines the local axis (see the Plane type drop-down menu options above).

7.	N3 is automatically highlighted - pick the third node.

The third node (N3) lies in the plane of interest.

8.	Under Displacements, activate the axes along which the view will be constrained.

9.	Activate Lock rotations to lock the rotational movement of the selected plane.

10.	Click the Start/Pause Animation button (on the Animation toolbar) to animate the model.

The model is animated with respect to the plane. A new plane can be defined and tracked at any time during animation by picking new nodes in the window.

Tracking System by component is only valid for MBD cases. Presently FEA models are not supported.

1.	From the Tracking panel, select a tracking system from the list.

2.	From the Track drop-down menu, select Component.

3.	Select a component using the input collector or pick a component on the model display.

4.	Under Displacements, activate the axes along which the view will be constrained.

5.	Activate Lock rotations to lock the rotational movement of the selected component.

6.	Click the Start/Pause Animation button (on the Animation toolbar) to animate the model.

The model is animated with respect to the component. A new component can be defined and tracked at any time during animation by picking a different component in the window.

1.	From the Tracking panel, select a tracking system from the list.

2.	From the Track drop-down menu, select System.

3.	Select a component using the input collector or pick a component from the screen.

4.	Under Displacements, activate the axes along which the view will be constrained.

5.	Activate Lock rotations to lock the rotational movement of the selected system.

6.	Click the Start/Pause Animation button (on the Animation toolbar) to animate the model.

The model is animated with respect to the coordinate system. A new coordinate system can be defined and tracked at any time during animation by picking a different component in the window.