The 2016/2017 FIRST season represents our 10th year of donating PTC software and services to all FIRST teams, along with easy-to-use training curriculum, team funding grants, and hundreds of PTC volunteers to staff and support regional events around the globe.
We’re here to help you. Help you learn about PTC software and technology, help you gain an understanding of the season’s game, help you innovate, and help you help each other.
This newsletter was developed with you in mind. In it you will find:
- Technology Concepts. We’ll break down the complexity of designing and building a robot through a product development process.
- Software Tips and Tricks.
- Team Ideas. Let’s learn from each other. This will be another opportunity for you to share videos, images and concepts you believe can helpful for other teams.
- PTC Resources. Links and suggestions on where you can go for more information.
- Coming Up Next. A sneak peek into topics planned for the next edition.
Technology Concepts
We covered creating custom parts in the 3rd edition of PTC Pointers. Take a look here if you want a quick refresh on the concepts.
Using that information as a base, we can now introduce the Freestyle tool which can be used to make more abstract parts. The guide How to Model with Freestyle Primitives demonstrates the basics. In the video tutorial, Custom Part with the Freestyle Tool, you are shown how a decorative custom part can be created for your robot.
Let’s continue to analyze the robot model. Now that all of the parts, including the custom parts, have been added into your model, you can calculate its center of gravity. Remember, the center of gravity determines how the robot balances and using this feature can help you analyze how your robot will balance when on an incline or when loaded with additional mass.
Written instructions and a video tutorial are included to demonstrate how the center of gravity feature can be used.
In order to complete the simulation, you will need a testing environment. Although the example used the 2016 FTC Velocity Vortex playing field, other FIRST playing fields would work. Creo models for game challenge fields are available at the PTC | FIRST website.
Software Tips and Tricks
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Resources |
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Making irregular custom parts |
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Using the center of gravity feature to test the robot’s balance |
Include a center of gravity feature in your robot model Simulate robot balance in a game field environment using center of gravity |
Team Ideas
Have you ever thought of hosting a mini tournament? It takes a lot of effort to plan, manage and run a successful event. A big shout out to Prior Lake Robotics who did just that this past November. Follow this link for a great image-based story on all that was done throughout the day. Like what you see? Have questions? Drop them a note and I’m quite certain you’ll develop a great new a FIRST team connection.
Resources
- PTC FIRST web page
- PTC FIRST user community site
- Creo software for FIRST teams
- Windchill software for FIRST teams
- Mathcad software for FIRST teams
- Kit of Parts and Playing Field models
Coming up Next
Creo offers tools that help the assembly process after modeling your robot. In the next issue of PTC Pointers we’ll look at how drawing feature enables you to create assembly plans and generate a bill of materials. In addition, we’ll discuss how you can create custom parts using the 3D print function.
What topic would you like explored in PTC Pointers? Let us know at -.
Questions or ideas? Drop us a note at -.
Twitter: @ptc_FIRST
Facebook: @ptcfirst
