Specifications
159
them you must have sound understanding of the laws of mechanics in general and of Newton's three laws of
motion in particular.
The mechanical elements of an AnyBody model are
• Segments
used to represent bones and other rigid elements of models
• Joints
used to connect segments and allow them to articulate with respect to each other
• Drivers
used to specify the movement the model should perform and optionally provide power input as
motors
• Kinematic measures
abstraction representation of kinematical constraints
• Forces
forces applied to the model
This tutorial also contains a short introduction to inverse dynamics and how it differs from forward
dynamics.
This tutorial consists of the following lessons:
• Lesson 1: Segments
• Lesson 2: Joints
• Lesson 3: Drivers
• Lesson 4: Kinematic Measures
• Lesson 5: Forces
Let's head for Lesson 1: Segments
.
Lesson 1: Segments
Segments are defined by the AnySeg keyword in AnyScript. They are the rigid bodies on which the system
bases its analysis. In a body model, segments are usually bones, but since an AnyBody model often
comprises various equipment and other items, segments are also used to model cranks, pedals, handles,
tools, sports equipment, tables, chairs, and all the other environmental objects a body may be connected to.
In fact, An AnyBody model does not have to entail a living body. You can easily create an AnyBody model of
a machine in which no biological elements take part.
Segments in AnyBody are basically a set of mass properties as you can see below.










