On the synthesis of the system graph for 3D mechanics

This paper presents a methodology for deriving the sys-tem graph of a 3D mechanism from CAD models. That is, a linear graph that captures the energy flow in a system. This work is part of a larger research effort in composable simu-lation. In composable simulation, CAD models of system components are augmented with simulation models describ-ing the component’s dynamic behavior in different energy domains. By composable simulation we mean then the ability to automatically generate system-level simulations through composition of individual component models. From the sys-tem graph, the system-level dynamic equations can be derived independently of the underlying energy domains. 1