Preserve Modes
Every compliant mechanism analysis in deFlex has a preserve mode that controls how input and output boundary conditions are organized. The mode selector appears at the top of the sidebar as a three-button toggle labeled Separate, Combined, and Metamat. Flexure analyses always use the combined layout and do not show the toggle.
The default mode is Separate.
Separate mode
In Separate mode the sidebar displays distinct Input Preserves and Output Preserves sections. Each input preserve defines where force is applied; each output preserve defines where motion is desired. They are linked through Preserve Pairs when you need to control which inputs drive which outputs.
The scene tree mirrors this layout with independent Input and Output section headers. Fixed preserves and obstacles appear below.
Use Separate mode for standard compliant mechanism designs where inputs and outputs have independent geometry and paths.
Sidebar contents (Separate)
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Output Preserves | One or more output preserves, each with a part and one or more paths. |
| Input Preserves | One or more input preserves, each with a part and a path. |
| Pairs | Optional grouping of inputs to outputs. |
| Fixed Preserves | Boundary conditions that anchor the mechanism. |
Combined mode
Combined mode replaces the separate Input and Output sections with a single I/O Preserves section. Each preserve in this section is a combined I/O preserve that couples input force and output motion at the same location. This is the native layout for Flexure Analysis and is also available in compliant mechanism analyses.
When you switch to Combined mode, any existing separate input and output preserves are hidden (their visibility is set to false). The I/O preserves become visible instead. Switching back to Separate reverses this: I/O preserves are hidden and the original input/output preserves reappear.
Combined mode also exposes flexure-specific solver parameters on the analysis, including strain energy limits and degrees-of-constraint settings. The solver uses the flexure algorithm rather than the standard compliant mechanism solver.
Sidebar contents (Combined)
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| I/O Preserves | Combined input/output preserves, each with a part and path. |
| Fixed Preserves | Boundary conditions that anchor the mechanism. |
Metamaterials mode
Metamaterials mode removes all traditional preserve sections and replaces them with a STEP upload workflow. You upload a STEP file that defines the full part shape to be filled with metamaterial. After upload, a Face Constraints panel appears where you select faces on the uploaded model and assign them as either DOF (degree of freedom) or Fixed.
In this mode, all input, output, and I/O preserves are hidden. Fixed preserves are also hidden since boundary conditions are defined through face constraints on the STEP model instead.
Sidebar contents (Metamaterials)
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Part Shape (STEP) | Upload area for the STEP file defining the target geometry. Shows filename and remove button when a file is present. |
| Face Constraints | List of selected faces, each configurable as DOF or Fixed. DOF faces have a direction vector and DOC constraint checkboxes. |
See Metamaterials Analysis for details on the face constraint configuration.
Which analysis types support which modes
| Analysis Type | Separate | Combined | Metamaterials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliant Mechanism 2D | Yes (default) | Yes | Yes |
| Compliant Mechanism 3D | Yes (default) | Yes | Yes |
| Metamaterials | Yes (default) | Yes | Yes |
| Flexure | No | Always | No |
| Decoupled Flexure | Yes (default) | Yes | No |
Switching modes
Switching modes is nondestructive. The preserves for each mode are retained in the scene; only their visibility changes. You can switch between modes freely without losing any configured preserves.
The mode toggle is disabled when the scene is read-only (for example, when viewing a shared scene you do not own).