Skip to main content

Pair Animation Modes

When a solver result contains multiple preserve pairs (input-output pairs for a compliant mechanism), deFlex offers three animation modes that control how the displacement fields are displayed. The mode selector appears in the sidebar when the active result has more than one pair.

Animation Mode selector​

With a multi-pair result selected, an Animation Mode dropdown appears in the sidebar displacement animation controls. The three options are:

Combined (All Pairs)​

All pairs are superposed into a single animation. The mesh deforms according to the combined displacement of every pair at once.

When to use: To see the overall motion of the mechanism when all load cases act simultaneously.

Individual Pair​

A single pair is shown at a time. A Select Pair dropdown appears below the mode selector, listing each pair by name. Choose a pair to see its displacement field in isolation.

When to use: To inspect how the mechanism responds to one specific load case, or to compare pairs side by side by switching between them.

Sequential (Cycle Through)​

The animation automatically cycles through each pair in order. The current pair name is displayed in a read-only Current Pair field below the mode selector. The animation phase resets each time it advances to the next pair.

When to use: To review all pairs one after another without manually switching, similar to a slideshow.

Interaction with other controls​

  • The speed and magnification sliders apply to all three modes. Changing mode does not reset speed or magnification.
  • Switching from Individual or Sequential back to Combined clears the active pair selection and shows the superposed displacement.
  • Switching to Sequential starts from the first pair in the list.
  • The heatmap colors update to reflect whichever pair (or combination) is currently displayed.

Single-pair results​

If the result has only one pair, the Animation Mode selector does not appear. The animation shows that single pair's displacement field directly.