OpenVSP Blanks - NASA

Suggested Searches

Contents

Introduction
Blanks as Point Masses
Blanks as References
Combining Blanks for Transformations

Introduction

This video introduces the Blank component and some of the many relevant features and capabilities enabled with its use. For example, Blanks may be used as reference points for other components, as Parent components for groups, as point masses, as measurement tools, and combined to perform complex transformations.

Blanks as Point Masses

This tutorial demonstrates how to use Blank components to allocate point mass to your model in OpenVSP versions prior to v3.35.0. This is accomplished by activating the Point Mass button under the Mass tab in the Blank component window and entering the desired mass. Note that mass should be entered in the same units as elsewhere in your model and that you should always try to keep your units similar among components.

In version 3.35, all geometries, including Blanks, may be assigned mass properties including inertias. These properties are found under the Mass tab. Blanks also now have the symmetry options as any other component to apply symmetric copies of mass properties.

Blanks as References

Blanks serve as excellent reference points in your model. This is perhaps most evident in the use of Blanks as Parent components for groups or as offset coordinate systems among various subsystems. When importing or aligning geometries in OpenVSP, Blanks act as the relative displacement between various coordinate systems without resorting to moving individual components one-by-one.

Combining Blanks for Transformations

A single or multiple Blank components may be used to perform complex rotations or transformations within your model. A single Blank may be used to perform a combination of X, Y, and Z axis rotations in a single component. However, you should note that the Blank will apply these rotations in the order X first, then Y, then Z. This is done intentionally so that you can always alter the angles without losing track of how you got there. If you want to perform multiple rotations about different axes in intermediate frames, then using multiple Blanks is the way to go.