Building a 3-Wheeled Sidecar Vehicle from Scratch in MotionSolve – Where to Start

Hello Altair Community,

I will be working on a 3-wheeled sidecar design where the side wheel is also steerable. I need to build the model from scratch for a multibody simulation in MotionSolve, and this is my first project of this type, so I’m unsure about the best place to start.

I already have the main kinematic points defined with coordinates (connection points, joints, suspension and steering connection points, etc.). However, when I look at example vehicle models and projects from previous years, I see that many of these points are not fixed and instead depend on other parameters.

If you had to build a vehicle model completely from scratch in MotionSolve, what would be your step-by-step approach and where would you start?

Since this is an unconventional vehicle (3 wheels, sidecar, and a steerable side wheel), I’m also interested to know:

Are there any recommended examples, tutorials, or best practices in Altair for non-standard vehicle layouts?
I’m okay with updating the hardpoints manually for each design change, but I would really like to understand how the sample vehicle models provided by Altair are actually built.

I would really appreciate guidance on the proper starting point and a good modeling strategy for building a robust multibody model in MotionSolve from scratch.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Find more posts tagged with

MotionView/MotionSolve

Accepted answers

GTT Adam

Hi @Maximus1111,

The best place to start with this type of simulation is going to be our in-depth eLearning page.

Here, you can find the following two courses that you can take at your own pace:

1) Getting Started with MotionView and MotionSolve

2) Vehicle Modeling with MotionSolve

With these courses you can learn the basics of multibody dynamics modeling and then extend that knowledge into vehicle modeling using our Vehicle Tools Extension. These eLearning courses will cover how to start from scratch, from an Example Model, or from an assembled vehicle using our Assembly Wizard.

I would suggest after completing this training that you build a 2-wheeler model from the Assembly Wizard and then add in the side-car elements to take advantage of the robust assembly model base. You can then also take advantage of the Altair Driver Model, which will come defined from the Assembly Wizard, and also the Standard Events that you can drag and drop into your model once it is fully defined.

Many of the points in the models are parameterized to ensure that changes to certain main hardpoints will propagate throughout the model. They do not need to be parameterized, so you could hard-code the values instead if you want. Parameterized points help to make the model more flexible.

I'll work on creating a simple example model to get you started as well.

Hope this helps!

Adam Reid

All comments

GTT Adam

Hi @Maximus1111,

The best place to start with this type of simulation is going to be our in-depth eLearning page.

Here, you can find the following two courses that you can take at your own pace:

1) Getting Started with MotionView and MotionSolve

2) Vehicle Modeling with MotionSolve

I'll work on creating a simple example model to get you started as well.

Hope this helps!

Adam Reid

GTT Adam

Please find an example model attached, of a sidecar equipped motorcycle completing a double lane change event:

Electric_Sport_Bike_w_sidecar_rev01_archive.zip

sidecar_example_rev01.mp4

Maximus1111

Hi guys,

Thank you very much for your help! I may not have provided all the details before, so I’ll clarify a bit about my concept. The costom car will have a steerable front wheel and a steerable side wheel, both using a double wishbone setup, while the rear will have a swing arm suspension.

Best regards,
Maximus

Maximus1111

Hi Adam,

Since the Altair Assembly Wizard only provides a symmetrical car, I’m unsure whether I should start with a car model or a motorcycle model for this setup. My concern is whether I’ll be able to implement the side wheel steering connections correctly if I start from a motorcycle model.

In your opinion:

Is it easier to start from a car and then delete one rear wheel and move one front wheel to the side?
Or would starting from a motorcycle model be a better approach?

Thanks again for your guidance!

Best regards,
Maximus

GTT Adam

Hi @Maximus1111,

In my opinion, I would start with the base that closest resembles your ideal vehicle. I assume it similar to my example, just with a steering sidecar. So to add the steering, either add the few required entities to facilitate the sidecar steer or export a steering system from another model and then import it into your model. The import and export of systems is covered in our Getting Started with MotionView and MotionSolve training and the modification of Assembly Wizard Models is also covered in our Vehicle Modeling with MotionSolve training for easy reference.

Hope this helps!

Adam Reid