SAM 6.1 is available now !!
June 2010
Project Notes
Text editor functionality has been added such that the user can include and store project notes
directly in your SAM project file.
Input Motion
Next to the Natural Cubic Spline (with second derivative equal to zero at the first point and last point
of a series of points) the Clamped Cubic Spline is also supported. The latter allows the definition of
the first derivatives in the first point and last point of a series of points.
Optimization
After completion of the global exploration of the solution space it is now possible to execute an
automated local optimization of ALL solutions found during the global exploration.
Display
- All elements can have individual color/line-type settings.
- A cross-hair (incl. horizontal/vertical mouse snap) simplifies the modeling of mechanisms.
Pan/Zoom
Pan and Zoom are supported by the scroll wheel in a similar way as done in the Google Earth
application.
Graph/Mechanism Window
The two windows can be dimensioned individually. Furthermore, a new icon is introduced to easily
switch between the three display modi: 1. mechanism, 2. graph, 3. mechanism & graph.
Automated Updates
Checking the presence of update and installing updates has been simplified tremendously. If
requested, the checking & installation can even be done automatically..
Videos in GIF Format
Next to the existing AVI format, SAM now also supports the much preferred (Animated) GIF format.
Additional Checks
Many extra automated checks have been introduced to minimize the risk of input or problem
definition flaws that lead to incorrect analyses.
Bug Fixes
A number of bugs and inconsistencies have been resolved.
Distributor India
March 2010
Paviath Engineering Solution has become our distributor in India (see list of partners). Distributor Spain
March 2010
Indago Innova has become our distributor in Spain (see list of partners).
Update SAM 6.0(46) !
October 2009
Solved: Occasional problem/crash when modifying node coordinates via keyboard entry.
Distributor in Argentina
July 2009 Micro Automación has become our distributor in Argentina (see list of partners)
Distributor & Consulting Specialist in Brazil
November 2008
Lugon Consultoria has become our distributor / consulting specialist in Brazil (see list of partners)
Update SAM 6.0(45) !
November 2008
Solved: Some minor bugs.
Update SAM 6.0(44) !
November 2008
Solved: Display of the rotational spring and rotational
sensor is incorrect during animation.
Modified: The format of the help system has changed to
"Compiled HTML Help" (CHM).
Update SAM 6.0(43) !
February 2008
Solved: Deleting elements can lead to a series of error
messages and sometimes even to a crash.
Update SAM 6.0(42) !
November 2007
Solved: When checking the availability of a more recent
update it can happen under certain conditions that the info from an older and locally
stored file is used instead of the correct info from the file stored on the ARTAS website.
Update SAM 6.0(41) !
November 2007
Solved: When minimizing the graph or mechanism windows a
crash occurs under certain circumstances.
Update SAM 6.0(40) !
October 2007
Solved: When loading SAM 5.1 project files in SAM 6.0
Professional a number of incorrect messages/warnings appears.
Introduction SAM 6.0 !
October 2007
The most important new features available in SAM 6.0 are:
Optimization
The Professional version of SAM contains an optimization module, which offers
single-function multi-parameter optimization based on a mix of evolutionary algorithms and
Simplex techniques.
Taking the initial design as a starting point one can for example decrease the difference
between the actual trajectory of a coupler point and the target trajectory by
automatically modifying the geometry of the mechanism within pre-defined ranges. Or one
can for example minimize the peak value of the driving torque of a mass loaded mechanism
by adding a compensation mass and letting SAM determine the optimal value of the
compensation mass and its position within the allowable range.
Context-Sensitive Right Mouse Button
In previous versions of SAM the user interaction model was based on "Select action
from menu or toolbar, then select item to apply action to", for example Delete
Element followed by a selection of the element to be deleted. Many programs, such as
Microsoft Office, use a different approach which is based on "Select an item and
press right mouse key to see which actions can be applied to the selected item". In
order to satisfy both experienced SAM users and novice users, which are used to the
Microsoft Office approach, SAM now supports both user interaction approaches.
News Alert
If requested, users that are linked up to the internet are automatically informed about
any updates or upgrades as soon as they start-up SAM.
License Levels: Professional, Standard and Light
Three different license levels have been introduced to better tune the performance and
price to the need of the customers. These three levels are:
- Professional: Kinematics, Kinetostatics (force analysis), Optimization
- Standard: Kinematics, Kinetostatics (force analysis)
- Light: Kinematics
Update SAM 5.1(236) !
April, 2007
- Solved: Help file could not be loaded
- Solved: "Unloaded length" of spring not taken
into account when corresponding checkbox checked
Update SAM 5.1(232) !
Oktober, 2006
Solved: Nodal coordinates sometimes change automatically
during graph-selection of a node/property.
Update SAM 5.1(230) !
July, 2006
- Solved: Relative angle input motion disappeared after
saving, closing/exiting and re-opening a project.
- Solved: Manual time axis setting in xy-plots is overruled
by automatic scaling during refresh of plot.
- Default settings of INI file modified such that every
position is displayed during animation (instead of skipping 10 positions).
Introduction SAM 5.1
August, 2005
- Optimized Analysis Kernel with new iteration parameters
and up to 10 simultaneous input motions.
- New motion profile "5. order polynome" with
selectable velocity and acceleration boundary conditions.
- New element type "Non-linear Spring"
- Various new display options
UpdateSAM 5.0(205) !
April, 2005
Solved: Incidental crashes occuring under a variety of
exceptional conditions.
Update SAM 5.0(201) !
January, 2005
- Solved: Occasional incorrect scaling of time-axis in
xy-plots.
- Solved: Crash in case of zero-length of friction element.
- Solved: Incorrect inertia conversion and resulting force
analysis in case of ENGLISH unit system.
- Solved: Force dialog initially shows three graphs instead
of only one.
- Solved: Incorrect display (big circles) of goal positions
when using 4-Bar Wizard / 3 Position Synthesis (I)
Update SAM 5.0(196) !
January, 2004
- Solved: Incorrect display of radius-value and possible
crash during creation of circles.
- Solved: Default animation setting is "reverse
motion" instead of "regular".
Update SAM 5.0(195) !
December, 2003
- Solved: Incorrect force results in case of complex force
profiles in combination with a non-zero angle of the force.
- Solved: ARCs are not included during the import of a
DXF-file.
- Solved: SAM50.INI is missing in the SAM50.EXE directory.
- Solved: The file DXFtempl.DXF, which is used during the
export of DXF-data, is not included in the installation.
Update SAM 5.0(193) !
November, 2003
- Netwerk administration simplified and improved (e.g. local
users can not modify licensedata anymore).
- Solved: Memory problems leading to crash after several
minutes of animation.
- Solved: Crash at exit of sensor-dialogue.
- Solved: Motion file could not be located after
moving/copying a projectfile to a different directory.
- Various minor bugs solved.
Update SAM 5.0(192) !
August, 2003
- Kinematic problems during special use of non-closed belt
element solved.
- Other bugs related to belt element solved.
- Various minor bugs solved.
Update SAM 5.0(180) !
April, 2003
- An annoying bug in the definition of inputmotions was
found in the previous versions of SAM5.0.
- Bugs are solved and a new version SAM 5.0(180) is
available.
Update SAM 5.0(177) !
March, 2003
- An annoying bug was found as result of which some
menu-items are not visible.
- Bug is solved and a new demo SAM 5.0(177) is available.
Introduction SAM 5.0 !
February, 2003
The most important new features of SAM 5.0
are :
PATO-Workshop "Design of
Mechanisms"
November, 2002
On November 14, 2002 a one day workshop is given at the
Technical University of Eindhoven. The workshop focusses on basic mechanism knowledge and
modern computer based design tools, such as WATT, TADSOC and SAM. The team consists of
Prof.ir. H.A. Crone (TU Delft), Ir.H.J.J. Draijer (Heron Technologies BV), Ir.F.G.M.
Kokkeler (Universiteit Twente), Dr.ir.A.M. Rankers and ir. H.W. Schrama (ARTAS Engineering
Software).
More info can be found at www.pato.nl (section "Werktuigbouwkunde en
Industrieel Ontwerpen")
ASME Conference Montreal/Canada
October 2002
Presentation of SAM in a special mechanism design session
at the ASME-conference in Montreal/ Canada.
SAM 4.2f
November 2001
Some minor problems have been detected in SAM 4.2, which
are solved in SAM 4.2f. These problems are:
- SAM datafiles located at more than 10-fold recursed
subdirectories ( more than 80 characters) can not be loaded. SAM gives a warning in this
case.
- Using Force input together with an Input Motionfile
resulted in an unexpected warning "Nr of Motion steps unequal to nr of Force input
steps".
- When creating a graph of Torque or Power combined with the
analysis-run checkbox 'All Forces', this results in duplicate curves of identical items
(T(n) and T1(n)).
- Displaying Fixed- or Moving Centrode combined with an
Input Motion that includes Zero-velocity results in a crash.
SAM 4.2d
September 2001
Two minor problems have been detected in SAM 4.2, which
are solved in SAM 4.2d. These problems are:
- Problem with colour and linesettings in case an old
projectfile (SAM 4.1 or older) is used.
- In case of an analysis problem a dialog box appears in
which a help-botton is displayed that is no longer supported in SAM4.2.
PATO-Workshop "Design of
Mechanisms"
August 2001
One day workshop on November 7, 2001 at the Technical
University of Twente (Enschede).
The workshop focusses on basic mechanism knowledge and
modern computer based design tools, such as WATT, TADSOC and SAM. The team consists of :
Prof.ir. H.A. Crone (TU Delft), Ir.H.J.J. Draijer (Heron Technologies BV), Ir.F.G.M.
Kokkeler (Universiteit Twente), Dr.ir.A.M. Rankers and ir. H.W. Schrama (ARTAS Engineering
Software).
SAM 4.2c
June 2001
A number of problems have been discovered in
SAM 4.2, which are all solved in SAM 4.2c. These problems are
- Wrong order of data when exporting angular results to a
motion file.
- Crash can occur when displaying a xy-plots, while the
x-axis range is set larger than the x-range of the data being plotted.
- Missing resource string #1629 in German version
- Under Windows NT the help can not be accessed directly
from SAM (it can be opened by using Windows/Explorer). Windows displays the following
messages : "This file is not a Windows help file" and "A newer version of
help is needed to read this help file"
Introduction SAM 4.2
April 2001
We have again gathered a lot of information from our
customers and as a result of this we are now introducing "SAM 4.2", which
combines a number of improvements and some interesting new features, such as :
- Force analysis has been extended to belt and gear drives
- Simple CAD construction tools required for graphical
mechanism synthesis
- Fixed/moving centrode of an element and evolute of any
node
- Various new display options requested by users"
Happy New Year & Special Offer
January 2001
First of all, we would like to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR.
This new year is a special one, since it is SAM's 10th anniversary. To celebrate this
anniversary, any new customer will get one of the listed books for free when ordering a
single- or multi-license version of SAM during the first quarter of 2001 (*):
- "Mechanism Design"; Arthur G. Erdman, George N.
Sandor; (1996) Prentice Hall; ISBN: 0132677822
- "Einführung in die Getriebelehre"; Hanfried
Kerle, Reinhard Pittschellis; (1998) Teubner, Stgt.; ISBN:351906362X
- "Konstruktive Getriebelehre"; Leo Hagedorn,
Wolfgang Thonfeld, Adrian Rankers; (1996) Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg; ISBN:
3540611932
- "Getriebetechnik - Analyse, Synthese,
Optimierung"; Kurt Luck, Karl-Heinz Modler; (1995) Springer Verlag; ISBN: 3540570012
- "Getriebetechnik - Grundlagen"; Johannes Volmer;
(1995) Verlag Technik, Berlin; ISBN: 3341011374
(*) Please indicate on your purchase order which book you
would like to receive (offer is not valid for updates). Suggestions to complete the list
of mechanism related textbooks are welcome.
Portugese Version SAM 4.1
August 2000
Portugese version of SAM 4.1 has been introduced.
Dutch Version SAM 4.1
April 2000
Dutch version of SAM 4.1 has been introduced.
Improved Example Files
September 1999
Unfortunately we have introduced a small mistake when
preparing the zip file that contains the
trial version of SAM 4.1 and some examples (the result files were older than the project
files).
This problem has been solved and a new zip file is now available for downloading.
Introduction SAM 4.1
August 1999
We have again gathered a lot of information from our
customers and as a result of this we are now introducing
"SAM 4.1", which combines a number of improvements and some interesting new
features, such as :
- Full Project Documentation in ASCII format
- Selectable Engineering Units and Number Representations
- Screenshots with filename, date, time and your company
name
- Analysis speedbutton starts analysis without invoking
Options Dialog
- New Display Options : Animation Delay, Scaling of
Hodograph, Extra Zoom Option
- New Export Options
SAM 4.0d
December 1998
- Solved: Access problem when running a multi user license
on a Windows NT network.
- Solved: Dynamic cursor values in Graph were erroneous in
case of multiple inputs with non-equidistant timebase.
- Modified: Most Data entries have been extended to 11
digits.
-
SAM 4.0c
September 1998
- Solved: Multiple use of icon 'Exact Node coordinates' or
command Build>>Coordinates leads to fatal error.
- Solved: Under WindowsNT the command Results>>Export
produces erroneous ASCII file.
SAM 4.0a
June 1998
- Solved: No check on max. points (<32000) during DXF
Import.
- Solved: Title in *.DAT file was 3.1 instead of 4.0.
- Solved: Non-fatal error in Input>>Modify (DEMO &
STUDENT versions).
- Solved: Crash during UNDO after manual animation (Fix
initial pos.).
- Solved: Window Resize influences zoomfactor .
- Solved: Runtime error at startup due to unfound file
'SAM40.LOG'.
-
Introduction SAM 4.0
March 1998
We have listened carefully to our customers and as a
result of this we are now proud to present "SAM 4.0", which combines a number of
improvements and some delighting new features, such as :
- DXF Import/Export
- Extensive Display Options
- Improved Input Motion Functionality
- Transformation of Mechanism (scale, rotate, translate,
modify initial position)
SAM 6.1 (Beta Version)
March 2010
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