Easy software for : Multibody dynamics of rigid bodies?

Question

I am currently searching for an easy-to-use tool to understand/simulate multibody dynamics of rigid bodys.

I have no engineering or mechanics background (I am from IT) and I feel that I cannot imagine in my head how mechanics are behaving if they are moved in this or that direction. To get a better understanding it would help me a lot to have some software where I could click the bodies and move them with the cursor in this or that direction and watch how they are behaving.

Do you have any suggestion of such a software? I googled already for some hours, but all I found are very complex 3D simulation software-solutions. I don't care about exact dimensions or weights or gravity or anything. 2D is also totally fine for me. All I need is something where I can draw lines (bodies) and connect them with other lines and then afterwards move them.

Any help is very appreciated!

BR, mezorian

Answer 1

You may find that SolveSpace (multi-platform, free) will do as you require. For your purposes, it's not particularly difficult to learn.

The site also has a link to a tutorial which directly addresses multi-bar linkages. The image below is directly from the tutorial page and is certainly more complex than you present, but it representative of the capabilities of the program.

Additionally, the program allows movement of the linkages and tracing of a specific point if required.

Eric Buijs has a collection of tutorial videos on peertube, one specifically oriented to multi-bar linkages. The linked video is more than 21 minutes long and clearly narrated. Movement is shown at about the ten minute point in the video.