CHAPTER 03 / 33

Place on the ground, attach parts, and check available force

Separate loose parts from physical mounts and compare mass, power and traction demand.

Mounting chooser listing compatible geometric attachment locations. — Choose a mount explicitly or use a nearby snap target. These generic interfaces support placement; they do not qualify a manufacturer fit. View full size ↗

New library and custom components start on the ground in a clear staging footprint. Rotation and dimensions determine the support envelope; Y is not a fixed arbitrary height. If you lift a loose part in design mode, it falls under gravity when Run starts. Wires carry logical connections and do not physically mount or tether a part.

Select a component and open Inspector → Physical attachment. Mount to selects its physical parent; an empty parent means a loose body. Groups only organize editing and do not mount components.
Use Place on ground for a loose component, or Detach & place on ground to separate a mounted subtree. Ground entire assembly adjusts the connected assembly while preserving its mounts.
Translate a mounted parent to translate its descendants by the same displacement. Positions remain stored in the root frame. Revolute/prismatic dynamics remain unsupported.
Anchor assembly to world makes a root support immovable. Arm and camera-rig bases start anchored; release it to test unsupported support behavior.
Open Test bench → Mass & drive check for mounted mass, weight, available starting force, required slope/rolling/acceleration force and estimated loaded source voltage/current. The Inspector overview has a compact version.
Run the actual controller and read telemetry. Add payload, change friction/slope, disconnect motor power or substitute a source, and compare the response. A launch candidate is a screening result, not a guarantee of sustained movement.