Labview/SoftMotion, a program that lets motion-control designers test the output of control designs in software, now runs inside the CAD-package SolidWorks. This lets SolidWorks users design machines with motors and axes, then show their kinematic possibilities with companion software CosmosMotion. SoftMotion then provides the virtual control system.

It lets users evaluate how the equipment responds to control inputs. Control engineers would build a control scheme with components, such as power supplies and adders, from LabView libraries. Charts and graphs show how the machine responds to the controller. When adjustments are needed, they are made in the software and the virtual equipment retested.

The control-simulation software includes example programs for common applications. The software handles single-axis moves, coordinated multiaxis moves with blending, and contoured moves. Users can perform 2D, 3D (roll, yaw, and pitch), and helical-circular interpolation with contouring and registration moves. A trajectory generator supports cubic splining and provides coefficients for spline interpolation.