CarSim

Quick Start Guide

Mechanical Simulation
 Table of Contents
1. Introduction ........................................................................ 3
2. View Simulation Results ................................................... 5
Start CarSim and Create a New Database ....................................... 5
The Run Control Screen.................................................................. 8
View a Simulated Video ............................................................... 10
View Video + Plots ....................................................................... 14
View Model Information .............................................................. 26
3. Run New Simulations ...................................................... 29
Run a New Simulation with a Different Vehicle Speed................ 29
Create a New Vehicle ................................................................... 34
Navigate the CarSim Database...................................................... 42
Create a Vehicle with Shared Datasets ......................................... 46
4. Manage Data .................................................................... 51
Make a New Plot Dataset .............................................................. 51
Add a Plot to a Procedure Dataset................................................. 56
Copy Data from One Database to Another ................................... 58
Configurable Functions ................................................................. 65
Tools to Search the Database ........................................................ 68
Browse the Installed Database ...................................................... 71
5. Learn More About CarSim .............................................. 73
CarSim Help System ..................................................................... 73
Math Model Documentation ......................................................... 75
The Mechanical Simulation Web Site........................................... 77
What to Read Next ........................................................................ 78

NOTICE
This manual describes software that is furnished under a license agreement and may be used or
copied only in accordance with the terms of such agreement. BikeSim, CarSim, SuspensionSim,
TruckSim, VehSim, and VehicleSim are registered trademarks of Mechanical Simulation
Corporation.

© 1996 – 2016, Mechanical Simulation Corporation.

Last updated December 2016
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1. Introduction
The CarSim software includes three major components, all using a simulation architecture called
VehicleSim (VS) that is shared with other products from Mechanical Simulation (BikeSim,
TruckSim, and SuspensionSim):
1. VS Solvers use realistic multibody physics models to simulate the dynamic behavior of
highway vehicles in response to controls from the driver, on-board controllers, 3D ground
geometry, and aerodynamics.
2. VS Visualizer uses virtual video cameras and plotting to show simulation results.
3. The CarSim graphical user interface (GUI) gives access to a database of vehicles, roads,
test conditions, and information supporting video animation and plotting.
Although the main interest in CarSim is ultimately about the vehicle math models, scenario
descriptions, and resulting behavior, the first steps in using CarSim involve knowing how to view
results and make use of the database and GUI. The purpose of this guide is to provide a tutorial
for using VS Visualizer and the CarSim GUI to run new simulations, make new vehicles, and
navigate the database. No experience with using the software is assumed.
If you are evaluating CarSim for potential future use, but will not be using the software in the
near future, consider going through the CarSim Demo Tutorial. (CarSim Demo Tutorial is a
shorter 30-min introduction that skips some of the features that are covered in this more extensive
guide. See the menu Help > Guides and Tutorials > CarSim Demo Tutorial.)

What You Will Learn

High-fidelity simulation of vehicle dynamics requires extensive data. CarSim includes a database
with many example vehicles and test procedures. If you are new to CarSim, the GUI and database
will not be familiar at first. This guide is organized to introduce the major elements of the GUI
and database so that you can become familiar with the CarSim organization and basic tools.
This guide is intended to introduce good practices for using CarSim. As such, it will show you
how to make a new database, and how to make new datasets without conflicting with existing
datasets.
The steps in this guide follow a simple tutorial that you should follow in sequence. If you do this,
the figures in this guide should match the windows you see in CarSim.
It is not necessary to master every option and feature in CarSim during this tutorial — CarSim
has extensive documentation included in the software that you can use later on to refresh your
memory, as described at the conclusion of this Guide.

Before You Start

Before starting, there are just a few requirements.

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Chapter 1 Introduction

1. CarSim 2017 or newer must be installed on your computer, along with the example database
that is provided by the CarSim installer.
2. You must have a valid CarSim license key, as described at the completion of the installation.
If CarSim has never been run on your computer, you might need to know where the license
key file is located, as also described at the completion of the installation.
• Node-lock and dongle license files are usually in c:\flexlm.
• If you have a network license, you will need the license server name that was set up by
your System Administrator.

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2. View Simulation Results
To see how simulation results are viewed in CarSim, we will start by viewing an existing
example. Later, you will run new simulations. In preparation, you will first create a new database
to use when following this tutorial. This avoids the possibility of making accidental modifications
to other installed examples.

Start CarSim and Create a New Database

Start CarSim by using the Start menu or by double-clicking a CarSim icon on your desktop
(details depend on your version of Windows).
When CarSim starts, it brings up a dialog box to select a database (Figure 1). In normal operation,
you would select a database (e.g., ) and continue . However, for this tutorial we will make a
new database that contains a single vehicle and test condition.

Figure 1: Open the database from the CarSim installation.

1. Click the button Create a new database from a Consolidated Parsfile .
2. A window will pop up describing the next steps to be taken to create a new database from
the consolidated parsfile (Figure 2). Read the message and click Continue.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

Figure 2. Alert box when creating a new database.

3. The Windows file browser will appear so you can locate a consolidated parsfile (extension
CPAR, Figure 3). Locate the file for this Quick Start Guide:
CarSim_2017_Quick_Start.cpar and click the Open button to continue.

Figure 3. Locate the CarSim Quick Start CPAR file.

Note The CPAR file is in a folder [CarSim_Prog_Folder]\Resources\

Import_Examples, where [CarSim_Prog_Folder] is a location that
was specified when the software was installed on your computer.
If you are not sure where the CarSim Prog folder is installed, you can
right-click on the CarSim item in your Windows Start menu and view the
properties. Another option for finding the CPAR file is to use Windows
to search for the file CarSim_2017_Quick_Start.cpar.

4. The Windows file browser will be shown again, prompting you make an empty folder for a
new CarSim database (Figure 4). To do this:
a. Navigate to a place on your hard drive for the new CarSim database folder. This
must be a location where you have read/write permission (e.g., Documents).

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

1
3

Figure 4. Create an empty folder for the new database.

b. Click the button Make New Folder .
c. The new folder will be highlighted with a name such as New Folder. While it is
highlighted, you can type a new name. Give it a suitable name, such as
CarSim_Data_QS . Warning: at this point, be careful not to click the New
Folder button again, or press the Enter key with the New Folder button selected (you
don’t want to create a second new folder!). Click the OK button to continue.

Alert If your installation is set to show the License Settings window when
launching CarSim, you will be shown a license summary window
(Figure 5). Click the Select button to continue. There is a checkbox
to skip the display of this window that may be set if you have a dongle or
node-lock license ; do not check this if you are using a network
license (you might need to select different license options in the future).

1 2

Figure 5. Window showing license settings.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

CarSim will create the new database. When it completes, you should be looking at the Run
Control screen for the Quick Start Guide (Figure 6 shows the top of the window). Note the
name of the database you just created in the title .

Figure 6. The CarSim Run Control (Home) screen.

The Run Control Screen

1. For the purpose of this tutorial, use the View menu to make sure options are set to Show
Button Toolbar, Show Button Labels, and Show Sidebar (Figure 7).

Figure 7. The View menu.

2. Choose the first item in the View menu: Window Size Matches the System Display
Settings. Windows 7, 8, and 10 have options to size text and controls with proportions such
as 100%, 125%, 150%, etc. The first option in the menu uses your system preference to
scale the CarSim window.
3. Right-click and hold on the Help button for a tool tip (Figure 8).

Note The right mouse button is used throughout CarSim to obtain tool tips.
Right-click and hold on buttons, fields, and various control objects to
obtain short summaries of their functions.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

Figure 8. Right-click and hold for information about a button or other control.
4. Click the Help button. This launches the Adobe Reader program with a PDF documentation
file for the current screen (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Documentation about the current screen.

At any time, the documentation for the current screen can be obtained with this button or by
pressing the F1 key. The Help menu can also be used to access many volumes of
documentation installed with CarSim.

Note All of the PDF documents in CarSim that are more than a few pages in
length include bookmarks for rapid access to sections of interest. For
example, Figure 9 shows the bookmarks for the Run Control Screen
document . Click on a topic such as Run Control to jump to that
section of the document .

After you have gone through this tutorial, you can return to the documentation for the Run
Control screen. For now, close the PDF window.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

CarSim Run Control (Home) Window Layout

The CarSim Run Control screen is the starting point to access the main tools and datasets in
CarSim (Figure 10).

Set up the vehicle and View results with video

Run a simulated test and plotting
test maneuver

Vehicle being simulated

View information about
the model as configured

Figure 10. Layout of the CarSim Run Control screen.

The blue boxes on the screen are links to more data, similar to links shown on web pages
(sometimes called hyperlinks).
The main part of the screen is divided into three sections. The left column, titled Simulated Test
Specifications, has a blue link to the vehicle data to be used in the simulation, and at least one
blue link to a dataset that defines the test procedure.
The middle column has controls for running the CarSim Math Models. Later on, you will use the
button here to perform new simulations.
The right column, titled Analyze Results (Post Processing), provides access to the video and
plotting options for visualizing simulation results.

Review You have adjusted the appearance of the CarSim window by using
controls from the View menu. You have seen built-in help available by
right-clicking, typing F1, and using the Help button. The Help menu
gives direct access to all Help documents.

View a Simulated Video

You will now use a virtual video camera to view simulated vehicle motions.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

1. Right-click on the Video button (Figure 10) on the CarSim Run Control screen for the
button tool tip. Then click the Video button. VS Visualizer (the animation and plotting tool
in CarSim) will show an animation of the run based on a virtual video camera (Figure 11).

Figure 11. A VS Visualizer window.

2. For the purpose of this tutorial, use the View menu in VS Visualizer to make sure
options are checked for Time control and Time multiplier .
VS Visualizer combines the results of a simulated test with a simulated video camera. If the
animation is running, click the pause button to stop it while you adjust the camera.
Click and hold mouse buttons in the animation display region and use simple sweeping
motions to move the simulated camera:
a. Sweep (left, right, up, down) while pressing the right mouse button to circle around
the vehicle.
b. Sweep up and down while pressing both the left and right mouse buttons to move the
camera closer or further away from the vehicle. If you have a middle mouse button,
you can press this to accomplish the same thing.
c. Press the shift key while pressing the right mouse button in the viewing area; sweep
in any direction to “drag” the viewing area. This changes the aim of the camera. Once
you move the mouse, a view of the current axes appears with a box at the center of
the viewing area (Figure 12).

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

Figure 12. View of the axes origin and direction when shift-dragging.
While you are learning to use VS Visualizer, you can obtain reminders of the mouse
actions that control the camera by pressing the F1 key or using the menu option Help
> Video window mouse/keyboard control. This brings up a window showing all of
the controls affecting the camera (Figure 13). Close the window after reviewing the
contents.

Figure 13. Mouse controls for the VS Visualizer video window.

3. Consider the time controls at the bottom of the screen (Figure 14).

1 2 3

6
7
4 5 8

Figure 14. Time controls for VS Visualizer.

a. Notice the slider at the bottom of the screen . As the animation runs, the slider
moves from left to right. The current time (e.g., 2.725 s) is also shown .
b. If the animation is paused, play it by clicking the play/pause button or pressing
the space key on your keyboard. (If the spacebar does not work, click in the
animation area with the left mouse button to ensure it is “active.”) If the animation is

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

playing, pause it by clicking the play/pause button or pressing the space key on
your keyboard.
c. When the animator is paused, move the slider to locate any point in the run.
d. When the animator is paused, click on the slider and then use the ® and ¬ keys to
move the slider forward and backward in the animation; this accomplishes a very
slow motion effect.
4. The playback speed is normally real-time. However, you can control the speed interactively
with additional time controls.
a. With the video playing, move the time multiplier slider left and right to adjust the
time scale (shown in the field ). This ranges from fast-forward (far right) to fast-
reverse (far left) to slow motion (middle of the scale). If your mouse has the middle
scroll wheel, this will also work.
b. Move the jog/shuttle slider left and right to temporarily adjust the speed. When
you release the control, the animation goes back to the current time scale setting .
c. Restore the speed to 1x (real time) . The direction (forward/reverse) is unaffected.
d. Reverse the direction (forward/reverse) with this shortcut button .
5. VS Visualizer normally renders scenes with 3D objects whose shapes are defined by sets of
polygons. To see the polygon edges, left-click anywhere in the 3D view to make it active,
then type Ctrl+W repeatedly to cycle through several viewing modes (Figure 15). You can
also change the render modes using the View menu.

Figure 15. A view showing wireframes.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

6. Exit VS Visualizer by clicking the X button in the upper-right corner of the window or by
typing Alt+F4. You should once again be viewing the CarSim Run Control screen.

Review You have now gone through the main interactive controls for using VS
Visualizer to view video. The next section continues with VS
Visualizer, showing how to view plots of variables of interest.

View Video + Plots

The Run Control screen has three buttons to launch VS Visualizer (Figure 16): video only ,
plots only , and both .

1 3

Figure 16. Buttons to activate VS Visualizer from the Run Control screen.
When you are familiar with the software and the simulated test maneuvers, you will often use VS
Visualizer solely to show plots. However, when getting familiar with test conditions, the option to
view synchronized videos and plots can give you exceptional insight.
1. From the Run Control screen, click the Video + Plot button . In a few seconds, VS
Visualizer will appear, showing the same video seen in the previous section, along with plots
for variables of interest for the double lane-change procedure (Figure 17).
VS Visualizer is giving access to a great deal of information here. Note that there are three
kinds of panels in this window:
a. The view from the virtual video camera.
b. A grid showing plots.
c. The time controls, including the slider bar that you use to control the video.
As with any window with multiple panels, only one panel has the “focus” of Windows OS.
If you press a keyboard key, it goes to the panel with the focus. For example, the time
control panel has the focus in Figure 17.
You can adjust the vertical dividing line between the Video and the Plot Grid; drag it left
and right with the left mouse button.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

Grid of plots obtained

from CarSim settings
3
3
3

3
View from virtual 3
video camera

3 3
3

Time controls for video

and plot cursors 2 4

Figure 17. Initial VS Visualizer view with video animation plus a grid of plots.
2. Test the controls in the time control panel:
a. Click the play/pause button a few times to confirm that it works the same as
before. Notice that the vertical cursor lines in each plot also move, showing the
points in each plot that match the simulation time. The simulation time is shown as
before at the right edge of the time control panel .
b. Confirm that the slider control still works to go to a time of interest, identified
either from a plot or the video.
c. Confirm that keyboard shortcuts still work if the slider control has the focus. Use the
spacebar to start and stop; use the arrow keys ® and ¬ to move forward or
backward in small increments.
3. Double click any one of the plots to expand it (Figure 18). The plot should have a noticeable
black outline, as shown in the figure. If you have doubt about focus, click in the plot space
to ensure that the plot panel has the focus and will therefore handle keyboard inputs.
4. Press the PgDown key to view the next plot; use PgUp to view the previous one. These keys
can be used to rapidly cycle through the plots.
This example has nine plots; all are useful in evaluating the performance of the vehicle.
Look briefly at each. Later in this guide, you will see that hundreds of variables are
produced by the CarSim Math Models and can be easily plotted.
5. Go back to the grid view at any time by pressing the ‘z’ key. The currently active plot (the
one with the window focus) is always shown with the black outline (Figure 19).
Confirm that the page keys still work for cycling through the plots in the grid view.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

Black outline indicates plot

has the window "focus"

Figure 18. View one of the plots.

Figure 19. Grid view when the Vertical Forces plot has the focus.
Select the plot with the title “Vertical Forces: Baseline” (Figure 19).
The ‘z’ key works both for maximum zoom and return to the grid. Confirm this by pressing
‘z’ to fully zoom in on the vertical force plot (Figure 20).

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

2 3

Figure 20. View of vertical forces with digital display of variable values.
6. Press the ‘v’ key to show values for the four forces in the legend for the time indicated
by the cursor in the plot area, which matches the time display shown at the right edge of the
time control panel . Move the slider control to see the values for any time of interest
in the run. Notice how the video, the plot cursor, and the text displays are all synchronized.
7. Recall that you can zoom in on the video panel by several means, with the main one being
the use of the left and right buttons pressed simultaneously (or the middle mouse button).
This also works in the plot area.
a. Press the left and right buttons pressed simultaneously (or the middle mouse button)
in the plot region, and slide the mouse up and down to zoom in and out (Figure 21).
The cursor changes to a magnifying glass icon and a cross hair identifies the point
about which the zooming occurs.
b. Press the ‘r’ key to restore the plot scaling to the original view.
c. Move the cursor into the numbered part of the horizontal axis (Figure 22). The cursor
changes to indicate the horizontal effect . Press the left and right buttons
simultaneously and move the mouse left and right to zoom in and out in the
horizontal direction.
d. Move the cursor into the numbered part of the vertical axis . In this case, the
cursor changes to indicate a vertical effect. Press the left and right mouse buttons
simultaneously and move the mouse up and down to zoom in and out in the vertical
direction.
e. Another way to zoom is to use the left mouse button to drag a rectangle within the
plot area. When you release the button, the region you selected is zoomed to fill the
plot area.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

Figure 21. Zoom in and out using the left and right mouse buttons in the plot area.

Figure 22. Zoom horizontally using the left and right mouse buttons in the horizontal axis area.
8. When you are zoomed in, not all of the data are visible. You can pan the view area as
needed. Three options are available for panning:
a. Press the right mouse button in the plot region and see that the icon changes to the
hand “drag” icon (Figure 23). Proceed to drag the plot contents in any direction.
b. Position the mouse in the numbered area of the horizontal axis. The cursor changes to
show a horizontal effect, as when zooming. Press the right mouse button and move
the mouse left or right to pan horizontally.
c. Position the mouse in the numbered area of the vertical axis. The cursor changes to
show a vertical effect, as when zooming. Press the right mouse button and move the
mouse up or down to pan vertically.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

Figure 23. Right-click and drag in the plot region to pan the whole plot in any direction.
9. The values shown in the legend correspond to the camera time that is shown in the lower
right part of the screen. To move the display time to match a plot after you have panned,
type Shift+T. This changes the camera time to match the current plot (Figure 24).

Figure 24. Change the display time to the center of the current plot using Shift+T.
10. Slide the time control to view the video later in the run. Update the plot to show data near
the new camera time by typing the ‘t’ key.

Note The ‘t’ and Shift+T options are useful when you have zoomed a plot
such that only a part of the simulation results are in view. To summarize:
a. Type ‘t’ to pan the plot to match the camera display time.
b. Type Shift+T to change the camera display time to match the plot.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

11. One of the plotted curves in the active plot is always selected, and is indicated by an outline
of the name in the legend. For example, the plot named “Tire L1 vertical” is selected in
Figure 24. You can jump to the point in the simulation where the selected plot has the
maximum or minimum value.
a. Press Ctrl plus the Up arrow key. VS Visualizer will jump to the time where the
maximum value of the selected variable occurs (maximum force = 5786.5 at T =
3.550 , Figure 25). However, because the plot was zoomed in, the graph does not
show the time of interest (T = 3.550 s).

Figure 25. Use Ctrl+Up arrow to change the camera time to find the maximum value for the
selected data channel.
b. Press the ‘t’ key to pan the plot to include the current camera time (Figure 26).

Figure 26. Press ‘t’ to pan the plot to the current camera time T = 3.550.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

a. The video is synchronized and is therefore changed to show the corresponding point
in time. You can zoom and pan the video image as needed to see the orientation from
any view you wish.
b. Press Ctrl plus the Down arrow key. VS Visualizer will jump to the time where the
minimum value of the selected variable occurs.
c. Use the Tab key to cycle through the plots. For example, use the Tab key to select the
Tire R1 vertical force plot, and then use the Ctrl+Up and Ctrl+Down key
combinations to locate the times in the simulation when the right front tire force
reached maximum and minimum values.
12. Right-click anywhere in the plot area without moving the mouse and release to view a pop-
up menu with options for working with the plot (Figure 27). You can apply any of these
options using this menu. It can also serve as a convenient reminder about keyboard controls,
such a ‘r’ for restore.

Figure 27. Right click and release to view a pop-up menu with options for the plot.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

13. Go to the Help menu and select the item Plot window mouse/keyboard controls or press
the F1 key (if a plot panel has the focus). This brings up a window listing all of the mouse
and keyboard controls (Figure 28). Close the window after reviewing the control options.

Figure 28. Help window listing mouse and keyboard controls for plotting.
14. As you will see later, the nine plots that appear in the grid for this example were set up
ahead of time in the CarSim database. You can also quickly plot any variable that is in the
simulation output file with simple drag and drop actions.
a. Use the menu command View > Data Manager to see the Data Manager window
(Figure 29). (You might need to move the window to a location where it’s not
docked within the camera view.) This lists all of the variables that were written to file
when the simulation was run.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

Figure 29. Use the View menu to show the Data Manager window.
b. Use the menu command Plot > Create new Plot to add a new plot window (Figure
30). Notice that the window initially has no content.
c. Scroll the Data Manager window to view the available variables. Make a plot by
dragging the name of a variable from the Data Manager window to the Plot window.
For example, drag the roll-rate variable AVx (Figure 31). Notice that VS Visualizer
generates the plot and automatically labels the axes and dataset in the legend.
d. Drag another variable with the same units into the plot. For example, drag the pitch-
rate variable AVy (Figure 32). Notice that VS Visualizer adds the plot and
automatically adjusts the labels.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

Figure 30. Use the Plot menu to create a new plot.

Figure 31. Drag a variable name from the Data Manager to the Plot window.
15. VS Visualizer initially shows the video window and plot grid within the same main window.
The video window can be undocked by dragging the title bar outside the main window,
where you can size it as needed (Figure 33). Try this.
You’ve already displayed the Data Manager window and created a new Plot window. You
can also add new video windows using the menu item View > New Animation Windows,
and add new plot windows for predefined plots using the menu item Plot > View
Predefined Plot.
16. Exit VS Visualizer to return to the CarSim Run Control screen.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

Figure 32. Add a second variable with the same units.

Figure 33. Visualizer windows can be added and located anywhere on your screen.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

Review You have now gone through the main interactive controls for using VS
Visualizer. The following sections assume you are comfortable
zooming and viewing numerical values while synchronized with the
video. For even more reference information, use the CarSim Help
menu and access the VS Visualizer reference manual (in the
Reference Manuals submenu).

View Model Information

So far, you viewed vehicle motions with simulated video, and viewed other outputs of interest via
graphical plots. Now let’s look at the static properties of the simulated vehicle.
On the CarSim Run Control screen, there is a View button (Figure 34) in the lower-right
corner of the screen that provides access to a number of machine-generated documents that
describe technical details about the CarSim Math Models.

1
3

Figure 34. View button in the lower-right corner of the CarSim Run Control screen.
1. Use the drop-down list next to the View button and select the first item Echo file with
initial conditions . Then click the View button to display the file in the text editor
installed with CarSim (Figure 35).
2. Scroll through this Echo file in the editor. Note that it is organized into sections.
a. The top of the file has System Parameters. These include the time step, start time,
stop time, etc.
b. More sections follow with parameters for parts of the model: Overall mass, sprung
mass, suspensions, tires, roads, driver model, etc. For example, Figure 36 shows the
overall vehicle mass, the location of the center of gravity (C.G.), and properties for
the sprung mass.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

Figure 35. Echo file generated for a simulation run.

Figure 36. Section in Echo file showing overall and sprung mass properties.

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Chapter 2 View Simulation Results

c. The file next lists all of the Configurable Function (tabular) data, used to describe
nonlinear properties of the vehicle such as the suspensions and tires.
d. Go to the end of the file, and see that it contains over 5400 lines (approximately 90
pages if printed).
e. Exit the text editor (Alt+F4).
The Echo file is generated by a VS Solver (the part of CarSim and other VehicleSim
products that performs the math model calculations) to document all of the properties of the
CarSim Math Model that were used in the simulation run.

Review You have now used buttons on the right-hand side of the Run Control
screen to view existing outputs from a CarSim Math Model: Video,
Video + Plot, and View. You interacted with VS Visualizer — the
main tool in CarSim for viewing results. You looked at the Echo text
file that lists all parameters used in the simulation.

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3. Run New Simulations
The Quick Start database has a single simulation run in the Run Control library. You will now
make new simulations that will be added to the library.

Run a New Simulation with a Different Vehicle Speed

You should be viewing the CarSim Run Control screen (Figure 37).
1 2

Figure 37. The top of the Run Control screen showing the dataset named {* Quick Start Guide
Example} Baseline.

Note In CarSim documentation, the word dataset refers to the contents of a

single file containing data. Whenever you are viewing a CarSim screen,
you are seeing the contents of a single dataset. For example, when
viewing the CarSim Run Control screen you are seeing a dataset.
A library is a collection of datasets that share a common screen layout
for a common type of data. For example, CarSim Run Control is the
name of the library now in view . This library may contain multiple
datasets, with each representing a different simulation run. Initially, the
library has only the single dataset shown in the figure. But you will soon
add new runs, each with a corresponding dataset.
A category is an additional organizational tool, used to group related
datasets within a library. In the case of the baseline dataset shown in
Figure 37, the category is * Quick Start Guide Example and the dataset
is named Baseline .

You will change the speed for the simulated test using this screen. But first, you will make a new
dataset so the original remains for future use.
1. Right-click the Duplicate button for the tool tip information. Then click the button to
duplicate the current dataset. You will be prompted to enter the name for the new dataset
(Figure 38). Enter a new name in the title field: My New Test . Click the Duplicate
button to finish the duplication of the Run Control dataset.

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Chapter 3 Run New Simulations

Figure 38. Setting the name of a new dataset.

Note At this point, you have not created a new vehicle or test procedure. You
have simply duplicated an existing Run Control dataset that will use the
same vehicle and procedure datasets as the original.

The new screen display is nearly identical to the previous one. Initially the main difference
is that the CarSim window has the new name in the title ( , Figure 39), the dataset is
unlocked, and some buttons are dimmed. You will now make additional changes as shown
in Figure 39.

4
6

Figure 39. The new Run Control dataset (after the speed is set).
2. Check the box to override driver controls . This will show more controls, including one
for vehicle speed .
3. Use the drop-down control for choosing a method for controlling vehicle speed and select
the option Constant target speed . A yellow field appears next to the control . Enter
the value 150.

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Note The blue link to a Procedure dataset has a title that implies the test speed
is 120 km/h . Because the override controls appear in the Run
Control dataset after the Procedure blue link, this speed will override the
value specified in the linked Procedure dataset. This section of the Run
Control screen provides convenient controls to modify the test
conditions.

4. The Notes yellow field has text content from the original baseline Run Control dataset
that was copied. Edit this text to indicate that you have made changes.
5. Right-click and hold on the Run Math Model button for a tool tip for this button. Click
the button to run your first simulation. A status bar shows the progress of the run (Figure
40). A CarSim Math Model runs significantly faster than real time, so this will take just a
few seconds.

Figure 40. Status bar shown during simulated test.

6. When the run is complete, the progress bar disappears and the Video and Plot buttons
become active (Figure 41). Click the Video + Plot button to view the simulation results with
VS Visualizer. After viewing the results, close VS Visualizer.

Figure 41. The Video and Plot buttons are active after a simulation is run.
7. In the lower-right corner of the screen, right-click the checkbox Overlay videos and plots
with other runs (Figure 42) to read the tool tip, and then check the box. When checked,
results of multiple runs can be overlaid; potential links appear for selecting runs to overlay.

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1
2

Figure 42. Overlay a new run with the Baseline run.

8. Press the drop-down control to select an existing run to overlay. Choose Baseline
(from the submenu * Quick Start Guide Example). The screen should now show a blue
link (Figure 43).

Figure 43. Screen appearance when set to overlay results with the Baseline run.
9. Next to the Video + Plot button, right-click on the checkbox Set color (Figure 44). The
tool tip indicates the vehicle color can be set here; check the box to reveal a color selector
.

1 2

Figure 44. Option to set a run color.

10. Press the color selector button to display a color palette (Figure 45). For example, choose
yellow .

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1 2

Figure 45. Color selector palette.

Note The new color affects the display in VS Visualizer. It does not affect
images in the CarSim GUI; for example, the image shown at the bottom
of the screen (Figure 43) will not change. The image on the Run Control
screen matches an image associated with the vehicle dataset contained
elsewhere in the database that uses the default color of the 3D object.

11. Click the Video button to view both runs overlaid in VS Visualizer (Figure 46). After
viewing the results, close VS Visualizer.

Figure 46. Animation with overlay of two runs.

Review The method used in this section of setting test conditions from the Run
Control screen is often used to make quick variations of existing test

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procedures. Later on, you will make a new Procedure dataset that can
be applied automatically to future runs.

Create a New Vehicle

You started with a database that has a single simulation. In the previous section you made a new
dataset where the vehicle ran at a different speed. You should now be viewing the Run Control
screen, with the new dataset that specifies a higher speed.
1. Use the Datasets menu (Figure 47) to return to the Baseline run . You should now be
viewing the original dataset (Figure 48).

Figure 47. Use the Datasets menu to return to the Baseline dataset.

Figure 48. Hover over a blue link to see it is active.

2. Links for datasets are shown in CarSim with hypertext labels with blue backgrounds.
a. Hover the mouse over the blue link for the vehicle and see that the text is
underlined, as done on many web pages.
b. Click on the underlined text to view the linked dataset in the CarSim window. After
clicking on the vehicle link, you should see the Vehicle: Assembly dataset in the
window (Figure 49). The vehicle used for the baseline example is named C-Class,
Hatchback 2017.

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Figure 49. The original baseline Vehicle: Assembly dataset.

Note The Quick Start database initially contains this single vehicle description.
It is possible to make many runs involving this vehicle. It is also possible
to modify the vehicle properties. However, this Vehicle: Assembly
dataset is already shared with two existing simulation runs, so if the
vehicle is modified and the existing simulations are re-run, then different
results will be obtained because the vehicle properties have been
changed.
To avoid this potential problem, you will now make a completely new
independent vehicle description that can be modified to create a variant.
The original vehicle description will still be available to make new
simulations that might be needed for future comparisons with the original
baseline reference.

3. Select the File menu item New Dataset Plus All Linked Datasets (Figure 50). You will be
prompted to specify a category for the new datasets that are about to be created (Figure 51).
Enter Modification #1 as shown, and then click the New datasets button. A pop-up
window will appear while CarSim is working.

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Figure 50. Duplicate a dataset plus all linked datasets.

Figure 51. Specify a category for the new datasets that will be created.
4. After CarSim creates new datasets, you will be viewing the duplicate you just created
(Figure 52). The duplicated Vehicle: Assembly screen has the same notes and blue links,
but there are changes in appearance:

1
2

Figure 52. Duplicated Vehicle: Assembly dataset.

a. The new dataset is unlocked .
b. The Category name shown in the title is now Modification #1 . (The original dataset
had the Category name C-Class).

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c. If you right-click on any of the blue links, the tool tip indicates that the category of the
linked dataset is Modification #1 .
Click on the blue link for the sprung mass (Figure 52) to view the duplicated sprung
mass dataset (Figure 53). Confirm that it has the new Category name Modification #1 .

2 3 4

Figure 53. Duplicated Vehicle Sprung Mass dataset.

5. Right-click on one of the two data fields showing the height of the rear wheel centers above
the X axis of the sprung mass coordinate system to view information about the parameter
. Change the values for the wheel center heights for both rear wheels to 100. This change
means the wheels are lowered relative to the sprung mass. Or, from the point of view of the
wheels, the sprung mass will be lifted at the rear axle position.
Notice that the Undo button is now active . That’s because you’ve modified the new
sprung-mass dataset. Click the Undo button (or type the Windows shortcut: Ctrl+Z) and see
the changes revert. When there are no more changes to undo, the button is dimmed again.
Once you’ve clicked Undo, the Redo button becomes active . Click Redo to restore your
changes (or use the shortcut Ctrl+Y). After you’ve restored all changes by repeated clicking
of the Redo button, it will be dimmed again as shown in the figure.
6. Click the Back button to return to the Vehicle: Assembly screen. This button is similar
to the Back button in a web browser. When you go to a dataset by clicking on a blue
hyperlink (e.g., to get from the Vehicle: Assembly screen to the Vehicle Sprung Mass
screen), you can return to the previously viewed screen using the Back button.
Click the Back button again, to return to the Run Control screen, viewing the Run Control
dataset named Baseline.
7. Click the Duplicate button (Figure 54) to copy this dataset. When prompted, enter a new
name: Modified Vehicle #1 and click the Duplicate button. Note that the Video and Plot
buttons are dimmed; this is because the simulation has not been made yet.

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1 4

Figure 54. Run Control Screen for Modified Vehicle #1.

8. Click on the drop-down control adjacent to the blue link for the vehicle . CarSim shows a
menu of all of the datasets in the linked library (the Vehicle: Assembly library). Choose the
vehicle from the Category Modification #1 .
9. Make a few cosmetic changes to identify this simulation run:
a. Change the run color to red to identify the modified vehicle in animations.
b. Edit the Notes text to describe what’s different about this run.
10. Click the Run Math Model button to run the simulation with the new vehicle.
11. Click the Video button to view the results (Figure 55). Right-click and drag horizontally to
see the side view of the vehicle, and confirm that the changes made to the wheel locations
relative to the sprung mass took effect. Close VS Visualizer.

Figure 55. Animation of the vehicle lifted at the rear.

12. Compare the motions of the modified vehicle to those of the original.

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a. Check the box Overlay videos and plots with other runs (Figure 56).

1
2

4 5

Figure 56. Controls for overlaying simulation results from multiple runs.
b. Use the drop-down control to choose the run named Baseline .
c. Click the Video + Plot button to view the simulation results from the two tests. Raising
the sprung mass might be expected to result in higher roll angles during this maneuver.
Zoom in on the plot for roll angle to confirm this (Figure 57).

Figure 57. Effect of raising the sprung mass on vehicle roll during the double lane change.
When finished, close VS Visualizer.
13. Compare the text Echo files for the two runs.
a. If necessary, use the drop-down control (Figure 56) to select Echo file with initial
conditions.
b. Click the View button to view the Echo file generated for the lifted vehicle with the
ConTEXT text editor installed with CarSim.
c. With the text editor showing the Echo file, find the CarSim window (it might be behind
the text editor window).

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d. Click on the blue link for Baseline. You should now be viewing the Run Control
dataset for this original run.
e. Select Echo file with initial conditions and click the adjacent the View button. The text
editor should show the Baseline Echo file, with a tab to access the other file (Figure 58).

Figure 58. Using the ConTEXT text editor to view Echo files.
f. Select the Tools menu item Compare. This brings up a dialog box (Figure 59). Use the
controls to set each file name to the two files that are open ( and ). Click the
Compare button .

Figure 59. Setting ConTEXT to compare two files.

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Note The folders with the output files from a VS Solver are written to a
folder with a machine-generated name made using a universal unique
identifier (UUID) hexadecimal number that matches the name of the
Parsfile for the Run Control dataset. When looking at these folder
names, you only need to pay attention to the first few characters of the
UUID. For example, the two Echo files shown in Figure 58 and Figure
59 are in folders whose names begin with “Run_a3…” and
“Run_d0…”.
The folder whose name begins with Run_d0 was installed from the
CPAR and should appear in your version. The other folder will have a
UUID generated when you duplicated the Run Control dataset, and,
because it is unique, it will not match the number shown in the figures.

When you click the Compare button, ConTEXT displays a comparison window with
differences in the files highlighted in yellow (Figure 60).

Figure 60. Comparison of two Echo files.

g. Use the Next and Previous arrow buttons to jump to the differences in the files. You
should see that only a few lines differ. You should see a difference in the CG height for
the entire vehicle (the description includes the notation CALC indicating that the value
was calculated from other properties). Figure 60 shows the lines for heights of the rear
wheel centers that were changed from 325 mm to 100 mm.
Close the ConTEXT (text editor) windows when you are through.

Review You have now made three runs in the new Quick Start database: the
original baseline, a run with the original vehicle but at a higher test

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speed of 150 km/h, and a modified vehicle, running at the original 120
km/h.
You viewed the differences in vehicle behavior with the aid of
animation and by comparing plots of vehicle response variables such
as roll angle.
You used the ConTEXT text editor to compare the full datasets
associated with the simulations and confirmed that only two input
parameters were different. You might also have seen differences in
calculated properties and initial conditions that were affected by those
two parameters.

Navigate the CarSim Database

The full description of a simulated test combines datasets for a vehicle, controls, road conditions,
etc. (Figure 61). The vehicle dataset in turn combines data from parts such as the sprung mass,
tires, powertrain, etc.

Figure 61. Simulation runs are assembled from Datasets selected from Libraries.
Building a vehicle is done in the software by linking to subsystems and parts from the database.
Conceptually, this is similar to building a physical vehicle from existing systems and parts such
as tires, powertrain, suspensions, etc. Just as the same type of tire might be used on all four
wheels of a physical vehicle, the same tire dataset can be used for all four wheel positions of the
simulated vehicle.

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In the previous section, you navigated between three screens and compared the text files
generated for the simulation run named Baseline and the one named Modified Vehicle #1. In this
section, you will learn about more navigation tools to quickly view any vehicle components of
interest that are used in a simulated test.
You should currently be viewing the Run Control screen for the original Baseline simulation
(Figure 62). So far, you have navigated by clicking on blue data links and by using the Back
button . CarSim has other tools for navigating.

2 1

3 4 5 6 7

Figure 62. CarSim navigation buttons.

1. The Datasets menu shows all datasets in a library (Figure 63). In this case, the Run
Control library now has three datasets. Select My New Test to bring the dataset in view.
Return to the Baseline by using the Back button .

3 4 5 6 7

Figure 63. The Datasets menu shows all datasets in a library.

2. The five buttons at the far left of the button bar all involve navigation. Right-click on each to
see the tool tip.
a. The Forward button undoes the most recent Back action. To test this, click Back
and then click Forward to return to the view shown in Figure 62.
b. Click Previous to change datasets in the Run Control library, and then click Next
to return.
c. Click on the vehicle blue data link to view data in a different library (Vehicle:
Assembly), and then click Home to return to the Run Control library.
3. The Go To menu (Figure 64) has commands that duplicate the functions of the Back,
Forward, Previous, and Next buttons. Most commands have keyboard shortcuts for the
commands involving the PgUp and PgDown keys that you can use to quickly view recent
datasets. The menu also has a submenu showing the recently viewed datasets . For
example, a vehicle sprung mass dataset should be on the menu; select it. After confirming
that the view has changed, return by clicking the Home button .

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2 9 1

10
3 4 5

Figure 64. The Go To Menu contains navigation controls.

4. The Libraries menu lists all libraries in CarSim (over 200). If you select one, it goes to that
library and shows the most recently viewed dataset. The first one is Home: CarSim Run
Control, also selectable with a keyword shortcut of Ctrl+H.
5. The lower part of the sidebar contains a linked data viewer that typically shows the most
recently viewed dataset from the Home: CarSim Run Control library and all of the data
links that are used for that dataset (Figure 65). The area used by the viewer is adjustable.

5
2

4
6

Figure 65. The CarSim Run Control screen with the Linked Data sidebar.
a. Adjust the split between the notes and the link viewer with the horizontal double line
(click and drag vertically).
b. Adjust the width of the sidebar with the vertical double line between the sidebar and
dataset part of the window .
Figure 65 uses red marks to show the connection between the CarSim Run Control dataset
name and the first item in the viewer . Blue marks show the connection between the
vehicle link and the name of the dataset in the viewer .
The dataset that is currently in view is shown in bold in the link viewer. In this case, it is
CarSim Run Control: Baseline .
6. Click on the blue link button for the vehicle assembly to go to that dataset (Figure 66,
shown with the dataset unlocked to make some of the items easier to read). Notice that the

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Linked Data display now has the third line highlighted in bold , indicating that the
Vehicle: Assembly screen is in view .

3 5

Figure 66. The Vehicle: Assembly screen.

Datasets that have links to other datasets have a control to expand (+) or collapse (-) the
view. Click on the (+) control for the Vehicle: Assembly to view all of the links used for
this dataset.
If there is not enough room to read a full dataset name in the viewer, hover the mouse over
the name and the full name will pop up, as shown in Figure 66 for the rear suspension
link.
7. Notice that the map in the sidebar shows four tire dataset links, as would be expected for a
four-wheeled vehicle ( and ). However, the Vehicle: Assembly screen has only a
single link to a tire dataset . The tire dataset is used four times in different locations, as
specified with the drop-down control .
The database design in CarSim lets you build the virtual vehicle with “parts” represented by
datasets. The same dataset can be used repeatedly in different contexts. Click on the blue
link for the tire to view the tire dataset (Figure 67, also shown unlocked).

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Figure 67. The tire dataset is used four times.

8. Notice that the linked dataset viewer shows all four references to this tire dataset in bold
( and ), confirming that it is used four times in the simulation.
The linked dataset viewer not only shows information, but also provides quick access to any
visible dataset. Double click on the name of a dataset to bring it into view. For example,
double-click on the CarSim Run Control item to bring it into view again.

Review You have seen the major tools in CarSim for navigating through the
database. The Datasets menu lists all of the datasets in the current
library; the Libraries menu lists all of libraries in CarSim; the Go To
menu has commands allowing you to browse to different libraries or
datasets; buttons in the upper-left part of the window offer one-click
alternatives to the menus.
The linked dataset viewer in the bottom part of the sidebar shows a
map of all datasets connected to a Run Control dataset; double-click
on any one of them to quickly view the dataset of interest.

Create a Vehicle with Shared Datasets

At the start of this chapter, you duplicated all datasets that contributed to the description of the
baseline vehicle. You then modified two parameters in a sprung mass dataset. In this section, you
will make a third vehicle with two more modified parameters. Because only minor changes will
be made, you will use a much more efficient method to create the new vehicle description.
You should now be viewing the CarSim Run Control dataset named Baseline.

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1. Use the Datasets menu to go to the dataset named Modified Vehicle #1.
2. Click the Duplicate button and set the name of the new dataset to Modified Vehicle
#2. (This name should be generated automatically, given that the name of the dataset being
duplicated was Modified Vehicle #1.)
3. Click on the drop-down control adjacent to the blue link for the vehicle (Figure 68). This
time, choose the first item on the menu: [Copy and Link Dataset] .

1
2

Figure 68. Run Control dataset for Modified Vehicle #2.

You will be prompted to give a name for the new dataset (Figure 69). Change the Category
name to Modification #2 ), define the dataset title as Modified Vehicle #2
, and click the button Copy and Link .

Figure 69. Copy and Link to make a new Vehicle: Assembly dataset.
4. Click the blue link for the new vehicle dataset (Figure 68) that you just created (Figure
69) to bring the Vehicle: Assembly screen into view (Figure 70).

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Figure 70. Copy and Link to make a new Vehicle Sprung Mass dataset.
5. Click on the drop-down control adjacent to the blue link for the vehicle (Rigid) sprung mass
and choose the first item on the menu: [Copy and Link Dataset]. When prompted, set
the Category to Modification #2 and the title to Modified Sprung Mass #2,
and click the Copy and Link button to finish. You should see the name of the linked sprung
mass dataset change to match the name you entered: Modified Sprung Mass #2.
6. Click the blue link for the sprung mass dataset to bring it into view (Figure 71).

4
1 2

Figure 71. Edit Modified Sprung Mass #2.

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7. Edit the wheel center heights for the front wheels to 100 to match the rear wheels .
8. The linked dataset viewer shows the datasets referenced for the Run Control dataset named
Modified Vehicle #2 . It shows that the Vehicle: Assembly dataset associated with this
run is also named Modified Vehicle #2 . Click the ‘+’ button preceding the vehicle
dataset to expand the view to show all datasets linked to the Vehicle: Assembly screen. The
Sprung Mass dataset currently in view should appear in bold . (If not, click the viewer
Refresh button .)
In this section of the Quick Start Guide, you have created three new datasets: the new run
, the new vehicle assembly , and the new sprung mass . All other properties of the
vehicle are represented with the same datasets that are shared with the modified duplicate
vehicle, Modified Vehicle #1, that was created in the previous section.
Go to the Run Control dataset by double-clicking its name in the dataset viewer .
9. Run the simulation by clicking the Run Math Model button.
10. Change the run color to green and then click the Video button to compare the modified
vehicle to the baseline (Figure 72). VS Visualizer should show that the green vehicle is lifted
at both axles. Close VS Visualizer when you are done.

Figure 72. View of vehicle lifted at both axles (green) overlaid with the baseline (blue).
11. Update the notes for this run to describe the change made to the vehicle (Figure 73).

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Figure 73. Update the notes for the second modification.

Review You have created a second vehicle variant named Modified Vehicle #2.
In this case, you only created three new datasets: (1) a new Run
Control dataset with a link to a new Vehicle: Assembly dataset; (2)
the new Vehicle: Assembly dataset with a link to a new Vehicle
Sprung Mass dataset, and (3) the new Vehicle Sprung Mass dataset
with all four wheel centers set to a height of 100 mm.
You created the new Vehicle: Assembly and Vehicle Sprung Mass
datasets by using the Copy and Link command that is available with
all blue links.

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4. Manage Data
CarSim keeps vehicle and simulation data organized into libraries of dataset files. In the previous
chapters, you have worked mainly in a small database that you created following the instructions
in this guide. You created new datasets by copying existing ones and making small modifications.
In this chapter, you will look at some more kinds of data in CarSim. You will start by creating a
new dataset from scratch. You will see how to copy datasets from one database to another,
working with more examples from the database installed with CarSim. You will then explore the
CarSim database to see the types of vehicles and test maneuvers that are available as examples.

Make a New Plot Dataset

So far, you have looked at nine plots that were already associated with the double lane change
procedure. The CarSim model calculates hundreds or even thousands of variables that can be
plotted. (For the example runs you made in the previous chapter, the simulations produced time
histories for about 750 variables.) In this section, you will see how to plot any of them. For the
example, we will use the suspension jounce at all four wheels.
Start with the Modified Vehicle #2 dataset from the Run Control screen (Figure 74).

1
2 3

4
5

Figure 74. Choose Link to New Dataset for a plot.

Note The CarSim Math Models can produce hundreds or even thousands of
output variables for each simulation. It is possible to make new runs with
only subsets of the available variables, saving both file space and time

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during post-processing. For the purpose of this tutorial, the checkbox

Write all outputs is checked to ensure that all available output
variables are written and can therefore be plotted.

1. Use the drop-down control to show more plots (Figure 74) and choose 1. This will cause
CarSim to display a potential blue link to a plot description . Until this is linked to a
dataset, it is shown gray with a dimmed title: {No dataset selected}.
2. Check the box Only these plots .
3. Click on the drop-down control adjacent to the plot link . Choose the second item on the
menu: [Link to New Dataset]. You will be prompted to give a name for the new dataset
(Figure 75). For now, leave the default category and title alone (accept the default names)
and click the button Create . The link is now blue and shows the title for the newly
created dataset (Figure 76).

Figure 75. Create and Link to a new plot dataset.

Figure 76. Blue link for new empty plot dataset.

4. Click the blue link for the new plot dataset to bring it into view (Figure 77). As can be
seen in the figure, the field for specifying variables to plot is empty .
5. Click on the drop-down control adjacent to the unused data link for an example run .A
menu is shown that includes all of the simulation runs in this database (these are Run
Control datasets; there should now be four). Choose any one, e.g., Baseline.

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3
1

Figure 77. Dataset for new plot (initially empty).

When you select the Run Control dataset, CarSim will jump to the Run Control screen for
an instant and then return to the Plot: Setup screen. Figure 78 shows the new appearance,
after a few more changes are made that are described below. The blue link appears for the
selected dataset and information is shown below to help browse for variables names.

2
3

4 5
1 9
6

Figure 78. Browse to select variables to plot.

When you made the link to the existing run, CarSim sent all of the data used to set up the
run to the VS Solver, which quickly generated a file with the names of all variables that
could possibly be written to the output file for plotting and animation. The name of the file
that was just generated is shown in the adjacent yellow field and the text underneath
indicates that there are 753 output variables in addition to the recording time that may be
used to define plots.
Drop-down controls ( and ) are available to show subsets of the variables. Initially,
both are set to the option Show all variables , and all 753 variables are listed in
alphabetical order after the variable for recorded time. For this example, you will define

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four plots where time is designated for the X axis, and suspension jounce variables are
plotted on the Y axis.
6. For the Y axis, choose the option Select by type of component (Figure 79). In response,
CarSim shows a list of component types underneath (Figure 78).

Figure 79. Options for listing subsets of the output variables.

7. In the list of component types for the Y axis, select Suspensions . In response, CarSim
shows all suspension variables in alphabetical order .
8. Right-click on any variable to view additional information. For example, Figure 78 shows
pop-up information about the variable Jnc_R2 .
9. For this example, all four new plots will have Time as the variable for the X Axis. Add pairs
of variables to the list of Plot variables by double clicking on names in the Y-Axis list of
variables. Locate the Jounce variables (use the mouse to scroll, or type ‘j’ to highlight the
first variable that begins with that letter).
For this example, locate and double-click on the variables named: Jnc_L1, Jnc_L2,
Jnc_R1, and Jnc_R2 to move the names into the yellow field .

Note The browser information is not used by VS Visualizer; it exists only to

help you make new Plot: Setup datasets. For this example, the only
information that will be used by VS Visualizer to generate plots is the list
of variable pairs from the yellow field . As with any yellow field, you
could also have typed directly into it or pasted text from the clipboard.

10. Now that we have chosen variables to plot, we can use a better name for this dataset than the
default. Use the CarSim menu item Edit > Change Title or Category of This Dataset (or
press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+T) to change the title. This brings up two yellow fields and
a drop-down control at the top of the screen to set the dataset title and category (Figure 80).
Set the title to Suspension Jounce and then click the Set button . Confirm that
the title of the Plot: Setup dataset has the name you just specified.
11. Click the Back button or Home button to return to the CarSim Run Control screen, where
you should be viewing the dataset named Modified Vehicle #2 (Figure 81).

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1
2

Figure 80. Change the title of the new plot dataset.

Figure 81. The link to the Plot: Setup screen shows the new title.

Note It would have been more efficient to specify the title “Suspension
Jounce” when the new Plot dataset was created in step 3. The extra step
of renaming the dataset was included here to show how easy it is to
change the names of existing datasets.

12. Click the Video + Plot button. Because the Run Control screen had been set up to show
overlay plots and animations, you should see jounce variables from the original vehicle and
the variant called Modified Vehicle #2 (Figure 82). Two things these plots show are:
a. The jounce variables from the modified vehicle cover a wider range. This is to be
expected because the modified vehicle experienced a larger range of motion in roll.
b. The jounce variables start at zero for all wheels for both vehicles. The heights of the
wheel centers shown on the sprung mass screen define the relationships between the
wheel-center height and the sprung mass in the design configuration, which is usually
where jounce is defined as zero. Even though the variant (Modified Vehicle #2) is
lifted, the assumption is that this is the design configuration, so the initial jounce is zero
by definition.
After viewing, close VS Visualizer.

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Figure 82. Newly defined plot for suspension jounce at each wheel.

Review You created a new Plot: Setup dataset. CarSim scanned an existing
output file to show all of the variables available for plotting, and you
picked four of them. Although CarSim comes with over 200 plot
datasets, you will inevitably want to create new plots for your own
project applications using the same steps you have taken here. You
also changed the name of a plot dataset and saw that the link to it on
the Run Control screen was automatically updated to show the new
name.

Add a Plot to a Procedure Dataset

In the previous section, you created a new plot for one of the simulation examples in your
database. In this section you will modify the Procedure dataset so your new plot will be used for
all runs made with the example double lane change procedure.
Start from the Run Control screen, viewing the Modified Vehicle #2 dataset (Figure 83).

1
2

Figure 83. Change the number of “More plots” to zero.

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1. Change the More plots control back to zero .

2. Click on the blue link for the Procedure to view the Procedure dataset for the double
lane change (Figure 84, shown unlocked).

Figure 84. Add a plot definition to the dataset for the double lane change procedure.
This screen has driver controls, simulation start and stop conditions, road and potentially
other environmental settings, as well as plot definitions associated with the procedure.
Notice that the speed of 120 km/h used in the baseline procedure is set here .
3. Unlock the dataset, then click the drop-down control adjacent to an unused data link for a
plot to view a menu of available plot datasets. Choose the dataset you created:
Suspension Jounce . The link should be blue after you make this selection.
4. Return to the Home screen.
5. Navigate from the run named Modified Vehicle #2 to the run named Baseline (use the
Datasets menu).
6. Click the Plot button. You should see one more plot than has been available on previous
occasions where you viewed plots for this run (Figure 85). View the Suspension Jounce plot
to confirm that it shows the four jounce variables. After viewing, close VS Visualizer.

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Figure 85. Confirm that the new Suspension Jounce plot is now associated with this procedure.

Copy Data from One Database to Another

Your Quick Start database started with nine plot datasets and you added one more. The database
installed with CarSim has hundreds of plot datasets. You don’t have to create new datasets if they
already exist in the larger database — you can copy them.
1. Show the CarSim File menu (Figure 86). Near the bottom is a submenu named Recent
Databases. It will show your Quick Start database name dimmed, followed by any other
databases that have been used recently with the current version of CarSim. Select the
database that was installed with CarSim (e.g., CarSim_Data).

Note The default name of the database installed with CarSim is

CarSim[version]_Data, where [version] is the version number (e.g.,
2017). Of course, the default name and location are just suggestions
shown when running the installer; the actual name of the example
database is whatever you or the person installing the software specified
at the time.

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Figure 86. Select a recent database.

2. CarSim will show a dialog box with options to open a new window for the second database,
or to use the same window (Figure 87). Click the Additional Window button.

Figure 87. Option to open a new database window.

3. You should now have two CarSim windows open (Figure 88). They can be distinguished by
the window titles, which always begin with the database name.
The database names also appear in CarSim icons in the Window taskbar (at the bottom of
the screen) or when using Windows Alt+Tab to switch between tasks (Figure 89).
4. For now, minimize the CarSim window for your Quick Start database (Figure 90).

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Figure 88. Two CarSim windows for two different databases.

Figure 89. CarSim images in the task switcher specify the associated database names.

Figure 90. Minimize the CarSim window for your Quick Start database.
5. Click the Lib Tool button in the remaining CarSim window (this should be the window for
the main database that was installed with CarSim, Figure 91).

Figure 91. Click the Lib Tool button.

6. This brings up the Library Tool window (Figure 92). Press the Library selector control
to browse to the Plot: Setup library. There are too many libraries in CarSim to show in a
simple drop-down list, so a scrollable list is shown (Figure 93). Scroll as needed and select
the library named Plot: Setup , then click the OK button .

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Figure 92. The Library Tool window (initial appearance).

Figure 93. Select the Plot: Setup library.

7. The Library Tool window is now set up to show datasets from the Plot: Setup library
(Figure 94). Categories of Plot: Setup datasets are shown . Initially, datasets in one of the
categories are listed in the Datasets box and the Selected Datasets box is empty.
a. Click the Add whole library button . This moves all datasets in the currently
selected library to the Selected Datasets field , as shown in Figure 94.
b. Click the button Export to Consolidated Parsfile . CarSim will prompt you to
choose a location for the file and to give it a name (Figure 95). Be sure that the location
you choose is somewhere on your computer where you have read and write access.

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1
3

6
7

Figure 94. The Library Tool window, showing datasets from the Plot: Setup library.

Figure 95. Specify the name and location for the exported CPAR file.
CarSim will provide a default name that you can use or change as you see fit. Click
the Save button to export the data .
CarSim will show a progress window for a few seconds and then a Result window
when the export is complete.
c. Click the Close button for the Library Tool window (Figure 94).

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8. Minimize the CarSim window for the full database (e.g., CarSim_Data).
9. Use the Windows task bar or type Alt+Tab as needed to bring the CarSim window into view
that is associated with your Quick Start database (see Figure 89, page 60).
10. Select the File menu item Import Parsfile (Any Export Type) (see Figure 86, page 59).
CarSim will prompt you to specify a file with a file browser; select the CPAR file you
created in step 7.
CarSim will prompt you to choose options for datasets that might be duplicated. Figure 96
shows the default settings, which are good for this example. Click the OK button.

Figure 96. Specify Do not overwrite and Preview Results.

With these settings, CarSim scans the CPAR file you selected and shows a report in tabular
form (Figure 97). The first column in the table gives the Import Action: Skip or Import. In
this example, a few datasets will be skipped because they are already in the database. All
others will be imported.

Figure 97. Preview of files, showing which will be imported and which will be skipped.

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Click the OK button to proceed. CarSim will spend a few seconds to import the datasets
and integrate them into the database, and then show a summary of the actions that were
taken (Figure 98). Click the OK button on this dialog box.

Figure 98. Summary shown when import has completed.

11. Go to the Procedures dataset (click on the blue link from the Run Control screen).
12. Click the drop-down control adjacent to an unused plot link (Figure 99) to see all of the
plot datasets that have been imported. Choose one (e.g., Springs Compression , from the
Category submenu Suspension Motions ).

Figure 99. Choose from among the many plot datasets that were imported.
13. Return to the Home screen and click the Plot button to view the new plots. There should be
a plot showing time histories of the four spring compressions (or variables specified by
whatever plot setups you added in step 12).
Close VS Visualizer when you are done.

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Review You now have two CarSim windows available, each showing a
separate database. You have seen how to transfer data from one to the
other.

Configurable Functions
Many of the CarSim Math Model equations involve algebraic relationships used to calculate a
variable from values of one or two other variables in the model. These relationships are
represented with Configurable Functions that can be set to use various calculation methods such
as table lookup, linear coefficients, or constants. About half of the calculations performed in a
simulation run involve these configurable functions.
1. On the Run Control screen, go to the Quick Start Guide Baseline example.
2. Click on the Procedure blue link to view the Procedures dataset (Figure 100).

Figure 100. The Procedure screen has a link to a Steering: Driver path follower dataset.
3. Click on the blue link for a Steering: Driver Path Follower dataset named Double Lane
Change (Quick Start) . This will bring the path follower dataset into view (Figure 101).
This screen shows a Configurable Function in which a lateral offset is calculated as a
function of station (longitudinal distance along a path). This information is given in several
places: axis labels for a graphic plot ; the caption above the table of numbers ; and text
under the plot that gives information about identifying data for the function in Echo files .
The dataset shown in the figure specifies that the dependent variable (Lateral offset) will be
calculated from a table of numbers using spline interpolation with flat-line extrapolation
. A plot shows the relationship between the two variables .

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2 3

Figure 101. The target path for the driver model is defined by a table of numbers.
4. Unlock the dataset. Click the drop-down control that specifies the function type to see
the available function types. Change the function type to Constant to see how the screen
changes. Repeat for each of the other types.
When you are through viewing the function type options, click the Undo button
repeatedly until it is dimmed, indicating that the dataset has been restored to its original
state. Re-lock the dataset.
5. Use the Libraries menu ( , Figure 102) to go to the Powertrain: Engine library . This
name is part of the submenu Powertrain .
The Powertrain: Engine screen (Figure 103) shows a configurable function in which an
output (engine torque) is calculated from two known variables (engine speed and throttle
position). In this case, the calculation method is specified as 2D linear interpolation and
extrapolation . Multiple plots are shown and the table includes multiple columns, each
associated with a different throttle position . To help adjust the view for the table, a
vertical splitter control can be moved horizontally.
6. Click the View 3D Map button at the bottom of the screen for a 3D view of the data
(Figure 104). Use the left mouse button to rotate the view; use Ctrl plus the mouse to zoom.
Exit the viewer (Alt+F4 or close the window) when you are done.

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Figure 102. Navigate with the Libraries menu to the Powertrain: Engine library.

1
4
2
3

Figure 103. Engine torque is calculated from two variables.

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Figure 104. 3D view of engine torque map.

Review Many of the datasets in CarSim involve configurable functions that

define how one variable is calculated from one or two other variables
in the CarSim Math Model. As you gain experience with CarSim,
please look in the VS Browser (GUI and Database) manual (in the
Reference Manuals part of the Help menu) for information about
these functions and the controls used to configure them.

Tools to Search the Database

In the previous chapter, you used controls in CarSim for navigating through the datasets that were
used in a single simulation. The approach is mainly top-down, starting from the Run Control
dataset, then considering the vehicle and procedure, then the dataset used to build each.
CarSim also has some powerful tools for searching the database.
1. Bring the CarSim windows for the full installed database into view using the Windows task
bar or type Alt+Tab. Use the Libraries menu and choose the Procedures library to view a
dataset from that library (Libraries > Procedures > Procedures, Figure 105).

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Figure 105. Use the Libraries menu to view the Procedures screen.
2. Once viewing a dataset in the Procedures library, use the Datasets menu to view an ADAS
example, e.g., Datasets > ADAS Examples > Lane Departure, Lane Edges from
Lat_Veh (Figure 106).

Figure 106. Use the Datasets menu to view an ADAS example.

3. View the Tools menu (Figure 107). This menu has access to miscellaneous tools
involving the database. One is a Find function , handy for locating datasets that might
have specific text within their title or notes.
Another search tool is provided with the menu option Find All References to This Dataset
. CarSim will search the current database for all datasets that link to the dataset currently
in view. To see this, choose this option. CarSim will search the database and show the
results in a new window named Dataset References (Figure 108).

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Figure 107. Tools menu command to find all references to a dataset.

Figure 108. References to the Procedure dataset involving traffic and sensors.
In this example, there were three datasets in the Run Control library that each has a link to
this Procedure dataset. Double-click on a dataset name to view that dataset, e.g., the last one
.

Note The Dataset References window remains visible until you manually
close it. It is sometimes convenient to keep the window in view when
multiple datasets are displayed; this allows quick access to any of them.

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4. After CarSim brings the Run Control screen into view, click the Close button on the
Dataset References window.
5. Click the Video button on the Run Control screen to view the simulation results for this run
(Figure 109). This shows visible regions of detection for on-board sensors, as well as vectors
connecting sensors to targets. The animated fields and vectors allow you to visualize the
sensor detections.

Figure 109. Example simulation with traffic and sensors.

Close VS Visualizer when you are done.

Note This example makes use of an optional CarSim Sensors feature. If you
have a license for this feature, then you can make new runs using the
Sensor datasets. If not, you can still view existing simulation results.

Browse the Installed Database

You began this tour of CarSim in Chapter 2 by learning to use VS Visualizer to view results for
the double lane change in the database installed with CarSim. Now that you have more
experience using the visualization tools and the navigation tools, you should look through the
CarSim database to learn about the types of simulated testing that can be done.
1. If it is not in view, go to the CarSim Run Control screen by clicking the Home button or
typing Ctrl+H.

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2. Browse through the simulation runs using the Datasets menu and/or the buttons and PgUp
and PgDown keys. Use the Video and Plot buttons to view existing results for simulation
conditions that you find interesting.
3. Alternatively, you can browse through the vehicle libraries to find vehicles of interest and
then use the menu command Tools > Find All References to This Dataset to locate runs
involving that vehicle, just as you did in the previous section. You might also browse
through the Procedures library to find test scenarios of interest and then use the Tools menu
to locate runs involving the test of interest, as you just did with the ADAS example.

Review You have almost completed the hands-on part of this guide for using
the software. The concluding chapter has just a little more, this time
involving more documentation that is included in CarSim.

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5. Learn More About CarSim
Now that you have finished the hands-on introduction, you are in a better position to explore
more CarSim features.

CarSim Help System

During the tutorial in Chapter 2, you right-clicked buttons for tool tips. You also used the Help
button to see information about the currently displayed data screen.
You will see that much more information is available via the Help menu. It provides reference
information for all menus, controls, and screens (Figure 110). There are also technical memos
that show by example some of the more advanced features in CarSim.

Indexed search Information about

of all PDF files the current screen

Table of contents
for all screens

Information about
all screens

Guides and Tutorials

Reference manuals Math model details

Tech memos

Figure 110. Information available from the Help menu and View button.
All of the documentation has been indexed to provide a rapid search capability. The second item
on the Help menu is Search Help. Select this item to bring up a search window (Figure 111)
from your installed PDF browser (typically Adobe Reader). In the figure, the window confirms
that the index file was set automatically to CarSim_Help.pdx . Enter a word or phrase as
search criteria (e.g., tire models ). Click the Search button to bring up all occurrences
of the phrase (Figure 112), and click on any of the results to view that occurrence in your PDF
reader.

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Figure 111. The Search window for PDF files (access with the Help menu item Search Help).

Figure 112. Results of search for a phrase in the CarSim documentation.

Close the PDF viewer when you are done.

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Chapter 5 Learn More About CarSim

Math Model Documentation

On the CarSim Run Control screen, you used the View button (Figure 113) in the lower-
right corner to see the Echo files that are produced by the VS Solver programs whenever a run is
made. This control provides access to a number of other machine-generated documents that
describe technical details about the CarSim Math Models.

1
2

Figure 113. View button in the lower-right corner of the CarSim Run Control screen.
1. Use the drop-down list to select the item Outputs from math model (text) , then
click View to see the text file in the editor (Figure 114). The variables are listed in
alphabetical order, based on the unique short names used to identify each variable.
2. Use the search feature in the text editor to search for “Jnc_”. (Use the Edit menu item Find
or type Ctrl-F to bring up the search dialog box.) You should find the variables that you
located in the CarSim Plot: Setup screen to create a new custom plot (Chapter 4).
Close the text editor when you’re done.
3. If you have Excel or another spreadsheet program on your computer, use the drop-down list
next to the View button (Figure 113) to select the item Outputs from math model
(Excel), then click View . The same information shown before in a text file is now shown
in a spreadsheet. The original sequence is in alphabetical order, as with the text version.
However, the spreadsheet includes other labels such as component, units, and type, and can
be sorted using any of those alternate labels.

Note Depending on your spreadsheet product and version, you might receive a
warning about the file format. The machine-generated file is a tabbed
text file with extension .xls. It opens OK even if there is a warning.

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Figure 114. Text file listing all output variables available from a CarSim Math Model.

Figure 115. Spreadsheet showing output variables available from a CarSim Math Model.

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For example, Figure 115 shows the names of the output variables sorted by component. The
figure shows how all variables related to suspension are grouped together, making it easier
to find the names of all suspension-related variables available for plotting.
Close the spreadsheet when you are done.
4. Use the drop-down list (Figure 113) to select the item State variables in math model
(text) , and then click View . This brings up a description of the CarSim Math Model,
listing all state variables.
When you are through viewing the text files, close the text editor.

The Mechanical Simulation Web Site

If you have Internet access, try the web link near the bottom of the Help menu: Check Web Site
for Updates. This will take you to the Users section of the Mechanical Simulation web site
www.carsim.com. If you have not visited this part of the site before, you will be prompted for
a password (Figure 116).

Figure 116. Login to the User section of the web site.

CarSim will automatically enter the key ID, so you just have to enter your email address.

Note Your email is used on the web site only as a password: it is not saved or
recorded.

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Chapter 5 Learn More About CarSim

It will only work if it is listed in the Mechanical Simulation license

database with your other license information. If it doesn’t work, contact
Mechanical Simulation by sending an email to
[email protected] with your key ID and contact information.
This email address is initially set for the person who purchased the
software.

Once logged in, you will see a user section with backup copies of the software, updates, bug
reports, fixes, and other resources that are added as part of normal maintenance.

What to Read Next

Now that you have learned the basics of using CarSim, there are a few more documents that we
recommend reading as soon as you have time:
1. The VS Browser (GUI and Database) manual (in the Reference Manuals submenu of
the Help menu) gives reference information for the CarSim menus, GUI controls, and the
database.

Note The VehicleSim (VS) simulation architecture is used in the products

BikeSim, CarSim, SuspensionSim, and TruckSim. The products share
some of the documentation, and in these cases, the documents use the
more generic VS name.

2. If you will be working with Simulink, you should read the tech memo Running a VS
Math Model in Simulink.
3. The VS Solver Programs manual (in the Reference Manuals submenu of the Help
menu) gives reference information about the solver programs such as input files, output
files, and basic format rules.
4. Details about the vehicle model are covered in Help documents linked to the relevant data
screens. Depending on your interest and expertise, you can read the documentation
concerning the parts of the vehicle that are of greatest interest to you.
Another option for quickly learning about CarSim and its more advanced features is to take a
training course from Mechanical Simulation. This is highly recommended if you are new to
CarSim. The classes expand upon the material learned in this manual by introducing new
examples and teaching many tips for using the software. Please see www.carsim.com for
details. For example, see www.carsim.com/events/ for upcoming webcasts, or subscribe
to our free newsletter at www.carsim.com/forms/newsletter.php.

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Mechanical Simulation
755 Phoenix Drive, Ann Arbor MI, 48108, USA
Phone: 734 668-2930 • Fax: 734 668-2877 • Email: [email protected]
carsim.com