degrees of freedom (DOF)

Degrees of freedom (DOF) are the set of independent displacements and rotations that specify completely the displaced or deformed position and orientation of the body or system.

• Constraint degrees of freedom are labeled with respect to the coordinate system. Refer to these tables and examples to learn how to interpret the labels:

  • Rectangular coordinate system DOF labels

  • Cylindrical coordinate system DOF labels

• Degree-of-freedom symbols are displayed on the model when you define a constraint. To learn how to interpret these symbols, see the help topic, Constraint symbols.

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