Effect of changes in visual complexity on runtime performance of Simscape Multibody

Will changes in the visual complexity of a rigid body within the model effect the runtime performance of Simscape Multibody considering all other factors (such as components and joints) are maintained the same?

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

In Simscape Multibody, the visualization and simulation run on separate process threads. Therefore the simulation speed (the actual computations for each time step) should not be affected by the visual complexity of the model. Although, increased visual complexity could cause the visualizations displayed in Mechanics Explorer to jump frames and appear choppy because each frame is taking too long to render.

Please also note that specific options selected under the "File Solid/Inertia section" such as "Calculate from Geometry" could lead to a slightly longer time to compile but will not affect run-time performance.