An object-oriented approach to multibody systems analysis

This paper describes the design of a multibody systems analysis program that implements the principles of object-oriented programming to simplify the architecture of the code. A minimum coordinate set approach is used to generate the equations of motion. The principal features of the program include a unified treatment of rigid, flexible, and generic bodies, and the use of a single algorithm for both open-loop and closed-loop systems. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.