Jack 8.0.

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Release Notes and Installation Guide

Copyright © 2013 Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All rights
reserved.

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Copyright
Copyright Notice and Terms of Use

Copyright © 2013 Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All rights
reserved.

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Manufacturer is Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc., 10824 Hope Street Cypress, California USA
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Contents
Copyright ........................................................................................................................................ 2
Release Summary............................................................................................................................ 4
Important Announcements .............................................................................................................. 4
New Features Overview .................................................................................................................. 5
The Human Control Panel .......................................................................................................... 5
Auto-Grasp .............................................................................................................................. 5
Braced Posturing ..................................................................................................................... 6
The Task Simulation Builder (TSB) ........................................................................................... 6
Cumulative Low Back Loading .............................................................................................. 7
Collision Detection ..................................................................................................................... 7
Modules Auto-Load .................................................................................................................... 7
Microsoft Kinect for Windows Support ..................................................................................... 8
Partial Body Tracking (Motion Capture Toolkit) ....................................................................... 8
Trial and Student Versions.............................................................................................................. 8
PRs and fixes................................................................................................................................... 9
Jack ............................................................................................................................................. 9
MoCap......................................................................................................................................... 9
TSB ............................................................................................................................................. 9
Modules..................................................................................................................................... 10
Jack v8.0.1 known Issues .............................................................................................................. 10
New Hardware Requirements ....................................................................................................... 11
Specific Platform Notes ................................................................................................................ 11
Windows versions supported .................................................................................................... 11
Miscellaneous Notes (Licensing) .............................................................................................. 11
Installation Guide ...................................................................................................................... 12
Installing on Windows .............................................................................................................. 12
Support and Feedback ................................................................................................................... 12
Product Support Websites ......................................................................................................... 12
Scripting References ................................................................................................................. 13
Python: .................................................................................................................................. 13
Tcl/Tk: ................................................................................................................................... 13

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Release Summary
Jack 8.0.1 is a full release of the Jack product. The features of this new version remain largely
unchanged from Jack v8.0, however, version 8.0.1 introduces support for Student and Trial
variants. These free (but limited) versions are intended to help those interested in human
simulation to easily access and explore the value of this exciting technology. In addition, a
number of functionality restrictions present in v8.0 were addressed in this release.

For those updating directly to v8.0.1 from v7.1, the enhancements introduced with v8.0 are
included in these release notes. Capabilities introduced with v8.0 included substantial usability
and performance enhancements. Some of the highlights include a totally revised Task Simulation
Builder and human control panel, braced posturing assessment, a revised auto-grasping
functionality, the introduction of a cumulative low back assessment tool, jt collision detection
and support for the Microsoft Kinect Sensor. Additionally, partial body tracking was introduced
with the Motion Capture add-on to simplify certain motion capture studies.

Included on the Jack 8.0.1 installation CD are these separately licensed add-on application
toolkits:

 Occupant Packaging Toolkit (OPT) for version 8.0.1

 Task Analysis Toolkit (TAT) for version 8.0.1
 Motion Capture Toolkit for version 8.0.1
 3D Bodyscan Module for version 8.0.1

Important Announcements
1. The Jack v8.0/v8.0.1 release contains many foundational changes that better support
common workflows, simplify the user interaction and broaden the assessment capability.
We encourage you to read about the new features in the documentation to familiarize
yourself with all the changes. Particularly the new TSB Manual, the detailed Human
Control Panel overview and the tutorial provided in Chapter 5 of the Jack Manual can
help to orient you to many of the new capabilities.

2. For Jack v9.0, we will move to an updated version of the DirectModel rendering engine
so that Jack can support the latest JT file versions. However, this new version of
DirectModel is designed to work with graphics cards using OpenGL 3.0 or higher.
Certain features, such as reflections (mirrors), may not work on older graphics cards.
Starting with version 8.0.1, the information on the graphics card OpenGL version is
written to the log file when Jack starts.

3. Jack v8.0.1 will be the last version to support Microsoft XP and 32 bit OS. Microsoft has
announced that they will be ending support for XP early 2014. Future versions of Jack
will only be available as a 64 bit application.

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New Features Overview

The Human Control Panel

To support rapid and easy figure posturing, we have consolidated various dialogs used to control
the figure into one common user interface. This includes the legacy Human Control Panel,
Human Behaviors, Adjust Joint, Hand Posturing Dialogs, Posture Libraries, Force-Based
Posture Prediction as well as the Loads and Weights dialog.

New consolidated Human Control dialog.

Shortcut access from the figure context menu -> Control

In the consolidated Human Control Panel, you will also find two new powerful posturing
features:

Auto-Grasp

This feature offers the easiest way to automatically generate a realistic reach and grasp
posture for the human! From the new Human Control Panel, you can click on Jill‟s left
or right hand and select Grasp Segment or Grasp Figure. From there, click on an object
in the scene where you want your human to grasp. You will see the human automatically
reach to the object and wrap his/her hands around the point you specified. Collision
detection is used to define the grasp posture. You can also click on “Adjust Grasp” to
fine tune the resulting posture.

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 Braced Posturing

People are often observed bracing against surfaces when performing tasks. The
University of Michigan Humosim Research group recently completed a study on the
influence of bracing surfaces on the postures and force exertion profiles associated with
such tasks. One of the principal findings of the research is that the actual force exertion
direction can include substantial off-axis components that impact the biomechanical
loading on the figure. The new braced posture prediction in Jack computes feet location,
body posture and forces. From the Human Control Panel, you can load special bracing
figures to specify locations for hand and thigh brace surfaces. In addition, you can specify
a foot restriction zone that defines the limits of where the foot prediction can place the
figure feet. Furthermore, Jack will look to see what hand loads (if any) are on the figure
and calculate the appropriate forces at the bracing surfaces, as well as update the task
hand force magnitude and direction according to observations from the research. Braced
posturing allows you to predict more realistic postures in scenarios where bracing is
possible. In addition, braced posturing will impact your ergonomic analyses, providing a
more realistic representation of the forces acting on the human.

The Task Simulation Builder (TSB)

Incorporating user feedback collected over the past several years, TSB was significantly
overhauled for v8.0. When launching TSB, you will notice that all windows are contained in one
user interface, making it easier to find features and keep track of what you are working on. Also,
you no longer need to switch between Authoring and Analysis mode. These concepts have been
combined, allowing you to author, preview, edit and assess your simulation at any time. When
defining a task, you will see a Solve Now button. If clicked, this will auto-solve the actions for
your task, in the same way as TSB always has. However, you can also use the Next/Back buttons
to maneuver through the task authoring steps to preview each action and edit it as desired. TSB
has also been expanded to include new task types, including a Regrasp task, which allows you to
modify how the human is holding an object. You can also insert a Sit or Stand task, which lets
you switch between these modes during a simulation. The simulation creation experience should
be much improved from earlier versions, allowing you to easily control and visualize walk paths,
adjust reach and grasp postures for a task, and define intermediate postures to fine-tune your
simulation motions.

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 The new Task Simulation Builder Layout

In addition, TSB also offers support for new ergonomic analysis tools (part of the Task Analysis
Toolkit):

Cumulative Low Back Loading

This tool lets you consider the impact of all task demands that are performed over an
entire work shift. Results are compared against published threshold limits to classify
injury likelihood to the low back.

Fatigue

The real-time fatigue and recovery tool was re-worked for version 8.0 and integrated with
TSB. It offers an estimate of the fatigue accumulation and recovery experienced by a
figure over the course of a simulation. Based on the Rohmert fatigue equations, the tool
calculates the joint by joint strain experienced by the figure throughout the simulation,
and compares this with the total recovery time available. The final report indicates if the
task sequence is likely to cause an accumulation of fatigue and offers guidance on
corrective actions.

Collision Detection
A new Collision Detection module is available from the Utilities Menu. Collision detection is
now compatible with JT data and allows for proximity checks between humans, native Jack
geometry and JT geometry.

Modules Auto-Load
In the past, plug in modules had to be loaded each time a Jack session was initiated. In v8.0,
modules can now be selected and moved to an „auto-load‟ list. Now each time you launch Jack,
your preferred modules will appear in the Modules menu.

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Microsoft Kinect for Windows Support
With Jack v8.0, the Microsoft Kinect for Windows sensor can be used to interact with humans in
the scene. This introductory module can be found in: Modules – Plug Ins – Kinect. Two modes
are supported: Scene Navigation and Human Posturing. Navigation looks at your arm gestures
to maneuver Jack (or Jill) through the scene. Posturing mode tracks your gross body postures and
maps those to the selected Jack or Jill figure. Much more information on this module is provided
in the documentation which can be accessed from the Kinect Module User Interface. Support for
the Kinect Sensor is included in the base product, however it requires a Kinect for Windows
Sensor. The Microsoft Kinect for Windows sensor can be purchased directly from the Microsoft
Store or other electronic retailers (http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/kinectforwindows/purchase/)

Partial Body Tracking (Motion Capture Toolkit)

Partial Body Tracking is a new feature that combines Motion Capture with posture prediction to
simplify motion tracking scenarios where the tracking of specific body areas, like the arms, is of
interest. For these situations, Partial Body Tracking will allow subject tracking using markers
only on the body areas of interest, while the location of untracked body areas are predicted using
whole body posture prediction. At a minimum, figures can be tracked using just the hand marker
sets. Optionally, elbow, upper torso or head positional information can be added. Since Partial
Body Tracking requires a much smaller set of tracking points, setup time can be dramatically
reduced compared to using a whole body set.

Trial and Student Versions

With Jack v8.0.1, changes have been made to support Trial and Student versions. These versions
will be freely downloadable from the Siemens PLM web site (www.siemens.com/plm),
providing an easy way for both current professionals as well as the next generation of
ergonomists to learn about the Jack human simulation technology. While functionality will be
restricted in these versions, several signature capabilities of the Jack simulation system including
TSB, advanced posture prediction and even the Kinect support will be available for exploration.

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Trial version availability Dec 2013, Student version availability early 2014.

PRs and fixes

Jack
 Posture Prediction: the issue where the figure location is predicted outside of the foot
restriction zone for one handed non-braced Pull conditions has been corrected.
 Human Control Panel: Non-palmcenter loads defined in Loads and Weights now persist
when selecting a figure for manipulation (PR 6930935)
 Human Control Panel: Hands now remain locked when adjusting torso angles (PR
6947931).
 Human Control Panel: Initial hand forces are now no longer displayed for the braced
hand (PR 6948610).
 Loads and Weights: The error where posture prediction converts a user defined Weight
to a Load with a scale factor of 10 has been corrected.
 Human Copy: Using the Goal Based option within the Human Copy dialog no longer
deletes Loads and Weights information on the figure (PR 6942141).
 Animation : Adjusting a joint from within the animation window no longer generates
interface errors (PR 2227161).
 Localization: Missed English strings have now been converted in the Japanese
Localization.

MoCap
 Communication Protocol: The tracking dialog now properly updates when a human
figure driven by the Communication Protocol is deleted (PR 6962580).

TSB
 TSB: When using the context menu to create a force on an object involved with a Task
no longer leads to a crash when saving. (PR 6955135).
 TSB: Attachments to local locations on objects has been made more robust (PR
6931870).
 TSB: The situation where user-defined Walk and object via locations could not be
cleared has been corrected. Editing pages now have "Clear Via Points" buttons (PR
6931727)
 TSB: Python error messages are no longer generated when deleting a scene with
location and/or Jack path items (PR 6952581).
 TSB: Walk and move path viapoints are now applied in the order in which they were
defined, not sorted by distance from origin. (PR 6931727)

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Modules
 TATReporter now functions with v8.0.1 (PR 6942128, 1961632).

Jack v8.0.1 known Issues

Braced Posturing Limitations:

The ForceSolver is not yet fully compatible with Braced posturing. The ForceSolver,
part of the Task Analysis Toolkit add-on, assumes control over forces applied to the
hands, such that when the ForceSolver is launched, it will override any forces previously
defined on the hands. This means that, thigh brace forces will be persisted and
considered by the ForceSolver, but hand forces will need to be redefined or solved for
within the ForceSolver.

Braced posturing forces are not available in TSB. When using braced posturing to define
a posture for the Apply Force task within the Task Simulation Builder, the braced posture
forces will not be available in TSB. Only forces defined within the TSB system are
utilized for posturing and ergonomic assessment.

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New Hardware Requirements
There are no new hardware requirements with Jack v8.0.

Specific Platform Notes

Windows versions supported

Win7 32 and 64 bit and are the officially supported windows platforms. Windows 8, Vista
and XP are assumed to work. There are no known issues with these platforms. As noted in
the Special Announcements, Jack v8.0.1 will be the last version to support Microsoft XP and
32 bit OS. Microsoft has announced that they will be ending support for XP early 2014.
Future versions of Jack will only be available as a 64 bit application.

NVidia graphics cards may demonstrate problems generating antialiased screen capture
images - the resulting output images will not have antialiasing applied. This can be corrected
by going in to the advanced graphics settings of the driver and setting "Buffer Flipping
Mode" to "Use block transfer". Be sure to quit Jack and restart after making this change. This
is a persistent setting and will only need to be done once.

Miscellaneous Notes (Licensing)

Jack 8.0.1 uses the FlexLM based Siemens PLM Common Licensing system to simplify
licensing and provide maximum compatibility with other Siemens PLM Software tools. A
new license file will be required when upgrading from version 7.1 or earlier of Jack. You will
receive a new license file via an email from Siemens PLM. This email will automatically be
sent to the contact listed with your purchase information in our database. If you do not
receive a license, please contact your account representative. Alternatively, if you have your
sold-to number, you can call 800-995-0000 to verify that the information in our records is
correct. If the records are correct, you can also request a license by sending a message to
ds_om@ugs.com .

A license server is required to be installed for the licensing - this can be either remote or
running on your local workstation. For Jack v8.0 and later, the licensing requires this
server to be version v6.0 or greater. The Jack 8.0.1 installer will give you the option to
install (or update) a license server on your workstation at the end of the installation process;
just check the "Install local license server" box to run the Siemens PLM Common Licensing
installation tool. The $JK/license/license.dat file is used to configure Jack's licensing.
By default, the license file assumes the license server is on the local workstation. A remote
server can be specified by editing this file and replacing "localhost" with the license server's
hostname. An alternative method of specifying the license server is to define the
JACK_LICENSE_SERVER environment variable - this should use a "port@hostname" format
(e.g. 28000@licenseserver.mycompany.com).

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 Full documentation on installing and using the Common Licensing system is provided as part
of the Jack 8.0.1 installation. You can access the documentation under the Jack start menu
folder by clicking on the "Licensing Manual" link, or you can directly open
$JK\license\SPLMLicensing_user_guide.pdf

Installation Guide
The Jack distribution will allow you to install Jack and any add-on toolkits you have licensed
from the CD using a convenient installation utility. It will also set up shortcuts/links to start
Jack and assist in setting up your license file. Instructions on using this new procedure are
below. If you would prefer to manually extract and configure your installation from archive
files, these files are provided under the "Archives" directory on the CD.

Installing on Windows
To install:

 Double-click on either jack801-win32-inst.exe or jack801-win64-inst.exe depending on

the version you wish to install
 Use the wizard to install Jack and/or any toolkits.
 A start menu group will be created for all users with shortcuts to the Jack application
and documentation.

Support and Feedback

Product Support Websites

Global Technical Access Center (GTAC) is your focal point for post-sale software support.
The center provides application software support through telephone and electronic access.

You can access the GTAC support site here:

www.siemens.com/plm/support

You can also download the latest version of the application, or any patches, from the GTAC
product download site here:

https://download.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/download.php

Click on “Product Downloads” and scroll down to the Jack section.

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 A webkey is required to access these sites. There is a link on the sites above that will allow
you to create a webkey account. You will need your sold-to id in order to set up your
webkey.

If you have any questions or comments, contact the representative who sold you the software,
or you can contact Siemens PLM Global Technical Assistance by phone:

GTAC (Global Technical Access Center)

800-955-0000 (USA and Canada)
714-952-5444

Scripting References
Python:

o Python homepage: http://www.python.org

o Python v2.6.6 documentation: http://docs.python.org/release/2.6.6/
o Books: http://wiki.python.org/moin/PythonBooks
o License: http://docs.python.org/release/2.6.6/license.html

Tcl/Tk:

o Tcl/Tk homepage: http://tcl.tk

o Tcl/Tk v8.5.x documentation: http://www.tcl.tk/man/tcl8.5
o Books: http://www.tcl.tk/doc/
o License: http://www.tcl.tk/software/tcltk/license.html
o Tix License: http://tix.sourceforge.net/dist/current/license.terms

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