<!-- GENERATED by tools/generators/itemDocsEmitter.py from definitions/ - do not edit -->
```{raw} latex
\clearpage
```

(sec-item-sensorload)=
# SensorLoad

A sensor attached to a load, which measures the value of the load.

## Parameters

The parameters of the item; in a dictionary, its type is 'Load':

| name | type | size | default | description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **name** | String |  | '' | sensor's unique name |
| **loadNumber** | LoadIndex |  | invalid (-1) | load number to which sensor is attached to |
| **writeToFile** | Bool |  | True | True: write sensor output to file; flag is ignored (interpreted as False), if fileName='' |
| **fileName** | String |  | '' | directory and file name for sensor file output; empty: no file is written; a relative name is placed in `exudyn.config.outputDirectory` if that is set; the directory is created if it does not exist |
| **storeInternal** | Bool |  | False | true: store sensor data in memory (faster, but may consume large amounts of memory); false: internal storage not available |
| **visualization** | VSensorLoad |  |  | parameters for visualization of item |

## Visualization parameters

The parameters of `VSensorLoad`, given as `visualization`:

| name | type | size | default | description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **show** | Bool |  | True | set true, if item is shown in visualization and false if it is not shown; the sensor is drawn at the position of the marker of its load, if the marker has a position |

## Drawing

Drawn as [all sensors](#sec-drawing-sensors); at the position of the marker of its load, if the marker has a position; a load on a coordinate has none.
(description-sensorload)=
## Detailed description

### Attached to

The load `loadNumber`.

### Measures

The value of the load at the current time: the vector or the scalar, as the load item computes it -
from `loadVector` or `load`, or from its user function - and in the frame it is given in, which is
the body frame for a load with `bodyFixed = True`. The load factor of a static computation is not
included. There is no `outputVariableType`.

(miniexample-sensorload)=
## Mini example


```python
#the value of a load, here of a load with a user function, which the load vector does not show
node = mbs.AddNode(Node1D(referenceCoordinates=[0]))
mbs.AddObject(ObjectMass1D(nodeNumber=node, mass=1))
mCoord = mbs.AddMarker(MarkerNodeCoordinate(nodeNumber=node, coordinate=0))
def UFload(mbs, t, load):
    return load*np.cos(np.pi*t)
lCoord = mbs.AddLoad(LoadCoordinate(markerNumber=mCoord, load=2, loadUserFunction=UFload))
sLoad = mbs.AddSensor(SensorLoad(loadNumber=lCoord, storeInternal=True, writeToFile=False))

mbs.Assemble()
mbs.SolveDynamic()

#the load at t=1: 2*cos(pi)
exu.sys['testResult'] = mbs.GetSensorValues(sLoad) #-2
```


Examples (Ex) and TestModels (TM) that show this item, with weblink to github: [`springDamperUserFunctionTest.py`](https://github.com/jgerstmayr/EXUDYN/blob/master/python/TestModels/springDamperUserFunctionTest.py) (TM), [`plotSensorTest.py`](https://github.com/jgerstmayr/EXUDYN/blob/master/python/TestModels/plotSensorTest.py) (TM)