Animation Help (Solar Panel and Strut )

Started by Mac Model, October 23, 2016, 03:34:53 PM

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Mac Model

Been playing with Keyshot for awhile and for the life of me I can't figure out how to get the strut to expand properly  with the panel.   It's a two part strut so it needs to expand as the panel raises.   I tried translation to the strut as it rotates upward.  The starting point and ending is good but it's the in between animation that is off. 

Too bad you can't call out 2 pivot point for the part to link to and stay inline.

See attached example

Any help with this would be great!



Will Gibbons

This should be able to be achieved using our dynamic pivots. Basically, your pivot point is moving, so you animate the pivot point using a translation animation. Then, you create a rotation animation and pick the animated pivot as the dynamic pivot point and check they 'dynamic' checkbox.

Mac Model

I'll give it a try.  So what i'm understanding is that I need to rotate the pin object at the pivot point for this to work.

Will Gibbons

I'm not sure of which pice/s you're referring to, but I'm quite certain this will work.

Mac Model

Its sounds weird but can you provide an example   

Mac Model

If someone can do this please post it.   I'm stuck,   an actual animation of this would be very helpful

Robb63

Hey Mac Model,
I took a very quick shot at this.
It comes down to a combination of the dynamic pivot rotation, translating the inner cylinder to move backwards (in my case), and down in the correct increments.
This isn't perfect, but with a bit more tweaking it could be. I think it will get you pointed in the right direction.


Mac Model

Thank you Robb I will check it out and thank you Will

I will take a look at what you have done.    I was really close with a translation in the past but I couldn't get it dialed in.   I would think this should be an easy task.   Maybe keyshot in the future can call out to points where the object stays in line between those two points that way a translation is whatever you want it to be between to those locations.

Mac Model

I see what you have done Robb.  Thank you for sharing it with me.   Unfortunately in your demonstration that is a normal translation with minimal movement and your panel would never close  given your pivot points.    Think of a car hood opening and the strut has to retract back and extend at the same time.   That"s what I'm looking for

Will Gibbons

Your best bet is to share your scene to see if anyone here can help dial it in. If it's confidential and you can't do that, then it might be a challenge to verbally help.

I agree, that in a perfect world it would be easy, but since we only have tessellated geometry to work with, animating and simulating true kinematics is actually a challenge. KeyShot doesn't have access to the same information your CAD application does.

Mac Model

Thanks Will

I will see what I can put together.     

My recommendation is to have 2 pivot points that an object looks at and can't deviate.   With an option to have one fixed pivot with the other pivot or location as a helper.  This gives you the ability to have more fluid motion between 2 components.  So if the lower is fixed at the bottom and the upper is fixed at the top and they are both inline with the two points you will get the shock or strut effect.

When a car is driving down the road you have many different motions happening in the front end or back.   This function mentioned above will lend itself to that without having to tweak anything  in.

INNEO_MWo

Quote from: Will Gibbons on October 26, 2016, 07:24:35 AM
Your best bet is to share your scene to see if anyone here can help dial it in. If it's confidential and you can't do that, then it might be a challenge to verbally help.

I agree, that in a perfect world it would be easy, but since we only have tessellated geometry to work with, animating and simulating true kinematics is actually a challenge. KeyShot doesn't have access to the same information your CAD application does.


So the question is: What CAD do Mac Model use? If it is Creo Parametric it would be possible to export the mechanism via .fra-file to KeyShot.


Mac Model

Here is the obj file to the basic system with pivot points is anyone wants to give it a try.

Will Gibbons

I played with it and got the start and end points fine. You're right. Due to the way these parts move, you won't be able to set it up in KeyShot.