Animating linkages

[Robert T.]

Hi All,

  I am looking to try and animate a simple steam engine cad assembly and looking to animate it but I'm not sure how to create the linkages. I have attached a picture of something similar to what I am trying the animate. I am searching the web looking for instruction vids but i am not having much luck. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I should focus my research?

Thanks
Bob

[theAVator]

Unless there's some new feature I don't know about, this would have to be done in a different software and then brought in as an Alembic file, or sent over as an animation using one of the plugins. Keyshot itself won't create linkages.

It's possible to animate it in keyshot (without linkages) but your grouping has to be perfect before you start animating, and your timing has to be spot on for it to work. This would be a lot of rotation and translation animations all thrown in simultaneously. Would be very difficult and time-consuming.

[Robert T.]

Thanks for the info theAVator!  I think I need to finally get off my tail and upgrade my seat from just a ZBrush one to a regular Pro one. Then I will be able to import a motion studies.

Much appreciated!
Bob

[INNEO_MWo]

KeyShot 11 provide the import of animated fbx files and alembic cache.
If you use Solidworks or Creo Parametric, the mechanism animation can be send directly via plug-in.
You can create the animation in Blender and use the new plug-in.


Curious to see the result


CheerEO
Marco

[Robert T.]

Thanks Marco

I'm using ZBrush and i have the Keyshot Pro for ZBrush pro seat which wont import SolidWorks files. Ill try doing it with blender but I think I am going to have to get an upgrade to a full seat of Pro.

Regards,
Bob

[Morgan]

I also think that it will not work with ZBrush version 

[germannick]

It's possible to animate it in keyshot (without linkages) but your grouping has to be perfect before you start animating, and your timing has to be spot on for it to work. This would be a lot of rotation and translation animations all thrown in simultaneously. Would be very difficult and time-consuming.

theAVator hint is spot on. Only the movement of the belt could not be directly animated. Faking it is possible!