problem to animate a drive shaft with constraints

Support Animation and Rigging
1

Hi guys,
I am trying to give constraints to the rods and so on, but I cannot succeed, moreover I looked the wiki manual, but I cannot undestand.

scrsh.jpg1620×1050 212 KB


My idea is to give a constraint to the cylinders in order to have vertical movement, but every time it happens something that create a big mess!
Do I have to apply rotation adn scale every time before or after assign a constraints? I enclose the file.

Very important: I need to aoid any bones/empties

Thanks a lot

Attachments

engine.zip (543 KB)

2

Everything you need to know to animate pistons with empties or armatures is in this blend file:

cylinder-problem-ver3.blend (1.84 MB)

There’s a V6 motor basics animated with empties/constraints, just use meshes instead of empties if you don’t like these.

If you have any difficulties with it, let me know and I will help further. :slight_smile:

Cheers, Clock.

PS you certainly do have to apply rotations and scales before you attempt to animate anything. Normally you should do all the editing in edit mode not object mode.

3

Please explain WHY you need to avoid bones or empties. You may need to do everything via drivers if that’s the case.

4

@clockmender: Thanks! The problem I had is that every time that I give a constraint, it always happens something that should not happen… I’m gonna study the blend file thanks!

@DanPro: the point is that I need to export to a software that probably does not support empties and bones, I do not hate bones and empty!

@ both of them: I solved the problem, but I cannot explain how… obviously I did my considerations and gave the constraints, but Iit seems that the constraints panel has its proper will ahahah!

I enclose the blend file

Attachments

engine2.zip (1.21 MB)