I've got it working now. I still have a long way to go.
Don

Thanks for you response mitcorp and you are correct I had to create a solid floor in the beginning with the create a solid floor tool. I had watched a couple youtube videos and I re-watch them and one actual went over this step. Wow I feel like an idiot I total over looked this step 😆 ! I will be watching more videos and learning this plugin it is a lot of fun to mess around with.

NewtonServer is a dll library to newton physics stuff

in the "scripted" section of the UI
, type:
ontouch{ setVar("blahblahblah",1) } onuntouch{ setVar("blahblahblah",0) #this is the "offtouch" bit }
try that..

To get all module methods:
MSketchyPhysics3.methods MSketchyPhysics3.private_methods MSketchyPhysics3.instance_methods MSketchyPhysics3.private_instance_methods

You can examine the sketchy physics files to see those methods and here is the source to module: http://www.ruby-doc.org/core-1.9.3/Module.html

u should only ever delete objects created in simulation, eg emitted objects

😕 Remove the stuff from where you put it ! 😒
Unlike a PC the MAC 'hides' the Plugins folder... 😮
Restart Sketchup.
Type/Copy+Paste this into the Window > Ruby Console
Sketchup.find_support_file("Plugins")
It should show you the path to the Plugins folder...
It should be something like
Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins
Put the files/subfolder in there...
Restart Sketchup.
You should now have the menu items etc as expected...
Read the instructions for the tool about activation, usage etc...

Shapes in Sketchup and SketchyPhysics can be different, here you can find a good introduction...
http://sites.google.com/site/sketchyphysicstutorial/shapephysics

SP is tough, try some simple stuff first, for example, spin the prop on your engine, which is very well done by the way.
If you get that to work reliably then move on to another item. On the engine/prop. Start by exploding the groups then make one group for the prop assembly, and one for the engine assembly. In the warehouse I have a simple wind generator.
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=eace30d21a3521305c5e8df5dc8d3d85
Start there to get some ideas how to proceed.

New modified version without flanges. The flanges would be cool, with a V-mod on the center of the wheel, so the balls don't land in a straight line, more random placement, in theory anyway.

rototrebwf.skp

There may be some trick about how you connect the pin to the rest of your model that is relevant. I can't remember exactly how it's done, though. The idea is that if you make your objects as regular SketchUp objects, then select them all and group them, their collision geometry will be generalized, as mentioned before. That is, SP will just envelope the entire group in a single invisible rectangle that will define its physical boundaries.

You may want to make your main body as one group, and set its characteristics as "nocollision", then make a second group, consisting of your pin. Now group both of these together. The two groups may then retain their original collision boundaries.

I'll do a few experiments and take notes, then post them here. It's a common problem, and I am tired of having to figure it out from scratch every time, so having it written out would be good for me, too.

Oh forgot to mention im not looking to use screen capture to capture the animation, the reason why i want to export as an skp file is so i can render each image in shaderlight, so please dont mention the screen capture idea as mentioned in most of these forums, its totally irrelevant in this forum, thank you

I might be able to figure it out, if I had a place to start, mainly I am interested in making, my models do different stuff. I have played around enough to have a basic understanding of the UI, but it's very basic. Things like rightx and righty I can figure out, but things like
-rightx-righty+1, it works but why? and whats the +1 all about?
A place to start would be like what commands there are, and how are they used. There is zero documentation on this kind of stuff that I can find.

Push works well. Something like this inside the Sketchy Physics UI for the object.

xpos=0.0 ypos=0.0 xturn=150.0 yturn=150.0 ontick{ if frame%60 == 0 if xpos < xturn || ypos > yturn push([1,0,0]) puts ("pushx") else push([0,2,0]) puts ("pushy") end xpos=position().x ypos=position().y puts(ypos) end }

This will push towards the x direction for awhile then push towards the y and then back to the x. You could also change the logic so the push direction changed based on touching the bumpers using the ontouch event.

downtrack.skp

The general rule of thumb according to the wiki, you are supposed to group your joint to the part that moves, well I can tell you that doesn't always work.
If you downloaded the model I attached to my reply, you can go in there and see what is attached to what and how, if you click on the joint, be sure you click one of the edges of the joint not a face, you can see what is grouped to the joint.
Then you grab the joint connector and do the same, you can see what is connected to what. Again be sure to click an edge of the joint not a face, it just works better.

If I had the presence of mind, when I draw something, to record it, I would, but in reality I when I have an inspiration, I just go to work, I don't think of recording what I am doing.
I would have to do that on purpose, and plan it out.
But I will try to record a future project.

Maybe I should have written the name like this Sno-Rover, as in a rover for snow (removal). 😉

The following is a comment not necessarily connected with the post above. (it is an ADD thing).

Articulated vehicles seem to work better than those with steerable wheels. It seems the servos are to weak. It has to do with the perceived mass of the object they are connected to, or so I read somewhere. It sure seems to be correct.

I occasionally use sketchyphysics too. I added the suggested tags to my SP models in 3D warehouse.

But I disable it as soon as I am done physics modeling, because it negatively interacts a with a bunch of plugins including getting terrain from google earth. I disable vray for some other negative interactions too.

It does seem to work, well, as usual I learned some things with this project, mainly to do with groups, the biggest thing is , like in this case use one group for the front and one group for the back, then of course the wheel/axle groups. I found that the axle assemblies work better (more responsive) is only "connected" to one group, not a group of two groups.

Now if the animation record part of SketchyPhysics, would track and follow like I would expect them to do, the video quality would be much better. Screen capture programs just don't work that good, for this application.

Here is it issue I am having. If the track or follow is applied, the resulting sequence of images, show only the initial screen, if you drive out of that screen area, when running the animation, as you are seeing it it works great. But the image sequence doesn't, show what you see while recording. Perhaps there is a setting I haven't found yet.
Thanks for your comments!

The end result will be to turn the wheel 1/8 of a turn each time and dispense one ball so I didn't focus on speed. Try making the hole larger and it should dispense quicker. Which leads me to my next question... Anyone know how to make a motor turn just an 1/8 of 360 degrees with one press of a key? I could do this with a servo, but the servo would want to rotate back the other direction (to center) after the key is released. I haven't played with that part yet. One problem at a time I suppose!

@tspco said:

Cool contrivance, I ran the animation and it worked OK. But when I sped it up a little it would drop only one out of seven balls or so.
Thanks for sharing!

Hi Dan, I am using the sketchyphysics export, after recorded video, under plugins>skethyphysics, there two options, export, and clear.
I tried camstudio on the project and it turned out not good, usable but not good.