There is a much better answer than using a motor to place a joint where you want it - you need to use a servo and a little ruby script

Step1: place your servo within the group you want to move and attach it to a base group
Step2: select the servo and open the sketchyphysics UI
Step3: within the UI apply the following settings
[list=]min:0
max:1
accel:4000
damp:1000
controller:@servo1 (you can actually call it anything starting with @
[/list]
Step4: Select the base of your model and open the sketchyphysics UI
Step5: place the following rubyscript in there:

if frame<1.00
@servo1=0.00
end
# this allows servo to incrementally increase based on joystick input (righty) you can change it to any of the joystick axes
@servo1+=(0.5-righty)
# this sets range of movement for the servo as it is not set in the servo's UI
if @servo1>45;@servo1=45;end
if @servo1<-45;@servo1=-45;end

It took me a long time to work this out (reverse engineering another model) so I am more than happy to help anyone out with it if these instructions are too hard to follow.

I believe this is a very powerful function in sketchyphysics and I have only seen it in one model in the 3DWH

Nice prompt reply Frans

Boy, the sketchyphysics part of the forum sure is quiet compared to what it used to be - is there some other physics simulation software that I'm not aware of?

I would love to get sketchyphysics back in the limelight - its such a fantastic bit of kit

Ash

Nice, thanks - I am using four different animation packages for SU now, all with their strengths and weaknesses. Proper animation is the old reliable tool I turn to when I need to put together a simple animation quickly. Thanks very much Moris - your work is very well appreciated.

Thats cool Pilou - however, it doesn't have the scripting knowledge that is required to make something walk. Lifting and placing legs is a whole lot more complicated than turning wheels - but I agree, that is a beautiful warthog.

You had a play with it Pilou?

Did you notice all of the functionality? - the toggle between legs and working arms? The automated walk feature? The way the arm servos stay where you but them rather than springing back?

I love it

Ash

Is this the best sketchyphysics setup?

I've been trolling the web far and wide to learn more about sketchyphysics and haven't seen anything like this but it seems amazing - it has automated walk functions so you press forward on the joystick and the machine places its own feet.....and the way the ruby is written seems totally contrary to any other models or the recommendations in the SPwiki - it doesn't use Wacov's infamous toggle script when it toggles between functionality.

Have a play with it yourself:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=5b618d4ba6c22ca85fd35d52fb19ea9b&prevstart=0

Youtube vid here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnblpHMRr7o&lr=1&feature=mhee

If anyone can tell me anything about this cleverly designed SP rig then I would like to know more - I have been trying to reverse engineer some of the functionality out of the script but its not that intuitive to an SP noob like me. I would love to emulate the servos on the arms that stay where they are placed for example. I am also unable to make it crash wheras my models with similar functions crash regularly. Here's the ruby out of it:

if frame<1.00
 @spc=0.00;@hokou=1.00;km=0;@st=0.00
 @lh1=0.00;@lh2=0.00;@lh3=0.00;@lh4=0.00;@lh5=0.00
 @rh1=0.00;@rh2=0.00;@rh3=0.00;@rh4=0.00;@rh5=0.00
end
if (key("x")==1 or joybutton("a")==1) and @km==0
 if@hokou==1
 @hokou=0
 else
 @hokou=1
 end
 @km=1
end
if key("x")==0 and joybutton("a")==0;@km=0;end
#@spc=@spc+((slider('sp')-0.50)*9.00)
if @hokou==1.00
@spc=@spc+((0.5-lefty)*18.00)+((0.5-rightx)*18.00).abs+((0.5-leftx)*18.0).abs
@sin1=sin((@spc/360.00)*2.00*PI)
@sin2=sin((@spc/360.00)*2.00*PI+PI/2.00)
if @sin2>=0.00
 @sin3=@sin2
else
 @sin3=0.00
end
@sin5=sin((@spc/360.00)*2.00*PI+PI)
@sin6=sin((@spc/360.00)*2.00*PI+PI*3.00/2.00)
if @sin6>=0.00
 @sin7=@sin6
else
 @sin7=0.00
end
if rightx==0.5
 @la1=@sin1;@lc1=@sin1;@rb1=@sin1
 @lb1=@sin5;@ra1=@sin5;@rc1=@sin5
else
 @la1=0.00;@lb1=0.00;@lc1=0.00
 @ra1=0.00;@rb1=0.00;@rc1=0.00
end
 @la2=@sin3;@lc2=@sin3;@rb2=@sin3
 @lb2=@sin7;@ra2=@sin7;@rc2=@sin7
# @st=slider('st')
@st=leftx
 @la1=@la1*@st;@lb1=@lb1*@st;@lc1=@lc1*@st
 @ra1=@ra1*(1-@st);@rb1=@rb1*(1-@st);@rc1=@rc1*(1-@st)
if rightx!=0.5
@sid=rightx-0.50
 @la3=@sin1*@sid;@lb3=@sin5*@sid;@lc3=@sin1*@sid
 @ra3=@sin5*@sid;@rb3=@sin1*@sid;@rc3=@sin5*@sid
end

# @la3=-@la1;@lc3=@lc1
# @ra3=@ra1;@rc3=-@rc1

 @la2+=-0.50;@lb2+=-0.50;@lc2+=-0.50
 @ra2+=-0.50;@rb2+=-0.50;@rc2+=-0.50
 @la1=@la1*1.50+1.50;@lb1=@lb1*0.50;@lc1=@lc1*1.50-1.50
 @ra1=@ra1*1.50+1.50;@rb1=@rb1*0.50;@rc1=@rc1*1.50-1.50
 if leftx==0.5
 @lh1=0.00;@rh1=0.00
 end
end
if @hokou==0
 @lh2+=(0.5-righty);@rh2+=(0.5-righty)
 @lh5+=(0.5-leftx)*2.00;@rh5+=(0.5-leftx)*2.00
 @lh4+=(0.5-rightx);@rh4+=(0.5-rightx)
 @lh3+=(0.5-lefty);@rh3+=(0.5-lefty)
end
if @lh2>35;@lh2=35;@rh2=35;end
if @lh2<-40;@lh2=-40;@rh2=-40;end
if @lh3>15;@lh3=15;@rh3=15;end
if @lh3<-55;@lh3=-55;@rh3=-55;end
if @lh4>50;@lh4=50;@rh4=50;end
if @lh4<-25;@lh4=-25;@rh4=-25;end
if @lh5>40;@lh5=40;@rh5=40;end
if @lh5<-50;@lh5=-50;@rh=-50;end
if @rh5>40;@rh5=40;end
if @rh5<-50;@rh5=-50;end


if @hokou==1
 setVar("text","Walk 歩行")
else
 setVar("text","work 作業")
end

I don't fully understand the question......

Answers to these questions:

1. Use a motor not a servo
2. Toggling between keys looks something like this:

if key("m")==1
@B1_Tilt=(righty) and @B1_Twist=(0.5-rightx) and @B1_Ext=key("b")
elsif key("m")==0 and key("n")==0
@stick=0.5-(righty)

If I hold down ("m") the joystick controls a different set of functions than if I hold down ("n"). I also have another set of functions for the joystick if no key is pressed so I have three joysticks in one.

"m" and "n" have been assigned to my second joystick using the software 'joytokey' which I highly recommend. It allows you to set functions to the keyboard but then run them through a second joystick to your primary joystick.

Thus, I am running my sketchyphysicks sim with a logitech attack3 joystick in each hand.

It is an industrial simulation and I haven't seen anything else like it done online. I can't share more because its under NDA but if anyone wants help with something like this then let me know.

Ash

In case someone else gets stuck on this, you can download LazyScript, install it, click the 'UI' button, and put the required ruby script in the box at the bottom, probably best under the item 'comp'. Either this or you can download a third party ruby console plugin (not the existing sketchup ruby console).

I am working on a really unique SP project - two joysticks, over 20 different machinery functions being simulated - but I am facing many challenges given the lack of documentation and lack of SP discussion on the forum now. If anyone expresses interest I can put up what I learn about joint control here..... its quite fun and I am learning (through trial and error) many things that I haven't seen discussed on the forum.

Ash

Erm, I feel dumb but, apart from in the controller field of a particular joint, where do I put script for the model to reference - the intermediate and advanced pages on the SP WIKI assume that this is obvious - I can see how to do it with LazyScript but if I wasn't using Lazy Script what would I do?

Thanks

Ash

Hi all,

discussion on sketchyphysics sure seems to have cooled off since I was last in this part of the forum 2 years ago - thats a shame, over the last few days I have been using SP to model a proposed walking machine and it really is an extraordinary plugin.

I have a couple of questions for you folks that are more familiar with SP and Ruby:

1. Using (rightx) how do I get servo to sit in a position and stay there without spring loading back to its midway point? I am lifting a leg with the servo, pressing one arrow raises the leg and pushing the opposing arrow lowers the leg but if I release the arrow at any time the leg springs back to the middle position. How can I set things up so the leg maintains it's position when I release the arrow key? Currently the controller says this:

slider('A2_Tilt',0)+(rightx)

2. Is there a way to apply the same set of keys for certain objects and toggle between them, for example my walking machine has four legs. I can use (rightx) and (righty) to lift and place one leg - is there a way that I can set up a toggle function to apply those keys to each leg in real time so I can move each one individually? IE press spacebar so that the (rightx) and (righty) functions apply to the next leg on the machine?

Any help is much appreciated - I love the plugin and would pay for it if it would encourage Cphillips and co in their endeavours (you can't work for free)

Thanks

Ash

Hi All,

I had been looking for an animation tool that allows me to animate really technical stuff - I think I may have found it in Simfonia Animation Tools.

It's not the easiest tool to learn but the documentation is pretty comprehensive, however, it is surprisingly powerful.

This is an animation I have made whilst learning to use the tool(s) of Simfonia. The parameters of this animation are controlled by a .csv file - note how rotor blade speed slowly increases, the angle of the chopper tilts forward at an accelerating rate, the chopper begins moving forward while still rising upwards and then accelerates off screen at an increasing rate - these are all things that are not possible to control with other plugins (correct me if I'm wrong) and I'm just getting started.

If you can be bothered spending the time to go through the documentation I recommend checking this tool out.

Wow, this is a very useful thread, some of the drawings posted are truly inspiring.

I am halfway through an engineering project and have been creating working drawings directly in SU (many, many layers), exporting as .jpg (I can get a high enough resolution that way), and then compiling the .jpgs into a .pdf

However, reading this thread has shown me I can do a much better job with layout if I will just take the time to learn it. I initially turned away from Layout as it seemed so unintuitive. Hopefully this will save me a heap of the re-working I am having to do when someone objects to something in a working drawing.

By the way, you all keep referring to working in raster mode in LO but I can't seem to get dimensions accurate enough in raster mode - I have to switch to vector to ensure the dimension is snapping to the point I think it is snapping to - has anyone else experienced this?

@regular polygon said:

Dik, I remember you were one of several people who wanted to hide animated objects on layers. I am happy to say that this feature is available in version 1.6. I announced it on the Plugins forum last week. Here is the post.

Yep, I've been using keyframe animation 1.6 and have been hiding and revealing objects on layers like a madman - works a treat.

Nice sell there by regular polygon. I must admit that I'm pretty sold on keyframe animation at the moment - did a short animation with it and was impressed. I have bought it and it was good buying at $25.

The only remaining wildcard for me is the emergence of SIMFONIA: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=42053

If it's as good as it's demo video looks then I'll be really impressed.

Another potential option from my perspective, although it's a lot more work, would be exporting to blender and animating/rendering from there..... needs some serious commitment though.

Dik, you asked about renderers....I use Twilight, it has good support, is easy to use and supports animations: http://twilightrender.com/

That certainly looks impressive.....need to tinker

Thats cool HMT, an amazing use of sections.

I have investigated things a bit further and am quite impressed with keyframe animation. It isn't the dragon slayer I was hoping for but I think that is more of a sketchup problem than anything else.

I had a brief tinker with simlab composer animation edition but am just not sold on it as it is a whole new software suite.....I know with SU based animation plugins at least I can come up with a hacky way of making things look right (using layers inventively can solve a lot of functional limitations), I'm not confident that I can do that with a 3rd party piece of software like simlab composer. It looks like a great bit of gear and come of the example animations are really impressive, but I'm afraid that I will go through the learning curve of the new software and find there is something it doesn't do so well. Wheras, I am confident I can get the job done with SU and plugins even if the workflow isn't ideal.....someone prove me wrong.....

I was gonna try exporting my models from SU and use something like MAYA but a whole new software package to learn and $3500 bucks? C'mon, I'm not that dedicated!

Someone argue with me/convince me otherwise

Anyone got experience with Blender? Sounds like it could be cool.

Ash

@utiler said:

New update to Keyframe Animation.
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=33417

So relieved about keyframe not having the problem with transformation.interpolate.....
Getting miles down the track with proper animation and finding I couldn't get a particular component to rotate the way I wanted was quite frustrating (yes I did adjust the component axis which works a lot of the time but had a few instances where it just wouldn't behave).