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.

Here is a video I made using SU, SP, and recorded with the SP "frame recorder". Since camera follow, and camera track, still don't work like they should, I tried to keep the model in the screen, but I wandered off screen a couple of times.3
Enjoy
[flash=420,315:1micorih]http://www.youtube.com/v/TrFm-d-rDO0?rel=0[/flash:1micorih]

SketchyPhysicsPromo works for me, add in SketchyPhysics, and Sketchup (since that latter is the basis for the other things)So we have SketchyPhysicsPromo, SketchyPhysics, Sketchup.
That way when other folks key in one of the other terms, perhaps the other two will appear.

Got it! I couldn't control it manually, so I added a servo, that is controlled with a slider. Works great, when you move the slider the press actuates. I left the joints visible, so you can reverse engineer what I did.
The first thing I did was hide all the levers, and made the "main frame" a group. I noticed there was a locked group on the bars connecting the levers, I unlocked it and made those two items a group, so they would move together. I put an SP floor under the whole contraption, and set the main frame to static so it t would stay put. The rest is up to you to figure out, this is how you learn.

Hopefully this is the right one

I looked around last night, as far as SP goes, this forum is all there is. Perhaps those of us who use it, should populate the 3D warehouse with working SP models, and while we are at it populate You-Tube with videos of working SP model. I have a few on You-Tube, but there needs more new ones.

Could you upload the .skp file? Then we might have a chance to help you out.

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!

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!

Just curious here I am the only one on this forum using SketchyPhysics?
Most of the time I post an issue, or ask a question. I get lots of views, and very few, if any replies.

Anyone there?

Camera track and follow, do not work when recording animation frames.
A screen recorder doesn't work well at all, the video is stuttery, and looks like junk.

Actually here I need a UI box text code idea. I have a 8 wheel drive project. Four motors on each side, right now I have then labelled as slider motor1, and slider motor2. What I would like to do is use all four right arrow keys, used like this up arrow-forward down arrow-reverse, left arrow-left, right arrow-right.

A possible combination would be forward-right. By pressing the right arrow, and the up arrow, the model would travel forward with a right turn.
I have used the arrow keys with a servo and a couple of motors, on an articulated model and it works fine.

But since there is no manual on coding the UI box I am asking for tips.

Anyone?

Originally designed to be operated by a human on board in a cab. Because of some issues with SP trying to make it all stay together.
I changed the concept to a remotely operated, perhaps autonomous,perhaps maybe a "follow me" control system. With which the operator, would walk along side and the machine would follow the operator where possible.
One thing I learned while making this. Mass of the groups, to which the joints are connected, becomes very important to keep things together. I started out with two groups on the front part, a frame and a cab. first time animated the front part fell apart from the back part.
I changed the cab/frame to a one group affair, modified the cab assembly and re-connected the joints involved. It held together.
[flash=560,315:3tns2mjf]http://www.youtube.com/v/N3vTWNfTQqw?rel=0[/flash:3tns2mjf]

I played with this a little, I wonder if making the plate and the ball magnetic, so they are attracted to each other, will make the ball drop. I haven't worked the magnetic capabilities so I am not sure.
Interesting challenge though.

After several hours of prep work, and editing. Here is my first post to the WIP, nothing special but I am glad it worked.
[flash=420,315:1etgvevq]http://www.youtube.com/v/L4CoYnirGUg?[/flash:1etgvevq]

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.

I have been trying for a couple of hours to make a video of a SP model.
It seems that though the camera, track and follow functions show in SU, the exported sequence does not follow or track.
Any ideas?

A short video using Floating Camera and Camera Recorder
http://youtu.be/9mDYQBtYC04

I forgot this thread, (didn't click the email button)
At any rate I got the model to work the other day, but I don't remember what I did now. Thanks for the reply.

Well the truth is, I had the motors set to sphere, but not the wheels, they were set as default.