How about giving some joints input/output settings; so the position of one joint acts as the controller for another. Or just allow the user to put the name of one joint as another's controller... both of these options would need to allow the controller input to be inverted, which would be useful anyway.

This would allow things like physical buttons, switches and sliders, and if x and y settings were allowed, joysticks. More complex stuff, like a working readout (e.g. a speedometer), or a slow-moving slider controlling acceleration on a vehicle, would be possible this way. I have next to no idea what's possible with the Newton engine, so I hope this fits into the 'doable' category; Thanks!

A universal joint is like two perpedicular hinges gunged together... so anything connected to it can move to point in any direction, but can't rotate (I'm not sure if that's the right word for it). A ball joint is effectively the same, but the object can rotate. I normally prefer universal joints...

Ok... where would I post the finished tutorial?

It really doesn't matter that much, but I can't use the camera shotrcuts (shift+middle mouse etc) while using the joint connector tool with sp2 in su7. Works fine in su6. Just wondering if it can be fixed for the next release... thanks

1. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever copy joints. It just... doesn't work.
   2)You don't actually change the joint's name, but rather, you change the joint's controller. Open the UI (the button is on the same toolbar as play/pause) and select the joint you want to change. In the box labeled 'controller', remove the joint's name and type something else. That is what the slider controlling it will then be called. To control two things with the same name, just type the same controller. The joints don't have to be the same kind for this to work. I hope this helps!

Wow, that's brilliant

I'd like to be able to hide the control panel, because I tend to use joysticks for input. Something in the UI to edit the control panel, like moving/hiding sliders, would be nice; then having a panel that fits to the sliders in it. And it'd be kinda useful if I could rename a controller, without manually editing every affected joint. Hope these are possible changes, thanks!

I always thought it'd be cool if sketchyphysics simulations could go full screen. Is it possible to export as an .exe?

I feel like I'm in too deep I think it'd be a good idea if the groups returned afterwards, as they don't really matter in the simulation. I really don't know any ruby script, so good luck

I see what you mean, but maybe you should just make the parts, and keep a 'spare' of each one. That way, you can create the complex group, then explode the groups within it when they're positioned. If you want to move something, delete the parts and copy the spare, then explode it.

I suppose it's not supported because it doesn't seem necessary. To fix this, you just have to explode the groups within the group. EDIT: What do you mean it stops working? The group is just treated like a box for me.

Are you sure?? I dunno, I made it ages ago. Worked fine until I selected the whole lot and used the rotate tool. Maybe I scaled it afterwards...

Ah. So how are these physics components gonna work? Can they be connected to anything external, or must all their workings be inside?

The one I saw blasted away anything it touched. Any ideas?

I found that using springs tends to stop this problem. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to take the stress off the other joints.

Don't see why no-one else has replied I'd be happy to help, I've got good general knowledge of SP and I know some workarounds for problems; I don't have a huge amount of spare time but this is something I'm interested in; Smaller mini-tutorials for more specific/advanced stuff is what I'd like to do.

For now, joints can't be copied; they go kinda mental if you do. I arranged a grid, copied and pasted it, then did the joints on one and the solids they're connected to on the other. Then just take one of the grids, with objects, move it into the other and delete the grids. if that makes sense

That's something I wanna know. CPhillips, search 'em on the warehouse to see.

I didn't scale the building at any point, but I rotated it with the rotate tool. I think that may have caused the convex hull problem. Thanks though, it was pretty annoying.

here's a convex hull glitch example http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=1ac22ff0687af70a75d604ebf734887e