This tutorial shows you how to set up the constraints for a universal joint with Blender.
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Nice tut,there should also be an easier way using bones.
Love this. I just wish I could get my head around how constraints work. I did see a tut using bones and it seemed more complicated, but that may be my lack of knowledge showing.
I could make a version using bones too, if you guys want it? It might make it simpler to use in a complete rig
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would be interesting to see how you do it with bones, i would suspect difficulties in overcoming gimble lock on such a rig
I have no wish to steal your thunder Mr. Blazraidr, but here is a simple boned version. The meshes are very basic just to show the principle. Hope you don’t mind me posting it here, I had built this rig for one of my own models.
You can do the tutorial with pleasure - I tend to cock-up the commentary and end up swearing - not good, not publishable!
Cheers. Clock.
universal.blend (627 KB) - Just press play to see it working. You can change the angle of the output shaft (blue one) manually - I have keyframe some rotations in both axes.
BTW it works equally well with an IK constraint on the “centre-v” bone as an alternative to the Stretch To constraint.
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Thanks for the tutorial blazraidr. I tried it and found that, there is no need of Aim empty. You can just make the Output object child of Cross and then locked track it to Track empty. Gives the same result…
Nice tut.
I try to rigg similar cardan shaft,but i would like to add to this IK.
I will be grateful for your help.
cardan_test2.blend (708 KB)
I try to rigg similar cardan shaft,but i would like to add to this IK.
I will be grateful for your help.
[ATTACH]457297[/ATTACH]
Your universal joint wouldn’t seem able to transmit rotation. Am I missing something? Swivels around nicely as you’ve demonstrated. But you didn’t demonstrate the transmission of the rotation of one side to the other.
Just run the automation, the whole item is turning and rotation of one end is transmitted to the other, look carefully at the bone constraints…
Eg. this one:
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