rotating multiple objects

Mosk the Scribe

Hi. I have a wheel which has 8 cylinders positioned around its periphery.
While the main wheel turns, I want the individual cylinders to rotate in the opposite direction.
What's the best way to set that up so that I can use one object to control the rotation of the eight cylinders - and so that if I want to experiment with speed, I can just modify one controlling object and not have to redo all 8 each time?

(I have Fenric's ERC controller, which should let you do that, but I forgot the details of how. Also didn't know if there was a way to use a simple target helper, but need the individual cylinders rotating about their own individual axes)

Thanks

Dartanbeck

I'm not sure I understand the issue.
Could you simply group the eight cylinders together, leaving the main wheel out of the group, and rotate them individually?
Yeah, you could use the wheel as the controller and have ERC counter-rotate the group, I think. It's been a while since I've used ERC, but I might be breaking it out again soon.

Mosk the Scribe

Hey Dartanbeck -

Yes, I can rotate (or set a spin modifier) on each of the 8 cylinders - but then if I decide to change the rotation speed, I'll need to go back and do that 8 times. I think you should be able to do this easily with Fenric's ERC modifier, and I did find my PDF manual for that - but haven't gotten that working right yet. Possible I hadn't set each item to Angles for Motion instead of Quaternion. Rendering stuff right now, will check that later.

Headwax

sparrowhawke has a gears linkage thingy,
maybe you could link them by a gear setup and then make the linkage setup invisable ?
http://www.sparrowhawke3d.com/TracksAndChainsPackagePage.html

Roygee

I think the one you need is http://www.digitalcarversguild.com/plugin.php?ProductId=6

DUDU

Head Wax is right, Sparrowhawkes is a chief for that !
Here an example that I carried out with his plugin “Belt-Pulleys”, very easy to use:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=445RPcqFm0Q
The belt is produced by the plugin but you can make it transparent, as HW said.

Mosk the Scribe

Thanks so much for all the replies.

I actually have Sparrowhawke's stuff and the one from Digital Carver's Guild - and ERC - but I've been away from Carrara for a while and never learned how to use some of those. Will make time to take a look.

evilproducer

have you tried tracking? Or rig it and use IK tracking?

I made a V4 look as if she was riding a bike by using target helpers and IK tracking.

My steps to get the legs moving as I recall was to parent a target helper to each of the pedals(slightly offset above the pedal). I then used the spin modifier to rotate the main sprocket. Once I found the speed I wanted, I then had to introduce a counter spin to the pedals- or did I keyframe a rotation every quarter turn and copy them? I'll have to check to see if I still have the scene. Anyway, the point of rotating the pedals was to keep the target helper on top of the pedal. I then used IK tracking on V4s feet to track the appropriate helper. I adjusted the offset of the helper to match the foot to the pedal better.

I also used targets to keep the hands on the handle bars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl5mq9Sdpwc

You also may be able to do it unrigged by using constraints and tracking. Remember, there are multiple constraint types.

Dartanbeck

Roygee said:

I think the one you need is http://www.digitalcarversguild.com/plugin.php?ProductId=6

Man... next time I get a heapin' pile o' cash I have to remember to go in and just buy all of Eric's plugins! Cognito looks fun, even though I'm not sure how much I'd end up using it - just be nice to have it there for when I do. Each time I look at any of those... I realize that I want all of them! Some more than others, but all would be nice!

I have installed all of Sparrowhawke's plugind and often forget that they're not Carrara-native features. I love having all of these things to use upon my whim!