Hi:
No, I didn't give up. I am looking for suggestions on dealing with physics, and rotational constraints specifically. I can't get what I am doing to match what is happening in the tutorials. No doubt it is me.
Before getting to this point, I took my V22 model and I manually key framed ALL of the animation. It was a lot of work and it took me a long time, because I have never really done it before. I did the main landing gear from 0 to -80, the nose gear from 0 to +90. I did my propeller assemblies, one with positive rotation and one with negative. They are in sync with each other. I stayed with increments of 40 degrees as the max rotation per step as it looks more realistic than 60 degree steps. I did my motors from 0 (straight up) to -90 (pointed forward). I used the same pivot point between the props and the motors so that the props rotate correctly even while the motors are rotating.
Now I am trying to do the animation with the physics window instead of keyframing it manually.
Every time I try to add a rotational constraint through the physics window, I end up getting something at least 90 degrees out along one axis. Maybe it's to do with x,y,z directions from the original modeling software or something I'm not setting into or out of one of the packages. In this case it is Blender to 3dxchange to IClone6.
What I have been doing works, but it is not the right way I'm sure. I am pulling the constraint directly out of the Add Constraint window and manually adding it to the object that I wish to animate. I line up my Pivot Point between the hinge and the object and apply a force along the axis I want. That's not too bad when the alignment is on a specific axis. I then set my force and the constraint angles. In my timeline, I do have my animation in the animation line of the object which was the goal.
Where I am looking for help is on the wing assembly for example. The wing leading and trailing edges are on an angle, (so not 90 degrees from the body) I have tried to set the hinge in the center of the object (from left to right along the flap or airelon for example) and angled to match the angle of the wing. I line up my pivot points between the hinge and the object, but it is brutal trying to find the right place and the right angles. My object invariably is out of position with the wing for alignment. Either it's out with one end too high and the other too low, or the left end is back too far and the right end forward too far, or any number of other misfortunes. I can't seem to get it to stay in line with the trailing edge of the wing.
In short, there must be a better way that isn't mostly guessing.
best,
Tim
There are surely times when it is good to be stubborn. Knowing when is the gift of experience.