Well I am pretty new to the Kinematics in Imagine but I'll get
You started so that You can experiment. First make three axis making
one and then copy it and paste it down twice. Now pick Axis.1 and then
set it's Z position to 50 (using the Transformation requester). Now
set Axis.2 Z position to 100. Select the bottom Axis and the Axis.1
just above it by using the Shift key as You select it. Group them
together and then click anywhere on the screen to unselect these Axis.
Select the middle Axis.1 and the top Axis.2 and group them together. Ok
this is a basic bone structure or group, if You select the bottom Axis
while in Pick Groups mode all of the axis will be selected. So with
this I can explain to You SOME simple kinematics... at least enough to
get You started.
Go into Pick Objects mode (Kinematics will only work in this
mode). Select the bottom Axis and and then select Freeze: in the Freeze
menu set Rotation World X, Y and Z on. Set Constrain and select the top
Axis.2 of the group and press M. If You are in the quad view (all four
views showing) You can go in the top view and rotate Your pointer around
the Axis. You will see that all the axis follow the pointer as You move
it but the bottom one stays stationary and does not rotate with the
others. If we unset the Rotation World X, Y and Z it would follow along
with the other axis. If we wanted to limit this group more we could do
the following.
Set ALL axis so Rotation World Y and Z are set, un-set the
bottom Axis's Rotations. Select the top axis and try rotating the
pointer around the axis in the top view, as You can see the axis now
only move along the Y axis or should I say will only rotate on the X
axis. As we have limited its movement by only letting it rotate on X.
Hit the spacebar, undo this and select the Right View Bar.
Now we can make the axis move in a more controllable means.
Select the top axis again, press R and then X and move the pointer to
the right slowly till the axis angle is at 45 degrees. Imagine will
tell You this at the top right corner of the menu bar. The top axis
will rotate on its X axis. Press M and move the pointer to the left and
slightly down. As You can see the top axis keeps its alignment of X and
all the other bones or axis bend to make it look like a finger bending.
This may cause a problem if You move to far but You can either try
moving it back and try again or hit the spacebar, select the middle axis
and press R then X to rotate the middle axis into the correct position.
If You wanted to stop the bottom axis from causing this problem
You could Freeze its World Tranlations and then move or rotate the top
axis to the position or alignment You want and, un-set the bottom axis
Translations and Rotate its axis on X to rotate the whole group. Or to
do a similar effect keep Your top axis free to move and rotate, You
could rotate the middle axis into the angle You want and then Lock it's
X Joint, select the top axis and move or rotate it's X axis. By doing
this the bottom and middle axis stay aligned to each yet still follow
the top axis and leaves the top axis free to manipulate...
Oopps! typo on my part it should read: set ALL the axis so
Rotation World Y and Z are set.
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