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Autogyro model - animating rotor..... (Read 777 times)

Jun 17^th, 2009 at 6:01pm

ddavid Offline
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I hope I'm not trying to run before learning how to walk - but......

I've built a very simple autogyro model in gmax. It has a propellor at the front and a rotor above the cockpit. After getting the contact points/CoG/gear animation etc working (thanks, Milton!), the next question is getting the rotor to function.

Ideally, I'd like the rotor to rotate in conjunction with the single propellor. This has been attached to 'prop0', i.e. prop0_still/prop0_slow/prop0_blurred - and works as such.
Now, can I attach the rotor animation/visibility to the 'prop0' attach point as well as the propellor? I seem to get errors with this on trying to export the model from gmax.
Another problem is that the xxx.air file I'm using has been 'borrowed' from another AC in FSX (tail-dragger), and it only has a single propellor - i.e. no rotor. Does that mean I can't attach my model's rotor visibility/animation to 'rotor' rather than 'prop0'.
Or can I use 'prop1' for my rotor attachments?

Sorry it appears to be such a muddle - frustrating fun, eh?!? Roll Eyes

Thanks for trying to understand this ..... Any help gratefully received. Wink

Cheers - Dai (EGFE). Cool

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Reply #1 - Jun 17^th, 2009 at 9:13pm

MiltonShupe Offline
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Sounds like you are building for FSX. If that is the case, you can name it anything.

But working from your example, if you have / want multiple prop0_still, etc. just name it prop0_still_02 or 03. Any 2 digit number will work to give you a second copy of the same name.

For aircraft, I usually make the spinner or hub (or rotor) the animation tag (prop_still_01) and name the prop blades lever_prop_pitch0_01 so they can be "pitched".

I recommend you call the rotor prop0_still_02 and duplicate the animation since it rotates on a different plane.

You of course can use prop1_still_01 and the flight model must then support two separately controllable engines instead of one.

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Reply #2 - Jun 17^th, 2009 at 9:40pm

Travis Offline
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Not to put a hitch in your plans, but as I recall, autogyro rotors didn't employ a means of rotation on their own. When the aircraft would move through the air, they would begin to spin freely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autogyro

So having the rotor begin to spin when the engine is engaged isn't a true autogyro.

Just me being a stickler for the realism . . . Wink

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Reply #3 - Jun 18^th, 2009 at 1:44pm

ddavid Offline
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Thanks for that, Milton. I guess I'm just going to have to be more organised. Right now it's like 'bull at a gate' - I want to get that model up, etc - impetuosity is my nature. So, I'm going to go back over the model and regularise (!) the part names and organise the animations and connect points in a more orderly fashion. Will report on progress. Wink

And thanks for the autogyro comment, Travis. Although the original aircraft (fictional) appears to have some sort of flexible drive linking the main engine with the rotors - hence animating prop and rotor together - I've a feeling that I should eventually aim at the autogyro physics if I can. I guess that will mean relating rotor_still/rotor_slow/rotor_blurred to KIAS rather than engine speed. That sounds like XML to me - and, if it is, I expect the complication factor to increase yet again! Roll Eyes

Anyhoo - onwards and, possibly, upwards....

Cheers - Dai (EGFE). Cool

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Reply #4 - Jun 18^th, 2009 at 2:02pm

MiltonShupe Offline
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David,

Keep in mind that FFDS has a lot of working xml code to use as a reference or a starting point.

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Reply #5 - Jun 23^rd, 2009 at 8:00pm

SkyNoz Offline
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MiltonShupe wrote on Jun 18^th, 2009 at 2:02pm:

David,

Keep in mind that FFDS has a lot of working xml code to use as a reference or a starting point.

Yah, Xml will do you success, although I'm not to familiar with what code to use.

Simply the rotor could be named the same for the rear pushing prop. Could also keep your rotor called rotor, but link it to a dummy called prop_still/prop_slow/prop_blurred. Also, should be able to adapt some Helicopter traits and modify it for a gyro copter, in the aircraft configuration. Hope some of this info can lead you to a feasible answer.

Project Kfir!&&&&My Gmax page&&Aircraft modeler/Aircarft painter&&&&Aye the key!&&[GeneralEngineData]&&//0=Piston, 1=Jet, 2=None, 3=Helo-Turbine, 4=Rocket, 5=Turboprop

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Reply #6 - Jun 23^rd, 2009 at 10:29pm

Fr. Bill Offline
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I've already provided an example of how to animate an autogyro system, with visibility switching based on airspeed, and rotation based on forward body velocity.

Bill
Gauge Programming - 3d Modeling Eaglesoft Development Group Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600-4GB DDR2 Crucial PC6400-800 GB SATA-ATI Radeon HD2400 Pro 256MB DX10 NOTE: Unless explicitly stated in the post, everything written by my hand is MY opinion. I do NOT speak for any company, real or imagined...

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