Machine Component Examples

Can someone point me to some good script examples for machine components like the following? I'm interested in working on some stationary machines with moving parts.

- Cylinder, Pistons, and Linkages

- Flywheels

- Gears, Differentials, and Drive Belts

- Driveshafts and Drills

- Dials, Buttons, Levers, and Guages

Nobody has done anything like this?

I was looking at trying to make the moving components physics enabled vehicle type objects that are anchored by joints with limited movements. Mostly just things that rotate or drive between two short stopping positions. Perhaps control linkages and levers by state machining them with push and pull states during their accelerations, movements, and stopping between the end points. Things like linkages between pistons and flywheels would be a bit of a challenge because on end would have to move on two axis while the other only moves on one.

Any advice, tips, or examples would be appreciated.

I think that a couple of people have expressed an interest and done a few things - I can't remember the names, I'm afraid - but really, using the physics engine to simulate actual parts isn't all that likely to be successful, in my experience. Physics seems to be mostly fine if you want to have things zooming about and bumping into other things occasionally, but a physics flywheel, I think that would either break something or just not work.

I had enough trouble when I tried to build a bridge supported by four physics chains (interlocking hollow cylinders).

Another similar thread

Most people seem to agree that trying to do thinks like this with physics just isn't the way to go... For pistons/anything more complex than rotation (which can be done pretty easily with llTargetOmega but will not stay synched up that easily), you might be able to get this or some other form of keyframe animation to create other more complex effects like pistons...

Also, you can put a script with llTargetOmega into the root prim of a linked object(make the entire object rotate) and then put another llTargetOmega script into the child-prims of the linked object, and apply a "counter rotation" or different rotation to child prims, and come up with some interesting smooth-moving effects like that... None exactly-piston like or particularly useful that I've run across, but I only played with this for a short time a while back...

You might like to talk to Jefferson Gould or Opaque Glass.

In my experience, the only thing that works well for things like this is to keep the parts phantom.

I don't know if physics enabled objects is a good idea....I think it's best to avoid that, 'cause the engine is ...quirky.

Mark Coffee has done some great interlinked mechanisms and may be willing to share tips