Imagine three rectangular plates with a hole in each end. They are joined together end-to-end in a triple linkage. Component 2 is pinned to component
1, and component 3 is pinned to component 2 thus:--o-o-
How can I ensure component 3 is always parallel to component 1? thus:-
-o \ o-
If I orient one of the surfaces of component 1 with one of the surfaces of component 3 it no longer drags, because that would join three components and you are only allowed to join them in pairs.
Thanks,
Dave
First of all, if this is as you describe, NOTHING moves, much less something staying parallel to something else. Can you go to 'Applications>Mechanism', pick the drag hand and make this thing move. If you can't make it move, it'll always be parallel, i.e., a straight line. On the other hand, if you put a pivot point in the middle of component two....
It's like three links of a chain starting off in a straight line. Dragging link 3 moves it out of parallel with link 1.
'Applications>Mechanism', pick
If you set this up so that the middle link pivots and the outer links pivot and slide (so that the pivot point can move), you should be able to produce the motion where the left end goes down and the right end goes up, the two staying parallel. On the other hand, if they are indeed three chain links, no pivot points except their connections to each other, I see no reason for the end link to move at all when the first is moved.
No, I simplified the application.
In reality, the 'links' are a three-part cable arm. The first link is pinned to the back of a sliding tray, so it can swivel and move as the tray is withdrawn. The third link is pinned to the rear of the rack, so it can also swivel. The second (centre) link can effectively move anywhere in 2d space between the first and third links, and adopt any angle.
T o constrain the centre link, I hoped to force the centre link to remain normal to the back of the tray.
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