Belt pulley in unreal

anonymous_user_e813187e1 · February 21, 2019, 11:21am

Is there someone who knows how to simulate a transmission like on the photo in Unreal?

KristofMorva · February 21, 2019, 1:30pm

There are multiple ways you can solve it, also depends on what do you want to do with it. For example:

Animate a Skeletal Mesh
Rotate the wheel from code, and apply a Panner material to the belt (and sync them together)

If you also want to physics bodies to be affected, there is an official tutorial for a conveyor belt volume: Making a Simple Converyor Volume | Live Training | Unreal Engine - YouTube

KristofMorva · February 21, 2019, 1:48pm

I can’t really imagine yet how is that different, can you please link a video or animation what type of movement you’re trying to achieve, and what frame are you trying to lift?

anonymous_user_e813187e1 · February 21, 2019, 1:33pm

The purpose of the application is to lift a frame.
The belt winds up around a wheel and so it’s possible to lift the frame

KristofMorva · February 21, 2019, 1:35pm

I have edited my post the same time you commented, you can follow the tutorial I linked to move physics actors with the belt (through you still need to choose a solution to make it visually moving too).

anonymous_user_e813187e1 · February 21, 2019, 1:40pm

Thanks! But it’s not really what i need, it’s not a conveyor belt that I need to simulate.
There are two belt-transmissions in the application:

The one like on the picture, belt pulley transmission
A wheel on an axis and when the axis rotate, the belt winds up around the wheel and so it’s possible to lift a frame

anonymous_user_e813187e1 · February 21, 2019, 2:05pm

I don’t know it’s very clear…
Red is the belt and when the axis rotates, the wheel also rotates and then the belt starts to wind up around the wheel and then it’s possible to lift something up

KristofMorva · February 21, 2019, 2:11pm

The mechanics sound the same to me as before: animate the belt and the wheel, and SetActorLocation to whatever you’d like to lift.

anonymous_user_e813187e1 · February 21, 2019, 2:14pm

To animate the belt it is possible to use skeletal mesh or with panner material.
Is it possible to get the forces in the belt for example when it lifts a mass for example?

KristofMorva · February 21, 2019, 2:50pm

I don’t think your belt will be able to do it as a physics actor. You might just want to sync them with hand, for example pan the material 1 m/s, and lift your object with the same speed (with a material parameter you can even keep them in sync if you wanna it later). Or what are your requirements? Do you want it to be slower if the weight increases?

anonymous_user_e813187e1 · February 21, 2019, 2:54pm

I got the specs of the motor, the specs of the belt and now I have to evaluate what happens if the weight increases (so the forces in the belt, required torque…) then I can see if the chosen motor is good or which weight the application can lift

KristofMorva · February 21, 2019, 3:13pm

For me that problem sounds like a physics / math calculation, independent from UE’s physics isn’t it?

anonymous_user_e813187e1 · February 21, 2019, 3:17pm

I don’t know, they want the simulation of the application and get information from the simulation

KristofMorva · February 21, 2019, 3:25pm

I think that’s impossible in UE4, you can’t use the physics system to simulate how real-world physics would work. Even in the latest engine version, if you place a perfect sphere and kick it, it will roll forever. Now, compare this relatively simple scenario to your needs

anonymous_user_e813187e1 · February 21, 2019, 3:28pm

But if you add friction to the sphere, it won’t roll forever…

KristofMorva · February 21, 2019, 3:34pm

Well it’s an irrelevant topic now, that was an example. And actually no, the default PhysicsMaterial has friction, yet, the sphere will never stop. There are whole discussions here about this topic.

anonymous_user_e813187e1 · February 21, 2019, 3:37pm

Hmm okay, thanks for the replies!