Constraining Gear

[bubba]

I am trying to add an Action to a mechanical gear I made. I created the model and added a bone - starting at the very center of the gear and extending to the edge of one of the teeth. When I try to move the end of the bone 90 degrees the model starts to turn and go off-axis. How can I constrain the model so that it turns (rotates) in only one plane and direction?

[robcat2075]

Typically when you put a bone on a wheel or a gear you'd place it along the wheel's axis.

 

The flipping sounds odd, I'm not sure how you are moving it.

 

Always use the Rotate manipulator rings ® when turning bones. If the bone is on the gear's axis the blue ring will turn it properly.

[bubba]

Thank you. I deleted the initial bone and re-drew the bone along the axle (axis?). I tried the Rotate manipulator rings but it turned out easier just to change the Z property 90 degrees every second.