How to create a spinning water wheel

Solar2D Lua Language
#1

I am trying to make an oil-drop toy. It is one of those little toys that sits on your desk that when you flip it over oil(?) drops through a lighter fluid. The droplet goes down ramps to the bottom. I have that much happening now. So the good idea fairy bites me and I want to build a little water wheel like object in the middle of my toy that when the drop lands in one of the paddle cups on the water wheel the weight of the drop will spin the wheel and the drop will continue on its merry way. See http://www.amazon.com/Rhode-Island-Novelty-Water-Wheel/dp/B003IXQCFI/ref=pd_sim_t_1 if my brilliant description is not clear. Is it possible to create a spinning object that is physics sensitive?

Right now I am just trying to spin a rectangle and am having no luck. I can spin the rectangle but I end up with spokes. I do not know how to destroy the previous rectangle after changing the angle. Since the rectangle has physics properties I do not want to just make it invisible.

I am trying to build a project with increasing levels of difficulty for my students but I may be going a water wheel too far. [import]uid: 23256 topic_id: 22798 reply_id: 322798[/import]

#2

Look into the 3rd party physics editors that support corona, you can draw your wheel with gears in that and export. [import]uid: 110373 topic_id: 22798 reply_id: 91097[/import]

#3

I found applyTorque but then the problem is the body can no longer can be “static” so it falls with gravity. I want to pin the center of the rectangle and have it spin around that center. I figure if I can get this figured out I can solve the water wheel. [import]uid: 23256 topic_id: 22798 reply_id: 91107[/import]

#4

You need to make a pivot joint between the two.
http://developer.anscamobile.com/content/game-edition-physics-joints

That will attach your wheel to the static box. [import]uid: 110373 topic_id: 22798 reply_id: 91108[/import]

#5

Am am going to avoid third party software at this level. I am hoping to do this in a simple manner. These kids have had one semester of very basic programming so complication is out. Hopefully if this class continues next year and as I get more proficient with Corona we can look at physics editors. [import]uid: 23256 topic_id: 22798 reply_id: 91122[/import]

#6

Then use some graph paper, draw out the gear wheel and figure out the coordates for each point of the custom physics body. Or use 10 thin but wide rectangles and rotate each one 18 degrees to form a gear. Then rotate the 10 as a group (it’s a lot less efficient) [import]uid: 110373 topic_id: 22798 reply_id: 91126[/import]