2021.1.1560.3 Linear Actuator
- Bob Ebergen
Overview
The Linear Actuator is a component to simulate an accelerated rotational motion on an axis. It consists of two components; Physical and Logic. Both are needed to control the Actuator through a logic adapter (connecting the Linear Actuator to an external controller through a Logic Simulator). Adding a Control Panel gives you the option to control the actuator from the Unity scene.
A succesfully created Linear Actuator shows up with this gizmo.
Where to find
The DC Motor can be found under
Standard Components > Linear Actuator > Add Physical Component
It will automatically be attached to a selected GameObject. Otherwise it will create a new GameObject to attach to.
A PrismaticJoint will be created automatically as part of the component.
Selecting the newly created GameObject shows you the following menu in the Inspector.
Please note: this is an example of a GameObject with the Physical Linear Actuator component.
Feature Layout - Physical Component
Live Data |
|
|---|---|
Target Velocity (deg/s) | Displays value of target velocity in degrees per second. |
Velocity (deg/s) | Displays current velocity in degrees per second. |
Properties |
|
Wheel Joint | Sets the Wheel Joint the DCMotor will control. |
Maximum Velocity (deg/s) | Sets the maximum allowed velocity of the DCMotor in degrees per second. |
Angular Acceleration (deg/s/s) | Sets the maximum allowed acceleration in degrees per second per second. |
Control Panel |
|
Generate Control Panel | Create a Control Panel for this component. |
Feature Layout - Control Panel
Title | The Title of the Control Panel. Click to ping the target component in the hierarchy. Double click to edit. |
DCMotor Properties |
|
Preferred Velocity (deg/s) | Sets the desired velocity at which the DCMotor should spin. |
Velocity (deg/s) | Displays current velocity in degrees per second. |
Start/Stop | Starts/Stops the motor. |
Target Component |
|
Target Gameobject | The gameobject which has a standardcomponent you want the Control Panel for. |
Target Component | The Component which for which a Control Panel is generated. |
How to use
Add a Linear Actuator Component to a GameObject, in this case a simple cube.
Add a Kinematics Controller, this can be found under Mechanics > Kinematics > Add Kinematics Controller. Make sure the Cube is parented under the Kinematic Controller in the Hierarchy.
Add a Control Panel and set the Target (%)
Press Play to see the translation of the cube, controlled by the Linear Actuator
Prespective Documentation