Hinge Joint 2D

The Hinge Joint 2D component allows a Sprite object controlled by rigidbody physics to be attached to a point in space around which it can rotate. The rotation can be left to happen passively (in response to a collision, say) or actively powered by a motor torque provided by the joint itself. The hinge can also be set up with limits to prevent it from making a full rotation.

Collide Connected	Can the two connected objects collide with each other?
Connected Rigidbody	The other Rigidbody2D object that the one with the joint is connected to. If this is null then the othen end of the joint will be fixed at a point in space.
Anchor	Coordinate in local space where the end point of the joint is attached.
Connected Anchor	Coordinate in the other object's local space where its end of the joint is attached.
Use Motor	Should the hinge motor be enabled?
Use Limits	Should the rotation angle be limited?
Motor Speed	Target motor speed (degrees/sec).
Maximum Motor Force	The maximum torque the motor can apply while attempting to reach the target speed.
Lower Angle	The lower end of the rotation arc allowed by the limit.
Upper Angle	The upper end of the rotation arc allowed by the limit.

Details

The hinge joint's name implies something like a door hinge (and it can certainly be used to implement that) but it refers more generally to anything that rotates around a particular point. It can be used for machine parts, powered wheels, pendulums and many other similar things.

Page last updated: 2013-08-16