The Linkage software still has a problem with three-connection links. I have described the problem before but to be clear, I’ll describe it again: If a link is held in position by three other links, it cannot be simulated. There is no way to find the end position of one of those three connections without knowing the end position of the other two. It is a cliché “chicken-egg” problem (the egg came first if you ask a sensible biologist, hence the cliché of it).

My Grasshopper Engine

Here is an image showing how I would like to design the engine:

image

Grasshopper In Desired Configuration

I can’t run the simulator for the desired configuration of links. It just won’t work. So I am back to wanting a solution to this problem. 9 Simultaneous equations? Iterative algorithm to search for the link position? Maybe having ignored this problem for a few year, the solution will now present itself – I’ve had plenty of time to mull it over in my head. Maybe not.