H-Drive? How could it be?

Dear fellows,

After releasing some automation mods, i finally decided to build a scratchbuilt abomination in Blender too.

I'll try build an offroader with an "H-Drive" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-drive). That means there will be a central transfer case with a three differential gears inside make a power flow from engine to wheels in a H-pattern. This kind of drive pattern has been used in several 20th century military offroad vehicles with all-round independent suspension such as Italian SPA TM.40, Autoblindo Fiat-Ansaldo and derivatives, British Alvis Saracen, Saladin and Stalwart, Dutch DAF YA-126 and many others.

Here's how the H-Drive works (Image courtesy: http://www.italie1935-45.com/):

Power flow from gearbox has splitted into the central differential gear and then splitted again into left and right 1:1 ratio bevel gear sets, and then distributed into each wheels via driveshafts and a final bevel gear set on spindles. As you can see, central differential works like an open and left-right bevel gears work like an always locked or welded diff.

That means, this kind of transfer case will contain:

1. One input from gearbox
2. Four output to driveshafts
3. Three differentials (one open and two permanently locked)

The first question, is it possible to simulate this kind of mechanism in the game?

And second one is, how should i simulate the on-spindle-bevel gears in the game too?

 

This is 100% possible, and, infact, not even difficult. I do basically the same thing with the B1 mod I am helping make right now.... the only difference is that I have the front wheels on a diff and the rear wheels on a diff... you will instead just connect the left wheels on a diff and then connect the right wheels on a diff... job done (or split shafts... depends on what you really want in the end)

Edit: Ahh... I missed the bit about the hubs... I can throw some code up in here... you will see just how easy it actually is.

So the B1 is basically a Hummer/Humvee which means it runs geared portal hubs right down at the tires. I could have just combined the ratios right at the diffs... but what fun would that be? So what I did was just make these little geared hubs so that they show up properly on the drivetrain simulation and actually simulate correctly (plus this makes all the driveshaft props turn at realistic speeds as they aren't 1:1 with the tires)

Code:

"BrutusB1_F_hubGears_Heavy": {
    "information":{
        "authors":"atv_123",
        "name":"2.17:1 Hub Gears",
        "value":150,
    },
    "slotType" : "BrutusB1_F_hubGears",
    "powertrain" : [
        ["type", "name", "inputName", "inputIndex"]
        //Front Hubs
        ["shaft", "gearHubFL", "fldriveshaft", 1, {"gearRatio": 2.17, "breakTriggerBeam":"axle_FL", "uiName":"Front Left Gear Hub", "friction":2}],
        ["shaft", "gearHubFR", "frdriveshaft", 1, {"gearRatio": 2.17, "breakTriggerBeam":"axle_FR", "uiName":"Front Right Gear Hub", "friction":2}],
    ],
},

So you will use almost identical code to this... you will want to make these (with much shorter ratios for your bevel drives) but instead of having a front and rear diff, you will just have a left and right diff that connect front and back drive shafts rather than left and right drive shafts.

 

Holy smokes... It seems this is just what i needed. I'm so motivated now, thank you so much for it sir. And, I just took a look at B1, so much fascinating project! Loved them!