Paul Atkinson takes a look at how to rig a universal joint in Maya, which can seem a bit tricky as Paul notes. A Universal joint is a coupling that transfers rotational motion in a rigid rod that allows the rod to bend at the joint.
the solution on how to rig this in Maya is really is simple. Surprisingly, there’s not many tutorials about this so here goes
The tricky part is that the universal joint’s downfall is that doesn’t transfer it’s energy at a constant rate, it’s more of a cyclic wave that resolves every half turn. The solution is rather simple, using some locators and constraints to set up the universal joint action in Maya. Check out the tutorial on How to Rig a Universal Joint in Maya here.