How do you make springs compress? (spring component generator)

[ArnoGoossens]

I made a set of shock absorbers but want them to work like in real life. I've found videos about adaptive springs and driven constraints but this doesn't work for me. The problem is I created the spring in the shock absorber using the compression spring generator feature in the assembly environment. 

You can't turn the spring component to 'adaptive' which is the reason why it doesn't work I think..

Anyway, I might be wrong. Who knows a solution? 

[The_Angry_Elf]

The first thing that comes to mind is making the spring but have the top (or bottom) edge tied to a projected point. In animation mode, drive the point up and down along the axis and it will in turn, adjust your spring making it look like it's compressing.

It's easier to see it as opposed to explaining it, but I simply don't have the time at the moment to generate an example.

Here's a link to an animation I created about 3 years ago using this process. The "flexure" springs that you see "bending" back and forth had to be done in this manner. I created a skecth in the horizontal plane, created a circle and located a point on that circle. Constrained the front face edge of the spring to that point. In animation mode I adjusted the angle of the point on the circle so as the point goes around the circle based on the angle amount changing in animation mode, the spring face follows in 2D space, creating the illusion of it bending back and forth......make sense?

http://itcpowersolutions.com/technology