You’re very welcome, Ben.
I like to answer your question, for that, I try to touch the relevant parts briefly.
Where I got a little bit stuck, was the fact that these single joints change the rotation velocity (in reality), hence why you can see often double joint setups to minimize this effect. This weird single joint rotation is not that obvious with near to zero degree derivations from the driving axis. But if you overdo it, you get a very significant pulsing. Hence why the parts need to allow for that pulsing.
If the rotation is taking from the incoming and just transferred to the outgoing axis, the center element can’t be adequately aligned anymore.
Since we can do all kind of impossible physical stuff in a 3D animation, it might show how the parts fit or not throughout a single rotation.
With this in mind, a single joint creates perhaps that problem but also a priority mix up eliminates or increases this behavior. To understand what happens seems a little bit esoteric in a virtual set up.
However, we all have our philosophies of the work and/or art we do. My idea of setups in Cinema 4D is based on the visually rendered end-product. How we get a believable result is not as much my concern that the “shot sells” the illusion.
My background certainly would indicate that I’m more into the precise simulation (scientific and engineer based), but my understanding of the output from Cinema 4D here, is, art based. Convincing the audience. In that regard, I’m targeting VFX to give it a label. As a scientist, I cringe when I see the term physical correct in any 3D application, be in rendering or dynamics, etc. I love all of that, and everything has its place. On end, the time we spent on a set up is crucial, going by comparable outcomes.
Thanks for not taking it as bragging. I have all in all six different degrees (my doctor is in scientific engineering [computer animation], but I have as well a Master of Fine Arts degree [as it is called here], so plenty to share), and I love to pay forward, by supporting others. BTW, my final work at the University of the Arts, Berlin (HdK) was about Virtual Reality [1993], yes over 20 years before it was a hype.
Here is a cleaned up version of the file:
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/wfvIsfym4Vlxyg56SMm8S3yoIW7FQNZ4jOval7qeJMU
My best wishes for your project.
So, at the moment you post an example and ask how it would work, I have the impression that this is related. Sorry, if I got that wrong.