After you've selected the motor type appropriate for your project, it's time to move to the next stage of building your first motion control rig: gear selection.  Unless you've bought a motor with an attached gearbox (and even if you have, in some cases), it's time to figure out exactly how you intend transfer power from the motor into your final motion.  Just like the process of selecting a motor, you'll need to first examine your requirements, and how they might change over time.  In this article, we'll walk through the basic process of selecting the proper gear train, and the different factors that should affect your decision.

The basic factors to consider are: building vs. buying, complexity, gear ratio, precision, and braking requirements.

One of the more daunting tasks for your first motion control project is to decide on which kind of motor you need.  The right choice in motor can save you money and effort in the long run, not to mention increase your chances of getting the shots you're looking for.  Before selecting your motor, you need to first examine what your requirements are, and how they might change over time.  In this article we'll walk you through the process of selecting a motor for a motion control rig and the different factors that should play into the decision.

The basic principles you'll need to consider in motor selection, outside of cost, are: timeframe (how long your shoots will run for), power requirements, and repeatability.