Kicker Space Constraints

[Spirator]

3132 from Down Under here,

Just checking into Chief Delphi and I've got some questions for that cranium of yours.

Our dedicated mechanical team has given us a generous 2 inches of room in which we have to slot in our kicker. Since our chassis is so low, the ball is taller than the AndyMark frame itself, so some questions rise for my fellow engineers.

For the kicker, we're using a rotating cam to build up tension and then release it using our 'super secret' method. Now, the current design is direct driven, but we're also considering using a lever instead. I was just wondering what advantages the lever would have over the direct driven kicker.

Also, what would be the most suitable CAD software to model the kicker in. I would preferably want software that supports animation and simulation.

Thanks, 3132.