Thought I’d have ago at this little challenge, new to this forum so bare with me.
Using Lightwave 8’s Hard FX Dynamics to simulate the sequence. Here’s a little test.
http://www.digifreak.tv/Tests/RollerTest.mov
http://www.digifreak.tv/Tests/RollerTest.avi
:banghead:
Hi,
Nice looking little coaster you got there. I like that you have some of the classic loop designs built in. Maybe it’s the camera angle or something, but I really can’t get a sense of it acccelerating or decelerating when the elevation changes.
Anyway, looks really good tho. I’ll be keeping my eye out for it.
peace,
Lu
yep, works like a charm
i use the same set up for mine, and all works good
2 questions: what are these bones do? is it to make the track?
and how do you attach your wagon? is it dynamics calculated or apply after calcul?
its my biggest problem for now(and understand if you not tell us… 
)
Yes the bones allow me to shape the track and totally control banking angles, keeping the track consistant start to finish.
A single wagon was calculated with hard fx, saved motion file and applied to clones that were then offset. You may notice at the top of loops they start to bunch up as the wagons slow down. Going to consider track a little more and how the wagons interact with each other. Its a good challenge to get familliar with LWs dynamics.
are the bones just for poitioning the track?
how did you get the carriages to stay together with dynamics?
In my attempt, they would all move indpendantly and linking them by collisions just causes chaos.
Hi, nice job there, I really like the bone idea, I’v been having a lot of trouble with the banking part on my coaster.
I do agree with ntmonkey that it doesnt feel like its getting faster down hill and slowing up hill.
good luck to ya,
Sir_Vulcan
hehe ok, thx for the tips
so, i have used the same technique, one wagon for fx calcul, and after would like to apply the same motion to cloned wagons.
but! there s a problem, who is well explain here http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/projects/frig/yepbyrji/coaster.html , as wagons never have the same speed, and as they dont be attached, we can see space between them increase and decrease… as wagons have acceleration/deceleration.
what is the offset you speak about?
for me i try to apply the motion with just shift frame… and that dont work… and its normal…
but maybe that work with yours because you dont have too much acceleration during the track?
anyway, yours works really good. keep it up!
ps: the bones technic to have good bank angle is very good, thx for the tips
To ensure the realism of the coaster, you have to have the wagons influence each other. Essentially, the distribution of energy between the wagons is what gives the coaster that sense of realism.
So, just merely offsetting the animation or offsetting a constant in the simulation will not yield the results that you’re looking for. The scenario should go like this…
On the first drop, the first wagon will be held by the end wagon until the rest of the coaster’s weight shifts over the peak. Conversly, the end wagon should be pushing the front wagons up the hill or loop.
I’ve always felt cheated when I sit on the front row and get dangled a bit when I’m expecting to drop immediately. This of course doesn’t happen. But now I know why.
peace,
Lu
I will be mightily impressed if you can find a way to do this with hardfx…
I had a go at this linking carriages problem and couldn’t stop them flying apart and jiggling and intersecting etc. after many evenings of trying, I ended up giving up on the challenge because of it.
Wouldn’t this be normal if you simulate a roller coaster with more than one car? Everything else woudl not be a simulation?
edwin
Yes, this would be normal if they were attached. However, from our experience with XSI’s dynamics (can’t speak for any other one other than Maya), having multiple cars with gravity, collision, and influence is an utter pain to do using the Rigid Body Dynamics. Just from reading a bit here, it seems that the RBDs are not very cooperative.
It’s a tough challenge to do given the tools we have. I wonder if Roberto knew ahead of time how much of a challenge this really was…
peace,
Lu
Thats sad that the XSI’s dynamics arent very good, as you say. I have found it to be very easy to setup dynamics with mutliple cars using Max6 and Reactor2, but my hardest challenge is making the track. If we could combine the bone technique you use to make the track with reactor2 this FX challenge would have been done last night, with all the pretty details.
hope you figure it out,
Sir_Vulcan
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