Vodhin's Gizmos: New Bucket Conveyor- Post #155

[Vodhin]

1/5/08 - New Bucket Conveyor- See Post #155 (http://www.ataricommunity.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9948207&postcount=155)


**Previously**

12/30/07 - New Steam Engine progress- post #138 (http://www.ataricommunity.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9940394&postcount=138)

12/25/07 - New Gears Coming- post #120 (http://www.ataricommunity.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9904121&postcount=120)

12/14/07 - Updated Download available (http://www.vodhin.org/e107/download.php?view.387)
The updated Gizmo's set is now available

Click Here to Download (http://www.vodhin.org/e107/download.php?view.387)

Please be sure to read the preview page for important directions. This is the same file I had uploaded a week ago for testing purposes- if you found the download link in Post #67 on 12/8/07, you do not need to download this set again.

While I do have plans to expand this set further, I will probably not have another update for a while, perhaps in the spring of `08.



**Previously**

New Updates coming for my Gizmos Set will included Animated Crossing Gates as Ride Events for the Rail Road Goodies.

These new gates will replace the old stationary ones and the flashing lights, too. The new pieces will come as a "kit" with a base and pole, the flashing lights, the motorized gate arm or Wig-Wag, the pole top, and a few other extras.

[edit-link removed]

-Cheers!
-Vodhin :D

[RCT-Spanky]

These new gates will replace the old stationary ones and the flashing lights, too. The new pieces will come as a "kit" with a base and pole, the flashing lights, the motorized gate arm or Wig-Wag, the pole top, and a few other extras.

Watch Preview Video- Click Here (http://www.vodhin.net/Temp/Vodhin_Animated_RR_Gates_Small.wmv)

These new gates will replace the old stationary ones and the flashing lights, too. The new pieces will come as a "kit" with a base and pole, the flashing lights, the motorized gate arm or Wig-Wag, the pole top, and a few other extras.



Is this a double post???? :p

Great news, especially to see, that you take a break from the other project and you're back with your scenery for RCT3.

[RCT3robin]

hmm vodhin.net is not working :P ,

[K1D1]

Awsome!!!!:D

[RCT3robin]

yeah it sounds awesome :D

i really want to see it :) , will your site be better soon vodhin:P?

[{Freak}Rct3]

why is vodhin dot net not working?

[freesz]

It's the 3th time in a short period that the site isn't working... Btw. I like ur new idea.

[{Freak}Rct3]

something isn't right with the site...

[Laszlo41]

Yep, looks like Vodhin.net is down. But I am impressed with the idea. Once ride events were broken, it was only a matter of time till more items like this started to come out. I wonder...when you have a 'no entry' sign, you toggle a flag to make the sign 'no entry'. Could you have the crossing gates toggle as a 'no entry' sign as a ride event? That is the difficulty, I would think. If you could do that, it should work. But I'm sure you have already considered this. Sorry, just kind of 'thinking out loud'.

[{Freak}Rct3]

^so... you're doing the thing with the thing so the thing comes out?:weird::bulb::haha:

No i know what you mean :p

[citytrader]

why is vodhin dot net not working?

something isn't right with the site...

^so... you're doing the thing with the thing so the thing comes out?:weird::bulb::haha:

No i know what you mean :p

Three postings in a hour? Come on! Trying to boost our post count, are we?

He also stated this would not be ready until the end of the month. Cut the man some slack!

Vodhin, can't wait for this. Welcome back! It's good to hear from you, again!

[alex90]

Three postings in a hour? Come on! Trying to boost our post count, are we?

Do you mind about that?

[Vodhin]

My appologies. I just spoke to a rep at myhost and they claim that they are "working on the situation" and will have it solved soon.

I'll be solviing it soon.. I'm leaving Hostingplex.com to go to another host real soon... They really have messed up a lot more than this downtime

[Laszlo41]

^ No worries, thanks for the update.

[Vodhin]

The video should be working now... the rest of my site is not...

[RCT3robin]

wow nice man ! really nice the vid working now :p

good luck with your site :) ,

[BigBurger]

Well, I saw that the gates wobbled a bit when they actually should keep still. I'm not very advanced with the OVLCompiler, but I think it's because you chose one position for more than two different time points.

I do not know, what American gates look like, but they seem a bit weird to me. I don't mind if they really look like this, but you will probably know what I mean, when you see DasMatze's Railroad Crossing. I love the lights ;)



-BigBurger

[Dark_side300]

^ i disagree, i think the wobbely bit is more realistic, it looks amazing!

[RCT3robin]

i agree with dark side :) , in real life they move 2 and stuff :P

[Apophis_420]

Thats absolutely awsome!! I love all your sets Vodhin, I use them quite a bit, and this one will be no exception!:up::up:

[Laszlo41]

Excellent work on these, they look fantastic. And they don't 'wobble', they 'bounce' as they come to the bottom or top, just as they might in real life. :up::up: from me.

[RCT3robin]

vodhin.net is back online :)!

[Vodhin]

Thanks for the compliments- the gates here in the US are pretty much standardized in all states. There were a number of different designs over the years and my Gizmos set is more akin to what we had in the early half of the 20th century. Today's RR Gates in the US look something like these:

http://www.afar.net/images/stories/applications/railX.jpg http://www.gribblenation.com/wakeco/rrcrossing.jpg


I like the older stuff, things you might find in a RR museum, and have designed these to look more like what you might find at an old fashioned roadside attraction- and the parts are scaled down to about 75% of the real ones, just like at many miniature rail roads.

I'm no working on an animated WigWag that will replace the current one and here's the inspiration:

http://www.railroadstuff.com/images/image002.jpg

Hopefully I'll have the update ready soon :D

[alex90]

the railway gates are going down in a very smooth way...and when they're closed, still bouncing a bit, you really didn't ignore details...great work!!!

[Plokoon111]

Great job!

[Guitarboy315]

WOW! The gates were soooo realistic! I loved how they bounce when they get to the top! GREAT WORK!

[CoasterJoe]

I love them! I like how they bounce

[MeJayBe]

Wow V, super detailed and realistic. I too like the "bouncy" effect. Though I think I already know the answer to this, will there be a "ding, ding, ding, ding, ding..." sound that goes off when the event starts?

[LightGrenades]

/\No, sound cannot be attached to a ride event.

Love the bouncy effect, it's the cherry added to the realism sundae :)

[Vodhin]

^I'm not so sure of that, but you're probably right... The_Cook had been looking into the sounds used by the game to see how they work, but I'm certain that it was never fully figured out. The set does contain a "bell" part that can be set up as a speaker (it in the first version, so you have it already) however, there is no toggle to turn it on and off... I do have a few ideas, though...


As for the apparent movement of the gates. I coded a double bounce when they lower (it drops a bit further than needed and the settles in one more downward bump), and then I did a tripple wobble when they raise, just like the ones that are around the corner from my house do.

The WigWag model has been rebuilt and I'm about to run it through the animation process. I thought it would be easier than the gates but apparently not. I should have something to show later tonight :D

-V

[mikeyca]

Absolutely incredible realism, Vodhin. You've truly outdone yourself with this!

[shyguy]

My appologies. I just spoke to a rep at myhost and they claim that they are "working on the situation" and will have it solved soon.

I'll be solviing it soon.. I'm leaving Hostingplex.com to go to another host real soon... They really have messed up a lot more than this downtime

Glad I'm not the only one having problems with Hostingplex.

That video was awesome, btw. I look forward to seeing what wizardry you come up with.

[coasterman20076]

Awsome looking pov can't wait for this set come.

[Vodhin]

Well, I've got the WigWag all done but have not had time to make a video just yet. It did take a little more work but it actually wasn't hard, just tedious- each swing, forward and back, needed to have a line of code to make it happen. Re-making the model was more trouble...

I've got a couple of people testing the set now, looking for problems... Once I now that it won't ruin anyone's park I've have the update ready. There are some other, new pieces I want to make, but I think those can wait until later :D

[rideslover]

Wow, I don't believe you are doing a great job on an animated railroad crossing and I'm surprise that is real! Thank you and I am very happy for you Vodhins but I can wait to see the WigWag video soon.

[rct3 boy]

great video!!! And its looks like a great set!

[RCT3robin]

aww :( your site is down again

i hope that it get fixed soon :)

[-eezee-]

Wow, looks incredible

[Old-Spice]

Looks awsome! Very realistic, I have an idea... can you make one thats about 2 squares wide so we can have a wide path crossing...? just an idea...


good job!

[LuckyGirl]

Within the last 1-2 weeks I was actually missing some real, outstanding new projects or project updates. I actually wondered if CS was about to die....
and then this :D
Absolutely stunning work!! I cannot wait to see more!

[Astros161]

Sick. That was awesome. Good job Vodhin!

[Vodhin]

Looks awsome! Very realistic, I have an idea... can you make one thats about 2 squares wide so we can have a wide path crossing...? just an idea... good job!
I'll think about a double wide version ... But, actually, you could put a gate on each side, since they come as individual pieces that you can rotate as you wish ;)



Within the last 1-2 weeks I was actually missing some real, outstanding new projects or project updates. I actually wondered if CS was about to die....
and then this :D
Absolutely stunning work!! I cannot wait to see more!
Thank you, LuckyGirl :D (and everyone else ;) ) Actually, I don't think CS is about to die, but I do foresee some major head-aches looming up ahead as more folks want to make scenery and don't bother learning some important basics first.

I may be wrong about this, but it looks to me like animated scenery not only uses more CPU/memory resources just in themselves, but some part of the OVLs for animated scenery load at game start- not map start or at object selection. This could mean that someone with a ton of animated scenery would experience really long load times even if they are not using any of it. Belgabor is looking into this and we're all watching him to see what he comes up with.

I myself have tried animated scenery a few months ago when The_Cook started to share his program. I failed miserably and was daunted at the task of learning a whole new model making process. I watched many folks use the program to make scenery, paid attention to the problems they were facing, and only decided to try tis again last Sunday. I got it on the first try.

Paying attention to others and learning first will be absolutely key to making animated scenery (as well as it has been for any scenery)- it's not easy to get started but once you do, it becomes very clear- and fun, too.

The update is nearly ready, I do have to remake all the animated piece, though- what you see is with a single LOD option that causes trouble. Now I don't have to start from scratch, I just have to work out how to alter the meshes for other LODs and work them in.



The new WigWag video is ready, you can watch it in the link below. Keep in mind that I'm still tweaking the model to make it better


(temp link removed)


Enjoy :D

[Pate]

these DO NOT stop peeps from crossing the tracks

So is completely useless!:mad:
Just kidding, very realistic! I love the flashing lights!:p
You're always at the forefront of new custom scenery techniques. Congrats, hope to see more!

[Adnecles]

That is amazing.....so much like the real thing right down to the last wobble of the arm. By chance there Vodhin, you going to do one looks sorta like a billboard that lowers the whole center to block cars? if no just curious.

[BigBurger]

The end of the animation is cool. You should make the beginning look more like this. It also seems quite fast. I mean it should become a bit slower, when it moves up. I like it ;)


-BigBurger

[Laszlo41]

Well done! The wig wag looks awesome (never having encountered one before). The end of the animation especially is very realistic, how I would expect one with actual mass and momentum to end. This will never make or break a park, but it sure adds that little bit that helps someone enjoy their creation so much more. Thanks.

[Belgabor]

Looks nice, but being nitpicky I have to suggest to try to make it a bit more realistic. The movement (during "full action") looks artificial because it is too hard. I'm not sure if that can be fixed in a good way given the limits of RCT3, but if you add a tiny bit of slowdown before the turning points, it would probably look more natural.

[Eletigna]

Congratulations, Vodhin for your first animated CS with rider event. Simply fantastic. :D:up:

I also want to make my items with rider event and of course with animation (you know, especially for Dark Rides), but we need some tutorial for this. I hope eager the release of a new compiler. ;)

[Plokoon111]

^ Go do it Eletigna. Your sets are amazing.

[LDPplayerRCT3]

no offense but DasMatze already made the German railroad set with something like this.

[Vodhin]

Congratulations, Vodhin for your first animated CS with rider event. Simply fantastic. :D:up: I also want to make my items with rider event and of course with animation (you know, especially for Dark Rides), but we need some tutorial for this. I hope eager the release of a new compiler. ;)
Thank you, Eletigna. I'm certain I'll be involved in a tutorial- but first I need to know how it works ;) :p

...By chance there Vodhin, you going to do one looks sorta like a billboard that lowers the whole center to block cars? if no just curious.
I'm not sure what you mean- post a pic...

The end of the animation is cool. You should make the beginning look more like this. It also seems quite fast. I mean it should become a bit slower, when it moves up. I like it ;)-BigBurger
I could slow it down, but the one's I've seen actually swing close to this speed...

Looks nice, but being nitpicky I have to suggest to try to make it a bit more realistic. The movement (during "full action") looks artificial because it is too hard. I'm not sure if that can be fixed in a good way given the limits of RCT3, but if you add a tiny bit of slowdown before the turning points, it would probably look more natural.

I agree, but consider this- it's running lines of code, with each line moving the WigWag to a distinct point in space and time, like so:


<;rotate time="0.0">0.0 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="0.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="1.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="1.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="2.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="2.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="3.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="3.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="4.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="4.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="5.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="5.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="6.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="6.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="7.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="7.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="8.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="8.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="9.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="9.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="10.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="10.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="11.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="11.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="12.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="12.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="13.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="13.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="14.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="14.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="15.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="15.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="16.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="16.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="17.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="17.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="18.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="18.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="19.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="19.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="20.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="20.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="21.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="21.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="22.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="22.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="23.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="23.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="24.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="24.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="25.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="25.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>

<;rotate time="26.0">-0.610865 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="26.5">0.436332 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="27.0">-0.261799 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="27.5">0.174533 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="28.0">-0.087266 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="28.5">0.087267 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="29.0">-0.087267 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="30.0">0.0 0.0 0.0 </rotate>



The above code runs uniquely for each placement of the piece, and you could have a bunch of these in your park... To make it slow down at the end of each swing, this is what you would need:


The Original code for a single swing in one direction:

<;rotate time="0.5">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="1.0">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>


turned in to this:


The Code needed to make a noticable "Hang Time" for that same swing:

<;rotate time="0.492">0.794125 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="0.500">0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="0.508">0.731769 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="0.920">-0.702098 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="1.000">-0.785398 0.0 0.0 </rotate>
<;rotate time="1.060">-0.759218 0.0 0.0 </rotate>


As you can see, the timing becomes a mess because of the duration of each event, and you go from 2 lines per swing to 6 lines per swing. The figures in there are approximate, by the way, because there is no automatic calculation of the events' times- you have to do the math yourself ;)

So making a more realistic swing would be nice, but perhaps the extra coding and eventual CPU drain could be used on a nicer piece of animated scenery that I'm sure will be forth coming ;)

So modelers need to be aware of some things, like CPU and Memory resources and balance their model's detail versus usability in all aspects, including animation...

:D V

[RCT3robin]

wow al those letters
It must be hard working with the ovl compiler ;)

~RCT3robin

[The_Cook]

Why the semi-colons at the start of each rotate element?


It should be noted that different things cause lag in different ways.

Textures are one of the biggest resource hogs, big textures clog up the memory and if too many are used then thrashing of the texture memory in the GPU will probably result, causing the textures to be re-loaded to the GPU each frame, with all the slowness associated with reading from main memory. Very few modellers appreciate that the Frontier pieces use 128x128 resolution for a standard wall, which is mapped onto a 256x256 texture that the majority of pieces in a set will share.

Animations typically don't use up anywhere near as much memory, a 256x256 textures takes up 64k plus another 3k for it's colour map, in contrast your animation takes just 3k. However animations are evaluated at runtime, possibly on the host CPU rather than the GPU, which causes a different sort of slowdown as the vertexes are processed before being transferred to the GPU. Because the information isn't static it can't be cached on the GPU, although I can't be sure that RCT3 engine even gets the GPU to cache static objects.

[Vodhin]

Why the semi-colons at the start of each rotate element?

Makes it harder to copy and paste my secret code ;) :p

Actually, some php based systems might try to process the tag - it shouldn't without any xml/xhtml/php/etc...statement wrapping it, but, hey, I don't know what's in the source behind this BB and I aint about to go look...


:D

[errt]

Use the [code]-tag, then nothing will be processed, even if it's real HTML or PHP ;)

Love the set. Looking forward to the release, but take your time to finish it.

[rideslover]

Wow, that is an amazing video about the WigWag was swing very fast? swing need slow like the tick tock grandfather clock has slow swing pendulum.

[Vodhin]

here is a video of the real thing:

ZpjvavFZhXU

(Don't you just love how all the cars are going by ignoring it ?)

There are other WigWag videos that can select when it's done playing, and it does look like most of them are slower- but not by much. This video I chose because it is faster, and it does have a more "artifical" animation to it- the draw magnet inside must be getting too much voltage or something ;)

Anyway, I don't know if I'll be adjusting the speed any time soon- I can easily cut it down by half, but that was too slow for my liking.. it does look good as it is, in my opinion...

Now to try to make a fancy one with mechanical linkages :D

[cp_diva]

Looks very similar to your creation.
And why are all those people just driving right along...That is a recipe for disaster!

...By chance there Vodhin, you going to do one looks sorta like a billboard that lowers the whole center to block cars? if no just curious.

I believe what he is referring to would be something like this, but adding some type of billboard...not sure about that!...

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1893/gatecrossing02az2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/2817/gatecrossing01pb7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3889/gatecrossing03xy6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Vodhin]

Oh, wow... That's a great old fashioned gate. I might be able to do something like that, but I'd have to consider a few posibilities for how to construct it- making it exactly as it is in real life would be a real pain to animate...

An alpha texture for the mulions on a 2D plane should work, but animation currently cannot manipulare the verticies to create the "fold-up", only complete meshes... I have a few ideas though...

[LightGrenades]

Animated textures can be controlled by ride events, can they not? That would be a neat way to do it.

And there's Diva, there to save the day with his vast amount of great reference pictures!

[Vodhin]

No, animated textures cannot be triggered by ride events... in my animated flaching lights, I'm pulling a trick- the mesh flips around- one side flashing, the other not... ;)


Oh, crud... looks like my website is off line again- and on a Friday, too. ... I wouldn't be surprised if it was off line all weekend ...

[cp_diva]

Glad to see I may have inspired you...sorry for any additional work you may choose to do. But I'm sure you'll pull it off quite lovely like!

And of course I'm here with refernces galore!

I take alot of inspiration from Cedar Point. The skyline is quite impressive, but I find it's the small things you don't normally see that really get the mind jogging.

[Cedar Point]

I take alot of inspiration from Cedar Point.

Glad to see I have some fans. ;) :haha:

[LightGrenades]

No, animated textures cannot be triggered by ride events... in my animated flaching lights, I'm pulling a trick- the mesh flips around- one side flashing, the other not... ;)


Ah, I knew it must've been something like this. The same effect could then be used for those dangly things, although it will definitely be a lot harder to pull off.

[Vodhin]

To all- my web host, hostingplex.com, just plain stinks. They are having intermittent connection problems. I've pinged and traced the rout to the server and all is OK. I've also shecked on the integrity of the files on my site and they are all OK, too.

;)

[CoasterSim.Fan]

I say you post abut it here

link (http://forums.hostingplex.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17)

Let every see how HP really treats there customers.

[Vodhin]

OK... My site seems to be back on line for now... Please feel free download and try our the new Gizmos set :D

But before you do: The new set replaces the old one, so keep a copy of the old set in a safe place. I recommend that you simply move the old Gizmos folder out of the themed directory and into one somewhere else, on your desktop or whatever. Just make sure that the old folder is not in any directory that RCT3 might access (like your RCT3 folder in My Documents, or in your pictures or videos, etc).

Also back up any parks that you do not want to loose- mainly parks in which you have used the Gizmos set (you can simply copy your Parks and your Scenarios folders to your desktop or where ever, again, making sure that the copy is not in any RCT3 folder). If something goes wrong, simply move those folders back.

What has changed:

The Warning Lights are now ride events and the model consists of a base, pole and a set of lights.

The crossing gates- all types- have been replaced with new models. The gates are designed to attach to the Warning Lights pole (they can attach to other things, too...

The WigWags have been replaced with new models, and as such attach to the top of the Warning Lights' pole. The can attach to other types of poles, too

All of the above are Ride Events and you need to place the piece, click it, and then click the Ride Event button to assign it to a section of track. You can set multiple pieces (the lights and the gates, for example) to the same section of track, and I recommend that the trigger be about 5 RCT3 squares away.

Place all pieces before assigning that section of track. see my note below for why.


A Note About Ride Event Triggers: All pieces that share the same track section for the trigger point must be placed before starting to assign the piece. If you change any one part after assigning the trigger point, the other pieces may not work and will need to be re-assigned.

If you have the Warning Lights and a Gate assigned to a piece of track, thn then assign the Warning Lights to another piece of track, the Gate will probably need to be re-assigned, too.

If you have pieces assigned to a point of track and then add a brand new piece, assigning it to the same point, the existing pieces may need to be re-assigned.

This is something inherent in RCT3, as the existing Ride Events behave the same way.


Enough said, here is the download link :D Download Vodhin's Gizmos Here (http://98.130.102.38/e107/download.php?view.387)


-Enjoy

[RCT3robin]

Thanks :D
really nice thank you

[Vodhin]

hmmm...

1918 downloads of the new set since yesterday morning and only one reply (tkanks RCT3robin, by the way...)? Is the set working properly? Is it easy to figure out how to place the individual pieces? Any feed back at all?

[RCT3robin]

Its totally fine it works very well , and the placing is very good ;)
ill post a pick when i have some time ;)

[coasterjosh]

Well, I saw that the gates wobbled a bit when they actually should keep still. I'm not very advanced with the OVLCompiler, but I think it's because you chose one position for more than two different time points.

I do not know, what American gates look like, but they seem a bit weird to me. I don't mind if they really look like this, but you will probably know what I mean, when you see DasMatze's Railroad Crossing. I love the lights ;)



-BigBurger
this guy is not right at all this is the most realistic animated cs that ive ever seen especially the wobbely part

[cp_diva]

Just got time to play in game...
I am very impressed with this set. It's already graced the Serengheti Express train crossing in African Adventure. Great job!

[coastermike]

Love the set, i am currently using the german version as its animated,but i will of course repalce them when your set comes up.

Like the u.s version better.

will your set include any improvements on track side signals as it looks like its totally replacing old set so i can delete that one.

Can we get RR crossing like this one below.

http://i4.tinypic.com/6ytupg8.jpg

[Vodhin]

Coastermike, read post 67 above, there's a download link there.

Those overhead warning lights are something like what I have planned, though my version will not be so plain modern- I'm trying to keep the feel of this set more around the 1930's, give or take 20 years either way.


cp_diva - thank you for the report on the set. now lets see if you (or anyone else) figures out what's "special" about the new gates... It's rather obvious and shouldn't be too dificult to spot- it's nothing "new" but I don't know if it's been done by anyone yet. It's so simple you might not think it's special, you might ignore it all together, even though it right there in front of you in black and white- or rather- red and white....

[SCAREcrow22]

I know! It's the fact that the gates are candy-striped. It's definitely special, IMO. It adds flavor and realism.

[Vodhin]

Really? Candy Striped? What "Flavor" could they be? ;)

[cp_diva]

Well the fact that your new gates have been hard at work lately in my park you would think that I found it...but I have not! At least I don't think I did. There is some writing on the back of the lights, but I can't make it out. Figured it might be some secret Vodhin recipe for chocolate chip cookies, but the fine print is too small. Oh well!

[EDIT - Is it the counterweight on the gates?]

Oh what could it be?

Have you thought about making gates that are naturally in the lowered position, and only raise when activated. Kind of like reverse peep crossing?!?

Just a thought!

[LightGrenades]

Oh snap, these have been released? sweet! Although I think you should change the title if this is your final, 1.0 (er, rather 2.0, although you've taken it to a whole new level) saying that it's released.

And you've certainly piqued my interest, hopefully, I'll be able to check these out tomorrow.

Excellent work.

Edit: Vodhin, you might wanna check Jackyx's Wooden coaster stuff, the download counter reads at almost 90,000, almost 50,000 more than jcat's spaceworx, and it was uploaded almost a year before Jackyx's stuff. I dunno, but something seems off there.

[ytivarg]

Any feed back at all?

I haven't had a chance to download them and play with them yet... but been watching CP_Diva play with them in BG:AA... they're incredible.

I love the fact that you added the 'bounce' in the animation... such a simple thing that could have been easily overlooked, yet it adds so much to the set.

Another gorgeous set, it looks to me. If I come up with anything else once I get to play with them, I'll be sure to drop a line here.

[Vodhin]

Well the fact that your new gates have been hard at work lately in my park you would think that I found it...but I have not! At least I don't think I did. There is some writing on the back of the lights, but I can't make it out. Figured it might be some secret Vodhin recipe for chocolate chip cookies, but the fine print is too small. Oh well!

[EDIT - Is it the counterweight on the gates?]

Oh what could it be?

Have you thought about making gates that are naturally in the lowered position, and only raise when activated. Kind of like reverse peep crossing?!?

Just a thought!
Nope, not the back of the lights (though you might want to watch the sides of those for just how detailed they actually are- but it's not that either) It's not the counterweight either- but perhaps something about the other end?

I'll be watching your park to see if you found it- wether or not you actually know that you did ;)

Oh snap, these have been released? sweet! Although I think you should change the title if this is your final, 1.0 (er, rather 2.0, although you've taken it to a whole new level) saying that it's released.

And you've certainly piqued my interest, hopefully, I'll be able to check these out tomorrow.

Excellent work.

Edit: Vodhin, you might wanna check Jackyx's Wooden coaster stuff, the download counter reads at almost 90,000, almost 50,000 more than jcat's spaceworx, and it was uploaded almost a year before Jackyx's stuff. I dunno, but something seems off there.

It's testing, not a final release- anyone can download and try them out, but I want to know about problems, as well as how you all like them. Let's see if you can figure out what's so "Special" about the gates ;)

As for the wooden coaster stuff, I see that but haven't had time to go in behind the scenes- I think the number has been artificially increased by the various search-bots triggering the download- I don't know why it's just that set, probably something in the descritpion is causing the bots to continually hit it...


I haven't had a chance to download them and play with them yet... but been watching CP_Diva play with them in BG:AA... they're incredible.

I love the fact that you added the 'bounce' in the animation... such a simple thing that could have been easily overlooked, yet it adds so much to the set.

Another gorgeous set, it looks to me. If I come up with anything else once I get to play with them, I'll be sure to drop a line here.

Thanks for the compliment- I hope you like what you get in the new version. Perhaps you will be the one to figure out the "secret" of the gates? Again, it's not anything really new- it's been possible since the ElectroShock set Klinn made, but just a feature that I'm not sure anyone else has implimented in this way... ;)


I've been playing around with angled versions of the warning lights and a couple of Rube Goldberg like contraptions and am finding that the manual coding of the animations might just be a bit much, but I might find a way to simplify things.

More to come :D

[ytivarg]

You've got Diva pulling his hair out trying to figure it out.

I've given up over the fact that it's probably something completely obvious that I'll be going "Oh.. that's the deal? Hmm..." and move on once it's revealed.

But watching him study the gate from every angle is pretty damn amusing over here. :haha: :up:

[Vodhin]

Hehehehe....

tell him not to pull his hair out... Just play with the options- like I said it's nothing new, just something old with a bit of a 'twist' in a way... like different flavors of candy canes...


perhaps if you knew what the textured model actually looks like?

[edit-pic removed]

[cp_diva]

Thank you! And now I have the decision if I stick the standard red & white or if we take it up a notch...hmmm!

[Vodhin]

Thank you! And now I have the decision if I stick the standard red & white or if we take it up a notch...hmmm!

Oh? You think you know what the "secret" is? Are you sure you could choose something other that what you... think you can choose?

[cp_diva]

I'm sure this refers to the 3rd color button that to my knowledge does not change anything. Or does it? Hmmm...

For a Prof. of Headology, you sure have got mine stressed out!

[Vodhin]

The third color button does nothing for the gate, and that's because the texture used on the little motor box has components for three color choices - it's used on a variety of rail road pieces, some that have extra bits that use the 3rd color.

No, not a third color- but you are on target with your previous idea, more or less... Why not list what colors you can choose? that might help you think it out... ;)

[cp_diva]

Makes sense on the 3rd color component. I compared it to the flashing lights and that seems to be working as it should.

As far as I can tell, all color options are available and the top color does change the gates through each hue.

Maybe I need to get some sleep to figure it out...will I?

No...gotta think more I suppose!

[hillibilly]

Amazing as usual Vodhin! As you might have expected, this post will tell you how I plan on using them in my parks, simply because your sets have always been my "go-to" pieces in-game. It amazes me that there are still people like you that take the time to put these CS together, and find new ways to use them all the time.

Anyway, I plan on using these today for my "revamping" on Pineknot. I have been trying to emulate that movement with all kinds of CS and now I can easily do it with this. Thank you so much!

-Hill(#1 Fan)

[Vodhin]

Amazing as usual Vodhin! As you might have expected, this post will tell you how I plan on using them in my parks, simply because your sets have always been my "go-to" pieces in-game. It amazes me that there are still people like you that take the time to put these CS together, and find new ways to use them all the time.

Anyway, I plan on using these today for my "revamping" on Pineknot. I have been trying to emulate that movement with all kinds of CS and now I can easily do it with this. Thank you so much!

-Hill(#1 Fan)
Cool. I'd like to see what Pineknot when you're done ;) Making CS is still a lot of fun, but my creative energies have been focusing on other projects lately and deciding on what to make next has become a stumbling block...


Makes sense on the 3rd color component. I compared it to the flashing lights and that seems to be working as it should.

As far as I can tell, all color options are available and the top color does change the gates through each hue.

Maybe I need to get some sleep to figure it out...will I?

No...gotta think more I suppose!
No, don't llose any more sleep over it- the "secret" is that the white part stays white regardless of the color chosen, even though it's part of a recolorable texture (well, basically white- some colors will give it a slight tint). So essentially it is a "partially" recolorable texture ;)

I figured out that I can do whites and blacks on top of the 3 changable colorable parts, giving me the ability to have up to 5 colors on an object, with the blacks and whites as unchangable...

[ytivarg]

I knew it was something totally obvious. :p

[cp_diva]

Now that makes complete sense! All that time changing colors and it was right in front of me...Will wonders never cease to amaze me.

I did manage to get 45 minutes of quality sleep in last night...which is not good when you have to work an 8 hour day!

Thanks for revealing the "secret"!

[DjEsquare]

Vodhin,
They Work Great !!!
I swear I remember seeing a demo on here, of a RR crossing that the Peeps would not cross when a train was in it, and in fact they would run out of the way. Maybe this was just a video that someone made, but I am 100% sure I remember seeing this.....

[Vodhin]

I'm glad to hear it- Thanks for letting me know :D

The only other crossing gates that I know of are DasMatze's and I don't think he got them to block peeps on their own. If the video shows peeps running away, waving their arms in the air, then I guess whoever made it tricked you by releasing a "Wild" animal (try it- it's fun- they even run away from baby monkeys...)

I've been playing with several ideas, including colision displacement (a lost peep will walk around a hedge , for example). However, the result seems to point to the colision taking place at the origin of the animated piece, and the colision does not seem to move with the object.

Signs are out of the question, as you cannot set it to be a ride event and to be a sign- the options are in the same category and are mutually exclusive.

Still I experiment, bow with this little goodie: (temp link removed)

Now don't get out of joint and think you'll have peeps enjoying a pleasant afternoon sipping lemonaide while gently rocking to and fro' - it appears that peep effect points cannot be "seen" by the peeps when they are in motion, and there is no way to stop the animation, the "Bench" option is in the same group as Ride Event, and benches don't have any kind of trigger that could be used to start or stop the animation... I'm still trying, but I doubt the swinging bench will work- and so probably won't be released (after all, what's the point- other than saying you've got ghosts in your park :p )

More to come :D

[RCT3robin]

Thats nice :D

[Astros161]

Nice but can peeps sit on them or are they just for design purposes.

[cp_diva]

As the last paragraph states, peeps can not "find" the benches while they are in motion and they can not be stopped so therefore peeps will not be sitting on them...

...yet!

[davey917]

vodhin, two great things, one thread!

On the gizmos: have you considered/can you do the block signals as ride events (change to red as the train passes, wait 10-20 seconds and change back to green)?

On the benches: I realize they are different things, but how does the water cannon function? It doesn't spray water until a peep sits down at it. Either way, it looks too cool to just abandon it.

I'll bet your 'junk' scenery file is better than...oops wrong forum.;)

[Vodhin]

Nice but can peeps sit on them or are they just for design purposes.
No, and it may not be possible, but I'm still trying..


vodhin, two great things, one thread!

On the gizmos: have you considered/can you do the block signals as ride events (change to red as the train passes, wait 10-20 seconds and change back to green)?

On the benches: I realize they are different things, but how does the water cannon function? It doesn't spray water until a peep sits down at it. Either way, it looks too cool to just abandon it.

I'll bet your 'junk' scenery file is better than...oops wrong forum.;)
The Water Cannon is it's own scenery type, in the same group as Benches and Ride Events- which means that you cannot have it as a bench and water cannon, and I haven't tried anything with a Water Cannon type- so thank you for that idea- it might be interesting to make new types of water cannons (an maybe not just water...)

The signals I am still thinking if they need to be animated as such- I like the idea, and it wouldn't be too much work (actually it will - there's a lot of model and texture changes I'd have to make). I'd like to work on new items, though, learn more of how the animation works and test more ideas (like the water cannons! ;) )...

More To Come :D

[MeJayBe]

The Water Cannon is it's own scenery type, in the same group as Benches and Ride Events- which means that you cannot have it as a bench and water cannon, and I haven't tried anything with a Water Cannon type- so thank you for that idea- it might be interesting to make new types of water cannons (an maybe not just water...)

The signals I am still thinking if they need to be animated as such- I like the idea, and it wouldn't be too much work (actually it will - there's a lot of model and texture changes I'd have to make). I'd like to work on new items, though, learn more of how the animation works and test more ideas (like the water cannons! ;) )...

Ooh... how about some type of midway game? Like the peeps squirt the water into the clowns mouth to blow up the balloon? Or maybe the BB gun game where they have to shoot the target off the clip. Or maybe the air cannon that shoots the tennis balls at targets. Just a few ideas if you decide to go that direction.

Great work on the swinging benches by the way.

[DjEsquare]

I am VERY CERTAIN that from one of the fan sites, I had downloaded a RCT3 Game that had an At Grade Crossing of a Train, Tram, of some sort, that the Peeps Acknowledged and did not cross when the train was there. It was not a crossing gate, just an at grade crossing. It only worked in that game, as if the game had a mod written to it. It would seem to me if This wasnt a dream, someone else would remember.... Maybe it was just all in my mind. :weird:

[snailmale152]

this idea is great!!
but the benches look a little weird, can you recolor them?
but the train stuff is awesome:up::up::up:

[Vodhin]

Ooh... how about some type of midway game? Like the peeps squirt the water into the clowns mouth to blow up the balloon? Or maybe the BB gun game where they have to shoot the target off the clip. Or maybe the air cannon that shoots the tennis balls at targets. Just a few ideas if you decide to go that direction... Great work on the swinging benches by the way.
Hmmm. Interesting... I'll think about it. I'm leaning more towards larger scenery pieces, like gears and cogs and other... er... gizmos! :D


I am VERY CERTAIN that from one of the fan sites, I had downloaded a RCT3 Game that had an At Grade Crossing of a Train, Tram, of some sort, that the Peeps Acknowledged and did not cross when the train was there. It was not a crossing gate, just an at grade crossing. It only worked in that game, as if the game had a mod written to it. It would seem to me if This wasnt a dream, someone else would remember.... Maybe it was just all in my mind. :weird:
Never heard of that one... Maybe you could find out who it was or where the site is?


this idea is great!!
but the benches look a little weird, can you recolor them?
but the train stuff is awesome:up::up::up:
Yep. recolorable benches... And they do look a little strange because they are not exactly as I imagined- but good enough for a test.


I really am at a little bit of a loss as to what to do next- there are some good ideas, and I know what I want to do in a way, but I need a bit of motivation- that right suggestion for new pieces that make sense for a theme park... and nothing too complicated (like animatronic singing bears :p ).

Suggest suggest suggest... perhaps your idea will be the one :D


-More To Come

[LightGrenades]

I've got a challenge. How's about a simple, animated flag? You know, like the one on top of the Hershey Kissing Tower? It's always a pain to have to place that one, and all the unnecessary polygons used when placing a ride that isn't seen nor used.

I think it might be possible (tried and failed, miserably), but it doesn't hurt to try =]

[Vodhin]

Hmmm....


... ! ...


I like it! Not exactly a Gizmo, but a neat test- and rather simple, too :D

I'll see what I can do... perhaps even as a billboard...

[ytivarg]

HI'm leaning more towards larger scenery pieces, like gears and cogs and other... er... gizmos! :D

I'd love some giant gears and cogs to put on either side of a lift (a'la Mystery Mine) that are ride events, only start turning when the train is rolled up to position... :D

Hmmm....


... ! ...


I like it! Not exactly a Gizmo, but a neat test- and rather simple, too :D

I'll see what I can do... perhaps even as a billboard...

:drool: A set of animated billboard flags (a couple sizes, shapes (pennants?), etc.) would be positively amazing. Even some to line up alongside your lampposts... the vertical banners with a nice soft 'breeze' effect to them. Life! Inject life into this scenery! ;)

[rideslover]

Oh Ha Ha, you got kidding me? That's is so cool swinging benches.

can you try to make us the german clock shop sign with leaf swinging with pendulum and can you try to make us a grandfather clock with real pendulum was good for the haunted house?

Here picture the German Clock Shop "Cuckoo Clock" Sign
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/6510/9694342277a3e35af0owb4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[michielh3]

What about a more horror kind a seiling lamp ??

You know , a lamp that is swinging from side to side , giving spooky shadows !

That aslo shouldn't be hard as you already made thos rocking chairs :p

[Old-Spice]

looks great Vodhin, Seems as if all the long time and good CS makers are going into animation :). you did a great job... swing away

[snailmale152]

How did you make animated gizmos? thats hard.
Is there a way to make like a little mine cart and make a track so the mine cart run on the track? it would probably be to hard though.
OR... you could make an animated bell!

[citytrader]

I would love to see an expansion of your factory pieces, belts, drives, pulleys - maybe even a steam engine;

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/9707/woodmannhk5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

We can kind of jury-rig stuff with your coaster engine and new pieces in your mill set, but a real, genuine, bona fide factory set...:D

PS - You could add all the gears and stuff others have requested....:rolleyes:

[dill5724]

Probably noobish but i downloaded it and there's a green splat with a face instead of textures:confused:

[shyguy]

What about a more horror kind a seiling lamp ??

You know , a lamp that is swinging from side to side , giving spooky shadows !

That aslo shouldn't be hard as you already made thos rocking chairs :p
Speaking of horror, how about a pendulum, like something out of "The Pit and the Pendulum." :confused:

[Belgabor]

Speaking of horror, how about a pendulum, like something out of "The Pit and the Pendulum." :confused:

Never has this animated smiley been used more appropriately! :up:

[LightGrenades]

Hmmm....


... ! ...


I like it! Not exactly a Gizmo, but a neat test- and rather simple, too :D

I'll see what I can do... perhaps even as a billboard...

:eek:

You'd be like, my most favorite person, EVER if you could do that...


:drool: A set of animated billboard flags (a couple sizes, shapes (pennants?), etc.) would be positively amazing. Even some to line up alongside your lampposts... the vertical banners with a nice soft 'breeze' effect to them. Life! Inject life into this scenery! ;)

Doood....:double drool:

[Vodhin]

flag animation tests are... promising... since the animation we have currently does not support vertex manipulation, only mesh manipulation (a complete face at minimum) the animation does not look very real... Honestly, I don't know if I'd make vertical banners that sway- at least not ones that are put on the lamp posts. Maybe ones that can hang from a ceiling and are loose at their bottoms...

I like the factory Idea, and perhaps that will be where I go :D


dill5724, I think you either didn't remove the previous set (in which case the new animated pieces wont have textures but the rest will), or it has been installed in the wrong folder (if you have Vista, there are some major problems with custom scnery and this new operating system- check the help and support forums here at Atari if you have Vista)

[rideslover]

Vodhin: how about my idea? I already posted the picture.

[Vodhin]

Vodhin: how about my idea? I already posted the picture.

it's rather simple, not un-interesting... but I already have animated a pendulumumumum (dang!) type object and am looking for other "tests" to do: the waving flag idea is good because: while it's still simple rotations, it's rotations over at least 5 bones- so as a stand alone piece, a flag test is definately one to try (and as a billboard it can have many future uses).

Other things I want to try are more complicated animations over a number of other pieces- interconnecting gears, for example...

[ytivarg]

Here's something simple to play with, but might be fun.

If you get the banners to have a breeze effect to them, what if you added a ride event trigger to one of them? Just thinking about Top Thrill Dragster's launch strip, lined with banners all the way down. As the train launches, the wind off the train catches each banner, giving a realistic 'sway' down the line.

Just something fun to play with. ;) I hope that the animated billboards work out. :up:

[cp_diva]

Agreed!

I've always wanted to see realistic interactions between the rides and the surrounding environment.

[Vodhin]

The flag test, while interesting in it's own way, just doesn't look right- it will require more subtle animations to get it to look right- more time than I want to invest at the moment. Other banner type objects will probably come after the flag turns out right, and flags and banners should be in their own set.

So, back to Gizmos, I've decided to experiment with ways of making gears and cogs, kind of like what we had in RCT2. I know there are others out there working to create new models based on the designs of those found in RCT2, and I will try to keep these different from that set.

The new gears will come in a variety of sizes and will interlock. I also plan on connecting drive shafts and belys and whatever I can think of. To power these, I've strarted building several designs of steam engines and hope to also have a water wheel to interconnect, too...

[edited]

More To Come

[cp_diva]

Looking good so far!

Would it be a possibility to connect these with a track piece to create a "ride event" or not. If I'm not mistaken, you can only have so many pieces to a single track point, so in 2nd thought, it might not work.

Just thinking out-loud I suppose!

[R-R Ltd.]

Vodhin I do not know what I am talking about. But couldnt you make it so that when the poles go down a no entry sign goes then when it come up the sign goes away or it doesnt work. Like use triggers or something. But I dont know what I am saying so dont listen to me...

[rideslover]

Cool that is great for machine theming.

[Vodhin]

Would it be a possibility to connect these with a track piece to create a "ride event" or not. If I'm not mistaken, you can only have so many pieces to a single track point, so in 2nd thought, it might not work.

Well, it would be possible, and I do plan to have some objects that will be ride events- a mix... Thinking about it, I'd probably make the ride event objects as single, complex gizmos (multiple gears and belts and whatever) that could "engage" with perminently animated gears and whatnot.

I've already looked at "clockwork" animations (run-stop, run-stop, run-stop; like the cogs in a clock) and have a varety of ideas for parts that interconnect and seem to trigger at specific times (but not tied to ride events).


Vodhin I do not know what I am talking about. But couldnt you make it so that when the poles go down a no entry sign goes then when it come up the sign goes away or it doesnt work. Like use triggers or something. But I dont know what I am saying so dont listen to me...

I assume you are talking about the rail road crossing gates? I did mention that ride events and signs are in the same option list. You can have a sign or you can have a ride event, but you cannot have both -as far as the current importer allows, and it may not be something that RCT3 can do.

I have tried making the models with collision detection enabled, where peeps recognise the object as impassable (like the hedges can be used to trap stray peeps not on a path). This did not work as I think the collision relies on the origin of the model, and that area does not change with animation: you cannot use animation to move the collision-able area to another square.

If you could, there would be one major obsticle to simply make it useless anyway: peeps on a path follow that path to whatever the AI has pre-determined they want to visit, once that action has been decided, the AI plots a course over the existing paths as they are when the descision was generated. Any new change in that path, such as a new in-game sign set for No-Entry, does not affect the currently plotted route. Try it, you can see what I mean by placing new signs on existing paths that peeps are usig or even deleting some path ssections- it takes about 30 seconds or so before the new path arrangement affects the peep's movements.

Even if it were possible to move a sign into position to make a temporary No-Entry, you would nee at least a 30 second lead in, plus the duration of the actual gate movements, and then another 30 seconds afterwards before the peeps would use the path again. that's as much as a minute and a half per crossing, and depending on the length of the ride itself, you may never get enough room to have effective, realistic crossings.


However, as the importer grows and new clues to how RCT3 really works, I believe that it might be possible to create a "ride" built into a crossing gate. Essentially, a gate might be able to use the stop and wait code found in Ride Entrances, and instead of boading a train, they would simply cross to the other side (and probably jump for joy if they liked it or throw up if it made them sick :p )

This idea probably wont work, as it would either be a seperate ride, in which it couldn't be a ride event triggered by another ride, or it would need to be set up as a station platform for the ride it's attached to- and you may not be able to prevent the train from stopping and taking on passengers...

Hope for peep interaction with crossing gates should just be forgotten about for now...

Cool that is great for machine theming.

Thanks, it should work nicely in for building all kinds of industrial themed buildings...

[Old-Spice]

Wow, Nice job on all your animations. Thery will all come in handy!

[rctman12]

what an artwork!!!!

[Bio|Hazard]

Wow! Looks great Vodhin

[Vodhin]

Thanks for the thumbs up :D

I thought I'd should have some kind of power plant for the Gears and Cogs, so I have decided to make several steam engines. Well, here is the start of the first steam engine that will drive the new gears & cogs & belts gizmos:

[edit-pic removed]

It's just starting to flesh out and still have a number of parts to build and make textures for. When finished, it will interlock with other gears and cogs in the set, and shouldn't take up too much in the way of resources- as it stands now, it's less than 400 polygons, and will be optimized with different levels of detail.

More To Come :D

[Master_Player09]

Looks good.:up:

[rideslover]

Piston was cool for Titanic or Train.

[ytivarg]

That. Looks. Amazing.

I can't wait to use it... I already have wicked plans for these bad boys. :up:

[deathfearsnone]

looks awesome

[BigBurger]

Looks nice. Is the blue thing a bone? This is interesting for me as a SketchUp-user. :) Is it also possible to make recolorable animated objects? I was a bit unsure about trying it. :(

-BigBurger

[Fisherman]

hmmm...all I see is a red 'x'. Did you remove the pic? I'd love to see it! :D hmmm...now I can't see your site either...hmmm...

EDIT: nevermind...I see it now! And I LOVE what I see!!! AAAAHHH!!!

-Derek

[BigLouie]

looks good Vodhin! :up:

[citytrader]

Vodhin,

Wonderful work! I can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve!

Thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into this wonderful set.

PS - Check your PMs.

[belotto33]

I don´t want to be the last person saying "Wonderful set".

So...

Wonderful and promising set, Vodhin! ;)

Thank you for sharing and I hope, you´ll never run out of new ideas.

[Vodhin]

Well, thanks for all the compliments, and I'm sure that folks will have fun with the upcoming update.

Here's a little teaser of the new gears and cogs' steam powered drive:

http://www.vodhin.net/Temp/Vodhin_SteamEngine01_VideoSC.jpg (http://www.vodhin.net/Temp/Vodhin_SteamEngine01_Video.wmv)

Click the pic above to watch a little preview movie. Hopefully I'll have an update ready to download later this month :D

[cp_diva]

Pure genius. This in addition to the cogs and gears from earlier will make for very interesting options within game. Very nice Vodhin!

[shyguy]

Wow Vodhin!

Now I can build Willy Wonka's Laboratory!! :D


Seriously, it looks awesome. Your innovations in CS never cease to amaze me.

[deathfearsnone]

that is amazing i didn't know u could do that with cs. is it recourlable for dark rides?

[cp_diva]

Methinks it would all be recolorable.

Just an educated guess though!

[LightGrenades]

Yes, it's recolorable.

[rideslover]

nice color scheme and keep up a good work

[ytivarg]

Vodhin... you honestly never cease to amaze me. Love it. The animation looks better than I imagined. Congrats!

[stuk71]

:up: Pushin' those boundaries again and raisin' the hurdle, 'eh Vodhin ;)

[RCT3robin]

Wow thats nice vodhin!

[Sir R L IV]

Nice one, Vodhin.

If I may make a suggestion, how about a vertical steam engine, like they have on steamships?

Rather like this engine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZYNs6rA_-Q.

[Fisherman]

Heh...I've got a couple of rides in the works right now in which these gears and engines will come in quite handy.

Vodhin, did you say that some ride events will be part of this set? I'm curious about that...do you plan to make some of the gears and such triggerable?

-Derek

[Old-Spice]

Purely Amazing. I do have to bring back an older request, Remember when i asked about the water wheel? Now you can make animations could you consider it?

Thanks and please....

Love ya ;)

[Astros161]

Amazing vodhin. The only thing left for you to invent is custom peeps and rides.

[railmanz]

Vodhin,

Which's one you used Sketchup for animation?


Railmanz

[ImagineerJohn]

wow vodhin very nice and i like the detail and decorative pattern you have put on the steam engine. It sort of reminds me of the victorian style engines crossed with a more clean and posher engine.

[Plokoon111]

Great job V!

[Vodhin]

Wow Vodhin! Now I can build Willy Wonka's Laboratory!! :D Seriously, it looks awesome. Your innovations in CS never cease to amaze me.
I amaze the Great ShyGuy? Wow... that's an honor.... Wonka scenery... 1970's version, (the good one) right? ;)

that is amazing i didn't know u could do that with cs. is it recourlable for dark rides?
Recolorable it is...

Yes, it's recolorable.
Someone's been peeking into my head again... :bulb:

Vodhin... you honestly never cease to amaze me. Love it. The animation looks better than I imagined. Congrats!
Hehehehe..... just you wait....

:up: Pushin' those boundaries again and raisin' the hurdle, 'eh Vodhin ;)
I seem to be simply pushing them over the cliff, my friend... Over the cliff...

Nice one, Vodhin. If I may make a suggestion, how about a vertical steam engine, like they have on steamships? Rather like this engine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZYNs6rA_-Q.
Yep. Not exactly like that one, but also in sections: add your own flywheel size/design, etc.

Heh...I've got a couple of rides in the works right now in which these gears and engines will come in quite handy. Vodhin, did you say that some ride events will be part of this set? I'm curious about that...do you plan to make some of the gears and such triggerable? -Derek
The neat thing about these items is how easy thay have been to animate. Small gears turn once per second and Large gears rotate once every 2 seconds- the animation cycle requires little coding.

Here's my wish for Belgabor and the cook- though it might not be possible: the ability to cycle animation for a length of time. I have not seen any item in RCT3 that can do anything like this, outside of mixmaster items. If I were to make ride events as it works now, then there would be a set duration needed, and the animation coding would need to be "manually" repeated, and in the case of the gears, I'd want realistic slow-start / slow-down animation. That's a bit too much to code every interconnectable gear to do.

What I plan is to create some fancy "Rube Goldberg" llike gizmos that will be triggerable, and have some mechanism that can interconnect with the perpetually running gears... We'll have to see what my brain comes up with...

Purely Amazing. I do have to bring back an older request, Remember when i asked about the water wheel? Now you can make animations could you consider it? Thanks and please.... Love ya ;)
The Mill set will get an update with a real water wheel- but not until I get further on with the Gizmos set: I'm learning much that will help make a much better mill set later on :D

Amazing vodhin. The only thing left for you to invent is custom peeps and rides.
Who says I haven't :p (well, me... )

Vodhin, Which's one you used Sketchup for animation? Railmanz
I don't use Sketchup. I use MilkShape.

wow vodhin very nice and i like the detail and decorative pattern you have put on the steam engine. It sort of reminds me of the victorian style engines crossed with a more clean and posher engine.
The Gizmos' era is meant to be early 1900s (even 1880's onward), think Jules Verne... The textures in this set are hand made, and I've been trying to keep the cartoony feel of RCT3 (actually easy since the texture sizes limit this anyway). I'd love to go higher resolution, but the textures used so far total up over the 10 MB mark as it is- and there are still more models to make.





Now for a little update:
Get ready for the actual Gizmos to start coming :D

(temp link removed)


Click on the pic above to see a short preview video of the new items that are in the works...







More To Come :D

[Plokoon111]

Wow I thought that was the zipper ride for a second. Good job!

[ytivarg]

Here's my wish for Belgabor and the cook- though it might not be possible: the ability to cycle animation for a length of time. I have not seen any item in RCT3 that can do anything like this, outside of mixmaster items. If I were to make ride events as it works now, then there would be a set duration needed, and the animation coding would need to be "manually" repeated, and in the case of the gears, I'd want realistic slow-start / slow-down animation. That's a bit too much to code every interconnectable gear to do.


What about dissecting the "Frankenstein" scenery piece that comes with the game....? It cycles animation from static "laying there" to getting jolted with electricity... hell, it even gives off different lighting.

[mad scientist]TRAP IT IN A CAGE AND PICK IT APART! :haha: [/mad scientist]

[cp_diva]

In the words of a great friend...

..."You are OOC!" :)

[Astros161]

That looks pretty cool Vodhin. I'm definitely making me an industrial mine when you release this.

[railmanz]

Very interesting thumb up!!;)

I try to buy Milksharp as soon.. And I knew that those animation love it.. I made any animation with gmax.. But I don't know what about sketchup and other.... ;)

Railmanz

P.S. Thanks to Vodhin

[Vodhin]

What about dissecting the "Frankenstein" scenery piece that comes with the game....? It cycles animation from static "laying there" to getting jolted with electricity... hell, it even gives off different lighting.

[mad scientist]TRAP IT IN A CAGE AND PICK IT APART! :haha: [/mad scientist]
That is a hard-coded animation- every movement and rotation is hard coded into the model as is, and it is a unique item- it doesn't interconnect with other pieces. My Crossing Gates do the same thing- static until triggered. But think of this: the gear turns a single revolution in one second, since it runs all the time I only have to code the single turn because it's back at the start when the animation repeats.

To make a ride event, then I have to code the turns for every second, and apply calculations for start up speed changes and shut down speed changes- look earlier in this thread for the Wig-Wag: I posted the code used to make it do it's thing. It can be done, but it's a lot of manual coding for each and every part that needs to be affected. So I think I'll have special things, like contraptions that engage and disengage when triggered- it will be easier...

[XcoasterdudeX]

New update make me want to download now!

[RocknGuitar]

... ... hamanahamanahamanahamana Vodhin, you are the greatest CS creator in all the land..:haha:

[Sir R L IV]

Dude, how do you do it? That's nothing short of incredible! I mean, I imagine it's simple enough to make something turn, but that bucket elevator... I'm awe-struck, struck with awe, as it were. :D

[Fisherman]

Slap me! Slap me! Somebody slap me!!! AAAHHH!!! I'm dreaming!!!

duh....drooooooooool...

-:D

[rideslover]

wow, that is cool as like mine shaft

[cp_diva]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that it's not a full cycle animation is it?

I'm guessing 1 buckets distance is all that they ever travel and the animation just repeats itself. Would that be correct?

Maybe it's the fact that it's 4 am and I'm going crazy!

[ImagineerJohn]

That is very nice vodhin. i can see the jules verne look to things. extra large rivets in machinery were always Jules Verne's expectations for the future of man kind and techonology.
The coding for the bucket converyer must have taken ages to get right. One little thing you could do is possibly add a sand particle at the top as if particles of dust are falling off the bucket.
Great work!

[stuk71]

The animation was done in Milkshape?... Think I'll go back and try that again.

[michielh3]

The animation .. it's .. and the sand .. omg .. some one break my fall .. :bulb:

Finaly , the first flawless moving piece of cs !! :D:up:

[RCT3robin]

Well done vodhin :)
i like it :D

[Amplifyed]

Wow! Very nice job, I really like the zipper-type thing! Very cool! But, how long did it take you to make it?

[Vodhin]

Dude, how do you do it? That's nothing short of incredible! I mean, I imagine it's simple enough to make something turn, but that bucket elevator... I'm awe-struck, struck with awe, as it were. :D
Making something turn and making something move are equally easy. The "difficult" part was how the model was made- read on...

Slap me! Slap me! Somebody slap me!!! AAAHHH!!! I'm dreaming!!! duh....drooooooooool... -:D
*slap*slap*slap* Better now? :p

The animation was done in Milkshape?... Think I'll go back and try that again.
You have a PM waiting ;)

The animation .. it's .. and the sand .. omg .. some one break my fall .. :bulb: Finaly , the first flawless moving piece of cs !! :D:up:
Well, don't go that far- it's not 100% flawless- I want to improve the dirt pouring out of the top, and I know the steam engine runs just as smooth. Besides, The_Cook's doors are prety flawles, and those were made literally by hand- the experimental tools I have do most of the hard coding that he and Belgabor have been developing.


I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that it's not a full cycle animation is it? I'm guessing 1 buckets distance is all that they ever travel and the animation just repeats itself. Would that be correct? Maybe it's the fact that it's 4 am and I'm going crazy!
You nailed it dead on. There are several groups of buckets - two independent at the top, two at the bottom, and a couple of sets for the upper and lower rails. The buckets only move to where the next bucket was at the start of the cycle. Easy to make, easy to animate... read on...

That is very nice vodhin. i can see the jules verne look to things. extra large rivets in machinery were always Jules Verne's expectations for the future of man kind and techonology. The coding for the bucket converyer must have taken ages to get right. One little thing you could do is possibly add a sand particle at the top as if particles of dust are falling off the bucket. Great work!
I admit I've been a bit lazy making the textures- I like the large rivits but have not dotted them all over as of yet. Believe it or not, the coding took about a half hour, with only one false test (I coded the top rail buckets to see if RCT3 did employ first frame reset as MilkShape does- basically there was a question wether or not the animation would jump back seamlessly, or if there would be a visible transition for a microsecond).



Well, folks, it looks like animated scenery is literally just around the corner- We're still testing things between the importer, the animation compiler, and techniques for making model animation in general.

I've posted a number of times about keeping your model's faces low-polygon and also about texture resolution versus the size of the model relative to the world (consider a high res texture at 512x512 for a single RCT square, and medium at 256x256- then do the math). Animated models will need to really follow these guidelines lest they get tossed out by the users as resource hogs.

It's too early to tell, but it looks like animated models if manipulated corectly, won't lag that much more than their static counterparts. The exception- as I am thinking right now- will be ride events, but there would be a trade off.

A perpetual animated mode, like my Bucket Conveyor, is a line of code running 5 steps and repeating, I think once that code starts running it gets buried in the model's state, hardly using any resources (essentially there are no new position calculations or state changes, which I believe are a major cause of lag).

A triggered Ride Event, say doing the same animation as above for 15 seconds, would require state changes and need to run 75 lines of code instead of 5- but it wouldn't be running all the time- so six of one/half a dozen for the other.

The trick will be to discover ways to fool the eye, to optimize the model's components and find the simplest steps to animate the different parts. Think before you go off and do.


Belgabor, The_Cook, and others have worked wonders to make creating animated models for RCT3 a reality-and it's still a little ways off before the tools (updated importer and OVL generator) are available for general use. Let's not disappoint them by haphazardly creating (or just begging for) insanely complex models and or models that really don't belong in RCT3 (imports from other games or objects that you just don't find in theme parks, for example).

We must, my self included, draw a line and try to stick with it. In my own Gizmos set, the Bucket Conveyor and other "brilliant" ideas I could make to expand on the that piece begs the question: Is this something that would be found in a theme park? Is there something else we don't have at the moment that is?

It's time to consider all the custom scenery out there, some of it's good, some of it's bad, and lately there have been a number of horrible "sets" showing up- horrible only in the sence that time and effort were not devoted to learning how to model for low-polygon/low texture resolution models.

Model making isn't hard. It's basically as easy as playing with blocks. What's hard is focusing your attention on your models, forcing yourself to try again a different way, and learning how to use the modeling program (they all have their own websites where you should be asking for help using them- not here at Atari's boards).

As animation approaches the main-stream, beware the spurious scenery sets and model makers. While animation seems rather harmless to RCT3 (if it's wrong, the game simply plays the animation wrong or the piece crashes the game, requiring only a re-start), poorly made models might prevent someone from making nice versions (or has been all too often lately around the Atari boards: members post 10 threads asking for approval or comments about their 5 models, simply pushing other scenery threads into oblivion.

OK... My pent-up rant is over. Time to start thinking about what's next ;)


More To Come :D

[RCT3robin]

wow long speach but very intresting vodhin:) thanks
~RCT3robin

[ImagineerJohn]

Everything you said there vodhin i completely agree with. Espesially the polys and sets which are appropriate. I found with my animated ride events they cause much more lag compared to when they are just continous animations.
One problem i think which is holding the ovlmake back is that the new version will not work on my computer and will on everyone elses. But hopefully this will be sorted in the mean time i will continue with previous versions.

[Vodhin]

...One problem i think which is holding the ovlmake back is that the new version will not work on my computer ...

try right clicking on the .exe file and see if there are compatibility modes for it.

[ImagineerJohn]

try right clicking on the .exe file and see if there are compatibility modes for it.

Tried it and there isn't :(
Belgabor just sent me a version which did create the ovls after displaying lines upon lines of coding and debuging. it all worked in game but the animation was not continous for some reason and i dont know why when it should be as it was not set to a ride event.

[RCT-Spanky]

äääähhh .... mmmmhhh .... sorry, maybe I have missed something ... this aren't just animated textures, right???

This video is soooooo great. It looks like you have open a new chapter in CS for RCT3. Maybe you could add also a "simple" transporter-band where you place the shovels like this:

http://www.spg.at/foerderband_eben.gif

[Belgabor]

If he could do that with animated textures he'd be about 100x more brilliant than he already is :p

The main reason I haven't released ovlmaxe yet to the public is twofold but not directly relaled to your (ImageneerJohns) problem. One thing is that I've changed a lot of the internals that drive ovlmake and the importer, so there are still a lot of bugs inside (johns is a strange one, but not one of those I'm really concerned of). The other one is that quite a few things concerning animation are not full understood, so it would be impossible to create good tutorials for it. Simple ones are in the works and as soon as I think the worst bugs are squashed and those tutorails are finished I'll probably release it publically.

[Teirmose]

You keep transforming this game Vodhin.http://imgcash6.imageshack.us/img410/1576/rob2.gif

After reading what you said about the games animated scenery being hard coded. I take it that you have to use a mid-level interface language to write it?
Something other than the custom scenery interface that is used now?
I do not pretend to truly understand how you make custom scenery, but it sounds as though you could use an additional upper level interface for making time event animated scenery.
http://imgcash5.imageshack.us/img410/4717/rob3.gif

Regardless of how you do it, I am amazed with your new gizmo's. Your just too cool Vodhin.
http://imgcash4.imageshack.us/img410/5004/rob4.gif

[R-R Ltd.]

That is vrey nice vodhin. I am just wondering could you turn it into some ride thing becuase couldnt you make each buccket look like a chair and then make it a peep sit point that moves around with the bucket and tehn the peeps sit and move with the sit point or is it harder then that...

[Vodhin]

Tried it and there isn't :( Belgabor just sent me a version which did create the ovls after displaying lines upon lines of coding and debuging. it all worked in game but the animation was not continous for some reason and i dont know why when it should be as it was not set to a ride event.
sounds like you have one BAN event that is longer than the rest.


maybe I have missed something ... this aren't just animated textures, right??? This video is soooooo great. It looks like you have open a new chapter in CS for RCT3. Maybe you could add also a "simple" transporter-band where you place the shovels like this: http://www.spg.at/foerderband_eben.gif
No, these are not animated textures. These are animated models, made with test versions of tools that Belgabor and The_Cook have been working on. Now about that suggestion:
... Let's not disappoint them by haphazardly creating (or just begging for) insanely complex models and or models that really don't belong in RCT3 (imports from other games or objects that you just don't find in theme parks, for example).
In my own opinion, I'd consider that item a bit too modern- it may be OK for those folks who like having construction sites in their parks. It might also be better made with animated textures, at least for the belt.

No, personally I'd rather make more "theme" orientated items, to make something like that as it might have looked 100 years ago- or 100 years in the future. Something that would better fit theming around a working coaster, etc...


If he could do that with animated textures he'd be about 100x more brilliant than he already is :p The main reason I haven't released OVLMake yet to the public is twofold but not directly relaled to your (ImageneerJohns) problem. One thing is that I've changed a lot of the internals that drive ovlmake and the importer, so there are still a lot of bugs inside (johns is a strange one, but not one of those I'm really concerned of). The other one is that quite a few things concerning animation are not full understood, so it would be impossible to create good tutorials for it. Simple ones are in the works and as soon as I think the worst bugs are squashed and those tutorails are finished I'll probably release it publically.

Again, let me reiterate an important point: the tools I am using to make these items are in alpha testing stage. I along with a few other CS makers have been testing these new tools, looking for problems, trying to break them, and reporting back to Belgabor and The_Cook about our problems and whatnot.

These tools are also not in any way simple to use, I've had success simply because I started learning about 3D animation (using MilkShape) over a year ago and have already figured out a lot of stuff.

And to becertain about one of the things I've figured out- the numbers that you can find in MilkShape's animation coding do not translate into RCT3 at all, and I suspect that other modeling programs with built in animation coding will also not translate.

What that means is I do a lot of planning and then still take a lot of notes about T-X-Y-Z-R data and manually enter each step into these tools to make the models behave.

And from what I understand, anyone wanting to use the new tools when they do get released will also be needing to follow these steps - Manual T-X-Y-Z-R data will be the way of us mortals for a while yet.


Model animators might be interested, so here goes:

If you want to make animated models for RCT3 when the new tools are released, it might be a good idea to learn about how 3D model animation works in your modeling program now.

However: any animation you do in your modeler will not transfer over- you will need to pick apart the Time, Position (XYZ), and Rotational data (TXYZR) out of the model's data. MilkShape has a comprehensive data reader under Tools > Model Information v1.7 - but just so you know, even that data needs to be interpeted correctly: MilkShape's Joint data usually does not include the timestamp of your keyframes and it also tends to apply X/Y/Z Rotations on any Joint moved off of Zero (basically pointing the joint's X axis towards Zero Origin) - this makes rather interesting delema whe a Joint should have Z rotation of Z=3.141598 Radians and instead is has X=1.570799 Y=0.7853995 Z=0.7853995.

That data might be correct and appropriate (in fact needed for "real" model animations like player characters in other games), but for the purposes of RCT3, you will want to calculate out what the rotations should be, if not for simplicity's sake, then just to keep your brain from melting out of your ears.

[Old-Spice]

When I joined way back in 06 custom scenery was just getting started. Over the last year+ I've visited the forums on a daily basis and I have to say, looking back, to see how fare we have come, it shocks me. Now just getting started in animation, another year we will be leaving Atari and banning together and making games of our own. It's people like Belgabor that got this all started, and people like Vodhin that help expand it and make it better.

Thanks Vodhin!

[rideslover]

look like a escalator.

[Sliverfas]

Dang, these pieces make me want to re-install RCT3 again. Maybe once your done Ill plop in the good old disc and try it out ;) But look excellent! Your pieces still amaze me. Keep up the excellent work!

[{Freak}Rct3]

And vodhin strikes again... :up:

Keep it up i already got some great i deas with it:p:up:

[citytrader]

Vodhin,

Wonderful work as always! I thank you for all the wonderful effort you and cook and belgabor exert to make everyone's dreams a reality. Thank you!

Question; Might it be possible to create a scenery piece of a flat ride? For instance, a children's motorcycle, minicar, or boat go-around? I know they are two very different animals, but several scenery "rides" were created in RCT2. Or perhaps a Whip, as Amazing Earl did?

I realize it could never stop running, and peeps couldn't actually ride on it, but it would just give the game that little something extra. I have no idea if it is even possible, but it would be interesting, I think.

Thanks again! Looking forward to using this machinery in Disney's America!

[Old-Spice]

maby you could add seats on the cars so peeps would "sit down" on the ride and make it look like there riding?

[Vodhin]

... another year we will be leaving Atari and banning together and making games of our own. It's people like Belgabor that got this all started, and people like Vodhin that help expand it and make it better. Thanks Vodhin!
Me thinks this is already in the works ;)

Dang, ...Your pieces still amaze me. Keep up the excellent work!
Oh, I plan to :D

And vodhin strikes again... :up: Keep it up i already got some great i deas with it:p:up:
Oh? Feed me some ;)


... Might it be possible to create a scenery piece of a flat ride? ...perhaps a Whip, as Amazing Earl did? ...
It could be done, maybe even set it up as a ride event that can attach to some other coaster or track ride, so it animated only when whatever trigger point was triggered.

I'm not so sure I want to do anything ike that at the moment... I'd rather work on other stuff, and wait for some day to come (when we either can make our own rides or when the "other" platform launches).

maby you could add seats on the cars so peeps would "sit down" on the ride and make it look like there riding?
It appears that peep effect points are not recognised by RCT3 when that are attached to a moving object, so that probably will not happen.




No new updates at the moment, folks... I've had a few days "off" so I could do some real work. I am, however, still open to suggestions for Animated Gizmos. Remember, I'm thinking along the lines of 1900's era stuff, and things that might be powered by the gears and cogs...

[deathfearsnone]

a swinging pendulam ride animated not like the game one

[citytrader]

I am, however, still open to suggestions for Animated Gizmos. Remember, I'm thinking along the lines of 1900's era stuff, and things that might be powered by the gears and cogs...

How about an overhead crankshaft? It could be done in 1 tile increments, perhaps one with a gear, another with a belt, and one with a differential gear?

They could be mixed and matched to any length, and would certainly work well with your other belt and gear pieces.

You might also consider a lathe table, or a sewing machine (static), just some kind of a small machine with exposed gears mounted on a table, all of which would interconnect to the overhead crankshaft, belts, and gears.

How about a horizontal conveyor belt with things on it? They could be placed behind boxes or walls, so that they do not need to "go anywhere", if you follow my drift...

One other thought. Might it be easier, as this may turn into quite a large set, to make it a different group from your railroad set? Maybe Industrial Gizmos?

[Vodhin]

a swinging pendulam ride animated not like the game one
I'm sure something along those lines could be done- but what, exactly, should it be?

How about an overhead crankshaft? It could be done in 1 tile increments, perhaps one with a gear, another with a belt, and one with a differential gear?
There will be drive shafts, vertical and horizontal, as well as 90 degree transmissions. I've thought about belt drives, too, and have a few ideas- but again, exactly what?

You might also consider a lathe table, or a sewing machine (static), just some kind of a small machine with exposed gears mounted on a table, all of which would interconnect to the overhead crankshaft, belts, and gears.
Hmmm... It's "Roller Coaster Tycoon", not "Sweatshop Tycoon" :p Seriously, I know the scene you are describing- many factories from that era had things like that. The smaller components might be a bit much to make and I don't think I want to go that direction. Hmmm... Candy factory.... Toot... Sweets...

How about a horizontal conveyor belt with things on it? They could be placed behind boxes or walls, so that they do not need to "go anywhere", if you follow my drift...
I like this idea. Simple and effective. Designed as several components would be great: straight, curved, slopes... Billboard mesh on the side of crates for custom stickers... :D

One other thought. Might it be easier, as this may turn into quite a large set, to make it a different group from your railroad set? Maybe Industrial Gizmos?
It could be, but it would be a lot of work to seperate out and might cause existing game saves to go "kerplunk... kaplooie" The other thing is that this set uses referenced textures extensively: different models rely on the same textures and seperating them out would mean duplicate texture storage- which isn't too bad, but it looks like RCT3 would load both versions into memory if both sets are used. There will be seperate groups, though, so getting the one Gizmo's set means you get them all, nicely organized- and I might take advantage of new categories, too...

[Belgabor]

I like the conveyor belt idea. You could make the suff on it separate objects, so everybody can stick on it what he wants =)
Of course whether this works depends on how well the game synchronizes animated textures and objects.

[0m3g4]

Only comment I can make on the preview video is that some of the gears are spinning on the wrong direction to make it plausible.

[citytrader]

Hmmm... It's "Roller Coaster Tycoon", not "Sweatshop Tycoon" :p

Now there's a great idea for a game!!! :haha:


Hmmm... Candy factory.... Toot... Sweets...


Sounds Scrumptious! :D

[Vodhin]

I like the conveyor belt idea. You could make the suff on it separate objects, so everybody can stick on it what he wants =)
Of course whether this works depends on how well the game synchronizes animated textures and objects.
I thought about this and think I have a way that you can even mix different objects... At least two... If I used a "belt" then an animated texture would work, but If I just made a texture of rollers, then they needn't be animated at all (you'd be hard pressed to notice)...

[ImagineerJohn]

The boxes sepertaing would be very cool espesially if you got the billboards to work.
I just did some testing with billboards and when i set say a billboard door as a ride event it begins to continously animate but about 5 minutes into game play it begins to work as it should. When i did not set it as a ride event they only animated the once. So i am doing a few little tests with making of billboard animations which i think would be very useful in alot of sets.
I was going to suggest the drive belts but you already said it:)
But things like Fred Dibnah used to show on his television series are a few ideas you could get from that. That has alot of early industrial mechanisms on show. I was also thinking of an Archamedies water screw but i dont know how that would be done to effect.
Just a few little ideas i came up with:up:
Oh and yes the rollers you would get away with being nonanimated espesially if you set them to SIopaquegloss. or some other reflective setting.

[Vodhin]

...a billboard door as a ride event it begins to continously animate but about 5 minutes into game play it begins to work as it should. When i did not set it as a ride event they only animated the once...
I suspecty your animation sequence is not correct- to animate only once as a normal Animatronic object is not how it should work, and as a Ride Event, it should not animate until triggered... PM your BAN code to me and I'll look at it...

[Old-Spice]

you can make a belt conveyor with sand, or rock. like the one i made for Mystery mine

[rideslover]

Oh I saw a video from you about Bucket Conveyor that is cool and keep up a good work well as feel like an escalator or something.

[Vodhin]

Oh I saw a video from you about Bucket Conveyor that is cool and keep up a good work well as feel like an escalator or something.
Thanks...

you can make a belt conveyor with sand, or rock. like the one i made for Mystery mine
Maybe...




New video available - click the picture below to watch:


(temp Links Removed)



There are no small vertical gears yet, and sizing of smaller gears has been a pain- I had to figure out a happy medium between what will mesh together (gears have to overlap their normal alignment size in order to mesh with other gears). Because of that, the smaller gears come in three versions: 2 positions for medium sized, and 1 for small, as shown in the photo below.

(temp links removed)


New gear frames have been added, too, and eventually I'll have vertical gears to match the horizontal ones. Interconnecting drive shafts are also in development.




More To Come :D

[deathfearsnone]

wow amazing job

[rideslover]

Wow, arrow mark on gear that is very good idea.

[Plokoon111]

Holy cow! Looks great!

[RCT3robin]

wow thats awesome :)
lol could be used to make a perfect mill

[SpiltInk]

Vodhin, that is most impressive. I can only imagine how hard it was to align the teeth on those gears.

I can see a ton of ideas and uses coming about once this set is released. Your work is superb. Look forward to seeing updates as it progresses. :up:

[Fisherman]

I think you are possessed by DaVinci himself, Vodhin...or you are into witchcraft or something...this is just so amazing...wow...I can't wait!!! We are in an RCT Renaissance!!!

-Derek

[Belgabor]

Absolutely amazing Vodhin. Animating that piston rod and especially the valve control must have been a true pita...

[citytrader]

Vodhin,

Something else to add to your ever-growing list of ideas;

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/696/edison20dynamo20of20188ds4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

How about a dynamo? The power has to come from somewhere, right?
Notice the light bulb up on top. I believe the intensity of the glowing bulb told them whether the voltage was constant. Is it possible to create a light that dims and brightens? I guess the dynamo itself would not even need to be animated, but you could add gears or regulators.

Just a thought... :D

[nailedgod]

Vodhin, you are truly a genius! Your gears look great and I like the other machinery too. You're right about thinking about what we really need to create parks with as opposed to what can be created. In the paraphrased words of someone in Jurassic Park, "Yes, we can create, but should we?"

I had a thought about something that would be an incredible addition to our parks. Someone made the comment that your bucket loader is like an escalator. What about making an escalator to use instead of stairs that would actually convey peeps? Is that possible? To me it seems like an impossible task, but so did a lot of the other things that you've done, like making benches that peeps actually sit on. If anybody can do it, you can!

[Vodhin]

Thanks for all the compliments :D

...I had a thought ...What about making an escalator to use instead of stairs that would actually convey peeps? Is that possible? ...
I could make an escalator, but there is no code in RCT3 that would allow peeps to use them as such. I do have some other "tests" to try, see how multi-part animation could work (think tracks with things moving on them that you can stitch together for any size or shape...


Absolutely amazing Vodhin. Animating that piston rod and especially the valve control must have been a true pita...
Actually, it was very simple- the code in MilkShape gave me the needed rotations (only the positions are wrong, but that's easy to figure out ;) )


Vodhin, Something else to add to your ever-growing list of ideas;

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/696/edison20dynamo20of20188ds4.jpg

How about a dynamo? ...Is it possible to create a light that dims and brightens? I guess the dynamo itself would not even need to be animated, but you could add gears or regulators. Just a thought... :D
I have not yet tried animating effect points (other than peep effects for a swinging bench) but I plan to experiment with those. I believe that it is possible to make a light change color as well as brighness and turn on or off even- though I have yet to try.

I have a couple of ideas for "Frankenstein-esk" machinery that will come in another set once I get the Gizmos update out.


I think you are possessed by DaVinci himself, Vodhin... or you are into witchcraft or something...this is just so amazing... wow... I can't wait!!! We are in an RCT Renaissance!!!-Derek
Actually, DaVinci hasn't been around much, but I'm suspecting that Achimedes has been raiding my pantry- I did find an auger bit in there once ...

Vodhin, that is most impressive. I can only imagine how hard it was to align the teeth on those gears. I can see a ton of ideas and uses coming about once this set is released. Your work is superb. Look forward to seeing updates as it progresses. :up:

Aligning them was easy, planning what items are needed was more dificult, but hardest will be figuring out believable ways to support the gears, so they aren't just sitting on the ground or floating in the air.


The alignment/positioning is the killer of this set: an RCT3 grid square is divided into a smaller grid of 4 units by 4 units by 4 units. You can move scenery vertically in steps of one unit, but lateral movement (left, right, front, back) only has the ability to move in units of 2.

This means that if you don't start the gears in the correct latteral placement, you may not end up being able to connect to other gears or have supports meet walls. Also, since the gears need to connect, they overlap the RCT3 grid, making them sink into adjoining walls.

It is for this reason that I might re-think the entire set's placements, if only to be able to have gears still interconnect and also sit against walls without appearing to be half-burried. Itmight be just a matter of making extra vertical positions and an intermediate connecting shaft...


More To Come

[Belgabor]

I have not yet tried animating effect points (other than peep effects for a swinging bench) but I plan to experiment with those. I believe that it is possible to make a light change color as well as brighness and turn on or off even- though I have yet to try.

Of course it's possible. It involves a lightstart, a lightend and one or more lightcolour effect points. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the distance between lightstart and lightend determines the radius (replaces the _radius). The distance of lightcolour effect points to the lightstart effect point determine the colour of the light. To change brightness, involve a black (or darker than the other) lightcolour effect point =)

[Vodhin]

So effect points as bones, and BAN data to "animate" those bones? eg:

Bone Name = lightstart01
POS data (x1 y1 z0 for example)

Bone Name = lightend01
POS data (x4 y 1 z 0)


Then add BAN information on both bones? What would the syntax be? I know Rotate and Translate should move the effectpoint, but what about the color? is that done with only the "lightend" statement in the BSH? These things I know not (at the moment :p )

[Belgabor]

I will call the usual effect point (lightstart only) syntax the simple one.
lightstart can have the first modificator of the simple one (eg _torch).
lightcolour has the colour modificator (_flexi0 or _r0g0b0). As I've said, lightcolour can occur multiple times for the same light number.
lightend has no modificator.
You can also animate the simple syntax, but you probably cannot change the colour then.

The shown colour is somehow determined by the distance of the lightcolour bones from the lightstart bone.

[tnstickboy70]

Wow,

Those gears are great. I love the things you come up with.

[Vodhin]

Thanks, belgabor ;)

TNS- too bad my mind has about the same attention span as a chicken in a hurricane...

Anyway, here is a little update to the Gizmos Gears:

(temp picture removed)

Not much, only a few vertical small gears... but that's just about it for this set- I only need to come up with believable structural pieces and they're ready.


Other ideas have popped into my head, and the experiments have been going off in all different directions ;)

[Old-Spice]

good job!

[Fisherman]

Will the structural pieces be separate objects? I guess that would be more versatile. Looks great, Vodhin!!!

-Derek

[simtanic8]

Those look awsome vodhin. This set will definatly come in handy.

[Fisherman]

So, I've seen these objects in use on someone's ride recently...Vodhin, did you release the set? :bulb:

-Derek

[RCT3robin]

he did , look first page :D

[Fisherman]

No...I mean the gears and bucket conveyor, etc. I downloaded the train stuff before. Hmmm...

-Derek

[Vodhin]

While my domain name transferrs to the new sefrver, you can get all my current download by following the link in my signature :D

[Fisherman]

Thanks! I got it! :D

-Derek

[Crowheart]

Thanks Vodhin, hadn't realized this was updated either..:noob:

Question:
Is the small vertical cogs still in the works?
Was looking forward to those.

[Sir R L IV]

I've been thinking about this for awhile, so here's my latest request:

Post Clocks: Those old-style clocks that you see in town squares and train stations. It would be especially cool if they actually worked. Here are a few examples that I found:

http://www.clocks.org/images/ny_manhattan_broadway_millennium_park_1.JPG
Four-face clock,

http://www.waynet.org/community/greens_fork/images/postclock.jpg
Two-face version.

http://www.theclockshopnc.com/images/Charlotte%20Square.jpg
Possibly some with or without signage on top.

But there's an even more ambitious idea on the time-keeping front: THe Steam Clock.
These are actually fairly rare in the real world, with one in Vancouver and another in Japan, but they used to be relatively common in the days of steam. Here is the Wikipedia article for more details. They are only available in a four-face version. Again, it would be ultra-cool if they actually kept accurate time, or if they worked at all.

Here a picture to better illustrate the idea:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/GastownSteamClock.jpg/450px-GastownSteamClock.jpg

Hope this idea actually comes to something. This set is already cool as is, can't wait for it to be released.

[gwazi]

Hey vodhin,

I am trying to download your gilders and glass update with the new stairs but the link is down can you tell me how i can get them?

Thanks and by the way love all your work :-)

Greetz

[RCT3robin]

Hey vodhin,

I am trying to download your gilders and glass update with the new stairs but the link is down can you tell me how i can get them?

Thanks and by the way love all your work :-)

Greetz
here gwazi
http://98.130.102.38/e107/download.php?view.392
there you can download it ;)

[tnstickboy70]

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/7938/121207img0011eu7.png
Clocks would be great. I will get you a better pic of the one on the corner near my appartment.

[max122444]

Where is the set located in the game? I can't find it anywhere.

[apet08]

Check the complete list of CS pinned at the top. Click on the set's name and you'll find out.

[Vodhin]

Where is the set located in the game? I can't find it anywhere.

The pieces should be located in the scenery items menu (not walls menu)

[danp14]

;) hi can u get your PAGE working please because there is some of your custom scenery of it thanks:up:

[RCT3robin]

http://98.130.102.38/e107/news.php

or use the link in vodhin's signature that works also.

[Mojomaster22]

I'm really sorry and this is totally random so please don't be mean but if u have ever been on wild beast at canadas wonderland they have those strait boards of wood on the drop, it would be really cool if u made that

[TomboFry]

hmm vodhin.net is not working :P ,
I think it's supposed to be .org not .net:hitting-self:!

[BoRJoYZeE]

:oI think it's supposed to be .org not .net:hitting-self:!

Look at date man. Sorry. :o:o

[Vodhin]

I'm really sorry and this is totally random so please don't be mean but if u have ever been on wild beast at canadas wonderland they have those strait boards of wood on the drop, it would be really cool if u made that


How are these boards "Gizmos"? Do they move or something?