Custom Scenery: Dark Ride [PHANTASM VIDEO]

[JCat]

After weeks involved with Jonwil's Scenery Importer, and quite a learning process along the way,
we are finally finished with the video. Phantasm is basically a sample of what can be done
with the Dark Ride Scenery Set, which is set for release later this week.

We'd once again, like to thank Jonwil for this amazing utility, as well as the RCT3 mod community
for keeping this topic alive with informative posts. Individual acknowledgments will be found in
the end credits.

Total Ride time is just over 3 minutes. The file size is larger
then planned (final size = 30MB) , but lower compression resulted in a undesirable results.
Screen shots will follow for those that won't be able to DL it.
Note: This is not based on the movie. :-)

Turn down the lights, raise the volume, and don't blink an eye...

Pumper & Marnetmar Present:

PHANTASM: THE DARK RIDE VIDEO at Trackworx



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(old shot from early April during construction)

[CoasterExpert]

That is awesome!

[Vodhin]

WOW!! Fantastic work so far! My hats off to you and Marnemar.
Overall looks fantastic, including the custom logo (I'm gonna have to get you guys to make me a nice custom sign for my upcoming series)

[Klinn]

Great stuff, looking forward to seeing this!

One quick question, just to make sure I understand this correctly, but you're not actually creating a 'dark ride', are you? That is, one that if it's daytime outside and you go inside the ride enclosure, the track and other items will be in shadow. I've shot videos of my 'dark rides' at night, just like your screen shots, as the work-around for the game's inherent limitations. If you've found a way to make a true dark ride, please share!

Keep up the good work!

[JCat]

Klinn -

It's dark inside -as opposed to the way we've been creating make-shift dark rides using the generic set (painted black). There is no change in the track, meaning you can still see where the track is leading up ahead, but whether your riding day or night, it remains dark inside (a la black surface). Basically you don't see where walls begin or end , like you do using the standard set. Objects will be lit automatically in the dark, which is actually the effect we were looking for. Plus some dark tunnels and walls will be used to conceal things.

Vodhin - definitely!

[marnetmar]

Thanks Guys

Thanks to Klinn for his help, although I still haven't gotten the texture mapping problem figured out. Hopefully that'll come in time.


What font do you prefer Vodhin? lol

[ajc]

Keep the creative juices going you two.......this looks awesome!!

[joetomnj]

That looks fantastic guys! So this is the "project" you were working on, eh marn? lol. Looks great so far and cant wait to see the video and ride.

[coasterfreak00]

Cool coaster!

Great job.

[Fisherman]

Pumper, this is AWESOME!!! You KNOW I'm looking forward to this!!! I love the texture on those walls!

-Derek

[Vodhin]

Originally posted by marnetmar
...What font do you prefer Vodhin? lol

Remember the Mad Scientist Castle in the Bugs Bunny cartoon "Water Water Every Hare"- he had giant neon letters (very fashionable in the early fifties-modern era). I think it blinked sequencially "Evil Scientist" and "BOO". OoOo how I'd love that for a gag!

[marnetmar]

Originally posted by Vodhin
Remember the Mad Scientist Castle in the Bugs Bunny cartoon "Water Water Every Hare"- he had giant neon letters (very fashionable in the early fifties-modern era). I think it blinked sequencially "Evil Scientist" and "BOO". OoOo how I'd love that for a gag!

I'll see if I can find a pic of that, I remember it, but not very well lol

[JCat]

Originally posted by Fisherman
Pumper, this is AWESOME!!! You KNOW I'm looking forward to this!!! I love the texture on those walls!

-Derek

Thanks *everyone*

Derek - that's a vertical tunnel (to the unknown ) though it appears horizontal in the screen shot.

[KoasterKid23]

WOW! That is awesome!

[Tidus243]

WOHA!!!!

[DisneyFREAK1178]

That's incredible! I desperately need to find the custom objects maker.

[CK the Fat]

Cool! I really like the cave walls and curved platforms!

I really need to download that editor. I just hope I can understand it...

[JCat]

We thank you...!

CK the Fat: Just follow Klinn's Tutorial in the Scenery Editor Thread - believe me, once you do a few objects it all begins to make sense, and actually becomes incredibly easy! The hard part will be deciding what to build now that the possibilities are ridiculously cool!

[2005]

like klinn, i don't see how you actually made the ride dark inside.

Making a 'black box' is easy enough, but i don't see exactly what you did to make the ride different. Well i'll d/l thisfor sure to see what you did

[JCat]

2005 -

It's simply black texture inside - there are two buildings, one slightly smaller then the other, the outside is the blue tinted texture (what you are seeing in the screen shots), the inside is a black texture (since you can't share two textures on one object). The black texture gives the illusion of darkness, unlike the way it is now when you build with standard stock walls. The track information does not recognize that it is "indoors" so it is still lit, as are the objects - however, you want the objects to show up - that's the whole point; they stand out in the dark just nicely, and actualy vary through a few shades -- whether it's dark or light outside.

[2005]

but track is still completly visible?

I already tried this and the track was completly light.


looks really good though

[JCat]

As I said, the track is completely visible, but the rest is dark - - you do not see the surrounding walls that make up the strucutre - so you can easily hide things. It's a heck of a big difference from riding inside a structure with standard pieces, where you still see every little brick that makes up each wall. RCT3's stock walls are still lit, even though you close up the structure and set the game to night mode. Phantasm sort of simulates riding in pitch black, with the one exception being a lit track, which is still quite effective, when you see it in action.

The cool thing is, you can add some of RCT3's standard walls, and they will remain lit, like if you want to have small moments of visible decor.

[2005]

I suppose by adding internal custom walls you can block the rest of the track from view at one time (where the track curvers away)?

[JCat]

Originally posted by 2005
I suppose by adding internal custom walls you can block the rest of the track from view at one time (where the track curvers away)?

Yes, exactly - so in essence, you never quite see the entire layout -- just patches of it.

[2005]

becasue the rides will go thorugh custom scenery, you could block the track as well by adding thin slices of walls over the track between track and camera on the trains.

This would only work with peep view ride cam, it probably wouldn't work with the nose camera.

A lot of work, but if you want the right effect.............

[JCat]

We have a few dummy darkness walls, both horizontal and vertical, as well as tunnels of the same style. These will conceal certain sections of the track. The track visible is is actually quite interesting. At night, the front light is on in the car, which makes it all the more dramatic against the pitch black walls.

[rushfan]

i wanta see the ride

[joetomnj]

Originally posted by rushfan
i wanta see the ride

As do we all rushfan! Definately can't wait to see it Pumper and Marn.

[rushfan]

just post a picture to show whatt you mean

[JCat]

[April 16th]
Just a few more screens - it's a bit tough to decide what to show indoors without giving too much away.