Roller coaster simulator

Hello all,

I am new to the forums and came across this site by accident. So...lucky me! I spent a couple days looking over the site and saw what people have done with DIY motion simulators for car racing and flight sims. BUT what I would like to do is is a roller coaster simulator. There are many POV roller coaster videos on the net and some can be store bought as well.

I work for Chuck E. Cheese and had the pleasure of taking one of these units apart:

http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detai ... e_id=13303

Here is a video in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHSdAnjSG9c

Looking over the unit, it is ridiculously simple. Inside, it has one computer, a stereo receiver used as an amp, a subwoofer amp, a video projector, a control box and two actuators.

I had to laugh when I first saw the inside of this unit since it looks like one could be built with stuff that is laying around the house.

The movement system is a simple tri mount 2 movement platform. There is an actuator under each seat and a central pivot point located more forward of the platform. While the actuators are the most expensive item on the unit (I priced them at $500 each). I am sure inexpensive ones can be made.

For me the hard part is trying to record the movements to the video and build some king of interface to translate these recorded movements to the actuators. This is where I need some advice.

In the end what I would like to do is create animations from popular programs such as Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 and No Limits and put these animations to motion. That is my goal.

So...where do I start?

(I pretty much have everything to do this, including a video projector, I just need to know how to make the platform, actuators and control interface to the computer).

Thank You,

Geo

The Video Plugin will do just what you need. Included in your X-Sim install.

There is better way than recording and playing back video. You can simply extract the G-Force data from the games, scale it, and apply it to the actuators. A year or two ago I used X-Sim to extract data from No Limits. It's a bit more difficult than extracting from other games because there is no plugin for it. You have to use the Force Injector. Search these forums for No Limits and I suspect you'll be able to gather the info needed to get this going.

With regard to other games, it is best to wait for the new PlugFree version of X-Sim. It will allow you to extract motion data from any games that is based on DirectX or OpenGL. :yippiee:

Well, I do have No-Limits...but it takes a VERY long time to create a coaster in that simulator. In RCT 3, you can create a good coaster in just a couple evenings. Naturally I would put music to the coaster and then record (or apply) the motion data to some sort of actuator.

So when does this plug free version of X-Sim comes out?

Now the next thing. The interface used between the actuators and the computer, where do I find information about building something like that?

Tomorrow I am going to crawl back into the Wave Motion Theatre at my CEC store and closer examine the interface. However, I believe it is using an RJ45 serial connection that goes to the interface and then the two actuators are wired into the interface. Overall it is a very simple set up, but it is one of the more reliable and 'fun' pieces we have.

Thanx,

Geo

??? I have No Limits also, but it already has 50 or so coasters that you can use right out of the box.

I do not have a release date for PlugFree.

Yes, that is true. I DO remember that it came with some coasters, but I don't have the latest version. So it sounds like they added quite a bit. I think I will give the website a visit.

Ok, so say I DO go with the No Limits route. How to do I use the force data and translate that to a controller and furthermore to the actuators.

Keep in mind I am a total noob to this and I am pretty much starting on the ground level.

Thanx,

Geo

Hello all,

Does anyone have some information in regard to getting (or building) interfaces to connect the computer to the actuators? I just overall need a good starting point in regards to getting a simulator working with either No Limits or RCT 3.

I also would still like some information in regards to creating motion simulation on a 'recording' basis so I can add motion simulation to movie clips, etc.

Thanx,

Geo

There is a possibility to create your own REAL roller coaster videos... All you need is a camera and a motion data recorder device like the one I describe here:

video-plugin-needs-fix-t1659.html?hilit=5dof#p16070

You can vitrually use this to record anything that involves motion ...!!

I am not sure if I am following you correctly, but I am going to assume you mean carry a video camera on to a real roller coaster and collect data while doing so. Well, there are a few problems with that even though it WOULD probably make a fantastic simulator.

1) I don't get to amusement parks that often because I have very small children and they are not of age yet for such parks.
2) I am sure the motion detecting equipment is expensive, and even if it was affordable.
3) You would need a really good stable video camera to take a high quality video of the coaster and as #3 states, I am sure that would be expensive. BUT costs aside, the big problem is #4 below.
4) I am not sure that many parks would allow someone to board a roller coaster with a bunch of equipment.
5) The risk of damage or loss to such expensive equipment from an amateur (me) not knowing the first thing about taking high quality video on a roller coaster.

Needless to say, taking my own coaster videos is pretty much out of the question. I would think that the BEST thing would be that once I have the simulator built I can sit there with a joystick that would record movements as I go through the POV of the ride. Once recorded I can play the track back and the movements would sync up with the track.

With this kind of capability then I could ANY kind of roller coaster video...real, RCT3, No Limits, etc.

Furthermore, I wouldn't be limited to just roller coasters. I could have a POV movie of a boat skimming across the water or even a boat racing game (I.E. I am thinking of Hydro Thunder here). I could have flying games too, and not necessarily just planes. I am thinking of spaceships, winged animals.

If you think about it, how do all those games in the arcades do it? There are many with force feedback controls. Heck where I work at Chuck E Cheese there is a ride called Tsumo made by the Tsunami company in which on screen games and roller coaster videos trigger a 6 motion Stewart Platform. Nothing fancy used here except a computer driving 6 motor drivers.

Well, I am pretty sure gets the point of what I would like to accomplish. I just can't believe (or accept for that matter) that there isn't a somewhat inexpensive way to do this. As I said before, I believe I can do it using an expensive recording program that can do SMPTE time code to a midi-to-DMX track. The DMX track could trigger a pair of actuators. BUT both the recording program and DMX systems are expensive.

So I am open to some ideas of what is out there that I could use inexpensively.

Thank You,

Geo