BigAl's No Limits Coasters

[Nick]

Have you seen the new FVD on NLE? It's easier to use than Newton, so why not have a look:

http://forum.nolimits-exchange.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=2646&page=1#Item_0

 

[Martin]

I've just got this new FVD. I've never used the old one, so this is all new to me. It's a lot like Newton, but the learning curve is even steeper. I'm getting to grips with it thanks to the example track, but it might be a while before I can use it to the level I can use Newton 2 at.

Also, why does the visualiser not work?

 

[BigAl]

So I guess it's time to reveal more of one of the numerous rides that I've been working on. Remember this...

A teaser for my latest coaster:

Well here is some more...

The name is Overdrive. It's themed to a test track at a car factory being tested. I decided to add a slightly bad version of the shared loop featured on Magic Mountain's Full Throttle coaster.


A few of the stats...

Capacity (pph): 1019
Dispatches: Every 42 seconds
Ride Length: 4789.00ft
Total Inversions: 5


The signature elements are the shared loop/hill, two launches, the immelmann into two downward barrel rolls, the dive loop over the paths, the drops beneath the paths and the two pitch black tunnels which will be taken quite quickly. The duelling element is also important to this ride as well and I've timed it so that two trains meet on the hill/loop and two trains also meet as one train reaches the end of the first launch as another train will exit the first big tunnel and hop over it before entering the second launch of the circuit.




One other ride I decided to start building was a compact floorless roller coaster I'll either call 'Panther' or 'Pantha' (depending on what anyone else thinks about the latter ). It will obviously be themed to a large black panther breaking out of its enclosure and wreaking havoc.

It's not actually going to be that far from the ground, I've just built it up in the air so that I can measure it easier before moving the land up to create the tunnels and terrain. A lot of the ride will take place in tunnels and trenches. It's only 1795.45 feet long and inverts three times. The signature element of this ride is the loop with the roll through the middle of it. Other notable elements will be the fast overbank over the paths, the first twisting drop through some trees and the immelmann shooting out of the ground next to the station and queue.

 

[Nick]

You've officially received my attention.

It's so crazy, but not that over the top, and that downward double roll is a great idea. Are you using custom footers, because it looks like it in 4th picture. And talking about supports, good luck. Especially if you do them right, because a support tower on the immelmann/double roll would look great.

The B&M looks great, very short and sweet.

 

[BigAl]

Yeah I didn't want it to do anything completely radical but I wanted it to do things a little differently to other coasters. The footers certainly are custom as the whole ride is actually set far above the actual terrain (why my terrain sucks ). Most scenery is simple as 1) I'm not great at modelling and 2) my PC hates complex rides.

The supports for the immelmann are going to be done to look kind of like an electric pylon / transmission tower rather than it just be supports for the sake of it as I want it to look aesthetically pleasing rather than simply something which holds the ride up. Then the supports for the loop will look similar but they'll slope outwards to look like a half moon cut down the middle. Most of the other supports will be minimal to allow the key supports, theming and track to stand out more.

Thanks! Glad you like them.

 

[Martin]

They look amazing, but I can't help but feel you did the immelmann/rolls backwards. Spinning up into a dive loop makes more sense to me.

 

[BigAl]

Thank you! Haha, I thought I'd just do something different instead of the usual launch, top hat, etc...

 

[BigAl]

I might go for a simple Intamin woodie next. Out and back?

Themed, obviously.

 

[BigAl]

Besides starting an Intamin Woodie, I've also done what Nick suggested by going back to the Construction Kit and creating my own RMC Topper Track rails. I even made a texture for it too:

This RMC wooden coaster will be called Sunburst. I think I might give it a steam punk theme but I'm not too sure just yet. I'd love to know how to remove the ties too. I've seen that you can do it with Newton coasters if you make the node spaces tiny and make the whole track transportation segments before turning the transportation to invisible, but I don't use Newton so I'm kind of stuck.

 

[Nick]

Then learn to use Newton. It only took a few practice sessions to do it. Start with an B&M hyper, but I did a RMC woodie as the shaping was easy to do. A small family coaster was also helpful for me.

 

[BigAl]

I tried it but I wasn't much for it really. I just like being able to grab the pieces of track and move them by hand rather than just switching sliders and typing in numbers, etc...

 

[BigAl]

Looks like I don't need Newton to get rid of those nasty cross-ties!

 

[Nick]

Nice work. Will you add the steel cross ties? I forgot to say before that the texture is nice, and so is the colour scheme. Although doesn't the RMC track have a blank top- ie. the texture is not needed?

 

[BigAl]

Maybe. I need to find out an easy way to do that though or else adding them individually would do my head in!

RMC makes (so far) two different types of track. The track featured on NTG and Iron Rattler is all steel whereas the rails on Outlaw Run are wood with a steel layer (topper) over the top. That's what makes Outlaw Run a true woodie as the laminated wooden track is still there, it's just that the metal layer which the wheels of the train run along is a bit thicker on these. That's why I wanted to make the rails look like two different materials.

 

[Bear]

I really like the custom supports! I'm certainly keeping an eye on this now.

 

[BigAl]

I really like the custom supports! I'm certainly keeping an eye on this now.

Thanks!


The supports will start off as the Cathedral setting with Woodmagic. I'll remove the catwalks and hand rails before going to all of the lower sections of track to add the thin cross beams.

Finally, I'll have to construct the supports which will support the overbanked turns and inversions by hand to look like real RMC supports, as well as making adjustments to the banked sections close to the ground so they look like they could take the force of a coaster passing over them.

None of the supports will probably look very good though! :L

Oh, I might also turn all of the beams that come into contact with the rails into steel 'H' beams too.

 

[BigAl]

Hearing reports of an imminent of a Firestorm!

I started it at the end of last year but forgot about it as I made more and more other things! It's an Intamin Megalite with lots of tight turns, hills and plenty of speed. I'll hopefully be adding supports to it over HT and I may add a few burnt out buildings and cars, etc...





Edit: I've also designed a compact spinning coaster called Fire Whirl which would sit alongside Fire Storm and a flat ride in a themed area concept.

 

[Nick]

It looks excellent. Nice use of colours, and that environment is stunning. Although the layout isn't exactly revolutionary, I like that bunny hop over the lift. I'm also not sure about that transition just after where the train is in the picture, it looks fairly awkward, as does the top of the hill. The drop and first flat turn looked shaped to perfection though.

 

[BigAl]

Thanks Nick!

It's just an alternative to the usual Megalite layout but with more than just airtime (not that that's a bad thing ) as I decided to throw in tight turns and an overbank which is in the background. It's more compact than Intamin's Megalite but that's not really evident in the picture I've just put up.

That transition where the train is is a flick from one side to the other and takes place quite slowly. It's all perfectly smooth and there aren't any laterals there either. It looks strange as it straightens out quickly before turning the train onto its side again for the turn that comes up.

I'll post a better picture or two next week!

 

[BigAl]

I'll just copy and paste my Shoutbox convo with Tom here to save explaining this next ride again ....

I'll be uploading some shots of my 4D design in a minute or so. It was the one I designed on Friday after thinking about how Alton could do different things with one instead of going for the same old elements. It's currently at 2848.52 ft long and reaches 62 mph. It features 6 track inversions and a launch over the lift. Some of it would only work on a 4D and I hope those elements are obvious.

I want it to be closer to 2800 ft but I've already made some elements shorter.

It's only 20 meters above the ground as a lot of it takes place close to the ground or in tunnels. If a wing coaster is to go to Alton at some point, they'd need to do something similar.

It features 4 unique elements that I've specifically designed for a 4D roller coaster. I don't know how viable the last element is but the whole purpose of it was a sort of collection of ideas rather than an actual ride design (though it seems to have turned out quite well ). I'll post the images now so let me know what you think.