Delete me - old thread
by Duncan Gray · in General Discussion · 10/30/2005 (2:53 pm) · 26 replies
@Denis The external or tracking camera will continue to point at the checkpoint you intentionally missed because the aim of the game is to go through those checkpoints, but I am looking at adding in a conventional external camera in the next release.
I never really bothered too much with the external camera before because I prefered the 1st person camera and assumed everyone else did too. Never assume anything about people's preferences. Always give enough choices seems to be the safe bet.
@David The external camera does position itself more or less behind the vehicle when you are driving in the right direction but as stated above, a conventional external camera will be added as a 3rd choice.
Vehicle wheel going partially underground on a hard landing. Yep, it seems to be a feature of the wheeled vehicle class. It's present in other multi-wheeled vehicles but not so noticeable because of the many wheels and the small size of the wheel compared to the vehicle size. It's on my list of things to improve on because with a single BIG wheel it tends to be more visible.
Your limited resolution is because you were not in full screen mode I'll bet. Go to "setup", Graphics pannel and set "fullscreen" mode and you will get a greater choice of resolutions.
Thanks for the input guys. It's late in my part of the world so I'm off to bed to go dream up some solutions.
I never really bothered too much with the external camera before because I prefered the 1st person camera and assumed everyone else did too. Never assume anything about people's preferences. Always give enough choices seems to be the safe bet.
@David The external camera does position itself more or less behind the vehicle when you are driving in the right direction but as stated above, a conventional external camera will be added as a 3rd choice.
Vehicle wheel going partially underground on a hard landing. Yep, it seems to be a feature of the wheeled vehicle class. It's present in other multi-wheeled vehicles but not so noticeable because of the many wheels and the small size of the wheel compared to the vehicle size. It's on my list of things to improve on because with a single BIG wheel it tends to be more visible.
Your limited resolution is because you were not in full screen mode I'll bet. Go to "setup", Graphics pannel and set "fullscreen" mode and you will get a greater choice of resolutions.
Thanks for the input guys. It's late in my part of the world so I'm off to bed to go dream up some solutions.
About the author
#22
12/20/2005 (8:25 pm)
I'll check this out tommorow and get some info to you on what maps are best.
#23
As was already noted, the rider platform would be prone to flipping over rather than spinning the wheel unless it had significant mass, which it doesn't appear to have. Being on Mars may help, but there would still be some issues, since reduced gravity doesn't affect mass.
To resolve this, my guess is that the engineer who builds the vechicles has probably installed a gyroscopic stabilizer. Gyroscopes take advantage of a principle of physics called the normal force - a force perpendicular to the plane of rotation and proportional to the speed of rotation, and mass and size of the gyroscopic wheel. It would make sense that such a gyroscope would exist, as some clever linkages could allow it to propel the vehicle as well, and recover energy from braking.
I haven't played the game, but I note that the vehicles don't seem to rotate sideways - that is, the "wheel" only turns on its main axis.
On a bicycle, the normal force is what makes it easier to keep your balance when you are moving. In this vehicle, for it to work as it appears to work, I believe there should be a horizontal gyro (like a bicycle wheel on its side). The gyro should spin faster when braking and slower when accelerating (assuming the vehicle taps its energy to move). Also, the vehicle should resist rotating off the vertical. If it does tilt, it should start to wobble (play with a toy gyroscope and you'll see this) until it gets back to vertical.
I don't know if you want to try to model gyroscope physics, but since your vehicle is such a central part of this game, the more physics you can put in the more believable it will be.
Other than that, I have to say I'm impressed!
edit: I should mention also, that if the gyro rotates clockwise when viewed from above, the normal force would tend to push the vehicle down, increasing its traction, while a counter-clockwise rotation would do the opposite. The vehicle builder knows that more traction is better for a racer, so he would certainly have the gyro rotate clockwise!
12/20/2005 (10:54 pm)
Hey cool concept - since I have the dubious distinction of a degree in mechanical engineering, I can expound on the physics a little:As was already noted, the rider platform would be prone to flipping over rather than spinning the wheel unless it had significant mass, which it doesn't appear to have. Being on Mars may help, but there would still be some issues, since reduced gravity doesn't affect mass.
To resolve this, my guess is that the engineer who builds the vechicles has probably installed a gyroscopic stabilizer. Gyroscopes take advantage of a principle of physics called the normal force - a force perpendicular to the plane of rotation and proportional to the speed of rotation, and mass and size of the gyroscopic wheel. It would make sense that such a gyroscope would exist, as some clever linkages could allow it to propel the vehicle as well, and recover energy from braking.
I haven't played the game, but I note that the vehicles don't seem to rotate sideways - that is, the "wheel" only turns on its main axis.
On a bicycle, the normal force is what makes it easier to keep your balance when you are moving. In this vehicle, for it to work as it appears to work, I believe there should be a horizontal gyro (like a bicycle wheel on its side). The gyro should spin faster when braking and slower when accelerating (assuming the vehicle taps its energy to move). Also, the vehicle should resist rotating off the vertical. If it does tilt, it should start to wobble (play with a toy gyroscope and you'll see this) until it gets back to vertical.
I don't know if you want to try to model gyroscope physics, but since your vehicle is such a central part of this game, the more physics you can put in the more believable it will be.
Other than that, I have to say I'm impressed!
edit: I should mention also, that if the gyro rotates clockwise when viewed from above, the normal force would tend to push the vehicle down, increasing its traction, while a counter-clockwise rotation would do the opposite. The vehicle builder knows that more traction is better for a racer, so he would certainly have the gyro rotate clockwise!
#24
The gyro is used more for sensing a pitch change so that the engine can compensate as required. I understand what you are saying but this vehicle is based more on the Segway method of stabelization and propulsion except this vehicle has one wheel so also needs x axis correction.
I should actually animate those movements when I get time. The vehicle does lean over on corners like a motorcycle.
12/20/2005 (11:08 pm)
@Philip, yes as noted ealier, the driver plus engine mass is supposed to move forward so that its weight offset can cause a rotation in that direction with a torque of T = m*g*d i.e. mass of driver plus engine multiplied by gravity and distance from center of wheel. Shifting the mass forward, backwards, sideways etc will provide full mobility.The gyro is used more for sensing a pitch change so that the engine can compensate as required. I understand what you are saying but this vehicle is based more on the Segway method of stabelization and propulsion except this vehicle has one wheel so also needs x axis correction.
I should actually animate those movements when I get time. The vehicle does lean over on corners like a motorcycle.
#25
To use the shifting mass idea you have to have a very good control system, since you are doing it by applying torque to the central axle and you don't have the stabilizing influence of a gyro. If the resistance provided by the wheel suddenly changes, the torque you apply has to change just as fast or you will send your platform into convulsions (might be a good idea for a crash animation - have the platform spinning wildly). Also the platform has to move around a lot. Putting it on a swing would probably be the easiest way to do that. It would bring new excitement to first-person mode :)
It's certainly possible to postulate a perfect control system for the purposes of your game, of course.
If your vehicle becomes airborne the platform would return to center and the wheel would speed up then level off (if you were initially forward) or slow down then level off (if you were initially backward).
12/20/2005 (11:27 pm)
Ok, this method can work too - I still like the gyro idea better though :)To use the shifting mass idea you have to have a very good control system, since you are doing it by applying torque to the central axle and you don't have the stabilizing influence of a gyro. If the resistance provided by the wheel suddenly changes, the torque you apply has to change just as fast or you will send your platform into convulsions (might be a good idea for a crash animation - have the platform spinning wildly). Also the platform has to move around a lot. Putting it on a swing would probably be the easiest way to do that. It would bring new excitement to first-person mode :)
It's certainly possible to postulate a perfect control system for the purposes of your game, of course.
If your vehicle becomes airborne the platform would return to center and the wheel would speed up then level off (if you were initially forward) or slow down then level off (if you were initially backward).
#26
12/24/2005 (11:32 am)
This is turning out rather nicely. 
David Calkins