78 replies to this topic

[alpal]

So, here I am again - and I will be building something out of knex...

A roller coaster - on CAD software!!!!

I just started the project, and I am building the pieces and making sure that all the mates work and the pieces interact like I want them to.
I have made all the rods (minus the color), the white connector, and the single slot connector, and I can now build a little bit. It is surprisingly easy to build in Inventor.

Edited by alpal, 08 May 2014 - 09:57 PM.

[CW5X]

I always thought inventor would be good for something like this. I assume you'll just colour the original part in the part file and it will change in the assembly file. That's what my experience of inventor tells me. Looks very nice right now and all your pieces look well produced.

[alpal]

Hey y'all, I finished making all of the standard rods and connectors today! And I added color!

[alpal]

I always thought inventor would be good for something like this. I assume you'll just colour the original part in the part file and it will change in the assembly file. That's what my experience of inventor tells me. Looks very nice right now and all your pieces look well produced.

Thank you! Yes, I can change parts and they will update.

Update!

So today I got to work on the project, and I realized that I made the parts wrong, the connection shown below didn't work, but now it does!



I also started working on the actual roller-coaster assembly


Comment! What do you think?

Edited by alpal, 01 October 2013 - 05:19 PM.

[Gvus]

Aw this is awesome. I don't know what inventor is or how it works but was it easy to make the peices? I wish I could have this stuff, unlimited peices, Unlimited space, and no painful fingers! I'm intrested to see what you will make. And have you made the cars, x-ties, motors, gears, chain, and tubing yet?

[Josh Monster]

You should create instructions for the rest of Raptor for me.

[alpal]

Aw this is awesome. I don't know what inventor is or how it works but was it easy to make the peices? I wish I could have this stuff, unlimited peices, Unlimited space, and no painful fingers! I'm intrested to see what you will make. And have you made the cars, x-ties, motors, gears, chain, and tubing yet?

Inventor is a part of AutoCAD, and it is useful for solid modeling. It was easy and difficult to make the pieces because I had to slightly change dimensions to make the pieces fit together, but changing the pieces is easy in inventor. I can change a dimension of a part, and it is changed in the main assembly. I plan to make the part files available to you guys when I am done, so you can have unlimited pieces and space too! So far I have only made the standard parts.

You should create instructions for the rest of Raptor for me.

No.

It has been too long, so I will give you an update of what I have been up to. Much of the work I have done recently on my project has been invisible, I have been finding tiny errors in the dimensions, and a few errors in the construction of my pieces. Some of the "errors" are less of an error and more that the pieces are supposed to bend, but it the program they can't. I have also created iComposites on the ends of rods and on connectors so that I can just click and drag rods and connectors together. Building is of a decent speed now, slower than real life, but barely, and it is consistent because you don't have to search for pieces.


All of the pieces:




I have also started learning how to make the parts move with drive constraints and other methods, and I made a little sample assembly to show you what I mean.

[mitch]

that is awesome. this could be the new way to make instructions.

[Zorn]

This is pretty awesome that you took the time to draw everything. If you do release the part files, I would love to play around with it! This definitely has some potential to do neat things.

Edited by Zorn, 08 October 2013 - 09:49 PM.

[commando]

If you release them for download, make sure there .STEP files, that way any CAD software should be able to read them, I'm a SolidWorks Guy so ya.... But nice job! This will be great for guides and maybe, with a dome efforts, determining structural stability!

Also, wouldn't screen shots be easier?

Edited by commando, 09 October 2013 - 01:19 PM.

[Turtle Man 24]

A Download would be nice for the parts, since I am in CAD class at my school. But we have inventor and other things too.

[alpal]

that is awesome. this could be the new way to make instructions.

Thanks! I am working on getting to the point where I am good enough on the program to make instructions quickly.

This is pretty awesome that you took the time to draw everything. If you do release the part files, I would love to play around with it! This definitely has some potential to do neat things.

I will release them once I finish all of the different non-standard pieces, and make sure that all of the imates are efficient and useful.

If you release them for download, make sure there .STEP files, that way any CAD software should be able to read them, I'm a SolidWorks Guy so ya.... But nice job! This will be great for guides and maybe, with a dome efforts, determining structural stability!

Also, wouldn't screen shots be easier?

Didn't know that. Thanks for the info. I'm still learning this program, so any tips are appreciated. Structural stability is a feature that is on my list to explore. As far as screen shots go, I just took a pic with my iphone. When I do renders, I will post the actual graphic.

A Download would be nice for the parts, since I am in CAD class at my school. But we have inventor and other things too.

Download will arrive with tutorials, so don't expect the downloads until I finish my project and create video tutorials of how to build in the program.


Update! It has been too long since my last update, mainly due to finding small errors in the construction of my pieces. Somehow I messed up the lengths of the rods. I was new to the program, maybe that had something to do with it. So I fixed the pieces, and have been learning how to build and why and how errors arise. At this point, I have finished the station. I'll let the pictures do the talking.



Comment!

Edited by alpal, 16 October 2013 - 05:54 AM.

[alpal]

Hello again, I have a small update for you,

[The Stig]

Have you worked out how you're going to make flexi rods flex?

[ZachCreate]

Hey that's not a small update! Would you allow me to sort of copy the station for the VV coaster I'm making? Just because it's a really nice station!

[alpal]

Have you worked out how you're going to make flexi rods flex?

Working on it!

Hey that's not a small update! Would you allow me to sort of copy the station for the VV coaster I'm making? Just because it's a really nice station!

Sure, you can use the station design!

[Zorn]

Which command are you using for the flexi's? The bend command? Or is there a more efficient way to go about creating them?

[commando]

Sweep I believe? You have the geometry of the face of your object on one plane and then your path on a perpendicular plane.

[alpal]

Which command are you using for the flexi's? The bend command? Or is there a more efficient way to go about creating them?

I had a parameter controlled curve with arcs and straight sections, then I realized that the flexis don't bend with perfect arcs.
See update below.

Sweep I believe? You have the geometry of the face of your object on one plane and then your path on a perpendicular plane.

Yes, once I find the curve, I will use sweep.

So, this update is in two parts: 1: The flexi rod situation, 2: The structure.

1: I am currently digging to find the answer to my problem.
The problem is that you have a flexible elastic material of length L and thickness T. Then you have two points in space, P1 and P2 with tangents T1 and T2. Can the material be connected in that way? If it is within the domain of possibility, what curve of length L represents how the material reacts?
Turns out, this is really complicated. It involves geometry, physics, and calculus. I am waiting to hear from my calculus professor if he can find anything about it. Do you guys have a clue? The answer should lie in either a force vector equation or a spline function, or both.

2: Update on the structure: I have spent most of my time on the problem above, but I worked a bit on the structure today.
Enjoy the pretty picture, and guess what I am building.




Comment!

[TheCodeMaster]

shuttle loop coaster!