NoLimits Heartlining?

[Posneg]

Can someone please explain to me how to manually heartline an inversion on No Limits? I know about going to Display > Show Heartline, and I can't get the line perfectly straight.

[mitchellPAUL]

You don't necessarily "perfectly" straight, just straight enough so the riders don't die from extreme whiplash. Just keep working on it and I'm sure it'll get better. I myself had to learn from numerous projects, you'll eventually get it.

[Akiro]

as Paul said, the heartline doesn't need to be perfectly straight, it just has to fit the ride and it's speed, just look at those pictures.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/5765/heartlinerolloq3.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/7649/heartlineroll2au8.jpg
^ & ^^ while the line is not perfectly straight, it still works out nicely


http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3417/zerogeexc8.jpg
^this could hurt badly if taken at the wrong speed, but if it's taken right, there are little to no g's

[mitchellPAUL]

^& to continue what Akiro said with a little more detail, the heartlining may vary due to speeds. Not every coaster travels at the same speed through an inversion, so therefor the heartlining may vary.

[Posneg]

Thanks for the tips :)

[mitchellPAUL]

& here's another little tip. if you divide the one segment into four different segments, align them so the yellow line is somewhat straight. Divide it further into eight different segments, straighten it more, and use the smooth tool to get smooth and it should align them further more.

[Michael]

To achieve good heartlining, you need many small segments, period. Also, use the smooth tool.

[mayoki]

& here's another little tip. if you divide the one segment into four different segments, align them so the yellow line is somewhat straight. Divide it further into eight different segments, straighten it more, and use the smooth tool to get smooth and it should align them further more.

You can divide segments? How?! This is a shocker for me because I have had NL for close to 3 years now.

[Michael]

& here's another little tip. if you divide the one segment into four different segments, align them so the yellow line is somewhat straight. Divide it further into eight different segments, straighten it more, and use the smooth tool to get smooth and it should align them further more.

Also, if you delete a segment, then divide it back up, then smooth the track, it will get a more natural smoothness to the track. That's the trick I've been using on my coasters recently ;). It works phenominally well, but it nearly doubles the time needed for construction. Trust me, it's worth it.

[mitchellPAUL]

You can divide segments? How?! This is a shocker for me because I have had NL for close to 3 years now.


Lol, sad. There's a little Green box with a yellow asterix and pink line going through it, that's what divides segments, or you can simply press "y" on a selected segment.

[mayoki]

Lol, sad. There's a little Green box with a yellow asterix and pink line going through it, that's what divides segments, or you can simply press "y" on a selected segment.


Whoah, so that's how they do it... :p

[Steelinwood]

Another important tip is to TAKE YOUR TIME ! A good coaster wasn't ever built in a day! I've learned this the hard way to many times! In my most recent project, I've been working on it for about a month now, and it looks great! Just don't give up.

[mitchellPAUL]

^That's not always true. Your building skills determine how long a project takes to build.

[Michael]

A good coaster wasn't ever built in a day!

Not trying to brag, but alot of mine are almost entirely built within the course of a day :p. Not saying mine are good or anything...

Like Mitch said, it's about your skill level and the quality you put into it. Practice, practice, practice...

[Steelinwood]

^That's not always true. Your building skills determine how long a project takes to build.

I not saying that it always does work. But from my own coasters, I have discovered that the more time I spend on them, the better they turn out:)

[mitchellPAUL]

Someone new to NL could spend months & months on a creation and it can still come out crappy. Again, it depends all the time & effort you put into it, and If you're looking for quality, someone with experience is not going to take weeks or months, some take years to be completed to their own standards. They're are many different variations of what people consider a "great" track.

[Dan]

Another good thing to do is, if you can in fact make a good coaster in a day (Michael), is to go back to the ride the next day. You're bound to find some things you want to tweak.

[Michael]

Another good thing to do is, if you can in fact make a good coaster in a day (Michael), is to go back to the ride the next day. You're bound to find some things you want to tweak.

Exactly. It's a fresh look, and after a little while you start to notice the little quirky things less and less. Eventually, all of the bugs work themselves out.

Also don't be mad if one of your coasters doesn't turn out, most of your coasters should fail miserably. You learn from your mistakes, and experimenting is a good thing. Play with things, try new techniques, work on perfection. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it.

[Steelinwood]

Exactly. It's a fresh look, and after a little while you start to notice the little quirky things less and less. Eventually, all of the bugs work themselves out.

Also don't be mad if one of your coasters doesn't turn out, most of your coasters should fail miserably. You learn from your mistakes, and experimenting is a good thing. Play with things, try new techniques, work on perfection. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it.

That I agree with!