FVD Question

I am starting to get FVD, which i am really happy about. There are a few things i am a little confused about though.

I am trying to make a perfect lift hill, or at least just the beginning of the lift hill for practice. I want the speed of the lift to be 8 KM/H (5mph). So i converted 8 km/h to m/s, which came out to about 2.2 m/s. When i put that for the initial speed, it takes a long time plot it, then comes up with a 99999 Null error. Why is that?

Also, after messing around with g-force times, i finally got the lift hill to start flat and raise at about 45 degrees, or somewhere near that. I set gPunk = 1+4*tFunk during the gTimeA to gTimeB case.

What i dont get here is how come when the force is 5 (1+4) it makes a 45 degree slope (or something near that)? When i would make rollercoaster in the editor by hand and make a slope around 45 degrees, they would have no where near 5 g's... Am i reading something wrong?

If you can answer these id be really happy.

newton 2

I cant use Newton 2 =(

Why not?

My graphics card is failing right now and i need to get it fixed, and the 3D preview in Newton 1 and 2 does not work. I hear FVD are slightly more flexible than Newton, but if i could use Newton right now i would.

Newton 2 is actually more flexible than FVDs, since it has all the functionality of FVD, plus allows lateral forces, straight segments, and curves. Plus timewarping transitions.

Oh...Well I'm trying really hard to get my stuff fixed so i can use it. But if anyone can help me for now it would be cool, since i don't think this will be fixed for a while...

What video card do you have? Have you tried updating drivers? Is your .NET up to date?

Just some basics to check for first, though you probably took care of those already.

If your GPU is really having problems, how do you get NL itself to run? (theres a software mode for the editor but that's it, and you wouldnt be able to run the sim)

Don't use FVD's to make a lift hill segment. If you can't get Newton 2 to work, just make a 45 degree curve with HSAK and rotate it with the Purg.

A train going up a lift hill is being pulled at a constant speed. The FVD formulas are to be used for track segments where the train's own inertia will keep it moving along the track.

When you enter 2.2 m/s as the initial speed in the FVD formula, that's the speed of the train at the very start of the segment. After that point, the train will start to slow down as it moves upward, and it will require a smaller and smaller track radius to maintain a 5 g force. The null 999999 error means that the train does not have enough speed to make it through the element.

If you really want to use the FVD formula for creating an upward curve, the initial speed needs to be higher, and the force needs start off high and decrease as the train loses its speed going up. For example: gPunk = 3-1.5*tFunk

Thanks for the info nannerdx. Coasteragent99, I have reinstalled windows XP, which used to run No Limits and Newton fine, and there were no problems with 3D Games. Now everything is messed up. I updated my drivers, i have .NET 3.5 sp1 and Service Pack 3, so that should be good. I have a Nvidia Geforce4 Mx Integrated GPU which i know is not the best, but it worked before so it should work now...

Im more than positive it is my Direct3D 8 and 9 that comes with DirectX, because the tests I run on them fail, and they render the things wrong, making alot of 3D games i want to play have all wierd colors and stuff. The only problem is i cant get an aswer from any tech forums I go on =(

I might have to just get some professional help =/

Geforce 4 MX? Seriously? That's like a 12 year old card.

Yeah you probably need DX9 to run Newton.

The GF4MX doesn't even properly support DX8.

Originally posted by nannerdw

If you really want to use the FVD formula for creating an upward curve, the initial speed needs to be higher, and the force needs start off high and decrease as the train loses its speed going up. For example: gPunk = 3-1.5*tFunk

...or you could change one line in the formula and run with constant speed.