qualifications?

[Dirk_Ermen]

^^ that's y I love contests so much, they can help you to give creative idea's! Like track length 2500ft - 3000ft track. 4 inversions, on a space of 50 by 50 meters.

Even where there are no contests i make up some of my own [:P]

Originally posted by Hyper_Goliath

It's not only math, but also financial requirements and everything else. When someone orders you to build a coaster, you can't just go off and do whatever you want, but instead you have to fit the needs of the person who hired you. What is your budget? What type of coaster? How much space? How many inversions? How intense? etc.

All the guidelines which the park may have in place. Sound barrier, height barrier. Then you also have the specification of what the ride has to do. For example, Oblivions specification was to intimidate! You have to design the ride so it gives the feel you want. You sometimes have to design it to a certain landscape. Just thought i would add on to what you had already said! [:D][lol]

^and its all those reasons why we got nemesis!!!!! [:D] Thankyou!

Your also forgetting the most important parts of rollercoaster designing. torque and strain on each and every support, including normal supports and the track bracing itself, and also the ground on which the coaster sits on. You cant really build a coaster on 10m of sand now can you. You'd also have to take into consideration the water level, then density of the ground for water buildup, and how it could possibly damage the supports. I'm not too good on the ground work side of things, but you get what i'm saying here. There is about 10000001 things you need to think about in detail before you can even start the draw the plans

However Edge, most companies have teams formed of several key players.

From what I gather of the Gravity Group, they have 1-2 men who specialize in the design of the track. They work out the forces and shaping. Then, thats passed along to a man who is a specialist in Structural Engineering and he works out the support structure. Apparently too he created some great program to do alot of the work for them, so if you really have the brains and you can code stuff too you can make things a touch easier for yourself.


But almost all of the time you just need to specialize in one area and hope you can get in somewhere. Dont be picky. Find an area you think youll like (Mechanical, Structural, Civil, Electrical) and go for it.

Let's not forget the foot in the door factor. Yeah, schooling is nice and all, but you have to be able to apply it. Then, if you think that going to college and becoming a math, physics and engineering wiz is going to get you the job of your dreams, you are crazy. I have yet to see Coaster Designer listed in the Help Wanted section.

So you really want to be a coaster designer... go to school, learn what you have to learn, and then when you have a job that you can live with, Sit down in the evenings with AutoCAD and start designing your own coaster. Just make one new element, something unique, something special. Then take it to companies as a "see what I can do for you". Forcing the door open works much better than waiting for it to open on it's own.

I am kinda doing something along these lines right now. I started designing a R/C Shorts 330 (C-23 Sherpa) as a dream scale project. After 2 years of gathering information, and taking a trip to get close to this rare plane and get detailed photos, I started designing the plane in CAD. Honestly, I am "winging" the design of the wood frame based of other plans I have looked at. Once I finish the CAD design, I am going to cut the parts out using lasers, since I run the department at work that has all the NC/CNC equipment (including laser cutters). While I have done all of this work for personal enjoyment, something interesting happened.

A co-worker and fellow model builder took interest in the project, and told a buddy of his who happens to be rather big int he world of RC aircraft. I brought some of my documentation and some printouts of what I had going so far to the field to show him and was told that if I could get this thing in the air, then he could get it sold as a kit.

Regardless of if it happenes or not, the reality is, if I have the desire, I could design and build RC airplane kits, and sell them. Even if only on my own. Not a job that one sets out to have or goes to college for, but my hobby could at least pay for itself.

So if you really love coasters and want to design them, go for it, don't let anybody tell you you can't. Go for it.

Originally posted by kurtis

do ride ops need any qualifications or do the park train them?

thanx

My son worked for Kings Dominion for a couple of seasons. He was actually trained well, and EVERY position, even on one ride, required separate training and certification. For instance, to check lap bars on one side of the train required separate certification from the position of checking lap bars on the other side (because one side also had to deal with oncoming guests, and the other had to deal with clearing the exit area, etc.). Frankly, I also thought he was paid well (considering age and other available jobs for his age around Central Virginia. For instance, he was paid more than fast food restaurants or grocery stores paid. Heck, he was paid more than newcomers where I work, especially if he worked during the Halloween event).

Yeah, i think real si right. My dad is a civil engineer, but doesnt work on coasters. He works with roads, bridges, power plants and other large scale projects like that

and thanks for that inspiration torch511, it really enlightened me. I can use Pro desktop and CAD amchines kinda, well im learning the basics at skool. Our school is a technology college so im lucky, and have alot of stuff at my disposal.