Author Topic: Brick Catenaries (Read 3573 times)

Gen. Hothauser · March 11, 2017, 01:14:19 AM

While visiting Sylvanor's newest city project, I happened across the cable car vehicle that the server has. This made me want to make some realistic-looking cable car cables. Being Sylvanor's server, basically all the bricks and events are default. So no ropes mod. So, I decided to create a process by which I could make brick-based cables. My thought process then went to power cables and yeah, I got carried away there.

I looked up the equations required to convert my cable car/power line tower to mathematical parameters for a catenary (rope shape), applied a ceiling function to quantize the curve's y-dimension into plate-heights, and visually approximated the x-length of each step. This got me fantastic results, as can be seen in the pictures below. Currently, this process is terribly lengthy and involves Matlab, Desmos, and me placing the bricks. I'm considering reducing the number of required steps and making it into either a web-based template-generator or something that can be used in game.

Anyway, just thought I'd share.

Pics:

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Red Spy · March 11, 2017, 01:21:06 AM

Quote from: Gen. Hothauser on March 11, 2017, 01:14:19 AM

I looked up the equations required to convert my cable car/power line tower to mathematical parameters for a catenary (rope shape), applied a ceiling function to quantize the curve's y-dimension into plate-heights, and visually approximated the x-length of each step.

Christ

Swollow · March 11, 2017, 01:26:43 AM

Quote from: Red Spy on March 11, 2017, 01:21:06 AM

Christ

less that more science

Rally · March 11, 2017, 02:09:17 AM

this would've been really useful for my powerplant build, neat stuff

EcstaticEggplant · March 11, 2017, 06:39:16 AM

this is sick

TheArmyGuy · March 11, 2017, 06:54:19 AM

Sylvanor really should use ropes to cut down on brickcount though.

EcstaticEggplant · March 11, 2017, 06:58:20 AM

Quote from: TheArmyGuy on March 11, 2017, 06:54:19 AM

Sylvanor really should use ropes to cut down on brickcount though.

would they work with the cablecar?

TheArmyGuy · March 11, 2017, 07:38:20 AM

Quote from: EcstaticEggplant on March 11, 2017, 06:58:20 AM

would they work with the cablecar?

They have proper collision, so I don't see why they wouldn't.

Sylvanor · March 11, 2017, 09:52:22 AM

it works with ropes but after a moment it fall, i dont understand why

i wonder who made that nice city in background of 1st pic O:

The Resonte! · March 11, 2017, 01:06:57 PM

Quote from: Gen. Hothauser on March 11, 2017, 01:14:19 AM

I looked up the equations required to convert my cable car/power line tower to mathematical parameters for a catenary (rope shape), applied a ceiling function to quantize the curve's y-dimension into plate-heights, and visually approximated the x-length of each step. This got me fantastic results, as can be seen in the pictures below. Currently, this process is terribly lengthy and involves Matlab, Desmos, and me placing the bricks. I'm considering reducing the number of required steps and making it into either a web-based template-generator or something that can be used in game.

~~nerd~~

Conan · March 13, 2017, 12:14:20 PM

guys, its not that crazy. he literally just looked up the caternary arch equations and fiddled with the numbers (with probably less guessing than fiddling suggests) to get a graph that looked good, then approximated it in bricks.

definitely would love to see a web based applet to do it though. as for x/y approximation, you could have used a TI89 or something that has a visible-pixel screen, lol. old tech coming in handy i guess

Quote from: Sylvanor on March 11, 2017, 09:52:22 AM

it works with ropes but after a moment it fall, i dont understand why

i wonder who made that nice city in background of 1st pic O:

collision probably forgets up since the shape collision mesh on the ropes are really small. static shapes and vehicles seem to only go together well if the static shapes are big

also he literally said it was your server lmao

OzmarBlock · March 13, 2017, 04:08:56 PM

Quote from: Sylvanor on March 11, 2017, 09:52:22 AM

i wonder who made that nice city in background of 1st pic O:

No clue.

Who is this mystery builder?

Freek · March 13, 2017, 05:09:12 PM

it is i

Mr.No�ody · March 22, 2017, 06:36:51 PM

This has me thinking that somebody could make a script that auto builds ropes and their curvatures where a player need only specify a starting point, stopping point, and how much slack/how taught the rope is. Probabally a simple numeric input in brick height.

Teneksi · March 26, 2017, 04:43:57 PM

Quote from: Mr.No�ody on March 22, 2017, 06:36:51 PM

how taught the rope is

educable