NoLimits Coaster News!

[DoinItForTheFame]

I have never been so excited for a computer game in my life. I keep checking the website daily waiting for it to be for sale!!! It looks to be everything we have all been wanting that wasn't in N Limits. I can't wait!!

[Moose]

I'm excited too, but am a but worried that the complexity is going to be amped up as well.

[FLIPDUDE]

^I doubt it'll be much more complex than regular nolimits. I mean, I figure the basic building mechanism is still the same,it just has more options for doing additional stuff.

[Moose]

^On their website the state "Since NL2 is way more professional and complex, we might continue to offer NL1"

 

This is what worries me.

[bottom_feeder_13]

I think it will be more complex but the new building system using spline curves instead of bezier curves will make it much easier to produce smooth trackwork. The independence of the banking and position nodes will probably be rather confusing at first though.

[A.J.]

The ironic thing is that I was able to pick up Adobe Illustrator incredibly easily because NoLimits taught me how to use handle curves.

[Angry_Gumball]

The ironic thing is that I was able to pick up Adobe Illustrator incredibly easily because NoLimits taught me how to use handle curves.

 

I know, right? Once I got to playing with AI, I realized that "This is a lot like NL!" Even Photoshop's pen tool reminds me of it.

[A.J.]

I also prefer to use handle curves over control-point curves in Rhino too.

 

Am I weird?

[Phyter]

Hi guys. Kevin "Phyter" Stone from the NoLimits Dev Team team here. Trust me when I say that once you get use to the new editor you're not going to miss those handles. All they did was result in "pumping" misshapen track. The new B-spline with its "control polygon" allows for vastly smoother hand-built track with little or no pumping, and of course you now get heartlining for free in real time.

 

Don't let all of this talk about complexity concern you. It's true that the building technique has changed significantly from NoLimits 1 to NoLimits 2, but we think the new editor is still very approachable. Of course we will have plenty of help files and perhaps some videos demonstrating the new editor, but even with this help we're sure that you'll have no trouble figure it out just by poking around.

 

What might trip some people up are the new material and object editors as well as the scripting API. These are expansive and complex features that will allow serious content creators to produce amazingly complex environments and behaviors, but only if you're comfortable with certain abstract concepts and programming (C#/Java). If that's not your cup of tea then you can just stick to the basics and treat the scene pretty much like you're used to in NoLimits 1. Again we'll do our best to explain and demonstrate these advanced features so that you can become comfortable with them, but it's all optional. Those without the programming skill or time to learn the new editors will still get the benefit of an improved track editor, terrain editor, improved supports, dynamic environments with full day-night cycles, etc.

 

NoLimits 2 is significantly more complex than NoLimits 1, but it is still for everyone.

[SFOGdude25]

Thanks for the info, Phyter! Can't wait for this to be released! I'm drooling just about every time I see the recent screenshots!

[Phyter]

Keep an eye out. There's more coming soon!

[Angry_Gumball]

^^^Man, that name sounds familiar...*thinks of the Eiffel Tower Extreme coaster from way back when...along with a bunch of other crazy coasters*

 

Glad to hear that while the sim has some pretty complex features, it will still be user friendly for those of us who shy away from programming language. I don't have much knowledge in programming languages but that doesn't mean I won't tinker with things as I can get a general idea of what's going on.

 

Also glad to hear that hand-building tracks will be smoother. I've always been a hand builder but have gotten some of those unavoidable pumpy misshapen curves. Anywho, I can't wait for the release! You know it's getting bad when your dream last night was that NL2 was already available for download and as I was getting ready to make my purchase and download, 'twas time to get up...

[XYZ]

Thanks for the information, Phyter.

[Tanks4me05]

Phyter, are there any force vector design capabilities similar to Newton 2?

[Phyter]

Yes, NoLimits now has a simple force vector design editor built in. It's not anywhere near as sophisticated as Newton or FVD++. But it is fully functional and you can go from start to finish using only the FVD editor if you wish.

[Tanks4me05]

^In that case, it looks like I might end up using Newton 2 and import my NL1 coasters into NL2.

 

But I have a question about the 4D coasters: Can I still make a Newton file with an equivalent heartline, import the track, change the coaster type to Arrow 4D and then somehow change the track settings so that I can incorporate the car flips? Will the (typically) 2 meter long track lengths between nodes only permit incredibly rapid and jerky 4D flips or do I enter in the flips in a system that is independent of the length of the track segments?

 

In short, are there any coaster types whose features cannot be used fully by importing a Newton 2-generated NL1.X coaster into NL2?

[Phyter]

One of my favorite features of NoLimits 2 is the node based editing. Rather than double click on a track vertex to, for example, set the 4D rotation, you're going to place a special "4D node" anywhere on the spline. That node can be slid up and down the spline where ever you like. Track roll (bank) also works the same way. So we're no longer manipulating the track itself to put that rotation or bank exactly where we want it. Even track segments (stations, lifts, transports, etc..) are node based. In NoLimits 1 the track vertices defined clickable segments. But in NoLimits 2 clickable segments are defined by special nodes that you place on the already created spline. In this way you can create your track and then decide where your track segments are going to be later and make adjustments to your segments without deforming the spline.

[coasterlover420]

^HUGE SUPER LIKE!

 

I have been wondering for a while, will there be multi-move capabilities between blocks a la Top Thrill Dragster?

[Phyter]

Not by default, no. But virtually infinite number of unconventional behaviors are possible with scripting. For instance it is possible for a script to disable the internal station handler essentially making the script responsible for moving the trains in and out of the station.

[FLIPDUDE]

I understood very little of what was just said, but it sure is mkang mexcited to see what people who DO get it come up with!

[Tanks4me05]

Will the scripting capabilities enable us to make entirely new coaster types, or just track sections?

[A.J.]

But in NoLimits 2 clickable segments are defined by special nodes that you place on the already created spline. In this way you can create your track and then decide where your track segments are going to be later and make adjustments to your segments without deforming the spline.

So basically, we're able to make the track layout the way we want to, then add rolls afterward completely independent of the original track placement? Pretty slick.

[Moose]

Thanks for all of the comments. I can't wait for this to come out!

[Angry_Gumball]

What I'm wondering...will we be able to make complete circuit coasters that can launch forward and reverse? I guess the best coasters in the real world that portray this are the 2 Premier Rides coasters Superman Ultimate Flight (SFDK) and Full Throttle (SFMM).

[Phyter]

Will the scripting capabilities enable us to make entirely new coaster types, or just track sections?

 

There are methods to obtain car position and orientation allowing for objects to be "attached" to cars for customization. Entirely new coaster types might be a stretch, but who knows? If a clever enough programmer comes along it may happen.

 

So basically, we're able to make the track layout the way we want to, then add rolls afterward completely independent of the original track placement? Pretty slick.

 

Exactly.

 

What I'm wondering...will we be able to make complete circuit coasters that can launch forward and reverse? I guess the best coasters in the real world that portray this are the 2 Premier Rides coasters Superman Ultimate Flight (SFDK) and YOLOcoaster (SFMM).

 

Yes, unconventional behaviors like and more is possible with scripting. We are including an example park and script with a reversing section based on The Mummy to get you started.