| NoLimits | |
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Genre |
Roller coaster designer and simulator |
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Operating System |
Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X |
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Official Website |
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NoLimits (often nicknamed "NoLimits Coaster" to avoid confusion) is a software package available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X designed and built by a team of programmers and artists led by German programmer Ole Lange. It was first released in November, 2001. The package includes two separate pieces of software, the NoLimits Editor and NoLimits Simulator, with a third application, the NoLimits Terraformer supported as well.
Software[]
The Editor allows the design of a roller coaster with surrounding scenery. Track editing is based on adjacent bezier curves and allows nearly infinite design possibilities all packed in a CAD-based graphical user interface. 3ds scenery objects can be placed in the editor.
The Simulator allows the designed roller coaster to be viewed in full 3D, either viewing the roller coaster fron on-ride, or watching it in a third person perspective, from a fixed position or behind the roller coaster train. It is also possible to view technical information, such as speed and G-forces. These measurements are nearly exact to real-life situations.
The Terraformer allows the creation of a detailed landscape around the ride area, to simulate an actual environment. It has the ability to change the textures, water levels and placement of trees and other scenery to create a realistic environment. Some designers, who wish for a more flexible terrain design, create large 3D models of terrain, which allow for more complicated elements such as tunnels, buildings, and pathways. The Terraformer was created by Gravimetric Studios for use in the package, and is considered a third party application for use with the official suite.
Industrial use[]
According to the NoLimits official website ,[1] the software has been used by amusement park-related companies showcasing new rides for prospective parks and guests. Such companies include Vekoma, Intamin AG, Gerstlauer, MACK Rides, Werner Stengel, John Wardley and Zamperla. They use a version of the software called NoLimits Pro, which is only available to companies.
Companies have been licensing roller coaster styles to NoLimits including:
- Vekoma Motorbike Coaster[2]
- Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter[3]
It has also been modified as a proof of concept for certain prototype rides, including the UniCoaster prototype.[4] A demo can be downloaded from the website, which is a customized version of the NoLimits Simulator.
Available roller coaster types[]
Due to the free form style of the Editor and the CAD-based interface, the creation of different types of roller coasters is not limited by the style of track chosen for the simulation (wooden roller coasters can have the same elements as a steel roller coaster, whilst not being "true to life"). Below is a list of the track types (with train combinations) that are included in the Simulator.
| Track Style in Simulator | Real Life Track Style | Train Configurations |
|---|---|---|
| Looping Coaster | Tubular spine track | Schwarzkopf style, Classic and Modern |
| Corkscrew Coaster | Steel Interior guide wheel track | Corkscrew (Arrow Dynamics or Vekoma) |
| Inverted coaster (2 seat) (4 seat) Coaster | SLC | Vekoma |
| Inverted coaster (4 seat) | Bolliger & Mabillard inverted box track | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Hyper Coaster (2 across) | Flat track, skeleton track (triangle), skeleton track (square) | Intamin AG |
| Hyper Coaster (4 across) | Bolliger & Mabillard box track | Bolliger & Mabillerd style floorless |
| Stand-Up Coaster | Bolliger & Mabillard box track | Bolliger & Mabillard style stand-up |
| Wooden Coaster (Classic 4 seat) | woden roller coaster | Common 4 seat trains |
| Wooden Coaster (Classic 6 seat) | wooden roller coaster | Common 6 seat trains |
| Wooden Coaster (Trailered 2 seat) | Great Coasters International modern wooden coaster | Millennium Flyer |
| Wooden Coaster (Trailered 4 seat) | wooden roller coaster | common 2 seat trains (with curved front of car) |
| LIM Launched Coaster | Tubular spine track | Premier Rides style |
| Inverted Impulse Coaster | Intamin AG inverted roller coaster | Intamin AG inverted impulse trains |
| Vekoma Flying Dutchman Coaster | Steel Interior guide wheel track | Flying Dutchman/Lay-Down |
| Gerstlauer/Maurer Söhne Spinning Coaster | Flat track, Flat track (with cross ties) | Gerstlauer/Maurer Söhne spinning roller coaster |
| Gerstlauer Euro Fighter Coaster/Gerstlauer Euro Fighter 2 | Flat track, Flat track (with cross ties), Skeleton track (Triangular) | Gerstlauer Euro Fighter (1 and 2) cars |
| Vekoma Motorbike Coaster | Tubuler steel spine track | Vekoma style Motorbike coaster trains |
| Gerstlauer Bobsled Coaster | Steel roller coaster | Gerstlauer Bobsled style cars |
| Vekoma Mine Train Coaster | Steel mine train roller coaster track | Vekome style Mine Train cars with or without locomotive |
| Maurer Söhne X-Car Coaster | Tubular steel spine track | Maurer Söhne style X-Car cars with lap restraints, suitable for inversions |
Notes
- Launched track styles are available to any one of the above, so strata coasters can be designed using any one of the styles.
- Hyper/Gigacoasters are possible with any style above.
- Boomerang roller coasters are possible using any coaster style.
- Many styles can be manipulated to assume different designs, and as such designers regularly use train styles and track designs as a "best fit" for a type of roller coaster, or type of train. For instance, some designers use the Corkscrew style to emulate an Arrow 4th Dimension roller coaster.
Third Party Software[]
Nolimits Track Packager[5] Allows the user to create a package file containing car textures, environments and scenery files using a track file.
Newton 2 was released on the 20th September 2009.[6] Newton 2 is a Nolimits 1.* add-on that allows you to create roller coaster track using mathematical formulas; This method of track building is commonly referred to as "Force Vector Design". This is where you specify the g-forces you want to achieve and then Newton 2 will then shape the track to hit those forces.
Releases[]
| Version | Date Released | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| NoLimits 1.0 | 2001 | Official Debut |
| NoLimits 1.2 | 2002 | Updated version of NoLimits 1.0 |
| NoLimits 1.25 | 2002 | Update patch of 1.2 |
| NoLimits 1.26 | 2002 | Minor glitches addressed |
| NoLimits 1.3 | 2003 | Added wooden coasters |
| NoLimits 1.5 | 2004 | Redone corkscrew cars and texture in front (which means changing the splash screen during startup), and added shuttle coasters |
| NoLimits 1.55 | September 29, 2004 | Update Patch of 1.5 |
| NoLimits 1.6 | September 25, 2006 | Completely redone car shapes, most textures and brakes, and additional types of cars, e.g. spinning roller coasters |
| NoLimits 1.7 | December 12, 2007 | Added Mine Train and X-Car coasters, AVI movie export, extended support functions and some texture improvements |
| NoLimits 1.71 | December 27, 2007 | Update Patch of 1.7, fixing mainly a sound issue |
Nolimits 2[]
Creator Ole Lange has mentioned on his personal website that Nolimits Coaster 2 will offer to fix some of the outstanding bugs in the original Nolimits coaster. No longer will it have 2 separate applications, but rather have a more WYSIWYG approach.[7] Other features include: package management[8]
Ole has said that he plans to maintain the NL1.x project while NL2 is still too far away.[9]
External links[]
Official Websites
References[]
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ [3]
- ↑ UNICOASTER (TM) The Thrill of Speed from Another Dimension :: 4D Rollercoaster
- ↑ [4] See "Tools" section.
- ↑ [5]
- ↑ [6] Article: "Monthly NoLimits 2 News (February)" Dated: 2008-02-17
- ↑ [7] Article: "Monthly NoLimits 2 News (March)" Dated: "2008-03-31"
- ↑ [8] Article: "Monthly NoLimits 2 News (February)" Dated: "2008-02-17"
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