Earlier quoted context omitted.
...9?
The answer is a nice, round number.
duh. it does contain 9 tho.
Why roller coaster loops aren’t circular anymore
81–90 of 110 posts
Re: Why roller coaster loops aren’t circular anymore
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
This effect can be prevented by gradually letting off the brake before reapplying it fully upon stopping, but few drivers and rapid transit systems are aware. This is surprising to read. Everyone whose car I've ridden in knows to do that, and it's only in extremely urgent and unexpected stops where it's neglected. Also, when fully stopped, only minimal pressure should be necessary to keep the car still.
> Also, when fully stopped, only minimal pressure should be necessary to keep the car still. Why? To keep the brake fluid lines from bursting or something?
More pressure won't do any harm, it's just not necessary if you only want to keep the car still (on a flat road, in neutral, with nobody trying to tow you, etc.).
Re: Why roller coaster loops aren’t circular anymore
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
Also by the time you get to the apex it’s going slower than when it entered the loop.
I’m having trouble imagining a scenario where this is not the case.
Roller coaster cars with electrical motors? I somehow like the idea. Could mess with Gs in one more direction.
Re: Why roller coaster loops aren’t circular anymore
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
A very similar thing is done in the creation of reflective surfaces on car bodies (typically in CAD software). They call these constraints by G and a number. G1 would be a positional constraint: the two surfaces meet each other at the same point G2 tangential: same as G1, but the surfaces are tangential G3: same as G2, but the curvature (radius^-1) of the surfaces is the same at the point where the two meet. This ess…
> G2 tangential: same as G1, but the surfaces are tangential This makes me think "tangential to what?". Do you mean that, along the seam between G1 and G2, the tangent plane to G1 at a given point is equal to the tangent plane to G2 at the same point?
Yep, exactly that. Removes the appearance of a “fold” or “crease” at the surface transition, and makes the surface smooth and continuous.
Re: Why roller coaster loops aren’t circular anymore
#85A similar principle works in UI design and industrial design. Rounded rectangles often just slap circle arcs on the corners—but that looks unnatural because you don't get such a shape if you bend a straight rod. In this approach the turning radius changes from infinity to a constant at one point, but the proper way is to change it gradually. Bezier curves accomplish that, I think.
Once you see this, you begin to notice it everywhere, just like with kerning. Apple used both ways on iPhones for rounding the phone's corners, iirc. Also I've been told that the principle applies to road turns: you don't want people to have to suddenly turn into the curve. (In related news, I wish a month of bad hiccups on Herman Tilke.)
Re: Why roller coaster loops aren’t circular anymore
#86Earlier quoted context omitted.
A very similar thing is done in the creation of reflective surfaces on car bodies (typically in CAD software). They call these constraints by G and a number. G1 would be a positional constraint: the two surfaces meet each other at the same point G2 tangential: same as G1, but the surfaces are tangential G3: same as G2, but the curvature (radius^-1) of the surfaces is the same at the point where the two meet. This ess…
> G2 tangential: same as G1, but the surfaces are tangential This makes me think "tangential to what?". Do you mean that, along the seam between G1 and G2, the tangent plane to G1 at a given point is equal to the tangent plane to G2 at the same point?
Here's a good visual explanation:
https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/2ndyearidlab/author/hohsuan/page/2/
Re: Why roller coaster loops aren’t circular anymore
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
> but few drivers or rapid transit systems seem to be aware I find that amazing. What the heck are drivers ed instructors doing? It's not just hard on the passengers, it's hard on the machinery. It's the same with the clutch. I've driven with enough people who fancy themselves as great shifters, but they jerk the hell out of the clutch every time, never attempting to match the shaft speed with the engine speed. If I…
"They way somebody treats their car is the way they treats themselves" — Frank Martin (paraphrased for gender neutrality). And you can tell how somebody treats their car by examining how long the clutch lasts, if they drive a manual.
No post body was provided.
Re: Why roller coaster loops aren’t circular anymore
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
There's definitely confirmation bias causing me to not notice stops where there isn't a jerk. And perhaps by the Baader-Meinhof effect you'll begin to notice them more frequently, too. But stops without any perceptible jerk are rare enough that when they happen I get an odd feeling of floating forwards like when the train beside your own at a station departs—perhaps it's because my subconscious, still anticipating th…
If rear-ended with your brakes engaged more of the impact energy will go into crumbling your car than if it's allowed to transfer into forward speed. If you see it coming, let go of the brake, and then step on it after impact. That's the advise I got.
It depends on if you're trying to minimize damage to your car, or the passengers. For a light impact where you aren't going to sustain any injuries it might be optimal to let off the brake. But if the accelerations are going to cause injury, then you would want to apply the brakes to minimize the acceleration of the car.
Re: Why roller coaster loops aren’t circular anymore
#89A similar principle works in UI design and industrial design. Rounded rectangles often just slap circle arcs on the corners—but that looks unnatural because you don't get such a shape if you bend a straight rod. In this approach the turning radius changes from infinity to a constant at one point, but the proper way is to change it gradually. Bezier curves accomplish that, I think. Once you see this, you begin to noti…
Apple went from using roundrects to squircles a decade ago:
https://99percentinvisible.org/article/circling-square-desig...
Re: Why roller coaster loops aren’t circular anymore
#90A similar principle works in UI design and industrial design. Rounded rectangles often just slap circle arcs on the corners—but that looks unnatural because you don't get such a shape if you bend a straight rod. In this approach the turning radius changes from infinity to a constant at one point, but the proper way is to change it gradually. Bezier curves accomplish that, I think. Once you see this, you begin to noti…
Apple went from using roundrects to squircles a decade ago: https://99percentinvisible.org/article/circling-square-desig...
IIRC from when I read about this concept for the first time: Apple managed to revert to bad rounding on the phone shape at some point. And probably reverted back later, but I can't confirm that. Basically, the reader is advised to check the rounding before buying their next phone.