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No Limits (software)
Encyclopedia
NoLimits Roller Coaster Simulation 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.
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. Scenery objects can be placed in the editor, provided they are of the .3ds
format. The software allows a number of popular roller coaster types to be designed, based on industrially engineered designs.
The Simulator allows the designed roller coaster to be viewed in full 3D, either riding the roller coaster like a rider, or watching it in a third person perspective, from a fixed position or behind the roller coaster train. 3D acceleration is provided by OpenGL
.
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.
, 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:
It has also been modified as a proof of concept for certain prototype rides, including the UniCoaster prototype. A demo can be downloaded from the website, which is a customized version of the NoLimits Simulator.
s 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.
Notes
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. 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.
approach. Other features include: package management
Ole has said that he plans to maintain the NL1.x project while NL2 is still too far away.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
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 'NoLimits Editor' allows the design of a roller coasterRoller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
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. Scenery objects can be placed in the editor, provided they are of the .3ds
3D Studio Max
Autodesk 3ds Max, formerly 3D Studio MAX, is for making 3D animations. It was developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. It has modeling capabilities, a flexible plugin architecture and can be used on the Microsoft Windows platform. It's frequently used by video game developers, TV...
format. The software allows a number of popular roller coaster types to be designed, based on industrially engineered designs.
The Simulator allows the designed roller coaster to be viewed in full 3D, either riding the roller coaster like a rider, or watching it in a third person perspective, from a fixed position or behind the roller coaster train. 3D acceleration is provided by OpenGL
OpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
.
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, the software has been used by amusement park related companies showcasing new rides for prospective parks and guests. Such companies include VekomaVekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
, Intamin AG
Intamin AG
Intamin Worldwide is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The U.S. division of the company is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and is headed by Sandor Kernacs. The Intamin brand name is an...
, Gerstlauer
Gerstlauer
Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GmbH is a German manufacturer of stationary and transportable amusement rides and roller coasters, located in Münsterhausen, Germany.-History:...
, MACK Rides
MACK Rides
Mack Rides is a German company that designs and constructs roller coasters. The family that owns the company also owns Europa Park.-History:The creation of the Mack company goes back to 1780, by Paul Mack, when he started building carriages. The Mack company started to design roller coasters in 1920....
, Werner Stengel
Werner Stengel
Werner Stengel is a German roller coaster designer and engineer. Stengel is the founder of Stengel Engineering, also known as Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH ....
, John Wardley
John Wardley
John Wardley is a British award-winning concept designer and developer for theme parks, mainly for rides such as roller coasters.-Rides Designed By John:*Nemesis*Oblivion*Air*Thirteen *Haunted House*Runaway Mine Train...
and Zamperla
Zamperla
Zamperla is a designing and manufacturing company in Vicenza, Italy. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The company also makes smaller coin operated rides commonly found inside shopping malls....
. 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
- Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter
It has also been modified as a proof of concept for certain prototype rides, including the UniCoaster prototype. A demo can be downloaded from the website, which is a customized version of the NoLimits Simulator.
Available types of roller coaster
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, and as such Wooden roller coasterWooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
s can have the same elements as a Steel roller coaster
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Classic/Modern Looping Coaster | Steel roller coaster Steel roller coaster A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world... |
Schwarzkopf Anton Schwarzkopf Anton Schwarzkopf was a German engineer of amusement rides, and founder of the Schwarzkopf Industries company, which built numerous rides and large roller coasters for both amusement parks and travelling funfairs.... style, Classic and Modern |
| Corkscrew Coaster | Corkscrew roller coaster | Corkscrew (Arrow Dynamics, Vekoma) |
| Inverted (2 seat and 4 seat) Coaster | Inverted roller coaster Inverted roller coaster An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the track, but "swings" via a pivoting bar attached to the... |
Bolliger & Mabillard Bolliger & Mabillard Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president... (4 seat) and Vekoma Vekoma Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment... (2 seat, SLC style) |
| Twister/Floorless Floorless roller coaster A floorless roller coaster is a roller coaster with trains that ride above the track and allow the passenger's legs to dangle. It is a fairly new concept in roller coaster design brought forth by manufacturers Bolliger & Mabillard. The first ever floorless coaster debuted in 1999 at Six Flags Great... /Stand-up Stand-up roller coaster A stand-up roller coaster is a roller coaster designed to have the passengers stand through the course of the ride. These roller coasters are very intense, and generally carry taller height restrictions than other rides.-History:... Coaster Style |
Floorless Floorless roller coaster A floorless roller coaster is a roller coaster with trains that ride above the track and allow the passenger's legs to dangle. It is a fairly new concept in roller coaster design brought forth by manufacturers Bolliger & Mabillard. The first ever floorless coaster debuted in 1999 at Six Flags Great... /Stand-up Stand-up roller coaster A stand-up roller coaster is a roller coaster designed to have the passengers stand through the course of the ride. These roller coasters are very intense, and generally carry taller height restrictions than other rides.-History:... |
Bolliger & Mabillard Bolliger & Mabillard Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president... , Sit down, floorless and stand up style. |
| Hyper Coaster Style | Hypercoaster Hypercoaster A hypercoaster can mean one of two things:*Any continuous-circuit roller coaster with a height or drop measuring greater than 200 feetOr, more narrowly:*A style or model of roller coaster with three features:**A height of 200–299 feet... /Gigacoaster |
Bolliger & Mabillard Bolliger & Mabillard Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president... (4 seat, single row), Intamin AG Intamin AG Intamin Worldwide is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The U.S. division of the company is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and is headed by Sandor Kernacs. The Intamin brand name is an... (4 seat, 2 rows) |
| Wooden Coaster Style | Wooden roller coaster Wooden roller coaster A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design... |
Trailered (2 and 4 seat), Classic (4 and 6 seat) |
| LIM Launched Coaster | Shuttle roller coaster Shuttle roller coaster A shuttle roller coaster is any roller coaster that ultimately does not make a complete circuit, but rather reverses at some point throughout its course and traverses the same track backwards... |
Premier Rides Premier Rides Premier Rides is an amusement ride manufacturer based in the United States. The company was the first to use Linear Induction Motors on their roller coasters. Jim Seay has been the sole owner and company president since 1996.... style |
| Inverted Shuttle Coaster (Face to Face and Impulse) | Shuttle roller coaster Shuttle roller coaster A shuttle roller coaster is any roller coaster that ultimately does not make a complete circuit, but rather reverses at some point throughout its course and traverses the same track backwards... |
Vekoma Vekoma Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment... Invertigo style (face to face), Intamin AG Intamin AG Intamin Worldwide is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The U.S. division of the company is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and is headed by Sandor Kernacs. The Intamin brand name is an... Impulse style |
| Vekoma Vekoma Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment... Flying Dutchman Coaster |
Flying roller coaster Flying roller coaster A flying roller coaster is a variation of roller coaster meant to simulate the sensations of flight by harnessing riders in a prone position during the duration of the ride. The roller coaster cars are suspended below the track, with riders secured such that their backs are parallel to the track... |
Flying style trains |
| Gerstlauer Gerstlauer Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GmbH is a German manufacturer of stationary and transportable amusement rides and roller coasters, located in Münsterhausen, Germany.-History:... /Maurer Söhne Maurer Söhne Maurer Söhne is a steel construction company and roller coaster manufacturer. Founded in Munich, Germany in 1876, the company has built many styles of steel buildings, ranging from bridges, industrial buildings, and even art structures. While known for building various wild mouse coasters, Maurer... Spinning Coaster |
Spinning roller coaster Spinning roller coaster A spinning roller coaster is a roller coaster with cars that rotate on a vertical axis.- Virginia Reel :The first spinning roller coaster was the Virginia Reel, first built in 1908 by Henry Riehl. Instead of trains, the ride had "tubs" with seats built around the perimeter facing inward... |
Gerstlauer/Maurer Söhne Maurer Söhne Maurer Söhne is a steel construction company and roller coaster manufacturer. Founded in Munich, Germany in 1876, the company has built many styles of steel buildings, ranging from bridges, industrial buildings, and even art structures. While known for building various wild mouse coasters, Maurer... style cars |
| Gerstlauer Euro Fighter Coaster/Gerstlauer Euro Fighter 2 | Steel roller coaster Steel roller coaster A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world... |
Gerstlauer Euro Fighter (1 and 2) cars |
| Vekoma Vekoma Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment... Motorbike Coaster |
Steel roller coaster Steel roller coaster A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world... |
Vekoma Motorbike style trains |
| Gerstlauer Bobsled Coaster | Steel roller coaster Steel roller coaster A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world... |
Gerstlauer Bobsled style cars |
| Vekoma Mine Train Coaster | Mine Train roller coaster Mine Train roller coaster A Mine Train roller coaster is a steel roller coaster whose trains depict a set of mine carts, sometimes pulled by the reproduction of a steam locomotive which is often designed in a cartoon style... |
Vekome Mine Train style cars with and without locomotive |
| Maurer Söhne X-Car Coaster | Steel roller coaster Steel roller coaster A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world... |
Maurer Söhne X-Car style cars with lap restraints, suitable for inversions |
| Zamperla Zamperla Zamperla is a designing and manufacturing company in Vicenza, Italy. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The company also makes smaller coin operated rides commonly found inside shopping malls.... Twister Coaster |
Zamperla Twister Coaster | Zamperla Twister Coaster style cars |
Notes
- Launched track styles are available to any one of the above, so Stratacoasters 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 PackagerAllows 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. 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 1.8 | July 3rd, 2011 | Zamperla Twister Coaster, Limit FPS option and a bug fix. |
Future versions : Nolimits Version 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 WYSIWYGWYSIWYG
WYSIWYG is an acronym for What You See Is What You Get. The term is used in computing to describe a system in which content displayed onscreen during editing appears in a form closely corresponding to its appearance when printed or displayed as a finished product...
approach. Other features include: package management
Ole has said that he plans to maintain the NL1.x project while NL2 is still too far away.