Rides/Attractions/Animal toys

[Eric]

Hi,

Would the only limitation to making a new attraction (or an animal toy, for example) be that they would be missing animations from the guests or the animals interacting with the object? Specifically I mean a file where you can see the guest or animal interact 'inside'. If new animations were made for these objects, would configuring the files be enough to get it to work or are there other possible problems that I'm not thinking of?

Just curious! Last day of finals for me is (technically today) and already thinking about what I want to make that's 'easy' for my first time, and I don't know that a ride is it lol.

[Jay]

There are different types of attractions, rides, and toys.

If they are ones where the guest or animal goes into it and are not seen while they are inside, no new animations are needed. It is just configuring the building itself. Some buildings might have different animations when the building is used. For example, maybe lights will turn on or an animatronic moves. But that used animation is not a requirement and does not change the building configuration much.

There are a number of rides that have some type of animation when the ride is used but use a generic animation for that used animation. For example, a log flume ride might have a generic guest image in the vehicle rather than trying to match the animation of the guest that entered the ride. From ZT's perspective, these are like buildings with lights that turn on or have an animatronic moving. So there is not much to the building configuration.

If an animal is to be seen while using a toy, new animations are needed. There are 2 types. One type is like the elephant's swinging log toy. Since only an adult elephant can use the toy and nothing else, the animation is in the toy and the only configuration needed is in the toy. If more than 1 animal can use a toy or if the young and adults can use a toy, then that is a little more complicated. There has to be configuration in the toy as well as in the configuration of each animal that uses the toy. Animations are needed in each animal ztd that uses the toy. However, that is not necessarily new animations. One example is Taz's Ribbon Seal. It can use the toys Raft For Certain Animals, Ice Floe For Certain Animals, and Ice Floe For Certain Animals By Taz. For any of these toys, the animal just lies or sits on them. The Ribbon Seal already had animations to lie or sit on land, so new animations were not needed. Here are links to DG for the Ribbon Seal and those 3 toys:

http://www.ztcdd.org/DG/index.php?topic=5437.0
http://www.ztcdd.org/DG/index.php?topic=5434.0
http://www.ztcdd.org/DG/index.php?topic=5435.0
http://www.ztcdd.org/DG/index.php?topic=5436.0

To have an attraction, ride, bench, or picnic table where the actual guest is shown using it, that is the most complicated. In addition to the configuration in the attraction, ride, bench, or picnic table, there has to be animations and configuration for the guests. If the animations are new, they have to be made in a certain way because the color of clothes, etc. can change. Supposedly ZT Studio can handle that, but since ZT Studio does not work in my environment, I cannot confirm that. There are no other tools that currently allow having the needed type of animation. Sometimes it is possible to use the guest animations that come with ZT. In addition, there can only be 1 configuration file for everything that guests can do. So if something is created where the actual guest uses it, we add the configuration to the Combined Guest Hack For ZT Community that is here:

http://www.ztcdd.org/DD/index.php?topic=11622.0

There are various considerations concerning any building, whether or not a guest or animal is shown while the building is used. When a guest or animal enters a building, whether or not the guest or animal is shown while they are using the building, the entry point should be against a grid line for the greatest realism. The position of that entry point has to be the same place in all 4 views. Also, the entry point has to be either along the shortest footprint side or near the center of the longest footprint side. Animations have to have the same number of frames in all 4 views, although the used animations do not have to have the same number of frames as the idle animations. Although not necessary, sometimes it is desirable to reduce the size of the ztd by moving common frame pixels to an extra static frame, which involves running a program to accomplish that.

[fern]

You also might like to read the topics in this area.
http://www.ztcdd.org/DG/index.php?board=307.0

[Eric]

Good stuff, thank you Jay! I guess I won't be making a toy any time soon...lol.

Well, looks like you can get pretty creative with the rides as long as you do something to makes it look like they've got on without really showing the guest. We'll see what I can do!

I saved your last paragraph...that will be my biggest problem I bet.

You also might like to read the topics in this area.

Ok will do!