The Roller Coaster Generator

In the course Product Modelling we learnt how to utilize PowerCopys in CAD to automate repetitive design. We also learnt how to work with code to build programs talking with the CAD software, Catia v5 in this case. We worked with Visual Studio 2022 and coded in VB.NET code.

My classmate and I decided to make a program which could generate a rollercoaster based on a pre-defined spline made by the user. The roller coaster would then generate itself once the user had inserted some initial information such as the number of points making up the spline as well as the length of the spline. The user could then toggle the roll of each segment making the process fast and intuitive. Once the user felt happy with the design, all the crossribs would be generated automatically. Finally the user got to decide what distance between the support beams he or she wanted which would also be generated automatically.

The project utilized three different PowerCopys, namely track segment, crossrib and support beam. The UI is made up by three steps, Setup, Manage layout and Add supports and the program is made up by around 1200 lines of code.