Unsure on what type of spline to use for tracks

Help and Feedback Scripting Support
#1

As you’ve probably figured from my recent posts, I’m trying to make a track system for a monorail. I have tried many different types of path, spline etc. but haven’t found one that fully suits my needs yet. Here are a list of methods I’ve tried but haven’t semmed to work:

  • Roblox’s in-build Vector3Curve: Very jerky, kinda hard to control. Overall not a good idea.
  • Bezier curves: Very smooth, but incredibly hard to precisely control due to the fact no points apart from the first and last are crossed through.
  • Catmull-rom spline: Smooth track like bezier curve, but quite ‘lumpy’ - see these images:

image Control points

image Produced Path

After some research, it seems I need something called C2 (or G2) continuity, however this becomes impossible when trying to add tangent control.

If anyone has any ideas on an alternative I could use, or at least a way to smooth the curve so there isn’t a noticable jerk, then please let me know!

1 Like
#2

All I can think of is just making multiple parts close together in the turn you want it to go. (For smoothness)

#3

That’s exactly what I’d tried with the catmull-rom spline.

#4

Ive done some quick research and you maybe could try:
Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines, I think this might work for your case because from my research because I think they are a bit more customizable-ish and are used in a lot a 3D editing software.

1 Like
#5

Okay, I’ll do some research on them now. Thanks for the suggestion!

EDIT: From what I can tell, NURBS are most commonly used for modelling smooth surfaces instead of creating a path, but I may be wrong.

#6

A quick update: It seems it’s possible to make a mostly-smooth curve using the chained beziers I was mentioning earlier simply by making them have a lower turn angle per segment (if that makes any sense). However, I’m still open for suggestions!

#7

Another quick update, the current system I am using has proven itself to be very finicky and after some experimentation on some interactive websites, NURBS seem to me at least the best way to continue.

#8

It seems like curves may not be the problem, it might be you aren’t adding any easing to make it look less “static”. You could make a system where the monorail thingy, I forgot what it’s called, but you could make it rock back in fourth a bit to make it look more natural.

#9

I don’t really think that would help, the main issue I’m having is that I can’t find a way to easily control the curve. As I mentioned in my last post here, the method I was using in that video unfortunately proved too difficult to effectively use.