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A couple a weeks ago, I attended the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions 80th annual convention and trade show in Dallas. Here are some highlights that may be of interest to you:
1) IMAX showcased their new ridefilm system, developed jointly by Doug Trumbell's company, EDW, and Hitachi. The 4-dof pod uses six integrated video projectors and has an interactive element. All of the existing IMAX ridefilm software has been converted from 8/35 Vistavision to MPEG2 digital for the new system.
2) iWERKS showcased their Dino Island 2 3D Turboride system at both Six Flags Over Texas (where it will debut this spring) and, in a first, in the portable Reactor system at the trade show.
3) French company Dynamax exhibited the Titan projection system in conjunction with a Thomson motion base. Quoting from the Nov/Dec 1998 issue of Park World: "Dynamax is to premiere a new superwide digital curve screen projection system this month. The Titan 3D format is a new high definition, ultra-wide, projection system that enables images to emerge from the sides of the screen and move seemlessly across the viewing plane without any physical interuptions. Dynamax's all digital HDPS playback system and specialized programming, in tandem with three pairs of data projectors , create an image from 18mt up to 30mt onto a curved screen at up to 2500 lines of resolution."
4) McFadden exhibited a lens for single lens projectors (ie. Sharp) that converts 2D into sterioscopic. Still need the polarized glasses, though. Cost is $1000.00. Thinking about getting one for myself to watch football.
5) As far as motion simulations are concerned, traditional film stock seems to be on its way out. With the exception of the turboride at Six Flags, all motion simulation films at the trade show (and there were plenty) were digital, either laserdisc, CD-ROM, or MPEG2 off harddrive.
6) Walking the tradeshow with Tony Baxter of Walt Disney Imagineering, we quickly came to the conclusion that ride software has become pretty boring. All the software we saw dealt with one of three things: Fast paced car, plane, or rollercoaster; a race; or a race against time to find something or save someone. (The staff at NWave wrote a great article in one of the LFCA newsletters, a mix and match to make a ridefilm.) Hate to say it, but we need more rides like Dolphins if the sim business doesn't want to waste away just as its hardware and popularity are hitting its prime. |
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 Jim DiDio posted on Wednesday, December 02, 1998 - 01:20 pm
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There was a recent edition of a small widescreen mag (can't remember the name--it may be something difficult, like, uh, "Widescreen") that had pictures of the "forefather" of IMAX, OMNIMAX, and Cinerama--a gunnery trainer developed to teach combat pilots. It consisted of about six interlocked 35mm. projectors and a semi-dome made up of about six screens, and the trainee "shot" at the planes and got scores. Maybe they should just scrap the whole "ridefilm" idea and make "ridegames" instead; you could charge almost as much as you do for a ridefilm but the film would be quicker so you'd still make your money. And the fact that the "player" gets a score based on their performance would mean people would be riding it dozens of times and not simply once.
If you go into a video arcade (if you can even find one anymore), you'll see that the games are getting bigger and more complex, involving seats that shake and move and bigger viewscreens; integrating ridefilm technology would create the ultimate videogame. If you're using film-based images, the action would have to be limited to the player basically riding along on something (e.g. being a tailgunner) and only able to target objects on the screen (say, with a laser "gun")--either that, or you'd have to project a real big image and only let the player see one "piece" of it, so that, when they moved, the image changed. But if you're using computers, you could make the "ridegame" anything--downhill skiing, biplane warfare, motorcycle racing through city streets, etc.,. |
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That's Scott Marshall's Wide Gauge Film and Video Monthly. The August 1998 issue (Volume 3, Number 8), which is the current issue, features an article on Fred Waller's Flexible Gunnery Trainer.
http://members.aol.com/widegauge/index.html
Scott Marshall frequently posts in the Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.tech. You could search Dejanews for informative postinge. |
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How interesting that you mention that Jim! There is a new ride at Disney’s Magic Kingdom (where "If you had Wings" used to be) that features moving cars w/ laser guns, targets and a score keeping display. It features Buzz Lightyear and others from "Toy Story". There is even a joystick to swivel your car a full 360 degrees! It was a blast!
It is not a motion simulator per se - but it remarkably similar, and a lot of fun!
Click Disney's Buzz Lightyear Ride to see it. |
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| Jim DiDio posted on Friday, December 04, 1998 - 02:51 pm
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On a side note.... "If You Had Wings" was a great ride! I used to love it back in the late 70's, 'cause back then you got ticket books and had to exchange them for rides, and it was the only free ride in the park (it wasn't even an "A"-ticket!).
When they changed airlines (from Eastern to Delta, I believe) it went from "If You Had Wings" to "If You Could Fly". All they did was change the music, but it sucked after that. "Fly" was a wimpy pop-py song, and "Wings" was cool ("If you had wings, had wings, had wings....").
Then they totally gutted it and made "Delta Dreamflight" (later just "Dreamflight"), which was okay, but it didn't have the same great cheesiness as "If You Had Wings". |
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