Coaster Dynamics Help: The Coaster Lab



Coaster Dynamics
Help about:

The Coaster Lab:   Stripchart Graphs

To help you understand the physics of roller coaster motion,
Coaster Dynamics provides real time stripchart graphs showing how various physical parameters change while the roller coaster car moves along the track.

The 4 stripchart graphs are located in the lower left corner of the main Coaster Dynamics screen.

To select the parameters shown in the stripcharts, click on the "Coaster Lab" button in the
Coaster Dynamics Main Menu, and then select the "Stripchart Parameters" option.

This will display the "Stripchart Parameters" window.



Each of the 4 stripcharts can display any one of 11 different parameters. To select which parameter to display in each stripchart, simply click on one of the 4 graphs at the left side of the "Stripchart Parameters" window, and then click on the desired Display Parameter. The currently selected parameter will be printed in the box at the right of each graph.

Each stripchart can display any of the available parameters. You do not need to select them in any particular order.

The available parameters are:
  1. Speed (m/s)
  2. Total Distance traveled from the track starting point (m)
  3. The X-component of the current position of the car (m)
  4. The Y-component of the current position of the car (m)
  5. The Z-component of the current position of the car (m)
  6. The X-component of the velocity of the car (m/s)
  7. The Y-component of the velocity of the car (m/s)
  8. The Z-component of the velocity of the car (m/s)
  9. The X-component of the G force on the car (G's)
  10. The Y-component of the G force on the car (G's)
  11. The Z-component of the G force on the car (G's).
The X, Y, and Z components of the position, velocity, and G force are measured with respect to a fixed global coordinate system with its origin at the start/end point of the track.