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Q: I am very frustrated with the constructor. How do I make things? A: Once you learn the constructor, it is easy to take for granted the small learning curve it requires. The best advice I can give is patience. Just try experimenting by creating things, switching between modes, and eventually you'll understand how the interface works. One thing that stumps a lot of people is that a spring's length is set permanently once it is created, changing the length in construct mode really only 'compresses' or 'stretches' the spring. It will snap back once you simulate. Also note that while a left click creates a mass and draws a spring, a right click stops drawing. Q: Why doesn't my model move right? A: Models can be complex structures living in a complex physical environment. There are many reasons why a model might not work as intended. But if you are just starting out the reason is likely that certain springs need to be the exact same length but aren't. A good example is the legs of a walker. Many people construct a walker as it looks mid-stride (one short leg, one long), instead they need to be identical. To do this you need to learn a measuring technique such a guidelines, grids, or the fixed-mass guide. There will soon be a full length tutorial here to explain these things, but for now head over to the 'links' section and goto Lectvay's sodaplaycentral and read his tips section. Q: When are the sodaraces going to happen? A: I don't know exactly. But one thing I do know is that the current constructor applet lacks some features, like bar springs for example, required for the races. ed and everyone at soda are feverishly working on the necessary upgrades, but sodarace won't start until the upgraded applet is released. It was actually supposed to have been out by now but I understand that the programming challenges they must meet are very difficult and new problems pop up all the time. I just try to have fun with the current constructor and not worry about the upgrade, that way it will be a nice surprise when it is finished. Q: Why don't the models I submitted appear in the zoo? A: It is important to understand that not every model makes it into the zoo. The zookeeper only chooses the day's best models, and even the best constructors get models rejected once in a while. It is difficult to say exactly what gets a model into the zoo, but it is important to make something interesting and original. Please do not 'poach' models by taking them from the zoo or someone else and resubmitting them. Even if they make it past the watchful zoo keeper, poached models never make it past the soda community who frowns on such anti-social behavior. Q: How do I use motors? A: Motors can be very complex structures in their own right. Using motors is a skill that comes with experience but you never stop learning it. Until I open the 'tutorial' section of this site, the best advice I can offer is to wait until you grasp the basics, then start dissecting motored models other people made. Only once you understand how the muscle timing of regular walkers creates elliptical motion to propel them, will you be able to grasp how motors can be harness to mechanically produce the same forces. |
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