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Question by dmaxwell · Apr 07, 2010 at 10:00 AM · physicsforcefollowforwardtrain

I want to make a train go round a track using physics?

Hi

I want to create a train and carriages (all independent when needed),I want the physics engine to move them round a track so I can stop start unlink so friction slows them down.

The track will run through a game environment curved and straight sections.

I thought about importing animation ,but the physics engine would give me more control

I need a simple physics model (sphere say) that is given a force along direction but is also fixed in a rail

any ideas?

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Answer by swhite · Sep 04, 2010 at 12:11 AM

Seems to me like you could do this the same way a train works (well in a fashion).

Creating your track with collision then create your train model with wheels that would enclose around the track.

Now you could use physics to control your train; keeping gravity and mass on your train will keep it on the track, then applying a force to your train engine over a fixed update until you reach your max desired speed.

The phsyics would then propel your train along the track as long as it wasn't going to fast as if the speed increased to much your train would be removed from the track.

I made a generic little object to play around with that worked fairly well (very rough of course)

alt text

This would be a very 'basic' way to do it and is far from the end all of awesome train mechanics. ;)

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Answer by CarlLydon · Mar 17, 2015 at 02:07 PM

You could treat the track segments like tunnels and forgo any complications of trying to add physics to your wheels.

Create frictionless colliders to the left and right of the tracks to make walls. Use several colliders along curved section of track to form curved walls. Apply some friction to the bottom of the track. You may want to lock some axis depending on if you want the train to bank or not, or if the surface will be flat or curved.

Then, if you put the train in the tunnel, and give it a push, it should stay within the boundaries of the tunnel and move along the track.

As for the other cars There are many suggestions here already so I won't add more.

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