HOW - - Do You Make A Vertical Profile (/Blueprint) For A ROLLER COASTER - -?

Question

I have made a roller coaster model for my school project and for the roller coaster I need do make a VERTICAL PRIFILE/Blue Print (as it says on the project information sheet). So my Q is :

HOW Do You Make A Vertical Profile(/Blueprint) For A ROLLER COASTER?

I know a bit about the fact that it should be curved and straight line at different points and the loops need to be unwidened and measured as if it was straight with ups and downs on them, but can you explain more and accurate?

Thank You.

Answer 1

Technical drawings are often called blueprints; although the process to make blueprints hasn't been used in 60 years.

To plan a Roller Coaster you will need to draw a orthographic or top view which you could call a "blueprint." and then you would need an elevation or profile view for each arc. The viewpoint for the orthographic view is over head. The viewpoint for the profile views would be at 90 degrees as if you were at ground level looking at the side of the roller coaster.

The proper way to depict it would be to have one plan for the entire coaster with dimensions and elevations marked on it. Then take each loop, arc or feature and run a straight line through it that would cut it in half. This is you drawing plane. You would draw a top view of that part of the plan and right under that part would be your profile drawing. The profile drawing would show the elevations and you can match them up with the part of the entire plan. In this way you can graphically show where each point is in 3D space without having to make a 3D drawing. You would look at the part of the plan and then drawn an imaginary line down from its listed elevation to see the profile drawing with the roller coaster drawn at this elevation.

If you have some dramatic curves then you might want to wrap your drawing around the curve. Take your drawing plane as cutting through the center line of the roller coaster and following the curve then draw it as if you are looking right at it. This will seem to distort the horizontal dimensions in the profile drawing so the part of the plan drawn over that profile drawing would give the correct horizontal dimensions.

- Draw a complete plan of the entire roller coaster.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plan_view_).
- take sections of that plan and draw an elevation for it. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevation_%28view%29)
- You can draw the elevation on a straight axis or on a curved axis to show how your curves work and this would be shown on the plan view that you would draw above each elevation.

Or you could think of your verticle profile drawing as a section that is taken at 90 degrees to the over head or plan view (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_section_%28geometry%29).