The Smiler - Speculation

[JayJay90]

i have to say when i see spin doctor post i get excited  that looks incredible and if alton towers do anything near as good as this ill be bloody happy

[Instant Mix]

Loving the oblivion influenced train style. I hope they actually go for that look though, because the one thing that's really getting on my mind is how massive a clash this ride is going to produce with oblivion. Oblivion has that dangerous, industrial and almost sci-fi look to it, whereas from what we've seen on the plans, SW7 looks like some run-down warehouse. I just hope that aesthetically, it'll learn towards oblivion.

[scw55]

I do hope they keep the yellow and black colour scheme. It's often used to indicate hazards or danger.
Also looks like a bumblebee.

[oliviamae]

I wonder how they will incorporate the two rides. I think that come March, X Sector really will be as amazing as it can be. I think that, as The Sanctuary is a sort of old, closed down, abandoned facility, SW7 will be somewhat similar. Maybe some hazard tape, like you said, separating the ride from Oblivion - sort of 'shut off'.

[The Moon]

Malfunctioning facility?

[MattsDesigns]

Spin Doctor.
Regardless of whether it will be like that or not, that looks pretty cool. Is that something that would spin like a wash machine or is it a case of 1 slow clenching revolution?
As a manic brain stormer myself I would be very interested in seeing any other renders you do - we got plenty of threads for it

[spin_doctor]

Thanks and yeah it is something that would spin like a wash machine, I copied the system demonstrated in the Maurer Sohne video where there are wheels in all 4 corners of the drum, sort of like kicker wheels that use friction to rotate the drum. Im pretty certain this will be how they do it as its the most feasible way That I can see. And by other renders, do you mean of anything? Or of SW7?

[MattsDesigns]

Anything really. I dont know if you've seen my suff, I've made quite a lot of threads with my crazy ideas. But then again you might actually have some desire to protect your intellectual property which is of course, the more normal thing 

[Evostance]

I'd love it if there were multiple cylinders which rotated like they were attached to a ferris wheel.

Basically, as you approached the cylinder, you saw the car in front rotate upside down then effectively drop downwards as the ferris wheels rotated.  Obviously you wouldn't see the wheel on the ride, all you would see is the car dropping vertically whilst upside down in the barrel.

The glass floor would be in the station looking down on it like in those renders.  So what you would see from above is the car going upside down and then plunging into darkness

Also, SD - what program did you make those in?

[spin_doctor]

That would look amazing seeing the car infront drop like that, We would need a pretty huge hole to see something like that though, nice idea though.

Also, SD - what program did you make those in?

3D Studio Max

[Evostance]

That would look amazing seeing the car infront drop like that, We would need a pretty huge hole to see something like that though, nice idea though.

Also, SD - what program did you make those in?

3D Studio Max

Not really. 
If you think about the size of the hole as it is now, then you could easily have it enter at the top and then drop far enough to get the effect (and worlds first).
Wouldn't have to be a ferris wheel, could just be a lift type device

Damn, no 3D Studio Max on OSX
What renderer did you use for the shader, haven't seen that one before

[danwhit709]

Has anyone thought about the sort of theming that could go underneath the element?
For example a screen/mirror illusion making it look like its twisting over an endless hole.. maybe if its on a screen, there could be something that comes out of the pit.. or a fireball coming up towards the riders. It could be doubled up with heat effects to make a really great illusion.

I loved the ice room in valhalla, it was a really great experience and one that could be used in SW7 with the correct theming. Or something similar to it with the temperature effects.

And will the over vertical drop have any theming/illusions like SAW?

Ideas??

[The Moon]

Remember the original Oblivion ad with the everlasting hole? Could be based on that.

[Ripsaw Raver]

i think that the Ministry of Joy will be trying to Correct your mental state through Picture recognition, Ie making you relate an image to a sensation, emotion or situation. And in this case i believe whenever you see the smiley, it is to relate to somthing bad-dangerous happening and there for i beleive that before the drop we may see a big screen that flashes random scary images with flashes of the Smiley. almost as if they are implanting this image into your head. After the drop and we enter the trick track the another screen will flash the smiley and thus triggering our next situation and finaly before the lift hill we may enter a room full of screens that will strobe and show the smiley before doors open and you hit the lift.

[Kenzie2012]

A bit like he brain washing scene from Lost season 3???

[Instant Mix]

Remember the original Oblivion ad with the everlasting hole? Could be based on that.

Everlasting hole? It wasn't a bottomless pit, you can even see the track bending up at the bottom. It's just a pretty damn big hole.

[spin_doctor]

Damn, no 3D Studio Max on OSX
What renderer did you use for the shader, haven't seen that one before

Im on iMac, just use bootcamp 

And It was rendered with vRay.

[dementedde]

I don't know if any of you guys know this but I went over to the Bottletop website, the people who made the outside, lift and main ride videos for Nemesis Sub terra, and I saw their update section on the main page. It says they're involved with the new ride at Alton Towers for 2013.

So, this pretty much confirms that there will be preshow videos either in the que or a room people go in that explains the story before going on the main ride.

[spin_doctor]

Interesting find. The sub-terra videos are pretty well made so Im sure they will do a great job.

[MatthewR1990]

@Dementedde is spot on. Headed over and screenshoted it for you guys. Proves there is something graphical being made for SW7 but it could just be the ride logo'se etc. Although I can probably bet they will do the video. As they didn't do too bad with the Sub-terra stuff.