The popular game SimCity was originally released in 1989 and with it brought the creation of a whole new game genre commonly known as; city building simulation. In this game you are given the task of designing and maintaining a virtual city.
During the design and development of your city, balance must be maintained in order to avoid creating a chaotic urban disaster. Many more things than just the construction buildings, roads and bridges are to be considered in order for your city to be successful.
In SimCity you will face challenges such as population growth, environmental issues, the city’s economy, crime and overall infrastructure not limited to transportation.
As you develop your new metropolis in SimCity, you will assume the roll of mayor, city council and urban planner just to name a few prestigious positions. An important task that you will be responsible for is the growth and sustainability of your city for a period of decades or even centuries.
There is an exciting program available for download free over the internet that allows anyone interested in engineering and physics to do what only people in the scientific community could previously accomplish in highly intensive experimentations. If these types of subjects interest you then you must certainly have a look at Soda Constructor.
Soda Constructor is a java-based, completely free, spring-massed modeling system that allows builders and testers the opportunity to display and test their work in a simulated environment. Soda Constructor’s mascot is the character Dainty Walker; a nicely constructed piece of engineering work that meanders about the website.
Also check out the Soda Zoo, where the fully functional models are allowed to roam free. There are literally thousands of models that have already been created by previous visitors to the website and all are free to try out once you download the Java-based program. You will find the movement of these models interesting; with some bouncing, others slithering, still more jiggling or simply wandering around the screen.
Building and modifying your very own soda model is easy once you get the hang of it. You basically construct your character with the use of springs and masses then a muscle wave is introduced which is coordinated with the springs, this is how the soda model achieves movement.
There are two operational modes in the program Soda Constructor, they are; simulate and construct. The construct mode locks in the design allowing new springs and masses to be added and at the same time turning off the friction and gravitational forces. In simulation mode, gravity and friction are added allowing for muscle movement, this is the point at which your constructed character comes to life.
As with most anything worthwhile, you might find your first attempt at creating an actual functioning Soda model quite challenging. Instead of your new creation, walking, jumping or even slithering as you had hoped, it may just lay there on the floor once gravity and friction have been applied. With trial and error your new creation should be up and running in no time.
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