How to Soften suspension?

[Nathan H.]

Just a quick question. How do you soften the suspension on trucks?

[Dalton Erkenbrecher Azztuu]

Shocks

Shocks can be seen as tunable beams, useful for suspensions.

• node_1: Node number/name The node where the shock starts.
• node_2: Node number/name The node where the shock ends.
• spring_rate: Real number The 'stiffness' of the shock. The higher the value, the less the shock will move for a given bump.
• damping: Real number The 'resistance to motion' of the shock. The best value is given by this equation: [ 2 * sqrt(suspended_mass * spring_rate) ]
• max_contraction: Real number The shortest length the shock can be, as a proportion of its original length. "0" means the shock will not be able to contract at all, "1" will let it contract all the way to zero length. If the shock tries to shorten more than this value allows, it will become as rigid as a normal beam.
• max_extension: Real number The longest length a shock can be, as a proportion of its original length. "0" means the shock will not be able to extend at all. "1" means the shock will be able to double its length. Higher values allow for longer extension.
• precompression: Real number Changes compression or extension of the suspension when the truck spawns. This can be used to "level" the suspension of a truck if it sags in game. The default value is 1.0.
• options (optional): String, default = no options (shock is visible)
  • i: This shock is invisible (default is visible).
  • l OR L: Stability active suspension for left side.
  • r OR R: Stability active suspension for right side.
  • n: Placeholder. Does nothing, parser ignores it silently.

shocks
;critical damping=2*sqrt(mass*spring)
;id1, id2, spring, damping, shortbound, longbound, precomp, options
  36,   6, 200000,   10000,        0.3,       0.3,     1.0
  37,   8, 200000,   10000,        0.3,       0.3,     1.0,       l
  38,   2, 200000,   10000,        0.3,       0.3,     1.0,       r

 

[edit]Shocks2

Requires

0.36.2

or later

Shocks can be seen as tunable beams, useful for suspensions.

Parameters:

• node_1: Node number/name The node where the shock starts.
• node_2: Node number/name The node where the shock ends.
• spring_in_rate: Real number The 'stiffness' of the shock, applied when the shock is compressing. The higher the value, the less the shock will move for a given bump.
• damping_in_rate: Real number The 'resistance to motion' of the shock, applied when the shock is compressing. The best value is given by this equation: [ 2 * sqrt(suspended_mass * spring_rate) ]
• spring_in_progression_factor: Real number Progression factor for spring_in_rate. A value of 0 disables this option. 1...x as multipliers, example: [ maximum springrate == springrate + (factor*springrate) ]
• damping_in_progression_factor: Real number Progression factor for damp_in_rate. 0 = disabled, 1...x as multipliers, example:[ maximum dampingrate == springrate + (factor*dampingrate) ]
• spring_out_rate: Real number The 'stiffness' of the shock, applied when the shock is extending. The higher the value, the less the shock will move for a given bump.
• damping_out_rate: Real number The 'resistance to motion' of the shock, applied when the shock is extending. The best value is given by this equation: [ 2 * sqrt(suspended_mass * spring_rate) ]
• spring_out_progression_factor: Real number Progression factor for spring_out_rate. A value of 0 disables this option. 1...x as multipliers, example: [ maximum springrate == springrate + (factor*springrate) ]
• damping_out_progression_factor: Real number Progression factor for damp_out_rate. 0 = disabled, 1...x as multipliers, example:[ maximum dampingrate == springrate + (factor*dampingrate) ]
• max_contraction: Real number The shortest length the shock can be, as a proportion of its original length. "0" means the shock will not be able to contract at all, "1" will let it contract all the way to zero length. If the shock tries to shorten more than this value allows, it will become as rigid as a normal beam.
• max_extension: Real number The longest length a shock can be, as a proportion of its original length. "0" means the shock will not be able to extend at all. "1" means the shock will be able to double its length. Higher values allow for longer extension.
• precompression: Real number Changes compression or extension of the suspension when the truck spawns. This can be used to "level" the suspension of a truck if it sags in game. The default value is 1.0.
• options (optional): String, default = no options (shock is visible)
  • i: This shock is invisible (default is visible).
  • s: soft bump boundaries, use when shocks reach limiters too often and "jumprebound" (default is hard bump boundaries)
  • m: metric values for shortbound/longbound applying to the length of the beam
  • M: Absolute metric values for shortbound/longbound, settings apply without regarding to the original length of the beam. Use with caution, check ror.log for errors.

IMPORTANT:

• shocks2 need at least 1500+ as a minimum damping value when using them as inbound/outbound only. (When your shocks2 truck bottoms out at spawn, damping is too low (or the springs don't support the weight of the truck)
• soft bump shocks need some boundary limit ( 5%+ ) to work proper as soft bump boundaries.
• You will find any errors in the ror.log regarding to wrong values in 'M' setting or any other shock values.

shocks2
;invisible softbump shock, high value progressive for inbound, linear low values for outbound
;node1, node2, springin, dampin, progspringin, progdampin, springout, dampout, progspringout, progdampout, shortbound, longbound, precomp, options
   45,    80,    22000,   2000,            5,          5,      2000,    1500,             0,           0,        0.8,       0.1,       1,      is
 
;visible hardbump shock, high value progressive for inbound and outbound, boundaries apply metric in meters
;node1, node2, springin, dampin, progspringin, progdampin, springout, dampout, progspringout, progdampout, shortbound, longbound, precomp, options
   45,    80,    22000,   2000,           15,         10,      22000,    2000,           15,          10,        0.5,       0.5,       1,       m
 
;visible hardbump shock, high value progressive inbound only shock, boundaries apply metric as absolute values in meters
;node1, node2, springin, dampin, progspringin, progdampin, springout, dampout, progspringout, progdampout, shortbound, longbound, precomp, options
   45,    80,    22000,   2000,            5,          5,          0,       0,            0,           0,        0.2,       2.5,       1,       M

Shockswapping help: 
This is an example how to get started with replacing shocks with shocks2. In this example, the shocks2 have exactly the same functionality then the original shocks. After adding the shocks2 delete the old shock and you are fine to tune/tweak your truck.

shocks
;id1, id2, spring, damping, shortbound, longbound, precomp, options
  36,   6, 200000,   10000,        0.3,       0.3,     1.0
 
shocks2
;node1, node2, springin, dampin, progspringin, progdampin, springout, dampout, progspringout, progdampout, shortbound, longbound, precomp, options
   36,     6,   200000,  10000,            0,          0,    200000,   10000,             0,           0,        0.3,       0.3,     1.0

[Nathan H.]

Thank you so much. I am trying to modify shock setups but I keep getting trampoline suspension.