Prop Scale

[Beer]

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So what is it? It's a scale. You put props on it, and it tells you how much they weigh. It's about 98% accurate.. with a little extra tweaking I may just be able to get it to 100% accuracy, but the physics make that somewhat difficult. The maximum weight this can handle in its current form is only about 10-12,000 lbs. What's cool about this, is it can weigh players (85lbs), ragdolls (60-90lbs depending on the character.. women weigh less), and vehicles, which are all incorrectly measured using the Weight STool. This measures the actual vertical force of props, whereas the weight tool just pulls the info from data files, which is indirectly altered by the game physics.

Here are some screenshots along with the actual weight of each prop:

Actualy Weight: 3500 lbs


Actual Weight: 5500 lbs


Actual Weight: 10 lbs each


Actual Weight: 1 lb each



And a Video:
<center><div><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-2209673356195814581&" > </embed></div><div>Download Video</center>

Edit: Sorry, the Weight STool weights are too tiny to read in the video.. there are as follows:
Washing Machine: 3500 lbs (My Scale: 3516 lbs)
Lockers: 1999.9 lbs (My Scale: 1999 lbs)
Big Red Crate: 8000 lbs (My Scale: 8007 lbs)
PHX Metal Tube: 400 lbs (My Scale: 400 lbs)
Babies: 5x 1lb each (My Scale: 5lb .. note that anything under 4 lbs doesn't register on purpose.. it helps to keep the scale zeroed out when nothing is on it)
Blue Dumpster: 1000 lbs (My Scale: 1001 lbs)
etc etc etc

If I nudge the props when they are on the scale, 9 times out of 10 the it will re-measure the weight entirely accurately.

[SuperU]

Woo. Nice one.

[nanotech fur]

yeah quadratic curves

[-=Fox=-]

Awesome Job!

I'm curious, what do you use to get the weight measurement from?

I've made Hydraulic weight measurement devices, it uses the ratio of weight to hydraulic "flex", and some extremely simple math (non algebraic).

For example, if you measure the distance the hydraulic constraint flexes when a weight is put on to it, you'll get a ratio of "Distance of Flex" to "Prop Weight". That will give you Amount of Flex per distance unit for a given weight.

Or rather, to make more sence I'll use actual units: Inches per Kilogram

So if your constraint flexes 10 inches per 1 KG (hypothetical) then you get a ratio of 10 (Distance of Flex) : 1 (Prop Weight)

Then, 300 Inches of "Flex" equals 30 KGs

It requires that you get a baseline measurement for the weighing device, the more accurate you are and take into account the weight of the prop being used. The device will be accurate within 1KG

It just requires a Ranger, Hydraulic, Weighing Prop, and an Expression gate (or equivilent math gates). Of course any constraint that flexes in a predictable manner can be used as a weighing device

[Beer]

I basically used the same method, but there was no need for a ranger (though that would work too). If you put weight on a hydraulic that is set at 50 units long, it will shorten the hydraulic and that actually effects the outputted length of the hydraulic "cable".

So even though the hydraulic is set at 50 units, it might only output 48.795 units with weight on it. I used that difference to determine how much weight is applied on them.

Fortunately for this situation, there is a direct link to that difference and the force being applied to the hydraulics. Unfortunately, this little quirk makes hydraulics shitty for most other applications.

Glad you like it

[starvinmarvin]

good work

[Sir_Carlson]

I made a scale like that but small only thing is when usin a measurement like that things would sort of exponentially increase in weight after it got too heavy . say past 200 lbs. It would show conversions of kilo's pounds and game weight
good job though nice accuracy

[nieb16]

Very useful and very cool. Good Work.

[Aus_Karlos]

Coincidence, i made a scale a few days ago. For some reason the more heavier the object the move inaccurate measurement becomes. I can weigh objects between 1-18000.
My setup uses 4 wire hydroloics set with ridged. And a ranger at the base (between the base and the scale) I then use some math gates, constant values to measure the distance change when a prop is placed on the scale thats suspended by the hydrolics. (took me 10min to figure out the maths side). How have you done it.....

[wokkel]

awesome. where did you get the idea from...

anyway, what is the song you used in your movie