Car Game (Director) — December 2001-January 2002

This early project, created in Macromedia Director, demonstrated foundational principles in interactive design through a friction-based, physics-driven driving experience. Notable features included:

• Infinite Looping Graphics: Background elements continuously looped vertically, creating the illusion of an endless roadway.
• Realistic Friction and Motion: Vehicle speed was dynamically adjusted using a friction model:

  mygearspeed = mygearspeed * frictionFactor;

  This method resulted in realistic deceleration and a smooth driving feel.
• Torque and Acceleration Mechanics:

  torque = (wheelspeed + mygear) / (wheelspeed + 2);
  horsepower = (wheelspeed + mygear) * (torque * hp);
      

  These equations provided responsive control, mimicking tactile vehicle dynamics.
• Wrapping Mechanics: Background elements continuously looped vertically, creating a visually immersive and tactile experience. The game simulates speed, steering, and dynamic wrapping to create the illusion of acceleration, where yellow road lines appear closer together as the car moves faster:

  if sprite(me.spritenum).locv <= -200 then
    sprite(me.spritenum).locv = sprite(me.spritenum).locv + 700;
  end if;
      

• Steering Mechanics: Steering angles were adjusted dynamically based on speed, ensuring responsive turns:

  steering = max(-1, min(1, steering));
  angle = angle + ((steering * actual_speed) * 0.0005);

Technical Highlights:

• Friction Model: Dynamic speed decay using friction factor for smooth deceleration.
• Infinite Wrapping: Continuous looping visuals for seamless motion.
• Dynamic Speed Adjustment: Real-time responsiveness based on torque, friction, and user input.
• Visual Acceleration Effect: Faster wrapping creates an illusion of lines compressing as speed increases.
• User Interaction: Keyboard inputs control speed, steering, and braking.
• Feedback Mechanisms: Real-time tachometer and steering angle visual feedback enhance interaction.

This project laid the technical foundation for future works like the Sixspeedmedia 3D Carousel, introducing friction-based animations, continuous looping visuals, and tactile physics. Further documentation, including detailed code and original timestamps, is available for historical verification in the archived project PDF (Car_game_with_infinite_looping_graphical_elements_with_friction_and_mouse_control_with_smooth_animations_-1-17-2001.pdf).

See also related project: Sixspeedmedia 3D Carousel.