Tower of Terror effects status watch

[scxtt_31]

This POV was filmed and uploaded today on Charlie/Foxtrot; in addition to finally giving us a good look at the refurbished lightning bolts in the drop shaft there are also a few more things of note:



-The projector brightness for both the ghosts and the window in the hallway scene seems to have been somewhat fixed, although they’re both still projecting in grayscale/B&W

-Timing in the 5th Dimension has been noticeably improved, with the elevator waiting just a bit longer before leaving the load lift (you can hear a clear difference in the transition between VVC and 5th D audios). I did notice the elevator door sound effect not playing though

-Drop audio timing and volume isn’t perfect but the AGV seems to move a LOT more nimbly into the shaft now, at least on Foxtrot side. You can hear the mechanisms lock in place before Rod’s speech is even finished and not even a second later the sequence starts. Genuinely a big step in the right direction especially concerning hourly capacity

-The LEDs definitely seem like a work in progress still, upon slowing the video down I noticed the first bolt had a small coursing/pulsating animation while the second set was just lit up. The effect’s brightness is pretty startling but I think that works here

-It seems they’re working on entirely new timings for the lightning bolts altogether as they only activate briefly at the start of the sequence. When the old strobes were in place they used to flash during the second ascent in this sequence (Window) as the elevator “struggled” up the shaft but they’re notably absent here.

One or two of these things may not be new but I haven’t been back to the parks since my program ended in August so I’m not 100% sure

 

[Rodj]

-The projector brightness for both the ghosts and the window in the hallway scene seems to have been somewhat fixed, although they’re both still projecting in grayscale/B&W

The brightness issues weren't a problem with Charlie and Delta, only Alpha(window projection) and Bravo(ghost projection) had an issue.

-Timing in the 5th Dimension has been noticeably improved, with the elevator waiting just a bit longer before leaving the load lift (you can hear a clear difference in the transition between VVC and 5th D audios). I did notice the elevator door sound effect not playing though

If you are talking about the transition audio between the corridor scene and the 5th Dimension, Charlie has played the shorter transition BGM track meant for Alpha/Delta since mid-2021 when the audio system was last messed with.

-Drop audio timing and volume isn’t perfect but the AGV seems to move a LOT more nimbly into the shaft now, at least on Foxtrot side. You can hear the mechanisms lock in place before Rod’s speech is even finished and not even a second later the sequence starts. Genuinely a big step in the right direction especially concerning hourly capacity

This is definitely only for Foxtrot side, Echo for a little while(at least since earlier this year) seems to pause/slow down the AGV for a second or two before starting to enter the drop shaft, even if the drop shaft has been ready. One thing I will add on is that in late October I noticed Foxtrot's delay between the motion and audio decreased to around ~1.5 seconds, similar to Echo side, and I believe this is due to them going into the programming for the lightning bolt effect. This proves that they can eliminate the delay completely if they look in the right place in the programming.

-The LEDs definitely seem like a work in progress still, upon slowing the video down I noticed the first bolt had a small coursing/pulsating animation while the second set was just lit up. The effect’s brightness is pretty startling but I think that works here

-It seems they’re working on entirely new timings for the lightning bolts altogether as they only activate briefly at the start of the sequence. When the old strobes were in place they used to flash during the second ascent in this sequence (Window) as the elevator “struggled” up the shaft but they’re notably absent here.

I'm truly disappointed in this, they took the cheap route. I really hope this is temporary and they reprogram it. There's no way Imagineering had any involvement with this, there was no thought put into this. All it does now is a pulsed flash at the start of each drop sequence, no where else where it's meant to flash and the VVC hovers around it while thunder sounds play. They still haven't put the main front covers over them either, so you still see the lightning bolt pattern when they aren't lit. I really hope those are addressable LED's that can be individually controlled and not something else where only the whole set can be controlled. Here is another video of it on Echo side with Profile 1:

One other thing I will add on is that I think there are two programs running for the drop sequence. One directly relates with the controls of the drop motor but also contains the programming for the Horton doors and the PhotoPass lighting/photo, while the other is purely show effects only and contains the programming for the VVC strobes, (original) lightning bolt strobes, ghost figures, the spark effects for the sign, and audio. The show effects programming I've noticed is still on sync with the audio, while the other program is "on sync" with the motion of the drop sequence. This makes me wonder if the show effects programming starts first or calls on the other program to start, which might relate to the delay? I noticed that the new lightning bolt programing seems to be tied to the drop sequence motion now instead of the audio, as there is no delay between it and the motion.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

The brightness issues weren't a problem with Charlie and Delta, only Alpha(window projection) and Bravo(ghost projection) had an issue.

If you are talking about the transition audio between the corridor scene and the 5th Dimension, Charlie has played the shorter transition BGM track meant for Alpha/Delta since mid-2021 when the audio system was last messed with.

This is definitely only for Foxtrot side, Echo for a little while(at least since earlier this year) seems to pause/slow down the AGV for a second or two before starting to enter the drop shaft, even if the drop shaft has been ready. One thing I will add on is that in late October I noticed Foxtrot's delay between the motion and audio decreased to around ~1.5 seconds, similar to Echo side, and I believe this is due to them going into the programming for the lightning bolt effect. This proves that they can eliminate the delay completely if they look in the right place in the programming.

I'm truly disappointed in this, they took the cheap route. I really hope this is temporary and they reprogram it. There's no way Imagineering had any involvement with this, there was no thought put into this. All it does now is a pulsed flash at the start of each drop sequence, no where else where it's meant to flash and the VVC hovers around it while thunder sounds play. They still haven't put the main front covers over them either, so you still see the lightning bolt pattern when they aren't lit. I really hope those are addressable LED's that can be individually controlled and not something else where only the whole set can be controlled. Here is another video of it on Echo side with Profile 1:

One other thing I will add on is that I think there are two programs running for the drop sequence. One directly relates with the controls of the drop motor but also contains the programming for the Horton doors and the PhotoPass lighting/photo, while the other is purely show effects only and contains the programming for the VVC strobes, (original) lightning bolt strobes, ghost figures, the spark effects for the sign, and audio. The show effects programming I've noticed is still on sync with the audio, while the other program is "on sync" with the motion of the drop sequence. This makes me wonder if the show effects programming starts first or calls on the other program to start, which might relate to the delay? I noticed that the new lightning bolt programing seems to be tied to the drop sequence motion now instead of the audio, as there is no delay between it and the motion.

I rode this ride consistently from 2005-2017 and I have no memory of those lightning bolts before the initial drop. Am I just forgetting or were they nonfunctional for that long?

 

[Rodj]

I rode this ride consistently from 2005-2017 and I have no memory of those lightning bolts before the initial drop. Am I just forgetting or were they nonfunctional for that long?

They have worked mostly during that time, but for some drop sequences, you would see it mostly partway through the drop sequence. Here was a video compilation I have of them:

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

They have worked mostly during that time, but for some drop sequences, you would see it mostly partway through the drop sequence. Here was a video compilation I have of them:

I remember seeing some flashes during the drops, but I guess I just never had the drop sequence where it starts that way?

 

[Rodj]

I remember seeing some flashes during the drops, but I guess I just never had the drop sequence where it starts that way?

There is a dedicated part of the sequence for it with profiles 1, 3, and 4. Only drop profile 2 didn't have a part where it hovered around it.