If you've been trying to nail down a roblox conveyor belt script that doesn't glitch out or send your parts flying into the stratosphere, you're definitely not the only one. Whether you're building a massive Ore Tycoon clone or just want a simple way to move players around a factory, getting the physics right is key. It sounds like it should be as easy as "set it and forget it," but if you've spent any time in Roblox Studio, you know that the physics engine sometimes has its own plans.
Let's be real: nobody wants a conveyor that looks like it's moving but doesn't actually carry anything. In the old days, we used the Velocity property, but Roblox deprecated that a while ago. Nowadays, if you want things to run smoothly, you have to use AssemblyLinearVelocity. It sounds a bit more technical, but it's actually way more reliable once you get the hang of it.
Why the Physics Engine Matters
Before we jump into the code, we should probably talk about why we do things a certain way. In Roblox, parts aren't just blocks; they are physical objects with mass, friction, and momentum. If you just try to change the CFrame or Position of a part to move it along a belt, you aren't actually moving the belt's surface—you're just teleporting the part tiny distances every frame.
This usually results in jittery movement, or worse, the part just sits there because the "friction" isn't grabbing onto anything. By using a roblox conveyor belt script that targets the AssemblyLinearVelocity, you're essentially telling the engine: "Hey, the surface of this part is moving at this speed, so anything touching it should move too." It handles all the math for you, which is a huge lifesaver.
Setting Up Your First Conveyor
First off, open up Roblox Studio and drop a Part into the workspace. Scale it so it looks like a belt—long, flat, and wide. You'll want to make sure it's Anchored. If it's not anchored, the velocity might actually push the belt backward like a treadmill while the items stay still!
Once your part is ready, go ahead and insert a Script inside it. You can name it "ConveyorScript" or whatever you like.
The Basic Code
Here's the most straightforward way to get things moving. Don't worry about it being too complex; we're keeping it simple for now.
```lua local belt = script.Parent local speed = 10 -- You can change this number to go faster or slower
-- We use a loop to keep the velocity consistent while true do belt.AssemblyLinearVelocity = belt.CFrame.LookVector * speed task.wait(1) -- We don't need to update this every frame, but once in a while is good end ```
Now, why do we use belt.CFrame.LookVector? This is a little trick that makes your life much easier. Instead of guessing if you need to move on the X, Y, or Z axis, LookVector just moves the objects in the direction the "Front" of the part is facing. If the items are moving the wrong way, you can just rotate the part in Studio, and the script will automatically adjust. No need to touch the code again!
Making it Look Real with Textures
Having a part that moves items is cool, but it looks pretty boring if the part itself is just a static grey brick. To make it feel like a real conveyor, you need an animated texture.
Grab a conveyor belt texture from the Toolbox or upload your own. Apply it to the top face of your part. Now, we need to add a few lines to our roblox conveyor belt script to make that texture scroll.
```lua local belt = script.Parent local texture = belt:FindFirstChildOfClass("Texture") local speed = 10
-- Check if we actually have a texture to animate if texture then spawn(function() while true do texture.OffsetStudsU = texture.OffsetStudsU + 0.1 task.wait(0.03) end end) end
belt.AssemblyLinearVelocity = belt.CFrame.LookVector * speed ```
The OffsetStudsU property is what controls the "scroll." By constantly adding a small amount to it, you create the illusion that the belt is physically rolling. Using spawn() or task.spawn() is important here because it allows the texture to animate in the background without stopping the rest of your script from running.
Handling Curved Belts
Straight belts are easy, but what about corners? This is where a lot of developers get frustrated. If you just use a standard rectangular part for a corner, the LookVector is only going to point in one direction. Your items will hit the corner and then awkwardly slide off the side.
To fix this, most people use a series of smaller, slightly rotated parts to create a curve. Each of these parts needs the same roblox conveyor belt script. Because each part's LookVector points in a slightly different direction, the item will be nudged along the curve bit by bit. It's a bit tedious to set up manually, but it's the most "physics-friendly" way to do it.
Alternatively, you could use a script that calculates the direction based on the item's position relative to the center of the curve, but honestly? That's overkill for 99% of games. Stick to the small-segment method; it's much easier to debug.
Troubleshooting Common Glitches
So, you've set everything up, but your parts are bouncing around like they're on a trampoline. What gives?
The Friction Problem
If your items are sliding off or not moving at a consistent speed, check the Friction settings. Every BasePart has CustomPhysicalProperties. If the friction on your conveyor belt is too low, the items will just slip. Try turning on CustomPhysicalProperties on the belt part and bumping the friction up to 1 or even 2.
Anchored vs. Unanchored
I mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating. If your conveyor belt isn't anchored, the AssemblyLinearVelocity will apply to the belt itself. It'll try to zoom away like a car. Always anchor your belts!
Part Orientation
If your items are moving sideways or backward, don't change the script. Just use the Rotate tool in Studio. The LookVector is tied to the "Front" face of the part. If you aren't sure which way is front, you can use the "Show Orientation Indicator" in the View tab, or just keep rotating the part 90 degrees until it works.
Advanced: The "No Loop" Method
You might have noticed that some developers don't use a while true do loop for their velocity. If you're worried about performance (though one loop isn't going to hurt anything), you can actually just set the velocity once and it should stay that way unless another script changes it.
However, Roblox physics can be a bit weird when chunks of the map (StreamingEnabled) load and unload. Sometimes, when a part loads back into the game, its assembly properties reset. That's why many of us keep the loop in there—it's just a safety net to ensure the belt never "dies."
Using Conveyors in Tycoons
If you're making a tycoon, you probably have a "Dropper" and a "Collector." The roblox conveyor belt script is the bridge between them. One thing to keep in mind is "Part Lag." If you have 500 ores moving on belts at the same time, your players are going to feel it.
To optimize this, try to keep the number of parts on the belt low. You can do this by: 1. Adding a "Debris" service to delete parts that fall off the map. 2. Combining small ores into one larger "crate" visually. 3. Making sure the conveyor parts themselves are simple (don't use high-poly Meshes for the belt if a simple Block will do).
Wrapping Things Up
Creating a functional roblox conveyor belt script is one of those foundational skills that makes your game feel way more professional. Once you move past the old, deprecated methods and start using AssemblyLinearVelocity, the whole process becomes much more predictable.
Don't be afraid to experiment with the numbers. Maybe you want a high-speed "boost pad" for a racing game, or a slow, grinding assembly line for a horror game set in a factory. The logic is exactly the same—only the speed and the textures change.
Just remember: keep your parts anchored, watch your LookVectors, and don't forget to crank up the friction if things get slippery. Happy building, and I can't wait to see what kind of crazy factory contraptions you come up with!