Templot Club Archive 2007-2020                             

topic: 245Inserting a turnout/parallel tracks/what is a notch?
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posted: 23 Nov 2007 01:10

from:

Gordon S
 
 

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A few very simple questions that have come to mind over the past 48 hours.

Managed to insert a turnout without problem, but it always comes up with a B7 turnout.  How do I select a different form of turnout to insert?  I have selected different turnouts no problem, but when I try and insert it, the programme defaults back to a B7.

Setting up parallel tracks, again no problem, but when selecting either the MS or TS variant, invariably it puts the new track on the wrong side.  How do you determine which side you need?  There appears no logic to it and I get it wrong more than 50% of the time..

Can you please explain what a notch is and what it does?  I seem to have one on my plan and try as I may, I can't get rid of it and don't really understand what it does.  Tried most info sources but can't find an answer.

Apologies for the simple questions...I'm making great headway but these few simple things have me baffled.:?

Regards 

Gordon S

posted: 23 Nov 2007 08:03

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Gordon S wrote:
Managed to insert a turnout without problem, but it always comes up with a B7 turnout.  How do I select a different form of turnout to insert? I have selected different turnouts no problem, but when I try and insert it, the programme defaults back to a B7.
Hi Gordon,

It's not always a B7. It might be any size.

Templates have a "memory" of the situation that was existing when they were created. The reason you get a B7 is that when that plain track template was created, the most recent size of turnout you had been working with was a B7. Or maybe you created it by copying from another plain track template for which that was the case. So you could perhaps call it a "B7 plain track template". But that would be a bit confusing, bearing in mind that it would look identical to an "A5 plain track  template". :)

But it doesn't matter in the least what actual size of turnout you get when you do template > insert turnout in plain track. The sole function of that command is to change the type of template from "plain track" to "turnout" while maintaining the template's length and alignment in the track plan.

Having got a turnout template, you then proceed to adjust it to the exact size or design you want. You might use the F5 mouse action for that, or the template > switch options... or template > V-crossing options... menu items. You will often want to change the direction (template > swap facing-trailing, or CTRL+N) or the hand (template > invert handing, or CTRL+X). Very often you will want to roam the turnout along the template to the exact position (CTRL+F9 mouse action).

On the other hand, you may have a very specific customized turnout which you want to use. In that case, don't use insert turnout in plain track. Instead, use the align functions. Put the plain track on the background. Make your custom turnout the current/control template. Then click on the background plain track template and on its pop-up menu click the peg/align tools > align over background template > menu options. Then click on it again and delete it from under the newly aligned current/control template which is taking its place.

I suspect Gordon that having discovered the F7 snapping functions you are trying to use Templot like a CAD program such as Winrail or XTrkCad, which Templot isn't. Those snapping functions were introduced only recently and somewhat against my better judgment for this very reason.

In a CAD program, you normally select the object you want first, say a RH B8 curved turnout, and then put it in position second.

You can work that way with snapping, but ideally Templot works the other way round. You put any old turnout in position first, often by extending and then splitting off exit or approach tracks on a previous turnout and inserting a turnout in them.

And only then do you change it to the hand you want, adjust it to the exact size you want, bend it to the required radius, whatever. This has the great advantage that you can see exactly what you are going to get in the actual location it is going to occupy. It also makes it easier to create flowing curved trackwork and very likely end up with no two templates being exactly alike, unlike the "train-set" look which often results if you keep snapping the same few sizes together.

If you watch again the video which I created for your parallel platform, you will see that I didn't use the snapping functions at all:

 parallel platform using transition curve  (5 mins, 5MB)

In fact if you have been watching the other videos you will see that I very rarely use the snapping functions.

(Press the spacebar to start the playback.)

The notes about this video are at: topic 239 - message 1248

That video also answers your second question. By temporarily showing the timber numbering you can quickly see which side of a template is which -- the numbers are always along the main-side (MS) of a template. When you get more experienced with Templot you won't need to do this. By glancing at the hand in the information panel and mentally looking along the template from the CTRL+0 end towards the CTRL+1 end (i.e. towards the end with the marker line), the TS side is on the same side as the hand. But if you get it wrong it doesn't really matter, just click on it and do delete to current/control, and make double-track on the other side.

I will answer your question about the notch in a separate topic, to avoid confusion. But in fact all you need to know about the peg and notch functions are in the docs at:

 http://www.templot.com/martweb/gs_geometry.htm

The notch performs a similar function to snapping, but with a great deal more flexibility and control, so that you can precisely define the way one template or partial template joins or overlaps another. To see the full power of the notch, watch the "linking to the notch" video in the list at:

 topic 12

regards,

Martin.

posted: 23 Nov 2007 13:05

from:

Gordon S
 
 

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Hi Martin, thanks as always for taking the time to provide such a comprehensive reply.  I guess my questions are as a result of diving in with the F7 key which opened up a whole new world for me.  The upside was finally getting started, when I was really struggling.  The downside is you miss some of the more detailed steps, which is now resulting in simple questions.

I had grasped the basics of inserting turnouts and used the invert, handing options without problem.  The one that was missing was the F5 key.  Another hurdle overcome.  All makes sense now..:)

Similar with parallel tracks.  I was looking at name labels, rather than timber numbers...doh!

The link to pegs and notches was just what I was looking for, but somehow missed.  Some more reading to do.

This support is outstanding.

Regards
 
Gordon S

posted: 26 Nov 2007 05:22

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Gordon S wrote:
Managed to insert a turnout without problem, but it always comes up with a B7 turnout.  How do I select a different form of turnout to insert?
Hi Gordon,

When I answered this I intentionally avoided giving you the actual answer. :) That's because it's much better to set the size of a turnout after you have inserted it, rather than before. That way you can see what you are doing.

However, for the sake of completeness I ought to give you the proper answer to your specific question. Please ignore completely this below because it's not obvious, intuitive or helpful. :( :

For a plain track template you can go to template > switch options... and set the switch size. Plain track doesn't have a switch, and there will be no visible change to the template, so at first sight this is a bit mystifying. But this is the switch size which will be used if you subsequently insert a turnout in the plain track template.

Likewise you can go to template > V-crossing options... and set the crossing angle for a plain track template. This is the crossing angle which will be used if you subsequently insert a turnout in the plain track template.

regards,

Martin.



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