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TEMPLOT 3D PLUG TRACK - To get up to speed with this experimental project click here.   To watch an introductory video click here.   See the User Guide at Bexhill West.

  • The Plug Track functions are experimental and still being developed. Some of the earlier pages of this topic are now out-of-date.

    For an updated overview of this project see this topic.   For some practical modelling aspects of using Plug Track see Building 3D Track.

    The assumption is that you have your own machines on which to experiment, or helpful friends with machines. Please do not send Templot files to commercial laser cutting or 3D printing firms while this project is still experimental, because the results are unpredictable and possibly wasteful.

    Some pages of this and other topics include contributions from members who are creating and posting their own CAD designs for 3D printing and laser-cutting. Do not confuse them with Templot's own exported CAD files. All files derived from Templot are © Martin Wynne.
  • The Plug Track functions are experimental and still being developed.

    For an updated overview of this project see this topic.   For some practical modelling aspects of using Plug Track see Building 3D Track.

    The assumption is that you have your own machines on which to experiment, or helpful friends with machines. Please do not send Templot files to commercial laser cutting or 3D printing firms while this project is still experimental, because the results are unpredictable and possibly wasteful.

    Some pages of this and other topics include contributions from members who are creating and posting their own CAD designs for 3D printing and laser-cutting. Do not confuse them with Templot's own exported CAD files. All files derived from Templot are © Martin Wynne.

More plug track software developments

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Martin Wynne

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Enjoy using Templot?
Thanks.

Please do not send requests for help direct to me via email.

Post your questions on the forum where everyone can see them and add
helpful replies.
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Time to start yet another topic I think. 1000+ posts is plenty enough for one topic.

This one is a continuation from:

https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/experimental-plug-track-continued.673/latest/

This time the word experimental is missing from the title -- but that doesn't mean it is missing from the project. :)

There is still a lot to explain, for FDM settings, resin shrinkage, laser kerfs, mesh-fixing, timbering bricks, chair options, and all the rest. See for example today's topic on parallel wing crossovers.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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@Martin Wynne some time back in the old Templot forum, you very kindly produced a REA specification scissor as I was having issues similar to @Terry Downes. It was also because I had 'assumed' it was a standard 6ft, when in fact (IIRC it's supposed to be 6ft6 or 7ft between the inner rails).

If you still have that on your computer, perhaps it would help Terry? I'm afraid I lost my copy when I replaced the HDD, though I have a PDF of it if that might help.
 
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I'm looking to print off a trial section of the crossover and I would like to try breaking the formation down into say 130 x 130 sections. I think I need to utilise the 'brick' function with joining clips etc. Can anyone point me in the right direction for some basic instructions, scruff vid or post thread?
 
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@Terry Downes

Hi Terry,

This topic covers the timbering bricks (7 pages):

https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/extracting-a-3d-timbering-brick-from-a-track-plan.295/

The experimental functions changed a lot during the course of that topic, so you need to read all of it to be up to date on them.

These menus on the background shapes dialog contain most of the brick functions:

con_clips.png


But I can't remember ever properly writing it all up, sorry.

If I could just get the turnout chairing finished, I can go back and sort out all this stuff that got left half-finished along the way, and write some proper plug track instructions.

Ask again if anything is unclear. @Paul Boyd is our official bricklaying correspondent. :)

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Ask again if anything is unclear. @Paul Boyd is our official bricklaying correspondent. :)
Who, me? :)

It's been a while since I did the bricks, and now that I've changed the gauge I'm going to have to start again but hopefully with the benefit of experience! I never did get to write up my notes properly, but I've attached my scribbles to this post which I hope will be a good reference - it's just as I scribbled it, warts and all. These notes were out of date even as I was writing them (I do believe this whole area might be experimental!). The link posted in the previous message is the one I would have posted as well.

The bricks I made were not intended to be used with plug track so don't have sockets, other than blind "rail head" sockets to act as a guide. I've also attached box files and shape files - I wouldn't normally separate bricks out of the box file but I thought it might make things a little clearer. In the shapes file, the big squares represent my print area. That would be the first thing I sort out, allowing overlap for the clips. It's then a case of making bricks using lots of pretty colours! It's best to use colours from the default palette to make it easier to select by colour, and also to have adjacent bricks in contrasting colours.

Hopefully this will be of some help.

Cheers,
Paul
 

Attachments

  • Notes.txt
    8.2 KB · Views: 66
  • bricks_2023_04_17_2116_26.box
    168.4 KB · Views: 63
  • group_2023_04_17_2117_34.box
    217.9 KB · Views: 57
  • pen_y_bwlch_23_04_17_2121_43.bgs3
    37.9 KB · Views: 61
  • 2022-05-14_17-19-10_PJM0444.HEIC
    1.9 MB · Views: 60
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@Paul Boyd

Hi Paul,

Many thanks for taking the trouble to post all that. I had forgotten most of it myself. :)

By the way, have you tried Cura in the latest Windows 11 update? The pop-ups from the Settings Guide now instantly obliterate the setting you are trying to change, making it impossible to change anything. I do wish Microsoft would learn that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Sigh.

The solution is to go in Cura to Extensions > Settings Guide > Preferences and untick this cryptic box :

cura_settings_guide_popups.png


Don't ask how long it took me to find this. Another chunk of my life I will never get back. Thanks Microsoft :(

You can still get the Settings Guide when you want it by right-clicking on a setting.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Hi, can You advise whether I'm doing something wrong? I have just created a small section of template for test printing of various methods etc. but, the timber which holds the switch soleplate seems to be missing within the Templot screen and does not appear within exported stl file.
1681816404117.png

1681816497421.png

Terry
 
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@Terry Downes

Hi Terry,

You are not doing anything wrong. This is another bug in 237c.

Although it can't really be called a bug because the whole thing is an experiment -- stuff gets tried as a proof of concept and not necessarily fully implemented until later, or changed from one version to the next.

In the meantime, you can prevent the problem by not having the soleplate function enabled. Switch it off by setting the combo to blank (right-click on it):

dxf_soleplates.png


Then click rebuild now before exporting. Hopefully that should work.

I will try to make sure it is working again in 238a.

The long and the short of it is that I should not have released 237c when I did. But that would now mean 5 months since the last update, and the longer I leave it the more and more difficult it becomes to release an update, because it needs so much testing and checking.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Thanks Martin, that fixed it.
But, I do wish You would stop apologising and beating yourself up all the time about bugs and being experimental. I for one truly appreciate your knowledge, skills, advise and time with this extremely impressive and thoroughly enjoyable software. And best of all its free!
I actually think You should consider releasing more often and let the users discover the 'bugs' as this would relieve the pressure off Your shoulders.
Stay positive and keep up the great work. Terry
1681820236414.png
 
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The solution is to go in Cura to Extensions > Settings Guide > Preferences and untick this cryptic box :
Hi Martin

Now you mention it, I did find that but can't remember now how or if I got around it! Thanks for finding that setting though. Programmers who work for these big corporations seem to have to keep churning out code to keep their jobs, but there doesn't seem to be anyone testing it!

Cheers,
Paul
 
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message ref: 6394
@Martin Wynne some time back in the old Templot forum, you very kindly produced a REA specification scissor as I was having issues similar to @Terry Downes. It was also because I had 'assumed' it was a standard 6ft, when in fact (IIRC it's supposed to be 6ft6 or 7ft between the inner rails).

If you still have that on your computer, perhaps it would help Terry? I'm afraid I lost my copy when I replaced the HDD, though I have a PDF of it if that might help.
@Derek @Terry Downes

Hi Derek,

It doesn't ring any memory bells -- but then very little does nowadays. :(

I rarely delete anything, so I should still have it somewhere. Most likely on an old disk drive. I have lots of old drives which are not currently connected to my computer. If you can give me some idea of the date, I can connect one up and see if I can find it.

But whether it will be much help to Terry I'm not sure. Generally it takes less time to start from the beginning than spend ages trying to find and adapt something from years ago.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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message ref: 6396
Who, me? :)

It's been a while since I did the bricks, and now that I've changed the gauge I'm going to have to start again but hopefully with the benefit of experience! I never did get to write up my notes properly, but I've attached my scribbles to this post which I hope will be a good reference - it's just as I scribbled it, warts and all. These notes were out of date even as I was writing them (I do believe this whole area might be experimental!). The link posted in the previous message is the one I would have posted as well.

The bricks I made were not intended to be used with plug track so don't have sockets, other than blind "rail head" sockets to act as a guide. I've also attached box files and shape files - I wouldn't normally separate bricks out of the box file but I thought it might make things a little clearer. In the shapes file, the big squares represent my print area. That would be the first thing I sort out, allowing overlap for the clips. It's then a case of making bricks using lots of pretty colours! It's best to use colours from the default palette to make it easier to select by colour, and also to have adjacent bricks in contrasting colours.

Hopefully this will be of some help.

Cheers,
Paul
Paul, Martin,
Thanks for all the assistance, after reading through the long thread I initially thought this was going to be long winded but, with the obvious improvements and enhancements made since the topic began I breezed through and found the process a lot simpler than initially expected. And I'm now printing out some test samples of my first bricks.
1682241164914.png
 
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Paul, Martin,
Thanks for all the assistance, after reading through the long thread I initially thought this was going to be long winded but, with the obvious improvements and enhancements made since the topic began I breezed through and found the process a lot simpler than initially expected. And I'm now printing out some test samples of my first bricks.View attachment 5511
@Terry Downes

Hi Terry,

Presumably that's a resin print with integral fixed-jaw chairs? It will be a miracle if you get that chair detail in an FDM print.

What are the extra bits of chair plug which you have included, and how did they get attached to the chairs on short spurs? Mystified.

edit: They are supports added by the slicer software where the key offset is deemed to need it. Not part of Templot.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Hi Martin,
Yes its a resin print. brick size set to 120x120mm which suits my Formlabs 140x140mm printer bed. The Preform software automatically adds supports for 'delicate' areas which you can remove/add/amend as you see fit but, I've just left the auto settings. The other thing thats a little different with this test is I'm printing directly onto the bed e.g. no raft/supports etc. I have done this before with great success which creates a perfectly flat print with minimal waste. Note: I specifically talking about my Form3 resin printer and this will not apply to other printers!
 
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The other thing thats a little different with this test is I'm printing directly onto the bed e.g. no raft/supports etc. I have done this before with great success which creates a perfectly flat print with minimal waste.
@Terry Downes

Hi Terry,

If you do that, check for "elephant's foot" problems on the connector clips from the long first layer exposure. There is a rebate in the design around the underside of the clips to protect against problems, but it may not be enough.

But where did the extra bits of chair plug come from, needing delicate supports?

edit: They are supports added by the slicer software where the key offset is deemed to need it. Not part of Templot.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Mind you that is viewing the picture on my mobile phone!

When I printed some resin timber bases this is the parameter that Martin advised me to adjust:-
1682337752966.png

I also printed the bases direct on the build plate just as output by Templot.
Steve
 
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Looks to me as though the delicate supports are for the "keys" which the preform software must think overhang too far.
@Steve_Cornford

Well spotted Steve. The slabs looked like misplaced chair plugs to me -- I need new glasses!

The amount of key overhang is randomised, hence some of them getting extra supports and not others.

There is a setting to control the maximum overhang, I should probably reduce the default setting a little:

chair_key_offset.png



Many thanks for alerting me Steve.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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@Steve_Cornford

Hi Steve,

I have reduced the default max offset from 1.75" (scale) to 1.5".

That means the key 6" long now projects 2.5" maximum from the chair jaw 4" wide.

It can of course be set more if anyone wants.

p.s. That key option was introduced in version 233a released 21st December 2021. That's getting on for 18 months ago! I really must try to progress this thing a bit faster.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Hi Martin,

It's not often that you can't knock a key in, and end up with more than a couple of inches or so, sticking out, it has been unknown to knock a key straight through, in which case we hope that a spring key will do the job. Obviously not an option before spring keys became available.
 
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Last edited:
Hi Martin,

It's not often that you can't knock a key in, and end up with more than a couple of inches or so, sticking out, it has been unknown to knock a key straight through, in which case we hope that a spring key will do the job. Obviously not an option before spring keys became available.
@Phil O

Thanks Phil.

But note that the 2.5" projection mentioned above is the maximum. Templot randomises the amount projecting up to that limit, so that the majority of keys will actually be less than that. Some a lot less.

That's why the software picked up only a few of them needing additional supports. With a reduced maximum it will be a lot fewer, and hopefully none. But if there are any, it can be prevented by reducing the maximum limit further. Every setting can be changed by the user in Templot. Apart from the ones which can't. :)

In the larger scales it might be necessary to allow the supports, and break them off each chair before use. In which case you might just as well leave a longer projection anyway. Or I might be able to modify the bottom edge of the key so that the projecting part will print without needing supports. There is so much still to try and do in this project. I wonder if anyone has noticed that already the keys on the loose jaws differ from those on the fixed slide-on chairs.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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@Terry Downes @Tony W

Hi Terry, Tony,

This has been driving me nuts. So I went back to first principles. Rescaled the map. Established that the best track spacing fit is actually 8ft way. Established that the best turnout fit to the branch curves is actually C-11.

I then staggered the turnouts by exactly one timber space (30") so that long square-on timbers can fit across exactly.

And the middle V-crossing turned out to be 1:5.13 and positioned exactly on one of the timbers: :)

View attachment 5276

View attachment 5275

And all nicely checked.

This is of course just luck, because this is 00-SF so it can't be expected to match the prototype very closely.

I will look at the other end of the diamond later.

cheers,

Martin.
Hi Martin, I have generated vee crossing jigs for C V-11 successfully. Is there a way of generating filling jigs for the middle vee crossings 1:5.13?
1698589706701.png
 
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Hi Martin, I have generated vee crossing jigs for C V-11 successfully. Is there a way of generating filling jigs for the middle vee crossings 1:5.13?
@Terry Downes

Hi Terry,

Just click here and change the angle to whatever you want:


vee_jig_angle.png



Or you could copy the partial template containing the middle vee crossing into the control template.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Thanks both. its obvious now you say that. I'm just getting back into Templot development after a few months off and I must say, I'm enjoying all the feature updates. Well done Martin..... and Steve for the very useful updates, hints and ongoing forum support etc.
 
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.
i have managed to get back to the coding this morning.

it's been obvious in recent zoom meetings that we need an easier access to the blanking function than remembering the keyboard shortcut or hunting in the menus.

there isn't space in the top beginner buttons for another one without a lot of rearranging, so i have put a button here:


blanking_button.png



you are not supposed to design a user interface on the basis of what can be fitted in where! but this is Templot after all. :)

martin.
 
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.
i have finally got the first baby steps in the chair heaving function done.

the omit chair tick-boxes are working. please note this is the only part of the dialog working yet. so this is not new functionality, it simply maintains what is possible already:


heaving_dialog1.png



the new dialog is essentially an extension to the shove timber dialog. with a timber selected (T3 here), you can click the heave chairs... button to show the new dialog.

it uses rather too much screen space, but it can be dragged over the first one if you don't want to do any actual timber shoving.

if any changes from the defaults are made, the relevant rail panel shows yellow-ish as a reminder.

will be in 242a, hopefully very shortly.

cheers,

martin.
 
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.
bug: mis-positioned chairs on twisted exit sleepers

it's not often that i give up, but i have spent many painful hours trying to find this bug, without success. it's a mystery, because identical code is used for the approach track, which is working fine.

given that there is a simple workaround -- split the exit track as a separate plain track template if you need to twist any of the sleepers -- i'm going to leave this for now so that i can get 242a out, hopefully later today.

i just know that 5 minutes after releasing 242a i shall spot the bug, which will be blindingly obvious. :(

242a contains some changed format in the BOX files, so please make sure you have your existing BOX files safely saved, and don't overwrite them with files from 242a. i've tested it as much as i can and it looks good, but let's not tempt fate.

cheers,

martin.
 
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@James Walters

i have extended the store and shift multi function to allow single timbers at the switch front to be used as the source, in addition to plain track sleepers.

this makes it possible to create rafts of P slide chairs,

and a raft containing a row of CC check rail chairs on one side (extend the MS check rail back through the switch onto the J1 timber), with S1 chairs on the other side:

P slide chairs:

p_slide_raft.png



CC check chairs and S1 chairs:

cc_s1_raft.png


in 242a shortly.

martin.
 
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.
242a is now on the server.

restart Templot to update.

Zoom meeting at 8pm UK time tonight (Tuesday) to discuss any issues arising.

cheers,

martin.
 
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@James Walters

Blind sockets

The bind sockets tick-box accidentally got left behind on the layers tab:


blind_sockets2.png



It will be moved to where it belongs in the next update:

blind_sockets1.png



The purpose of the blind sockets option is to allow glue to be applied to the underside of the timbering base, or squidging it down in a layer of glue, without getting any glue in the sockets -- which would prevent later insertion of the chairs:


blind_sockets3.png


blind_sockets4.png



Normally chairs are inserted before installing the timbering base on the baseboard. But if that's not possible for some reason, such as the chairs not yet printed or available, the base can be made with blind sockets so that it can be glued down in advance if required.

Note when using blind sockets that it is important to cut the plug from the raft support as close as possible to the plug, and possibly give it a rub on abrasive paper, to ensure the plug can be inserted fully home without bottoming in the socket.

Martin.
 
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