Templot Club Archive 2007-2020                             

topic: 3614Beginners queries
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posted: 21 Feb 2020 01:27

from:

Mike Kynaston
 
United Kingdom

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Hello all,Thanks to Martin for allowing me to join. A good friend of mine is currently working on a new 2mm Finescale layout, and while he’s dabbled with Templot for a while now, I am fairly new. He has shown me the basics and how he does things but when it came to doing the proper plans for building his track I found myself saying of I’ll do that so I can learn more about Templot!

That has brought a few questions, and while I am not expecting a step-by-step hand holding, and pointers as to where to look for the answers would be appreciated. I’ve had a good wander though this forum in recent days, but these are still outstanding.

1) when drawing double track curves and using the ‘make double track’ option is there any way to make sure the spacing between tracks is right and coaches won’t hit each other? My friend though there was some tool in the past but we cannot find anything.

2) can anyone say for an ex-Midland route what the correct spacing for two and four track layouts is? Also is the spacing different in shunting yards? What gap do people leave for semaphore signals etc.

3) part of his layout will be a double track going under another pair of tracks. I don’t think there is anyway to show gradients so is it just a case of letting the lines crossover each other? Is there any suggested or preferred way of doing this or doesn’t it matter?

4) I see from another topic on here that baseboards can be shown, how can curved boards be shown? Also we will cut out the trackbed from plywood when we’ve got it sorted. Is tee away to show an outline of the extent of the ‘live railway’ ie a foot either size of the sleeper ends, so that we cut the ply right?

5) My Friend places components on the plan by using the shift and snap option. Is that the best way?

Thanks in advance for any help/thoughts.

Mike



posted: 21 Feb 2020 04:14

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Mike Kynaston wrote:
1) when drawing double track curves and using the ‘make double track’ option is there any way to make sure the spacing between tracks is right and coaches won’t hit each other? My friend though there was some tool in the past but we cannot find anything.
Hi Mike,

Welcome to Templot Club. :)

That's a lot to deal with in one reply, so I will answer just this one for now.

To set the running clearance on curved double-track use the dummy vehicle tool.

I have made a short video showing how to do that. Sorry it's a bit scruffy, producing polished smooth-running video takes hours of editing time. Ask again if you need more info. Video is here:

 http://flashbackconnect.com/Default.aspx?id=rmKpDjYhhZC3_pRnyHrQHw2

There is more about the dummy vehicle tool at:

 http://templot.com/companion/dummy_vehicle_tool.php

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 21 Feb 2020 05:18

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Mike Kynaston wrote:
3) part of his layout will be a double track going under another pair of tracks. I don’t think there is anyway to show gradients so is it just a case of letting the lines crossover each other? Is there any suggested or preferred way of doing this or doesn’t it matter?
Hi Mike,

Templot is a 2D program. There is no provision for multi-levels, as it is primarily about track formations referenced to the rail-top. The printed templates are the same, regardless of which level you intend to use them on.

Where tracks cross on different levels it is up to you how you want to proceed at the design stage. On the trackpad, most users know which is which and simply allow the tracks to cross over each other.

Usually at any one time you are working on only one of the levels, so you could if you wish group and save each level in its own BOX file and load only the one you are working on at the time. Likewise when printing the construction templates you can group them and print only the grouped templates.

If you want to go further, you could split the templates and set the lower ones as centre-lines only, or as rails only (no timbering):

2_202356_320000000.png2_202356_320000000.png

Remember to return the lower tracks to normal before printing the construction templates for them.

In diagram mode output, as here on the sketchboard, templates are drawn in the order in which they are listed on the storage box. So you need to move the upper-level tracks towards the bottom of the list. You can also differentiate the levels by means of different marker colours:

2_210001_540000000.png2_210001_540000000.png


Also in diagram mode templates set to centre-lines only are not shown, so you could that way do something like this:

2_210010_040000000.png2_210010_040000000.png

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 22 Feb 2020 11:07

from:

Mike Kynaston
 
United Kingdom

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Martin,
Thanks for those two replies. The dummy vehicle was the option that my friend had mentioned, so he found that response useful as well, having lost it in the menus!

I assumed that everything remained flat, in terms of levels, but I will probably take your advice on the centre line approach when printing templates off, just to aid the readability.

Could you point me in the right direction re number 5 please? Using shift and snap works, but it’s frustrating always having to click the button rather than just hitting the F key, so I assume there is another way of aligning adjacent track items?

Mike

posted: 22 Feb 2020 12:30

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Mike Kynaston wrote:
Could you point me in the right direction re number 5 please? Using shift and snap works, but it’s frustrating always having to click the button rather than just hitting the F key, so I assume there is another way of aligning adjacent track items?
Hi Mike,

The snapping is modified by holding down the SHIFT key.

When using the top tool-button, snapping is turned OFF by pressing the Shift key before releasing the mouse action. When using the F7 key, snapping is turned ON by pressing the Shift key before releasing the mouse action (but after pressing F7).

However, you asked if the SHIFT & JOIN function is the best way to proceed, and it isn't. It is provided only as an aid for beginners familiar with other software.

In Templot you only rarely need to join templates in that way. Most track planning is best done using the make tools, and by extending templates, splitting them, inserting turnouts into them.

See this video, and notice that at no time are two items joined together:

 http://flashbackconnect.com/Movie.aspx?id=QBDJMDgdiC7PwRqLS2U3jg2

Sorry it's an old video, it is high time I made a new one.

More about this way of using Templot is at:

 http://templot.com/companion/basic_working_methods.php

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 22 Feb 2020 20:29

from:

Mike Kynaston
 
United Kingdom

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Martin Wynne wrote:
 However, you asked if the SHIFT & JOIN function is the best way to proceed, and it isn't. It is provided only as an aid for beginners familiar with other software.

In Templot you only rarely need to join templates in that way. Most track planning is best done using the make tools, and by extending templates, splitting them, inserting turnouts into them.

See this video, and notice that at no time are two items joined together:

 http://flashbackconnect.com/Movie.aspx?id=QBDJMDgdiC7PwRqLS2U3jg2


Martin,
Many thanks I hadn't seen that video before, but that is incredibly useful and a totally different way to how my friend has been using the software. I may need to educate him yet!!

Thanks again for the help.

Mike


posted: 22 Feb 2020 21:44

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Mike Kynaston wrote:
Also we will cut out the trackbed from plywood when we’ve got it sorted. Is tee away to show an outline of the extent of the ‘live railway’ ie a foot either size of the sleeper ends, so that we cut the ply right
Hi Mike,

You asked too many questions to answer all in one go. :)

Here's a bit more.

For this you use the trackbed edges function. You can choose to have a solid cutting line, or 2 lines showing the ballast shoulder and cess:

2_221625_280000000.png2_221625_280000000.png

printed template:
2_060536_020000000.png2_060536_020000000.png

2_071626_150000000.png2_071626_150000000.png

On the prototype the underlying formation is prepared with a top slope of typically 1:20 for drainage into the cess, to typically 15ft trackbed width for a single track. The ballast is then spread on top of that.

ballast edge + cess:
2_250658_220000002.png2_250658_220000002.png

The templates are intended as full-size cutting templates rather than a finished drawing. You are expected to scribble on them where necessary. :)

You can also show the trackbed edges in diagram-mode output:

2_101848_130000000.png2_101848_130000000.png

This option will apply in diagram mode for all outputs -- print, PDF, image file exports, sketchboard.

But only of course for templates which have had their trackbed edges switched on at geometry > trackbed edges ... menu item.

This is the result on the sketchboard:

2_101848_140000002.png2_101848_140000002.png

If you want a coloured fill between the trackbed edges on the sketchboard, that would be a lot of additional program coding, not yet done. However, if all templates have trackbed edges, and all the same width, and the track is central between the edges, you can get a similar effect using the existing track background function:

2_101848_140000001.png2_101848_140000001.png

2_101848_140000003.png2_101848_140000003.png

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 23 Feb 2020 00:52

from:

Mike Kynaston
 
United Kingdom

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Martin,
Many thanks for such detailed answers. They were they questions that I'd come up with in my mind, as my friend was showing me things, and I was playing with, sorry using, the software. So, sorry for bombarding the queries ... I did not expect you (or anyone else) to go in to such detail, but many thanks.

I need to go back to square one I think and start from scratch with my friends layout as I think I can get it better, especially now we know where the dummy vehicle function is again! The cess / edge drawing info will come in handy, especially with the section that has a four-track layout through bridges etc, which will be a typical Midland style, with two through the centre arch and a single line though the arch either side. I'll need to consult some photos to establish how that was done on the real railway :)

Cheers
Mike

posted: 25 Feb 2020 08:50

from:

Godfrey Earnshaw
 
Crawley - United Kingdom

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Martin Wynne wrote:

The snapping is modified by holding down the SHIFT key.

When using the F7 key, snapping is turned ON by pressing the Shift key before releasing the mouse action (but after pressing F7)

cheers,

Martin.
I believe you need to have; action >F7 snap actions > snap conditionally on background templates, selected before it will work.
Godders



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