RTS 8.0

Transcription

RTS 8.0

RTS 8.0
Atlas Right Track (R) Software
© Gunnar Blumert, 2007
Atlas RTS 8.0 - © Gunnar Blumert, 2007
Table of Contents
Performance and system requirements
Initial program start
Your first layout
Tagging and manipulating elements
Using the keyboard
Fixed elements
The clipboard
Views
Stocks, lists of materials and prices
Descriptions
Flex track
The DLL-interface to create your own flex sections
Gradients and level grounds
Wires and Lines
Working with layers
3D - An Overview
Catenary
New Features
New features in Version 8.0
The tool bar
The alignment bar
File-New
File-Open
File-Save
File-Save as
File-Autosave
File-Add
File-Print
File-Page setup
File-Set print region
File-Discard print region
File-Print region = surrounding rectangle
File-Quit
Edit-Undo
Edit-Redo
Edit-Cut
Edit-Copy
Edit-Paste
Edit-Paste special
Edit-Delete
Edit-Insert object
Edit-Insert graphics
Edit-Search
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Edit-Replace
Edit-Tag
Edit-Invert selection
View-Zoom in
View-Zoom out
Overview-Window
View-Vertical ruler
View-Horizontal ruler
View-Selection bar
View-Selection window
View-Status bar
3D-view
View-Toolbar
View-Toolbars-Customize
View-Customize context menu
View-Page preview
View-Roadbed only
View-Find short-circuits;
View-Properties: Desktop
View-Properties - Workspace/Height control
View-Properties: System
View-Properties: Descriptions
View-Properties: Grid lines
View-Properties: Layer
View-Properties: Lines
View-Properties: Sounds
View-Properties: Tolerances
View-Properties: Page numbers
View-Options
Element-Load library
Element-Configure library
Element-Info
Element-Rotate
Element-Flip track
Element-Alignment
Element-Move
Element-Mirror
Element-Change width of track
Element-Bring to front/Put to back
Element-Sort by height
Element-Properties: General
Element-Properties: Track
Element-Properties: Flex track
Element-Properties:Lines
Element-Properties:Text fields
Element-Properties: Measurements
Element-Properties: OLE-Container
Element-Properties: Metafile
Element-Properties: Bitmap
Element-Properties: Texts
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Element-Properties: Filter
Element-Color
Element-Group/Remove grouping
Element-Move docked elements
Properties-Line color
Properties-Fill color for track sections
Properties-Color of ties
Properties-Track connections
Tools-Arrow
Tools-Move description
Tools-place element
Tools-Place track and connect
Tools-Pick element from layout
Tools-Measurement
Tools--Join track
Tools--Disconnect track
Tools-Loosen track
Tools-Text field
Tools-Font
Tools-Flip track joints
Tools-Insert flex track
Tools-Shape flex track
Tools-Flex track-Cut
Tools-Flex track-Move track
Tools-Flex track-Crossover
Tools-Flex track-Convert to flex track
Tools-Height
Tools-Detect height of track
Tools-Detect length of track
Tools-Clearance
Tools-Line/Wire
Tools-Draw-Arc
Tools-Draw-Rectangle
Tools-Draw-Rectangle with round edges
Tools-Draw-Polygon
Tools-Draw-Ellipse
Tools-Insolation
Tools-Toggle fixation
Tools-Remove element from group
Tools-Dock to track
Tools-Loosen docked element
Tools-Terrain
Terrain-Add and/or edit point
Terrain-Insert point with last recent setting
Terrain-Shift height or color
Terrain-Choose colors
Terrain-Load height profile
Terrain-Set color according to height
Terrain-Delete point
Statistics-List of materials
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Statistics-List of materials (activer layer)
Statistics-List of materials (visible layers)
Statistics-List of required materials
Statistics-Stock
Statistics-Edit stock
Statistics-Activate prices
Special-Create benchwork
Special-Create frames
Special-Shape flex track
Special-Transition curve
Special-Helix
Special-Parallel track
Special-Crossover/Ladder
Special-Length of tagged track
Special-Adjust height of terrain
Special-Ramp/Pillar
Special-Docking-Settings
Special-Close circles
Troubleshooting
Answers to frequently asked questions
Transition curves in theory and practice
Tutorial
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Introduction
Performance and system requirements
RTS – what is it?
RTS is a program for planning model railroad layouts.
RTS lets you
- perform the track layout in correc t sc ale (including flex tracks)
- have a 3-dimensional visualization of track and terrain
- manage an area of 3,000 * 3,000 m (under Win 9x/ME/NT only 30 * 30 m )
- add accessories (wires, houses etc.) to your layout
- link parts of different layouts (e.g., your favourite ladder to the rest of the plan)
- compute and create helixes
- compute gradients
- generate parallel tracks, crossovers and ladders
- find short circuits
- calculate the shape of the fram es
- compute lists of materials used for your layout
- calculate the costs of all that fun
RTS requires Windows 95 or higher (Vista, XP, NT, 2000, 98, ME). We recom mend at least a
computer of the 300 MHz-c lass with 64 MB of RAM and Windows XP or Vista. The larger your
layout, the more RAM and performance is required.
The 3D-feature uses OpenGL, therefore a graphics adaptor with OpenGL ac celeration is useful,
but not required.
RTS is a free program designed both for the serious hobbyist and for the beginner. Designing
and constructing layout drawings is simple and foolproof, and elaborate designs can be c reated
in a very short time. Minimal PC or Windows knowledge is required.
Best of all, it is fun to use!
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Introduction
Initial program start
Simply said: RTS works like any other Windows Program. If RTS is the first Windows program
you've used, it may be helpful to prac tise with a standard Windows program such as the Paint
program for exercise. Paint is the painting program that c omes with Windows.
The answer to questions like ”What is the enter key” c an be found in your Windows tutorial.
When you have installed the software, RTS will probably display one of the inc luded
demo-layouts. To design your own layout, please choose
File-New. RTS will then ask you to
define your Benchwork.
If the desired shape of your layout should not be supported (RTS supports rec tangular, L- and
U-shaped and "surround" layouts), please close the window by c licking "Cancel". In this case you
should specify the size of the workspac e under
View-Properties, not only because this will
make it easier to navigate the sc roll bars, but these values also m ake up the size of the terrain
displayed in the 3D-View.
Then please use the drawing tools to draw your benchwork.
Under the older Windows- versions 9x/ME/NT the m aximum workspace is limited to 30m x 30 m
(100ft x 100 ft), and you can't load layouts that are larger.
Under Windows 2000 and XP (and the Windows versions that will be released in the future) the
limit is 3,000m x 3,000m (10,000ft x 10,000ft).
After that RTS shows an empty work space. Above it, there is the toolbar.
To design a layout, you first have to load an elem ent library (via
Element- Load library).
At the end of your session RTS remembers which library had been loaded last and will start with
just this library the next time again.
Also, whenever loading or saving a file, RTS will rem ember the directory next time you load or
save the same kind of file.
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Introduction
Your first layout
In the selection bar above the working area, you pick the desired element. Of course, you c an
have the selection window if you are used to it from previous versions. It can stay opened on the
screen, or it can be closed if there‚s insufficient spac e.
Now choose
Tools-Place object and click with the left mouse button at the position where the
element (track) shall be placed. When you have placed a piece of track, the active tool is
automatically switched to
Tools-Place track and connect . You may now connect more tracks
to the first one by again pressing the left mouse button at the desired position. The m ouse
cursor changes its shape depending on whether a c onnection is possible or not.
The accuracy with which the m ouse cursor has to be positioned, c an be adjusted under
View-Properties: Tolerances.
To begin a new section of track, choose
Tools-Place object again.
If you add a switch or a curved track, the elem ent may be facing the wrong direction. Via
Element-Flip trac k you can connect any track edge of the new piece of track with the old ones.
This works for the latest added track only. For previously added elem ents, you have to choose
Tools-Flip track joints.
The scale can be changed using the Zoom edit below the menu bar on the left between 1:1 and
1:2,000 (under Windows 9x/ME/NT only up to 1:100).
The same scale is used to
print the layout.
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Introduction
Tagging and manipulating elements
As usual in programs for Windows, you have to tag elem ents before manipulating them in any
way. So before you can copy, move, delete, etc, elements, choose
Tools-Arrow. If you tag
one piece of a track, all the other connected pieces are selected as well. Also, if you grouped
elements, tagging one element of the group will tag all other elem ents of the group, too.
If you want to tag one single piece, you have to loosen it from the rest of the track. This can be
done by using
Tools-Disconnect track and clicking on each connection, or you c hoose
Tools-Loosen track and click the desired track once. Otherwise all connected trac k sections will
get tagged. It is possible that some of these sections had been plac ed in different layers. Hidden
layers will be made visible in these c ases.
If you keep the <Shift> key depressed while you are moving elements with the mouse button
pressed, then the elements will be moved only in a horizontal or vertic al direction.
If you feel that moving elements is too slow, you m ay open View-Properties-Desktop and set
"When moving" to "Draw frame only".
To tag more than one element at a time, keep the <Shift> key depressed while c licking the
elements.
You tag track sections and lines by clicking the center. For all other elem ents it is suffic ient to hit
the surrounding rectangle.
If several elements overlap, the topm ost element will be tagged. Clic king again at the same
position will tag the element below the topmost one, and so on. You c an change the order via
Element-Bring to front/Put to back .
Running wires are tagged by tagging the masts the wires are c onnected to.
To tag more than one catenary mast at a time, press the <Shift>-key when clicking the second
mast to tag all masts and wires between the two m asts you c licked, or press <Control> to tag all
connected masts and wires.
Under
Element-Properties you can change all settings of the tagged elem ent(s). The available
options depend on the element you tagged first.
To change certain settings of more than one element in one go, please chec k the desired
properties on the page Filter and also check Apply properties to selection on the bottom of the
window.
Frequently used settings are also accessible via the com mands of the Properties-menu
There are two ways to connect tracks both using
Tools-Join tracks:
You can move both parts of track close together and click on the connection.
The allowed tolerances (distance, angle) are set via View-Properties: Tolerances. In case you
note that the track supplier is a ”bungler” and the piec es of trac k won‚t fit smoothly, you may
have to raise the tolerances slightly. RTS computes connections very accurately, so tolerances
that you would not notic e while building your layout show very c learly when you design the
layout with this program.
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At the point where the circle shall be closed, all differenc es would then be added while ”in
practice” they would be distributed through all the c onnections.
The second and more simple way works only on tracks that are not c onnected. Thus, it does not
work if you want to close a circle:
Click on the first connecting point shown as a sm all black arrow afterwards.
Now click on the second piece of track, and both of them will be connected (the trac k you clicked
first moves to the second one).
If you click on a section of flex track with the <Shift> key pressed, the shape of the flex track
will be altered, not the position.
The second function of this tool is to close circles (and of course any other gap between two
straight tracks) with the most suitable pieces of trac k.
If the two connecting points you have clicked on are already connected indirectly, i.e., by other
pieces of track, then the program searches automatically for the best fitting pieces of rail.
In any other cases you must keep the <Ctrl> key pressed while clicking on the second
connecting point. Only while doing this will the searc h for appropriate track sec tions be done.
This search can take some time; therefore you may influence the process via Special-Close
circles. And, of course: The element library should contain some curved tracks...
As it would be beyond the scope of this chapter, we will deal with flex tracks separately.
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Introduction
Using the keyboard
Although not recommended, you can operate RTS by keyboard. You can move around on the
working area using the cursor keys. But: Functions that are called by a right- click cannot be
accessed by any key.
The <Enter> key equals the left mouse button. If you depress the <Ctrl> key and/or keep the
cursor keys pressed for some time, the mouse cursor will move faster.
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Introduction
Fixed elements
Moveable elements (this is default) c an be manipulated in any way.
In contrast, fixed elements are good to ensure you cannot move them by mistake. To take a
pattern from the benchwork of previous versions of RTS, you c an draw visible borders with lines
and set them as fixed.
If you should wish to have a special construction as the unm oveable centre of your layout, there
are two ways to fix elements: Click at them with the
Tool Toogle fixation or
tag it, go to
Element-Properties: General and set a marker at fixed.
Fixed elements cannot be
- moved – neither by Drag- and-Drop nor by menu command
- aligned
-
rotated
- assigned gradients and
heights to
If you wish to use
Tools-Join track starting with a fixed element, you have to hold down the
<Ctrl> key while clicking the second piece of track. Connec ted elements are fixed then as well.
You can toggle the display of fixations via View-Properties: Desktop an choose a color for them.
Instead of fixing the location of elements, you can group elements so that they can't be m oved
independently.
Useful especially for catenary masts is the
Tool Catenary-Dock to track.
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Introduction
The clipboard
You can work with the clipboard as usual within WIndows. Though RTS is not an OLE server, it
copies data as bitm ap and metafile to the clipboard so norm ally any Windows program should be
able to use them.
In the same easy way you can have data from other applications added to your layout. If the
clipboard contains text, RTS automatically will insert a text field. Graphic s will be inserted in a
container.
To copy elements from one layout into another, you have two options:
- you load the first layout, copy the needed part into the clipboard, then load the second layout
and choose
Edit-Insert.
- simply start two copies of RTS.
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Introduction
Views
Windows cannot always c orrectly display a wide radius when a large scale is given. Depending
on resolution and driver you will see simply nothing or a ”general protec tion fault error” will be
caused.
Depending on gauge and actual zoom you‚ll have to find out the best adjustm ent at
View-Properties: System.
In case RTS should cause a ”General Protection Failure”, please chec k the option Paint arcs by:
Application.
This, however, will slow down the output and the objec t will turn out to be rather angular, but
nevertheless something will be displayed.
Some recent video drivers will hang the com puter when RTS tries to draw a flex track. Until you
have managed to get an updated driver from the manufacturer of your video card you m ight try
to set Draw flex track to slow.
Some screen drivers offer settings for the hardware-acc eleration (sometimes just called
"Performance-Settings). These settings m ay help also.
Unfortunately even the latest Windows versions c ome with some faulty drivers.
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Introduction
Stock, lists of materials and prices
RTS contains a small database which lets you m anage your stock. Besides the well-known list of
materials containing all elements you‚ve used in your layout, there is a list of required materials.
Here you can find out what you still have to buy.
After having loaded the appropriate library, you c an edit your stock to let RTS know the quantity
of parts you already have – and the prices. You can check and edit them here. Also, the tool- tip
windows will display the count of elements you have left, if activated under
View-Properties-Desktop.
After that, your statistics are up-to-date and will display the current data.
Additionally you can fix the price of every element in your layout (
Element-Properties ).
However, this price will be overwritten by the func tion Statistics-Activate prices .
Generally, you should be careful when editing prices via Elem ent-Properties. Suppose you have
changed the pric e for one element only, your list of materials could display something like that:
5 straight trac ks @ $0.80 = $3.80
At first sight, that is false. But if you have changed the price for one track to $.060, then it's
correct.
RTS will always use the currency sym bol set in the Windows Control Panel (Country or Regional
settings).
Changing the currency of libraries and layout files .
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Introduction
Descriptions
Every element is connected to its item number and its description by default. Most elem ents also
have a height, flex track and running wires have a length. This inform ation may be hidden or
moved to another position with
Tools-Move description. The description is always tied to the
element. If you move the element, the description is also m oved. The position of a desc ription
relative to the element it belongs to is set under Element-Properties . The lettering can also be
displayed at the track centre.
Finally you may enter your own free text with
Tools-Textfield. Insert the text by
the text field and then choose Element-Properties: Text field .
If you don't want to insert text while plac ing the text field, simply keep the <Ctrl>-key
depressed.
Tag and move free text with the norm al
arrow.
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tagging
Introduction
Flex track
Flex tracks can change shape and length, and therefore they don‚t fit into any library. For this
reason you find two tools in the tools m enu:
Tools-Insert flex track and
Tools-Shape flex track.
As they are not part of any library, you can enter specific information in the dialog
Element-Properties: Flex trac k.
Once you have entered the length per unit you purc hase, the Statistics-functions will compute
the number of units you will need; of course you will have to add the length that you'll cut
away...
You'll find more functions dealing with flex sec tions in the Tools-menu and in the Special-menu.
The DLL-interface for creating your own flex sec tions
Flex track
The DLL-interface to create your own flex sections
If you don't like the
transition curves or for other reasons want to create certain shapes, and
you are comfortable with Windows programming, then you can plug in your own DLL for this
purpose. All you need is a programming tool that can c reate DLL-files.
All information about the details c an be found in the demo-project FlexDLLDemo.dpr (subfolder
FlexDLL). This example has been created with Delphi, but you c an use any other program ming
language to create your DLL. It shouldn't be too difficult to translate the function-headers to your
preferred language, as this doesn't use anything that is special for Delphi.
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Introduction
Gradients and level grounds
There are two ways to add gradients to a track:
When you assign a
height to an ending point, the program can find out the gradient, if it is a
section without junctions. The section m ay have switches and crossings; however, each of them
may only be connected to two m ore rails.
Don't forget to have the option Calculate gradient checked - otherwise only the tagged elem ent
will be moved – and connected track as well, so there is no gradient but a vertic al movement.
If this option is disabled, there are still some sidings that you have to
cut off first.
The height-tool can also be used to set the height of all other elem ents.
In the dialog window
Element-Properties you can add gradients to trac ks. This is only valid for
tracks, that have exactly two joints, i.e., only for straight tracks and curves, even for flex tracks
– but not for switches and crossings.
The program assumes that the gradient is always plac ed rectangular to the direction of m otion.
So, if you take a board, simply place it on an incline and then put a c urve on it, you will get
incorrect results.
The input of the gradient is done in percent. A value of 100 thus corresponds to an angle of 45
degrees. The gradient is always effected from the first end to the second. The first one is that
which will appear at the c ursor position when using
Tools-Place object. To have a slope,
simply enter a negative value. The
height will be automatically calculated.
However, it is not always possible to enter a gradient: in a c losed circle, for example, you first
have to disconnect a joint. The trac k line must be a single line without c rossings and sidings (to
be exact, there may be at most two track sections to a turnout or crossing).
Detecting the height of a track
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Introduction
Wires and Lines
With
T ools-Wire/Line you can draw lines or connect wires. Wires have soldering points at
their ends, lines don‚t. By setting the diameter of the soldering points to 0 via
Element-Properties: Lines you can draw lines.
Wires are listed in statistics, lines are not.
When using a color the first time, RTS will ask for a name. These names are used instead of
article-numbers so that the statistics-functions can give you an overview how m uch wire of each
color you'll need.
This name will be used anytime you add another line of this c olor; you can change this
assignment under Element-Properties: Lines .
You can assign the same name to different colors; all these different wires will be one item in the
list of required material.
Lines are very useful to define the
height of the terrain.
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Introduction
Working with layers
Layers are planes you can draw and put elements on. As you develop your ideas, you can realize
them step-by-step (normal track, trac k in tunnels, track on bridges and mountains, houses,
roads etc.).
RTS offers 256 different layers, independent from gradients or level grounds. Each layer c an be
tied with a name and a color and separately activated for display and
printing.
Appropriate adjustments are done via View-Properties: Layer, or click this icon in the toolbar:
The layers are applied to the elem ents under Element-Properties- General.
The layer assigned to elements to be inserted is c alled the active layer. You set it by checking
"Set default" of using the drop-down list in the toolbar.
Under View-Options you can specify that only elements of the active layer can be tagged and
edited. This means that elements of other layers may be visible, but you can't tag and edit them .
You can't hide the active layer – to hide the layer that is currently active you first have to
activate another layer.
To change the layer of existing elements, please refer to Element-Properties- General – the layer
is a property of the elements just like c olor, line width and so on.
There are different ways to assign properties to a layer, so that the colors are set ac cordingly
when you make it the active layer:
Under
Element-Properties on the tab sheet General you will find an option to link the settings
you just made to the chosen layer.
Under
View-Eigenschaften on the tab sheet Layer you can tag one or more layers and then
assign the properties you want via the context-m enu (right mouse-button) or by pressing F3.
You also may right-click the layer- list of the tool bar and choose the Properties-c ommand.
Hint: It is not required to assign properties to the layers. When you ac tivate a layer with no
properties assigned, the current settings just rem ain unchanged.
Also you can change the settings of any elem ent individually, no matter if the related layer has
properties assigned to or not.
If the elements mentioned above should not be visible in the toolbar, please refer to
View-Toolbars- Customize.
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Introduction
3D - An Overview
The purpose of RTS is to make the process of planning a layout faster and m ore effective. A
3-dimensional visualization of your layout is only a few m ouse-clicks away. However, you can
spend as much time as you want to add details.
Follow these steps to create the terrain:
1. Set the size of the workspace to the size of your layout, if you didn't define a benchwork nor
limited the size of the workspace when you
created the file.
2. In the input box 3D in the tool bar below the menu bar you specify the distance in which
points will be created that m ake up the terrain. Every point requires about 40 Bytes of m emory.
3. RTS can use the height of the existing tracks to create the terrain. If there should be other
areas for which you like to specify the height, tag these areas with the
Drawing tool Rectangle
and apply the desired
height.
4. Tag all these figures and call the m enu command
Special-Adjust height of terrain .
5. Open the 3D-viewer (View-menu) to see what you have created.
6. Choose the
Terrain-tool to add color and additional details.
7. For ramps, railroad embankments or pillars for struc tures use
Special-Ramp/Pillar.
Another simple way to get the terrain is to create frames. If the terrain hasn't been edited
before, RTS will create a terrain that matches the fram es.
Also you may load a text file containing the height profile of the terrain.
There are thousands of structures available in the RTS libraries; it would take years to create
libraries with 3-dimensional versions of them. We are pretty sure you wouldn't want to wait that
long; instead a light version of the Parts-Com piler is included with RTS Standard (RTS DeLuxe
comes with the full compiler version) so that you c an create your own structure libraries.
We, and of course the other users, would apprec iate it if you would make your creations
available for others. Please send your 3-dim ensional structures to info@RTS.c om; we will make
them available for download from our web-site (www.RTS.c om).
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Catenary
Sorry, RTS can not handle catenary. WinRail is able to handle catenary, please v isit http://www.winrail.com.
p23
Introduction
New Features in Version 8.0:
- Design of terrain remarkably simplified
- New command "Choose colors" in the terrain context-menu
- New command "Load height profile" in the terrain context-menu
- Frames
- Benchwork
- Checking the vertical distance of crossing tracks
- Origin of coordinate system movable
- Letterings can be printed inside of the track
- Improved algorithm for calculation of smallest radius of flex sections
- For flex sections also the smallest radius will be displayed when display of length is
activated
- Flex sections can be added to the stock, so list of required materials will list the
required flex sections correctly
- List of materials can be displayed for the active layer or for visible layers only
- Layer lists sorted alphabetically by name (except for View-Properties)
- New command "Edit-Tag all elements in layer"
- Crosshairs
- Elements are fully drawn while dragged
- Moving of docked elements enhanced
- Tool "Convert to flex track" can convert curves into formable flex sections
- Tool "Place track and connect" can insert tracks into existing lines (only at
connections)
New tools:
- Toggle fixation
- Font
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- Remove element from group
The new Properties-menu with frequently used settings of the
dialog:
- Properties-Line color
- Properties-Fill color for track sections
- Properties-color of ties
- Properties-Track connections
New features in version 7.0
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Element-Properties
New Features in Version 8.0
Drawing tools
Detection of short circuits
Link properties to layers
Workspace under Windows 2000 and XP max. 3,000 x 3,000 m²
Print range
When changing the shape of a flex section, the position of the smallest radius is
displayd
Display of length of the single rails of flex sections
Optimize radius of flex sections
Support of different types of flex track
Parallel Helices
Sort elements by height
Display of available units
Convert sectionized track to flex track
Display length of flex units in the layout
Dock elements alternating left and right of the track
Dock alternating two different elements
Move docked elements along the track
Display length of flex track and running wires in the layout
Choose background and color settings for art.-no., description, height and length
independantely
Background of text fields can be set independantely
Change width of track
The current zoom-value is now
you
load the file next time.
stored with the layout and will be set again when
Special-Shape flex track/
Transition curve/
Helix makes the created element
the current element so that the tools Place or Place and connect can be used. Only
exception are helices not created from flex track.
p26
Hide toolbar
Tool Clone now can copy all settings
Extension of backup copies is now .~<default extension>, for example .~ral
Statistics-stock now sorted by art.nos.
p27
RTS has skipped this version step, but the features are part of RTS 7, so this list may be useful for you.
- Display of article-number and description when moving the mouse over an element
in the layout
- Customize Toolbars and Context menu
- Switch off backup-copies (BAK-files)
- More precise clicking of lines and track sections
- Pressing the scroll-wheel or the middle mouse button toggles the scroll direction
(horiz./vert.) of the wheel
- Display of the action for undo and redo
- Dock elements to track sections
- Measurements: switch off lines and units; set number of decimals
- Detect the height at any position of a track or search for a certain height
- Set height-dialog displays elevation
- Display the distance between two points somewhere on the track
- While inserting a measurement its current length is displayed in the status bar
- Detect clearance for rolling stock on the track
- "active Layer"
New flex-track features:
- Better algorithm for transition curves
- Parallel lines for flex sections and transition curves corrected
- Parallel lines of flex sections change the shape along with the "parent"-section
- Parallel lines also for elevations
- Detection of the smallest radius of flex sections
- Display of the smallest radius while changing the shape of a flex section
- Cut flex sections at any point
- Insertion of turnouts and crossings into straight flex sections using the tool "Place
track and connect"
p28
- Rotate turnouts and crossings that are connected with the straight line only using
Element-flip trac k or
Tools-Flip track. This is even possible for asymmetric c rossings when
connected to straight flex sections.
- Insert a crossover into parallel straight flex sections
- Tool that moves a section inside of straight flex sections
- Tool-Connect (with <Shift>+<Ctrl>) move a turnout to create a crossover for a
straight flex section
- DLL-interface to create your own flex sections
p29
RTS has skipped this version step (although there was a version called RTS 5.0), but the features are part of
RTS 7, so this list may be useful for you.
Measurements
Mirroring only parts of or the entire layout
Support of .gif, .png and .jpg-graphics (however, RTS will not write .gif-files)
Group elements
Better placement of article-numbers and descriptions
Remove elements from the library that are not used
Overview-window for better navigation
3D-features
Last, but not least, there are som e small changes that will make life easier:
- RTS will remember the folders you have chosen to load or store files
- Current printer-settings are stored with the layout file
- When you enter a value in the Zoom input line below the menu bar, the layout will not be
redrawn until you hit the enter key.
p30
New Features In Version 4.0
Fixed elements
Ties can be shown
Automatic generation of ladders and crossovers with switches
Writes files as .BMP, .PCX, .WMF, .EMF and .DXF
Bitmaps and Metafiles can be inserted
Parallel tracks now creates whole lines, not only one track
Gradient calculation for flex tracks, too
Straight flex tracks can be generated
Tools-Insert flex track now inserts a straight or curved track, depending on the
connections
Tools-Insert flex track can adjust the second track for placing a straight track
Dialog Element-Properties: Adopting for ALL selected parts possible
Adjustable edge and overlay for printing
New macros for textfield (Hour, minute, second)
Many properties of view are now saved with your layout
Special parts are no longer used when closing circles
Search/Replace function
Autosaving with adjustable intervals
Track colors related to layer or altitude
Converting currencies when loading libraries or layouts
Part numbers can be displayed without manufacturer code
Overlapping elements are selected successively without Shift; rectangular selection
possible
Dialog window for direct input of values to move elements
Dialog windows have subdivisions for better survey (e.g. Element-Properties)
Multi-staged Undo function
p31
p32
Introduction
The tool bars
You can activate the several tools by clicking them with the mouse.
In the view-menu you will find commands to customize the tool bars.
You can move the several panels with the mouse by dragging the left border of the panel.
If you activate a panel that was previously hidden it m ay overlap and block another panel at the
same position. In most cases you just have to drag it with the m ouse up- or downwards, but in
some cases you will have to hide it again and m ove the c onflicting panel to another position first.
p33
Introduction
The alignment bar
Here you can see the appropriate c lipping from the icon bar of RTS. You can use it to call
alignment functions for
tagged elements by clic king them with your mouse.
Fixed elements will be taken in account when the surrounding rectangle is calc ulated, but they
won't get moved, as they are fixed.
However, grouped elements will be aligned by these c ommands!
For further information, please c lick the desired icon in the following im age.
p34
The File menu
File-New
Opens a new, empty working sheet. If you're c urrently processing a layout, you will first be
asked if changes should be saved. Then the window to spec ify the benchwork will open.
The File menu
File-Open
Loads an existing layout for further editing. The file m ust be in RTS format (.ral).
The File menu
File-Save
Saves the actual file. If it is the first tim e you have saved this layout, you will be prom pted for a
name.
The File menu
File-Save as
Saves the actual layout with a different name, to a different location – or in a different form at.
RTS supports writing the following formats additionally to its own .ral-form at:
- Bitmap (.bmp)
- Paintbrush (.pcx)
- JPEG (.jpg)
- Portable Network Graphics (.png)
- Windows-Metafile (.wmf)
- Enhanced Metafile (.emf)
- AutoCad (.dxf)
To insert graphics into you layout, please use the c ommand Edit-Add Graphics.
The File menu
File-Autosave
Here you can adjust whether your layout should be saved autom atically. If so, you c an adjust
the intervals as well.
The File menu
p35
File-Add
The contents of another RTS file will be pasted into your current layout. The contents are
considered to be a group of tagged elements, so you c an move them around with the
arrow.
The File menu
File-Print
The file will be printed exactly the way you can see it on your screen.
Attention! That means: Current settings for zoom and layer are valid for the printed sheet as
well!
You can print everything, tagged elem ents (Selection) or single pages. Also you can decide if you
want to print all of the layout or only the print region, if one has been defined. If so, you c an
even print it scaled to fit on a single page.
In any case you can print a m irrored image by clicking the Print mirror image-checkbox.
You can choose and setup your printer here as well – or you do these c hanges in File-Page setup.
The File menu
File-Page setup
Here you can choose which printer shall be used and do the printer setup as well. Of course, the
printer must be already installed in your system configuration. Available options depend on your
printer driver.
Adjustments for edges and overlap can be m ade. Overlapping means that you have several
pages which you can assemble to a larger plan. This makes sense for large layouts in a
reasonable scale.
The File menu
File-Set print region
Just drag the mouse while the left button is pressed until the fram e includes the area you'd like
to print.
When you open a second frame, the first one will be discarded. It is not possible to m ake
changes to the existing print range.
To remove the print region, please c all File-Discard print range.
It is possible to print the defined region scaled so that it fits on a single page.
The c ommand File-Print region=surrounding rectangle sets the print region so that it inc ludes all
visible eelemnts of your layout.
To start printing, please call
File-Print.
p36
The File menu
File-Discard print region
Deletes the print region created by the c ommands File-Set print region or File-Print region =
surrounding rectangle.
The File menu
File-Print region = surrounding rectangle
Sets the Print region so that it includes all visible elements of the c urrent layout.
The File menu
File-Quit
Shuts down RTS. First, you will be asked whether to save changes to your layout.
p37
The Edit menu
Edit-Undo
Undoes your last c ommand. Via View-Options, you can adjust how many steps are saved in the
Undo buffer.
The Edit menu
Edit-Redo
Undoes your last
Edit-Undo c ommand.
The Edit menu
Edit-Cut
Moves
tagged elements to the clipboard – the selection is deleted from the layout.
The Edit menu
Edit-Copy
Copies
tagged elements to the clipboard – the selection will be kept in your layout.
The Edit menu
Edit-Paste
Copies the contents of the clipboard into the layout. In addition to its own elem ents and
layouts, RTS accepts graphics and text, which also can be generated with another application.
The Edit menu
Edit-Paste special
This embeds an object from the c lipboard into the layout, i.e. .bm p graphics from Paint or a
description typed within Wordpad. It is displayed then as usual, but later on you can edit it using
the source application again. This is invoked by a double-c lick on the object, or you can
tag it
and choose Edit-objekt: Edit. Available options depend on the type of the objec t.
In some cases when the object is not displayed correctly, please open the
properties dialog,
open the OLE-Container page, un-c heck "Zoom with view" and c lick "original size".
The Edit menu
Edit-Delete
Deletes
tagged elements.
The Edit menu
p38
Edit-Insert object
A new object is created and embedded in your layout. You choose the appropriate sourc e
application (i.e. Paint, CorelDraw! etc.) which then will be started. In contrast to Edit-Paste
special, you don‚t already have an existing object – you first have to create it in your source
application. A window is opened in your RTS layout, and menu items switch over to those of the
source application.
When you‚re done, choose File-exit and back to... The object is now part of your layout.
In some cases when the object is not displayed correctly, please open the
properties dialog,
open the OLE-Container page, un-c heck "Zoom with view" and c lick "original size".
The Edit menu
Edit-Insert graphics
A dialog box is opened, and you can search your disks for graphic files which then c an be pasted
into your layout.
RTS accepts following formats:
- Windows- Bitmap (.bmp)
- Paintbrush (.pcx)
- Windows-Metafile (.wmf)
- Enhanced Metafile (.emf)
- JPEG (.jpg)
- Portable Networks Graphic (.png)
- GIF (.gif)
If you should encounter problems (especially using pcx format) and RTS refuses to open a file,
please convert it to .bmp. This can be done by loading it into Paint (the accessories program of
Windows) and saving it as *.bm p.
[For techies: Some applications like PaintShop Pro write a pcx form at including three color
planes. The Windows interface used by RTS when opening such files, in contrast expec ts a
one-color-plane format.]
The Edit menu
Edit-Search
From a list of all elements used in the current layout, you can choose one to search for. You can
have tagged one or all elements that were found. Now, you can m anipulate them.
Related topic:
Edit-Replace.
p39
The Edit menu
Edit-Replace
Replaces any element from the layout by one out of the c urrent library.
But: If you replace straight track by curves, the old connections can't be recovered, of course.
The Edit menu
Edit-Tag
Use this function to simply tag every track, every building, every line, every wire [...] or really
everything without c licking around too much.
If you chose "Tag all elements in layer ..." a window will pop up where you can c hoose one or
more of the layers that actually are visible. If currently only one layer is visible, the window will
not appear and all visible elements will get tagged.
The Edit menu
Edit-Invert selection
Selected elements become unselected and vice versa.
For tagging everything not being a trac k, you first tag all tracks and then invert the selection.
That's easy, isn't it?
p40
The View menu
View-Zoom in
Zooms into your layout. This adjustm ent is valid for
printing as well!
Related topic: (Zoom)
The View menu
View-Zoom out
Zooms out from your layout. This adjustm ent is valid for
printing as well!
Related topic: (Zoom)
The View menu
View-Overview
Opens a window that displays the entire layout. A rectangle shows you the portion of the layout
that is currently visible in the m ain window.
You may click somewhere to sc roll another portion into view or move the mouse while the left
button is pressed.
The View menu
View-Vertical ruler
Toggles view of vertical ruler.
Related topic: View-Horizontal ruler.
The View menu
View-Horizontal ruler
Toggles view of horizontal ruler.
Related topic: View-Vertical ruler.
The View menu
View-Selection bar
Toggles a bar above the working area to pick elements from – to ac tivate it, you have to load a
library first.
The View menu
View-Selection window
p41
Opens a window to pick elements from or brings it to the front. This window can be m oved on
your desktop, the size of the whole window and of the areas displaying the list and the selected
element can be changed.
The View menu
View-Status bar
Toggles the status bar at the bottom edge of RTS‚s window. Here, the coordinates of your
cursor, the current tool and the actually selected elem ent are displayed.
p42
The View menu
3D-view
This window allows you to view and print your layout in 3D. You can rotate and scale it as you
need it.
Here is a description of the various icons:
Toggle display of terrain. To edit the terrain, use the func tion
terrain and the
terrain-tool.
Special-Adjust height of
A Toggle display of article- numbers
D Toggle display of descriptions
H Toggle display of height
Toggle display of ties
Toggle display of the coordinate-cross
Toggle display of page frames. The page frames show you how your layout will be spread over
the pages when printed with ”display of entire layout”
off.
Enables the clipping planes. If the layout disappears as you enable the clipping planes, you
should set the left, back and bottom-sliders to the leftmost value and the right, front and
top-sliders to the rightmost value.
To create frames you can call the com mand of the Spec ial-menu.
Here you can set how to draw the terrain and the coordinate-cross.
Opens a window where you can choose the layers to be displayed.
Toggle display of entire layout. The slider ”Zoom ” can only be used when display of entire
layout is off.
Starts printing. The layout will always be printed using the c urrent zoom setting. If display of
entire layout is on, the whole layout will be printed centred on a single page.
This may require an enormous amount of memory. Therefore, RTS will reduce the c olor depth of
the printout, if neccessary.
If you get an "Out of memory" error message anyway, please reduce the color depth of the
screen. You can access this setting via the control panel or by right-clicking ab enpty area of the
desktop, then choose "Properties", page "Settings".
Here you can set the page frames, also, as known from the 2D-printing, you can define an
overlap, so that it‚s easier to assemble the several pages of a large layout.
Copies the layout to the clipboard, using printer resolution, as if it had been printed with
display entire layout on. This enables you to use and print the drawing in other applic ations
without loss of quality.
This operation also may require very much memory. Reducing the c olor depth doesn't m ake
sense, as the color depth of the image has to be increased again when you paste the im age into
another application. Instead RTS will copy the current contents of the 3D-view (using screen
resolution) to the clipboard if it is not possible to use printer resolution. To be able to copy the
p43
layout using printer resolution you will have to reduc e the c olor depth of the display, as
described above.
Editing the terrain
The View menu
View-Tool bar
Toggles the Tool bar below the menu bar.
The View menu
View-Toolbars-Customize
Opens a dialog box that presents (alm ost) all available commands, optionally sorted by category.
You can drag any command with the mouse into any of the toolbars, except for the zoom - and
layer-bars. You can also change the shortcut and even the icon for every c ommand.
If you want to add your own icons, you have to provide 16x16 pixel wide bitm ap files. The c olor
of the pixel in the lower left c orner will be the mask color. All pixels with this color will appear
transparent.
Please don't delete the files – if you do, RTS will have to use the default ic on again.
To delete commands from a toolbar, drag the ic on into the dialog box.
Names are assigned to the several panels for better rec ognition, but it is possible to m ove any
command into any panel, no matter if the c ommand matches the category or not.
You can move the several panels with the mouse by dragging the left border of the panel.
If you activate a panel that was previously hidden it m ay overlap and block another panel at the
same position. In most cases you just have to drag it with the m ouse up- or downwards, but in
some cases you will have to hide it again and m ove the c onflicting panel to another position first.
The View menu
View-Customize context menu
On the left you see the available c ommands, on the right you see the c urrent commands of the
context menu.
Drag the commands from one list to the other, or clic k the arrow-icons.
The Context- menu always offers the c ommand "Properties";
tagged elements,
Element-Properties .
View-Properties or, if there are
To open the context-menu right-click the layout.
To customize the shortcuts and icons, please go to View-Toolbars- Customize.
p44
The View menu
View-Page preview
Here you get a preview of how elem ents are spread on multiple pages when
printing.
If a print region exists, it is used, otherwises you will see how the entire layout would get
printed.
If this menu item is active, the current zoom level has no effect on your printing – it only m oves
the edges of the page.
This option is recommended for having a better survey only. You should then switch it off again.
Of course you can continue working as usual, but there will be no updating of edges when
inserting or deleting elements.
The View menu
View-Roadbed only
Only the roadbed of your track will be displayed. This is useful if you want to print tem plates for
the table top. Of course you should have trac k in your layout for which display of roadbed is
activated via
Element-Properties – otherwise, there will be an em pty working area...
The View menu
View-Find short-circuits
With DC track-systems certain layouts will cause a short-c ircuit, as demonstrated by the
example above. Unfortunately it is not always that easy to detect these cases.
This feature will assist you. As long as it is ac tivated, the left and right lines of the rails will be
drawn using different colors. Also the connections causing a short-circuit will be tagged by a red
arrow.
Which one will be chosen depends. Even in the very sm all example above you c an choose one
out of four connections to
insolate or
cut to solve the problem.
For simple crossings (not for double slips, of c ourse) RTS assumes that the crossing tracks are
insolated.
The line colors can be c hosen under View-Properties-Lines.
If the display of slopes is activated, the colored lines of the short circuit detection m ay be
covered by the slope lines, depending on the width of the slopes.
p45
View-Properties
View-Properties: Desktop
Here you can choose if your trac k should be displayed as a line, outlined or filled outline.
Adjustments for your working area are made here as well.
Also you can activate the display of the flex units. You set the length per unit under
Element-Properties-Flex track .
If your layout contains fixed elements, you can declare fixations as visible or invisible. If they
are visible, you can tie a c olor to them.
You can generally enable or disable the display of ties (sleepers). For single pieces of track you
can toggle this feature via Element-Properties: Trac k.
Here you can (de-) activate the crosshairs - the vertical and horizontal line following the m ouse
cursor.
If you have a slow machine, you may want RTS to display only the surrounding rectangles
(frames only) then you drag elem ents.
You can (de-) activate the tool-tip windows that show article-num bers and descriptions when the
mouse stays over an element for a short while. If you have edited your stock of elements, you
may want to activate the display of the c ount of remaining elements as well.
Hint: As usual, displaying complex graphical elements requires huge am ounts of proc essor
capacity. If you are using a high-perform ance system: Congratulations – keep on working.
If progress seems too slow with ties enabled, switch it off while working. When you‚re done,
activate this option and enjoy!
View-Properties
View-Properties - Workspace/Height control
Limiting the size of the workspace not only m akes it easier to position the sc roll bars, it also
determines the size of the terrain for the 3D-view.
Under the most recent Windows-versions (ac tually 2000 and XP) the maximum you can set is
300 * 300 m² (about 1,000 * 1,000 ft²). Under the older versions (9x/ME/NT) the lim it is 100 *
100 ft², and of course you can't load layouts that are larger.
Depending on the size of your layout, the values of the vertical ruler m ay become unreadable.
Click the ruler with the right mouse button to open a c ontext menu.
Hint: It is always possible to place elements outside the spec ified workspace.
It is also possible to set the workspace to values that are different to the size of the benchwork.
You can set the origin of the rulers as well as the orientation.
Controlling the vertical distance of c rossing track sec tions requires much performance, so you
can switch it off here. Humans need just one view to see where tracks are c rossing, the
computer, however, has to compare the position of every track with the position of every other
p46
track. If tracks overlap (they don't necessarily have to cross each other), the point of the
crossing and the vertical distance at this point have to be calc ulated.
Therefore the calc ulations are performed in the bac kground while you can continue designing
your layout.
Helices made up of flex sections are excluded from this chec k also invisible tracks located in
hidden layers. In complex turnout streets often track sections get closer than usual. Therefore
sections connected directly or by just one additional section are exc luded also.
The "smallest horizontal distance" specifies how close the track sec tions are allowed to be.
Therefore you can also use this feature to control the distance of parallel lines. However, to
reduce performance c onsumption, the value is taken into acc ount only if the surrounding
rectangles overlap. The surrounding rectangles are the rectangles you see when you tag the
elements.
If necessary you can increase the size of the surrounding rec tangle by increasing the width of the
divider lines (Element-Properties-Track ), by displaying the slopes or increasing the width of the
slopes (same place or View-Properties-Lines, respectively), or by increasing the width of the
tracks (
Element- Menu).
View-Properties
View-Properties: System
On this filing card you can c hoose your favourite measuring unit – Inches or Centimetres.
Further, you can decide whether arcs shall be painted by Windows or by applic ation in case the
radii are too large to be displayed correctly by Windows (please refer to Views for closer
information).
Another driver-problem is addressed by the Draw flex track setting. If your c omputer hangs
whenever RTS tries to draw a flex track, c hoose slow (and safe) until you get an updated video
driver.
The display of tagged elements and areas can be affected here as well: You c an choose filled or
outlined.
RTS creates backup copies every time you open a file. These files have the sam e name, but the
extension .~ral. Just rename them to .ral if you want to load them into RTS.
Here you can switch off the creation of these backup-copies or tell RTS to copy the backup copy
into the bucket bin.
You can decide here how you want the
Tool Clone (Pick object from layout) to work.
If you check Clone all properties, all settings of the original element will be copied. Otherwise,
the settings made under
Element-Properties will be applied.
View-Properties
View-Properties: Texts
Here you can check the options to display part num bers, manufacturer c ode, height and length.
A font for each of them may be selected.
p47
This option is like a general switch - to see any description, you m ust enable it under
Element-Properties as well.
By default every track section can display its height at the ends of the section. Only these item s
are disabled when you switch off the height under Element-Properties.
The tool
Detect height of track just creates a special kind of
text field. These height fields
are always displayed as long as the height is enabled here, no setting in the elem ent-properties
is necessary. The font for these fields is set under Element-Properties as for any other text field.
New height fields will always appear with the font you have set here for the heights, however.
View-Properties
View-Properties: Grid lines
You may enable a grid on your working area and define how this grid will be shown, to have a
better orientation.
View-Properties
View-Properties: Layer
If you are using layers, you can choose whic h of them (single or combined) shall be displayed.
By default, they are named '000', 001', '002'‚ and so on. You c an change this by
- pressing F2
- right-clicking the name to open the context-m enu or
- clicking a layer entry twic e and then entering a suitable nam e. Attention: You really must
have made two separate clicks, not one double- click!
Here you only set the visible layers. You assign the layer to the elem ents on the
Element-Properties page; there you also can set the active layer; that is the layer assigned to
elements to be inserted. Usually you will probably choose it from the drop-downl list in the tiool
bar.
Under View-Options you can specify that only elements of the active layer can be tagged and
edited. This means that elements of other layers may be visible, but you c an't tag and edit
them.
You can't hide the active layer – to hide the layer that is currently active you first have to
activate another layer.
Instead of walking through this dialog, you c an choose the visible layers by clic king this symbol
in the tool bar:
If you'd like to link properties like colors and line widhts to one or more layer, then please tag
them and open the related dialog box by pressing F3 or via the c ontext menu (right mouse
button).
If some of the elements mentioned above should not be visible in the tool bar, you probably
have hidden or deleted these com mands under View-Toolbars- Customize.
p48
View-Properties
View-Properties: Lines
Here you can choose the apperance of the slope- and
lines for the
Shortage-detection.
Clearance-lines and the colors of the
View-Properties
View-Properties: Sounds
RTS's program events (start, file-open etc.) can be assigned a sound to which then is played
back. Sound files have to be in Windows *.wav form at.
View-Properties
View-Properties: Tolerances
Here you can adjust the required precision to place the c ursor when using tools. Additionally,
adjustments are made how exact track ends must meet to be c onnected.
You can set here how much the length of running-wire segments may be off to be ac cepted by
the routines that assign art.-nos. to the wire segm ents in your layout.
View-Properties
View-Properties: Page numbers/Texts
Here you decide where RTS should put page numbers when printing. In case you don‚t want to
have your pages numbered, check the option ‘hide‚.
The Parts-c ompiler allows to include addtiional text fields with any elem ent. For these additional
text fields within an element you c an specify font and color individually under
Element-Properties-Texts depending on your needs. However, we recom mend the use of the
defaults you can set here whenever possible to save m emory.
Actually none of the libraries that c ome with RTS contains elements that make use of these
additional text fields. Therefore you can just ignore these settings unless you have edited a
library yourself.
The frames, that can be stored in a separate file also contain suc h additional text fields.
p49
The View menu
View-Options
On this card you can adjust width and height of the selection bar. The number of steps for
Undo is set here, too.
If you check edit active layer only, you can only edit elements of the active layer. Elements in
other layers may be visible then, but you can't tag and edit them .
p50
The Element menu
Element-Load library
Loads a new library of parts.
When saving layouts or libraries, options for currencies are taken from Windows‚ control panel.
When loading, in case currency in the file and Windows‚ currenc y settings don't match, you will
be prompted for actual rate of exc hange.
To update your layout with the changed prices, call Statistics-Activate Prices.
RTS will detect c hanges to the library (for example if you run the Parts-Com piler) and reload it
automatically if required.
p51
The Element menu
Element-Configure library
Most libraries contain elements that are rarely used, m aking it difficult to ac cess the elements
you'd like to place in your layout.
Here you can hide elements you actually don't want to m ake use of. The elements will not be
deleted from the library!
The information which elements are to be displayed is stored in the library file; therefore, if you
change the library using the parts-c ompiler, this information will be lost.
The Element menu
Element-Info
Shows information like author, date of last c hange etc. on the ac tually loaded library – as far as
existing for this library.
The Element menu
Element-Rotate element
Tagged element(s) will be rotated around the (c ommon) centre.
The Element menu
Element-Flip track
This tool is effective only on tracks that are connected on one end only. You use this option for
curves pointing in the wrong direction or if you want to connect a switch. In contrast to
Tools-Flip track joints only the latest added track will be affected.
Following are two examples for this func tion:
This command also can rotate that object that has just been
docked to a track section by
90°. RTS will use the last setting for further elem ents to be doc ked.
If you press <Ctrl>, the docked element will be moved to the opposite side of the trac k section.
The Element menu
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Element-Alignment
Aligns
tagged elements in the surrounding rectangle of the selec tion. These com mands are
available in the alignment bar as well.
Connected elements are treated as one as they can't change their positions relative to each
other.
Fixed elements are taken into consideration when calc ulating the surrounding rectangle, but they
won‚t be moved for they are fixed...!
However, alignment even works on grouped elem ents!
When you have aligned the elements, you might want to group them so that the relative position
of each element is fixed. However, this com mand will also work on grouped elements.
The Element menu
Element-Move
A windows is opened which will prompt you for relative c oordinates (X and Y) to m ove the
tagged element(s).
The Element menu
Element-Mirror
Mirrors the tagged elements along the right edge of the surrounding rec tangle. If you need the
elements to be mirrored along the bottom of the surrounding rectangle, just
rotate the
mirrored elements by 180°.
If you just need a mirror image for some templates, you may c hoose
the Print mirror image option.
File-Print and activate
The result of mirroring a left turnout, for example, is a right turnout, in other words, the result is
a different turnout with a different article- number.
RTS needs a template that matches the required dimensions of the new element and will first
search the layout and then the
current library for a matching template. If there are two or
more different elements in the layout or in the library, respectively, that m atch the
requirements, RTS will ask whic h one to use.
If no matching element can be found, you'll get an error message, and the element will be
omitted.
Here is an example:
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The Element menu
Element-Change width of track
Changes the width of the
tagged track sections.
The Element menu
Element-Bring to front/Put to back
Generally, the order of elements is of no matter, but if objec ts are overlapping, that one in the
foreground makes the other ones partially invisible – it will be selec ted first, too, when trying to
tag any object behind it.
If such problems should occur, use this function to change the order of objec ts.
Another option to change the order of the elem ents can be found under
Element-Sort by
height. It ensures that the topmost elements are drawn last, so that they are not covered by
other elements.
The Element menu
Element-Sort by height
Makes sure that the topmost elements will be drawn last and therefore on top of all other
elements.
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Element-Properties
Element-Properties: General
Here you see description and article number of the
tagged element(s). You can choose
whether and in which appearance article number and description are displayed in your layout.
The "Position"-button will lead you to another dialog that allows you to specify the position
(relative to the surrounding rec tangle of the element) in more detail. Negative values will m ove
the text to the opposite direction.
When you activate the option For tracks: In the track, the lettering will be printed in the track
centre. This will override all other settings you m ay have made.
Please make sure that you have enabled the display of these descriptions globally under
View-Properties: General.
For all non-track elements you can set the height; the only way to set the height of a track
section is to use the
height-tool, because due to an elevation it might be unclear to whic h
end of the section the height should be applied to.
Roundhouses have connecting points for easy alignment. They are therefore treated like trac k
sections internally, and you can't apply a height to them here.
If you have set the
height of the terrain already, you might want to c heck Set height of new
elements to height of terrain.
The layer to put the element(s) to and the price are defined on this card as well.
Additionally, you decide whether the element(s) shall be fixed. Another way to toggle fixations
is to use the
Tool .
If you want to change the properties of several elements at once, please check the settings on
the filter-page and check the box Apply properties to selection.
Element-Properties
Element-Properties: Track
Here you can switch the display of roadbed and ties (sleepers) on or off. If they shall be
displayed, you can assign a color to them. The width and height of roadbeds and the
appearance of track (filled/color) can be set. You even can apply a gradient to the tagged track.
However, I recommend to use the
Tool Height instead.
The height of the roadbed is relevant only for the 3D-view.
If you want to have fill color, ties and roadbed displayed, please ensure your adjustm ents for
View-Properties: General and View-Properties: Lines generally enable these features!
The length of the dividers, the diameter and color of the circles at connec tions are adjustable as
well.
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Element-Properties
Element-Properties: Flex track
On this card, you can enter artic le number and description as well as price and length of flex
track available at your dealer. The statistics then will calculate the required pieces and the price.
Waste of track caused by cutting is not taken into consideration – you'd better buy a bit m ore.
The dialog also displays the current smallest radius of the flex section.
If you use more than one kind of flex track, you may want to c lick Store Type. You then can
later restore all settings by c hoosing the type from the drop-down list labelled description.
To get rid of a type, choose it and click Delete Type.
While this dialog is opened, the two rails of the track are drawn using different colors, and the
length of them is shown in the dialog. This m ay be helpful for c utting, but it is recom mended
that you test-fit the track section on the real layout before you m ake a cut anyway.
If you check the option set defaults, the properties will be valid for following objec ts added to
your layout.
Sometimes, new sections of flex track can appear to be tied in a knot – this is a func tion of the
distance between the end points. This behaviour can be adjusted by use of the „Distanc e
basepoints” setting. Note that this option appears in this dialog only if no sec tion of flex trac k is
selected when the dialog is opened.
Element-Properties
Element-Properties: Lines
Here you can assign width and color to lines and wires and other figures in your layout
The difference between a line and a wire is simply the presence of a soldering point. If the
diameter is set to 0, a wire bec omes a line.
When using a color the first time for a wire or a line, RTS will ask for a nam e. These names are
used instead of article-numbers so that the statistics-functions can give you an overview how
much wire of each color you'll need.
This name will be used anytime you add another line of this c olor; you can change the
assignments by pressing the Names-button.
The "Mouse capture" value is also used by the
Measurement-tool.
You can use lines to define the height of the terrain: just draw lines to tag areas with the sam e
height, apply the desired height to lines (by entering the height on the General page, or by using
the tool
Height), tag the lines, and call
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Element-Properties
Element-Properties: Text fields
In this dialog you can enter
text and change the appearance and font. To rotate a text field,
click the Font button, then Rotate.
Macros are also available:
You can paste date (long or short), num ber and name of day, number and name of month,
number of year and time – even separately hour, minute and second. Further, you c an have
displayed the total costs of your track, supposed you have defined prices before. You can have
the name and path of your layout file pasted, too – this m akes it easier to find it later on.
The height fields created using the
Detect height of track-tool also are just specialized text
fields, and you can edit the properties here.
Element-Properties
Element-Properties-
Measurements
You can set the font and rotate the font by 180°. The angle of the text will be adjusted
according to the direction of the measurement, but please keep in mind that only TrueType-fonts
can be rotated.
Also you can hide the unit and the line, and set the num ber of decimals displayed.
Element-Properties
Element-Properties: OLE-Container
Here you get information on the actual and original size of an object linked by OLE ( Object L
inking and Embedding), given in the measuring unit you‚ve defined via View-Properties: System.
You can restore the Original size by clicking just this button.
The check box Zoom with view defines if the size of this object should be scaled when zooming
in/out (enabled) or if the size is fixed (disabled), i.e. when using a pic ture as background.
The Properties button provides further information on the OLE object, depending on the sourc e
application.
Element-Properties
Element-Properties: Metafile
Here you get information on the actual and original size of a Metafile, given in the m easuring
unit you‚ve defined via View-Properties: System. You can restore the Original size by clicking
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just this button.
The Save to file/Load from file buttons provide further options for data exchange.
Element-Properties
Element-Properties: Bitmaps
Here you get information on the actual and original size of a Bitm ap, given in pixels. The
buttons Original size (Screen) and Original size (Printer) set the original size of the bitm ap
either according to screen resolution or to printer resolution.
The Save to file/Load from file buttons provide further options for data exchange.
The check box Zoom with view defines if the size of this object should be scaled when zooming
in/out (enabled) or if the size is fixed (disabled), i.e. when using a pic ture as background.
Element-Properties
Element-Properties: Texts
The Parts-compiler allows to include addtional text fields with any elem ent; also the frames
stored in a separate file contain suc h additional text fields. For these additional text fields within
an element you can specify font and c olor individually depending on your needs. However, we
recommend the use of the defaults you can set under View-Properties whenever possible to save
memory.
Actually none of the libraries that c ome with RTS cotains elements that make use of these
additional text fields. Therefore you won't see this page unless you have changed a library
yourself or view the frames.
Element-Properties
Element-Properties: Filter
This is one of the most powerful sections of RTS:
If you have selected a number of elements, you can have properties adopted by c hecking the
option Apply properties to selection. Here you define which properties you wish to be
applied.
This filtering and adopting is incredibly useful, i.e. when you notic e your track has been put to
the wrong layer but the altitude must not be changed; or definitely the trac k should have the
color of your track in tunnels; or if width of roadbed doesn‚t m atch your wishes – and much
more!
Circles means the appearance of the c onnection marks – diameter and color.
Height relates to the height of all elements that are not a track section, and to the display of the
height for all kinds of element.
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You get more hints when you move the mouse over an option for a short while.
Possibilities are nearly unlimited – just try it!
p59
The Element menu
Element-color
Depending on
altitude or layer, you can assign different colors to your track.
If you choose According to height, you must define a range within the color is valid.
According to layer means, this color is assigned to the com plete layer.
This affects existing elements only. For added elements subsequently, the
defaults are valid.
The Element menu
Element-Group/Remove grouping
You can create groups of elements that are treated like one single elem ent when you tag and
move them.
This is useful in all cases when you spent a lot of work to align several elem ents and want to loc k
them afterwards.
However, the
Join track-tool will still work, as will the alignment- c ommands, no matter if
called from the menu or from the alignment bar.
You can fix the position of elements in the Element-Properties- dialog.
Another option is to
catenary masts.
Use the tool
dock (non-track) elements to track sections, useful especially for
Remove element from group to remove a single element from a group.
The Element menu
Element-Move docked elements
This c ommand moves
docked elements you have
tagged before along the track line.
You can move the elements until they reach a turnout, a crossing or the end of the track. The
layout is always updated while you m ove the elements.
This feature is very usefull to move catenary masts.
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The Properties menu
Properties-Line color
This is a way to change the line color quickly. More settings c an be changed under
Element-properties on the page Lines.
Changes the
tagged Elements as well as the default settings for elem ents to be inserted.
If no element is tagged, or you keep the < Ctrl>- key depressed when you c all this command,
only the default settings will be changed.
Keep the <Shift>-key depressed if want to change the tagged elem ent[s] but not the default
settings.
If you press <Shift>+<Ctrl>, only the first tagged elem ent will be changed - that is the elem ent
you clicked at, even if several connected track sections are tagged.
The Properties menu
Properties-Fill color for tracks
This is a way to change the filling color of track sections quickly. More settings can be c hanged
under
Element-Properties on the page Track.
Please note that the filling must be activated under Element-Properties-Track as well as under
View-Properties - otherwise this command will not have any visible effect.
Changes the
tagged track sections as well as the default settings for sections to be inserted.
settings.
The Properties menu
Properties-color of ties
This is a way to change the color of the ties (sleepers) quickly. More settings can be c hanged
under
Please note that the display of ties must be activated under Element-Properties-Track as well as
under View-Properties - otherwise this command will not have any visible effect.
Changes the
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settings.
The Properties menu
Properties-Track connections
This is a way to change the appearance of the track connections quickly. More settings can be
changed under
Changes the
settings.
p62
The Tools menu
Tools-Arrow
This tool is used to tag elements which will be manipulated afterwards. If you tag one elem ent,
all connected track is selected, too. To have only one elem ent tagged, you first have to use
Tools-Disconnect track or
Tools-Loosen track.
Overlapping objects can be tagged successively by simply clicking – each click selects the
following element. To c hange the order of the elements please use the c ommands from the
Element- Menu.
To tag a number of objects, hold down the <Shift> key while clicking each object. For a special
area, you can use rectangular selection:
Move the cursor to one corner of the desired area, press (and hold down!) the left m ouse button
and drag the mouse to the opposite corner. Release the button. That's it!
To move objects, click and drag them to the new position.
To tag running wires you have to tag the masts they are connected to.
To tag more than one catenary mast at a time, press the <Shift>-key when clicking the second
mast to tag all masts and wires between the two m asts you c licked, or press <Control> to tag all
connected masts and wires.
The Tools menu
Tools-Move description
Clicking a description or part number and dragging the mouse with left button held down will
cause the description to move. The position of descriptions is tied to the objec t – if you now
move the object itself, the desc ription will be moved as well.
Text fields cannot be moved using this tool. You move them as track or other parts.
The height fields created using the tool
can not be moved using this tool.
Detect height of track are just special text fields and
The Tools menu
Tools-Place object
This tool adds the currently selected element to your layout. If you press <Ctrl> while clicking,
a dialog box will pop up. You can enter absolute c oordinates.
The Tools menu
Tools-Place track and connect
This tool lets you add new elements, which will immediately be c onnected to the rest of trac k.
The cursor changes its shape depending on whether track can be connected at the c urrent
p63
position or not.
Via View-Properties: Tolerances you can adjust the prec ision for positioning the c ursor in order to
get parts connected.
It is also possible to insert sections into an existing line of trac k. However, it makes sense only
sometimes to insert a turnout, because you can't control which of the existing sections will be
moved.
Therefore you should especially avoid inserting c urved sections.
You even can insert straight sections, turnouts and crossings into straight flex sections. An
example:
The Tools menu
Tools-Pick element from layout
Clicking an object within the layout using this tool will c hoose just this as actual elem ent for
Tools-Place element and
Tools-Place track and connect . So, you don't have to go to the
selection bar or the selection window.
Under View-Properties-System you determine if you want all properties of the elem ent to be
copied, or if you want to use the defaults set under
Element-Properties .
The Tools menu
Tools-Measurement
Inserts a measurement. Just click the two points you'd like to m easure the distance of. The
mouse capture set for lines will be used.
When you move the mouse close to a connection point of a track section you will notice a change
of the shape of the mouse cursor. The measurement then will be plac ed exactly at the loc ation
of the connecting point. Keep the <Ctrl>-key depressed to place a measurement close to, but
p64
not on the connec tinmg point.
To measure the distance between track sections, press the <Shift>-key while you click the first
track section. Then the shortest distance between the point you clicked first and the second
track sec tion will be measured.
The Tools menu
Tools-Join track
Two pieces of track will be connected. A connection is shown by a sm all circle.
If ends are meeting at the correct angle, you will need only one sim ple click. In case there‚s a
gap between them, you click one element first. With a c lick on the sec ond element they will be
connected in that way, that the first-clicked elem ent moves towards the second. Of course, this
will only work if these pieces of track are not connected yet (indirec tly).
Flex tracks are treated the same way. If you keep <Shift> depressed while clicking a flex track,
no elements will be moved, but the flex track will c hange its shape acc ordingly.
So you can use this tool to fill gaps automatically with fitting pieces.
If the clicked ends are already connected indirectly, RTS will search for fitting pieces to fill that
gap. In this way, you can close circles and ellipses. Settings for this func tion can be made via
Special-Close circles. No special forms of track are added when closing c ircles if you also use the
libraries that came with this version of RTS.
If you want to fill gaps between two independent tracks, just hold down <Ctrl> when clicking
the second end.
Last, but not least, this tool can create a crossover and m ove the turnout you clicked first
accordingly, if it is surrounded by straight flex sec tions. Keep <Shift>+<Ctrl> depressed when
you click the second turnout to activate this feature. Here is an exam ple:
The Tools menu
Tools-Disconnect track
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Different to
Tools-Loosen track, one single connection is removed.
The Tools menu
Tools-Loosen track
Different to
Tools-Disconnect track, all connections of the selected track are rem oved at once.
The Tools menu
Tools-Text field
Adds a text field to your layout. The size depends on the am ount of text and the c hosen font.
If you hold down <Ctrl> when adding a text field, you will not be prom pted for input. In that
case you can enter your text later using the dialog Element-Properties: Text fields . There – and
only there – you can also rotate your text. It is not possible to do that using
Tools-Rotate
element!
Any other manipulation is done the same way as for trac k. The font can be changed using the
toolWerkzeugFont or via element-properties .
The Tools menu
Tools-Font
This is a way to change the font of
text fields, article numbers, descriptions, heights and so on
quickly without using the several properties dialogs of the
element- or the
view-menu.
Please note that all article numbers and descriptions always use the same font!
The Tools menu
Tools-Flip track joints
Can be used for elements connected at one end only. So you eventually have to use
Tools-Disconnect track. If you want to process the latest added track, use
Element-Flip trac k
Example:
This also works for turnouts etc. that are only connected with a straight section, even with
asymmetric crossings when connected to straight flex sec tions. See
Tool-Place track and
p66
connect for an example.
This command also can rotate that object that has just been
docked to a track section by
90°. RTS will use the last setting for further elem ents to be doc ked.
If you press <Ctrl>, the docked element will be moved to the opposite side of the trac k section.
p67
The Tools menu
Before you add the first flex section to your layout it is rec ommended that you first enter the
length and price under Element-Properties-Flex track , although it is possible at any tim e to
change these settings.
To insert a flex track between two already existing tracks, successively click the ends you want
to connect. It's possible to have a straight flex track between two other tracks if they are in a
straight line.
If the second track should not be aligned properly, press <Shift><Ctrl> when clicking it. It will
now be positioned correctly, and the flex trac k will be inserted.
Building a line consisting of flex track only is a little bit tricky, but it will work as follows:
Insert the first flex track between two normal pieces. That means, at the desired end of the flex
track, you need to place a normal track as a kind of ”helping anchor”. Now, have your flex track
inserted and move the ”anchor” to that point where the next flex trac k should end. Add the next
flex track and continue this way.
To change the shape of the flex section, click it with the tool
Related topic:
Shape flex track.
Special-Shape Flex track.
The DLL-interface for the creation of your own flex sections .
The Tools menu
Tools-Shape Flex track
Internally, Flex track created with the tool
Insert flex track are treated as Beziér graphs with
two anchor points and two base points each. The anchor points are at the sam e time the
connection to the next piece of track. The base points are responsible for the curve-gradient of
the track. They are positioned on a line, which represents the straight direc tion of the flex trac k
from the anchor-point. These base points can be m oved to adjust the curve gradient of the flex
track by moving the track bars in the dialog box that opens when you c lick a flex track.
Just try and play a bit with this function.
Here is an example of how it works:
p68
Right-click one of the sliders if you need to extend the range of them .
Click Optimize to make sure that the smallest radius is as large as possible.
Unfortunately there is no way to get a definite solution of this problem , instead RTS just tries
several values. Therefore it is possible that a second c lick gives different results, they m ay be
even worse then the previous try. In that case, just click Optimize again, or cancel the dialog
and try again.
The red dot in the track section shows you where the sm allest radius appears.
Also the length of the both rails is displayed. This may be helpful to c ut the section properly, but
we strongly recommend that you test-fit the section before you c ut!
The DLL-interface for the creation of your own flex sections .
The Tools menu
Tools – Flex track - Cut
This tool cuts any flex section, no matter how it had been created, wherever you want.
However, the shape of the resulting parts can't be c hanged any more afterwards.
The Tools menu
Tools – Flex track – Move track
This tool moves track sections connected to straight flex sections in a straight line. The length of
the straight flex sec tions will be adjusted ac cordingly. An example:
p69
The Tools menu
Tools – Flex track - Crossover
This tool creates a crossover between two parallel straight flex sections. There m ust be a
turnout in one of the parallels already. Then you just have to clic k the turnout once. An
example:
The Tools menu
Tools – Flex track – Convert to flex track
This tool converts sectionized track to straight and curved flex trac k.
The whole line will to the next turnout/crossing or to the end of the line will be c onverted.
Therefore you perhaps will have to
cut, the desired section off the rest of your layout.
p70
However, if you click a curved section while pressing the < Ctrl>-key, this sec tion will be
converted into a
formable flex section.
p71
The Tools menu
Tools-Height
With this tool you can apply a height to any kind of element. For trac k sections, this is the only
way to apply a height; the height other elements can be set in the properties-box as well.
If you click a track‚s end with this tool, a dialog box will pop up where you can enter an altitude
which will be valid for connected track as well if the c heck box Apply this setting to connected
tracks is activated. Then the resulting gradient will be displayed.
Instead of this, you can choose Calculate gradient. It's possible to have Flex track within a line;
switches and crossings as well – but they must not be connected to m ore than two ends!
Switches and crossings can be assigned an altitude, but no gradient. They always have to be in
a horizontal position.
An example for a track with switches and crossings:
Now, altitudes were assigned – please realize all ends of switc hes and crossings are on the same
level!
Use the
tool Detect height of track to find out the height at a certain point or where the trac k
has a certain height.
The Tools menu
Tools-Detect height of track
Click anywhere on a track to find out the height at that plac e.
To find out where the track meets a certain height press <Ctrl> and click the track section. A
dialog box will open where you can enter the height you are looking for.
The height will then be displayed in a spec ial kind of text field. You edit the properties like those
of any other text field under Element-Properties-Text fields . The default font, however, will
always be the font for heights you have set under View-Properties-Texts.
The height fields will only display when this is ac tivated under View-Properties-Texts. No setting
under Element-Properties is required.
p72
The Tools menu
Tools-Calculate distance
This tool calculates the distance of the shortest way from one point of your layout to another
point.
Just click the two points somewhere on your track sections. If you click two different sec tions,
they must be connected somehow, of course.
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The Tools menu
Tools-Clearance
For straight sections you just have to measure the width of your c ars to find out the required
clearance. For curved sections, however, things get difficult, as this drawing shows:
The ends of the car move outwards, whereas the middle part moves to the inner side of the
curve.
The Clearance tool will run a virtual car on your layout that will draw the c learance lines.
The calculations are very performance consuming, so you should be the owner of a fast c omputer
(800 MHz or more) or be very patient if you use this feature.
Fortunately in most cases the sim ple slope lines are sufficient; this tool makes sense only for
platforms and other things that have to be placed as close as possible to the trac k.
You can watch the car while it runs over your layout, but this costs an additional am ount of time,
so you can switch it off. On the other hand – it is fun to watch the car, and it will probably be
necessary in the future to have a possibility to slow it down when the com puters get faster.
The dialog box that pops up when you click a track section asks you for several settings.
Very important are the dimensions of the largest car. Please enter them in the window that
opens when you click Define car.
The defaults for the m aximum width W are taken from NEM 301. You may enter other values,
however.
Then you need the overall length L and the length L1 between the axles or pins.
When the car has finished its trip over your layout, there are three lines on each side of the
track. It is not easy to build a smooth line with the largest distance to the track c entre from this,
especially because for a computer a line is just a set of single points. That's the reason for the
smoothening-settings.
p74
The larger the max. distance for line points after smoothening, the smoother the line, but the
more details get lost.
When a point is found where the two neighbours have a larger distance to the trac k centre, the
point will be removed, if the distance is within Max dist for smoothening.
Again, smoothening means losing details, that's why there are no default values that are perfect
for any purpose and any scale. If you don't like the resulting lines, just c hange the values and
click Smoothen.
Delete removes existing clearance lines from the part of the layout you clicked at.
Start will run your virtual car over all track sections connected to the sections you c licked at.
More clearance standards
p75
The Tools menu
Tools-Draw-Wire/Line
Use this tool to create wires and lines.
The difference between wires and lines is that wires have soldering points at their ends. If you
set the diameter of soldering points to 0 (via Element-Properties: Lines ), lines are generated.
Unlike lines, wires are listed in your statistics, separated by colors. On initial choice of a c olor,
you will be prompted to enter a nam e. Internally, colors are represented by numbers only – it‚s
quite impossible to pre-define names for 16.8 billions of c olors...
This name is used to calculate the com bined length required. It surely won't fit exactly, but it‚s a
good approximation to know how much of eac h color you should buy. By the way, if different
colors are given the same name, statistics will treat them as identical.
Lines with a
height applied are a great help to set the
height of the terrain.
Drawing: Click the desired starting point and release the mouse button. At any point where the
line should change direction, click onc e more. To finish a line, right-c lick.
To get vertical or horizontal lines or wires, keep the <Shift> key depressed when drawing.
Shape of lines can be changed later on by tagging with
or corners to a new position.
Tools-Arrow and then dragging ends
Other drawing-tools:
Arc
Rectangle
Rectangle with round corners
Polygon
Ellipse
For more sophisticated drawings we recom mend that you use a spec ialized drawing application
to create them and then use the paste-commands of the Edit-menu to add them to the layout.
p76
The Tools menu
Tools-Draw-Arc
Adds an arc to your layout.
When you click the desired location, a dialog pops up where you c an enter radius, angle, color
and so on.
To change the shape later on, tag it and open the tab sheet Lines of the Element-Properties
dialog.
Other drawing tools:
Line
Rectangle
Polygon
Ellipse
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The Tools menu
Tools-Draw-Rectangle
Drag the mouse with the left button depressed to the desiredsize. Keep the <Shift>-key
depressed to create a square.
The properties are set under Element-Properties- Lines.
In contrast to most other elements, you can't rotate these rectangles, because rotation is not
supported by the Windows-GDI. If you need to rotate the shape, please use the tool
Polygon
.
If you use this rectangle to draw your benc hwork you should assign a separate layer to it and
activate the option Edit active layer only under View-Options to avoid that you tag and move it
by mistake.
Line
Arc
Polygon
Ellipse
p78
The Tools menu
Tools-Draw-Rectangle with round edges
Works like the
Tool draw rectangle, but the corners of the rectangles are rounded..
Keep the <Shift>-key depressed to create a square.
supported by the Windows-GDI.
In the 3D-view these rectangles are drawn without round corners.
If you use this shape to draw your benc hwork you should assign a separate layer to it and
by mistake.
Line
Arc
Rectangle
Polygon
Ellipse
p79
The Tools menu
Tools-Draw-Polygon
Drawing polygons works much like drawing
lines: Click the corners of the polygon with the
left mouse button, but the last corner has to be clicked with the right m ouse button. The line
from last point to first point will be added autom atically.
Press the <Shift>-key to create vertical or horizontal lines.
by mistake.
Line
Arc
Rectangle
Ellipse
p80
The Tools menu
Tools-Draw-Ellipse
This toll draws an ellipse or a circle if you press <Shift>.
supported by the Windows-GDI.
In the 3D-view these rectangles are drawn without round corners.
by mistake.
Other drawing-tools::
Line
Arc
Rectangle
Polygon
p81
The Tools menu
Tools-Insulation
Tags a track joint as insulated.
Instead of the usual circle, a cross (both rails insulated) or an arrow (only one rail insulated) will
show up. The symbol will change every time you click. To turn a c ross into a circle, three c licks
are needed.
Examples:
The Tools menu
Tools-Toggle fixation
This is a quick way to toggle a fixation without having to open the
The Tools menu
Tools-Remove element from group
To remove only a single element from a group you c ould
-
tag the group
- call Element- Ungroup
- c lick the element while the <Shift>- key is pressed
- and then call Element- Group
- or just click the element with this tool.
p82
Element-Properties dialog .
The Tools menu
Tools-Catenary-Dock to track
This tool is useful when you want to place elements (not track sections!) in a c ertain distance to
the track centre and aligned to the track. Catenary m asts are a good example but, although this
tool has moved to the catenary-menu, it is not limited to c atenary masts.
The default distance is the width of the track or the width of the slope, if a slope width is defined.
Under Special Docking-Settings you can change this setting, so that for exam ple the
clearance lines are taken into account.
First choose an element from the library that is not a trac k section (RTS comes with many
libraries of catenary masts), then you can select this tool. Now just click the track sec tion where
you want the element to appear.
Element-Flip track and
Tools-Flip track will rotate the docked element by 90°; keep the
<Ctrl>-key depressed to move the docked element to the opposite side of the trac k section.
When you use
Element-Flip trac k RTS will remember the last position and apply it to further
elements you dock to track sections.
To place several elements in equal distances along the track, for exam ple catenary masts, press
the <Ctrl>-key while you click the track section with the Dock to track-tool. A dialog box will
open and ask you for the distance between the elem ents. Then the elem ents will be placed
along the track line until its end or until the next turnout or c rossing.
If you clicked an existing catenary mast, it will be used as starting point, and no sec ond mast
will be placed.
When you dock multiple catenary masts at once, the running wires are tensed between them
automatically.
For catenary masts you enter the distance between running wire and the centre of the trac k.
You even can enter two different values to get a zig-zag wire (clic k Settings); additionally you
can use two different masts, for example one with a long outrigger and the sec ond with a short
one.
You can edit and move docked elements like any other element, but when you move the trac k it
belongs to, the docked elem ent will follow.
In other words, clicking a docked element only tags this elem ent, but c licking a track section
tags the track section and all its doc ked elements.
It is possible to dock elements that you already have in your layout. First clic k the element, then
click the track section.
There is another
tool to loosen docked elements.
The Tools menu
Tools-Catenary-Loosen docked element
This tool loosens
docked elements from the track section to which they belong.
p83
Although this tool has moved to the catenary-menu, it can be used to un-doc k any kind of
element, not only c atenary masts.
p84
The Tools menu
Tools-Terrain
The best way to set the height of the terrain is to place
lines or
height to them and call
rectangles apply a
The distance between the points that will be created depends on the setting you m ade in the 3D
input box in the tool bar beneath the m enu bar.
For additional details and coloring you will need the terrain-tool.
You should not try to add too many details with this tool, it is just designed to allow som e
fine-tuning. For ramps and roads use
Special-Ramp/Pillar; for structures a light version of the
Parts Compiler is included with RTS Standard (the full version is inc luded in RTS DeLuxe).
As you activate this tool, you will probably notic e that many details of your layout will not be
drawn to give you a better overview. Also, several c ommands will not be available in
terrain-mode.
RTS maintains a list of points, each of them holding information about height and c olor. Height
and color between these points will be interpolated.
You can add points or edit existing ones by double- clicking them or by choosing the appropriate
commands from the c ontext menu that opens when you click the right m ouse-button.
To manipulate several points at once or an area, m ove the mouse while you keep the left button
depressed and then choose from the c ontext menu.
You can drag the selected points to another location.
Insert point
Insert point with last recent setting
Edit
Shift height
Shift colors
Set color of terrain according to height
Choose colors
Load height profile
Delete point
p85
Tools-Terrain
Terrain - Insert and/or edit point
Adds new points or edits existing ones. You will notice a c hange of the mouse cursor as you hit
a point.
You can change the color, the height, or both; just check the appropriate boxes.
If you are editing an area, i.e. you opened a rec tangle dragging the mouse, you have the c hoice
only to edit the points included with the rectangle, or to set the properties of the whole area
covered by the rectangle.
This dialog also allows you to delete points. However, the four points at the outer c orners of the
terrain can't be deleted.
In some cases RTS will add a point on the edge of the terrain bec ause the algorithm used to
tessellate the terrain into triangles would exclude a part of the area otherwise. These additional
points can be deleted, but in most c ases they will immdediately reappear automatically ...
There are commands to shift color and height.
Tools-Terrain
Terrain-Insert point with last recent setting
Adds a point with the settings m ade in the Edit point - dialog last recently.
Tools-Terrain
Terrain-Shift height or color
Instead of setting all
tagged points to the same height and color, these commands shift the
values by an amount you have to specify, so that the distanc e between the points will rem ain the
same so that you can easily move whatever you have created to another level.
On a computer-screen, colors consist of three c omponents: red, green and blue.
You can shift the overall brightness of the colors, what will change the value of eac h component
by the same amount. However, it is also possible to change the value of the three com ponents
independently.
Tools-Terrain
Terrain-Choose color
RTS offers a list of heights with corresponding c olors that you may change.
In the area below the list you can see how the colors will fade between the heights.
These colors will be used by the several functions that adjust the height of the terrain, especially
when loading a height profile.
p86
Tools-Terrain
Terrain-Load height profile
Will load a text file containing c oordinates and heights. These points will be added or will replac e
existing points, respectively.
The file may be created using NotePad or any other text processor. Please m ake sure to save the
file as plain text (.txt) with line breaks.
Every line defines a single point or a line:
<x> <y> <z> defines a point,
<x1> <y1> <z1> <x2> <y2> <z2> defines a line. The X- and Y- values are the c oordinates as
displayed by the rulers. The Z-value is the height.
Lines starting with a semicolon are ignored.
The values have to be in m m or in inch, depending on the setting under View-Properties-System.
For lines several points will be created. The distance depends on the value set in the input box
labeled 3D in the tool bar under the menu bar.
Example:
; Point at x=100, y=100, height = 50:
100 100 50
; Line from x=200, y=100, height 50 to x= 200, y=400, height = 100
200 100 50 200 400 100
Tools-Terrain
Terrain-Set color according to height
This command will apply a color to the tagged
terrain-points.
RTS maintains a list of height values with the corresponding colors. On the bottom of the
Window you can see how the color will fade from one value to the other.
The height of the points does not have to m atch exactly the values in the list; the colors will be
calculated accordingly.
Tools-Terrain
Terrain-Delete point
Will delete point(s) from the terrain. The Edit point - dialog offers this feature as well.
However, the four points at the outer corners of the terrain can't be deleted.
p87
The Statistics menu
Statistics-List of materials (complete)
Shows a list of all elements used in your layout. Based on the prices you entered, the total costs
will be calculated.
If elements are
tagged, only the tagged elements are listed.
The Statistics menu
Statistics-List of materials (active layer)
Shows a list of all elements in the active layer. Based on the prices you entered, the costs will
be calculated.
If elements are
tagged, only the tagged elements in the active layer are listed.
The Statistics menu
Statistics-List of materials (visible layers)
Shows a list of all elements in the c urrently visible layer[s]. Based on the prices you entered,
the costs will be calculated.
If elements are
tagged, only the tagged elements in the visible layer[s] are listed.
The Statistics menu
Statistics-List of required materials
This list displays only the elements which you still should buy.
The Statistics menu
Statistics-Stock
Shows a list of elements you already have.
The Statistics menu
Statistics-Edit stock
Here you enter the quantity of elements (trac k, buildings etc.) already available as well as the
according prices. Now, RTS can determine what still is required – and the costs of all that fun.
This menu item refers to the currently loaded library. You cannot add elem ents to your stock if
they are not part of any library.
Under View-Properties-Desktop you can activate the display of rem aining elements in the yellow
tool-tip windows that appear when you m ove the mouse over an element.
p88
The Statistics menu
Statistics-Activate prices
If you have entered prices via Statistics-Edit stock, they surely should be valid for your layout.
Instead of editing prices using
Element-Properties for each single piece, this menu item will
do that all at once.
p89
The Special menu
Special-Create benchwork
Here you can specify shape and dim ensions of your benchwork.
If the shape you need should not be supported, please use the drawing tools to draw your
benchwork.
In this case you should at least specify the
dimensions of the workspac e because this defines
the range reachable with the sc roll bars and also the dimensions of the
terrain that is
displayed in the 3D-view. This is done automatically when you define the benc hwork using this
dialog.
If a benchwork already exists bec ause you previously used this dialog, it will be deleted
automatically.
The c ommand Load benchwork for old RTS 3 benchwork files has been removed. If you still
want to use such a file, please use the c ommand
File-Open in the File-Menu. In this case the
file has to have the extension .gpl.
p90
The Special menu
Special-Create frames
This command creates the required frames of the substructure. The position of the tracks is
taken into consideration as well as the terrain, if the terrain has been edited already.
If the terrain has not been edited, it will be c reated accordingly.
You can then view the result in the 3D-view.
The value in the input box 3D in the tool bar below the menu bar defines the resolution used to
measure the terrain (if the terrain has been edited already) or to create points in the terrain,
respectively.
You can specify if the lowest or the highest one of crossing tracks is taken into account. In any
case the position of all tracks will be tagged at the fram es.
The thickness of the material is used only to get the width of the slots.
The frames are numbered from left to write starting with V001 (V for vertic ally) and from from
top to bottom starting with H001 (H for horizontally). They are stored to a separate file that c an
be
opened like a regular layout file so that you can print the fram es in any scale up to 1:1.
The name you chose for the file will appear at the top of the list of the m ost recent files in the
file-menu.
Any previously created frames will be deleted automatically.
And this is what a frame could look like:
p91
The Special menu
Special-Shape flex track
Before you add the first flex section to your layout we recom mend that you c heck the settings
under Element-Properties-Flex track (without an element in the layout being tagged), although
changes can be made at any time.
A straight or curved flex track will be generated – acc ording to your settings (length, radius and
angle). After having confirmed, the track c an by added to your layout by c licking the desired
position.
You can
cut any flex section anywhere.
For straight flex sections (that also may be created with the
features are available that m ake life easier:
Insert turnouts etc.,
turnout accordingly.
Related topics:
move and
rotate them,
Tools-Shape flex track
DLL-Interface to create your own flex sections
p92
Tool Insert flex track) a couple of
create crossovers or
move a
The Special menu
Special-Transition curve
Before you add the first flex section to your layout we recom mend that you c heck the settings
under Element-Properties-Flex track (without an element in the layout being tagged), although
changes can be made at any time.
A transition curve flex track will be generated – according to your settings. After having
confirmed, the track can by added to your layout by clic king the desired position.
Further information on transition curves can be found in the chapter Transition curves in
theory and practice. The original text was generously supplied by Thom as Rödel. The related
NEM standard can be found here.
Unfortunately things aren't as easy as it seem s when reading this text. A big thank you for his
assistance with this difficult topic goes to Mr. Lieber in Austria.
In fact the transition curves of the previous versions had been m ore or less wrong, unless very
small angles had been used. For larger angles the resulting radius c ould become too small, or a
large portion of the transition took place in the last m illimetre of the curve.
The formula for the calc ulation of the c urve is y = m*x(Curve/10). The value m depends on
radius and angle.
It turned out that for any given radius and angle only one value for c urve is valid. The Curve
value therefore now exists only to please some customers of the older versions who are used of
it. Now RTS will calculate the correct curve value for you.
It now is possible to create a complete curve consisting of a com bination transition curve – c urve
– transition curve. Just check Create complete curve and enter the angle of the complete curve
to be created. An example:
DLL-Interface to create your own flex sections
p93
The Special menu
Special-Helix
A helix (or spiral) consists of ascending, concentric c ircles – just like a coil. Helixes are useful to
surmount a great differenc e in altitude while keeping gradient and required area quite low.
This function generates helices according to your adjustm ents. You c an define the radius (fixed
values for normal curves, or you can use flex track), the angle between inlet and outlet, total
difference in altitude, difference per turn and left or right turn.
Calculated values can be printed to (have) cut appropriate boards.
p94
The Special menu
Special-Parallel tracks
This function generates a new track exactly parallel to an existing one, which m ust not have any
branches and has to be
tagged first.
This also works for
helices.
When you create parallels of a
"normal" flex section, then these parallels will be connected to
its parents. When you change the parent's shape, the shape of the parallels will change as well.
p95
The Special menu
Special-Crossover/Ladder
This menu item has two func tions:
1.) You can have two parallel tracks connected using switc hes.
2.) Ladders can be generated with up to 100 equidistant parallel trac ks. Any ladder will be
terminated by an appropriate curve, so that the outlet is parallel to the other trac ks as well.
You can define the distance between the tracks – of course not less than allowed by the
geometry of switches. Obviously, tracks cannot be put closer together than directly connec ted!
The distance a is measured between the centre lines of tracks.
The length of the inserted track (according to calculation) c an be found directly in the dialog:
Length of adjustment track. Later on, you can have displayed its length by
tagging it and
then choosing Element-Properties: Flex trac k. Look for the line Current length.
Example:
The red colored tracks were calculated and inserted by RTS.
p96
The Special menu
Special-Length of tagged tracks
The total length of all
tagged tracks will be calculated. For crossing switches, length of both,
curves and straights, will be taken into consideration.
Use the
tool Calculate distance to find out the distance between two points som ewhere on
your layout.
p97
The Special menu
Special-Adjust height of terrain
A simple way to set the height of the terrain is to
place lines (preferably in a separate layer),
apply a height to them, tag them and call this function. Of c ourse this function will work for
any other kind of shape or object as well.
Usually only the area under the line will have set the height acc ordingly, but if you draw a c losed
figure, i.e. the line ends where it starts, the area under the surrounding rectangle will be set to
the height of the line.
For a better visualization, RTS will set the color of each vertex according to the height.
To add details or colors, use the
terrain-tool.
To view the result, open the 3D-viewer.
You should not try to create ramps and roads with this feature; call
instead.
Introduction to 3D-features
p98
Spec ial-Ramp/Pillar
The Special menu
Special-Ramp/Pillar
Suppose you have two different ground levels and som e track that runs from one level to the
other. Now you might want to have som e kind of ramp.
Just tag the appropriate trac k section and c all this menu item. A dialog box will pop up and you
can specify the properties of the ram p.
The additional extent on top is added on both sides to the width of the track (without slope), or
on all sides of the surrounding rectangle of a structure, respectively.
Height of base is the position of the bottom of the ramp. The base must be below the lowest
element.
The angle of the slope can range from 5° to 90°.
If you set different colors for Side top and Side bottom, the color will fade to give a better
visualization of the height.
The ramp (or a pillar) created is a separate element, not bound to elem ents you used to c reate
it, treated like a structure you added from a library. Thus, you can just delete the track and will
get a road then.
To view the result, open the 3D-viewer.
Introduction to 3D-features
p99
The Special menu
Special – Docking-settings
Here you enter the distance to the track center for elem ents you
dock to track sections.
You can choose the width of the track, the width of the slope lines (if defined) or the
clearance lines (if defined).
Optionally a fixed value can be added. This may be a negative value if you want to place
elements inside the trac k section.
p100
The Special menu
Special-Close circles
The
Tool-Join tracks is able to close circles or ellipses with fitting pieces of track.
You can make some decisions before – if RTS searched all possibilities, it would take enorm ous
amounts of time so you could say: ”It would have been better if I‚d done it m anually...”
If it should become too hard, just c lick Cancel and make some restrictions.
If you decrease the list of radii to be taken, this func tion will work much faster. If in an arc all
curves should be of the same radius, another acceleration will occ ur. RTS will remember these
settings for each library.
Half-finished ovals can be closed automatically as well. RTS first searches for fitting curves and
then inserts straight tracks. Sometimes, the results of this proc ess could be a little bit ”funny” so you can switch off this option.
Finally, you can make things easier for RTS by defining whether to use large or sm all radius
first, and in which direction the arc shall be pointing.
p101
Introduction
Troubleshooting
Since this is Freeware, Atlas is unable to provide free technical support. Please try finding the answers to your
questions in one of three ways:
1. By doing the Tutorial.
2. Going into the HELP menu and browsing through the topics.
3. Looking at our compiled list of Frequently Asked Questions, also under the HELP section (under the
Contents tab).
4. By posting a message on our discussion board thereby soliciting other users ’ assistance.
5. By checking our web site www.atlasrr.com for any updates or new information we may have put online since
you obtained this program.
If you are completely stuck, you may purchase a User Support Contract. This will allow you to call or email for
technical assistance, for as long as you have the software. The cost is $19.95 and is payable by credit card. To
take advantage of the User Support Contract, call 1-800-872-2521 x7151.
p102
Introduction
Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ)
- Crashes/Error message when the application starts or on certain actions
In the last months a few users reported very strange problem s: RTS won't start at all, or a wide
range of problems occur, from access violations to bluescreens.
The most c ommon reasons are still misbehaved video drivers. Your first action when you
encounter problems should be to visit the web site of the m anufacturer of your video c ard,
download the latest driver version and install it. Som e drivers offer options related to the
hardware acceleration, sometimes called performance settings. They are worth a try.
If this doesn't help, you should get the latest drivers for all of your hardware com ponents,
including chipset drivers for the motherboard and an updated BIOS.
Please refer to the com puter manual.
- I decreased the Zoom-value, and now I can't scroll to the right and bottom part of
my layout
Open View-Properties-Desktop and increase the limits of your workspace to get a larger range of
the scroll bars..
- Some curves are not visible
When using big radii and a zoom of 1:1 down to 1:5, som e screen or printer drivers may have
trouble displaying the curves.
Set Curves painted by application at View-Properties: System to avoid this.
- The tracks don't fit as you think they should
Well - of course there may be an error in the library.
In most cases, however, it will turn out that the tracks really don't fit, for several reasons:
- You chose a wrong radius by m istake. Refer to information supplied by the manufacturer,
especially when you attempt to use c urved turnouts.
- The tracks don't fit as the m anufacturer would like to see it. One example in the past was the
Atlas H0 snap switches, but you still will get trouble with som e N gauge curved switches from
other manufacturers.
- I am creating one of the layouts from an ATLAS instruction book, and it doesn't come
together at the end. What am I doing wrong?
You aren’t doing anything wrong. The reason this happens is that when you build a layout on a table, you can ”
fudge” the track pieces a little until they fit appropriately. The software dimensions are so exact that there is no
room for any type of fudging. The result is the Atlas layout plans created in Right Track Software will not
connect at the end. We recommend using a small filler piece of track to fill the necessary gap. When you go to
build it, you can still follow the plans and list of materials in the Atlas instruction book, because each layout has
been tested, and will work.
p103
- Shouldn't a snap-switch with a 1/3rd 18" radius piece equal a full 18" radius section?
The answer is ”no”. You must also add a ½” straight section opposite the switch on your layout (180  away).
- Any attempt to draw a flex track hangs the computer
This is definitely a fault of the video driver. Try to get an updated driver from the manufacturer
of your graphics adaptor.
This problem applies especially to brand new machines/adaptors.
Perhaps setting View-Properties-System-Draw flex track to slow may help.
- How do I place a round loco shed in the right distance to the turntable?
Step 1: Build a circle of stalls (the roundhouses hav e connecting-points like track sections hav e) and place a
turntable on the layout. Add straight sections to the turntable so that when you tag it, the center of the
surrounding rectangle meets the center of the turntable.
Step 2: Tag stalls and turntables and align the elements horizontally and v ertically centered (Element-Align or
click the appropriate icons).
Step 3: Remove the stalls and track sections you don't need. (Use the tools " Disconnect track" or "Loosen track
", then tag the elements with the Arrow-tool and delete).
- When I print, my grid shows. How can I get it to not print the grid?
Under the VIEW, ”Properties-Grid Lines,” check the ”hide” option. The grid will not appear on your screen, nor
will it appear when you print your layout plan. (Remember, what you see is what prints!)
- When looking under the "Materials List", what does the number for the quantity of flex-track
represent?
It depends on how you have flex-track set up in the ELEMENT, ”Properties-Flex-Track” dialog box (which
acts as your flex-track default settings). Since HO Super-Flex track is sold in 3 ’ (36”) sections, we recommend
you enter 36” for the length, and whatever price you currently pay at your local hobby dealer for one section. If
p104
you enter these values, the number to the very left of the flex-track description will represent the number of 3 ‘
sections used on your layout. Please note that the computer rounds up, so if you used 10 ’, 6”, it will tell you you
’ve used 4 pieces of flex track (totaling 12 ’). (FYI…N Super-Flex [Item# 2500] is sold in 29 ” sections; Atlas O
Custom-Flex in both wood [Item# 6056] and cement ties [Item# 6054] is av ailable in 40” sections.)
- The gradient function seems to be working eratically. Am I doing somethingwrong?
Perhaps, since it is a tricky part of the program. Remember, you cannot add a gradient to an existing
section of flex track, or to a section of track that has a turnout connected on all three sides.
Please be aware that due to the fact that the program rounds numbers up to the nearest tenth of an inch,
you may think that the numbers you are getting are not right or that the computer is not calculating correctly.
For example, if you take three pieces of 9” straight HO Snap-Track where the left piece is at 0” height, and you
set the height of the right piece to .8” and tell the computer to calculate the gradient, when it ’s finished, you’re
left piece will now be at .1, not 0. This is due to rounding and cannot be changed within the confines of the
program. It doesn’t happen in every case, but with only 27” of track, it becomes difficult to calculate a gradient
to the exact tenth of an inch. It is safe to say that it will not throw things off when you are building your layout.
- Can I purchase/aquire additional ATLAS layout plans as RTS files?
At the writing of this manual, the answer is no. Please check our world wide web site at URL www.atlasrr.com
for the latest information on available RTS files in the ”Right Track Software Layout Exchange Area” of our site.
- I've got an HO straight main line, and would like to run a parallel track next to it. I've tried a
snap-switch with every option possible, but cannot get it to run parallel on the software.
There is about 1/2 degree difference in the parts, which causes the trouble you are hav ing in the software, but
can be ignored with real track. To make it work in the software your best bet is to use code 83 snap switch and
1/3 18" radius in the software but the code 100 on the layout, or just use code 83 all around.
- Are the more libraries available for RTS?
Sorry, no. If you would like to use other brands of track in designing your layout, you should look at a software
program called WinRail. Please check out www.winrail.com or www.winrail.de (German version).
p105
Introduction
Transition curves in theory and practice – a ”Must-have” not only for esthetes
[Original by Thomas Rödel - translated by Dirk Frieborg and Chris Hawley]
Preview
Look through any model railroad manufacturer‚s c atalogue, especially the sections c oncerning
track elements, and you will soon notice a disc ussion of geometry. Model railroad trac k elements
are a unit of two rails and som e form of carrier, with usually plastic ties, but sometimes metal or
foam constructions.
Further investigation reveals that m ost manufacturers are using different (but fixed) radii for
curves, and problems arise when trying to connect curved trac k of fixed radius to straight track.
A train passing this transition from curve to straight can be seen to have a jerky m otion, and the
ends of the cars move relative to one another.
Both these effec ts are far from ideal for our model railroad. They become more annoying if they
lead to dec oupling or even derailments.
Why does this happen?
A train moving from a straight line into a curve c hanges direction suddenly at the transition
point, from 0° to the angle of the curve. Stric tly speaking, the radius changes from infinite (in
the straight) to the radius of the curve, and it is this which causes the jerky passage of the train.
This change of angle could be described as ”the change of direction per length of trac k”.
Although model railroad operation offers some damping effects to m ake the lack of smoothness
less apparent, such as sideways shifting of axles and wheel sets, c oupling guides, elasticity and
flexing of wheels and rims, these are not suffic ient to mask the problem.
So, what can be done?
For all the reasons above, a smooth transition from straight to curve has to be c reated. A simple
and straightforward method would be to use short curves, increasing from an angle near 0°,
until the final radius of the curve is reac hed. This would cause one single jerk to be divided into a
number of smaller ones at the point of c urve. The visible train movement would still be
unrealistic, as the eye would detect the sam e overall effec t on a train moving at normal speed,
but the train itself would be m ore stable and less likely to derail.
Unfortunately, this method has two big disadvantages, the lack of availability of trac k with small
or intermediate radii, and the added cost of buying suc h track where it is available. Those who
still might want to try this method are advised to assem ble a test track with the sm allest radius,
preferably in an S-Curve, before attempting any large construction. Thorough testing, especially
pushing trains at higher speeds and with different c ar combinations should reveal any problem s
and save much work at a later date.
The real solution
For solving that problem completely, let‚s have a look at our real exam ple. There is always a
smooth transition from 0° up to the highest angle of the c urve; a so-called transition curve.
When moving along such a curve, the chassis is turned round slowly and, above all, without a
jerk from straight to curve. Danger of derailm ent is completely banished - for this partic ular
reason, in any case. The visual appearance of both the rolling train and the c ourse of the trac k is
p106
simply overwhelming.
Even when constructing turnouts, transition c urves assist in shortening ladders and short
distanced crossovers between parallel trac ks, and increase their reliability.
How can a transition curve be realized now?
Using flex track, as everybody knows, nearly any radius can be created. But whic h one is the
right one? The problem with transition curves is that they have to be c alculated individually, or
the modeller has to use a flexible bar, which can be tricky. For those who don‚t wish to becom e
embroiled in mathematical formulae, the following sim plified method ( NEM 113) and a flexible
bar will make the job much easier.
First, we will refer to the detailed c alculation.
In the real world, transition curves are calculated taking into ac count topography and other
factors, and a variety of arcs will result from the different mathematical calculations. One of the
most simple arcs is the ”c ubic parabola” defined by the equation
y = m * xn
For model railroad construction with its com paratively small radii, a function of 3rd order will
suffice. So, we set n=3, and we have
y = m * x³
Following this procedure, the image can be created on graph paper or, just for sim plicity, on
chequered paper, depending on m.
For the above formula, there are set a fixed value for m and a variable value for x, starting with
0 up to the highest value of the curve. The results are transferred as the coordinates of the
points of intersection from the x and y axes. Sample points are now connected with a continuous
line. This graph finally represents the required transition curve. In m ost cases, an adaption to
the scale of your layout is to be made, but this can be done simply by choosing other units for x
and y.
Up to now, the value for m has not been taken into consideration. This is the variable fac tor for
different radii of the original c urve. m is calculated in accordance to the following equation:
1
m = --------------12 * r² * tan a
r is the radius of the original curve. It is spec ified in the trac k manufacturer‚s c atalogue (eg
360mm) or can be measured by making a full circle of those c urved track elements and taking
the length from the middle of track through the centre of the circle to the m iddle of the track
opposite equals 2*r; half of this diam eter equals r).
a is the angle by which a car should be rotated on this transition curve. In different words, it is
the ‘missing‚ angle between the curve and the straight. In m ost c ases, this angle is given in the
catalogues, too, but can be easily determ ined:
p107
When using curves of which 12 pieces are necessary to build a full c ircle (360°), then the turning
angle per piece is 360° / 12 = 30°.
Similarly, if there are 24 pieces, the figure is 15°.
If you want to achieve the transition from curve to straight within one piece of trac k taken from
the last example (24 pieces), you define a = 15°; if 1½ pieces are preferred, then a = 22.5°.
For example:
Radius of curved trac k = 360 mm
Change of direction = 30°
11
m = --------------- = ------------------ = 0,000001113715797048 mm-2
12 * r² * tan a 12*360*360*tan 30°
For transferring these values to our m odel railroad, the coordinates (xL and yL) of the
connection point (from transition curve to the curve with fixed radius) are im portant.
If the origin of the coordinates is defined as the c hanging point from straight to transition curve,
these values are calculated as follows ( n=3):
xL = 2 * r * tan a and yL = (2/3) * r * tan² a
Returning to our layout, if the transition point and a suffic ient number of points on the curve
have been calculated, define the starting point of the curve and the position of the origin of the
coordinates and hence the transition point to the curve will be m arked.
There are many ways to construct the arc consisting of calculated points. The sim plest is
transferring the sample points to (graph) paper in the correc t sc ale, and then connec ting them
with the aid of a graph ruler or a flexible bar (where is m y third hand?). Stic king your piece of
paper to some cardboard will enable you to construct a template or stencil. Keep any stencils you
make - they will come in useful for the future. An alternative would be to transfer just a few
values to the benchwork and use the flexible bar (the design of this will be disc ussed at a later
stage when desc ribing the simplified determination acc ording to NEM).
First, however, some general remarks:
The best looking and the most reliable results will be achieved by using no fixed radii at all, but
only transition curves. This means, for building a quarter of a c ircle, you put together two
transition curves of 45°. Unfortunately, this will require quite a lot of space.
The smallest practicable transition curve results from the smallest radius permissible for your
trucks and coaches, especially your longest car. Initially, the m anufacturer‚s specifications should
be noted particularly, otherwise long cars or multi-axle locomotives with restric ted curve ability
will derail.
Construction according to NEM 113
As in almost every other field, there is a standard by MOROP for transition c urves as well.
Following it for determination of transition curves, a pocket c alculator is needed, but there is a
p108
more simple way of realization. This m ethod is most suitable for practic al use; however, a plain
constructive determination is not possible.
NEM 113 is based on the fact that the position of a straight track with a transition c urve is
different by the factor f from the position of a straight trac k followed by a fixed-radius c urve.
Values for f and l can be found out by two m ethods. For using rec ommended values, fixed
factors f and l are given, depending on the gauge G:
Nominal scale
|
Z
N
TT
H0
S
0
I
-------------------------------------------------------Gauge G
(mm)| 6,5
9
12 16,5 22,5
32
45
-------------------------------------------------------Factor F
(mm)|
3
4
6
9
13
18
25
So, any radius of a gauge is assigned a fixed arc . Thus the main disadvantage of this method is
that individual adaptation cannot be made. For this reason, NEM c ontains a second way which
allows the use of transition curves of any length. Restric tions of this method are:
l shall be smaller then r (if possible, l<0.8*r)
l shall be as great as the length of the longest vehicle used
Calculation for f is made depending on the ratio l/r according to one of the following equations:
l/r =
<0,6
0,6-0,8
>0,8
f
=
lý
-----24 * r
lý
-----23 * r
lý
-----22 * r
for which values of l/r greater than 0.8 should be avoided.
With results for l and f, the coordinates of both the connection of straight line and transition
curve, and the connection of transition curve and fixed curve can be found out as follows:
- Draw a parallel to the straight track (being in a position as if transition c urve was connec ted),
moved by 4*f in the direction of the curve. For the original position of the straight (without
transition curve), the parallel must be shifted by 3*f. The point of intersection with the arc is the
point L.
- Starting at the point L, the length l must be taken in the direction towards the straight. Move
this point onto the straight.
The result is the exact position of the changing point from transition curve into the straight.
Now, some sample points have to be found. Reasonable values for this are 1/10 divisions, that
means 0.3*l, 0.5*l, 0.7*l, 0.9*l etc ., where calc ulation should start at 0.3. Sm aller values are of
no interest as their results will be nearly 0. For sm all gauges, 0.3*l, 0.5*l and 0.7*l often will be
sufficient.
Anyone who will consider calc ulation and transfer as too com plicated, may work with a flexible
bar here as well. The special advantage of the flexible bar is the ability to adjust the curve a little
bit. In any case, you can‚t avoid the basic calculations for f and l, but you can vary them slightly
even on the benchwork.
To construct a flexible bar, you need a m aterial which is elastic and returns to its original shape
when required. On the other hand it must be quite stable and distortion- proof to ensure it won‚t
p109
bend while being used for drawing against. For this reason, a rec tangular, non-profiled bar of
metal or plastics will be most suitable, but wood will also do.
I use a bar of aluminium, 5 by 20 mm and 1m length, to whic h I‚ve attac hed some aluminium
angle using rivets. The bottom of the angle must be provided with some drillholes of different
diameter, which are then used to fix the whole bar to the benc hwork. In most c ases, 4 small
nails or short screws will do - so don‚t m ake the holes too big.
To draw the desired transition curve, the flexible bar will be fixed to the benc hwork in the way
that point x of the top view equals the ending point of the fixed curve, whic h is point L in our
construction. The bar must be adjusted to be rectangular to the line across the centre of the
circle, i.e it must be tangential to the arc in point L.
You always should place the bar so that it is bent away from the fixing angle, so that you c an
draw on the edge opposite the angle.
If the centre of the circle can‚t be determ ined, (perhaps because it is outside the benc hwork), the
following technique should help:
Draw an extension of the final straight track to the point xL - that is the length l. From the
transition point between the straight and the transition curve, pointing towards the c urve, set a
mark at 2/3 of l on this line. The flexible bar is positioned correc tly when it touches this point in
its unbent state.
Now, bend the bar until it touches the end of the straight, and draw your transition c urve along
it.
It doesn‚t matter which approach you finally decide to use. You should simply try the different
methods and choose the most suitable one for your situation.
I hope I wasn‚t too overtaxing with this whole subject, but once having c onstructed a transition
curve, theory will soon become practice; and the substantial benefits to the c ourse of your track
and movement of your trains should show you that the effort is worthwhile.
Tom Rödel
[Source: MOROP NEM 113
Hans Thorey - Kreatives Hobby Modelleisenbahnen - Elektor Verlag]
p110
Tutorial: Step-by-step to a figure-8 HO layout
WELCOME TO THE RIGHT TRACK SOFTWARE, VERSION 8.0 (FREEWARE)!
The Right Track Software program has allowed thousands of model railroaders to design their dream layout.
We hope you will have the same success.
Since this is Freeware, we are unable to provide free support for the program. Instead, we ’ve provided lots of
information which makes it easy for you to get familiar with and continue using the program. If, after reviewing
the Tutorial below and the FAQ page you are still stuck, please see the “Tech Support” area under the HELP
menu for further details on how you can buy support time.
TUTORIAL: STEP-BY-STEP TO A FIGURE-8 HO LAYOUT
This is a great place to learn about the program and try out the v arious features. Please follow the simple
instructions below to create an HO figure-8. After you ’re finished, you can apply what you learned to create a
layout in any scale. Good luck!
1. Choose "File-New" from the menu. In the dialog box that will appear choose a rectangular shape and enter
48 (= 4 feet) for the A-value and 96 (= 8 feet) for the B-value.
2. In the upper left corner where it says ZOOM , change the value to 25 by either positioning your cursor to be
active in the window, or using the up/down arrows. This will allow you to view the entire layout on the screen.
3. Choose VIEW, Properties-Grid Lines and change the “Grid Distance ” value to 12. In the same box, click
on the “Color ” button. Change the color to something light, like pink. If you want, make the width of the line a
little thicker, by clicking the appropriate up arrow. Click OK. Each pink square on your screen will now
represent 1 square foot.
4. Choose ELEMENT, “Load Library,” and double-click on the “HO” folder (unless, of course, you ’re already in
that folder), then on ‘”Atlas HO Code 100 ” library.
5. Find the 90 degree crossing in the icon scrollbar that appears at the top of your screen, or choose VIEW,
Library List , and click on the right description in the list. It will become highlighted, so that when you
choose “OK” it will be the active piece.
6. Click on the PLACE ELEMENT TOOL
.
7. Go near the center of your “layout table,” and click. The crossing should appear. If the crossing didn ’t get
placed as close to the center as possible, you may tag the crossing with your ARROW
tool, and drag it to
the center.
, bring the cursor down to one of
8. Choose a 6 ” straight piece. Click on the PLACE AND CONNECT tool
the legs of the crossing, position the “+” on the end, and when you see this symbol then click to connect.
While the PLACE AND CONNECT is still active, connect the same 6 ” piece to the remaining three legs of
the crossing.
9. Choose a 3 ” straight piece. Using the same method as in Step 8, connect two, 3 ” sections to each of the 6 ”
pieces on the four legs of the crossing.
10. Choose a 15 ” radius section. Connect it to the upper-right leg of the crossing. You ’ll notice the piece will be
facing the wrong way. Click on the Element-FLIP LAST TRACK JOINT
icon and it will automatically flip
to face the right direction. Click on the PLACE AND CONNECT TOOL (if it isn’t already active) and connect
8 more 15 ” radius pieces to the curved piece you just placed. When you are finished, you will have created
p111
the first side of the figure-8.
11. Using the DISCONNECT TOOL
, click on the joint between the 3 ” section and the first 15 ” radius piece
you connected. There is a joint on the opposite side that we never connected, so now you can use your
ARROW TOOL
to tag the disconnected section.
12. Choose EDIT, “Copy,” then EDIT, “Paste.” Come down to your layout space and you ’ll notice your cursor
looks like a can of paste. Click on the left side somewhere and a copy of the 15 ” radius sections will appear.
p112
13. Since you need the section to be facing the other direction, tag it (if it ’s not already tagged) then choose the
ROTATE ICON
. A dialog box will pop up. Click on the 180 degree button, and then choose “OK.”
, click on
14. Now we need to connect the section to the legs of the crossing. Using the CONNECT TOOL
the top end of the section. Now click on the upper-left leg of the crossing. Now the section should be
connected to your crossing.
p113
15. Now you have three joints that are not connected. Where you do not see connection circles between two
pieces of track, click (make sure the CONNECT TOOL
is still active). Connection circles should now
appear.
16. CONGRATULATIONS! Now you have created your first layout using the Right Track Software!
p114
p115
Index
-33D - An Overview 22
-CCatenary 23
-DDescriptions 17
-EEdit-Insert object 39
Edit-Invert selection 40
Edit-Paste special 38
Edit-Search 39
Edit-Undo 38
Element-Alignment 34, 53
Element-Change width of track 54
Element-Configure library 52
Element-Flip track 52
Element-Load library 51
Element-Move docked elements 60
Element-Properties: Flex track 56
Element-Rotate 52
-FFile-Autosave 35
File-Discard print region 37
File-Page setup 36
File-Print 36
File-Quit 37
File-Save as 35
File-Set print region 36
Fixed elements 13
-NNew features in Version 8.0
p116
-PProperties-Color of running wire with artno. assigned to
Properties-Color of ties 61
Properties-Line color 61
Properties-Track connections 62
-SSpecial-Close circles 101
Special-Create frames 91
Special-Crossover/Ladder 96
Special-Helix 94
Special-Transition curve 93
Statistics-Activate prices 89
-TTerrain-Shift height or color
The Tools menu 33
Tools-Detect height of track 72
Tools-Flex track-Crossover 70
Tools-Insolation , 82
Tools-Measurement 64
Tools-Move description 63
Tools-place element 63
Tools-Terrain 85
Tutorial 111
-VView-Properties: Descriptions 47
View-Properties: Grid lines 48
View-Properties: Layer 48
View-Properties: Sounds 49
View-Properties: System 47
View-Toolbar 33
-WWires and Lines 76
-TTagging elements 10
-Mmanipulating elements 10
p117
-CClipboard 14
-SStock 16
-LList of materials 16
-PPrices 16
-FFlex track 18
-GGradients 19
-LLevel grounds 19
-WWires 20
-LLines 20
Layers 21
-FFile-New 35
File-Open 35
File-Save 35
File-Add 35
p118
File-Print region = surrounding rectangle 37
-EEdit-Redo 38
Edit-Cut 38
Edit-Copy 38
Edit-Paste 38
Edit-Delete 38
Edit-Insert graphic 39
Edit-Replace 40
Edit-Tag 40
-VView-Overview window 41
View-3D-view 43
-CCusomize toolbar 44
Customize shortcuts 44
Customize context menu 44
-VView-Page preview 45
View-Roadbed only 45
View-Find short circuits 45
View-Properties: Desktop 46
View-Properties: Workspace 46
View-Properties: Lines 49
View-Properties: Tolerances 49
View-Properties: Page numbers 49
View-Options 50
-EElement-Info 52
Element-Move 53
Element-Mirror 53
Element-Bring to front 54
Element-Put to back 54
Element-Sort by height 54
Element-Properties: General 55
Element-Properties: Track 55
Element-Properties: Lines 56
Element-Properties: Text fields 57
Element-Properties: Measurements 57
Element-Properties: Texts 58
Element-Properties: Filter 58
Element-Group 60
p119
Element-Remove grouping 60
-TTools-Arrow 63
Tools-Place track and connect 63
Tools-Pick element from layout 64
Tools-Join track 65
Tools-Disconnect track 65
Tools-Loosen track 66
Tools-Text field 66
Tools-Font 66
Tools-Flip track joints 66
Tools-Insert flex track 68
Tools-Shape flex track 68
Tools-Flex track-Cut 69
Tools-Flex track-Move track 69
Tools-Flex track-Convert to flex track 70
Tools-Height 72
Tools-Detect length of track 73
Tools-Clerance 74
Tools-Line/Wire 76
Tools-Draw-Arc 77
Tools-Draw-Rectangle 78
Tools-Draw-Rectangle with round edges 79
Tools-Draw-Polygon 80
Tools-Draw-Ellipse 81
Tools-Toggle fixation 82
Tools-Remove element from group 82
Tools-Dock to track 83
Tools-Loosen docked element 83
-SSpecial-Shape flex track 92
Special-Parallel track 95
Special-Length of tagged track 97
Special-Adjust height of terrain 98
Special-Ramp/Pillar 99
Special-Docking settings 100
-TTroubleshooting 102
-AAnswers to frequently asked questions 103
p120

RTS 8.0

Transcription

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