Simple Computer Aided Railway Modeller

Spirala de cale ferata se foloseste cand e nevoie sa ajungi la o inaltime mare care nu poate fi realizata printr-o simpla panta. Poate fi creeata prin cateva rotatii, prin conectarea impreuna a acelorasi tip de linii curbe iar ultimul punct al ultimei linii este ridicata la inaltimea dorita.

A new, powerful and easy-to-use tool is at your disposal, intended for the creation of helices, with the ability to be used either flex-tracks or curved tracks. To use it, select a free start point on the plan and then use “Tools” > “Helix…” menu item.

In the tool’s window, select the desired flex or curved track and enter the radius of the helix (for flex-tracks). Then enter the height difference in the “Height” field – use a positive value for going up or a negative value for going down. Then enter the required number of rotations in the two “Turns” fields: the edit box is for the whole numbers, while the drop-down box is for the fractions, where you can select the exit (end) direction of the helix in steps of 90 degrees. In the fields below, you can set the “Direction” (clockwise or counter-clockwise), the “Track supports” for the helix in 3D mode (default is Arch type), and what to be selected (marked) after the helix creation in the last drop-down list – the exit endpoint or the whole helix. At the bottom, you can check the calculated parameters like the startpoint and endpoint heights, the slope percentage, and the height between the levels (this is only a theoretical clearance - the real one is always smaller). If some of these values get over a certain limit, they will be colored in orange (use with caution) or red (may not work at all). If you see a red-colored value, you should consider changing the height, the turns count, or even increasing the radius (which may require the selection of a different curved track). The diagram on the right will show you the entry and exit points with their true-to-plan directions and will give you a basic idea of what your helix geometry will look like. When everything is set, just press the “Create” button and then see the generated helix in the 3D Viewer.

Nota By default, the helix will be created as a bridge, but if you wish it to be in a tunnel, select “Tunnel” mode button on the toolbar before activating the tool and pressing of “Create” button.

Inainte de a incepe, verifica ca inaltimile sunt activate si vizibile pe ecran – daca nu, comuta "Vizualizare (View)" > "Arata inaltimea liniei (Show Track Heights)". Selecteaza punctul liber dintr-o linie deja disponibila si adauga prima linie curba a spiralei in acel punct.

Apasa Spacebar de cateva ori pana cand s-a format cercul complet. Selecteaza liniile din cerc, apoi selecteaza inaltimea ultimului punct liber al ultimei linii curbe plasate si schimba inaltimea, astfel ca maximul gradientiului pantei sa ajunga la 4% - aceasta iti va arata inaltimea maxima ce poate fi atinsa la o singura rotatie pe spirala.

Cunoscand aceasta valoare si inaltimea finala la care doresti sa ajungi, vei putea determina numarul aproximativ de rotatii necesare pentru urcare. Realizeaza aceste rotatii (din nou cu Spacebar), selecteaza cercul (intotdeauna cu dreptunghiul de selectie), selecteaza inaltimea in punctul de iesire a spiralei si formeaza gradientul final al pantei si inaltimea spiralei.

Gradientul pantei mai mare de 4% nu este permis, deoarece locomotivele vor fi incarcate foarte tare la urcare, mai ales daca au multe vagoane. Gradientul pantei mai mic de 3% poate sa nu fie potrivit datorita constructiei suportului spiralei. Adauga ultima sina de iesire, apoi seteaza suportul sinei de tipul Arch (utilizand meniul "Editare (Edit)" > "Suporturile liniei (Track Supports)" cand cercul este inca selectat) pentru a obtine o imagine realista. Poti vedea spirala in modul 3D Viewer si apoi poti face corectii la inaltime sau numar de rotatii (adaugand sau scotind linii curbe).

Imaginea esantion arata spirale cu inaltimea finala de 254mm (10") in scala TT (1:120)
Generarea terenului in imaginea 3D este oprita.

Nota In acest moment nu are sens sa copiezi (Copy) si sa lipesti (Paste) spirale, deoarece cand spirelele copiate sunt unite cu alte parti a traseului, inaltimile liniilor vor fi egalizate si efectul de spirala va fipierdut.

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