How does one get fences to join with square corners?

[JonMyrlennBailey]

When splines auto-join at corners, they bend around in a curve.

 

[Dinorius_Redundicus]

Lay the splines while holding the Shift key to stop the spline points welding. Or use the 'break spline' button to split a spline point into two un-joined points.


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[davesnow]

Lay the splines while holding the Shift key to stop the spline points welding. Or use the 'break spline' button to split a spline point into two in-joined points.

I wonder how many times over the years a thread has been started with this same question?

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

Thanks, Dino.

The split spline tool seems to make the corners nice and neat without having to jiggle the Move tool around to try to get precise spline corners.

 

[corvanel]

I wonder how many times over the years a thread has been started with this same question?

Even so, crabby old geezer, after many years of Trainz the split spline trick was new to me and I find it excellent. So, thank you for this information.
Corvanel, even older geezer.

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

The only trouble is, that when a spline point is split, it may move or shift on the map a few inches SOMETIMES: I split the spline point that was to be the corner of an already-existing fence and the fence shifted somewhat so I had to reposition the lamp posts along the fence because the fence went right through the posts when the fence jumped a few feet after using the spine spit tool: the spline split tool is best used when building new fenced yards and before placing objects along the fence.

You see, I had spline corners already placed. They were originally made by dragging one spline end over the top of the other while holding Shift to form the squared-off corner. It is tedious to use the (imprecise free-hand operated) Move tool to do this. The spline split tool acts like a sort of "auto-corners" making the spline ends perfectly positioned where they converge to form a corner but the spline point may jump over a bit.

 

[davesnow]

The spline split tool acts like a sort of "auto-corners" making the spline ends perfectly positioned where they converge to form a corner but the spline point may jump over a bit.

Yeah, that's one little irritation we all have to put up with, Jon. But it could be worse. What if there was no Shift key option!?

 

[Dinorius_Redundicus]

@ Jon

I'm sorry the Forum's auto-correct replaced "un-joined" with "in-joined" in my original reply, but I'm glad you figured out what I meant.

One thing to watch out for when using the Split Spline tool is the presence of end-caps in modern splines (build 2.9 or higher). In some cases, the end-cap sections can be quite long and will extend beyond the newly-created corner points. If that happens, you will need to carefully move the spline's end points to form a neat corner with the end-cap(s). It's best to do this move while looking vertically down on where the corner should be, and using the Shift key.

I'm not sure if this also happens with old-style splines that have initiator and/or terminator sections, but it may well do so.


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[JonMyrlennBailey]

Yes. Dino, that is what I have been doing all along. Moving the end points while looking straight down to line them up to make a corner. Usually, I use the wire frame mode to get a better contrast to see what I'm doing.

 

[ray_whiley]

Another possibility might be to put each leg of the fence on a separate layer?

Ray

 

[RHKluckhohn]

Yes, some older assets have different ends.

I either split the splines or, where it suits, use the straighten tool on the legs. In 2010 and before you must switch to the track tab and use that straighten button but 12 et seq. kindly provide the spline straightener on the scenery tab.

:B~)