Need help with yard

http://forum.victrainz.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2405

Little tutorial I wrote regarding trackwork.

That's a great link

Thanks H222! Some great tips in there and very good screenshots. I can't wait to buy your route! :O) My problem is right at the last two screenshots. Connect and straighten, and the program fights me every step. It recurves the ladder and my once straight ladder piece ends up looking almost scalloped. And that is just at 10 degrees....

Thanks BuilderBob. I am definitely experiencing what you are saying. I think I will go for the automatic stuff even though it puts hinkiness into my nice straight ladder track. Would be nice if in the next service pack they had logic that recognized that a switch should just form a nice switch and not bend things around. But the alternative looks to be way more learning curve than I want.

Forester1 said:

Would be nice if in the next service pack they had logic that recognized that a switch should just form a nice switch and not bend things around. But the alternative looks to be way more learning curve than I want.

Click to expand...

I hope you have noticed that the straighten tool is a toggle - click once and it straightens and click again and it unstraightens. Also, that attaching track often undoes a previous straightening. The radius tool can be used to see whether a section is straightened or not, although it's not 100% reliable, because even a section that is straightened can have a curve if the adjacent sections require it.

But it's not right that you should still be having trouble after you have mastered the basics. That includes making sure that the spline points really are in line where they need to be (using the ruler, and close-up view from directly above), and using short straightened sections aligned to the junction 'thru' section to force the 'branch' section to branch at the right angle. If you are on top of those tricks then everything else should fall into place. It's definitely possible with the current version of the software.

If part of the problem is that curved track seems to be going around the curve as a series of straight sections with noticeable angles between sections then that is the fault of the track - select another track. If a track name includes a comment like '8m' then it is likely to be kinky on sharp curves - choose something with '4m' or '2m', or just experiment.

To see if a track is straight, or not, temporarily attach a track to it, grab ahold of the end, and wiggle the attached track around, in a circle, around the spline point ... if the track moves ... it is not straightened ... Straighten the track, then delete the temporary track

When ever you place a spline point circle on a straight track ... one side of the straight track becomes curved, and needs re-straightening

This guy does a pretty good job showing how it is done
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3HD6lZC3XA

Place a straight track diagonally across the yard tracks (a Diamond Xing shows the @ degree needed)
Place a spline point at each frog intersection


Place the curved track of your choice connecting these spline points (I have highlighted it with a blue track for clarity)
All other tracks should be straightened ... a switch is always preceded by a straightened lead in track


Delete all the un-needed tail tracks





The finished project

The FT Tracks (or Procedural Tracks) make for a real good look ... but may drive you crazy setting them all in place, adding FT 10m straight sections, between #8 FT Turnouts

Hi again folks. I am making some progress. Oddly, the other end of the yard is going better than my first efforts, thanks a lot to all your help. I have another question. I would like to put some consists in the yard that would be available to a quick drive. The actual Quick Drive does not appear to be editable, and if I put a consist in the "default" session, it does not appear in quick drive. I can save a default session as "Quick Drive", but that just gives me two Quick Drives. Is there a way to add consists to the real Quick Drive? I thought I saw some in the Nebraska route at least....

Forester1 said:

I would like to put some consists in the yard that would be available to a quick drive. The actual Quick Drive does not appear to be editable, and if I put a consist in the "default" session, it does not appear in quick drive.

Click to expand...

Your question is not clear. The consists are added in Surveyor, not in QuickDrive. After you add the consists select QuickDrive and the consists will be there. The problem might be that you are not just accepting the defaults and trying to do something different. Any sessions should be removed, as they may confuse things.

Be sure to add the consists to a section of track separated from the section you are editing by at least two spline points, otherwise you will not be able to edit that sectin.

You need to go to the sessions and choose Default when you place a consist like that.
Cheers,
Mike

Thanks Mikeaust and BuilderBob. Part of the confusion is my project now shows a half-dozen or more "Default" sessions in addition to "Quick Drive" So maybe I am not putting the consist in the correct "Default session surveyor? How do I tell which is the right one? I would like to delete the rest. One of these "Default" sessions has a consist, (assembled in surveyor), but it does not show up in Quick Drive. Disregard the first "Quick Drive, it is a save that I will delete.

Forester1 said:

Part of the confusion is my project now shows a half-dozen or more "Default" sessions in addition to "Quick Drive" So maybe I am not putting the consist in the correct "Default session surveyor?

Click to expand...

Delete the sessions. You don't need them for testing a yard. Place your consists in Surveyor, select Quickdrive and select the defaults for saving etc.

When you do a save on your route, choose 'Don't save session'. This will stop having all the defaults. If you want to save a session then put the name of the session in the box that shows default listed. I also delete the defaults as Bob says.
Cheers,
Mike

Yep. That works. Got it cleaned up now. Thanks guys. My ladders are getting better all the time, except that first one I tried, so I may have to do over. It works, as wobbly as it looks, with the exception of coming in off the main line. The engine seems to go straight ahead no matter how that switch is set....