[TSCraftsman]

I'm trying to leave MSTS RE and make a move to TSRE5 as it looks like it is getting very intuitive.

I was wondering if there is a way to input track section grades numerically rather than hitting R and then using Ctrl 8 or 2 on the Numpad?
http://i.imgur.com/UAntwjG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Xq5s410.jpg

In the box as highlighted with orange.

I've tried inputing a specific grade percentage and it doesn't take or update the track piece. I find the Numpad 8 and 2 quite coarse adjustments even with Ctrl held down.

Thanks inadvance

Matt

[Lindsayts]

This is I find a common problem GUI programs, as far as I am concerned (Note 1), you need to be able to specify precise values directly. A good example of this is when one is designing a device say 2 metres long that requires measurements to be specified to fractions of a miilimetre, most drawing programs do not allow this in an easy fashion and it makes that task far more difficult than it needs to be. A small number of programs allow direct input of GUI data "blender" being a notable one.

I stlll have a Muto drawing machine (a VERY souped up drawing board) inspite of having a number of cad programs the Muto regularly gets used due to poor interface design of nearly all cad programs I have come across.

Note 1: To some extent this is a problem for most GUI programming toolkits, these assume everything will be done with the mouse, and one often has to go to some trouble to get access to the variable concerned.

Note 2: In my programming in Linux I do not use the higher level GUI toolkits (Gnome or KDE for example) as I find them bloated and slow, I stick with xlib, xintrinics and mesa (openGL) for all interface work, I do not regard the xlib toolkits difficult to use.

Lindsay

[Goku]

Download new version, v0.630.

[Mike B]

Lindsayts, on 25 September 2016 - 01:19 PM, said:

This is I find a common problem GUI programs, as far as I am concerned (Note 1), you need to be able to specify precise values directly. A good example of this is when one is designing a device say 2 metres long that requires measurements to be specified to fractions of a miilimetre, most drawing programs do not allow this in an easy fashion and it makes that task far more difficult than it needs to be. A small number of programs allow direct input of GUI data "blender" being a notable one.

I stlll have a Muto drawing machine (a VERY souped up drawing board) inspite of having a number of cad programs the Muto regularly gets used due to poor interface design of nearly all cad programs I have come across.

Note 1: To some extent this is a problem for most GUI programming toolkits, these assume everything will be done with the mouse, and one often has to go to some trouble to get access to the variable concerned.

Note 2: In my programming in Linux I do not use the higher level GUI toolkits (Gnome or KDE for example) as I find them bloated and slow, I stick with xlib, xintrinics and mesa (openGL) for all interface work, I do not regard the xlib toolkits difficult to use.

Lindsay

ACD Canvas allows direct input of object size affecting whatever's selected in the standard toolbar. Unfortunately, it doesn't work in Linux/Wine - I've tried it, it appears to install but can't find the corporate server to activate, and doesn't work with a disconnected install either. Too bad; that and Open Rails are the only things preventing me from dumping Windows.

[TSCraftsman]

This is awesome thanks for making the numerical input happen you just made my day! This is a great improvement in laying track to grade according to track charts in a very short amount of time now! Owe you a beverage :drinks:

[Genma Saotome]

HUGE ergonomic improvement over KUJU's junk.

[TSCraftsman]

Just trying to wrap my head around what the top input box is in relation to grade percent. The old Kuju RE worked in Angle of grade in degrees and with the aid of the Gradient Chart. I'll admit I don't know what the %. or the 1 in 'x'm Boxes in the Elevation: Properties works out as.

[Jovet]

TSCraftsman, on 25 September 2016 - 06:13 PM, said:

Just trying to wrap my head around what the top input box is in relation to grade percent. The old Kuju RE worked in Angle of grade in degrees and with the aid of the Gradient Chart. I'll admit I don't know what the %. or the 1 in 'x'm Boxes in the Elevation: Properties works out as.

The symbol on the screen shots is the per-mille symbol (‰). Whereas a percent (%) is a fraction of 100, a per-mille is a fraction of 1000.
If a track gradient causes its elevation to rise 1 meter for every 100 meters of track distance, then it is a 1% grade. 1÷100 = 0.01 = 1%.
Specifying values in per-mille allows for more granularity. The above example would be a 10‰ grade.

The "1 in X m" box lets you specify a grade when you know how long the run of track should be for every meter change.

[longiron]

Just like we have a tool to translate the Kuji measurements into the real world gradient is it worth creating the same for TSRE?

chris

[Goku]

But what is wrong with current values?
https://en.wikipedia...ki/Grade_(slope)#Nomenclature
I have 2,3 and 4 options:
2 and 3 -> Permile xy.z = percent x.yz
4 -> the second box.

[WaltN]

Goku, on 26 September 2016 - 04:21 AM, said:

But what is wrong with current values?
https://en.wikipedia...ki/Grade_(slope)#Nomenclature
I have 2,3 and 4 options:
2 and 3 -> Permile xy.z = percent x.yz
4 -> the second box.

There is a great deal of confusion in the literature about what "run" is. Some say it's the distance along the hypotenuse of the right triangle. (After all, that's the distance the train "runs.") Others say "run" is the base of the right triangle. The sine of the angle will be rise/run in the first case, and the tangent of the angle will be rise/run in the second case.

Now, for typical railroad grades, the angle is small, and the sine, tangent, and angle (in radians) are approximately equal. But for those of us who model inclined plane railroads, the distinction is important.

So, without making a survey of how many in Case 1 and how many in Case 2, the important thing is for you to carefully and precisely define what "run" means for your editor. (All it takes is basic trigonometry to shuttle back and forth.)

By the way, the recent Windows 10 "Anniversary Update" (1607) put the kuybosh on my use of the MSTS RE. I'll be watching this project with a great deal of interest.

[Goku]

In my editor "run" is track length. It is hypotenuse, not triangle base.

[WaltN]

Goku, on 26 September 2016 - 05:53 AM, said:

In my editor "run" is track length. It is hypotenuse, not triangle base.

That's the way I think of it. Hooray!

Also, although the Wikipedia article initially says run is the horizontal distance, later it says, "Railway gradients are usually expressed in terms of the rise in relation to the distance along the track as a practical measure." The track follows the slope.

[Genma Saotome]

I think the key question is given a handful of examples from KUJU's RE, what are the equivalent values in this program?

[Goku]

WaltN, on 26 September 2016 - 07:32 AM, said:

Also, although the Wikipedia article initially says run is the horizontal distance, later it says, "Railway gradients are usually expressed in terms of the rise in relation to the distance along the track as a practical measure." The track follows the slope.

The difference is 0.03% for 2.5 percent gradient (25 permile is max for heavy rail in my country), so IMO thinking about it is not important. For 5 percent (50 permile - common for trams) it is 3% difference.