[wellsburg]

Hi,

Rick, the Grindre generously offered his backwoods static turntable for conversion to a working turntable. A test run was installed on Andre Ming's Ozark Northern. So far, only partial success.

The tsection.dat code for the N1t16mturntable was used. The static turntable was resized to fit the narrow gauge length and the table set to rotate with a center pivot.
MS RE was used to install the turntable at ESNA on the Ozark Northern. See Clipboard01. So far so good.

The table rotates smoothly with Alt-C but jumps at the 360' mark. With Ctrl-C, table rotates in small increments and does not self align with adjoining track.
An approaching locomotive trips "train front on turntable" several meters before the turntable. See Clipboard02. With the loco centered on the table, message is "Train partially on turntable, can't rotate". See Clipboard03.

Appears that the turntable track parameters are shifted to the approach track. Rick's modified turntable .s was renamed as N1t16mturntable and only other changes were location parameters.

All pertinent data is in the attached zip file.

All suggestions to get this thing over the "goal line" are welcome.

Another interesting anomaly is custom sizing a new turntable from one of the working models. The SectionIDX are x,y,z positions from the centerline ( x ) and ( z ) from a center point at one end of the rotating table as it rotates. These locations can be calculated with sin and cos functions. However, when the resultant turntable is installed, 0 to 180' blue poles are at original radii while 180 to 360' poles are at the new calculated radii. Then the MS RE will not attach a track section at the 180' position but only at angles. Maybe a center point table pivot is causing the above positioning problems ??.

Mike

 OpenRailsLog.zip (4.82MB)
Number of downloads: 519

[Csantucci]

Try replacing the animation code block with the attached one.
 Animation_code.txt (410bytes)
Number of downloads: 526.
Moreover the XOffset, YOffset and ZOffset values are the offset of the center of the turntable with respect to the zero of the shape (which should be at the beginning of the 0 degree track). So I'd say that ZOffset should be 8 and not 0.

Pls. report about what occurs after these changes.

The SectionIdx values are the x, y, z offset from the "beginnings" of the various track sections to the zero of the shape, which again should be at the beginning of the 0 degree track section. So it's different from what you are stating, if I understood well your words.

[wellsburg]

Csantucci,

Thank you! Your recommendations worked perfectly. Here are some shots of Rick's modified turntable on the Ozark Northern at ESNA.







This turntable is a substitute for the NG N1t16mturntable.s . OK for my mini-route as there are no NG 16m turntables on the route.
Now to apply your recommendations to a custom turntable.

Mike

[wellsburg]

Hi,

We are not stuck using only the identified modifiable turntables and their superstructures. Here is a 20m working turntable based on Rick's backwoods static turntable.
What remains is developing a method for tsection entries so that new turntables are stand-alone for easy sharing.





Mike

[DRelyea]

Hi,

Attached are numbers I worked up for a 20_5 meter turntable and a 30m turntable.
 DIRCustomTurntables.txt (2.59K)
Number of downloads: 523

I used the trackshapes 300 and 301 so as not to conflict with the developing MSTS tracks, modify those as needed also.

These generate the blue poles in the needed positions to attach more tracks around the turntable.

Doug Relyea

[Csantucci]

Here you have a rough Excel spreadsheet to compute the X, Z and degree parameters to be inserted in the SectionIdx lines of the TrackShape block within the tsection.dat file. You only have to insert the diameter of the turntable and the degree step. Of course you have to take only the lines up to the one preceding the one with degrees = 180.
The sheet has been developed for an Italian version of Excel. I hope Excel automatically adjusts it when loading on an English Windows PC.

Attached File(s)

•  Turntable_sectionidxs.zip (3.03K)
  Number of downloads: 540

[copperpen]

There is already a method for adding to the tsection discussed in http://www.elvastowe...es/page__st__10

[rickloader]

Thanks very much Carlo. Just what I needed! (my poor brain struggles with the maths)
It works fine in English
Now I can make a UK 49 ft TT
thanks , rick