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"Creating Track Switches"

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jeffmorris (553 posts)
Jun-03-02, 11:44 AM (EDT) "Creating Track Switches" After reading the "Trackmaking" section in the "XTracks" documention on creating track switches, I used GMAX to create a track switch in a subway tunnel, and it worked. Here is how I create the track switch:1. Create three rectangles - one large rectangle for tunnel and two small rectangles for rails.
2. Convert the rectangles to editable splines.
3. Remove the bottom segments from the small rectangles.
4. Attach the small rectangles to the large rectangle.
5. Save the file.
6. Clone the rectangles.
7. Move the clones 1.51059 meters up the Y axis.
8. Reset the pivot points to world.
9. Extrude one set of rectangles to 40 meters.
10. Move the pivot point for the other set of rectangle 164.0639 meters to the left or right of the X axis.
11. Issue the Lathe command, reduce number of degrees to 10 degrees and number of segments to 8 segments
12. Remove unnecessary faces from the tunnels.
13. Attach the curved tunnel to the straight tunnel.
14. Apply materials to track switch.
15. Create a box the about the size of the moving points.
16. Place box under track switch.
17. Apply material to box.
18. Set number of frames to 3.
19. Press "Animate" button, rotate the box 1 degree to left or right in frame 1, and rotate the box back to original position in frame 2.
20. Link the box to the track switch.
21. Name the track switch "track" and the box "movingpoints".
22. Save the file under different name.
23. Run LOD Manager, select the track switch, set distance to 2000, click on "Visible" button - the one with a solid box instead of semi-solid box, click on File/Export, name the track switch, and export the file to MSTS shape file.
24. Copy the shape file to \Global\Shapes folder.
25. Make a copy of SD file for track switch that came with MSTS, edit it, and save it under new name. For example, I created a track switch in subway tunnel that is the same as the A1TPNT10DLFTMNL track switch. I made copy of A1TPNT10DLFTMNL.SD file, edited it, and saved it as A1TPNT10DLFTMNLSUB.SD.
26. Load TSECTION.DAT file into WordPad after making a backup copy of the file, look for the track shape section for the original track switch, copy it, paste it at bottom of the file, and change the shape ID number and shape name. Save the file.
27. Create a test route, place a few track sections and new track switches on it, and save it.
28. Create an activity for the test route.
29. Load the test route into MSTS and run the train over new track switches in both directions and setting the track switches for straight or curved track.
30. Create new track switches and new track sections.Jeffrey. Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

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