VERSION 7 DEMOINIT ORIG 10.000 0.000 0.000 PARAMETER display labelscale 10 PARAMETER display description-fontsize 144 STRAIGHT 1 0 0 0 0 DEMO 2 E 23.086096 1.459535 254.675892 E 72.500000 15.000000 74.675892 END STRAIGHT 2 0 0 0 0 DEMO 2 E 1.770859 28.642902 189.520022 E 5.625000 51.625000 9.520022 END REDRAW RESET MESSAGE Now we will create a helix in the corner of the layout connected to 2 tracks. END STEP COMMAND Helix PARAMETER helix radius 18.000 PARAMETER helix turns 1 PARAMETER helix elev 0.0 PARAMETER helix angSep 0.0 PARAMETER helix grade 0.0 PARAMETER helix vertSep 1.0 PARAMETER helix vertSep 0.0 MESSAGE _________________________________________ We will be creating a helix with a Elevation Difference of 12 inches, Grade of 1.5 percent and limit the Vertical Separation to at least 2 inches. END STEP MESSAGE _________________________________________ First set the Elevation Difference to 12" END STEP PARAMETER helix elev 12.0 BIGPAUSE BIGPAUSE MESSAGE _________________________________________ Next set the Vertical Separation to 2" Notice how this causes the number of Turns to be set to 6 END STEP PARAMETER helix vertSep 2.0 STEP MESSAGE _________________________________________ Next set the Grade to 1.5 percent Notice how this causes the Radius to change. END STEP PARAMETER helix grade 1.5 MESSAGE _________________________________________ Setting these values changes the Radius to 21.2" and the number of Turns to 6. END STEP MESSAGE _________________________________________ Now we specify the Angular Separation between the enterance and exit to the helix. Note: this will decrease the Radius slightly. END STEP PARAMETER helix angSep 90.0 BIGPAUSE MESSAGE _________________________________________ Next we can fine tune the helix by decreasing the Radius to 15". Note the change to the Grade. END STEP PARAMETER helix radius 15.0 BIGPAUSE MESSAGE _________________________________________ Lastly change the Vertical Separation to 2.5 inches. The number of Turns will change to 4 and the grade increase to almost 3 percent. Note: the Vertical Separation will be increased. This value is the Elevation Difference (12.0) divided by the total number of turns. The total number of turns is 4.25: 4 whole Turns plus a quarter turn for the Angular Separation. END STEP PARAMETER helix vertSep 2.5 MESSAGE ========================================= END STEP CLEAR MESSAGE Now that the helix parameters are set we can place the helix on the layout. END MOUSE 2 15.375 20.500 MOUSE 3 15.375 20.500 MOUSE 3 16.000 16.000 STEP MOUSE 4 16.000 16.000 PARAMETER display labelenable 1 COMMAND MoveLabel MOUSE 2 16.000 16.000 MOUSE 4 16.000 16.000 RESET MESSAGE _________________________________________ Next, join the 2 straight tracks to the helix in the same way we join to a circle. END STEP COMMAND JoinTrack MOUSE 2 1.875 30.000 MOUSE 4 1.875 30.000 MOUSE 2 1.000 17.375 MOUSE 3 1.000 17.250 MOUSE 3 1.000 17.000 MOUSE 3 1.000 17.000 MOUSE 3 1.000 16.750 MOUSE 3 1.000 16.500 MOUSE 3 1.125 16.500 MOUSE 3 1.125 16.375 MOUSE 3 1.125 16.250 MOUSE 4 1.125 16.250 MOUSE 2 28.125 3.000 MOUSE 4 28.125 3.000 MOUSE 2 16.500 1.000 MOUSE 3 16.500 1.000 MOUSE 3 16.375 1.000 MOUSE 3 16.125 1.000 MOUSE 3 16.125 0.875 MOUSE 3 16.000 0.875 MOUSE 3 16.000 0.875 MOUSE 3 15.875 0.875 MOUSE 3 15.625 0.875 MOUSE 3 15.500 1.000 MOUSE 3 15.375 1.000 MOUSE 4 15.375 1.000 MESSAGE _________________________________________ Notice that the length has increased because we have more than 4 turns in the helix. It is closer to 4.25 turns. END STEP COMMAND Elevation PARAMETER elev mode 0 PARAMETER elev value 0.000 PARAMETER elev station MESSAGE _________________________________________ Next, we assign elevations to the 2 End-Points of the helix. This will determine the grade and separation between the helix coils. Note: we could set the elevations anywhere along the connecting tracks instead. XTrackCAD treats a helix as a single length of track for elevations. END STEP MOUSE 2 15.125 1.125 MOUSE 4 15.125 1.125 PARAMETER elev mode 1 PARAMETER elev value 1.000000 BIGPAUSE MOUSE 2 1.250 16.000 MOUSE 4 1.250 16.000 PARAMETER elev mode 1 PARAMETER elev value 13.000000 PARAMETER elev ok BIGPAUSE RESET REDRAW MESSAGE _________________________________________ We have set the elevations to 1 inch and 13 inches to produce a grade of 3.0 percent with 2.8 inches between coils. You can use the command to change the number of Turns or the Elevations at either end of the Helix. This will affect the Grade and Vertical Separation. END STEP MESSAGE _________________________________________ The helix description can be moved by the command. END PARAMETER display labelenable 1 COMMAND MoveLabel MOUSE 2 15.875 16.125 MOUSE 3 16.125 6.250 MOUSE 4 16.125 6.250 MESSAGE ========================================= END REGRESSION START 10 - helix STRAIGHT 1 0 0 0 0 DEMO 2 T4 5 25.749076 2.189249 254.675892 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1.000000 E4 72.500000 15.000000 74.675892 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1.000000 END STRAIGHT 2 0 0 0 0 DEMO 2 T4 4 2.583150 33.486562 189.520022 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 13.000000 E4 5.625000 51.625000 9.520022 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 13.000000 END CURVE 3 0 0 0 0 DEMO 2 16.000000 16.000000 0 15.000000 4 0.125000 -9.750000 T4 5 15.375542 1.013004 92.385944 9 0.000000 0.000000 1.000000 1.000000 1 1 0 7.000000 T4 4 1.002118 16.252065 0.962864 9 0.000000 0.000000 13.000000 13.000000 1 1 0 7.000000 END CURVE 4 0 0 0 0 DEMO 2 116.974302 14.302953 0 115.988562 0 0.000000 0.000000 T4 3 1.002118 16.252065 180.962864 9 0.000000 0.000000 13.000000 13.000000 1 1 0 13.000000 T4 2 2.583150 33.486562 9.520022 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 13.000000 END CURVE 5 0 0 0 0 DEMO 2 16.787253 34.894082 0 33.910476 0 0.000000 0.000000 T4 1 25.749076 2.189249 74.675892 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1.000000 T4 3 15.375542 1.013004 272.385944 9 0.000000 0.000000 1.000000 1.000000 1 1 0 1.000000 END REGRESSION END STEP CLEAR