# AnyRail Question



## OverTheHill (Mar 27, 2011)

Under the file tap in Anyrail you can specify you width and depth. Does this pertain to your room size or layout size? If the room is 16'L x 10"W, would I show this as Width as 10 and the Depth as 16?

Thanks
Overthe hill...:laugh:


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## N-gauged (Mar 27, 2011)

Under the "Measurement System" it gives ya some choices for measurement.
If ya have "English fractional units (inches)" selected then 10' will be 120" and 16' will be 192".
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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Yes I do believe it's room size.
Cabledawg, is the Anyrail expert around here, he should be along anytime now to set us all on the right path!


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## OverTheHill (Mar 27, 2011)

So it needs to be in inches not feet.

Thanks for the help
Overthehill


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You specify the size in inches, that is correct.


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## nsr_civic (Jun 21, 2010)

you can do it that way or draw a surface the size of your table.


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## OverTheHill (Mar 27, 2011)

Any problems with AnyRail and Windows 7?


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## nsr_civic (Jun 21, 2010)

Works fine on my system.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

The work area can either be the room or if the train table/shelf/whatever is rectangular or square, you can use those measurements. BUt it has to be in inches or mm/cm, you cant use feet. There is a way to set the grid pattern to a specific size ( I use 12" as a quick distance reference). If you use the room or the designated space in a room as the work space, you can use the line tool to draw where the edges of the table or shelf will be so you can have a "whole picture" view of where everything is in relation to the room.

In my example here, the entire work are was 16'x8', but the red lines indicate where the edges of the table were to form a U shaped table layout.


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## OverTheHill (Mar 27, 2011)

Just purchased a copy. Any tips you might have would be helpfull.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

What would you to know? Alot of my knowledge was trial and error, but AnyRail also has a forum that has been very helpful to learn tricks or get better explanations of certian functions.

But I'm always available to help you out. All you have to do is ask


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## OverTheHill (Mar 27, 2011)

cabledawg,

Thanks. With any new program you have to play with to understand what it can and can not do. Just playing with it for now but I'm hopefull that I will be able to transfer my paper drawing to AnyRail within the next day of two.

Overthehill .... it's snowing in Ohio ... when will it stop


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## OverTheHill (Mar 27, 2011)

Trying to create a 30" radius using a 36" section of flex track. I set the length to 36", Angle to 90, radius to 24". but when the radius is created is appears to be in red which is telling me that my section of flex track is to short or the radius is to sharp.
Any ideas on what I am doing wrong.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

The flex is too long. At 90 deg and 24"R, the flex piece is almost 38" long.

Two things you can do: use two pieces (45 deg each at the set radius) or ignore the overextended flex indicator. I dont suggest the latter if you are going to use AnyRail to compile a list of materials as the number of flex pieces will be off.

If you havent changed the color indicators, dark red indicates that the flex is overextended (too long) and light red is the radius is too sharp based on what you used as a minimum radius in the Settings tab.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

OverTheHill said:


> Overthehill .... it's snowing in Ohio ... when will it stop


It just snowed again in North Dakota, and no it'll never stop.


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## OverTheHill (Mar 27, 2011)

Thanks for the info. 

I want to use both a 24" and 22" radius with a clearance of 2.25" between center of the curves. So right know I"m still learning as I go. 

No snow today ... had snow and rain yesterday ... tomorrow in the 60 with thunderstorms ... go figure...


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## OverTheHill (Mar 27, 2011)

This is what I have done so far.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

If you use the Parallel feature, you can get them pretty close.

To use, place one curve with the specs you want (ie 45 deg and 22"R). Now highlight that flex piece and click on Parallel in the Tools tab. It'll ask for the spacing (in your case 2.25") and whether you want the new track above, below, left or right of the selected track (whatever would put the new track to the outside of the first on your layout). The system will automatically make a track that follows the first at the spacing you specified. In your case, the flex came out at 45 deg and 24.25"R. It's almost dummy proof. Almost.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

How does one draw a complex table design in Anyrail? I am trying to represent my 8 x 13 layout space, the helix going up, and the ceiling track as well.

Would I be better off leaving out the ceiling track? It probably won't need much layout planning, more just putting a lot of track together to form the loops.

How exactly do you draw those outlines, it wasn't clear in Anyrail, at least I didn't find it?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Hello... anyone home?


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

I know you can use layers at different heights, but I havent figured out how to do the transitions between them.

Let me mess around with it and see what I can come up with.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Do you know how to draw the outlines? I couldn't get that to work.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

I just use the line tool, but I cant slope it. But if you have the ceiling outline and the table outline on seperate layers, you can flip back and forth between them.

To make the outline, move the mouse to the starting point of your outline and right click. Select the "Add Line" option and a dot with a trailing line will appear. Left click to drop points around the outline. When you come back around to the starting place, dont try to connect the dots, just right click to stop the line. Hover the cursor over the line and click on it. THe line should be highlighted and you'll get the Line Tools tab up top. Select "Line to Surface" option and it will turn your line into a shape. For around the room outlines, you need to trace the outermost part of the room before doing the inside edge. The program makes the surface inside the line you drew, so if you just do the inside edge and not the outside, the program thinks you are trying to form a table not a shelf.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I fooled with the line tool, but I couldn't get good results. I guess the real issue too is trying to get the exact dimensions of the room, trying to do that with the mouse is impossible. Is there some sort of keyboard "nudge" that you can do when you're close like Microsoft Visio has?


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

Isn't there a ruler option you can turn on to get better measurements?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It's the the measurements that are the issue, it's getting the lines to go where I want them to!


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> It's the the measurements that are the issue, it's getting the lines to go where I want them to!


Ah. 

I only have the free version, played with it a little but can never get my tracks to join


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Getting the tracks to join is easy, just bring the two ends that you want to be together close, then they'll hop together.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

GRJ, for the fine details, I just zoom in. But I settle with "close enough" when doing outlines for the most part. The track is the important thing (for me anyways).


Edit: If nothing else, just send me the measurements of the room and how you want it outlined. I can create the file and post it on here for you to play with.


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

Cabledawg, anyway I can bribe you to help me with my layout?

I started a thread asking for help, but I know you're very busy and don't want to pester you.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'll go back and give it another go.

If I understand this right, I should just start with an overall room outline, then do a separate line for the inside table and overhead dimensions?


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

novice said:


> Cabledawg, anyway I can bribe you to help me with my layout?
> 
> I started a thread asking for help, but I know you're very busy and don't want to pester you.





gunrunnerjohn said:


> I'll go back and give it another go.
> 
> If I understand this right, I should just start with an overall room outline, then do a separate line for the inside table and overhead dimensions?


Yes and Yes.


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## OverTheHill (Mar 27, 2011)

Had to move to the city cause I heard the country was at war......:laugh::laugh:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Still having a problem representing my helix, I can't figure out how to actually lay it out with AnyRail. When I put the second layer in it disappears under the first.


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## SRV1 (Nov 14, 2010)

novice said:


> Ah.
> 
> I only have the free version, played with it a little but can never get my tracks to join


I think I know where you're coming from and it would seem this would be a good thread to clear this up if somebody can.

I've fooled around with the program as well trying to create layouts. I don't understand what to do about the gap that results from using various turn outs. You can try to use pieces to get as close as possible but there's always a gap left or an angle that isn't right. For example, if you were trying to create a complex yard. How do you get everything to 'meet'? It's especially a problem when you have a turn out to a siding and you want the siding to tie back in to another turnout down the line. A run around I guess you could call it. 

Is there a way to trim flex track to what you need?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You need to use the flex track. You just connect one end and drag the other one to join the two. The flex track trims itself automatically, then the exact length will show up in the bill of materials.


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## SRV1 (Nov 14, 2010)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> You need to use the flex track. You just connect one end and drag the other one to join the two. The flex track trims itself automatically, then the exact length will show up in the bill of materials.


 Awesome! Thanks!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Glad I could answer an Anyrail question, I seem to be asking more than answering.


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