Specifying heights

There are various ways to create a slope, or set the height of track.

As it can be on a slope, a piece of track doesn’t necessarily have a single height. AnyRail works out the height based on the track’s endpoints and connections.

You can specify a certain height for a stretch of track, and then ease the connected track into sensible gradients.

AnyRail will show a warning if slopes are too steep.

TIP: If your tracks cross, make sure you leave enough headroom for the lower train, and any possible overhead lines! Bear in mind the thickness of the tracks, the sleepers, and the actual bridge.

To set selected track to a certain height #

  1. Right-click the selected track, and click Set height….
Set height track

Or just click Set height… on the ribbon.

  1. Enter a value for the height.
Set height track
Set height track

AnyRail has set the height to the given value.

NOTE: Steep gradients are displayed in red.

To specify a height for a point #

This function is useful when you want to set the height of an individual point.

  • Click the point (this is an endpoint or a connection), and set the Height on the ribbon.

To create a slope #

This function creates a slope starting from a connection or an endpoint.

  1. Right-click the point (this is an endpoint or connection), and select Create slope….

  2. Enter heights for startpoint, endpoint and slope percentage. Select the direction in which to create the slope from this connection.

Create slope

AnyRail created the slope:

Create slope

To create a smooth slope #

Sometimes, it’s useful to create a slope between two points, where AnyRail calculates a linear descent percentage. This is called a smooth slope.

There are a few restrictions when creating a slope from point A to point B.

  • All the track on the slope should be connected.

  • There should be only one ‘path’ from A to B.

  • The path may go through turnouts and crossings, but the path may not split to a third point.

NOTE: This feature works best when A and B have a different height!

Example #

The height of point A is 0. The Height of point B is set to 5.

  1. Select the stretch for which you want a smooth slope.

  2. Click Smooth slope to create a linear slope.

Smooth slope

The height at each point is calculated to make a smooth slope:

Smooth slope

Too steep slopes are displayed in red.

To set the maximum percentage for slopes #

All gradients exceeding this value are displayed in red.

  1. Open the ribbon Settings, and locate Slopes.
Maximum percentage
  1. Set Maximum %.