Any way to limit flex track to 30"?

[matthewd5]

Ok

I'm loving this program but 90% of my layout is atlas flex track and I'd really love a way to restrict pieces of it to the factory length rather than it stretching it or coming out short

I mean there are spaces where I'd like to be able to cut it shorter but would like to control that...

Matthew

[kimbo]

That'd be quite a nice feature. You could use the cut flex here option, but indeed it's difficult to get that function to actually cut it to factory length...

[David]

The problem is that as soon as you bend the track, the inner and outer rails will be of different length. So you probably need to cut anyway.

David.

[PaulB]

From my experience, the lengths of the track in the plan are irrelevant during the build.
I never want to join tracks at the beginning of a curve (or easment for that matter) and generally, the track that I lay is based on the the best way to lay the track to minimize joints so I am using the AnyRail layout as a guid to where to lay the track. When I finish desinging the layout, I look at info and take the total length of all Flex track, add 10% and that is what I buy.

Good Luck

[CalgaryNewbie]

I'm still learning about AnyRail and have what will likely be deemed a "duh" question but here goes - I want to design a streetcar layout and wish to use flex track to go around corners, loops etc. Therefore I need to make a tight radius - but I don't understand how to do this. I have seen how to bend it at a certain point, but this seems to make a "hump" that I don't want. What I do want is for the track to go along straight and then make a tight right angle, or a loop. But it has to be straight until the curve starts. Can anyone suggest how to do this?
Thanks!

[RhB_HJ]

For street car track you need to adjust the settings first  Settings>Flex>Minimum  Then you need to make sure that the track library (manufacturer) actually has flextrack, if not, use the same track gauge from another manufacturer.

[BritsTukker]

@CalgaryNewie:
That's not the full story for flex track: you can set the minimum radius within AR far smaller than you can actually bend the track. Each scale has its own minimum radius: e.g. for N-scale its 9 inches and for HO scale its 14 inches - but for trains you shouldn't actualy use such tight curves in practice.
It sounds like you want to make some really tight bends which in practice wont actually work - as you've already found out, the track kinks. You need the manufacturers info on minimum allowed radius.

[RhB_HJ]

Calgary 

If you tell us what scale and which radius you want we can post you a sample track. The attached has a 200mm (8") radius. In order to get the diverging routes you turn off auto connect in Settings.

[PaulB]

Calgary,
   It sounds like you might be curving the track manually.
When you have a piece of Flex selected, there is an option on the Tools Ribbon called Curve Flex, click it and you can set the radius and the angle