Coupler Miscellany

[JunmoreHeavyBox]

Initial title Splitting the coupler in half

Example

<Car>
    <Coupler>
        <Front />
        <Rear />
    </Coupler>
</Car>

or

<Coupler />
<Car />
<Coupler />

For the Car.xml file

I want to restrict the marshalling of vehicle combinations to the Train.xml file without disturbing other files.

[JunmoreHeavyBox]

I'm going to put this Issue on hold. This is an Issue that was opened at an inopportune time and I'm not sure it was ever mentioned or on the list.

Perhaps this will be mentioned in the Issue and PR on vehicle coupling and separation.

[JunmoreHeavyBox]

Ah I almost forgot about it. After putting up the waiting sign, I've been thinking about changing the theme and reuse the issue.

• Before I opened my first issue here, I considered some coupler issues and prepared pictures for that purpose. But I abandoned it.
  1. locating the coupler object based on two points of the bogie connected as a line bothers me; the coupler moves with the line in a turn and flies off the mount. Different combinations of bogie shafts and end distances can throw the coupler off centre. I would like to set the locating point.
  2. propose to set the coupler object positioning point offset left and right to better animate the cables on both sides of the coupler.
  3. use multiple coupler objects like this. Pipes and cables, couplers, gangways.

[JunmoreHeavyBox]

@leezer3 Give me an opinion.

[leezer3]

No real plans to do anything with this at the minute I'm afraid- Adding anchor points would need code writing to handle distortion and a bunch of other stuff into the bargain.

If you want to start building complex couplers in this manner, you're probably better off using a dummy car.

[JunmoreHeavyBox]

It's been too long, I didn't even plan on making new pictures. Old Pictures... Classic Coupler The object attached to the bogie point line. Anchor point objects The object attached to the car peg point line.

[JunmoreHeavyBox]

The current idea is to set points on the car frame and connect the points of adjacent cars to obtain the angle of the coupler rotation object. It can be analogized as two billboards variable that looks at each other on two different cars.

<Points>
    <FrontPosition>0,0,Length/2-CpF</FrontPosition>
    <RearPosition>0,0,-Length/2-CpR</RearPosition>
</Points>

[Object]
States = CouplerOpen.b3d,CouplerClose.b3d
StateFunction = FrontCoupler
Position = 0,0,Length/2-CpF
RotateYFunction = Pi+FrontPointY[0]
; My front pivot point is connected to the rear pivot point of the prev car
[Object]
States = CouplerOpen.b3d,CoupleClose.b3d
StateFunction = RearCoupler
Position = 0,0,-Length/2-CpR
RotateYFunction = RearPointY[0]
; My rear pivot point is connected to the front pivot point of the next car

I don't care distortion of this. This can be the compression motion of a semi-permanent drawbar buffer.

[JunmoreHeavyBox]

Further idea

<Points>
  <Front>
    <Position>0,0,Length/2-CpF</Position>
    <Object>CouplerHeadFront.animated</Object>
    <Deformable>False</Deformable>
  </Front>
  <Rear>
    <Position>0,0,-Length/2-CpR</Position>
    <Object>CouplerHeadRear.animated</Object>
    <Deformable>False</Deformable>
  </Rear>
</Points>

[Object]
Position = 0,0,Length/2-CpF
States = CouplerRod.b3d
RotateYFunction = Pi+FrontPointY[0]
[Object]
Position = 0,0,-Length/2-CpR
States = CouplerRod.b3d
RotateYFunction = RearPointY[0]
; When there are no cars in front and rear, the pivot point has no angle.
[Object]
Position = 0,0,Length/2+(CouplerLength[CarNumber-1]/2)
States = CouplerHeadOpen.b3d
StateFunction = FrontCoupler
RotateYFunction = Pi
[Object]
Position = 0,0,Length/2+(CouplerLength[CarNumber]/2)
States = CouplerHeadOpen.b3d
StateFunction = RearCoupler

; CouplerHeadFront File
[Object]
Position = 0,0,CpF+(CouplerLength[CarNumber-1]/2)
States = Null,CouplerHeadClose.b3d
StateFunction = FrontCoupler
RotateYFunction = Pi

; CouplerHeadRear File
[Object]
Position = 0,0,CpR+(CouplerLength[CarNumber]/2)
States = Null,CouplerHeadClose.b3d
StateFunction = RearCoupler

I don't know how to describe it anymore...