auto-heartliner

how exactly do you use it? the directions you get when downloading it won't show up b/c my comp is being evil so can someone tell me how to make it work? thanks![:D]

[hyyyper]

i dont have a clue either, it has to do with track colors or something like that, maybe you should mail/pm buster for a better readme

Basicaly take the section you want heartlined and save it as an element. Then open just the element in a new track and save it. Note the speed of the trains on your actual track as it hits the beginning of the section and the ending, and divide both these figures by 3.6 to give you your speed in ms. Then insert the initial speed into the V section and the final speed into the U section and the program should do the rest for you

Taken from the readme file included with the AHG;

Usage Guide to NL-AHG

The program has close to no errorchecking right now, so the following points are important:

1) The Input Track has to be open (opposed to a closed full circuit). Best thing to do is to mark the part from the Lift or Lim to the first brake, save that as an element and make a new track just containing that element.
2) You need to provide the startspeed and endspeed. Just ride the original Track and note the speeds it has at both ends of the section you want to heartline.
3) The track should be the only thing in the trackfile. I'm not sure what would happen if it had objects, trees, supports,etc... I just don't want to know right now. ;p But the way you should use it, the original track won't have any of these anyway.


SETTINGS
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Segments: This will be the number of segments in the resulting track. Every segment has (close to) the same length.

Heartline: This is the position of the virtual heart above the track. The higher it is the more the track will "swing" around the original path, based on the forces. In the box on the right the default values in NL are shown.

Startspeed: Speed the train has at the beginning of the track. This is measured in meters per second. 1 m/s equals 3.6kmh. So if the train is going 20 kmh it would be 20/3.6=5.55m/s.

Endspeed: Same as Starspeed, just this time at the end of the track (before it hit any brakes of course).

Precision: This determines how many points are being calculated for each new segment. 6 is usually fine.

Filter: The built in force-filter will run as many times as you specify here. If you set this to 1, bumpy track will cause a horrible heartline because every mistake in the original track will be magnified with this tool. The higher the stronger everything gets filtered and the smoother it might look. However, the filter also causes the values to change and therefor the banking might be a bit off in the end. Just make sure that the origianl Track is as smooth as possible and you won't have problems with low filtersettings.


Colorcodes
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As the track will allways be rotated to give positive vertical forces and minimal lateral forces, it would logically be inverted on hills with ejector air (negative vertical forces). If you see track wrapping around like that and/or you want to force no correct heartlining at those spots, you can use an alternate color on the specific segmnet(s).

The Spinecolor (main Track color in the segment settings) will be read and do the following:

Pure Black (0/0/0): The track will bank to the original bank specified on the input-track.

Pure Green (0/255/0): The Track will go from forced bank (black) to correct bank in a smooth manner along the length of the segment.

Pure Red (255/0/0): The Track will go from correct bank to forced bank (black) in a smooth manner along the length of the segment.

Note: You don't HAVE to place red or green spines in front/behind black-marked segments. It might however be better in some cases.


DATA Panel
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For convenience The programm tells you the slope tilt and radius at both ends of the imput track (and after heartlining the output track). This is usefull when you need to add fitting segments.

Issues
______

Take note that the track will move. So, make sure there's enough room under/over the original track. Also, because of the way this program works loops on regular coasters will be higher (plus two times the heartline) and those on inverted track will be lower.
So, you have to build keeping this in mind. The input track will be the heartline of the output track! Never overwrite your original track. If something didn't work like you expected you will have to do it all over.
Also note (as mentioned earlier) that the input track needs to be as "perfect" as possible. Every tiny bump or pump will be magnified. Since the tool is calculating all the forces around the track, a bump would result in a quick change of forces and therefor a quick rotation around the heartline. You usually don't want that.


IMPORTANT
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You use this on your own risk. I take no responsibility if you for some reason loose your work or whatever.


Version History
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1.1 - Fix for vertical track wobbles

1.0 - Initial Release


Happy heartlining!
-Buster.