Enhanced coal load/ballast block creator

Zip archve

This is still in development - if you find a problem or have suggestions for improvement please send feedback.

The initial inspiration was to create a representation of a coal load or ballast track bed.

The code is capable of generating a simulation of a full coal load, part used coal load or wagon fill, coal pile, flat spread/ballast, straight track base, radius track base. 

The track bases can be used to merge with track models before printing or can have a slot cut for using loose track.

 

Code was initially developed on OpenSCAD version 2021.01 but experienced issues with preview updating and not responding so have been using version 2024.01.06 daily build.

Current known issues;

  • Preview repeated updates slow system - Preview problems can be skipped by only using Render, also need to turn off Design-"Automatic load and preview" as well as Customizer-"Automatic preview" - change values and then manually Preview/Render.
  • Normalised tree exceeds 100000 elements - Mainly experienced in Preview with large track base with taper and slot :- Goto Edit-Preferences-Advanced and increase "Turn off rendering".
  • Very slow preview/render:- Goto Edit-Preferences-Features and select manifold.

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Screen shots which show customizer values and generated output are shown below.

Customiser fille (.json) contains example values

Currently generated stl output has been sliced using Creality slicer 4.8.2 and printed using Ender 3 S1.

Designs

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