Move Description

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# 2.2.10 Move Description

This command is used to move Elevation, Grade, or Station (Section 2.2.5), and to enable/disable and move Straight Track (Section 2.1.6), Curved Track (Section 2.1.2), Bezier (Section 2.1.2.5, Cornu (Section 2.1.2.6), Joint (Section 2.2.7), Helix (Section 2.1.4) and Structure or Turnout (Section 2.7) Labels.

The Move Description command can be invoked using the Change>Move Description menu item or the Move Description button.

Click the Move Description button to activate the Move Description command. As the cursor passes close to an object that can display a label it will be highlighted. A dark blue indicates a label that has "Show Description" set on, a teal color means it is set to hide.

Use Left+Drag to move the label to a new position and unhide if hidden. Once moved, the label becomes fixed in a position relative to the object. Subsequent moves of that object will cause the label to move as well.

This operation can also be invoked by Ctrl+Left+Drag when in Select command (Section 2.2.16).

Note that labels need to be visible in the Display menu and the layout needs to be zoomed in enough to show labels for them to be moved.

There are keys that control the display of description when hovering over a description or a track.

- The letter "s" when hovering over a track will show the hidden description - the teal highlight will show which tracks can have descriptions.
- The letter "h", when hovering over the track or description, can be used to hide display of individual Curved Track, Bezier Track, Cornu, Helix, Joint or Turnout Labels.
- The letter "d" will enable and disable a detailed description which is intended for tracklaying - it is a table of points and track angles that lie along the track path.

Using these detailed values a curve can be constructed even for complex objects such as Bezier or Cornu.

There is a Context Menu invoked with Right-Click or Shift plus Right-Click to Show/Hide individual descriptions as well as set the description to detailed.

Labels can be moved by hovering the "hot spots" or over the attached track object. Left-Drag will reposition it. Elevation labels can be selected by hovering of thier centers or the end point they refer to. Note that end points with elevation mode "None" are not selectable.

- Cornu, Bezier, Straight, Curve and Joint (Easement) Labels can be moved along the line between the end-points and also laterally.

  - Cornu and Bezier Tracks show the "chord" length, its absolute angle, and the length of the track and the minimum radius. To help lay these variable radius curves out, the detailed description information about track centers and angles selected by 'd' is suggested.
  - Joint/Easement Tracks show the "chord" length and abslute angle and easement curve constructing values of Radius and Lengths. For laying out larger easmements, the detailed position and angle description selected by 'd' may be useful.
  - Straight Tracks show the length and the absolute angle. For laying out long straights, the detailed track center position and angle descriptions selected by 'd' may be useful.
  - Curved Tracks show the radius, chord length, deflection at the center from the chord and the angular length. For laying out curves, the detailed track center position and angle descriptions selected by 'd' may be useful.

- Curve Track Labels can be moved so that the label is somewhere on a radial line from the center to a position within the arc. A Curve label shows the absolute angle of the chord, its length, the Curve Radius and the deflection from the chord at the center of it. This enables the curve to be laid out even if the center point of the arc is inaccesible. Note that the detailed description may also be helpful in this case.

- Compound (Structure and Turnout) Labels can be moved without restriction. They show the Object's Title information.

- Elevation points labels can be moved without restriction - they show the Grade, Elevation, or Station Name as appropriate.

- The detailed description setting is not preserved in the saved layout. It is designed for use when transferring a complex part of the plan to a real layout.

Note - existing defined elevation labels can be moved, but controlling thier visbility is done with the Section 2.2.5 command.