curveplate 0.1.1

Generate model railway flexible track laying templates (DXF, PDF, STP)

Curveplate

Generate model railway flexible track laying templates as DXF, PDF, and 3D STP files.

Installation

pip install curveplate

Or install from source:

git clone https://github.com/gsdali/curveplate.git
cd curveplate
pip install -e .

Usage

Straight Template

Generate a straight track template:

curveplate -g 9 -t straight -l 100

• -g 9: 9mm gauge (N scale)
• -t straight: Straight template
• -l 100: 100mm length

Curve Template

Generate a curved track template:

curveplate -g 16.5 -t curve -r 300 -a 45 --right

• -g 16.5: 16.5mm gauge (OO/HO scale)
• -t curve: Curve template
• -r 300: 300mm inner radius
• -a 45: 45 degree arc
• --right: Curving to the right

Transition Template

Generate a transition (easement) curve:

curveplate -g 9 -t transition -r 200 -l 150 --left

• -g 9: 9mm gauge
• -t transition: Transition template
• -r 200: End radius 200mm
• -l 150: Transition length 150mm
• --left: Curving to the left

3D STEP Export

Generate a 3D extruded template for CNC milling or 3D printing:

curveplate -g 9 -t straight -l 100 -3D 3

• -3D 3: Extrude to 3mm thickness, outputs STP file

For 3D export, install with the stp optional dependency:

pip install curveplate[stp]

Command Reference

usage: curveplate [-h] [-v] [-o OUTPUT] [-p] [-d] [-s SIZE] [-b] [-3D THICKNESS]
                  -g GAUGE -t TYPE [-l LENGTH] [-a ARC] [-r RADIUS] [--left | --right]

Generate model railway flexible track laying templates

Output Options:
  -o, --output OUTPUT     Output filename (default: timestamp-based)
  -p, --pdf               Output PDF file
  -d, --dxf               Output DXF file
  -s, --size SIZE         Paper size: A0, A1, A2, A3, A4
  -b, --border            Add title block and drawing boundary
  -3D, --extrude THICKNESS  Extrusion thickness in mm, outputs STP file

Required Template Parameters:
  -g, --gauge GAUGE       Track gauge in mm (distance between rails)
  -t, --type TYPE         Template type: s(traight), c(urve), t(ransition)

Geometry Parameters:
  -l, --length LENGTH     Length in mm along inner rail
  -a, --arc ARC           Arc angle in degrees (for curves)
  -r, --radius RADIUS     Curve radius to inner rail in mm
  --left                  Curve to the left
  --right                 Curve to the right

Common Gauges

Scale	Prototype Guage	Gauge (mm)
Z	1435mm	6.5
N	1435mm	9
2mm	1067mm	7.1
2mm	1435mm	9.42
2mm	1600mm	10.5
TT	1435mm	12
HO/OO	1435mm	16.5
S	1435mm	22.5
O	1435mm	32
G	1435mm	45

Dependencies

Core Dependencies

Package	Version	Purpose
ezdxf	>=1.0.0	DXF file generation
reportlab	>=4.0.0	PDF file generation
geomdl	>=5.3.0	NURBS curve calculations

Optional Dependencies

Package	Version	Purpose	Install
cadquery	>=2.4.0	3D STEP file export	pip install curveplate[stp]

Development Dependencies

Package	Version	Purpose
pytest	>=7.0.0	Testing framework
ruff	>=0.1.0	Linting

Requirements

• Python >=3.13

Acknowledgments

This project was developed using Claude Code, powered by Claude Opus 4.5 (Anthropic).

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.