changing shape of a link

Hi everybody

I could not find how to change the shape of an edge let say to look like a railway.
anyone done this before?

thanks in advance

What do you mean with edge? The connection between two NetworkNodes?
I don't think they have a real shape. If you want to work on the visuals of your model, you might use a VisualTool and set a texture.

Thanks for the comment.
I don't know why the connection between two NetworkNodes looks like a shape to me.

Well, was my reply the answert to your question or do you need further help?
If so, please post a screenshot. As far as I know, NetworkNodes are only connected by lines.

Maybe we have a misunderstanding here and Shahin means the edge of the rail api?

Anyway I think that you can use the ondraw of the nodes to draw your own railsystem. But that might not be very easy with curved sections. But Flexsim draws the path also so it is possible.

A line is not a shape? what is it then? doesn't have any properties?

what is the difference between edge of rail api and edge connection between two network nodes? aren't they both using network nodes?

Simple forms can be drawn with the grafics engine of flexsim (like drawline, drawbox etc.). Complex forms should be drawn with shapes. But you can draw a line also with a shape (p.e. with a shape of a box or a cylinder).

I've used a conveyor with another texture to get rails a few years ago (an example model for Ralf Gruber).
[A small hint: The rail api rotates his objects (trains, waggons) in the center of the objects. With sharp curves this may look a little strange. You can compensate this with a smaller radius of the rail api and a normal radius with the conveyor.]

Originally Posted by Shahin Gelareh

A line is not a shape? what is it then? doesn't have any properties?

what is the difference between edge of rail api and edge connection between two network nodes? aren't they both using network nodes?

You are theoretically right but in Flexsim terms a shape is a 3D object that you can import and a opengl call for a line is, again in Flexsim terms, usually not seen as a shape.
An indeed the nr of properties are limited, you can't change the width, the pen or anything like that.

Indeed there is no difference between the edge of a rail api and the network nodes only that in the rail api the edge is much more present (you travel from edge to edge while with network noded you travel from node to node)
They both use network nodes but the nodes in a rail api contains a lot more information. Also I think that currently you can't have a rail system and network system together in 1 model.. (although I'm not completely sure)

Just on lines, if you are drawing your own, you can try the glLineWidth() command.