How to make railway stations by script ?

Here you can take a look how it looks in practice: https://opentopomap.org/#map=14/47.20289/10.68609

Move a little left / right, you will find more stations.

Please note that as for me I needn't stations to be in different sizes. All in the same size is OK.

René,

Jacob is saying that in "real-world" railway maps it looks more accurate and pleasing to the eye if the rails cross the stylised railway buildings exactly at the centre of their two small sides. I second that approach.

That means that the computation base for an automated (scripted) way would rather be the tilt angles of chords, and not tangents. Of course this may be pretty difficult as there can be many unknown variables (for example different dimensions of the desired stations).

Hi.

Take a look at FindReplace from Astute Graphics.

This plugin lets you Locate or Select by color, size, shape, text type, image resolution, group attributes, etc. Also, you can Replace located items with any sampled artwork. Position, scale, and rotate based on the original object(s). Options to pick replacement artwork from a group randomly or consecutively, and position based on points and handles along path(s).

For more info please check the following YouTube Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVuiTl_w4-zAEg7ayKvExeIfTakWD87D7

Best Regards

Beff,

Here are comparative views of appearances based upon the Tangent way and the suggested Two step way, for a gently curved stretch as in your screenshot and for a more strongly curved one.

The stations in the middle, including the original one, are at the inflexion.

Like Kurt, I also considered station shapes following the line shape but abandoned it, possibly wrongly assuming your preferring rectangles as specified in your explanation as opposed to a variety os shapes from straight to (more or less strongly) curved and including inflexion.

It would also be conceivable to prefer an intermediate positioning building on both ways, which would be more complicated than the sum of both single ways.

I have kept forgetting one aspect, namely that the Tangent way requires an actual Anchor Point on the line path at each station (irreversibly changing the stretch(es) in question) whereas the Two step way can be used on the line path as it is.

That's a very good concept, femkeblanco.

I have a similar idea, but it is based on actions and graphic styles. Optionally, it may offer a way to create bended stations (which sometimes look a bit nicer depending on the curves).

I'm looking forward to Beff's sample .ai file.

Type on a path, above stacked stroke graphic style.

This is a dirty mock-up which does it.  (Dirty because it uses Divide Objects Below through executeMenuCommand to get the tangent of the curve, which—as said—is the crux of the problem.)  Be warned, there are many variables which will cause failure.  But the point is, it can be done.

// select dot
var items = app.activeDocument.pathItems;
var railway = items["railway"];
railway.locked = true;
app.executeMenuCommand("Find Appearance menu item");
var rects = [];
for (var i = selection.length - 1; i > -1; i--) {
  var x = selection[i].position[0] + (selection[i].width/2);
  var y = selection[i].position[1] - (selection[i].height/2);
  selection[i].remove();
  rects[i] = items.rectangle(y + 12.5, x - 5, 10, 25);
  rects[i].name = "station" + i;
  rects[i].strokeColor = app.activeDocument.swatches["Black"].color;
  rects[i].fillColor = app.activeDocument.swatches["White"].color;
  rects[i].locked = true;
}
for (var i = 0; i < rects.length; i++) {
  rects[i].locked = false;
  var params = [rects[i].top, rects[i].left, rects[i].width, rects[i].height];
  var tempRailway = railway.duplicate();
  tempRailway.name = "tempRailway";
  tempRailway.move(rects[i], ElementPlacement.PLACEBEFORE);
  tempRailway.locked = false;
  tempRailway.selected = true;
  app.executeMenuCommand("Knife Tool2");
  app.activeDocument.selection = null;
  if (items[1].top > items[0].top) {
    items[1].moveBefore(items[0]);
  }
  items[0].translate(0, -1);
  items[0].selected = true;
  app.executeMenuCommand("Knife Tool2");
  items[0 + 1].remove();
  var T = items[0].height / items[0].width;
  var x1 = items[0].pathPoints[0].anchor[0];
  var y1 = items[0].pathPoints[0].anchor[1];
  var x2 = items[0].pathPoints[2].anchor[0];
  var y2 = items[0].pathPoints[2].anchor[1];
  if ((x1 < x2) && (y1 > y2)) {
    var degree = 90 - (Math.atan(T) * (180 / Math.PI));
  } else if ((x1 < x2) && (y1 < y2)) {
    var degree = -90 + (Math.atan(T) * (180 / Math.PI));
  } 
  items[0].remove();
  rects[i] = app.activeDocument.pathItems.rectangle(params[0], params[1], params[2], params[3]);
  rects[i].rotate(degree);
  rects[i].move(railway, ElementPlacement.PLACEAFTER);
  rects[i].locked = true;
}
railway.move(rects[0], ElementPlacement.PLACEAFTER);

Beff,

While we wait for an exquisite (version of (something with the same resulting appearance as) the suggested two step way) solution, you can compare that way to a simple/single centred rotation at a position on a normal maximally curved stretch away from an inflexion as in your screenshot B part (which is a bit overly rotated); and see how the latter will have the rectangle ends stick out of the line path, off the curve.

I think it is still necessary to share a sample .ai file in order to provide possible solutions. At least if pure assumptions are not desired.

This is completely off topic, but I tried this recently and thought you might be interested (stacking strokes to make railway tracks). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd5kdkSChFg