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.