A cross-section is a scrap, a point in (a scrap of) the map that defines where to place the cross-section, and a line that show where in the map it refers to (and from which direction).

The drawing of a cross-section does not differ much from that of a scrap of the plan or of the extended section. You use points and lines.

The novelty is that (usually) the cross-section does not contain more than a "station" point (it can have none). It is therefore necessary to define the scale of the scrap. To this aim you use the small red squares in the lower left and right corners of the canvas. They are shown when the cross-section "scrap" object is selected. If you do not see them try to reduce the scale of the display (say to 25 percent).

From 2006.12.21 snapshot, in the "Scrap" control section you may find a "Scale" button. After you press this button you may click in drawing area and insert the first scale point. A second click will insert the second scale point. A red arrow is displayed connecting the first and the second scale point.

You start by inserting a new scrap (menu "Edit | Insert - scrap") and set its projection type to "none". Draw the scrap lines and points. If there is one put in also a station point (type "station" and option "-name"). However the scrap is still without a scale. To define its scale move the two little red squares that appear in the lower part of the canvas around the scrap (click on each of them with the mouse, and drag it). Put the left square at the lower-left of the scrap and the right one at the upper-right. Now in the "Scraps" control enter in the textboxes the coordinates (in meters) for these two virtual points: (0,0) for the lower-left square, and (positive) suitable values for the other.

The little red scrap scale squares can be hard to find and move. These squares are only visible when the scrap line is highlighted. If dragging them to position is tedious (or you cant find them) then enter the x,y co-ordinates for a point on the section into the picture scale points fields, and hit update scrap to make them appear near the section.

To place the cross-section in the map, you must insert a point of type "section" in a scrap of the map. Put it in the place where you want to show the cross-section. The point must have the "-scrap" option followed by the name of the scrap of the cross-section.

Finally you need a line of type "section" in the scrap of the map (plan or elevation) to identify the place the cross-section refers to. This line is usually rendered with two L-shaped pieces, the trasversal segments indicating the direction of view of the cross-section.

Draw a line (a segment) with only the two endpoints dragging the mouse, so that the endpoints have handles, as the lines of smooth curves. Select the menu "Edit | Insert line" (or Ctrl-L), click on the first endpoint (outside the scrap outline) and drag the mouse towards the wall. Release the mouse botton before the wall. Next click on the second point (on the other side of the scrap) and drag again the mouse towards the (other) wall, releasing it before reaching the wall.

Set the line type to "section", and add the option "-direction both" to state to show the direction of view on both endpoints. Other option values are "end" and "begin".

Cross section