Yet Another Transition Template Maker

This is YATTM (Yet Another Transition Template Maker). So why is it any better than all the other TTMs? Well the main reason is that it can do offset transitions--where the tubes at either end of the transition are not concentric. This includes the "Nike-Hercules", "X-17" and "Saturn 1B" type of complex transitions.  Another reason is it works in PowerPoint...OK, kind of boring if you don't have PowerPoint, but if you do you can now decorate your transitions with text, textures, colors, etc. You can also put a bunch of transition templates on one page--make up a kit card! And last, but not least, it can peruse your RockSim file and draw all the transitions it finds.

There are four files in this download:
  Transitions 2000.ppt
  Transitions 2000.ppa
  Transitions 2002.ppt
  Transitions 2002.ppa
You only need one of these, depending on your version of Office and how you want to use the template maker.

If you are using Office 2002 or newer, use one of the Transitions 2002 files. If you are using Office '97 or Office 2000, use one of the Transitions 2000 files.

If you don't mind using an add-in, the .ppa file is what you want. Load it from PowerPoint: Tools -> Add-Ins...  Once the add-in is loaded, a single button is added to the toolbar; it has a little blue icon that looks sort of like a cone. Click on the button to bring up a form for specifying the transition.

If you don't want to use an add-in, the .ppt file is what you want. Once you've opened it, bring up the form by running a macro: Tools -> Macros -> Macros... (or Alt-F8), then select "NewTransitionShroud" and click Run. (The Auto_Close and Auto_Open macros you find there are for the add-in version.)

This form lets you draw a regular transition. The Diameter 1, Diameter 2 and Length fields are the obvious; the pull-down lists to the right let you select a common body tube to more easily enter a diameter. You can enter dimensions in either millimeters or inches by selecting the appropriate option.

Click on the "More shroud options" checkbox to get to the fun transitions.

The Name field is where you can type in a name that is drawn with the transition shroud.

You can enter the number of layers to be drawn in most cases. Use this when you want to draw a transition shroud that will be overlapped and glued on itself one or more times. You can get a thicker and stronger transition this way, but with a minimal edge that has to be filled or sanded. Lines are included so you know where to align the layers when you roll up the transition.

Clicking on the "Set cone angle" allows you to fix the transition taper so you can scale the transition up or down. When you do this, three additional controls are shown to the left of the Diameter 1, Diameter 2 and Length fields, with the word "float" next to one of them. Clicking in these additional controls chooses which value will be computed from the other two values plus the cone angle (thus this value "floats" as you change the other values). You can now change the other two fields to scale the transition. This is also how you can describe a transition with a desired taper--just change the "Cone angle" to suit.

Under the Offset tab you can draw an offset transition. The Offset field is where you enter the distance separating the centerlines of the body tubes. If you click the "Draw partial shroud" checkbox, you can enter two angles for specifying how much of a partial shroud you want drawn.

Under the Cluster 1 tab, you can draw a transition shroud for a cluster of tubes that merges into a single tube. In this case the cluster is assumed to have a tight airframe skin wrapped around the tubes. Again the Offset field is where you enter the distance separating the centerlines of each cluster tube from the single tube's centerline. Or, instead of giving an offset you can give the diameter of a circle that exactly circumscribes the tubes. The Cluster size field is where you enter the number of tubes in the cluster.

Under the Cluster 2 tab, you can draw a transition between two sets of clusters. (Sorry, the number of tubes has to be the same in each cluster.) Offset 1 is the separation between the centerlines of the first tubes and the center of the rocket, Offset 2 is the separation for the other tubes. Again, you can give the diameter of a circle that exactly circumscribes the tubes instead of their offsets. And Cluster size is where you say how many tubes are in both clusters.

Under the Cluster 3 tab, you can draw a scalloped transition between a cluster of tubes and an enclosing larger tube, such as for the base of a Saturn 1/1B. Diameter 1 is the diameter of the enclosing tube, Diameter 2 is the diameter of a (possibly imaginary) interior tube. (At present this interior tube must intersect the cluster.) The "Diameter of tubes" field is for the diameter of each tube in the cluster (e.g. the fuel/LOX tanks in the Saturn 1). Offset is the separation between the centerline of the enclosing tube and the centerline of each tube in the cluster. Again, you can give the diameter of a circle that exactly circumscribes the tubes instead of their offset. And Cluster size is where you say how many tubes are in the cluster. (At present you can't draw a layered shroud.)

Under the RockSim tab you can peruse a RockSim file for any transitions. Either type in the full pathname of the RockSim file in the top line and press Enter, or click on the  button to search for the file. All the transitions found in the file are listed in the box below the file name. Select the one you want to draw and then click on the Load button. This will load the transition spec into the Diameter 1, Diameter 2, Length and Name fields. At that point you can then click on Draw to draw the transition, or tweak the values if you want.

Under the Tests tab are a few sample transitions. Like the RockSim tab, select a transition to Load into the other fields and then Draw it.

Caveats, bugs, troubleshooting

No glue-tabs or alignment arrows are drawn, sorry.

I've tested this on Windows 2000 & Office 2000, and Windows XP Pro & Office 2002. (I tested an earlier version on Windows 98 & Office '97; the new version should work there too, but I haven't tried it.) Drop me a line if you have problems with the code.

The Transition macro doesn't run or is disabled? Probably PowerPoint is being too aggressive with security. With Office 2000 I use Tools -> Macros -> Security and select the Medium setting. I think Office 2002/2003 has a similar way of selecting how to handle macros. You need to decide whether you want to change the security setting like this. (The Medium setting causes PowerPoint to ask you whether to enable or disable macros each time you open a document containing macros.) Another possibility is you haven't created a slide yet (see below).

If you get an error like this

Run-time error '-2147188160 (80048240)'
Selection (unknown member): Invalid request. Nothing appropriate is
currently selected.

Run-time error '-2147188160 (80048240)'
Application (unknown member): Invalid request. There is no active
presentation.

Does PowerPoint hang? Or do you get an error like this:

Run-time error '6'
Overflow

Download the older version.