Anchored Connections¶

An anchored connection attaches the end of a road to the side of another road, or to the side of a junction, without building a full junction there. The end of the approaching road is fitted onto the receiving road's outer edge, and follows it when that road changes. Use it for driveways, parking entrances and service roads.

The connection is a Road Anchor Connection component on the approaching road.

Attaching a road in the Scene view¶

With Edit Road Points active:

1. Drag the end knot of a road close to the outer edge of another road, or to the side of a junction between two of its roads. A marker shows where the road will attach.
2. Release to attach it.

Dropping the end near the middle of the other road (its spline) creates a junction instead.

You can also attach a road while drawing it: start or end the new road on the outer edge of another road, or on the side of a junction.

Once attached:

• Each connection shows a marker where it meets the receiving road. Click the marker to select the attached road end.
• Drag the attached end along the edge to move the connection.
• Drag it away and release it anywhere else to detach it. This removes the Road Anchor Connection component.

Adding one from the inspector¶

Right-click the road component of the road that should attach, and choose Add Anchored Connection. This adds a Road Anchor Connection component; then pick the receiving road in Target Spline.

Settings¶

Source Path Index and Endpoint

Which end of this road attaches: the spline path (when the road's spline container has several) and its Start or End.

Target Spline and Spline Position

The receiving road and where along it the connection sits: measured from its Start, its End or a Knot, by a distance in Units or Percent.

Target Junction and Junction Position

The junction the road is attached to instead of a road. It's set when you drop the road end on the side of a junction in the Scene view, which also picks the side. Junction Position sets where along that side, from 0 to 1 between its two road mouths. While a junction is set, Target Spline, Spline Position and Side are hidden, and Tangent Offset appears: it shifts the connection sideways (X) and up or down (Y) from the junction's edge.

Side

Which side of the receiving road to attach to: Auto, Left or Right.

Curve Borders and Arc Radius

Rounds the borders where the two roads meet: the mouth of the approaching road flares out into the receiving edge with a quarter circle of Arc Radius. The curve is never longer than the transition.

Transition Length

How much of the approaching road, in meters, is used to blend its end into the receiving edge.

Status¶

The status line at the bottom of the inspector reads Connected. when the connection is built. Otherwise, it says what's missing. A connection can be built when:

• the approaching road's path is open and has at least two knots (the receiving path can be closed),
• the receiving road uses a different spline container,
• both roads are active and the receiving road isn't muted,
• the attached end isn't part of a junction or a link (disconnect it first),
• no other connection controls the same road end,
• the connection doesn't make a loop: a road can't attach to a road that is, directly or through other connections, attached to it.