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vRigger Learning Center

This also applies to cable, chain, and webbing.

Gear that is anchored includes anchors, rocks, trees, tripods, trucks, etc.

A "bight" is a simple loop in a rope that does not cross itself.

A "bend" is a knot that joins two ropes together. Bends can only be attached to the end of a rope.

A "hitch" is a type of knot that must be tied around another object.

"Descending devices" (e.g., ATCs, Brake Bar Racks, Figure 8s, Rescue 8s, etc) create friction as their primary purpose. The friction in descending devices is always considered when calculating forces.

The "Safety Factor" is the ratio between the gear's breaking strength and the maximum load applied to the gear (e.g., 5:1).

Working with Rope

This page explains how to work with ropes. These instructions also apply to cable, chain, and webbing.

What do you want to do?

Add a rope to the workspace

Do one of the following:

  • Type rope and then drag the rope from the Gear Finder. Or even faster, type rope (which displays the Gear Finder) and press Enter (which inserts the rope and closes the Gear Finder). (If the Gear Finder doesn't appear when you begin typing, first click on the workspace.)
  • Drag the Rope icon from the Knots & Ropes section of a gear pane.
  • Select Rope from the Knots and Ropes section of the Gear toolbar.

Connect a rope to other gear

  • Click anywhere on a rope and drop it on a piece of gear (e.g., a carabiner or pulley). The rope must be dropped on the other gear—you can't drop gear on ropes.

When you drag the middle of a rope, a red dot appears to show you that you are dragging the rope. Similarly, red dots identify the ends of ropes. Some gear, such as bends and joiners, can only connect to the end of a rope.

Display a rope's shortcut menu

Right-click a rope to display its shortcut menu.

Change the color, diameter, strength, and other rope properties

You can change the size and color of ropes in the properties pane. Knots that are attached to ropes are displayed in the same color as the rope.

Disconnect a rope from other gear

Do one of the following:

  • Select an item and then choose Disconnect from the Home toolbar.
  • Right-click on the gear or rope and choose Disconnect from the shortcut menu.

Reverse Rope Routing

Learn how to reverse the routing of a rope through gear.

Tips

Watch a video that explains how to work with ropes.

Learn how to specify the size of rope, webbing, and hoses in mm, cm, and inches.

You can use control points to route ropes anywhere.

You can use joiners to invisibly connect the ends of ropes.

You can use benders to create curves in rope.