Viewing the Ropes

A menu option opens a window that shows the ropes (actually it's just the sallies) moving up and down in time with the bells, permitting both ropesight and method practice. The ropes move realistically, with due regard to the relative sizes of the bells and their wheels (ring just the treble and the tenor, and then fire them, to see a clear demonstration of how the two ropes behave relative to eachother).

The window can be sized and placed as desired.

When practising ropesight, the ringing can be slowed down by reducing the clock speed, if desired, to give more time to notice things.

This window could also be used to demonstrate or teach ropesight. Set the bells ringing Plain Bob Doubles or Minor and imagine you are ringing the treble. Use the tab key to stop and start the action as often as needed, giving you (as teacher) time to point out which ropes should come to the pupil's attention at various times.

You can also practise ringing methods, by tapping the space bar to ring one of the bells yourself. The ropesight offered by the movement of the ropes can create a sense of participation and has a useful side-effect: because the ropes remain under program control, watching your own rope helps you "stay on the line" by giving you advance warning of dodges and other changes in direction!

Why only the sallies?

Experiments were carried out to show a tail end and also to show hands, but both these additions turned out to be distracting. The clearest ropesight seems to be had by showing the sallies alone.

Further developments can be expected with this feature to increase its effectiveness as a ropesight tutor. But it will probably remain a fairly minimalist view: virtual ringers are a much bigger challenge than virtual bells if photo-realism is the aim.