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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).

Adding Gear to the Workspace

There are three ways to add gear to the workspace. You can use the Gear Finder, the gear panes, or the toolbar.

Gear adding tips

The Gear Finder is the easiest but least obvious method.

The Gear Manager lets you choose the gear that will be available in vRigger.

In addition to inserting gear, you can also insert pictures.

Adding Gear Using the Gear Finder

The Gear Finder lets you quickly add an item to the workspace by typing a portion of the item's name. It's the fastest way to add gear to the workspace.

To add an item using the Gear Finder, simply type some of the item's name. (If the Gear Finder doesn't appear when you begin to type, you may need to first click your mouse on the workspace.)

You can type parts of the name in any order. For example, "cara blu" and "blu cara" will find the item named "Blue Carabiner."

You can even enter a few terms that aren't in gear names. For example, try typing "cable", "circle", "karabiner", or "Petzl".

When the item you want is displayed, drag it from the Gear Finder and drop it on the workspace, or double-click on the item.

If there is only one item in the list, or if the text you typed is an exact match with something in the list, you can simply press Enter. For example, you can type "rope" and press Enter to quickly add a rope to the workspace.

If the item you want isn't in the list, click the More Gear button at the bottom of the Gear Finder to launch the Gear Manager.

Adding Gear from the Gear Panes

The gear panes are normally displayed on the left side of vRigger. To add an item from a gear pane, locate the item in the list and then drag it onto the workspace.

You can select a category at the top of the gear panes to reduce the number of items that are displayed. (Some items appear in more than one category. For example, many rescuers appear in both the "loads" and "people" categories.)

Learn about the gear panes.

Adding Gear from the Toolbar

To add an item from the toolbar, select the Gear toolbar, select a gear category, and then click on an item. (You can't drag items from the toolbar.)

Adding gear from the toolbar requires a few more mouse clicks than the Gear Finder or gear panes.