Not as clumsy or random as a computer
... an elegant instrument
for a more civilized age ...
(Obi-Wan Kenobi)
(last update: 11th March 2020)
Collection of Slide Rule replicas
Slide rules are not manufactured anymore.
The ones, which still exist, will eventually deteriorate with time.
Here you will find a collection of some of the most prominent models
carefully hand-crafted and simulated (or emulated) in JavaScript.
It is a Slide Rule Simulator or Emulator
All the scales are programmatically drawn based on reverse enginered mathematical equations.
As such, no images are used for visualisation (only some decorations).
And this is why those simulations are of the highest quality.
This is also why the word "replica" is quite appropriate for those simulations.
All the replicas can be yours right now, totally free.
All you need to do is to download the whole lot
and they are yours forever.
(Technical information: all replicas can work without any active internet connection and as such, they are digitally safe.
The code is hosted on www.github.com.)
Right-click on cursor or on scale to enter digital values for automation. You can:
Enter integer or floating-point value, i.e.: 3.14 (use either dot or comma to separate fraction)
Enter degrees using ":", i.e.: 2:30:26
Enter pre-defined constants:
pi
pi0
pi1
pi2
e0
e
e1
e2
c
π = 3.14159....
π / 10 = 0.31416....
π × 10 = 31.41593....
π × 100 = 314.15927....
e = 2.71828....
e / 10 = 0.27183....
e × 10 = 27.18282....
e × 100 = 271.82818....
√(4/π) = 1.12838....
r
r0
r1
r2
r3
r10
re
q
c1
18/π = 5.72958....
1.8/π = 0.57296....
180/π = 57.29578....
√2 = 1.41421....
√3 = 1.73205....
√10 = 3.16228....
10/e = 3.67879....
π/1.8 = 1.74533....
√(40/π) = 3.56825....
Chemical scale may have additional constans. Use air, co2, h2o, water, etc...
To move cursor to additional hairline, press and hold CTRL key while right-clicking on scale and hairline.
To move slide to additional hairline, press and hold CTRL with SHIFT while right-clicking on scale and hairline.
If you right-click very close to either left or right index, then slide or cursor will move to this index instead.
You can download
the entire collection to your computer and run locally (without internet connection).
The source code is hosted publicly at www.github.com.
You can clone the entire repository (rather than downloading the ZIP) if GIT is your preferred version control software.
Once you download (or clone) the entire collection you can start building your own models.
Simply, open one of the models in text editor, see how it is constructed and enjoy coding.
(Yes, you will need some JavaScript and HTML skills.)
.... but how do you use a slide rule anyway?
Some of the replicas carry an interactive tutorial, where you can also practice using a slide rule.
In particular, you can use the Raven and the Templar for learning.
However, there is also a training game included, where you are required to pass some slide rule tests.
As you progress through the tests new and more complex slide rules are available for you to practice.
The game is accompanied by completely fabricated stories, just for fun.
There are also numerous tutorials freely available online.
Contact
You can CONTACT the author (Dr Robert P. Wolf), through his HERCs Music Systems page.
Mailing List
If you are a fan or a collector of slide rules, or if you just wish to talk about all matters regarding this beautiful tool,
then you may wish to join our mailing list.
Links
A sample simulation of Faber-Castell 2/83N replica can be viewed below.
Markings on side.
Markings on centre hairline.
Markings on additional hairlines.
Other side.
Version US/German.
Short/Long
