Wire paths in a 3x2 square wire rope

Wire paths in a 3x2 square wire rope. (Actual cross-sections do not remain circular.)

In this animation contacts at the same level can be seen (intra-strand and inter-strand.) In a packed configuration there are additional contacts between strands crossing above/below.

A 2-ply compound helix (where twist and writhe have the same counter-rotating wavelength) always has a crossed-ellipse appearance in cross-section. These 2-plies can "stack" to accommodate any number of plies, e.g., 2x2, 3x2, 4x2, etc.