Kit O Mat software

Does anyone have any experience with the Kit O Mat software that allows you to design your own building then have a custom laser kit made from the design? What are its capabilities? Its limitations? How easy was the software to use? How expensive did you think the end product was? How did the building you designed with it look? Was it easy to assemble, ect?

I’m looking at building a particular station; I have some good photos and I don’t think the design is all that challenging. Currently, my thoughts are to scratch build it from styrene & use commercially available windows & doors (probablyTichy). BUT… I’ve always wanted to try a laser kit; this might be an opportunity to “kill two birds with one stone.”

The only practical thing I’ve seen was an article in one of the model magazines shortly after the software was released (a review). I thought at the time, the end result was a bit pricey but after spending some time looking at other laser kits, perhaps their pricing wasn’t all that far out of line. I also wonder if that reviewer was given a little “additional latitude” due to the nature of his work. I’m not saying that the review wasn’t factual but that perhaps the company spent a bit more time in working with him than they may with other customers.

One request please… be specific as to whether your response is opinion & second hand as opposed to actual “hands on” experience. Everyone knows someone whose next door neighbor’s brother-in-law’s third cousin’s dentist’s pet groomer had a college roommate who knows someone who really did get a check from Microsoft & AOL because they used the email tracking program that we all have heard about. Unfortunately, I’m sure that someowhere along the line some details got changed. So pleas

Model Railroad News did a review a couple of months ago, which might be helpful.

I got a demo copy of the software back when they first released it. The software was pretty easy to use, but I never ordered a kit.

From my point of view, the software is fairly limited because, without additional tricks, you are limited to simple rectangular buildings. I was interested in doing some stations, but you can’t do gables, extensions, etc that are typical.

You can do L shaped buildings by placing two sections together, and the author seems quite willing to do custom work that the software can’t quite do. I met him at a train show and he seemed quite personable.

Sorry I can’t help you out on the actual models, though another vendor I know has used Kings Mill to make a small series of simple buildings and was pleased with their work.

Mike Tennent

Apparently no one has used it… I guess that says something.

dlm