Greetings - I’m curious about layout design/drafting sofware. Are there any free or low cost options for software??
I have a general plan for a layout and I have sketched it out on paper. My drawing and drafting skills are not good even with using graph paper I’m not certain if what I have drawn up accurately depicts the true measurments of curves and turnouts.
If you have positive experiences with any particular brand of software for layout design, I’d like to know of brand. thanks in advance. - adam[:D]
If you are computer-savy then model railroad design software is a great tool. I am using XtrackCAD which is a free download: http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/HomePage
In fact finding this program on the web a few months ago and playing with it is what really got me thinking about getting back into model railroading again. It takes a little playing around to get good with it, and if you know Autocad it helps the learning curve. But it really is a lot of fun. And its free.
In addition to the design aspects which are very good (it won’t let you “cheat”) you can also print out a full-scale copy and transfer it to your layout. Other programs may let you do this too. I took the printed pages and taped them together, then slid carbon paper underneath and traced the tracks. A little work, but there’s no question on curve radius and turnout placement- everything is exact and I know exactly where the roadbed goes. Also if you have Autocad on your computer you can save the file as a .dxf file and use it to help design the benchwork.
I haven’t used any of the “for purchase” software so can’t make any comparisons but they should have these same sort of capabilities, and may be easier for those without a design background. Much better than the old days!
Many of us use AnyRail It’s free up to the first 50 pieces of track and I find it a lot easier to learn than the cad based versions It’s also somewhat similar to adobe applications like adobe illustrator
Another vote for AnyRail. Be warned that the free version is just like free drugs. You will find that 50 pieces of track (actually 50 objects which includes shapes and structures) will quickly not be enough and you will be headed back to the dealer for a fix.
I also used XTrackCAD. Suggest that you use the tutorial to get some of the basics and see if you like it. There’s a Yahoo user group that is useful for particular questions.
I am personally a fan of SCARM ( http://www.scarm.info/index_en.html ) which is a free program. I found this one really easy to use, just install, pick your preferred scale and track and start building!
Ah yes, but many of us HUMANs do not have the natural instinct that you do, and build ourselves into corners where trains don’t run without constant de-railing, curves are too tight, and grades are too steep for our engines to climb. Then we get disgusted with it and find other hobbies. Years later, older and wiser, we learn to use tools and methods that have since been invented to make up for our lack of instinct. And this time we are very, very careful not to repeat mistakes made in the past!
By the way, I really like the electrical section of your website and want to use some of your designs. But the letters are very hard to read, especially the part numbers for all the nifty electrical components. Maybe Lions also have better eyesight?
Ah, yes! I knew about that problem. The are just fine on most web sites, but on mine, the program that I use for building web pages has dumbed it down.I’ll have to fix that by making the reference to a different file source. Easy to do, when I get around to it. In the meanwhile you can download the .gif files directly.
I’ve been a user of WinRail for a number of years and find it relatively easy to use. I’ll assume some of the other programs are also easy to use (I personally disliked the CAD approach of XTrak, found it got in the way for simple things, but that’s me). Atlas has abandoned RightTrack (RTS) which was based on WinRail.
I find that software vastly speeds up the design process allowing for trying out different radii, spacing, tradition curves, parallel track, turnout numbers etc. in other words experimentation without putting track down on benchwork.
For example, I recently made major revisions to the yard and lower right interchange in an evenings work (more or less). The yard went through 4 iterations (using one I had designed previously and saved).
Those are 1 foot squares and it is very helpfull to zoom in and out when designing and modifying.
