Layout software?

[marknewton]

I agree completely - horse for courses, as they say. By way of an example, and because I’m pleased with it’s progress so far, here is the trackplan for my new layout as it currently stands…

Cheers,

Mark.

[Greg_H]

I’ve never used any layout design software for anything, so it all sounds insanely complicated to me. Why not simply sketch your layout out on paper?

Cheers,

Mark.

I am trying it for several reasions.

1. I can’t sketch on paper - not that I not willing to try, I just can’t do much more than a few basic shapes.

2. A sketch on paper, doesn’t alow me to change the scale from O or HO to N, and find out how big the layout is, without a bunch of calculations.

3. A scetch on paper doesn’t tell me how much track I need to buy - The LHS, only stocks Code 80 N scale track, by Atlas, on thier shelves, if I want something else, I have to go clear across town, or order it, and hope I get everything I need the first time, or it’s another trip / order, and meanwhile nothing is getting done with the layout.

4. Some things like easements, blow me away when trying to figure them - in theory the software can handle it, with little imput from me.

5. I can do everything on the computer, then print out a full size plan to use directly in building the layout.

[Greg_H]

The status bar shows both length, radius and angles, and if you use the Map window to zoom in you’ll get it quite accurate (1/100mm offset won’t matter…)

Those things mean nothing to me, when I’m drawing to out - it either lines up and goes where I want it to or it doesn’t. I don’t see how knowing that information, is going to help me fit a piece, when I’m not using track section - it’s not like you are going to have that information acalable ( or even need it ) when you are actualy building the layout.

Nothing complicated about the status bar, just have a look at it as you draw the tracks and you’ll see. The Map window is just an easy way of moving around or zooming in, left drag moves and right drag zoomes.

Please let me know if my suggestions doesn’t work out.

I hit some key or other, and the little map window disappeared - I’ll be hanged if I can figure out how to get it back, and I still feel like I’m fighting the software, having to go back and adjust things 3 or 4 curves back for the software to accept what I’m trying to do as lagitament. Just having the computer beep at me and not actualy informing me what rule I’m trying to break, makes it a very hit and miss type of construction.

[nof]

Hello Greg!

The beep is as you already know a reminder that something will not fit. The explanation is in the status bar!

[Anonymous]

I hit some key or other, and the little map window disappeared - I’ll be hanged if I can figure out how to get it back, and I still feel like I’m fighting the software, having to go back and adjust things 3 or 4 curves back for the software to accept what I’m trying to do as lagitament. Just having the computer beep at me and not actualy informing me what rule I’m trying to break, makes it a very hit and miss type of construction.

In the menu bar, click on “Window”, then “Map”.

[JWBDolphins]

I have a question about XTrkCad - and maybe this would be better asked in the XTrkCad forum.

I use E-Z Track for our layouts (my son likes constant running and also changing the layouts) so this works for us. I started using RTS since its Atlas track is very close to E-Z Track, but the quirks of RTS and not having all the E-Z Track equivalents made me try XTrkCad. With XTrkCad, I took the Atlas track parameter file, and was able pretty quickly to decypher its layout and added the missing E-Z Track pieces. (I only have the 30 degree crossing to figure out yet, but I think that will be doable too.)

It took me quite a while to work through the tutorial and just play with the program before it somewhat clicked with me, but I can see where XTrkCad will be a lot more useable for me than RTS was.

But - here’s my question. Maybe this is doable, and maybe it isn’t - I can’t find anything to tell me this will work. I am able to take the individual pieces of E-Z Track and connect them together like I would on the actual train table - this method will work well enough for my needs if this is the only way to do it. But - is it possible to essentially “freehand” a track, and then tell XTrkCad to “OK, follow that route, and automatically stick the proper E-Z Track pieces together to make it”?

Or put this another way by trying a real simple example. Say in XTrkCad I pick the “create straight track” button, and then draw a long line of straight track on the software. Is there then a way to somehow “select” that long line I drew, and have XTrkCad automagically convert that to “4 pieces of 9 inch straight track and 2 pieces of 2 inch straight track will best cover the line you just drew”. Does that question make sense?, and is that possible to do?

Thanks!!

[SpaceMouse]

That would be nice, but I have never heard of that feature.

[Annonymous]

Or put this another way by trying a real simple example. Say in XTrkCad I pick the “create straight track” button, and then draw a long line of straight track on the software. Is there then a way to somehow “select” that long line I drew, and have XTrkCad automagically convert that to “4 pieces of 9 inch straight track and 2 pieces of 2 inch straight track will best cover the line you just drew”. Does that question make sense?, and is that possible to do?

Thanks!!

In other words; convert a specific lenght of flex track into several sectional track pieces? I don’t think that’s possible in XtrkCad, nor in any of the other software I have tried. The closest I can think of is a feature that calculated possible connections of two separate end points and suggested sectional track solutions.

Maybe you can use a spreadsheat (Excel) and calculate…?

[JWBDolphins]

Thanks SpaceMouse and Svein. I didn’t think it was possible to do that, but for me, after the learning curve I can still get XTrkCad to do everything I want it to do. One thing about drawing a straight length of flex track, XTrkCad tells me the length of that piece, so I could draw a 36" piece of straight track and know that’s 4 pieces of straight E-Z Track, etc. Although its just as easy to drop a bunch of E-Z Track pieces in a line too. Either way, I find XTrkCad very useful! [:)]

[SpaceMouse]

Thanks SpaceMouse and Svein. I didn’t think it was possible to do that, but for me, after the learning curve I can still get XTrkCad to do everything I want it to do. One thing about drawing a straight length of flex track, XTrkCad tells me the length of that piece, so I could draw a 36" piece of straight track and know that’s 4 pieces of straight E-Z Track, etc. Although its just as easy to drop a bunch of E-Z Track pieces in a line too. Either way, I find XTrkCad very useful! [:)]

I just spent two years putting together a nice layout and ended up ripping it apart because of the unreliability of the EZ track turnouts. If you are just starting, you can get a decent price on EZ track (especially right after Christmas) on eBay. Then you can design the layout how you want it and not worry about converting to EZ track–and get a better product to boot.