Hello dear friends,
I want to introduce my freeware layout design program, called SCARM, which you can download and test from www.scarm.info/index_en.html. It has lightweight and intuitive user interface, 3D view and many other cool functions and features.
I will appreciate any comments concerning SCARM here or by email – scarm at scarm dot info.
I was not sure where to post this topic, so I do it here - please excuse me if I’m violating some of the forum rules.
Mixy,
from Bulgaria
I am sure you have done a good job, but since I only work with MAC it is not for me. Good luck with your effort.
The biggest problem I see right away is that it doesn’t have HO in the most common manufacturers sold in the US.
I noticed that as well.
Mixy:
I give you a lot of credit for taking the time to design this program. I purchased 3rd PlanIt a long time ago and I enjoy using it a lot. If your freeware can come anyware close to duplicating 3rd PlanIt or any of the many other CAD programs then you will have done a great job. I only spent a few minutes experimenting with your program but it seems to be fairly intuitive.
I wish you great success.
Thank you for your contribution to model railroading.
Dave
P.S. If I were you I would follow the suggestions above about offering North American options.
Thank you guys,
I acknowledge that there are no American track producers included, but this is just because I don’t know them. I know only Atlas, but they have no full geometrical data (mainly for turnouts) in their web site, which is needed to build appropriate track libraries. I will be very thankful if you can guide me with manufacturers and their online resources, where I can found track dimensions and track geometry examples. This is the only way for me to build a track library and to check track geometry, because I have no real tracks to see and measure them.
Mixy,
from Bulgaria
You might start with their free RTS track laying software. It might have teh info you’re looking for.
Keep after it. I use Peco, Shinohora and Atlas mostly. Atlas HO C100 should have their specs built into their righttrack software. I believe that Walthers HO C83 is made by Shinohora. We use mainly C100 and C83.
Richard
You can find descriptions of a lot of track dimensions for a large number of turnouts on the XtrkCad yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/XTrkCad/), in the files section.
You might also want to have a look at XtrkCad, which is a freeware program that does what you apparently want to do - but already has a fairly large installed base.
Smile,
Stein
Hey Mixy. Here’s a link ot Peco’s turnouts using true scale for each. maybe it will help:
OK, I am starting with Atlas. More libraries will come soon 
The Atlas RTS software also has a flextrack option, allowing you to shape it. That would be a good feature as well.
SCARM also has flex-track shaping and I thing that it is more intuitive and realistic than RTS. Try it or see the demo videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u60zaHUbJyU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9PSJBtMa2U
See FAQ section in www.scarm.info/index_en.html for more info about flex-track modelling with SCARM.
Mixy,
from Bulgaria
New version SCARM 0.6.0 released.
Added following new features: parts list, libraries grouping, extended multilanguage support and some Atlas and Bachmann track libraries. More libraries will come soon
Download it from www.scarm.info/index_en.html.
Mixy
New version 0.7.0 of SCARM is released
The most important new features are Print and Print preview mode for WYSIWYG layout printouts. See how below:
To print the whole layout in SCARM, just press “Print” button from the toolbar – the program will automatically fit the track route onto the page and will print it on the default printer.
If you want to see the page with your layout before printing, press “Print Preview” button from the toolbar – this will activate Print Preview mode.
If you wish to print given part from the track route, make sure that Print Preview mode is active (“View” > “Show as Print Preview” must be checked), move and/or resize the drawing to get desired layout part into view and then press “Print” button - SCARM will print the page exactly as it is viewed on the screen. Remember that you can edit your project and make all other things no matter whether you are working in normal mode or in Print Preview mode.
If you make changes while working in Print Preview mode, so layout orientation is no longer optimal, toggle off and then on again “View” > “Show as Print Preview” – SCARM will set the page orientation according to current layout orientation. Press “Fit to Page” button from the toolbar if you wish to fit the layout on the page. Actually, switching off and on the “Print Preview” button does the same thing for you.
If you wish precise control over the printing process, select “File” > “Print” and set desired options in the print dialog box.
Note: If the layout has a baseboard defined and there are tracks outside baseboard contours, those tracks will not be taken into account when SCARM calculates layout position and size in the printable area.
I hope that print features in SCARM will be very useful, but if you have suggestions or other ideas about better printing, please let me know.
Mixy,
from Bulgaria
Hello again,
The new version 0.8.0 of SCARM is ready
Most important new features are standalone installer, support for turntables and baseboard editing. There are also many corrected and updated libraries, due to some errors like doubled track names, doubled item numbers and some new parts. If you are using a turntable that is missing from SCARM library files, let me know and I will add it in the next update.
Mixy
The new version 0.8.6 of SCARM is ready
The most important new feature is automatic 3D terrain generation. It will allow realistic 3D representation of the layouts, which have defined heights, bridges and/or tunnels. For example, here is a simple layout with shape of the digit ‘8’ with two stations and with predefined heights of the tracks:
If the tracks in the lifted middle section are set as bridge, the layout will look as follows:
If the tracks in the other (lowered) middle section are set as tunnel, the layout will look as follows:
To look through terrain, you can switch to “Wireframe” mode, using View > Terrain > Wireframe from menu bar in 3D viewing mode. To make terrain invisible, use View > Terrain > Invisible.
Quality vs. Speed of terrain generation is controlled from Tools > Settings > 3D View. It is recommended to keep Automatic setting, which is default – the program will automatically adjust quality/speed of terrain calculations according to your layout. Large layouts with complex track development will require more time for rendering of the terrain. You can turn off terrain generation if you prefer old, flat baseboard view or if terrain calculations are too slow for you.
Terrain engine will help for better visualization of multileveled layouts and is cornerstone in SCARM development, because all future 3D objects with assigned heights depend on the terrain shape. I will create terrain modeling interface so you will be able to create your own mountains and valleys in SCARM.
Also, some bugs were fixed and now it is possible to zoom while modelling flex-tracks. Check also the Portable page in
After some delay I am happy to announce that the new version SCARM 0.9.16 is ready for download from http://www.scarm.info
The most important new feature in this release is the ability to work with texts on the drawing plot. Versions 0.9.x also have build-in interface to create figures and make 3D objects of them, such as houses, train stations, platforms, roads and much more. There are also some new and updated libraries, including dedicated object library with some US signals and many small improvements and bugfixes. I hope that you will like the new version of SCARM
Mixy
Keep up the good work Mixy, you’re really starting to make this a very well rounded program.
Thank you, Never2manyTrains
The new version 0.9.18 of SCARM is ready and published on www.scarm.info 
It contains many improvements and updates, together with some important bugfixes. See the list with the most important changes in this version in the following SCARM Blog post – www.scarm.info/blog/general/scarm-0-9-18-released
This release should also fix one known issue – empty snapshots in 3D viewing mode, seen on some PCs. If somebody have met this bug, please update SCARM and try 3D snapshot feature again.
I am continuing the development of SCARM and the next version is planned to appear in much shorter period than last one
Mixy
P.S. If “Check for Updates” feature in SCARM 0.9.17 reports that there is no newer version of the program, download the installer directly from the website. The old version info file may be cached on your PC and it will need some time that cache to expire.