"You can’t study the darkness by flooding it with light." - Edward Abbey -
Which program are you talking about ? Before I'd buy a program ... try this one .... it can be used for any type track .... not just atlas as the web site says . See if they are what you want and can use . it's free .... http://www.atlasrr.com/righttrack.htm
Thanks for the tip, Oletimer; that's a neat program. My layout is pretty well established, but it's fun to plan for changes/additions.
Wyomingscout
Ole TimerWhich program are you talking about ? Before I'd buy a program ... try this one .... it can be used for any type track .... not just atlas as the web site says . See if they are what you want and can use . it's free .... http://www.atlasrr.com/righttrack.htm
Ole Timer, I have not used the software. When you say any track do you mean curve radius and straight lengths? What about switches such as Ross, Fastrack, and tubular? Different manufacturer's switch often have profiles that are un-noticeably different and can throw a wrench in the plan.
3railguy Ole Timer, I have not used the software. When you say any track do you mean curve radius and straight lengths? What about switches such as Ross, Fastrack, and tubular? Different manufacturer's switch often have profiles that are un-noticeably different and can throw a wrench in the plan.
I have the free Right Track program, and it's pretty good - especially for the money, but the provided track libraries are Atlas track only. For O gauge that's Atlas and Industrial Rail, making it more useful to me for HO and N gauges where I'm much more likely to use their track. The toys are gonna be running on Lionel tubular, 'cause it's, like, tubular, man.
There are a few other track planning software programs out there-- Xtrkcad is one, AnyRail is another. both are free in trial versions, both have Lionel tubualr libraries. One caveat to AnyRail is the fact that it's european based, so all dimensions are in millimeters-- you just have to "translate" to inches.
As to using the Atlas software for lionel tubular, you can define curves and straights to tubular dimensions, Can't do switches, though---
A Day Without Trains is a Day Wasted
Texas PeteI have the free Right Track program, and it's pretty good - especially for the money, but the provided track libraries are Atlas track only. For O gauge that's Atlas and Industrial Rail, making it more useful to me for HO and N gauges where I'm much more likely to use their track. The toys are gonna be running on Lionel tubular, 'cause it's, like, tubular, man.
Yea, that's what I was getting at. The switch machines on Lionel O22 and 711 O72 switches can get you balled up no matter what side of the switch you attach them to. The older software had dinky whittle switch machines that were no where near in size to Lionels.
I've been making my own Fastrack and postwar accessory library on 3D AutoCAD.. Trains too!!
What i was trying to say was if he never used any ... especially an advanced autocad program ... he'd waste alot of money on one . Most folks can't get autocad down ... some barely run advanced computers . That's how I make my side money .. thanks to folks needing systems built and serviced ...... they buy programs they never learn to use ... hundreds and even thousands of dollars worth of them sold every year to be shelved by consumers . That's why I asked which one ? Make sure you can run the program first ... no stores will take software back that I'm aware of .... because of copying and pirateing .
Ole Timer, you posted the Atlas program can be used with any track. All I'm asking is does the program have switches for other track systems that are different than Atlas. Willpick answered it though. No. As far as AutoCAD goes. Yes, it is way overkill for just track planning. It's a fun toy and I was just sharing my track planning adventures with others. Kind of like the photo threads....ya know.
No the freebie won't give detailed setups ... but if someone just wanted to get a ROUGH idea of the layout plan with what track they have or future addons it would suffice . I mean more or less without sitting down and doing rough sketches of layouts it would be better . Most of the guys here just download or draw up their plans .... that one would give them a better more detailed looking plan than one on paper hand drawn ... I in no way meant you could detail switches and planning to exact specifications for all track .... just rough ideas .
I started by using the free Atlas software just to get some ideas started but I'm not going to use Atlas track. I played around with this on and off for about a year and then bought RR-Track SW. So far I'm very satisfied with it. Get the basic track pkg and also accessories. So to answer your question is it worth it? I say yes. I've done a lot more with it in a month than I did in a year with the Atlas program.
don
I would not use Atlas but, i would say go with xtrackcad its free to download and I love using it!!!!!
Pete
look again at rr-track. they do offer different bundles of their software and libraries. the less you buy, the more expensive it is, though.
The question is what are you going to use it for and do you really want to spend your time in front of a PC designing a layout. I downloaded the freeware from atlas O, i used it to do a rough cut for my Lionel tubular track using various size switches. certainly it didn't allow for a layout plan that actually mirrors what is on top of the benchwork, but it helped me see issues with S's etc.
Now, if RR-track included the info to identify the power drops, blocks, where insul pins could go etc etc I might think about it.
I wouldn't pay that much money for something i'll only use once, maybe twice and is not resalable as I can tell.
ralph
Ralph .... you did exactly what I was trying to get across . I thought the original poster was a new O scale guy if I'm not wrong . I mistated and should have said a very general idea of track plans ... without blowing big bucks on software one may want in the future ....
dmestanI started by using the free Atlas software just to get some ideas started but I'm not going to use Atlas track. I played around with this on and off for about a year and then bought RR-Track SW. So far I'm very satisfied with it. Get the basic track pkg and also accessories. So to answer your question is it worth it? I say yes. I've done a lot more with it in a month than I did in a year with the Atlas program. don
I purchased RR a couple of years ago, I agree with dmestan, I feel it is one of the best s/w packages I've purchased. It has some less than "ideal" situations, as all s/w does. But I don't regret it at all. Time spent planning is much cheaper than purchasing stuff you don't need. And it does take into affect the sizes of switch motors etc.. Just My Opinion.
Don
I use the RR Track software. Very well worth the money. The libraries are outstanding. You can select a n accessory, place it on your layout to see if it will fit or see how much room is needed. Then 3D it and see what the accessory looks like if you don't know already! All major brands of track and switches are able to be selected and used. The program is a huge timesaver for me. Time spent designing is actually time saved when it comes setup and build time. It's an outstanding program and well worth the money. I spent 110.00 on the software and accessory libraries. It's great.
Ralph:
RRTrack does have the ability to accomplish these things you mention. I label quite a bit on my layout plans.
Somewhat hesitant to play in this game, but I will anyway. Bought the original RR-trak product about 10 years ago, I guess, maybe more. I have used it with some success, but frequently find that what fits on my computer limited space lays out bigger, broader in reality. Further I find no success at all in dtermining the degrees arc of a curve that I need to close a gap of tracks that are not co-linear. Using the mouse click to highlight the end piece of track and determine its characteristics including angle frequently gives angle values whose frame of reference varies according to a system I am not able to discern, so I frequently have some difficulty figuring the number of degrees between 2 non parralllel tracks. For example 45Degrees may also appear has -135degrees. I also believe some of the program has ceased working; I believe there is a way to custom fit curves (my biggest problems with the program seem to involve proper curve fitting in a gap situation) even if you do not know the angle the curve must contain between the approaching ends of track.
Further, I find that once I elevate track, I lose the ability to alter that grade. It is arguably me, not the program. But I must say, it has worked out best of all on a plan I am installing now based on something in CTT a year ago, related to the Erie and maybe the Lehigh Valley: An elevated double track mainline with interchange tracks to a lower dogbone. Maybe March of 2008. I needed to reduce the plan to 9 x 15 which is really severe and costly on the grades. Almost all the plan measurements worked out usably close to my real life experience as I laid track, This is the best I have had it work out since I started (trying to ) use it.
dbaker48I purchased RR a couple of years ago, I agree with dmestan, I feel it is one of the best s/w packages I've purchased. It has some less than "ideal" situations, as all s/w does. But I don't regret it at all. Time spent planning is much cheaper than purchasing stuff you don't need. And it does take into affect the sizes of switch motors etc.. Just My Opinion.
Absolutely, when working with sectional track in a confined space, the more exact the pieces in the library, the faster the construction goes. The programs also make it easy to skew the plan based on curve section degrees for a better perspective and everything lands where it is supposed to. The time and money you save not having to fudge, hack, or swap out sections that don't fit in the real world outweighs the cost of the program by a longshot. Been there and done that. With flextrack, it's a different story.
Have you posted any of your library? I'm thinking of using AutoCAD, since I use it for other stuff.
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