How's free sound--rather than repeat, just go here.
http://cs.trains.com/forums/1388100/ShowPost.aspx
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
Chip,
I've downloaded it and tried "playing" with it. I guess these programs are a little over my head but I will try again. Is tinplat Lionel track in it's library?
Mike
I think so, but I've not worked with O.
You absolutely, positively have to do the tutorial. It can be downloaded from the site where you got the program.
ezmike wrote:Chip, I've downloaded it and tried "playing" with it. I guess these programs are a little over my head but I will try again. Is tinplat Lionel track in it's library?Mike
If you are talking about Atlas Right Track, it only has Atlas Libraries. If we are talking XTRKCad, it has a library for Lionel Fasttrack. The Yahoo group may have other lionel libraries though.
In regards to the tutorials, if you have version 4.02 there is a comprehensive tutorial in the help section. No need to download anything as I recall. I think the downloadable tutorial is just the basics unless it has been improved.
I have 4.01 so I'll download the newer version but, according to the program unless I register my version for $65 then I'm limited to a 4' x 7' space. I'll uninstall this version and download the next and see what happens.
ezmike wrote:The benchwork is up, putting the plywood and homosote/foam down in the next couple of weeks so I'm trying to plan a layout. I have some ideas but not being the creative type it is difficult. Spent all day yesterday with pencil and graph paper with miminal progress. Visualization and accurate measurements for track and accessories are not my strong suit but I do have an idea of what I want. I'm laying Lionel "O" gauge tinplate with post war accessories so the RRTrack version with these components is preferred.Either reply here or send e-mail to patriot090@comcast.netMike
Not to sound negative....but wouldn't it be easier to plan the layout first, then build the benchwork? You don't build a house without out some sort of floorplan in mind.
Just being logical......
What you might want to do is draw a floor plan of your space on your grid/graph paper to scale (say 1" grid square equals a foot). Once you have your space defined (showing doors, windows, closets, etc.) then you can make multiple paper copies of that and sketch out track plan ideas.
From what I've found track planning software is only a way to draw what you want electronically. You still have to think up how you want the track to flow. The software won't do that for you. You may have to pour over hundred of published layouts and find elements from various ones you like and combine them. Ultimately it's your vision that makes it happen. It's not always easy and can take a long time. But, taking the time now may save you frustration and disappointment later if you have to rip up track and benchwork.
-G-
G.
I guess I fast-forwarded quite a bit. I started out by determining what kind of benchwork would give me the most in the space I had. I decided on an around the wall horseshoe-type that covers all walls only leaving space for the entrance and closet doors to open with a space in the center for the control center. I will scan the drawing and post it. I've been drawing layout concepts and looking over diagrams of every layout I find for months now. Conceptually I have in my mind what I want. I've even started drawing them on graph paper using the scale you suggested using an O-gauge template. I just thought that one of the computer programs might be faster and more accurate. Now I'm not so sure about faster because it seems that the learning curve for the 2 I've tried, XTrkCAD and RTS is significant but I've heard and read on the different forums that RRTrack is somewhat easier to learn and one version has the post-war accessories library I'll need.
I'm fighting the urge to rush into something that will not be satisfying. BTW, you weren't negative at all. It did sound like I was starting at the end or at least somewhere in the middle. The question now is do I spend the money on RRTrack or not?
Try using the freeware version of RTS just to noodle something up with the libraries included. That will tell you if its worth the $$ over XtrkCAD.
I use XtrkCAD exclusively now.. but I use it with flex track.. the only sectional pieces I use are turnouts and bridges. I never like RTS for flex track. That and it wouldnt work with my Peco turnouts in the freeware package. It seemed ok if you were using sectional track.
Chris
Chris,
I tried a little more with RTS for sectional track and it seems like it might not be too bad, although it doesn't have the accessory library like RRTrack so there you're estimating again just like with paper and pencil. Do you know if you can customize the benchwork top to your own specs? There is a dropdown that gives you some choices but it does not allow for any special cuts.
It been a while and a lot of XtrkCAD use filling up my head with its way of doing things since I used RTS, I don't recall how to do that. Hopefully someone here who uses the system actively can help you out.
With XtrkCAD I would define the room in the layout properties then define my table edges using the "table edge" line from the draw straight line drop down. I will sometimes print this with a grid and make a bunch of hand copies so I could sketch ideas before I started working for real.
Do take a look on the XtrkCAD yahoo group to see if they have additional objects. You can also define your own. I made a few buildings I wanted to try the position of in the track plan by going to the walthers catalog and making a few boxes to outline the shape of the footprint shown there (for instance, I made gripps luggage with three boxes).