GraniteRailroader Get yourself some graph paper, a good pencil, ruler, and compass. My biggest gripe with the layout design software is that while the track libraries can be extensive, most pieces of software usually allows you to design complex components that won't actually fit together once you mvoe back to the real world.
Get yourself some graph paper, a good pencil, ruler, and compass.
My biggest gripe with the layout design software is that while the track libraries can be extensive, most pieces of software usually allows you to design complex components that won't actually fit together once you mvoe back to the real world.
As far as the graph paper, pencil, etc. you still can't beat free. I'd still measure your working area. RTS version 8, has a tool that opens up whenever you start a new project that gives you a list of different shaped layouts and their dimensions for your benchwork.
And, as far as "won't actually fit together once you move back to the real world", that's where flex track comes in.
Marlon
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Thank you, everyone. Your response was overwhelming. After much deliberation (and downloading of various software/shareware programs) I've decided that a ruler, protractor, grid paper, and a pencil with a BIG eraser are my best bet. I've already made some xerox copies and done some cut-and-paste trials. I think it will work and when its done it should give my visitors a greater appreciation of what we all go through to make our models as realistic as possible. Thanks again.
Regards,
Chuck Bingham
GraniteRailroaderMy biggest gripe with the layout design software is that while the track libraries can be extensive, most pieces of software usually allows you to design complex components that won't actually fit together once you mvoe back to the real world.
... how true! Even the best software does not take away the necessity to carefully measure all the dimensions of the space you have designated for your layout. Things look very much different on a 17" or 19" screen.
Still I like to work with track planning software because it is much easier to alter a plan and visualize it. It helps me to feed my imagination of how it will look later on. And planning is part of the fun, although it is sometimes a tremendous task to find out what you really want...
Ignore the track planning software. It's nothing but a fad in the model railroad hobby.
Get yourself some graph paper, a good pencil, ruler, and compass. Go physically measure and record the space you have to work in, measure the width of an aisle that will fit you walking around, turning in place, bending over, etc, without having bumping into the layout and scenery.
Make a drawing of your layout to scale with the area you have to work in. In fact, make a few photocopys of that drawing as well as the work area. This will allow you to cut up and chop it in different ways, and experiment with adding and subtracting new portions on to the existing layout.
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I use WinRail by Blumert Software, which I bought for close to nothing some years ago. It is very easy to use, although its 3-D features are hardly worth looking into. I was surprised to find out that it is the basis for the Atlas RTS freeware.
So if you intend to use Atlas track - just download it and start designing.
Anyrail has a free demo so you can try before you buy. Zero learning curve. Huge track library. Lifetime updates. It just doesn't get any easier...Did I mention ZERO learning curve?
http://www.anyrail.com/index_en.html
Any Rail software is great. Easier to use than the advanced programs and more features than RTS. If only they did buildings, it would be perfect! The use of flex track in Any Rail is better than RTS.
I need simple Soft for Beginers.
What`s Your propose tu Me. No biger that cca 10 MB.
Thanks, and hello from Pannonia Waley
Morgan, I hesitated to mention RTS only because I wasn't sure if Chuck had built his layout with Atlas track - which as you know is the only track available in RTS. But in the interest of full disclosure I agree that I should have added it to the list.
I also agree about the difficulty in most of the other programs. But even compared to RTS, AnyRail is awesomly easy as a track layout program. AnyRail has a free demo that is limited to 50 pieces of track. If Chuck is not using Atlas track I'd still suggest looking at AnyRail as a real possibility.
Befre you do anything else: Take a good look at the RTS freeware. It's on www.atlasrr.com, under a tab marked something like modeler's tools up top. Easy to use, there's no learning curve to just put down track and buildings, and when you get into it, you can do some nifty stuff with the flextrack. There's some features the other programs have that RTS doesn't, but it is a great start, and if it does what yu need, then why blow the money? And if it dosn't, then you've at least had an easy demo into cad based programs.
Tony22: I've tried most of the above's demos, and I found them to be quite difficult. But that's just me.
-Morgan
Well, XtrkCAD is free and quite good. 3rd PlanIt and CADRail cost some money and may be a bit more powerful. But IMO AnyRail is a good price and is probably the easiest program to use as far as simply laying down track and then wrestling it around. I've tried the others and AnyRail is by far the easiest in this regard. However, it does not really "do" structures and things like that. So if you want to lay those in and then see what will happen as you move them around in reworking your layout, it might not be the first choice. You wind up just drawing in boxes for structures and whatnot. Doable, but not convenient. But there's nothing easier (IMO) for working track plans.
Hello,
I have a 11' x 14' freelanced layout that has been a labor of love for the last ten years. Because it started as a rectangle many details in the middle are not readily noticed. I want to open it up as a U-shaped around-the-room layout. Can anyone recommend a good layout planning software program so that I can experiment before tearing apart years of buildings, tracks, wiring, etc.? Thank you, in advance.
Best Regards,