Returning to the hobby and trying to learn DCC. Do any of the layout design packages (Atlas, XTRACKCAD, etc.) include anything that would automatically give me a wiring diagram, e.g., where I need to isolate a block, where I need a polarity reversal, etc., based on my layout design? Thanks!
Nope. Dividing the layout into power districts and/or block detection boundaries is a manual process, and even for the exact same track plan it can vary because a large part of it is based on your operating scheme. Power districs exist to keep on fault from shuttiong down the entire layout and heavily depend on where and when trains are running - if there is a section of the layout that sees only 1 train at a time, there's little point in making more than 1 power district there, but in an area that sees a huge concetration of trains, like a major terminal, you might want more than one power district for lesser actual trackage than the lone train area.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.