Importing A Track Plan

I don't know of any track planning software - free or not - that can import anything besides a CAD type file.  And I don't think XtrkCad or RTS - the 2 well known free software packages - can even import CAD files.  Assuming they could import CAD, getting a scan of a drawing into CAD format is not trivial either.

The easiest path I can think of is to scan the old plan as a bitmap, resize it to the same scale you will be using in the track software, and "trace" over the bitmap with the software track.  Particulars of this technique were discussed recently in the XtrkCad Yahoo Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/XTrkCad/).

It might just be quicker to redraw from scratch, since the turnouts are unlikely to match in any case.

I know, not much help.

Fred W

Hi,

RTS is a free and limited version of Winrail. I just copied a winrail plan from Ulrich into an RTS drawing. Bingo; but I don't think you can import a plan drawn with a different program into your program. As a picture, but not with all functions still working.

Paul

Bob Sandusky

I am trying to figure out if there is a way to import a track plan into a free track planning softeware like XTrkCad4 or Right Track.

I have older track plans (prior to the internet boys) on paper that I'd like to import and fool around with in the software as opposed to taking lots of time redoing the track plan in the software from scratch.

If it works I figure I can do the same thing with my Sanborn maps.

Any ideas?

Thank

 Sure. You put your paper plan next to the keyboard, start the track plan drawing program, select some suitable turnouts, and starts redrawing your track plan in the track plan drawing program, comparing and adjusting as you go.

 Smile,
 Stein

3rd PlanIt imports .jpgs, so one can scan a hand-drawn plan and import it. But if the hand-drawn plan is like most, it's unlikely to fit when drawn to scale.