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Freeware track planning software?


brynjames

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Indeed - I've heard good things about AnyRail, but if you need/want more than 50 pieces, and can get your head around XtrackCAD (I'm OK with it, but I have had a little experience of 2d draughting work ;) ), then that may be worth investigating.

 

Diff.

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Thanks for the recommendation I have just downloaded the demo and so impressed I have ordered a licence key.

 

I have tried a number of track planning software and whilst some programs are very powerful they are not easy to use where as Anyrail uses standard Windows commands and is quite intuitive unlike one or two other programs I have tried in the past and paid for. Well worth the £35.

 

Peter

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I've used Winrail in the past, but for me, if you are paying £35 I would have opted for paying the extra tenner or so and got Templot now the goalposts have been moved into payware ....

Please note that Templot is primarily intended for handbuilt track.

 

The OP asked for Hornby and Peco track planning, for which other programs are more suitable:

 

XTrackCAD (formerly called XTrkCad) is free: http://xtrkcad.org

 

AnyRail (formerly called D-Rail) is the easiest to use (free unlimited trial version): http://www.anyrail.com

 

3rd PlanIt gives you full 3-D visualisation and walk-throughs, with train running simulation (not free): http://www.trackplanning.com

 

edit update: SCARM is a similar 3-D program, and free: https://www.scarm.info/index.php

 

and several others.

 

regards,

 

Martin.

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I have just done a quick track plan of Rederring.

Quick query: from the operational point of view you are only going to have room for a couple of wagons per siding in the goods yard opposite the station. Is this what you want? Or would omitting one turnout (and one siding) give you better holding capacity? (If I've interpreted the plan correctly)

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A tip for using the Free version AnyRail for a design using more than 50 pieces.

Divide the layout plan into sections of 50 or less pieces and create separate plans for each section.

I'm sure there must be additional features and functionality provided with the paid version (licence key).

 

 

.

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The plan isn't to scale as I was experimenting with it and just wanted an outline plan of my layout, when I have time I will do a more accurate plan. The layout can be seen on our club website at:-

 

Rederring

 

I have bought Templot and experimented with it when I was considering a layout based on 'Park Bridge Station' on the old Oldham, Ashton and Guide Bridge line. It is a very powerful piece of software and was impressed but I did find the lack of standard Windows type commands a negative point.

 

Peter

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I have bought Templot and experimented with it when I was considering a layout based on 'Park Bridge Station' on the old Oldham, Ashton and Guide Bridge line. It is a very powerful piece of software and was impressed but I did find the lack of standard Windows type commands a negative point.

Hi Peter,

 

I have never claimed that Templot is a Windows program, merely that it runs on Windows computers.

 

However, if you can say which Windows commands you mean and how you would expect them to work in Templot, I will see if they can be added to the next upgrade.

 

I have to add though, that I will never under any circumstances implement an overwrite Save function in any of my software.

 

regards,

 

Martin.

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Hi Martin,

 

It is a while since I last used Templot but I seem to recall that is was not having the standard cut and paste keystokes like Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X etc that I missed.

 

Regards,

 

Peter

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Having just downloaded one of the free products mentioned above, I couldn't make head nor tail of the demo, so that's that!

Ian - if you downloaded XTrkCad, have a look on RMweb3, where you will find a very basic "get-you-started"tutorial by me, and another, more extensive tutorial by "Disisme"(Roger). All CAD-type programs have a learning curve - XTrkCad is simpler than most. The demo in the program has (in my opinion) a tendency to confuse people. The best way to learn it is, quite honestly, by playing - you won't break anything. After you have played for a short while it suddenly goes click inside your head, and everything becomes very sensible.

 

Of course, if it wasn't XtrkCad, this advice won't help you! cool.gif

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It is a while since I last used Templot but I seem to recall that is was not having the standard cut and paste keystokes like Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X etc that I missed.

Hi Peter,

 

Many thanks for the feedback.

 

What did you expect to happen in Templot when you click Paste? Because it is not at all clear what a Paste function would actually do. If it was, I would have implemented it already. :)

 

The Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+V keyboard shortcuts are in fact already implemented on the Storage Box window, see the files > echo menu functions. These work very similarly to cut and paste, but are based on files rather than the Windows clipboard.

 

Prompted by your request I posted a topic about this with a few suggestions on the Templot Club forum:

 

http://85a.co.uk/for...1118&forum_id=1

 

But the consensus of other users seems to be that I should leave well alone (rather as I expected), because no-one can really see what a Windows-style Paste function would do.

 

regards,

 

Martin.

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Hi Martin,

 

To be fair to you I was only dabbling with the software when I was using it and I am not one who spends hours reading manuals I tend to play with software and when I come to a problem I then look at the manual. I think it was wasn't so much pasting but deleting sections of track and I would automatically try and use Ctrl+X.

 

I will have to re-aquaint myself with your software as I intend to use CnL correct sleeping spacing track and I may have to build some points.

 

Regards,

 

Peter

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have seen adverts for payware track/layout planning software.

 

Is there any freeware available for, say, Hornby or Peco settrack planning?

 

--

Bryn

 

Thanks for all the helpful replies. Not as easy as I thought :lol:

 

--

Bryn

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  • 4 weeks later...

Ian - if you downloaded XTrkCad, have a look on RMweb3, where you will find a very basic "get-you-started"tutorial by me, and another, more extensive tutorial by "Disisme"(Roger). All CAD-type programs have a learning curve - XTrkCad is simpler than most. The demo in the program has (in my opinion) a tendency to confuse people. The best way to learn it is, quite honestly, by playing - you won't break anything. After you have played for a short while it suddenly goes click inside your head, and everything becomes very sensible.

 

Of course, if it wasn't XtrkCad, this advice won't help you! cool.gif

 

 

I recommend this used it myself and the free tutorial, well worth the extra effort "once it clicked" was well on the way and designed some quite complex 2 level layouts one of which I've just finshed laying the track, hence on been on webiste for a few meonths

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