| |
OK, I'll add to an old thread too...
Is there any software available for doing LEGO train layouts? I don't think
this would have to be very complex -- just your several different kinds of track
pieces, which you can drag around and arrange to see how they connect up.
Maybe you could drag road plates around into a road-plate-sized background grid
as well, for planning a combined road/train layout.
Would anybody be interested in software like this? If so, for which platforms?
I might be able to whip something up.
Best,
- Joe
|
|
| |
In lugnet.trains, Joe Strout wrote:
> OK, I'll add to an old thread too...
>
> Is there any software available for doing LEGO train layouts? I don't think
> this would have to be very complex -- just your several different kinds of track
> pieces, which you can drag around and arrange to see how they connect up.
>
> Maybe you could drag road plates around into a road-plate-sized background grid
> as well, for planning a combined road/train layout.
>
> Would anybody be interested in software like this? If so, for which platforms?
> I might be able to whip something up.
>
> Best,
> - Joe
Joe,
This is a liitle off this threads origianl topic but.
I use Train Depot Track Designer (by Matthew Bates) and there are other programs
to use. But I like this one.
Here is the link
http://www.ngltc.org/train_depot/td.htm
Enjoy
MIke Gallagher
|
|
| |
In lugnet.trains, Mike Gallagher wrote:
> In lugnet.trains, Joe Strout wrote:
> > OK, I'll add to an old thread too...
> >
> > Is there any software available for doing LEGO train layouts? I don't think
> > this would have to be very complex -- just your several different kinds of track
> > pieces, which you can drag around and arrange to see how they connect up.
> >
> > Maybe you could drag road plates around into a road-plate-sized background grid
> > as well, for planning a combined road/train layout.
> >
> > Would anybody be interested in software like this? If so, for which platforms?
> > I might be able to whip something up.
> >
> > Best,
> > - Joe
>
> Joe,
>
> This is a liitle off this threads origianl topic but.
>
> I use Train Depot Track Designer (by Matthew Bates) and there are other programs
> to use. But I like this one.
>
> Here is the link
> http://www.ngltc.org/train_depot/td.htm
Track Designer was great, back in the day. But it's been unsupported for years
now. If you're a long time user, it works fine, although it's not extensible.
New users would be well advised to look into TrackDraw instead... way more
features, extensible menus, and the format is XML rather than obscure opaque
object dumps that can't be imported by anything else.
http://home.nc.rr.com/cary/ should get you started, or see this post
http://news.lugnet.com/trains/?n=23725
Hope that helps.
|
|
| |
In lugnet.trains, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
> New users would be well advised to look into TrackDraw instead... way more
> features, extensible menus, and the format is XML rather than obscure opaque
> object dumps that can't be imported by anything else.
Both seem to work only on Windows though. Pity it wasn't written in REALbasic;
then I could just bug the author to click the "Mac OS" and "Linux" checkboxes.
:)
Does anyone happen to know of anything available for the Mac?
Thanks,
- Joe
P.S. It doesn't seem off-topic to me -- presumably using an app like this would
really help you plan a layout where the diagonals line up properly.
|
|
| |
In lugnet.trains, Joe Strout wrote:
> In lugnet.trains, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
>
> > New users would be well advised to look into TrackDraw instead... way more
> > features, extensible menus, and the format is XML rather than obscure opaque
> > object dumps that can't be imported by anything else.
>
> Both seem to work only on Windows though. Pity it wasn't written in REALbasic;
> then I could just bug the author to click the "Mac OS" and "Linux" checkboxes.
> :)
>
> Does anyone happen to know of anything available for the Mac?
>
> Thanks,
> - Joe
>
> P.S. It doesn't seem off-topic to me -- presumably using an app like this would
> really help you plan a layout where the diagonals line up properly.
The link I sent is the program I used to work out the diagonal and other layout
designs. I have not used the one LAR recommended but will try it out now. As far
as other programs I could not say, but you can all ways search Lugnet's
newgroups for more info on MAC's. Do you have virtual pc on your mac? if so then
you could use the wimdows version. That's all I know on MAC's. Sorry
Gallagher
|
|
| |
In lugnet.trains, Mike Gallagher wrote:
> In lugnet.trains, Joe Strout wrote:
> >
> > <snip>
> >
> > P.S. It doesn't seem off-topic to me -- presumably using an app like this would
> > really help you plan a layout where the diagonals line up properly.
>
> The link I sent is the program I used to work out the diagonal and other
> layout designs.
>
> <snip>
>
> Gallagher
Having done a few experiments with real track, I used Excel to tell me whether
particular combinations of track pieces would line up. Since the spreadsheet
can do it, I used accurate figures for the track geometry.
I then made tables of each family of curves and double bends, in order to see
which configurations worked best to make multiples of 8 or 16 studs in each
direction.
I defined the following nomenclature for double bends:
A = One curve plus one reverse curve.
A+n = One curve + n straights + one reverse curve.
B = Two curves plus two reverse curves.
B+a,b,c = One curve + a straights + one curve + b straights + one reverse curve
+ c straights + one reverse curve.
C = Three curves + three reverse curves.
C+a,b,c,d,e etc...
Combinations that work particularly well with whole or half multiples of 16
studs are:
A+12 13L x 5W
B+0,0,0 3.5L x 1.5W (use in pairs)
(used in 7777 railway ideas book track plan A)
B+0,5,0 7L x 5W
B+1,1,1 6L x 3W
C+1,1,3,1,1 9L x 8W
C+1,2,2,2,1 10L x 8.5W (use in pairs)
C+2,1,1,1,2 10L x 7W
C+2,2,5,2,2 13L x 12W
For curves I used three numbers a,b,c to define the number of straights between
each of the four curves in a 90 degree corner. Each set of a,b,c became a table
of curves, with successive rows incrementing a,b,and c by 1. Adding a straight
at each angle together in this way adds 32.219 studs to both the length and the
width of the corner. Given the actual size of the corner, the 0.219 studs is a
very small percentage, so it can be ignored because the track is slightly
flexible. I regularly use curves of 1,1,1 and 2,2,2 for 8mm scale trains, since
they represent 80ft and 120ft radius curves respectively.
My tables have not identified any corners with a,b and c different that line up
well on both straight sides, thoguh there are some that line up with the whole
multiple of 16 studs on one side and a half multiple on the other side,
permitting them to work in combination with a double bend such as C+1,2,2,2,1.
Mark
|
|
|
