1. Home
  2. Model railroading in the UK
  3. Layout drawing software

Layout drawing software

Once you have your layout mapped out/designed/pinned down and points all wired up for DCC, is there any good software (free or commercial) that allows you to put this in the computer/PC and then mark up points/turnouts (and dcc accessory numbers), signals (and dcc numbers) etc. ?

Now my layout is done and before I add scenery etc, I want to knock up a diagram/plan of the layout and then mark on it the points/turnouts and which accessory number (for point changing) is which on the diagram so I have a hard copy reference. Short of making marker posts with the numbers on alongside each turnout/point.

I know hornby do a track designed for about £10, but its more dependant on the piece numbers and cost when building it. Are there any other alternatives?

Reply to
Chris King
Loading thread data ...

I'm using "Anyrail" at the moment, only had it a month or two but it meets my needs and it has a very easy learning curve. I don't do DCC but it does have the ability to add notes etc on th eplans so it will probably serve your purposes. Oh and there's a free try before you buy version.

formatting link

Reply to
Chris Wilson

XtrkCAD is free, runs on any operating system.

formatting link

>
Reply to
Robert Heller

+1 on xtrkcad
Reply to
ray

For layout design yes, but for a control panel I would do something more diagrammatic using something like GIMP

formatting link
.

MBQ

Reply to
manatbandq

xtrkcad does have available all of the bits and pieces to do a control panel.

If you are into a computer controlled layout (eg Chubb CMR/I), the Model Railroad System can do that.

Reply to
Robert Heller

Yes, I know. It also has quite a steep learning curve which is why I would not recommend it, unless the effort is useful to you for layout design as well.

MBQ

Reply to
manatbandq

In many ways, GIMP has just as steep a learning curve (and GIMP is really horrible for CAD work anyway -- great for things like designing CD labels or website artwork). I figured that once the OP figured out laying track with xtrkcad, it would be fairly simple to move onto designing the control panel(s)...

Reply to
Robert Heller

Anyrail is fantastic. Highly recomended

tp://

formatting link
Binaries for Linux and MS-Windows

Reply to
Darren

JMRI?

Reply to
Graham Harrison

GIMP's mainly better for photo and bitmap work, for doing line art and diagrams Inkscape is worth a look.

formatting link
- it's free.

Reply to
Graham Thurlwell

GIMP is an attempt to clone Photoshop functionality. It's spectacularly successful in doing so, especially in the "steep learning curve", which is code for "this is a textbook example of how to design the most user-hostile interface possible".

Wolf K.

Reply to
Wolf K

OTOH, a lot of what Photoshop is used for professionally can be pretty complex (probably much more than what we 'amatures' really need). I don't know if Photoshop has been suffering from the long term effects of 'creeping featurism' with the result being that it has 'the most user-hostile interface possible', which GIMP is trying its best to clone, warts and all.

Inkscape also has a somewhat user-hostile interface, probably because it is trying to clone Illustrator, which in turn probably suffers from 'creeping featurism' as well.

Reply to
Robert Heller

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.