Trax Editor

[VentureForth]

Ever try Traxeditor.com?

 

This is such an interesting enigma.  The website looks good, the YouTube tutorials are beyond professional with music and voice actors...

 

But the functionality is so weird.  It's all web based, but different browsers and different platforms react differently.  Beyond piecing together pieces, it's really hard to see or do much of anything else, and editing can be a pain.

 

BUT, unlike all these other "Free" editors which have eventually fallen into the pay to play abyss (Atlas, SACARM, etc), this one remains totally free.

 

Heck, even their online forum is flaky, so not a huge wonder why there's little activity.  He is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and just about every social medium you can imagine.  But all are skeletal.

 

I really want to encourage development, as there is is a LOT of potential here.

Edited December 6, 2018 by VentureForth

[kvp]

I just tried it. Well... let's say the track libraries are mostly bugged. They never heard about double track pieces or even double crossovers, the Tomix 3 way turnout has diagonally staggered rail ends and lot's of other not so nice bugs, like in case of the Kato double crossover, represented by a very very long right hand turnout. I think the authors never really read the track catalogs, just entered some measurements based on online info without even checking the look of the actual track pieces. The Peco code55 library is also unusable. It might get better but currently it's not usable even for the most simple tasks like making a double track oval with a lone crossover in it.

 

On the other hand it's an online webpage with an online track plan storage, so it's either there or not, free or not, works or not, depending on the state of the network, the website or the operators. Imho if the authors want to make it truely free, they should just open source it.

[VentureForth]

Yes.  Apparently the owner is Dutch and seems to be a lone programmer who wants this to be a premium product, but doesn't want to put his own time into it very much.  It is buggy, it's hard, it's finicky, but it works with the limited Tomix track like what I have, but I can't close a loop.  Even a basic "B" turnout set when modeled won't fully connect.

 

But, for free, it certainly has decent sand box qualities.

 

One of my favorite attributes is that, as a sand box, I can throw on all the track I have without a track quantity limit, and see how to piece what I have together.

Edited December 6, 2018 by VentureForth

[cteno4]

Venture,

 

thanks i I was wondering about it as you had tried to post some ideas using it and I looked at the system.

 

i do really worry with anything online that there are so many issues that can happen to kill the system as Kvp points out. I had hoped there was a basic track import/export function to help deal with this some to have off site storage in other formats if the trax system went poof and mark it a lot easier to bring things in from stuff you have already done in other systems. I realize the import/export would be a extremely complicated task and probably not viable, but if it’s an online system then I would want some way to backup as if the site went poof you are screwed...

 

i agree that if its going to be a free venture an open source approach is probably the best as it helps deal with the issues of fallen flags as well as allows a community of developers to work on it. Xtrakcad has been doing pretty well with its open source team. It’s powerful but it’s interface sucks and it’s a little funky with x windows on the Mac. But it’s hung in there thru ups and downs and enough development talent seems to keep with it.

 

I’ve been on the fence about remote software like this. I love the idea of being able to work on things on all the platforms easily w.o complex installs and upgrades, but it comes at a steep price of needing to have internet access and also the fear all your work is their hostage. Also watching the permutation nightmare now of browsers on all the platforms now is just getting crazy. Htlm5 helps but folks don’t always play well and follow the same rules between all the browser and os producers...

 

the issues with the lone programmer came up before with track planning software in the past.

 

thanks again,

 

jeff

[VentureForth]

Another thing about it being online is no software to download.  I can work on a layout at work, home, library on a Mac, PC, Android, etc.  But I agree - if the site goes "poof", my plan is done for.

 

He keeps asking for feedback, but his forum doesn't work.  I've tried to post to his Facebook page, but no response.

 

*sigh*