Layout design software

[Darren Jeffries]

I have a question for all you veteran modellers..... Do you know if there is software available to design layouts?

 

My reason for asking is that my drawing skills leave A LOT to be desired!!! :-\

[Guest bill937ca]

I have heard there is but I don't have the specifics available.  To design my layout addition I used the Tomix 8007 Layout Stencil and drew the plan on graph paper.  Paper gives you a sense of what can be fitted into the space, although I found judging grades hard.

[Guest Bernard]

Wow, that is a big question because there are a lot of design companies that do this but here is one of the more popular ones:

 

http://www.sandiasoftware.com/

 

I, like Bill, did it the old fashion way, graph paper, compass, pencils and about 75 erasers. My drawing skills aren't great either put then neither are my computer skills. The guys at Trainboard have a lot of experience with the graphic design packages and will tell you the pros & cons of each one. I once found a German based company that gave a free download on their program. I found it searching the web.

[mr platts]

Hi all, I have used Atlas Freeware but must admit to prefer good old pencil & paper.

[Guest Superman]

SCARM (Simple Computer Aided Railway Modeller) is a free tool for designing layouts. I' used that and got excellent output.

[Mr Frosty]

I usually use XtrakCad for designing the track. Then take a large size screen grab and export into MS Paint for the scenery.

[baldylox]

Anyrail. Simple and easy to use

[cteno4]

Xtrakcad for the club layout stuff (using xwindows on the Mac) and rail modeler for my own stuff on the Mac. Rail modeler is quite nice for the Mac and reasonably priced.

 

http://www.railmodeller.com/

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[KenS]

I use Railmodeler as well.  The only problem with it is that the track libraries aren't maintained very well (newer track components may not show up for a year or two).  You can use the editor to make your own however. But if you do, be careful not to lose the changes in an upgrade (the library is inside the folder that gets replaced when you upgrade; not a very good design).

[Kabutoni]

Apart from the slow updates on the rail libraries, Railmodeller is indeed worth the small price. I use it myself quite often.

[cteno4]

the track library window is a bit clunky, even on a large screen. ive been meaning to go into the editor and see if anything can be done about it. but i find it great to play with ideas quickly. i find its usually easier to layout a bunch of the kinds of track ill be working with on my work area then just clone them as i need them rather than hunting them down in the track menu.

 

jeff

[nik_n_dad]

I'm on a Mac, so rail modeller has worked pretty well.  Tried empire express: not so much.

[Martijn Meerts]

Railmodeler is nice, I use it for most my stuff. I have to say though, I've come across some annoying bugs and performance issues now and then, and some features are lacklustre .. Especially designing with flex track can turn into a nightmare fast :)

 

The best, by far, is WinTrack. A Windows only program, but it allows you to basically do your entire layout including scenery, catenary, and even wiring. Best of all, it also checks the wiring to make sure everything's correct .. Unfortunately, it's pricey, and for some reason they insist on sending you a CD rather than have a downloadable version... (I know Windows is all about legacy device support and all, but come on ;))

[Guest Closed Account 1]

RailModeller is what im using on my Mac.

 

It's great to go back and modify a design. Create layers for multiple elevations and even colorized the tracks to match the colored wiring.

 

I like that I can export the layout as a jpg and track list as a plain text file and have it with me on the cloud for the iPhone.

 

Freebie version won't let you save your work. It's worth the $40.

 

I used this program to redesign the layout for the Tucson Toy Train Museum.

 

Using the parts list, I was able to determine how many variation kits were needed and how many individual track packages were required to prepare a proposal for funding.

[Ochanomizu]

AnyRail v5.3 is now available.  Some problems with double slip 1245 have been resolved.

[Mudkip Orange]

Do you know if there is software available to design layouts?

 

Yes, two of the most common layout design softwares are "Comet Cursor" and "Bonzi Buddy." If you search for these they are available as free downloads.

[Lawrence]

Another vote for SCARM from me too, Mixy - the guy who designed is a member of the forum I help run http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk and is great at helping out and welcomes feedback and ideas

[Dani]

I'm not a veteran, but I used WinTrack to design my layout, render, and print rib plans.

 

It worked perfect, but I don't know others.

 

Cheers,

Dani.