XTrackCAD User Survey

In planning for the next release of XTrackCAD, it would be helpful to have some gauge of the usage distribution.

Please answer the survey as appropriate to you. Multiple entries are OK.

NOTE: If you see this same survey in other forums, PLEASE ONLY RESPOND ONCE!!!

I'm aggregating all the poll results and don't want multiple responses from a single user to skew things.

And just to clarify that: If you use it on two platforms, you can answer for both platforms. Just don't respond to the survey both here AND the XTrackCAD Yahoo grop or NSN or somewhere else!

 

Can't figure any of them out. Make them easy to use!

 

I use the Unitrack library exclusively for quick efficient designing in Xtrkcad. I can tweak the track center line later on when plotting and laying flex track. But my request is to keep the selected 'drop' ability enabled after an undo command.

Currently, every time I miss an alignment and drop the section, if I hit Ctrl+z, I have to go back up and reselect my track section before re-dropping it into place.

I think that's it for me, but if I think of something else I'll let you know.


By the way, thanks for taking over the project and keeping XtrkCad alive!

 

As a newb who purchased one of the other cad systems even after trying all the free online systems I would suggest "Keep It Simple". I am using paper and pencil to come up with some plans for my future layout.
I have a cad program to design houses with that is over 10 years old and it's a piece of cake compared to any of the train programs.
Drop and drag, stretch to connect with minimal library that just has turnouts and radius turns in it. I don't care about 3D or trees or buildings or multiple brands of track. Just to be able to drop track on a flat surface and move/delete pieces of it with out multiple keystrokes or going through layers would be so nice.
I want to be able lay out my space available for track then start dropping and moving track around. Just click and move it, not hold ctrl + h or any other combination of keys, opening this window then close that window.......... arrrgggggh:tb-mad:.
K.I.S.S. it is the way to go from my newb perspective. The purchase was just a waste of money for me. Just going through a bit of paper right now.

 

While I don't recommend it it for most folks I use "MS Paint" that comes with Windows. This is very close to scale:


It requires a level of "expertise" and really works best with Kato Unitrak where you will "design on the go".

 

I use XTrkCAD on Linux.

Here's part of a layout I'm working on. One of the yard throats is shown.

It's far from complete.

 

I haven't been successful in getting XtrckCad to work on my Mac, so I haven't been using it at home. I haven't been successful in figuring out how I am supposed to get it working, either. Is it easier, now?

 

We're working on some significant changes to the Mac version (which is really the Linux version running on the Mac X-window server). Possibly to include a Native Mac application which would certainly install and run much easier.

It's not ready for prime time yet, though.


If you have some specific problems you seem to be running into, PM me and I'll try to help. I've gotten it working on 3 Macs so far. There's usually just one or two little things you have to do to get it going.

 

I voted
1) windows as I currently do
2) Linux, because if it will run there I will run it. I am only a few days (I hope) from getting the last of my work programs to run on Linux allowing me to dump windows completely.

 

From someone who also develops and plans layouts for people as a hobby within the hobby, I have found that this software, for me is the best!:thumbs_up: What I would have to do on many a sheet of paper, slow replies via mail to suggestions, and showing plan development, this is the most flexible and easiest to use software.

I have used XtrkCad since it was first offered as freeware from Sillub, and had to be registered. I have tried the other well known programs, and even have originals of them given to me by friends who couldn't figure them out. I have currently 3rd Plan-it, Cadrail, and even Atlas RTS. I have found that XtrkCad beats them all.

I tend to develop the trackplans using Layer 1 for basic benchwork, Layer 2 for "side views" and benchwork bracing, Layer 3 is Electrical, and then actual plan starting on Layer 4. Depending on the plan I sometimes will use up to 10-12 Layers defining everything to the client, so he can then take the plan, with the list of materials that the software can provide and buy the stuff and then build the layout. I especially like the ability to design and save as a separate parameter files turnouts but also buildings and other structures not in other parameter files. I also love the ability to go into "profile", set the heights and grades, then print it so it can be seen. Setting these parameters here is a lot easier than using the height tool, IMHO. I also, at completion of a plan, will send a complete CD of the plan, with everything set so he can even run trains on the plans, while building his "dream".

Only suggestions would be to put the tutorials back with the demos as they were when I first started using the program, instead of being in a separate wiki as now.
I spent about 30 minutes working in the tutorials then, and for lack of a better term, the "Lights came on", and since then its the easiest to use and customize software there is.
Eventually you could give it a 3D view, but I have had little use for it. Also, why not add some steamers into the engine parameters. Nothing really big, but some switchers up to an articulated 2-8-8-2?

Sorry for the longwinded reply, but as you can tell, I'm very pleased with XtrkCad.
To show you what I mean, here is just the main level of my personal layout. Except for an interchange shown that I left out on purpose, the layout currently exists as drawn. There are two more levels to my layout, one below the main level which is staging, and one above which is still to be built.

 

I am very happy with XTrackCAD. Also very happy that you have stepped up to insure the continued development of the product. Don't sacrifice capabilities for simplicity. The product is at a good balance of functionality and capability. Remember complainers and nitpickers tend to speak out were the vast majority of happy users are content to say nothing. The idea of limiting track to a few pieces that one individual likes and not include the actual variety of choices available appears to be pretty self centered. You certainly cannot design a finished product with that limitation. Maybe an XTrackLITE version would apply their.

My wish list would be that Manufactures would keep their structure files more current and that we had a means to delete individual items out of the HOT Pick BAR.

I am a newbie to this hobby but picked up on how to use this product over a four or five night period. The tutorials were very helpful. I can't imagine sketching freehand and from that coming up with an accurate parts list, structures footprints with track configured accurately enough to expect it to go together on the first try. I have experienced great results building my XTrackCAD layout. Again, I thank you for stepping up and assuring the future of this great product.

Vern

 

I have been a 3rdPlanit user for a while, but since I recently retired my last Windows machine I've switched over to XTrackCAD on my MacBook and I'm very happy with it.

One feature of 3rdPlanit that I miss is (of course) 3d visualization, but I've read on the Wiki that it might be possible to export XTrackCAD data to a rail3d package,

http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/ModellingIn3D

Has anyone had success with this (on a Mac or otherwise)?

One potential bug I've noted is the minimum radius specification. It won't persist from one session to the next: it always reverts to 9.75" (in N scale) every time I restart. Is there a sticky attribute that needs to be applied?

Here's a very quick snap of where my new Tehachapi plan stands:



I'll start a separate thread to solicit feedback from the experts when I can put together enough detail to properly explain the plan.

Thanks to all who have contributed to this freeware!

-Gary

 

Thanks for the feedback, Gary!

I've not noticed that problem before... perhaps because I haven't changed the minimum radius.

Would you mind popping over to the website The XTrackCAD Wiki: About XTrackCAD and submitting a bug report on that issue? That will help us track it and see what can be done.

Thanks!

 

Very Happy Customer

I used to do my trackplanning with pencil and graph paper, then I tried RTS. Very frustrating experience. Then, while looking around for layout ideas, I noticed that a trackplan I liked was built in XTrackCad. Gave it a try, had a slight learning curve, but kept at it (especially since it was Linux-friendly! BIG PLUS!!). Now I fly through it. AMAZING! Some notes though:

1. Help/tutorials is a little hard to navigate (and if I find some time, I'll help out with this!).
2. Noticed the minimum radius resetting issue above. Not sure what caused it to finally "take" and not reset though. I've got it installed on 3 different Linux systems so I'll have a look (I'm a coder by trade, btw).
3. FEATURE REQUEST: Can we see switches tied together? Like on a crossover? Also, it would help if I could right-click on switches to change them (hard to hold my 8-month-old and run trains with one hand).
4. If nobody else is working on this, I'll see about packaging this for Ubuntu for easier installation.

Thanks!:tb-biggrin:

p.s.- Here's my latest iteration of my upcoming layout:

PW&NJ Railroad
​

 

We'll take all the help we can get, PW&NJ!

That's a pretty sweet layout, too.

PM me an email address, and I'll get you in touch with our lead (only) programmer...

 

mmmmm, i've not had that problem, N scale also, wonder if there is some setting combination that causes the bug...

i've been using this for a few months and love it. once i sat down and really went through it, it became very intuative and you can slap track down faster than you probably should only problem i'm having, and i'm probably just not doing it correctly, is getting track to connect between levels. sometimes it takes awhile to get it to accept the connection point.
maybe this is in there and i haven't found it yet, but if you could hilite a section of track and tell it to move that to another level without disconnecting from the previous level, that would be slick.

thanks for all the work

 

Ok, done. Thanks for taking on the XTrackCAD project TwinDad. Very much appreciated.

Kursplat, it could be a setting combination, but I haven't found the right one yet. Fortunately, it's simple enough to reset it.

Cheers,
Gary

P.S. PW&NJ, was your scenery render done in XTC? I haven't delved into that yet, but it looks good.

 

Yep. 100% of what you see on the track plan was built using XTC. Only the text and logo were added afterwards.