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# 1.1 Why Choose XTrackCAD

Why Choose XTrackCAD

Easy to use

XTrackCAD was designed to operate in a similar way to pencil and paper: You can draw tracks by dragging the mouse, you select and place turnout "templates" anywhere on existing tracks, and you can use fixed radii for initial design.

But extra capabilities have been added that give more power by using Flex-tracks (Cornu) you have tracks that automatically redraw as you drag turnouts around, creating smooth curves, you can zoom in and out, and of course, undo and deleting tracks are easier!

You don't have to be an expert CAD user to make the most of XTrackCAD but the program will ensure that dimensions, radii and angles are accurate.

You don't have to specify line lengths or angles and just draw. But if you want to be more precise, you can enter precise dimensions both in real-world and scale sizes.

XTrackCAD is a specialized CAD for railway modelling, it deals with tracks as tracks, not as line segments. Tracks are connected correctly to each other and with endpoints of turnouts and other components.

As you zoom in, the two rails are drawn and then ties are added.

Free

Thanks to the generosity of Dave Bullis, who wrote the progam, and the active help of open-source volunteers, XTrackCAD is free to own and use. You can even take up the cudgels and help!

Available Help

On-line demonstrations show the actual operation of many of the program's features. Extensive help is available for all commands and operations. There are communities of users and developers who can answer quaestions.

Packed with features

XTrackCAD is designed from the ground up to be a complete tool for many aspects of Model Railroad layout design.

Active UI Prompting
  As the mouse moves over the layout objects, a set of different anchors are shown to indicate what is possible in each command with each modifier key if clicked or double clicked at that location.

Train Simulation and Car Inventory
  Any number of Cars and Locomotives can be placed on your layout to check clearances, siding capacities and track layout. Trains can be animated to simulate operations and switching on your layout.

  The Car Inventory dialog records your cars and locomotives and these can be exported and imported from spreadsheets.

Track Manipulation
  Track segments can be lengthened or shortened by simple click and drag. Tangents to a curve are created by dragging away from the curve. Tracks are extended by dragging from an Endpoint, creating new straight or curved segments. New tracks can be snapped into place or precisely placed and then Joined.

  Track circles are especially handy for determining overall designs and seeing what will fit in a given area.

  The Cornu flex-track features create dynamically variable tracks that optimise the curvature of tracks to ensure a protypical appearance. They alter as the other tracks are moved just as flex-track will in the 12 inches to the foot world!

  The Parallel command easily creates new straight or curved tracks, laying out yards and sidings in a few easy steps. Accurate platforms can be created with the Parallel Lines command followed by the Join Lines command.

  The Join command links any two tracks (Straights, Curves, Turnouts or Turntables) with accurate aligned connecting track segments which can be easements including Cornu easements. The connected tracks are trimmed or extended as required.

  The Helix Track command computes the number of turns, radius, grade and vertical separation based on your criteria.

  Turntables can be constructed with any radius and can either have fixed or dynamic bay tracks

Turnout Select and Placement
  The Turnout Hot Bar contains a scrolling list of Turnouts, Sectional Tracks and Structures available in the current Scale. Simply click on one and click again drop it onto the layout.

  As Turnouts are dragged over existing tracks they are automatically aligned. XTrackCAD searches for any other tracks that align with each of the Turnout's Endpoints, and shows you the number of connections that will be made and the maximum offset as you position the Turnout. Just adjust the Turnout's position to minimize the offset to ensure the best fit.

  When a turnout is placed, each Endpoint is examined to see if it aligned to an existing track. If so, the track is split to create a perfect connection to the turnout. Placing Turnouts is a 'snap'.

Layers
  Layers are an important feature for manageing the design for layouts of any complexity. Use one layer for the main-line and others for staging tracks, Bench-work or scenery. Multilevel designs can have groups of layers for each level.

  XTrackCAD allows up to 99 layers layers can have their own button to control visibility. Each layer can have a name which is displayed as the balloon help for the layer button.

  Modular Layout assembly is supported with Modular Layers which ensure thier contents are moved as a set.

  Tracks and other objects can be colored according to which layer they are in. Also, each layer can be frozen to prevent accidental changes to parts of the layout that are finalized.

Elevations and Profile
  Elevations are one of the most powerful features of XTrackCAD they are dynamically recalulated as the layout changes.

  Traditional layout designs (such as published in magazines) show elevations at selected spots on the layout. They may also show grades between elevations. These can be input into XtrkCAD.

  XTrackCAD lets you define the elevation of any Endpoint on the layout. You can also have XTrackCAD automatically compute the elevation and grade between defined elevation points. You can define the elevation at the bottom and top of a sloped track, then have XTrackCAD compute the elevation at each riser position between.

  Once you have defined a few elevations, you can display the Elevation Profile for the layout along a path of connected track segments. The Profile display shows the length of the track, the elevation of each defined elevation point and the grades between them. You can even adjust the elevations directly on the Profile display.

Easements (Cornu Transition Curves)
  Easements are special sections of gradually curving track used to connect straight and curved tracks (or two curved tracks). Easements reduce the effects of sudden changes in track curves which can cause derailments. They also look great!

  XTrackCAD can use Easements anytime the radius of the track changes. The Modify and Join commands will automatically insert Easement Track segments whenever needed. Each Easement is computed based on the radius of the neighboring tracks. You don't even have to think about it!

Flexible and Powerful Printing
  Printing is an important part of a layout design program, and XTrackCAD has a flexible Print command to get your design onto the layout.

  Printing is used for many purposes:
  - A snapshot of the whole layout.
  - Detailed closeups to examine areas of complicated track work.
  - Full 1:1 for direct transfer to the layout.

  The Print command lets you scale the printout from a one page overall view (with the handy Snap-Shot button) right up to full size 1:1.

  Multiple page printouts are easy to do. A gird representing each page is drawn over the layout and you can click on the pages you want to print. The gird can be moved and rotated to any position so the orientation of the printout matches your layout. Pages can be printed in Portrait or Landscape format.

  At 1:1, registration marks can be printed every 3" (or 10cm) to help align different sets of printouts. Also, the roadbed outline can be drawn at a user-specified width to assist cutting the roadbed from sheet material.

Turnout and Structure Creation
  XTrackCAD comes with Turnout, Sectional Track and Structure Parameter Files for many brands of tracks and accessories. However, your brand may not supplied. The Turnout Designer dialogs and the Group command make it easy to add your own custom definitions.

  The Turnout Editor has separate screens for designing Turnouts (Regular, Curved, Wye and 3-way), Crossings, Slip-switch, Crossovers and Sectional Track. In each dialog a few measurements are required to create a new definition. Full size printouts can be made directly from the dialog to check your design.

  The Group command can create Structure definitions from selected tracks, lines and shapes. You can make structures as simple as a rectangle or highly detailed. You can also modify existing designs to add details or make adjustments.

Lines, Shapes, Table Edges, Text and Notes
  Layout designs are more than track!

  The XTrackCAD Draw command is used to draw lines (straight, curved and circles) and shapes (filled boxes, circles, polylines and polygons). These can be different colors and lines can have different widths. The Polylines and Polygons can have curved sides. These are useful for drawing scenic features (rivers, bridges, mountains).

  You can add Bench-work and dimension lines too.

  Special types of lines are drawn by the Table Edge command are used to represent the boundary at the edge of the layout.

  Text can be added to the layout.

  Notes can be attached to particular spots on the layout. When selected they can display special information about that part of the layout, such as prototype features, construction details or operation notes. This includes URL links to files on the Internet.

Parts and Price Lists
  The Parts List command generates a list of the number of the different types of Turnouts, Sectional Track and Structures selected on the layout. You can select everything or just the areas you are working on. As well, the total length of flex-track (for each track scale/gauge used on the layout) is listed.

  You can enter the price of each type of Turnout, Sectional Track and Structure, plus the length and price of flex-track. XTrackCAD will compute the price of each types and the grand total. The total number of flex-track sections is also listed.

Support for Sectional Track
  Numerous Sectional Track Parameter Files are included with XTrackCAD (Atlas, Marklin, Peco, ...). The Hot Bar allows easy selection.

  The automatic alignment feature of Turnout and Sectional Track placements makes track pieces just 'snap' together.

  The Connect Track command adjusts Sectional Track to smooth out the slight gaps that can arise when working with Sectional Track.

Refer to Section 1.2 and Section 1.3 for a listing of XTrackCAD features.