As much as possible, XTrkCad is designed to operate the same as pencil and paper: create tracks by simply dragging the mouse, place turnouts anywhere on existing tracks, use circles for initial design and create stall tracks by drawing from the turntable.
You don't have to be an expert CAD user to make the most of XTrkCad. You don't specify line lengths or angles, just draw.
XTrkCad deals with tracks as tracks, not line segments. Tracks are connected to each other and can be drawn showing end-points of turnouts and other components. As you zoom in, both rails are drawn.
On-line demonstrations show the actual operation of many of the program's features. Extensive help is available for all commands and operations.
You can place any number of Cars and Locomotives on your layout to check clearances, siding capacities and track layout. Also, you can animate Trains to simulate operations and switching on your layout. But be carefull you don't crash your train!
The Car Inventory dialog records your cars and locomotives.
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 End-Point, creating new straight or curved segments.
Track circles are especially handy for determining overall designs and seeing what will fit in a given area.
The Parallel command easily creates new straight or curved tracks, laying out yards and sidings in a few easy steps.
The Join command links any two tracks (straight, curved, Turnouts or Turntables) with accurate aligned connecting track segments. The connected tracks are trimed or extended as required.
The Helix Track command computes the number of turns, radius, grade and vertical separation to based on your criteria.
The Turnout Hot Bar contains a scrolling list of available Turnouts, Sectional Tracks and Structures in the current Scale. Simply click on one and drag it on the layout.
As Turnouts are dragged over existing tracks they are automatically aligned. XTrkCad searchs for any other tracks that align with each of the Turnout's End-Points, 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 End-Point 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 are an important feature for designing layouts of any complexity. Use one layer for the main-line and others for staging tracks, benchwork or scenery. Multilevel designs can have groups of layers for each level.
XTrkCad allows up to 99 layers and the first 20 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.
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 finialized.
Elevations is one of the most powerful features of XTrkCad.
Traditional layout designs (such as published in magazines) show the elevations at selected spots on the layout. They may also show grades between elevations.
XTrkCad lets you define the elevation of any End-Point on the layout. You can also have XTrkCad automatically compute the elevation and grade between defined elevation points. You can define the elevation at the botton and top of a sloped track, then have XTrkCad 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 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!
XTrkCad 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!
Printing is an important part of a layout design program, and XTrkCad has a flexible Print command to get your design onto the layout.
Printing is used for many purposes:
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.
XTrkCad 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.
Layout designs are more than track!
The XTrkCad Draw command is used to draw lines (straight, curved and circles) and shapes (filled boxes, circles and polygons). These can be different colors and lines can have different widths. These are useful for drawing scenic features (rivers, bridges, mountains).
You can add Benchwork 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 drawn on the layout too.
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.
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. XTrkCad will compute the price of each types and the grand total. The total number of flex-track sections is also listed.
Numerous Sectional Track Parameter Files are included with XTrkCad (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.
XTrkCad has many other carefully chosen features: