I want to introduce my freeware layout design program, called SCARM, which you can download and test from www.scarm.info/index_en.html. It has lightweight and intuitive user interface, 3D view, more than 25 track-system libraries and many other cool functions and features.
I will appreciate any comments concerning SCARM here or by email – scarm at scarm dot info.
I was not sure where to post this topic, so I do it here - please excuse me if I'm violating some of the forum rules.
The most important new features are Print and Print preview mode for WYSIWYG layout printouts. Now SCARM holds more than 40 libraries with different scales and track systems.
I see Lionel O27 on your list, but not O track. This begs the question, do you handle O31 switches and crossings, etc.? How do you handle stuff like the projections of the switch motor on an O22 switch?
@gunrunnerjohn: The main Lionel O library file is under development and will be available soon. As for point motors and other accessories – they will be included if possible (I will check them). For example – see electromagnetic point switches in Tillig BTTB library.
@kretinus: At the moment, all tolerances are set to 1mm max, because I need to verify various track systems geometry. Try some Atlas library and see it. In some of the next versions I will add an option in the Settings for user defined length and angle tolerances.
I'll echo that that inability of other track layout softwar to include the projections of the control assembly on tradition Lionel switches like O22's is a major shortcoming. In planning a layout, the spacial impact of these control assemblies on track-to-track proximity is very significant. If any track layout software is simply blind to their existance, then the software's usefulness is limited.
That said, consider that a polite suggestion to add to your future development list.
Many thanks for offering info on your software here at the Forum.
OK. I will check Lionel catalogues for pictures and dimensions of control units and how and where they are assembled. If you also have some pics/links, please post them here.
022 switches can be assembled with the motor on either side. The motor is about 4.5" long and 2" wide. The straight and curve part of the switch is exactly the same size as standard O31 track. Here are some pictures to illustrate that.
The first two pictures show the two configurations the 022 (and later variants of the tubular track O31 switches) can use. The third picture simply illustrates that the two paths on the switch are the same size as standard O31 track.
Pictures are clear and detailed. Now is midnight here so I am going to sleep, but tomorrow I will try to map the pics to track library file. Hope that Lionel O lib will be ready and tested till end of the week
OK, here is preliminary Lionel-O library file: http://www.scarm.info/temp/Lionel-O-tmp.zip. Download and extract it from archive, then copy .lib file into LIB folder of SCARM. Start the program and select Lionel-O from the libraries dropdown menu. At the moment, all tracks are labeled with their part numbers and only 14062 and 14063 turnouts have attachable accessories enabled. Select one of these turnouts with buttons from the selection panel to place on the plot – a dialog with possible accessories will appear. Select the switching motor (left or right) and press OK. This is the way how track accessories are realized in SCARM. Unfortunately, the Lionel catalog has no dimensions of these things at all, so I will ask you to tell me other possible switching motors dimensions and offsets in order to be able to put them in the library file, as marked on the picture. Offsets are horizontal and vertical dimensions from start of center rail to nearest corner of the motor. Try the lib and tell me – am I close or not?
Mixy,
I would have to say that most of us in the U.S. are oblivious of the metric system is there any easy way to convert the track to SAE (Inches and feet) measurements?
I checked the SCARM web site 2 minutes ago and it is up and working well. May be it is a temporary problem or something in the route. Check it again and tell me if the problem persists.
@NIMT.COM: Open "Tools" > "Settings" > "Measurement units" tab and select inches to be default dimension unit
See also FAQ section in the site or in build-in documentation (F1) – it takes 10 minutes of reading, but explains a lot for SCARM features, tips and tricks
Mixy,
Excellent, thank you
From a business point of view you might want to add in an US flag, English, with the dimensions defaulted to inches.
Oh and atlas code 100 track too! A lot of us still use it.
Still no joy for some reason. I can do a tracert to it, but when I ping it, I get timeouts. The odd thing is I got a couple of responses, then nothing.
I did get to it with a proxy server, but I can't download using that proxy. I'll wait to see if this gets sorted out.
OK, here is the lib attached, but for the program package, the forum says that it is over maximum file size limit and cannot be attached. See my PM to you.
Here is the other type of O31 switch I spoke of. This one is an interesting switch, it's a compact version that can be used in switch yards, or expanded with the included add-on sections to the dimensions of a standard O31 switch like the 022. Let me know if these pictures are sufficient.
I got the ruler backwards, but you can see the switch is 5.5" wide here, including the lantern section.
Note the straight section is just over 8" long without the extension, with it, it's the standard 10" length of an O31 straight track.
This curve extension makes the curve the standard 11" length of an O31 curve.
Here's a measurement straight across the curve without the extension.
Here's the switch with both extensions installed. This makes the track part the same size as the 022 switch, obviously the lantern section is still different.
Here is one of the interesting parts about this switch, and one that I plan on probably using in my switch yard. you can cut off the lantern section totally, all you lose is the indication of switch position. Since you also get that remotely from the control switch, that's not much of a loss. Cutting this off and also using the short curve section allows you to have closely spaced tracks for a switch yard.
You're missing the point, there seems to be a routing issue between my ISP and his site.
I tried that. Now the old link is working, Verizon must have gotten off the dime.
@gunrunnerjohn: The pics are OK, but I will see them tomorrow, because here is 1 hour past midnight and I am going to sleep, again
Please tell me some link from where I can see the names and part numbers of Lionel together, because in Lionel’s catalogue that I have, there are only part numbers of the tracks and I am unable to associate them with names that you are talking about.
Mixy
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