XTrakCad and other Track Planning Programs

[Trucklover]

How about we get the link for the XTrakCad program on the New Big Blue? Someone got the link to where one can download it?

Also, if you got any other programs that you would like to share with us, post em here for others to try out and use for layout planning

[Trucklover]

Ill Start by posting the track planning program is use

Only downside for PC users though is that it is a MAC OS exclusive program lol

http://www.haddonsoftware.com/emexinfo.html

Its called Empire Express (EE for short) and its a very nice program and has a very easy leaning curve. I would recommend it to anyone who is on a MAC and wants a in-expensive track planning program. The Program is $34.95 for the full license and has full access plus free downloads when new versions come out i believe.

EE provides a nice clean drawling, and is similar to how Model Railroader trackplans look

[steinjr]

Here is the home page for the XtrakCad program:
http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/HomePage

Yahoo XtrakCad forum:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/XTrkCad/

Anyone new to XtrakCad - it is a pretty nice program, but do run the tutorial. You will be frustrated and curse the program if you don't do the tutorial, and learn how to do the things you want to do in the XtrakCad way - and the XtrakCad way is sometime counter-intuitive if you just jump into the program. And don't ask me how I know this ...

Smile,
Stein

[Trucklover]

3rd Plan-It is another track planning program i have heard mostly very good things about. I dont have any first hand experience with the program (im on a Mac but this was the program i would have bought if i did not get a Mac and instead another PC lol)

Here is the web site for it:

http://www.eldoradosoft.com/

And the 3rd Plan-It Yahoo Group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/3rdPlanIt

[shortliner]

There is a very good tutorial (far better than the one that is built in) on the XTrkCad yahoo group but you will need to join to access it from their files. It is also available here <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=35059">http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=35059</a><!-- m -->. It was available from another site originally - but that site is long gone. It will answer most, if not all your questions. If you have a problem with the program I will try to help - can't promise I know everything!