model railroad track planning

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smf
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by smf » Thu Mar 19, 2015 10:48 pm

smf wrote:I will post here after having a fix.
Attached is version 96 which fixes Q-D for QCad later than 3.7.5.
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QCTrack_V96_DupMoveFix.zip
QCTrack version 96
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smf
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by smf » Mon Mar 23, 2015 8:39 pm

Attached is version 97 of QCTrack. Only "Reorder Objects" (Q-R) is updated: better button placement and two new buttons "top" and "bottom".
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QCTrack_V97_ReorderBetter.zip
QCTrack version 97
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smf
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by smf » Thu Mar 26, 2015 3:01 pm

Attached is QCTrack version 98. The former shortcut Q-P (Part List) is changed to Q-L, because there is a new :D work-in-progress-function "Duplicate parallel" which works (aka: should work) similar to "line parallel". Just start the script, enter the distance in the tool ui bar (or keep the default of 77.5 for Märklin C-Gleis) and select a track to duplicate in parallel. At the moment only straight tracks are supported, it's "not completely ready".

What do you think about the following questions:
  • Is the shortcut-renaming a No-Go?
  • Should curved tracks also be supported?
  • If so, would it make sense to support complex tracks, too?
Any feedback is appreciated, thanks in advance!
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QCTrack_V98_DupParallel.zip
QCTrack version 98
(79.6 KiB) Downloaded 1520 times

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Husky
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by Husky » Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:44 am

smf wrote:... work-in-progress-function "Duplicate parallel" which works (aka: should work) similar to "line parallel".
I can use it once for a "drawing session" but it will not work a second time in this drawing. Save/reopen the drawing will bring back the tool to live again .... once. :cry:
smf wrote: Is the shortcut-renaming a No-Go?
In my opinion has the answer to be: Yes and now! You should try to avoid a renaming of shortcuts but on the other hand this script is still in the development. Right now it shouldn't be a big deal but if you change the shortcuts again and again ...... that will upset the user.
smf wrote: Should curved tracks also be supported?
Sound interesting but honestly - I don't know how. I think you will challenge a lot of trouble with the unchangeable track radius and it will also create gaps between the tracks - or not?
smf wrote:If so, would it make sense to support complex tracks, too?
Interesting too but how will the tool decide which track in the complex has to be used for the parallel distance calculation?
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smf
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by smf » Fri Mar 27, 2015 9:47 am

Husky wrote:
smf wrote:... work-in-progress-function "Duplicate parallel" which works (aka: should work) similar to "line parallel".
I can use it once for a "drawing session" but it will not work a second time in this drawing. Save/reopen the drawing will bring back the tool to live again .... once. :cry:
That's bad. :( In my tests, it worked multiple times at multiple tracks - perhaps you could send me (via PN?) your plan?
Husky wrote:
smf wrote: Is the shortcut-renaming a No-Go?
In my opinion has the answer to be: Yes and now! You should try to avoid a renaming of shortcuts but on the other hand this script is still in the development. Right now it shouldn't be a big deal but if you change the shortcuts again and again ...... that will upset the user.
Yes, that's what I thought. I try to keep the shortcuts, but this time I think it really makes sense for a change. I have no idea how big the QCTrack-cummunity :wink: already is.
Husky wrote:
smf wrote: Should curved tracks also be supported?
Sound interesting but honestly - I don't know how. I think you will challenge a lot of trouble with the unchangeable track radius and it will also create gaps between the tracks - or not?
In a first step I thought of just moving the original curve, and in a second step I would search for a curve with same angle and distance-adopting radius.
Husky wrote:
smf wrote:If so, would it make sense to support complex tracks, too?
Interesting too but how will the tool decide which track in the complex has to be used for the parallel distance calculation?
That's exactly the point I was thinking of. At the moment I use the MID-entity, so after having working curves it should be not that difficult to offer a way to duplicate in each "driving way" direction.

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Husky
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by Husky » Fri Mar 27, 2015 9:00 pm

smf wrote:In my tests, it worked multiple times at multiple tracks - perhaps you could send me (via PN?) your plan?
I used your "example.dxf" plan. If I start the "Duplicate parallel .." script the first time I'm able to duplicate unlimited times/ unlimited track. If I switch to an other function and then go back to the "Duplicate parallel .." the script will ask me "Select track to duplicate" but I can't select a track and also the distance option in the toolbar is missing.
Husky-2015.03.27-01.png
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by smf » Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:46 pm

Thanks :) for the report. I can reproduce this problem, I'll try to fix it as soon as possible (hopefully :oops: Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday).

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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by smf » Mon Mar 30, 2015 9:40 am

Attached is QCTRack version 99 with (hopefully) working DupParralel. This again was some kind of "script runs in another environment" thing which I don't :? understand, but now it works. :) Complex and curved tracks can not be duplicated (wisely); this would require deep track analysis like in TrackWidget and has very limited use, so in my opinion it is not worth the effort. As far as I can see, Husky doubts this, too, and there is no contrary post here so far. :D

Husky, could you please update the ready-to-work-section? :) Thank you! :)
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QCTrack_V99_DupParFix.zip
QCTrack version 99
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Husky
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by Husky » Mon Mar 30, 2015 6:06 pm

smf wrote:Husky, could you please update the ready-to-work-section? :)
Done! :D
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by smf » Mon Apr 20, 2015 4:42 am

Attached is QCTrack version 100 which fixes the min/max-position in Variegate/FillStraight-result dialog and initializes the default maximum track element count to 16 (instead of infinity).

@Husky, could you please update the ready-to-work-section? Thank you. :)
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QCTrack_V100_VariegateBeauty.zip
QCTrack version 100
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smf
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by smf » Wed Sep 02, 2015 8:04 am

Attached is QCTrack version 101 which adds a new option at "select connected tracks". Activating this option in the dialog, the selection process will stop at turnouts (very useful to remove all tracks between two turnouts).

@Husky, could you please update the ready-to-work-section? Thank you. :)
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QCTrack_V101_SelectStopTurn.zip
QCTrack version 101
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smf
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by smf » Fri Sep 18, 2015 6:21 pm

Attached is an update of the MaerklinC library ("Märklin C-Gleis") with the brand new :) R3-curved-turnout.

@Husky, could you please update the ready-to-work-section? Thank you. :)
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MaerklinC.dxf
Maerklin C-Gleis
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Husky
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by Husky » Fri Sep 18, 2015 7:34 pm

smf wrote:Attached is an update of the MaerklinC library ("Märklin C-Gleis") with the brand new :) R3-curved-turnout.

@Husky, could you please update the ready-to-work-section? Thank you. :)
Done! :wink:
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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by smf » Fri Sep 18, 2015 8:27 pm

Thanks again, Husky :)

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Re: model railroad track planning

Post by smf » Fri Jan 20, 2017 11:38 pm

Long time ago (there was my last post)... :D I'm still playing around with QCad and QCTrack, but it "just works", so there was no need for an update. But now attached is a basic library for Märklin H0 M-Gleis (the old metal one) which I was asked for. :)

@Husky: If you are still :D here: would you please add the library to the second post in the "ready thread" as "Märklin H0 M-Gleis"? Thank you!
viewtopic.php?f=109&t=3348
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MaerklinM.dxf
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