4/16/2023 0 Comments Railmodeller pro downloadThat said, the layering and 3D modeling capabilities of RailModeller are a bit more than I need at the moment, although they’re really nice features if you have terrain to represent and I think I may revisit RailModeller in the not-too-distant future. There are some feature gaps that I would like to see addressed-for example, you can’t lock your benchwork down so you don’t accidentally move it when you miss clicking on a track element, and you can only represent track as centerlines rather than as a pair of rails (which makes it tricky to estimate proximity, visualize the location of switch points, and place trackside structures with just the right amount of clearance). ![]() Empire Express is definitely sufficient for most general layout planning. On features alone, XTrackCAD would be my first choice if it were stable and user-friendly. I also like that XTrackCAD allows you to display the track as a centerline, rails, or rails and ties, which is kind of nice. I found this feature to be super-helpful in screening designs for viability-e.g., is that runaround going to be long enough, does this arrangement of facing and trailing point switches lend itself to realistic operations, etc. XTrackCAD is probably the most comprehensive for me, one of its most useful features is the ability to conduct simulated operations on the layout you design. RailModeller is also Mac-centric and well-designed, though, with nice YouTube tutorials and a robust manual.įEATURES All three packages are drag-and-drop editors with adequate components libraries (track, scenic elements, etc.) and all the essential functionalities (snapping components together, parts list generation, etc.). I found Empire Express to be at the opposite end of the spectrum: it’s built specifically for Mac, and its features and tools are very intuitive, familiar, and easy for Mac users to learn.Įmpire Express doesn’t seem to have quite as many bells and whistles as Rail Modeller, but assuming it meets your needs, it may be a bit quicker to learn and get up and running. However, it also seems to have the most robust and technically-oriented user community, including a Yahoo group where you can turn for answers to any questions you encounter. But wait, there's even more: A comprehensive collection of slot car systems is included in our app as well. The track systems for many popular model railroad brands and model scales. It has some weird (to me) workflows about it that can necessitate a bit of Googling and practice to figure out and get used to.Ĭreate model railroad and slot car layouts on the Mac. LEARNING CURVE AND SUPPORT In my opinion, XTrackCAD has the steepest learning curve and the most quirks of the three products I tested. I do hope that the dedicated XTrackCAD team is able to eventually produce a package that Mac users can reliably implement, as the product has great potential. I love open-source software in principle, but assuming your hobby is trains and not software development, I regret that I can’t recommend XTrackCAD in its current incarnation. I also found the program to have crashing and freezing problems, and over time it introduced random artifacts that I couldn’t get rid ofa very strange bug indeed. XTrackCAD takes some bizarre file management gyrations to get it to even start up on the Mac these really shouldn’t be necessary. While I haven’t used RailModeller much and can’t really comment on its stability, I’ve found Empire Express to be very stable with no reliability concerns. INSTALLATION AND STABILITY Both RailModeller and Empire Express were a breeze to install. I suspect that all three of them were developed by small enterprises, and I commend each vendor’s commitment to put a quality product on the market. Before getting into the critique, I want to express appreciation for the fact that all of these products reflect considerable investment and thought in their development. ![]() And I have no interests, financial or otherwise, in any of the products I’m about to discuss. By the way, I use a stock, three-year-old MacBook Pro running Mavericks. This summer, and I’m happy to share my impressions. Try Model Rail Track Planning Software For Mac Download. ![]()
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