TrackDesigner by scideas software
scideas@iol.ie
http://www.iol.ie/~scideas/Software
Contents
What is TrackDesigner ?
Using TrackDesigner
1 Creating your Section Collection
2 Laying Track
3 Altering the Track
4 Traffic Lights
5 Lane Length Indicator
6 Saving and Loading
7 Using Classic Track
8 Notes on some Specific Sections
What is TrackDesigner ?
TrackDesigner allows you to design a Scalextric layout on your desktop. Using
drag and drop from user-defined section bins you can lay, remove and replace
sections of track to see what works. Main features include:
create your own bank of track sections using descriptions or Scalextric
codes
draggable section-type bins with number available indicator
use classic and sport track together
colour-coded lanes respond to any cross-over sections
change the direction of curves and side swipes
create bridges
drag and drop or centre the whole track
rotate it through 90 degrees clockwise or anti-clockwise
unlimited undo/redo
traffic lights and different engine sounds indicate how well the ends meet
simple graphic indicates whether or not lanes are of equal length
scaled vertical and horizontal axes show how much room your layout will need
total scaled track length displayed in km
metrics drawer revealing lane lengths, scaled up track length, start/end mis-match
and required area
save and load layouts
quick help menu showing key modifiers
Using TrackDesigner
1 Creating your Section Collection
Before you can lay any track you need to create your collection of
track sections.
Track Menu
Use the Edit Collection item to display the section collection editor.
Section Collection Editor
To add a section type simply select it from the Sections pop-up menu in the lower left corner; the section type will appear in the table.
Section type rows
These display name, code, number available, radius and angle or length as appropriate.
To change the number available simply double click in that field and enter the new value
Remove button
Highlight a row and click the Remove button to remove a section type from the row
Save button
Clicking this commits changes, closes the editor and updates the section bins
in the main window.
2 Laying Track
Drag sections from the bins at the top onto the TrackView area below. The first
section to be layed is always orientated towards the top of the view.
The default action is to snap the track to the end of the last section to be layed with curves aligned clockwise. This action may be modified as follows:
Lay curve in anti-clockwise direction - hold down the control key as you drag the section
Lay section before end of track - select a section within the track by clicking it; new section will be inserted after this section.
Selecting a section - click on it.
Selecting multiple sections - hold down the shift key whilst clicking sections.
Selecting all sections - hold down the Apple key.
Change direction of a curve - hold down the control key and click the section; all subsequent sections will be altered to match.
Removing sections - simply drag selected sections back to the bins view; there is no need to find the correct bin but this will be updated.
Clear current track - click the Clear button in the controls area at the top right corner of the window.
Creating a bridge - select the two sections at the start and end of the bridge and then click the Bridge button. The sections in between will be drawn above any track it crosses. The two selected sections will be coloured dark red and will be shortened to reflect the elevation. Note that this will affect how well the track completes. If you try to create a bridge without selecting exactly two sections you will hear a horn beep and no bridge will be created; you have to come down every time you go up !
To remove a bridge, highlight the two red sections and click the Bridge button again.
Moving the track - hold down the Apple key to select the whole track then drag and drop. You cannot move individual sections, except back to the bins.
Rotating the layout - use the two buttons at the bottom of the control area to rotate the layout by plus or minus 90 degrees; there is no need to select the layout first.
Scaling the layout - use the slider on the right of the control area to scale the layout view. The bins view is not affected.
4 Traffic Lights
These indicate how well your track completes.
Red light - track is incomplete.
Amber light - start and end meet to within the amber tolerance set in the preferences. When the amber light is switched to on you hear an engine being started.
Green light - start and end meet to within
the green tolerance set. When the green light is switched to on you hear the
sound of several racing cars screaming by.
5 Lane Length Indicator
To the left of the traffic lights is a box. When any track is layed the box
contains two lines, one blue, one green. The length of these indicate the relative
lengths of each lane. For example, if the blue line is longer it means the blue
lane is longer and you need to adjust the layout to compensate; for instance
by including cross-over sections.
6 Saving and Loading
Save the current layout - click the Save
button in the controls area at the top right corner of the window. A dialogue
box appears with a text field. Enter the name by which this layout will be known
and press return or the save button. If you use a name that is already in
the menu of saved layouts it will be over-written.
Loading a saved layout - select the layout
name from the pop-up menu at the top of the controls and then click the load
button.
Sport or classic or both types of track may be used with TrackDesigner. The track descriptions for Classic track sections start with the word Classic in the section editor and classic sections are distinguished on the layout by dotted lanes.
Converting between sport and classic - simply lay either of the two converting sections - C8222 or C8215 (lap counter) - to change to or from classic. In order to avoid invalidating the layout it is not possible to remove any of these sections that are not at the end of the layout unless all following sections are removed at the same time. Similarly it is not possible to insert one of these sections.
8 Notes on some Specific Sections
Straight Crossover (C8210) - once layed, the cross-piece will be automatically included when another section is layed near enough to it (at the moment this is pre-set to 10% of the width). The next section will be layed after the cross-piece. When the cross-piece is included in the layout the entire crossover section is outlined in yellow; otherwise it has a gray outline.
Side Swipes (C8246) - the same code specifies both left and right side-swipes. The default is right to left; to use left to right, control drag or flip by control clicking. A flipped side-swipe is also rotated about 180 degrees since that is the only way it can be used. One or more radius 1 hairpin curves (C8201) may be layed between side swipes.
The classic side swipes work in a similar way.
Prev button on the right of the saved circuits menu brings up a window with small scale previews of all the saved circuits. Clicking on any of these will load it into the main window.
Metric/Imperial - toggles units
Horizontal/Vertical start - controls horizontal or vertical orientation of first section to be layed.
Exceed section limits - check to allow sections to be laid after they have run out. The remainder will become negative, indicating how many more of each section would be required.
Amber Tolerance - expressed as a percentage of the section width, both pairs of start/end points must be less than this distance apart but further apart than the green tolerance to give an amber light.
Green Tolerance - both pairs of start/end points must be nearer than this to give a green light.