# Panel diagrams



## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

I started playing this weekend with panel diagrams. I broke down my plans into separate standard and narrow gauge plans, and as I drew out each I realized this view gives a better overall picture of exactly what I'm working with and the routes available. Unfortunately I have one section leading into my industrial yard that I have not yet tried to draw. The more I look at it, the more I think it's just overly complicated, but maybe the drawing will give me a better idea of what I can do to rectify that.

I took a look online but found very limited information on any free software capable of actually drawing these out. It seems like most people just use whatever they have laying around and call it good enough... but I'm never one to pass up a chance to write some new code. 

http://sourpuss.net/projects/trains/panel/

It's still pretty rough, but it loads a sample drawing and lets you add new lines or clear the board and draw something new. The save button doesn't work and the load button will bring back the default image. The most important feature currently missing is the ability to change or remove lines on the screen. Yeah that's the next piece I need to tackle, followed by being able to select and move sections -- but the basics are there, enough to show the concept.

I'm just curious... did I miss some basic software that everyone already uses for this task? Does anyone think a web-based tool like this would be useful?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Dispatcher boards aren't exact copies of track plans. They are representations of them, close enough to recognize but simple enough to be clear at a rapid glance.

I just resized my Anyrail track plan to the size I wanted and printed it. Then I used a punch to mark all the corners. I connected the resulting dimples with ChartPak tape, and applied polyurethane to seal everything.

My son did his freehand. using the ChartPak tape. It's not nice and linear, but it certainly serves the purpose. A little more time spent with a ruler on his part and it would have been fine.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

My planned layout actually winds back and forth over a large area, with various spurs and side tracks breaking out everywhere. Having a double-mainline reverse loop at either end further complicates the overall view, but by unwinding the entire plan into a straight linear diagram it makes the overall plan a lot easier to view, and I think it will make it easier to visualize routing and scheduling and see where I'll run into conflicts between trains.

At least that's what I'm hoping...


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

The panel design should be simple and clear similar
to what you show in your attachment.

You then mention that your actual layout is much
more complex than what is on your drawing.

Perhaps you could consider more than one panel.
That way you can keep each simple, yet be able
to control your layout.

My room size single track layout has 2 fair size
yards a number of industrial spurs and a
central peninsula with a Wye. I use 3 turnout control panels.
The yards and spurs are the feature of each, the
main line is represented by a few inches along
the top and side of the panel but it is obvious how the main
connects to the next panel.

Here's one of the panels:











Don


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

I'm not actually planning on building control panels this way, my layout is going to be computer-controlled, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of overlap with the older methods. My own personal goal here is to make a diagram that clearly shows the overall mainlines and yards. For the mainline, this would actually be a very long, narrow schematic if I want to view the whole thing from end to end. And it does make sense to create a separate plan for the main yard, I just need a way to clearly show the points where the yard tracks overlap the mainline -- again critical for scheduling so the yard work doesn't foul a mainline train running through at high speed.

The main thing I was looking for was an existing tool that actually lets you lay out these sorts of diagrams. It is remarkable to me that there's not many options for it, considering how many people seem to use these panels.

I did make some critical progress later last night. I figured out a way to identify a particular section of track when you click on it -- something that's pretty difficult to do in a web page graphic. Now I need to add code that lets me select a particular piece, highlight the ends, and let me drag the ends to new locations or just delete the piece completely. That should give me a 'functional' piece of editing software, and I can add more complex operations from there.


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## BrokeCurmudgeon (Feb 8, 2016)

Shdwdrgn said:


> I'm not actually planning on building control panels this way, my layout is going to be computer-controlled, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of overlap with the older methods. My own personal goal here is to make a diagram that clearly shows the overall mainlines and yards. For the mainline, this would actually be a very long, narrow schematic if I want to view the whole thing from end to end. And it does make sense to create a separate plan for the main yard, I just need a way to clearly show the points where the yard tracks overlap the mainline -- again critical for scheduling so the yard work doesn't foul a mainline train running through at high speed.
> 
> The main thing I was looking for was an existing tool that actually lets you lay out these sorts of diagrams. It is remarkable to me that there's not many options for it, considering how many people seem to use these panels.
> 
> I did make some critical progress later last night. I figured out a way to identify a particular section of track when you click on it -- something that's pretty difficult to do in a web page graphic. Now I need to add code that lets me select a particular piece, highlight the ends, and let me drag the ends to new locations or just delete the piece completely. That should give me a 'functional' piece of editing software, and I can add more complex operations from there.


Sounds like JMRI may be in your future.:smilie_daumenpos:


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

Something like that. I'm building with an arduino-style board (ESP8266) and just writing the software from scratch, but I've been looking and the various DCC type options available. It would be nice to build off an existing framework, but I have to be able to send all the commands over wifi instead of through the rails.


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## Ace (Mar 30, 2016)

SCARM has a set of symbols which can be used to produce track plan schematics. I've also used the regular SCARM tracks to make schematics using extra-sharp flex-tracks, omit all track labels and make the track outlines a solid color. The current free version of SCARM is good for up to 100 tracks/objects.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

So for anyone who was interested, I've actually continued working on this software through the week, and it is actually somewhat useable now!

Operations are broken up between drawing mode and edit mode. It starts out in edit mode with a regular cursor, and you can select and manipulate the lines on the drawing. Left-clicking a line will select/deselect. Holding down the shift key while clicking will select a group of connected lines. The delete key will remove the selected lines from the drawing. If you select a single line, you can move the mouse over the ends, and use the left-mouse to move the line to a new location.

Drawing mode is set when you click a line width or color icon from the bottom toolbar, and you will get a different mouse cursor over the drawing area. This mode lets you put down new lines. Clicking twice in a square or hitting the Esc key will stop the drawing.

Can't believe how much work it took to get this far, but I've learned a lot more about manipulating graphics on web pages. Two big things left on the to-do list... when a groupd of lines are selected, I want to be able to drag them to a new location. And when you mouse over the sides of the drawing area it should allow dragging the bars to expand the area. Throw in the ability to save and load files, and it's pretty much a functioning tool!


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