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topic: 2859Templot in BRM magazine
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posted: 16 Mar 2016 20:49

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Friends,

I have received this request from "British Railway Modelling" magazine:



"I'd like to run a short spread feature in our magazine on the advantages of using modern technology when planning and designing a layout. Google maps is one, as many a line can be traced, but your program Templot is another that had crossed my mind.

The feature wouldn't be attempting to be a 'how-to' guide as your program is probably a steep learning curve, but I would be interested in getting some screen shots of perhaps more advanced trackplans and who better to ask than its creator? Would you be able to provide me with enough material and advantages of your program to enable me to fill a page please? 5-6 screenshots and perhaps a few nice trackplans would be nice to see too.

I guess it's all good exposure for you, but I often see people on RMweb mentioning they use it."



I'm not looking for exposure! And I'm not convinced BRM readers need to see track plans or Templot screenshots, because anyone remotely interested can find plenty of those in the image gallery on here, and on other online forums.

What they might like to see would be pictures of track under construction on Templot templates, from basic turnouts, through more complex formations, to entire layouts. Surprisingly, there are comparatively few such pictures in the image gallery.

Encouraging folks to use Templot is not important, but maybe getting more to try handbuilt track would be a worthwhile use of this opportunity, and pictures of pointwork being built on sweeping curves can be very effective in doing that.

If you have any such pictures which you would like to see in BRM magazine, please post them here, perhaps with some notes. I can then add a bit of introduction to create a page for the magazine.

But please DON'T send me emails or private messages about any of this -- post it on here. If it can't be posted in public I really don't want to know, about this or anything else. I would have preferred BRM to have done that, because now I have to take time out to compose a reply to them.

regards,

Martin.

posted: 17 Mar 2016 13:32

from:

Ian Allen
 
Milton Keynes - United Kingdom

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_DSC0004_zps76e13e57.jpg_DSC0004_zps76e13e57.jpg StationThroat1_zps2e5be7cc.jpgStationThroat1_zps2e5be7cc.jpg StationThroat2_zps605960c4.jpgStationThroat2_zps605960c4.jpg StationThroat3_zpsf9633be0.jpgStationThroat3_zpsf9633be0.jpg StationThroat4_zps900ebc08.jpgStationThroat4_zps900ebc08.jpg Templot used to create a complex station throat on a curved approach.   All points built to O-MF standards. Although there were over 100 hours taken to plan and adjust the formation, without Templot it would have taken longer to draw out by hand, and the actual build would have probably been more taxing ! 
Last edited on 17 Mar 2016 13:41 by Ian Allen
posted: 17 Mar 2016 13:57

from:

Ian Allen
 
Milton Keynes - United Kingdom

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_DSC0001_zpsm2p8btl1.jpg_DSC0001_zpsm2p8btl1.jpg _DSC0005_zps4oykhwyr.jpg_DSC0005_zps4oykhwyr.jpg 
Tandem/3-way points under construction leading into new goods yard. All built to O-MF standards.
Ian

posted: 17 Mar 2016 16:42

from:

Phil O
 
Plymouth - United Kingdom

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Hi Martin

How about contacting Jeremy " Cornish Trains Jez " on Rm web who is building Euston Station in 2mm. He has used Templot and is fairly well advanced in it's construction.

Here is the link.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/98901-this-is-euston/

Cheers

Phil

posted: 17 Mar 2016 18:42

from:

Nigel Brown
 
 

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Hi Martin

Seems to me BRM have the wrong idea. The more advanced trackplans bit seems to encourage the notion of great, this is what I need to produce layout based on Manchester Piccadilly, rather than this is for designing and constructing handbuilt track from a simple turnout upwards. The approach you've indicated seems to me spot on. I'd start with a simple turnout under construction, maybe follow it with a simple formation, and then show something more complex. With the complex bit I'd restrict it to just one example, as you've only a page to fill, and otherwise an enthusiastic editor might well chuck out the simple stuff. I'd also make a point along the lines that more complex formations are not simple to design or build and require dedicated effort on the part of the builder (maybe worded differently).

The attached pic of my layout in its early stages might be useful for an intermediate example of flowing curves but simple formations, but I'm sure you can find something better.

Cheers
Nigel
Attachment: attach_2246_2859_p150.jpg     533

posted: 20 Mar 2016 00:27

from:

Tony W
 
North Notts. - United Kingdom

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Hi Martin.
Re reading the original brief, I think we could be missing the gist of what BRM are after, which is what advantages are to be gained from using technology to our advantage, Templot in this case, as opposed to other methods. For me this comprises numerous benefits. As Templot recreates model track using prototype data, the resulting trackwork will have a more realistic appearance than can otherwise be achieved. A basic understanding of how prototype track is specified helps. Its flexibility allows practically any prototypical formation to be designed and subsequently constructed accurately in any scale / gauge combination. It is primarily an aid to scratch building track and this it does without equal in my view.
As opposed to using preprinted templates or drawing your design by hand, as was done previously, Templot allows design alternatives to be explored relatively easily in the certain knowledge that what you design on screen will fit into exactly that amount of space if built.
I agree largely with Nigel's comments. You aren't going to get much on one page, so there is not much point in sending loads of material, much of which will be unused, but we do need to give them some choice. Too many 'look how clever we are' pictures probably won't achieve much and could be counter productive.
Nigel’s layout is, I suspect about as complex as most modellers realistically achieve, aside from wishful thinking. I know there are some who achieve spectacularly large layouts, but these are relatively rare.

Regards
Tony W.

posted: 22 Mar 2016 15:50

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Thanks for the replies on this.

Ian, your trackwork is amazing and well illustrates what can be achieved with Templot.
 
Tony W wrote:
Re reading the original brief, I think we could be missing the gist of what BRM are after, which is what advantages are to be gained from using technology to our advantage, Templot in this case, as opposed to other methods. For me this comprises numerous benefits. As Templot recreates model track using prototype data, the resulting trackwork will have a more realistic appearance than can otherwise be achieved. A basic understanding of how prototype track is specified helps. Its flexibility allows practically any prototypical formation to be designed and subsequently constructed accurately in any scale / gauge combination. It is primarily an aid to scratch building track and this it does without equal in my view.
As opposed to using pre-printed templates or drawing your design by hand, as was done previously, Templot allows design alternatives to be explored relatively easily in the certain knowledge that what you design on screen will fit into exactly that amount of space if built.
Thanks for that Tony, but I fear it reads more like an article from Scalefour News than from BRM, and would go over the heads of most of their readers. We have to imagine the typical audience as being the Peco-using majority of this hobby.

But I take your point about the use of technology generally in the hobby (although there was a specific request for trackplans and screenshots). So I thought perhaps to highlight just one feature of Templot, the image wrapping function, which could perhaps be useful also to users of Peco track and other programs such as AnyRail. In other words a summary of this page might be worthwhile:

 http://templot.com/companion/index.html?wrap_picture_shape_to_curve.htm

Especially now that NLS have got half the UK available online on 25" OS maps and are proceeding northwards quite rapidly. Recently using the adjustable transparency on there I created this bit of video for a topic on RMweb, which illustrates well how the digital age can come to modellers aid:

 http://flashbackconnect.com/Default.aspx?id=8Du_Kizucpvgbsfe2rGw4g2

regards,

Martin.

posted: 22 Mar 2016 16:27

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Please disregard this topic. I have just received this from BRM:



Hi Martin,

Unfortunately, I had to write something as I couldn't wait much longer. Would you like to have a read to make sure you're happy with it? No worries if not.

Best,

Howard
_________________
Howard Smith
Features Editor



As you can imagine I am not best pleased and have replied:

Hi Howard,

Thanks for your reply. I wish you had made the urgency clear in your original message. I could probably have copied something quickly from the Templot web site. I was intending to write a proper page for you and have requested suitable material from Templot users. As I explained, Templot is my hobby only, not a commercial product, and I do not appreciate being put under pressure to deliver material.

Not to worry, BRM readers are probably not the typical audience for Templot.

Yes please, I would appreciate sight of whatever you will be using.

regards,

Martin.



My apologies to those of you who posted material above, I am very sorry to have wasted your time.

Sometimes nowadays Templot seems to be causing me more trouble than it's worth. I was doing some coding today, but I'm now going out for a walk instead.

regards,

Martin.

posted: 23 Mar 2016 01:13

from:

Ian Allen
 
Milton Keynes - United Kingdom

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Martin,

Not your fault and you haven't wasted my time in any way.

Ian



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