[Grandcheapskate]

Hi Guys,
I've downloaded both of these programs and been trying them out. Both seem a little quirky, but that may be because I'm trying to learn to use them. But a couple questions.

With Slotman, I wanted to modify the names of the track pieces as well as add in the Tyco 6" and 15" curves. Yet any attempt to change data on the "track systems" page results in an "Input data is invalid" message. Even when I don't change anything and just hit the "update" button, I get this error message. Help!

On Ultimate Racer 3.0, I plotted my current layout. I then tried to zoom in or out. Once I did that, the layout disappears. The only way to get it back is to set zoom to "fit to screen" mode. There's no way to enlarge or shink the display. Help!

UR 3.0 is also rotating my diagram at what seems to be random intervals. I know it must be something I'm doing, but I don't know what. I just want it to stop. Help again!

One more thing - is there a way to rename track pieces? It's much easier to know what "15 straight" means rather than "double straight".

Thanks...Joe

 

[SwamperGene]

You can do those things in SlotMan, from the opening screen just go to File/Language and set units to metric, then the Add/Update/etc buttons work. Switch back to inches when done. A bit of a hassle, but it can be done:

 

[Grandcheapskate]

Gene,
Thanks for that bit of info. I was able to change things around once I switched it back to metric. Then after the changes were in, I switched it back and checked all the measurements in inches.

I took Slotman and drew (is that right?) my current layout. Most of the layout looks fine, but there's one point where I have four 45 degree turns alternating between right and left. It looks like Slotman did not even come close to getting the length of this stretch of track correct; in fact, it looks to be 9 inches off. I'll have to triple check everything, but I don't see anything I did wrong.

One interesting thing that does not seem to work. I put in the outside radius of my tightest curve at 6", yet the tighest curve kept being drawn as a 3" curve. So, I just can't use curve type 1; I am using Tyco track. I manually added in the 6" and 15" curves.

On the plus side, it was real easy to draw.

Joe

 

[SwamperGene]

I always found the curves a little tricky in slotman, they change depending on how you flip them, and depending on whether the "base" two lane section is inside or outside:

So...if you put two "9-inch curves" together, then flip one, come back later and switch it to a "9-inch" after you see it now says "12-inch", it'll actually become a 6 ....

:freak: :freak: :freak: :freak: :freak: :freak:

 

[Grandcheapskate]

Gene,
Have you found that Slotman does not size the curves correctly?

To test the size of the curves, I created a circle using all 6" curves. The picture seems to be correct as there is just enough room inside the circle for a 3" curve. All the other curves are based off the 6" curve (using a 3" track width), so the sizing should be correct. Yet, on my diagram, I am off by a good 9" after a series of curves.

I'm going to draw the same layout using the Tomy track set to see if the pieces line up better. I had modified the Tyco track pieces, but the sizes should be correct; they match exactly to the specs on the Tomy pieces.

Thanks...Joe