Track Designer

[rogerclarinet]

Are there any plans to update the Track Planner software? It doesn't seem to work on the latest versions of Windows.

Any one else interested?

[Andy P.]

There are quite a few things that could be improved with the current version.

For example I live in Germany but my native language is English and some of the bits are translated into Gemran but make no sense and other parts are not translated at all.

I also find it a bit fiddely and sometimes I simply cannot get bits to match up that in real life must match up.

Most importantly though, I really think if any of the ARC incarnations are to be a success they should be integrated into a track designer.

[ZspaceEOD]

The only way I can get it to work in Windows 10 is to re-install it every time I use it ... which is starting to become somewhat tedious ! However, not everything works ... although able to create layouts, I have yet to manage to print off a parts list ... the only way I can get this is to display the current layout configuration and write it down.  

New version would be nice !

[Blagard]

I have this installed in Windows 10.

 

Open the layout you are interested in.

 

Now go to Edit on the top menu and select inventory and you will have lists of parts including a tab for a list of the currently selected layout. If you right click the inventory list and select print preview you get to see the parts list for printing. This prints off OK for me.

 

After I installed I set it to run in Windows XP compatibility mode as it glitched a few times before that!

 

Edit: The print selections under "File" on the menu don't work for me

 

[jeanbart]

Any chance to have a track designer on os x el capitan / IOS  ??

[Blagard]

Any chance to have a track designer on os x el capitan / IOS  ??

No idea, but have you considered  running Windows in a virtual machine within OS X"

[tony_white1]

I hope track designer has been taken out the download area because its getting updated?

The last version had a few issues....including using my computers battery in 45minutes flat (not even solid works strips it that hard)

Hopefully  the way the program works gets a revamp as well

Better yet put track designer in the arc app (2D is fine at a minimum, i find 3d a bit redundant)

Fingers crossed Mr scalextric (big hopes here)

[Maple Man]

Hello Folks,

I am new to this forum and I am not even able to download Track Designer. I hope to be able to get it sometime, so far no luck. All I get when I try and download Track Designer is "404 Not Found    nginx".

Maple Man

[Blagard]

Link to the setup file is as below. It is the link "Download scalextric track designer now" on that page

https://www.scalextric.com/uk-en/design

Works for me.

 

 

[BN_Racer]

I have been using RailModeller on my Mac.  I started using it for model railroad, but noticed it has slot car tracks!  Look under custom to find most of the Scalextric track sections. 

[Topcat900]

Check out ebay for a track designer program that sells for ten bucks..  Many great designs plus major world tracks.  Gives space needs track needed as well.  Running on Windows ten from CD with no problems.  Just load the CD.

[Blagard]

Check out ebay for a track designer program that sells for ten bucks..  Many great designs plus major world tracks.  Gives space needs track needed as well.  Running on Windows ten from CD with no problems.  Just load the CD.

What is the exact name of the product. The reason I ask is Scalextric Track Desiner V1.1.2 is what I downloaded from scalextric for free.

[rynd2it]

I have acquired a job lot of Scalextric Classic to amuse my grandchildren. I had some questions on the various items geometry so I have downloaded the latest version 1.1.2 on Windows 10 64bit as administrator and run it as administrator. As a software designer & builder of 40+ years all I can say is "what a bunch of cr*p"

Most of the links to the designer are broken and take you to the Track Selector

It crashed my system twice when run as a regular user.and had to be deleted and reinstalled.

Select Scalextric Classic and all the items are greyed out until you pick the converter (which I don't want or need) select a couple of items then decided to delete one. They all grey out and won't recover.

I cannot change the direction of a curve from right to left.

The help is useless as you can't search it - it just sends you off to Bing or somewhere.

Come on people it's 2018, you would think this was written in 1980 in MSBasic.

I don't suppose there are any plans to fix it? Or is there a nice simple list of the exact geometry of the various pieces so I can make a track plan and determine how the parts fit?

Rant over, sorry but bad software really winds me up and this is really bad

David

[Andy P.]

further up in the thread it is mentioned that it hasn't been updated in at least 4-5 years and there are no official plans to do an update soon. If there is anything new it will likely be completely new.

There are lots of alternatives and my favorite is Ultimate Racer.

Scalextric Classic track has not been sold in over 10 years so I think it is actually amazing the H ornby supported it in the software at all. Heck my Smart TV is only 5 years old and APPS are disappearing because they are "not supported" and I get no help from the manufacturer..

At the end of the except for the "classic only" track such as the Goodwood chicane, pit stop etc. all the parts are the same in radius and length as the Sport track.

[rynd2it]

further up in the thread it is mentioned that it hasn't been updated in at least 4-5 years and there are no official plans to do an update soon. If there is anything new it will likely be completely new.

There are lots of alternatives and my favorite is Ultimate Racer.

Scalextric Classic track has not been sold in over 10 years so I think it is actually amazing the H ornby supported it in the software at all. Heck my Smart TV is only 5 years old and APPS are disappearing because they are "not supported" and I get no help from the manufacturer..

At the end of the except for the "classic only" track such as the Goodwood chicane, pit stop etc. all the parts are the same in radius and length as the Sport track.

 

That is the worst excuse for a piece of software and regretably it is used many times. If it worked once it will always work unless the underlying operating system does not support functions it uses. That can be resolved by running in a compatibility mode or under a VM. The fact is this particular piece of software is poor in design and execution.

My software speciality is Legacy Application Modernisation and from years of experience in that field I can tell you that starting from scratch with a new product is 10 times (or more) expensive than upgrading the old. It also takes about 10 times longer. It wouldn't take much effort to bring it up to date and retain all the original features plus add a few new ones as needed.

But it won't happen because the will probably isn't there.

Ah well, I'll use a drawing board and some paper cut-outs.

 

 

[Andy P.]

That is the worst excuse for a piece of software and regretably it is used many times. If it worked once it will always work unless the underlying operating system does not support functions it uses. That can be resolved by running in a compatibility mode or under a VM. The fact is this particular piece of software is poor in design and execution.

My software speciality is Legacy Application Modernisation and from years of experience in that field I can tell you that starting from scratch with a new product is 10 times (or more) expensive than upgrading the old. It also takes about 10 times longer. It wouldn't take much effort to bring it up to date and retain all the original features plus add a few new ones as needed.

But it won't happen because the will probably isn't there.

Ah well, I'll use a drawing board and some paper cut-outs.

Well with someone who has your experience you should know that the software can be made to work in legacy (compatibility)  modes of Windows and with admin rights. The problem though is Microsoft who fundamentally changed how DirectX (specifically Direct 3D) works which even in these legacy modes sometimes still causes crashes. So basically you are confirming exactly what the problem is and setting up virtual machines is not that simple for most users.I don't quite understand why you would resort to paper when there are about a half a dozen alternatives out there.If you google "H ornby financials" you will see that the Plc is has been struggling for some time so getting a software to work that has alternatives is not high on its priority list I am assume (I am not an employee).So if you take a wider view of things I struggle to understand why ranting about (relatively old) software will help the brand, the company or other users.

[john_clinch]

This topic now one year old and nothing has been mentioned about an update. Here we are financially supporting a business by buying their products, not just track but sets and cars, yet Hornby really can not be bothered to help themselves or us or the industry in general.

 

Hornby have no rights to complain how bad things are for them when it is of their own doing by not updating their own product which is badly needed with the new digital system.

 

Regardless if the defunct product works under an OS (which it does for me under Windows 10 Pro x64) or not, it is after-all 2019 and time is now that they, Hornby, must put more effort into product updates such as Track Designer, why do half a job for 10 years!! They can relocate their headquarters once again at a tremendous expense but can't put money into their own product.

 

Personnally I have near on to $6,000 in 18 months in your Digital ARC Pro and am now doing complete track inventory in consideration of selling it all and go into routed system, a completely different system, a better system. I chose Scalextric because of the history of knowledge of it for decades, history shows me now that I should have chosen another product rather than Scalextric.

 

Come on Hornby, you are on the right path just stop these 10 year picnics!!! For the sake of your products, your business and your customers all over the world, support us and we will continue to support you.

 

Johnno

[Tomasc]

I wonder if anyone who actually has any influence in the company bothers to read any form of customer feedback.  History suggests not.  I agree that Hornby continue to squander the huge amount of customer loyalty that was build up with the brand over many many decades.

[woodcote]

That's an interesting question Tomasc. My only contact with Scalextric recently has been around the announcement of their new Micro Scalextric and My First Scalextric system. The reason for the significant investment on this new system is because people with influence in the company did listen to customer feedback. What the Scalextric team have done over the past two years is to completely re-design the product that gives young racers their first taste of slot car racing - there couldn't be anything more important to listen to and get right.

 

Apart from that specific experience, I regularly see members of the Hornby team interacting with slot car enthusiasts on various online forums, social media and at events like the UK Slot Car Festival in May. I don't know if you've watched the BBC TV Programme 'James May's Big Trouble in Model Britain' or read the new 'Hornby Hobbies - A Model History' publication? Both indicate to me that the Hornby 'top-brass' are very keen to listen to customer feedback and have reacted to that feedback to change how the company works and in terms of the product lines. Don't forget that Hornby's main customer base may have different priorities to your own personal wish list :-)

 

As for the Scalextric Track Designer - I am guessing that Hornby subcontract software development and that the deal with whoever produced the Track Designer ran out a long time ago - the software disappeared from the Scalextric website over three years ago. I am guessing (again) that the cost of developing and supporting a new track designer (anything from £50,000 to £150,000 or more) is not considered an absolute top priority for the company just now. Personally, I am happy using other programmes such as AnyRail and Ultimate Racer. As the admin post earlier in this thread stated, a new track designer is not out of the question, but I guess we need to be patient...

[Andy P.]

If your company was in dire straights and you knew there was a perfectly viable solution for your customers would you invest what little money you have for ANOTHER product that really doesn't need to exist?

I get your point about customer care and showing support for your enthusiasts but just like performance parts: Hornby can't provide everything in their current state.

I have used Ultimate Racer for years. It has all the bits (or you can easily represent them: The super long straight is the same as a standard straight and fly over)

With the event of the console game and Spark Plug there are lots of pieces being put into place to make a track designer a possibility but unless it adds more value than products out there simply slapping Scalextric on it won't really help in the end except to sap profitability.