It's everywhere!

[Martin Wynne]

.
44 years after I started tinkering with a computer program for track design, and 24 years after I made it available to others, you can now find bits of Templot popping up everywhere. Google sent me this.

If the owner is a member here, please say hello.

Martin.

 

[Paul Boyd]

Hi Martin, you’re also in the latest Scalefour News with a whole uncredited article about plug track!

 

[Martin Wynne]

Hi Martin, you’re also in the latest Scalefour News with a whole uncredited article about plug track!

@Paul Boyd

Hi Paul,

It wasn't really uncredited. The editor Gavin Clark is an old friend. He wanted to put something in Scalefour News about plug track, and asked me if I would like to write something, or could he re-write some posts of mine from the Scalefour forum? I was happy for him to do that, and he sent me a copy for approval before publication. He also had a few bits of plug track with him on his demo stand at the recent Wells exhibition. I'm due to write a full article about Templot and plug track for Scalefour News, and I doubt Gavin will forget.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Paul Boyd]

Hi Martin,

It wasn’t at all clear who wrote the article, which is why I said it was uncredited! I think I detected your influence in the article but decided you hadn’t written it because the word “experiment” didn’t come until some way down

Cheers,
Paul

 

[AndyB]

@Paul Boyd

Hi Paul,

It wasn't really uncredited. The editor Gavin Clark is an old friend. He wanted to put something in Scalefour News about plug track, and asked me if I would like to write something, or could he re-write some posts of mine from the Scalefour forum? I was happy for him to do that, and he sent me a copy for approval before publication. He also had a few bits of plug track with him on his demo stand at the recent Wells exhibition. I'm due to write a full article about Templot and plug track for Scalefour News, and I doubt Gavin will forget.

cheers,

Martin.

Hi Martin,

Not to detract from plug track in any way but I would really appreciate a mention as one of the early adopters of 3D printed track. It looks like I posted something on Templot on the subject eight years ago (which did surprised me quite a bit).

Time flies when you are having fun

Cheers!
Andy

 

[Martin Wynne]

Hi Martin,

Not to detract from plug track in any way but I would really appreciate a mention as one of the early adopters of 3D printed track. It looks like I posted something on Templot on the subject eight years ago (which did surprised me quite a bit).

Time flies when you are having fun

Cheers!
Andy

@AndyB

Hi Andy,

This topic isn't originally about plug track, it's about Templot track-planning and how it pops up nowadays in many places. After a bit of digging I found that the above video clip had come from here:

The author (James) is using C&L chairs, so my original post had no relevance to plug track at all. If you are reading this James, please say hello.

Yes Andy, you and several others have been 3D printing track for years. Please do post about it on Templot Club as much as you like.

I think this was your first post on the subject, 8 years ago:

https://85a.uk/templot/archive/topics/topic_2734.php

It was your subsequent posts which prompted me to get my first 3D printer a few years later and to start tinkering with the possibilities:

https://85a.uk/templot/archive/topics/topic_3307.php#p26367

However, in every case I can find, you and others have designed your track using a CAD package, and needing the CAD skills to use it.

The whole point, purpose and reason for plug track is that users can create 3D track without knowing a single thing about CAD. The 3D track is generated programmatically by Templot and no CAD software is used anywhere in its making or in the Templot program.

As far as I know, Templot is the only program doing that, but I would be very happy to be proved wrong and post full details of any similar system (and steal some ideas from it).

I suspect the Yes/No CAD skills requirement is probably the biggest single factor in determining how and whether someone wants to get into 3D track, and I have been trying to keep posts and topics about each method as separate on here as I can. If you feel that has been unfair to your own posts, I'm very sorry. Do please post about what you are doing -- but please, please, please, if it involves using CAD, not in a plug track topic. Start a fresh topic or continue posting in some other topic. Thanks.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[AndyB]

@AndyB

Hi Andy,

This topic isn't originally about plug track, it's about Templot track-planning and how it pops up nowadays in many places. After a bit of digging I found that the above video clip had come from here:

The author (James) is using C&L chairs, so my original post had no relevance to plug track at all. If you are reading this James, please say hello.

Yes Andy, you and several others have been 3D printing track for years. Please do post about it on Templot Club as much as you like.

I think this was your first post on the subject, 8 years ago:

https://85a.uk/templot/archive/topics/topic_2734.php

It was your subsequent posts which prompted me to get my first 3D printer a few years later and to start tinkering with the possibilities:

https://85a.uk/templot/archive/topics/topic_3307.php#p26367

However, in every case I can find, you and others have designed your track using a CAD package, and needing the CAD skills to use it.

The whole point, purpose and reason for plug track is that users can create 3D track without knowing a single thing about CAD. The 3D track is generated programmatically by Templot and no CAD software is used anywhere in its making or in the Templot program.

As far as I know, Templot is the only program doing that, but I would be very happy to be proved wrong and post full details of any similar system (and steal some ideas from it).

I suspect the Yes/No CAD skills requirement is probably the biggest single factor in determining how and whether someone wants to get into 3D track, and I have been trying to keep posts and topics about each method as separate on here as I can. If you feel that has been unfair to your own posts, I'm very sorry. Do please post about what you are doing -- but please, please, please, if it involves using CAD, not in a plug track topic. Start a fresh topic or continue posting in some other topic. Thanks.

cheers,

Martin.

Hi Martin,

Yes, adding the ability to get to printed track without the need for any CAD skills is a fantastic step forward and it must have consumed an enormous amount of your time. It's fortunate that you really enjoy doing it I'm pretty sure no one else has even attempted anything similar.

In my case I was just about to start cranking out PCB built turnouts (I still have all the copper-clad strip) when I stumbled on FDM printing. Unfortunately that completely de-railed my layout construction ambition because it was such an interesting challenge. Easily constructed custom turnouts for a small fraction of the cost of pre-assembled turnouts was simply too hard to resist. The other major benefit to me was it meant I could get UK turnouts without having to import items from the UK. But any day now I'll get going on the layout again!

My problem is I have far too many interests and I flit from one to another without ever finishing anything completely. But that's what hobbies are all about.

Cheers!
Andy