Welcome to XTrkCad

XTrkCad is a powerful new CAD program for designing Model Railroad layouts.


Some highlights:
  - Easy to use.
  - Supports any scale.
  - Supplied with parameter libraries for many popular brands of turnouts,
    plus the capability to define your own.
  - Automatic easement (spiral transition) curve calculation.
  - Unregistered version is freely redistributable.
  - Extensive on-help and demonstration mode.
  - New in 2.0: Elevations and Profile, Filled shapes, more Layers...
  - New in 2.1: Helix, Handlaid Turnouts, Thick Rail Lines, ...
  - New in 2.2: Tip of the Day, Benchwork, Property Sheets, Group, ...
  - New in 3.0: Train simulation, Car Inventory, Flip command, ...

Registration:

The unregistered version of XTrkCad has some restrictions on the size of the
layout you can design and disables some commands.  This allows you to evaluate
XTrkCad and can be used to view any XTrkCad layout files.
You are free to copy and redistribute XTrkCad.  If you copy XTrkCad to any
other WWW-sites or BBS's please let me know so I can keep them up to date.

Registering (see the on-line help) provides you with a personal registration
key that removes these restrictions.  This key is NOT redistributable.


Availability:

Visit the Sillub Technology home page at <http://www.sillub.com>.  This
will have the latest XTrkCad release for MS-Windows and Linux.  There is also
a HTML version of the help file to look at.
If you can't use http to the get the files let me know (at sillub@sillub.com)
and we'll work something out.


NOTES:

1) XTrkCad is targeted to 386+ running Windows 3.1.  A FPU is highly recommended.
   XTrkCad also runs under Windows95 and Linux.
2) Read the installation directions (they're pretty simple).
3) Once you've installed XTrkCad and can get it to run please send me a note.

NOTE: Your comments may be used in bug reports, etc.  I will remove headers
and signatures.  Please mark your comments CONFIDENTIAL if you do not want
them published.


MS-Windows INSTALLATION:

The MS-Windows version of XTrkCad is shipped as a self-extracting/
self-installing program using the Freeman Installer from TipTec Development.
1) From the Win95 Explorer (or the Run command on the Start menu)
   or the Win 3.1 Program Manager File|Run menu (or from the File Manager)
   execute XTC301.EXE (replace 301 with the current version of XTrkCad).
   You will be prompted for a destination directory.  A new program group
   with XTrkCad icons will be created.
2) Open the XTrkCad icon and try it.
3) The Unistall icon can be used to uninstall XTrkCad.


Linux INSTALLATION

0) You will need libc6, X11R6, GTK+1.2.0
1) cd /usr/local/lib
2) tar xvfz ${TMPDIR}/xtrkcad-linux-elf.${VER}.tar.gz
   ; where TMPDIR is where you downloaded XTrkCad
   ; and VER is the version of XTrkCad
3) mv xtrkcad/xtrkcad /usr/local/bin ; optional
4) you can use xtrkcad/xtc64.xpm as an icon for XTrkCad if supported by your window manager
5) Try it out by running: /usr/local/bin/xtrkcad


NOTES:

1) Read XTRKCAD.BUG for the current bug list.
2) Look at the XTrkCad help file (either via the Help menu in XTrkCad or by
   opening the XTrkCad help icon.
3) Try the demos, via the Help|Demos menu in XTrkCad.
4) Send me a note at 'sillub@sillub.com', Thanks!


Thanks for your interest in XTrkCad.
Dave Bullis
