Documentation
How the planner works, what every tool does, and the conventions behind snapping and joins. Pick a topic below.
Getting started
- Editor basicsPan, zoom, and the two camera modes you'll move between while planning.
- Placing trackHow the Place tool, the catalogue dock, and connector snapping fit together.
- Selecting and rotatingPick pieces, move and rotate them in 15° steps, and rotate whole groups around a sensible pivot.
- Subscriptions and billingAvailable nowThe two things you can pay for — the Cloud service (Free / Hobby / Club) and the one-time Pro license — and how to manage, change, and cancel them.
- Build a layout for your trainsAvailable nowStart a layout from the trains you own — the planner sets the scale and filters the catalogue to track that fits.
- Core and pro featuresAvailable nowWhat's free for everyone, and what the one-time eternal license (Pro) unlocks — modules and built-in capabilities alike.
- Install the appAvailable nowInstall Locodex Planner as a standalone app on your desktop or tablet, with its own window and home-screen icon.
- Your account & dataRename your account, change your password, export every layout as a .zip backup, restore one, and open a .trackplan from the profile page.
- Working offlineAvailable nowOpen and edit your layouts with no connection — how it works, and what it does and doesn't cover yet.
- Send feedbackAvailable nowReport a bug or share an idea from a short form inside the app — no account, no leaving.
Working with the canvas
- The tool railWhat each tool in the left rail does, and the single-key shortcut to switch to it.
- Keyboard shortcutsAvailable nowEvery shortcut the editor responds to, grouped by what it affects.
- 2D and 3D modesWhen to use the orthographic editor vs. the perspective verification view, and the footprint / schematic 2D styles.
- The minimapAvailable nowThe bottom-right overview of your layout, the viewport rectangle, and the home chevron.
- Snapping and the gridTwo kinds of snap — connector snap and grid snap — and when each one wins.
- The baseboardAvailable nowDefine the physical baseboard footprint so the planner can warn when a piece overhangs it.
- Metric and imperial unitsAvailable nowSwitch every length between millimetres and inches; metric stays the source of truth.
- Bill of materials & owned-track pricingAvailable nowRead the parts list for your layout and price only the track you still need to buy.
- Validating against your trainsAvailable nowMin-radius and clearance checks driven by the trains you own, not a generic per-scale default.
Track pieces & joins
- Joins and the green / yellow / red signalHow the planner tells you a join builds cleanly, builds with strain, or won't build at all.
- Multi-deck layoutsAvailable nowStack decks at different elevations — ground, mezzanine, top — using a Decks panel that's separate from layers.
- Ramps and helixesIn progressClimb between decks with inclined straights and curved helixes — place ready-made ramps or incline track you already own, snapped and grade-checked like any other track.
- Buildings and sceneryAvailable nowPlace buildings, sheds, and platforms from the catalogue — free-positioned footprints for clearance and context, not track.
- Routes through turnouts and slipsAvailable nowThrow which way a turnout or double slip is set — by its real route names — and watch the polarity check and rail overlay follow.
Files & sharing
- Importing and exporting .trackplan filesAvailable nowSave a layout as a portable file, share it, and load it back into the planner.
- Sharing a layout with a public linkAvailable nowGenerate a read-only URL anyone can open — no account required — and turn it off when you're done.
- Printing your plan at 1:1Available nowExport a true-scale PDF, print it at 100%, and build your layout on top of it.