Layout anatomy
TrainPanel models your layout with a the vocabulary below that you need to know.
Rail
A rail placed on the canvas. It has:
- A manufacturer (e.g. Roco, Fleischmann)
- A reference (from the manufacturer catalog, e.g. 6101 straight, R2 curve, etc.).
- A position (X, Y) and a rotation in the plane.
- A type: rigid, flexible or turnout.
Port
A connection point on a rail, i.e. an end-point. A straight rail has two ports (say “A” and “B”), a turnout generally has three ports, etc.
Ports are how rails connect to each other.
Path
A possible route inside a rail, from one port to another. A straight rail has a single path. A turnout has several (e.g. “straight” and “diverging”), but only one is active at any given time — that’s how the turnout’s position is modelled.
A path has a length (in mm) and a list of actuator settings it requires to be traversable. A common turnout has one actuator. A double slip turnout has two actuators, etc.
Connection
An explicit link between two ports of two different rails. A connection is created automatically created when you bring two ports close with the mouse (magnetic snap).
The TrainPanel supervisor can only route a train along a chain of connected paths.
Supervisor
The brain of TrainPanel ensuring safe operation in Automatic mode. The supervisor is the module that plans and resolves train trips, ensures collision avoidance by managing block reservations, automatically positions turnouts, and controls locomotives.
What’s next?
- For positions on the layout (“the loco is 250 mm from one end of this path”), see Network position (coming soon).
- For the logical layer (blocks, sensors, actuators), see Blocks, sensors, actuators.
