LDD Newbee wonders about train track switches ...

[robinthelauner]

Hi, I just downloaded Lego Digital Designer 4.3(?) to design som train tracks to create a city/cargoharbour with trainferrys(boats)...

I can find straigt and curved tracks and a lot of train-parts but no track-switches or crossings.

Where can I find them, or upload them ?

Is it possible to design or modify existing parts ?

Are LDD parts exportable into other CAD enviroments like Solidworks, Inventor ...?

Thanks for help and greetings from Sweden !

[Calabar]

About finding bricks, try reading this guide.

It is not possibile to add or modify parts in LDD.

About exporting parts, it is possible but I'm not expert, so wait the answer of some other user.

[pbat]

While some switches actually are included (75541, 75542), LDD is far from complete with regards to train stuff. Since you can neither export nor import parts or decorations nor modify existing ones without violating LDDs EULA, you might be more happy using LDraw, which is free software: It is harder to learn at the beginning, but way more powerful and flexible.

If you, however, decide to work with LDD, you might request parts to be added with a future update in this thread.

[Sjuip]

I can find straigt and curved tracks and a lot of train-parts but no track-switches or crossings.

Where can I find them, or upload them ?

Is it possible to design or modify existing parts ?

Wecome, robinthelauner, to the LDD Forum!

To answer part of your questions:

- Train tracks are present in LDD in two types: based on the 9V-tracks and on the RC-tracks. Look for 74746 (9V straight), 74747 (12V curved), 53401 (RC straight) and 53400 (RC curve). Additionally, the RC Flexible Track is present under number 64022.

- Track switches are also present in LDD, but in order to find them you have to switch to the Extended Mode (click on 'View' in the top menu bar, choose 'New Themes' and choose 'LDD Extended'). The switches can be found under numbers 75541 and 75542. The accompanying control switch/lever can be found as number 2866. Be aware that in LDD Extended initially all bricks are coloured bright red: you can change that to the correct colour by using the colour palette in the left bottom corner (so you can make nice pink coloured tracks, or green ones.)

- Train track crossings (such as the 9V Track Crossing or the RC Crossing 1/2 with Switch) are not (yet) present in LDD.

- With LDD, it is not possible to design, modify, import or export parts (at least not legally). The only thing you can do is change colours or add prints/decorations in combinations that do not (yet) exist in real life by means of the Paint Tool (in LDD Extended Mode) or by manually editing the LXF-file.

[robinthelauner]

WOW Thanks for the quick feedback !

Yes, now I found switches 75541 and 2 in ext. mode.

I'm used to CAD so I will look into LDraw.

Next stepp for me is to creat double crossing 7996(?) and make it work in LDD.