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Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer!

You are here: Home > Forum > General > General questions, comments, and issues > Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer!

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Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 25/06/2012 at 14:21 #33351
MrSuttonmann
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265 posts
Hello fellow SimSiggers!

Many people ask if they can build their own layout, and unfortunately it's not possible, but I have come up with a 'filler' if you like, to design your won non-working layouts with ease and simplicity.

The layouts are saved in .txt format, and can therefore be easily exported to Notepad for printing, or Paint to add colours (though colours will be added in the near future).

It is available to download from http://www.turbinesoftware.info/download/USLDSetup.exe

NOTE: The Help PDF accessible through the program is not the correct version. Please use http://www.turbinesoftware.info/download/help.pdf until the next release.

I hope you enjoy this, a few people have tested this and have built some fantastic layouts with it! Let me know your thoughts

(Formerly known as manadude2)
Last edited: 25/06/2012 at 14:49 by MrSuttonmann
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The following users said thank you: Prof Jolly, Fatman, sedriver
Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 25/06/2012 at 16:21 #33357
Albert
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1315 posts
I get a 404 Not Found when trying to download the file.
AJP in games
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 25/06/2012 at 17:01 #33359
MrSuttonmann
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265 posts
" said:
I get a 404 Not Found when trying to download the file.
I've tested the link and it is working.

(Formerly known as manadude2)
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 25/06/2012 at 17:12 #33360
sloppyjag
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480 posts
Also getting 404 Not Found. Going via the Downloads section of Turbinesoftware.info, clicking on the "read more" link leads to the same 404 Not Found error and clicking on the arrow link next to it links to the Fiddle Yard page in Simsig's Downloads/Uploads section. :huh:
Planotransitophobic!
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 25/06/2012 at 17:38 #33361
Peter Bennet
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5402 posts
All the links on your page go to error.

Peter

I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs!
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 25/06/2012 at 17:55 #33362
MJD
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149 posts
All working now!
Mike.
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 25/06/2012 at 17:56 #33363
mfcooper
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707 posts
Not working here...
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 25/06/2012 at 18:03 #33364
MrSuttonmann
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265 posts
Apologies!

I got an email from my host - they've had to replace some equipment over the past couple of hours.

There may still be some issues for a few hours, but should settle down.

(Formerly known as manadude2)
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 25/06/2012 at 19:14 #33365
MrSuttonmann
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265 posts
Okay, should be working now!
(Formerly known as manadude2)
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 25/06/2012 at 19:42 #33366
Stephen Fulcher
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2084 posts
Says something about a certain version of .NET needed for it to work.
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 25/06/2012 at 19:55 #33368
MrSuttonmann
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265 posts
" said:
Says something about a certain version of .NET needed for it to work.
Yes, it requires the .NET Framework 4.0, which should be included in the installer, but if not, then it's available here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17718

(Formerly known as manadude2)
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 26/06/2012 at 08:34 #33379
alvinhochun
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249 posts
Did you converted the font yourself or... ?

P.S. special characters (perhaps of charcode > 127) don't work
On Windows 8 RP, interface zh-TW (region zh-HK)

Last edited: 26/06/2012 at 08:51 by alvinhochun
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 26/06/2012 at 14:37 #33399
MrSuttonmann
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265 posts
The font was converted by hand from the SimSigV2 font into the font you see in the program by using FontForge to copy each character into a TrueType format. I was going to use a .fon to .ttf converter, but had issues using it, and I also attempted to draw my own version of the font in FontStruct, but had issues with spacing.

I haven't tested on Windows 8, but I don't support Windows 8 yet anyway.

The program picks out the Charcode from the font, so Windows 8 may have a new way of handling fonts perhaps? I don't see how a different region would affect this.

I shall research and hopefully I can fix this for the next release.

(Formerly known as manadude2)
Last edited: 26/06/2012 at 15:38 by MrSuttonmann
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 26/06/2012 at 16:56 #33411
alvinhochun
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You know I also converted the same font by hand using the same program FontForge, and "mistakenly" used the name `SimSigSmallTTF` instead of the supposed `SimSigTTF`, so I am quite surprised when your font is also named "SimSigSmallTTF", and the fonts looks so similar.

I am not thinking that you copied. If you want to use my font, that's fine because I didn't place any copyright on it. I just want to figure out.



The situation is the same on Windows 7, interface zh-TW (region zh-HK).
It is likely due to the encoding used. The `TextBox` should be using Unicode (unsure) while the SimSig fonts are special symbols (or CP437-like). The TextBox is not capable of displaying custom symbols like that. It only work when you render the characters manually. This's what I've done before (http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=14&id=22895&Itemid=145). (And my converted font is also there, if you found it you wouldn't have to do such a hard work :lol: )

So you have two choices: (1) change the font to use valid Unicode ranges, or (2) create your own control for rendering anything.

I don't know if the program is actually working for you guys, but if it is then it will be quite quirky because .NET should be using Unicode always.

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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 26/06/2012 at 17:44 #33413
MrSuttonmann
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265 posts
No, I was shown your program and font by another SimSig member, I did use it in the first beta of the program, but ultimately decided to recreate it myself - which is the font in this version - I overwrote your font file to avoid having to re-write lines of code, causing the name similarities, but it is not your font in use. I hope this is clear now, apologies.

Yes, I did a lot of research on the Textbox and RichTextBox controls, especialyl as I want to add colour - Textbox uses Unicode, and RichTextBox uses UTF-8 (I think), and I had trouble displaying some special characters in the RichTextBox.

The program now uses TextBox to render the font, and it has worked for me and my testers without fault so far.

I will be recoding the program to work in WPF (at the moment, it is Forms), which hopefully will solve issues with rendering and colours,but I can't guarantee anything yet.

(Formerly known as manadude2)
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 28/06/2012 at 11:27 #33473
Albert
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1315 posts
I'm having Win 8 on one computer, might try the program there some day. Mine is in English so might not have the problems that alvinhochun had on the Chinese language Win 8.
AJP in games
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 03/07/2012 at 08:38 #33612
alvinhochun
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249 posts
Line height is 1px too large.
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The following user said thank you: guidomcc
Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 03/07/2012 at 15:36 #33618
guidomcc
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246 posts
" said:
Line height is 1px too large.

the gap really grinds my gears.
As well as coloured text, in the dev's designs is highlighting used? for example, do reminders use this feature? and putting numbers inside platforms?

Thanks

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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 10/07/2012 at 09:36 #33781
MrSuttonmann
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265 posts
I'll have a look tonight if I can change the line height - if not, then the font will require altering - you may have to live with it for now.

As for colours, highlighting and numbers within platforms, hopefully I can introduce these in the next major version, I don't have an ETA but they are on my to-do list.

I am learning C++ at the moment, if I can't do it in VB.NET, then I shall try in C++.

Watch this space.

(Formerly known as manadude2)
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 21/08/2012 at 16:03 #35074
CTCThiago
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232 posts
Manadude2,

Works Great! Thanks a lot! I really enjoy this software!

I'm creating a new panel, hope this can be made by the developers!

ThiagoCTC.

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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 11/11/2012 at 10:09 #37429
bugali
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78 posts
will there be a v2?
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Re: Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 11/11/2012 at 10:16 #37431
bugali
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78 posts
you can also make them in notepad, butyou cant change the color, so if u could make yours work with color it would be much help.

alli

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Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 15/11/2012 at 14:09 #37516
MrSuttonmann
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265 posts
Hi everyone,

Version 2 is not planned yet, I'm very busy with other things at the moment.

If you have any bugs with the current version though (note that No Colours is NOT a bug), please use http://bugs.turbinesoftware.info

Thank you!

(Formerly known as manadude2)
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Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 18/11/2015 at 21:25 #77880
MrSuttonmann
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265 posts
I should really say that this software is no longer available.
(Formerly known as manadude2)
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Unofficial SimSig Layout Designer! 18/11/2015 at 23:50 #77888
Roadrunner
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111 posts
Welcome back, Manadude.

The Track & Signals Editor is an alternative to the USLD and was based on Manadude's ideas. So, if you want to draw your own layout in the SimSig style (you end up with a drawing, not a full simulation!) try the new TSE program. Still in glorious black & grey! Now available for Windows 10 users.

See recent post here http://www.SimSig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_kunena&view=topic&catid=14&id=40568&Itemid=0

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