This quick tutorial will show you how to create a nice scenic ridge for your layout in SCARM and to see how it will looks in the reality, by use of the 3D viewer.
For the purpose of the tutorial, I will use a simple oval track plan:
To make a simple scenic ridge in the middle, I will create a long and narrow rectangle by use of the Figures in SCARM.
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Before you begin, take a look on How to work with figures FAQ topic in the documentation, if you are not familiar with them. |
I will set the height in the Properties window to be 400mm (15.75″), but you can use any height that will suit your needs:
To finish the scene, I will place a tunnels over the two short straight tracks that are crossed by the ridge:
Instead of rectangle, you may use polygon and design a scenic ridge with one or more corners:
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When using rectangles, you can see the dimensions in the status bar when a rectangle figure is selected. For polygons, you will need to measure each panel by use of the Measuring tape (in “Tools” menu). |
A few examples of layouts, with scenic ridges can be seen below:
Jim’s Layout Project in N Scale
Bluewater & Grandview Railroad Layout in N Scale
Nathan’s Pass Railroad Layout in N Scale
More plans and layouts like these can be found in SCARM Model Railroad Layouts & Track Plans database.
See also
How to work with figures
How to use the Measuring tape
Nice idea, to use the figures for creating scenic ridges, Is it possible to incorporate a picture, too, so as to further improve the background effect?
Such feature may be introduced in some of the next versions of SCARM.