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Free Train Graph Software

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Bedwyn1862

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We at the Bedwyn Trains Passenger Group regularly put forward timetable suggestions to GWR. To help with this I've written a train graphing product for Windows. It's free to use. The user guide and free Windows download are available at https://steve09478.wixsite.com/mysite/tgsmith

The user guide is also attached to this thread.

Many thanks

Steve Smith
Bedwyn Trains Passenger Group
 

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03_179

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Looks interesting.
I'll take a look when I'm at home.

I have a excel that someone kindly gave me that plots the TT when you put in times and run the macro it plots it out.
 

Bedwyn1862

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Might be good to include a sample csv / txt file with the program.
Page two of the user guide tells you where the two sample csv and txt files are - C:\ProgramData\TGSmith I've attached the txt file here for convenience.
 

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03_179

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Page two of the user guide tells you where the two sample csv and txt files are - C:\ProgramData\TGSmith I've attached the txt file here for convenience.

Thanks.

I looked in that folder but there was not file there other than the icon and exe files
 

Bedwyn1862

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Great Bedwyn
Thanks.

I looked in that folder but there was not file there other than the icon and exe files
Hi, you are probably looking at program files c.f. programdata - Microsoft standard way of doing things is confusing. If you run the application then click the 'Select Timetable File to Use' button then navigate to C:\ProgramData\TGSmith you'll see the files - note you may be configured not to show C:\ProgramData by default, but you can key it in. You can copy the sample files to wherever you want to make life easier.
 

03_179

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Will have a go tonight

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

I've had time to have a look.

Hope you don't dislike the comments.

Pros:
Clean interface and looks good.
Nice to import a file.
Navigations buttons look and work well.

Cons:
Lower two buttons off the bottom of my screen.
Graph lines a bit too pale.
Have to scroll across the screen to see all the timetable
When Print button is press it only displays the small amount of graph on the screen not the whole timetable.
When Save Graph to jpeg file you can select whole timetable but it produces such a small result it is impossible to see
All times show on the Up services from top to bottom.


Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:

Bedwyn1862

Member
Joined
8 Aug 2022
Messages
13
Location
Great Bedwyn
Will have a go tonight

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

I've had time to have a look.

Hope you don't dislike the comments.

Pros:
Clean interface and looks good.
Nice to import a file.
Navigations buttons look and work well.

Cons:
Lower two buttons off the bottom of my screen.
Graph lines a bit too pale.
Have to scroll across the screen to see all the timetable
When Print button is press it only displays the small amount of graph on the screen not the whole timetable.
When Save Graph to jpeg file you can select whole timetable but it produces such a small result it is impossible to see
All times show on the Up services from top to bottom.


Hope this helps.
Thanks for this. You can put the timetable in reverse to go in the other direction on the screen. Also for return journeys can be shown on the same graph by putting the times newest to oldest vertically in the file. The entire timetable, in jpeg, displays well in Microsoft Paint. When it looks small it's how the program that opens it renders it. I chose to do the screen in two hour sections to keep the programming effort down. To display a variable number of hours would have been quite a bit of effort. Are the lines pale to you the colours or the thickness? Colours are configurable. The lower two buttons being covered I'll look into. It works OK on my PC, so something else needs considering.
 

03_179

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No problem.

As to the lines.
Yes too pale in colour as you say can be configurable. But bold would be better.

I have a Dell 14 inch Laptop if that helps with the screen sizing.
Many moons ago I used to make VB programs and had a way to make the window fit in proportion to the screen.

This is the graph the Excel I use creates.

cl67stfw.gif
 

Bedwyn1862

Member
Joined
8 Aug 2022
Messages
13
Location
Great Bedwyn
No problem.

As to the lines.
Yes too pale in colour as you say can be configurable. But bold would be better.

I have a Dell 14 inch Laptop if that helps with the screen sizing.
Many moons ago I used to make VB programs and had a way to make the window fit in proportion to the screen.

This is the graph the Excel I use creates.

cl67stfw.gif
Thanks.
 

D7666

Member
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12 Aug 2013
Messages
998
Thanks for this !

I've not installed it yet _ but this is something I have been after for some time, was thinking about doing it myself through excel, just never got very far with it.
 

Bedwyn1862

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8 Aug 2022
Messages
13
Location
Great Bedwyn
Thanks for this !

I've not installed it yet _ but this is something I have been after for some time, was thinking about doing it myself through excel, just never got very far with it.
Thank you. Please let me know how you get on.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

No problem.

As to the lines.
Yes too pale in colour as you say can be configurable. But bold would be better.

I have a Dell 14 inch Laptop if that helps with the screen sizing.
Many moons ago I used to make VB programs and had a way to make the window fit in proportion to the screen.

This is the graph the Excel I use creates.

cl67stfw.gif
Thanks again for your input. I have released a new version (same location (URL) as before) with the following changes:

1) There is now an ability to not display the text of a station (or calling point) name. You put a - in front the station name. This is useful where two calling points are very close and would otherwise overwrite one another (e.g. Bedwyn station and its turnback siding).
2) The lower buttons should now not be covered by the task bar.
3) On first installation the default folder, when opening a file, is the ProgramData folder where the sample files are.
4) The installation contains a sample bi-directional file to make it clear how this TGSmith feature works.
5) Graph lines are neater and bolder.
6) Bug fix where the metres per pixel was not reset to 200 when moving between files.
 
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D7666

Member
Joined
12 Aug 2013
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998
Installed OK no problems

Works OK at a very simple first test.

It will take a bit longer to do a real example; actually my main use for this is preserved railway gala day timetables where I like to plot my target moves in advance and not have continually faff with many oddball format printed tables.

My only comment so far is my end result would be to print hard copy [even by screenshot] to carry and markup by pen on the day - ideally a complete days service - which for most prsvd lines is seldom more than 10-12 h - not 2 h windows. But that's my specific needs.

And we have just got to the end of the 2022 gala season so a test in anger will be some time away.
 

Bedwyn1862

Member
Joined
8 Aug 2022
Messages
13
Location
Great Bedwyn
Installed OK no problems

Works OK at a very simple first test.

It will take a bit longer to do a real example; actually my main use for this is preserved railway gala day timetables where I like to plot my target moves in advance and not have continually faff with many oddball format printed tables.

My only comment so far is my end result would be to print hard copy [even by screenshot] to carry and markup by pen on the day - ideally a complete days service - which for most prsvd lines is seldom more than 10-12 h - not 2 h windows. But that's my specific needs.

And we have just got to the end of the 2022 gala season so a test in anger will be some time away.
Many thanks for your comments. You can save the full 24 hours as an option on the 'Save Graph to Jpeg file' button. What I'll do for the next release is allow you to specify the time range when you click on the 'Save Graph to Jpeg file' button.
 

D7666

Member
Joined
12 Aug 2013
Messages
998
thanks - i'd not got as far as 'save graph ....' yet - sorry i questioned before trying out the whole thing yet
 
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