RailCommand Layout and Panel Editors

RailCommand uses two related editing surfaces:

• Layout Editor - defines the railroad's track, blocks, industries, locations, staging, and operating graph.
• Panel Designer - builds the dispatcher-facing CTC-style control panel with track elements, indicators, buttons, labels, and live state.

Older RailScanPro docs may call this the "Track Schematic editor." The current product splits that idea into a layout/graph editor and panel/control-surface editor.

What the Layout Is Used For

• Car routing - RailCommand routes cars between industries based on the connected track graph you define.
• Dispatcher display - the layout and panels feed CTC views showing routes, occupancy, turnouts, signals, and session state.
• Switch list generation - crews get industry-specific switch lists based on connected locations and car movements.
• JMRI integration - RailCommand can import or sync JMRI-related data where configured. See JMRI Integration Guide.
• Desktop operation - the desktop app uses the selected layout as the context for live operation, readiness checks, CTC dispatching, and Engineer Cab workflows.

Open the Layout Editor

1. Go to RailCommand.
2. Open Layouts.
3. Select the layout you want to edit.
4. Open the layout editor at /app/railcommand/layouts/{LayoutId}/editor.

Use the layout editor for the railroad itself: track structure, blocks, turnouts, locations, industries, and staging.

Open the Panel Designer

1. Go to RailCommand.
2. Open Panels or Panel Designer.
3. Choose an existing panel or create one.
4. Open the panel designer at /app/railcommand/panel-designer or /app/railcommand/panel-designer/{PanelId}.

Use the panel designer for the dispatcher-facing control surface.

Basic Layout Concepts

Cells and Track Pieces

RailCommand layout and panel tools use track elements such as:

• Straight track - single-direction track.
• Curves - curved track segments.
• Turnouts - diverging routes. Left/right naming is from the engineer's perspective facing the direction of travel.
• Crossings - tracks passing over each other.
• Signals and indicators - visual state shown on operating panels.
• Controls - buttons or controls used on CTC-style panels.

The exact element set may vary as RailCommand's editor grows. If a route or button is disabled, check whether a layout is selected and whether the current editor mode supports that action.

Industries

Industries are customer or operating locations where cars are picked up, spotted, loaded, or unloaded.

For each industry or location, record:

• Name.
• Commodity received.
• Commodity shipped.
• Car type restrictions.
• Maximum car spots.
• Track or location context.

Staging Tracks

Staging represents off-scene tracks where trains or cars appear before entering the visible railroad and disappear after leaving the operating territory.

Blocks

Blocks are sections of track used for occupancy, dispatching, and safety logic. If block detection hardware is configured, occupancy can appear on CTC and operating surfaces.

Use the block editor at /app/railcommand/layouts/{LayoutId}/blocks when you need to configure or review blocks directly.

Configure Signals, Turnouts, and Sensors

Related configuration pages include:

• Signals: /app/railcommand/layouts/{LayoutId}/signals
• Signal rules: /app/railcommand/layouts/{LayoutId}/signal-rules
• Turnouts: /app/railcommand/layouts/{LayoutId}/turnouts
• Sensors: /app/railcommand/layouts/{LayoutId}/sensors
• Hardware slots: /app/railcommand/layouts/{LayoutId}/hardware-slots

Importing from JMRI

If you've already drawn your layout in JMRI's Panel Editor or Layout Editor:

1. Export your JMRI panel as XML
2. Create or open a RailCommand layout.
3. Go to /app/railcommand/layouts/{LayoutId}/jmri-import.
4. Review the imported topology and configuration.
5. Add or correct industry, location, staging, and operating details as needed.

Use the CTC Panel

After the layout and panel are ready, open:

• Dispatcher landing: /app/railcommand/dispatcher
• CTC panel: /app/railcommand/layouts/{LayoutId}/ctc-panel

For live operation, the RailCommand desktop app is the preferred operator surface.

Next Steps

• Car Cards & Waybills — route cars between the industries you've defined
• JMRI Integration Guide — sync with your JMRI installation
• Operations Intro — understand the full operating session workflow