#564 Cannot drag trains to track in "Train Control".

[Anonymous]

I can add cars and engine to my roster and they show up on the "shelf" but I am unable to drag and drop them onto the tracks. I can add the train in 5.2.2aGA and then run it under 5.3.0Beta2. If I try to move it to the shelf in 5.3.0Beta2, it disappears. I have to go into the .xtc file and remove the list of cars in order to add them again in 5.2.2aGA.

[Dave Bullis]

I don't see the issue of placing the cars on the layout. Did you click on the car on the shelf. and then click and drag on the layout to place the car?

How did you move the cars to the shelf"?
Did you right-click on the cars and select 'Remove Car' or 'Remove Train' from the pop-up menu?

Dragging the cars to the 'shelf' just moves the cars, possibly off the visual layout.
The Car Inventory will show the location of the car if on the layout
The 'Shelve' button will remove the car from the layout and put it back on the shelf.

[Anonymous]

Dave,
Here are some answers to your questions:

I don't see the issue of placing the cars on the layout. Did you click on the car on the shelf. and then click and drag on the layout to place the car?

ANS> I used the "car inventory" to create the cars/engine. After I create them, they are shown on the shelf. When I click on the car on the shelf, it is selected, but I cannot drag it anywhere.

How did you move the cars to the shelf"?

**>ANS> I used the car inventory dialog. **

Did you right-click on the cars and select 'Remove Car' or 'Remove Train' from the pop-up menu?

**ANS> I do not get a pop-up menu when I right click the car.

Dragging the cars to the 'shelf' just moves the cars, possibly off the visual layout.
The Car Inventory will show the location of the car if on the layout
The 'Shelve' button will remove the car from the layout and put it back on the shelf.

[Adam Richards]

First up, a major source of confusion is that XtrkCAD does not support visual "drag n drop" like a Office tool or most programs these days. It supports "Select n Move n Click". To "Add" an element you select it (click and release on the toolbar) then you move the mouse (no buttons held down) to the layout then you press the left-click button again (and can drag it around while the button is held down until released).

For removing cars, you find them on the layout right-click (to bring up the menu) then you "Remove Car". They go back to the toolbar (you will see them there assuming you have not subset the toolbar in a way that filters them out). Trying to drag them to the toolbar will usually result in them moving just off screen but still being on the layout.

Why? At the time XtrkCAD was being built drag and drop was not universal even in Windows and was not even supported in the level of GTK in use (used for Mac and Unix).

One other important point is that the main window can lose focus - especially in Train Mode where the speed controller is a different window. It may be necessary therefore to click on the window (anywhere) first once and then do the "Select n Move n Click" dance. That is part of the GUI presented by the OS - only one window can have focus at a time and the user needs to click to change focus.

[Brian Wheeler]

I'm having the same issue on linux (Fedora 40 5.3.0 RPM) and when I build it from source. I can select the car/loco on the shelf, but clicking on the layout doesn't place it. The pointer doesn't change, but it does change the info in the status bar.
I thought maybe the "Place car on the layout" button would do the trick, but it doesn't really do anything.

[Dave Bullis]

Following up:
The correct method to place a car in Train mode is:

• Left Click on the car on the Shelf. The car is highlighted with a gray box
• Move the mouse (no buttons pressed) onto the Layout canvas
• Left Drag (not Click) the car on the Canvas. The car will snap to any tracks it gets close to and will couple to other nearby cars.
• Release the Left button to finalize the car's position.

Please confirm this what you see
Thanks

[Dave Bullis]

The expected behavior was explained and there was no response
Assuming the issue was a misunderstanding and is resolved