Frequently asked
Account
Do I need an account?
Not to try the editor. Yes to save a layout and find it again, because it has to live somewhere.
I lost my password.
Ask for a new one on the sign-in page. You get a link that is valid for an hour.
Can I change my email address?
Yes. Sign in and open the page “Does your address still work?” (account/verify-mail). Enter the new address and follow the link in the mail we send to it; until then your current address stays. You sign in with the new address afterwards.
How do I delete my account?
On your account page, at the bottom: "Delete my account". Your account, your photo, your layouts that are not shared and your comments are deleted at once, for good. Layouts you shared with everybody and your forum posts stay, without your name. Want those removed as well? Ask us on the contact page and we will do it. Only donation records are kept as long as tax law requires.
Where are my layouts from TRAX2?
They are still on the old site. Sign in here with the same email address and we can bring them over.
The editor
Which browser do I need?
A recent one that can do WebGL: Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari from the last few years. The editor runs entirely in your browser and there is nothing to install.
Can I mix two track systems?
Yes. You can have several libraries open at once; the list grows rather than being replaced.
Why is a piece of track ruby red?
That piece has changed or gone since you saved the layout, usually because we corrected a mistake in the library. Replace or remove it; the layout cannot be saved while it is there.
My layout looks different from when I saved it.
A piece is stored as an article number, not as a shape. If we correct a measurement in the library, your layout follows. We mark those pieces and say what changed.
How do I share my layout?
Set it to shared in the layout's information. It then appears in the showcase for anybody to look at. Make it private again and that stops at once.
My work is gone after a fault.
Report it through the form beside this and tick the box that sends the log. It records what the editor did, and it usually shows what went wrong.
The editor crashed or closed before I saved. Is my work gone?
Usually not. While you work, the editor keeps a spare copy in your browser every three minutes. Open the layout again in the same browser: if a copy there is newer than the version on the server, the editor offers to restore it before anything else. Or click the clock with the arrow in the File group of the Project tab to see the last ten copies. They exist only in that browser on that device, and a restored copy reaches the server when you save.
TRAX is slow. What can I do?
TRAX draws everything in 3D on your graphics card, so first see whether your browser really uses it: type chrome://gpu (Chrome), edge://gpu (Edge) or about:support (Firefox) in the address bar and look at GL_RENDERER. "SwiftShader", "llvmpipe" or "Software" means hardware acceleration is off, which can happen in any browser: switch it on in the browser's settings (Chrome and Edge under System, Firefox under General, Performance) and restart it. The built-in graphics named there while your computer also has a separate card? Set the browser to "High performance" in Windows' graphics settings, and on a desktop computer check that the monitor cable is plugged into the graphics card and not into the motherboard. In the editor, the CAD look on the View tab is much lighter than Realistic, and switching off the textures (T) and the ink lines (I) helps most. Using the Linux app from the Snap Store without Vulkan? Use TRAX in Chrome or Firefox instead. Still slow? Tell us through the support form which computer, graphics card and browser you use.
Can I go back to an older version of my layout?
Yes. Click the clock with the arrow in the File group of the Project tab. Under "On the server" are the versions our server kept each time you saved (the recent ones all, older ones one a day, a week and a month); under "On this device" the last ten spare copies in this browser. Click Restore on one: what was on the screen is kept as a spare copy, and nothing changes on the server until you save. Can't find what you need? Tell us through the support form which layout and which date, and we can restore it for you.
Donations
Do I have to pay to use TRAX3D?
No. The editor is free and there is no advertising. A donation is voluntary.
TRAX3D is free — so what does it cost?
Free for you does not mean free to run. It takes web servers and support, development tools, licences for textures and 3D models, and above all time. The donations page sets it out cost by cost.
Where does my donation go?
To the feature you give it for. Every feature has a description and a budget, and we only ask for money once it is going to be built.
Do I get something in return?
You are not buying anything. You do help decide what gets built first: on a feature that is still open, your donation counts as a vote.
Can I get my donation back?
As a rule no. A clear double charge, an obvious typing mistake in the amount or a demonstrable administrative error do count. The Refunds page says how to ask.
How can I pay?
Through Mollie. Which methods you can choose is shown when you pay; every amount is in euro.
Can I donate anonymously?
Yes, tick the box when you donate. Your name is then not shown with the feature. We do need your email address for the confirmation.
