Screen shot of Rolling Stock DB on Ipad

Here's a screen shot of my app:

Was this page in the app or

Was this page in the app or did you created from scratch?

Just trying to find the same thing for my android tablet and phone!

James

James, I created it from an

Cool  thanks I have it

Cool 

thanks I have it downloaded so ill try to do it.

James

Good, James

Now, if you store it in the

Not available..

on Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

You're right! its called

You're right! its called Meneto.

I Down loaded the app for my Samsung galaxy S3 picked a add on from the library and started making my own!

The only thing I haven't fingered out is the drop down box's.

I Might have to buy the full app.

Trimming the Fleet - progress continues

I'm making progress on organizing my rolling stock so that I can locate the cars and decide their future.  I needed to determine how I was going to snap the photos with my Ipad and then where I was going to store the cars once cataloged.  I came up with the idea of borrowing the wife's clamp on light from her craft room and using it clamped onto one of the shelves where I'll store the cars.  I placed pieces of white paper on the shelf and back wall of the shelf as a background.

To solve the problem on shelves for the different layers I decided to use the 1/2" foam which is easy to cut, rigid enough, and will be reused on the layout.  After determining the necessary sizes for the foam shelves and vertical supports I used a sharp knife to cut them to size.

So here's the process of cataloging and storing the cars: 1.) Use the Ipad DB app to enter the information about a car - I usually do a batch of 10 at a time; 3.) Remove the cars from their boxes and place them in the staging area; 4.) Place a car in the photo area and use the search in the Ipad app to locate the car.  Once located take a picture of the car (the picture will be associated with the car and be part of the record; 5.) I repeat this process of taking the pictures for all of the cars in the batch; 6.) Return all of the cars to their boxes; 7.) Take a car, find the record in the DB, place it on the shelf, attach a label with the position number, and then note the position in the DB record.  Repeat this process for all cars in the batch.

When a layer becomes full I insert 3 vertical foam supports( one on each end and one in the middle) and tape them in position.  Next I put a horizontal foam shelf on top, add the vertical supports, and I'm ready for the next batch.  It does take some time to do this process; however, the rewards will be worth it.  Since it's so easy to search and sort once I've got all of my rolling stock on the shelves I can easily shuffle things around and note the new locations.  I may want to have all of my 40ft boxcars together, tank cars together, etc.  Here's a picture of the shelf and components:

Trimming the fleet - Ipad software app drawback

I just discovered that when I email my rolling stock DB as a CSV file (the only format available for export) that the resulting file does NOT contain the pictures!  I did a web search on this and apparently the app was designed (or should I say poorly designed) this way.  Lots of people complaining about this omission on the web.

I'll still use the app as I am backing it up on the Cloud and for those records where I need pictures I can email them separately from the app.  Oh well - just goes to show that nothing's perfect!

CSV

I don't think it is the apps fault Rick. I believe the CSV file format only supports plain text information - characters and numbers.

Thanks, Alan

Alan,

Thanks for the info.  I'm hoping that future releases of the app have some other way to output the pictures, but for now I'll continue to use the app because it does 90+ percent of what I need to do.

Not surprised either

Not an expert but I would have been flabbergasted if the picture was included.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing the App Rick! This is something that I really need to do, not only for cataloging, but also it would be helpful for insurance purposes should the unthinkable happen. I'm hoping I can find that or a similar app for the Android Samsung Galaxy tablet. (BTW......T\that piece of rolling stock looks familiar!)

CSV file

  Does the CSV file at least include the photo filename in one of the records?  If it does, then you can just email or share your photos to an album somewhere and at least search for the filename...

You're welcome, Kevin

Progress as of 1/6/13 - the fun is gone.

Below is a picture of my progress on logging my rolling stock into my DB and storing it on my shelves.  As first it was fun making progress, but I have a short attention span and the fun is gone.  Now it's just plod along working on the project until I'm sick of it / take a break (hours or days) and get back at it.  I estimate that I'm about 1/4 through the process.  Who purchased all of this @#%@#!! rolling stock anyway?

That's why

I started doing it as I bought stuff.  Way easier.  And when I went to sell off my N scale stuff, I already had all the critical data to spit into a report, price and could provide photos of everything without having to take any more pictures.  Well worth the time invested for that reason alone, but the reason I did it was for insurance purposes mostly.

No raining on parades

  I just wonder if you are checking car weights, coupler heights, noting any "bad order" repairs that need to be made, checking wheel gage while you are doing this inventory.  I need to do this myself - plus renumber a few cars/locos weather everything, upgrade wheelsets and couplers.  Once you get over 50 or so of anything (trees, cars, handlaid turnouts, feet of track to lay), the process seems to become more of a chore than an enjoyable "hobby" task.  Breaking it up into manageable chunks seems to be about the only way to handle it and keep interest up.

  I find it is much more enjoyable to just purchase another new shiny thing to add to the pile....

Toni

Dave, I wish that I could do

Toni - good idea

Perhapsthis is too late...

Not too late

It's not too late and I appreciate the information; however, I kind of like designing the DB myself.  I do see value in the ModeltrainDB app as it looks powerful and still evolving.

Bento's big brother

Hi Rick,

You might be interested in Filemaker Go this is effectively Bentos big Brother The app compliments FileMaker which is the computer based DB product that Apple (sorry FileMaker) sell.

It's dearer than Bento, but much more fully featured, there are as with any app some caveats but by and large is FileMaker on your ipad. 

My inventory, in fact all purchases pertaining to the MR, like another posters have been entered on an as bought basis, I will even write a script that will "schedule" maintenance so that my rolling stock will get their check ups regularly rather than when they start to behave erratically. Worst part about this sort of solution is I have a fairly accurate indication of haw many $$$ have been spent to though.

I also have the entries into categories which is electable via a drop down menu too that enables specific searches to be performed.

Regards

Simon 

Melbourne Australia

PS: If you hold the home button and the power button down at same time your iPad will take a proper screen shot and save it to you photo album