After watching the first two of Joe's videos I have come to conclusion that a traditional double deck layout while functional would potentially waste a bit of an opportunity of building something a bit better.  I have expanded the size of my working area slightly (about 2 1/2 feet) and started laying out a mushroom configuration.  The extra space is necessary to ensure a 30-36 inch walkway on each level.  Here are new diagrams for lower/upper showing what I am working with:

Lower Level	Upper Level	Combined

The red line represents the outside dimensions of the space with all sides fixed except the bottom which is open to the rest of the garage.  There is also a red line that comes in on the upper image, this is the track for the garage door and will be covered by the top of the light canopy.  The left side may also require some adjustments to accomidate the clearance required for the door to open.

With the above basic configuration I have to come up with the rest of the plan, it will still be a point to point with the center ends of both levels being the end of the line so to speak.

The only thing I have not been able to decide upon fully is the height of each level.  Initially I was thinking putting the lower level at 4 ft which is approx 5 inches taller than my son (he will grow and can use a step stool for now).  As I am around 6 ft I think this is a comfortable height, but what does the upper level end up at with relation to the floor?  From the videos I believe the spacing is around 18 inches so the upper level should be around 5 1/2 ft from the floor. This would mean that a raised floor section around 12-18 inches would be necessary to reach the similar height for the lower level.  Is that all correct so far?  Did I miss anything so far?

I am considering a few options for lighting in addition to the normal bulb/LED/CFL options.  My father in law suggested 12VDC RV lighting as this would not generate nearly as much heat or electrical demands as other options.  Has anyone tried this, using a 12 inch spacing or so?

I am also re-reading the sections of MRH about 3rd Plan It as I am tinkering with using that to draw this plan.  So far it has been really interesting and seems to be a bit easier to work with than Xtrkcad.  The downside however is that it seems to be only available for Windows.  I prefer working in Linux but MRH works best on Windows as do most games so I use Windows for those things anyway. Besides the content of MRH are there any useful tutorials out there that can help with learning how to lay things out efficiently and easily?  I have already read through the available tutorial that came with the download but it doesn't help much beyond basic 4x8ft layouts.

Mike