Electrical plan/drawings software

[senoirbubbles]

I am am electrical contractor looking for software to add a little bit of professionalism to my hand drawn electrical plans and load calculations. Is there any software out there that is somewhat beginner friendly or that could be easily learned that will assist me in making electrical drawings and a printable load calculation and panel schedule? I am aware there are professional CAD programs out there, but I am wondering what the average electrician can use to draw plans in a professional manner. Any recommendations?

 

[drktmplr12]

I am am electrical contractor looking for software to add a little bit of professionalism to my hand drawn electrical plans and load calculations. Is there any software out there that is somewhat beginner friendly or that could be easily learned that will assist me in making electrical drawings and a printable load calculation and panel schedule? I am aware there are professional CAD programs out there, but I am wondering what the average electrician can use to draw plans in a professional manner. Any recommendations?

microsoft paint

you can try searching for sketchup on google

 

[senoirbubbles]

microsoft paint

you can try searching for sketchup on google

I guess thats a start! Thank you!

 

[tkb]

I am am electrical contractor looking for software to add a little bit of professionalism to my hand drawn electrical plans and load calculations. Is there any software out there that is somewhat beginner friendly or that could be easily learned that will assist me in making electrical drawings and a printable load calculation and panel schedule? I am aware there are professional CAD programs out there, but I am wondering what the average electrician can use to draw plans in a professional manner. Any recommendations?

Bluebeam, but I use Revit

 

[Sunny_92]

Bluebeam, but I use Revit

This. Bluebeam is a good option. Revit and AutoCAD are great, but are much more expensive and have a greater learning curve.

 

[ggunn]

This. Bluebeam is a good option. Revit and AutoCAD are great, but are much more expensive and have a greater learning curve.

If you do a lot of these it might be a good idea to bite the bullet and get and learn AutoCAD. I have used SketchUp, Vizio, Acrobat, and (shudder) PowerPoint to draw circuits but they all suck at it. They are good tools for doing what they were designed for, but using them for electrical drawing is like trying to change a tire with a hammer.

You don't need the full blown 3D AutoCAD; I use AutoCAD LT. You can get it by subscription from Autodesk for about US$35/month.

 

[senoirbubbles]

If you do a lot of these it might be a good idea to bite the bullet and get and learn AutoCAD. I have used SketchUp, Vizio, Acrobat, and (shudder) PowerPoint to draw circuits but they all suck at it. They are good tools for doing what they were designed for, but using them for electrical drawing is like trying to change a tire with a hammer.

You don't need the full blown 3D AutoCAD; I use AutoCAD LT. You can get it by subscription from Autodesk for about US$35/month.

Perfect I will check it out!

 

[ggunn]

Perfect I will check it out!

I also recommend lynda.com for getting trained on the basic operation of AutoCAD.

 

[hmspe]

I use Bricscad in my office. Compatible with Autocad but much less expensive.

 

[Strathead]

I use Draftsight. A free CAD program that can be upgraded to a paid version, but it does things OK. There is a significant learning curve though.

 

[zbang]

I use Draftsight. A free CAD program that can be upgraded to a paid version, but it does things OK. There is a significant learning curve though.

There's a good learning curve for any real CAD system; with capabilities goes complexity (and all that). I also use Draftsight (Pro, $100/yr) and am generally happy with it, although some of the recent UI changes are annoying and they're moving away from a having free version at the end of 2019. OTOH, $100/yr for real CAD is a pretty good price.

 

[Strathead]

There's a good learning curve for any real CAD system; with capabilities goes complexity (and all that). I also use Draftsight (Pro, $100/yr) and am generally happy with it, although some of the recent UI changes are annoying and they're moving away from a having free version at the end of 2019. OTOH, $100/yr for real CAD is a pretty good price.

I bet my boss won't think so. We will see. I had pro with another company and for what I do, I didn't feel the improvements were worth it. Are you referring to the Drafting and Annotations GUI in lieu of the "classic" I don't think I really like it either. I don't like going back tot he main page to change the layer. Plus many things can't be found at all in the new menus.