Schematic/diagram/drawing tools for Solar
- Thread starter BillJ
- Start date
erik.calco
Solar Badger
Really really good question. I'm looking for something web based that we can work together on because it helps a lot when trying to help each other. Google Docs, which includes Google Draw, is the most collaborative web tool I know today. We can all work on one diagram together at the same time while we chat.
In the meantime, the tools I use (and I do not mean to imply I do any real schematics) include Google Draw (free, cloud, part of Google Docs), GIMP (free, desktop) and flameshot (free screenshot tool for Linux Gnome desktops) for quick markups. GIMP is the most robust, but complicated and not cloud-based.
I can actually find myself using all 3 for the same drawing within 5 minutes thanks to copy/paste. None of them are designed for schematics, so there is a lot to be desired.
Draw.io is free and web/cloud based. But, not collaborative.
I did a lot of software design diagrams in Gliffy (commcerial, $96/year, web and cloud). But that is commercial so not likely we can all use it to work together. We had it integrated into our wiki, which made it very collaborative for us. I got everyone in IT and other departments to switch from Visio to Gliffy. Yeah, you could do a few more things with Visio. But the collaboration and having it available to everyone really blew Visio out of the water. Diagrams are communication, and communication and collaboration go hand in hand.
SmartDraw is another commercial cloud one, like Gliffy. $120/year.
Just found DigiKey. It looks promising and cloud based. As far as I can tell it is free. Does not appear collaborative (don't see a way to invite others to edit your diagram yet). Tied to their catalog, which appears to based on small circuits (fuse holders, but no ANL). Has generic symbols though, like a battery.
The more I play with it, the more I like it. It is customizable. Has plenty of generic symbols. Can create custom symbols.
Here I imported an existing diagram. Then I added at top right a 12V battery and an ANL 300A fuse.
In the meantime, the tools I use (and I do not mean to imply I do any real schematics) include Google Draw (free, cloud, part of Google Docs), GIMP (free, desktop) and flameshot (free screenshot tool for Linux Gnome desktops) for quick markups. GIMP is the most robust, but complicated and not cloud-based.
I can actually find myself using all 3 for the same drawing within 5 minutes thanks to copy/paste. None of them are designed for schematics, so there is a lot to be desired.
Draw.io is free and web/cloud based. But, not collaborative.
I did a lot of software design diagrams in Gliffy (commcerial, $96/year, web and cloud). But that is commercial so not likely we can all use it to work together. We had it integrated into our wiki, which made it very collaborative for us. I got everyone in IT and other departments to switch from Visio to Gliffy. Yeah, you could do a few more things with Visio. But the collaboration and having it available to everyone really blew Visio out of the water. Diagrams are communication, and communication and collaboration go hand in hand.
SmartDraw is another commercial cloud one, like Gliffy. $120/year.
Just found DigiKey. It looks promising and cloud based. As far as I can tell it is free. Does not appear collaborative (don't see a way to invite others to edit your diagram yet). Tied to their catalog, which appears to based on small circuits (fuse holders, but no ANL). Has generic symbols though, like a battery.
The more I play with it, the more I like it. It is customizable. Has plenty of generic symbols. Can create custom symbols.
Here I imported an existing diagram. Then I added at top right a 12V battery and an ANL 300A fuse.
Last edited:
erik.calco
Solar Badger
And another one worth kicking the tires on: schematics.com
Rider
Solar Addict
I could think a lot more of it if you told us what you used......
erik.calco
Solar Badger
I could think a lot more of it if you told us what you used......
Windows Paint?
lol j/k @grizzzman
I do consider that my fallback plan when I don't have the perfect tool for the job... not Windows Paint... don't use Windows anymore. But, boxes with text and lines to connect them. In the end, if it communicates well to the intended audience, it worked. That's the purpose of a diagram.
erik.calco
Solar Badger
Rider
Solar Addict
The basic boxes and lines and text can be done with a multitude of freebie programs, like Paint or Open Office, and does get the point made. I used to have a full CAD system with symbol library and it kills me not to have that resource anymore. I much prefer some kind of drawing program that I can insert real world representations.
Mars
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2019
- Messages
- 82
I use IntelliCAD. It is like AutoCAD. It is not simple or cheep.
For simple and cheep, I would recommend Dia.
For circuiting diagrams, I also use KICAD. It is cheep but not simple. If I were to design a custom BMS, This is the software I would use.
www.kicad-pcb.org
I also use a pencil and graph paper. It is simple and cheep.
Mars
For simple and cheep, I would recommend Dia.
For circuiting diagrams, I also use KICAD. It is cheep but not simple. If I were to design a custom BMS, This is the software I would use.
KICAD
I also use a pencil and graph paper. It is simple and cheep.
Mars
somewhereinusa
Solar Enthusiast
I use Affinity Designer. since it's vector based it's scalable. I have a page of components that I use a lot and can copy/paste. At $50 it's relatively cheap.
SCClockDr
Solar Enthusiast
somewhereinusa
Solar Enthusiast
I make my own. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. I also have a program called Affinity Publisher by the same company. You can open a pdf file and take individual parts of it. I usually just import a picture into Designer, trace what I want to show then delete the picture layer.
I used to use the free version of proficad but it was too hard to get a pdf or jpg of the drawing. You could create your own library of parts in it too.
svetz
Works in theory! Practice? That's something else
Rider
Solar Addict
I drew this with Open Office. It does an ok job, but I really miss the auto-connect of lines and corner fillet functions.
erik.calco
Solar Badger
Try Linux. You just print to PDF. There were ways of adding this capability in Windows. But in Fedora Desktop (using Gnome), it's built in.
Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
I have used Paint.Net PaintNet Link (free btw) for years which is similar to gimp / photoshop. Great tool but not for diagrams but using layer's to make your diagrams makes fixing & updating easy. Always keeping the eyes peeled for something better for the purpose. Good Thread to
FYI: Windows also has PDF print driver built in, you just have to select it when printing.
FYI: Windows also has PDF print driver built in, you just have to select it when printing.
erik.calco
Solar Badger
I love layers!
I have revisted draw.io over the years, and just discovered today it does layers now! I'm evaluating as a general purpose tool. The only negative so far is the share links are huge, and that seemed to choke this forum as well as tiny url.
I'm on Linux and prefer a web solution for general use so we can share, and because I jump back and forth between computers all day.
