Before You Begin Drafting
System Scope: Sketches to Full Automation
ControlCircuit flexes to how you work: draft a quick, unnumbered conceptual sketch in minutes, or build a multi-bay industrial control package. If hand-authoring device tags and wire numbers is your preference, you have full manual control. If you need complete automated sequencing, the background engines handle everything. Native support for =Function +Location prefixes.
Wire Groups: mm², AWG & Visual Styles
Wire Groups define physical wire gauges in both metric (mm²) and North American (AWG) standards, along with customizable colors, line thicknesses (e.g. heavy power buses vs thin signal wires), and diamond/slash numbering glyphs. These visual styles reflect accurately on screen and in all exported PDF, Web, and DXF drawings.
Required Reports & Live Forms
Generate purchase-ready Bills of Materials, itemized Component Lists, Terminal Schedules, and Cable Plans. Forms extract directly from placed schematic instances. When lists grow, the built-in Shortfall Engine automatically prompts to generate overflow continuation sheets.
Four Foundational Primitives
1. Smart Symbols & Components
Placed components may carry manufacturer component data (library symbols are clean generic templates without predefined part data). Contact Cross-Reference matrices dynamically link coils to contact sets and auxiliary elements across sheets.
2. Terminal Groups & Nodes
A Terminal Group defines the terminal strip type (e.g. -X1); individual terminal instances represent physical slices with directional pin sites. Lightweight Terminal Nodes are also available, and both types can be freely mixed and matched in a circuit.
3. Wire Groups & Numbering
Enforces gauge standards (mm² and AWG), custom line thicknesses,
display colors, and diamond/slash wire number glyphs (configurable for both render
and print-out/export). Wire number nodes can be manually edited,
or fully automated if Net Names are configured.
Later on you will find in your toolbox - Cable Markers and Shieldings,
with these you can define a group of cables, assign multi-core numbers,
and of course component data, even if cores are spread across the circuit.
4. Wire Nodes & Routing
Wire Nodes are smart - Angle, Branch, Connection and Interruption Point Nodes, like Pins on symbols
are first-class citizens in Circuit. The engine has rules to prevent Nodes from being
over-wired, or left unwired even. Later you will discover the Connectivity Engine and
Net Runner tools that take all the guess-work out of circuit validation.
Build up a circuit with Nodes, then use the Free and Smart wire tools, or just hit Alt+W
for fully automated wiring between ortho-aligned Nodes!
Create the Project Scaffolding
Create Project
Initialize project container. Choose page size (A3/A4 Landscape) and drawing border template.
Project Properties
Configure project title, client info, standard wire group defaults, and auto-backup intervals.
Title & Index Sheets
Add the cover title sheet. Title block fields automatically sync from Project Properties.
Seed Report Forms
Insert seed pages for BOM, Component List, and Terminal Plans. They populate dynamically.
Whilst the included templates for automated Forms include all you need for Bill of Materials,
Component Lists, Terminal Lists, etc., the separate Report menu offers the high-granularity
of detailed reports for purchasing, wire and cable schedules, etc., for all that pre- and in-build activity.
Exporting reports directly to PDF and CSV is included.
Forms are for that detail required by your customer's technicians for maintenance, diagnostics and part-finding.
Sheet & Folder Hierarchy
Organize drawing sections into logical folders (e.g. Power Distribution, PLC I/O, Safety, Report Forms), etc.
Use of folders is entirely optional and cosmetic, really depends on the scale of your project.
However, note, for Web Publisher - Folders are fully supported - and make browser navigation a snap!
Any Sheet not belonging to a folder is added after the last folder in the project tree.
Sheets are automatically renumbered according to their position in the structure, after every update -
so Folders are the way to keep your circuit, forms and lists in the order you require.
Whilst Sheets may be re-arranged outside and inside folders by drag action, for your convenience,
hit Alt+O for The Organizer. It simplifies
the structure management, allowing mass edits, updates and deletes.
User Preferences
From Tools > Personalize Workspace you may set your preferences, including what colors or canvas backgrounds are assigned for your 3 new friends - Drawing Layers! You have Schematic, Annotation and Rubber Stamp layers to make your presentation highly flexible. All circuit wiring goes on Schematic (F2), all Annotation (F3) is for all those 'workshop build' details and notes, required for assembly, not for customer final docs. And for your convenience - Rubber Stamp (Sheet 0) where you may add any comments, like "Draft", which are then applied on every sheet printed or exported (fully optional and configurable, of course.)
The Core Drafting Loop
Add / Switch Sheet
Select or create a schematic sheet via Navigator or The Organizer (Alt+O).
Place & Swap Symbols
Drag from Symbol Library (Ctrl+D toggles Palette). Right-click any placed symbol to Replace Symbol with smart pin & wire remapping.
Interrupts & Nodes
Press N/S/E/W for interrupt nodes, or spatial numpad 0–9 for junctions.
Terminal Slices
Press / (vertical) or - (horizontal) on numpad to drop terminal nodes, or drag terminal symbols.
Route Smart Wires
Click pin to pin. Tap Tab to flip the L-bend orientation. Press Alt+W for Batch Auto-Wire.
Cross-Sheet Jumps
Select any interrupt node or partner reference and tap J to jump straight to the connected sheet & zone.
Connectivity & Nets
Press F5 to run Connectivity Engine or F6 for Net Runner to validate and trace all signal paths.
Save Active Sheet
Press Ctrl+S to save the current sheet (Ctrl+Shift+S saves the whole project).
.ccgrp file with full vector preview.
• Tier 2 (Spatial Position): Matches pins occupying identical coordinates in symbol space (e.g. NO to NC contacts).
• Tier 3 (Positional Sequence): Aligns multi-pole contact flows top-to-bottom and left-to-right (breakers, contactors).
Project Explorer & Sheet Navigator
📂 The Organizer Alt+O
Reorder sheets, move drawings between functional folders, and batch-update page designations without breaking cross-sheet references.
Whilst The Organizer supports your folder and sheet structuring, The Navigator supports your
project navigation, fast-find and priorities.
The Automated Numbering Engines
🏷️ Symbol Renumbering
Automatically sequences device tags (e.g. -10KM1, -10Q1, -10F1) based on page coordinates or schematic flow.
🔢 Terminal Strip Runs
Sequences terminal numbers across strips (e.g. -X1:1..24), recognizing internal jumpers, multi-tier terminals, and field destinations.
⚡ Wire Numbering & Mass Update
Propagates wire numbers across nets. Press Alt+M for Mass Wire Update or Shift+F6 for Manual Wire Numbering Mode.
📑 Auto-Populate & Shortfall
Populates BOMs and Component Lists. If data exceeds one sheet, the Shortfall Engine automatically prompts to insert overflow continuation sheets.
🔗 Contact Cross-References
Instantly calculates contact matrix tables under relay/contactor coils, listing sheet and zone locations for all NO and NC auxiliary contacts.
🌐 Connectivity Engine & Net Runner
Press F5 for active sheet connectivity trace, Shift+F5 for project-wide trace, or F6 for Net Runner net diagnostics.
Additional Tools & System Managers
🎨 Symbol Editor
Integrated WYSIWYG vector symbol design environment. Create bespoke electrical symbols, define directional pin connection vectors (North, South, East, West), configure terminal properties, and assign default tag prefixes (e.g. -KM, -Q, -F).
🗄️ Component Databases
Attach manufacturer catalogue part numbers, order codes, descriptions, and technical ratings to placed component instances. Centralized parts databases drive the automatic population of purchase-ready Bills of Materials (BOM) and Component Lists.
📐 Manage Borders & Drawing Frames
Create and customize standard ISO/IEC drawing templates (A3 and A4 Landscape). Configure title block geometry, company branding, client logos, zone grid reference rulers (Columns 1–8, Rows A–D), and auto-syncing project metadata fields.
🧠 History & Memory Management
Robust multi-level undo/redo transaction stack (Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y) and intelligent sheet backup snapshots. Optimized RAM caching and delta-logging keep memory footprints lightweight even on massive multi-hundred-sheet drawing portfolios.
Professional Multi-Format Publishing
Print & Hard Copy Output
High-precision GDI+ vector printing to standard plotters, office printers, and virtual PDF print drivers (Ctrl+P) with crisp millimetric line weights and exact title block placement. Supports direct output to Colour, Black & White, or Grayscale rendering with accurate sheet border margins.
Interactive Smart PDF
Clickable GoTo links on all cross-references, component tags, and table back-refs with embedded document outline bookmarks.
As with the Web Publisher, include or exclude various layers, grid, and enable Auto Open in the default viewer for your computer.
Web Publisher Portal
Zero-dependency standalone HTML5 portal, multi-file and server modes, with interactive pan/zoom, dark/light themes, tag search, and animated arrival brackets.
Assembly Mode - supports click on Tag for Component Data (including full screen cards, so you can see detail from across the room whilst sifting through boxes!)
Jump Nodes, Contact Table XREFS and back links fully clickable.
Whole project Search Bar, which will identify every component location across the entire circuit,
even in closed folders using badges — in any Web mode.
Wire Up Mode - supports 'virtual high-lighter' pens for marking off the assembly, wiring and build in real time.
Using Red, Blue, Pink or Green highlighters, different panel guys/gals can work on the same circuit.
All mark-up data is stored locally in the browser database.
DXF CAD Export
Layered ubiquitous CAD-compatible DXF output preserving schematic layers, text styles, and graphic primitives. Export a single sheet, or an entire project, to an array of SheetNumber.DXF files into a folder.
Symbol Library PDF Catalogues
Export publication-ready reference catalogues and specification sheets of any loaded symbol library directly from the Symbol Editor (File > Export Library to PDF...).
Features 2-column or 3-column Visual Cards and Table List layouts, 5 coordinated accent themes (including High Contrast Monochrome for laser printing), auto-scaled company/app logo headers, dynamically centered diagonal watermarks, custom footers, interactive category bookmarks, and granular content toggles.
Presentation Mode
Everything you publish is already clickable: a tag jumps to its device, an index entry to its sheet, a contact table row to the contact it lists. Presentation Mode brings that same behaviour back into the editor. Both side panels collapse, the drawing takes the whole window, and the pack can be walked in front of a customer without exporting anything first.
Press F11 to enter, F11 or Esc to leave. The mouse vocabulary is deliberately small, and two of the four are unchanged from editing so nothing you already know moves under you:
| Gesture | What it does |
|---|---|
| Left click | Follow whatever is under the pointer. |
| Right click | Back. |
| Middle drag | Pan, as in edit mode. |
| Wheel | Zoom, as in edit mode. |
| ← → | Previous and next sheet, wrapping at the ends. |
| Home End | First and last sheet. |
Nothing can be changed while you present
Every command that could edit, save or alter a sheet is greyed out for the duration, so the unsaved-work question is asked once, on the way in — never again between clicks. Printing, Print Preview, Page Setup, the Navigator, the reports and the exports all stay live. If someone asks for a print of what is on screen, Ctrl+P still does it and you carry on talking.
The pointer tells you what a click will do
A hand means the click will take you somewhere. A question mark means it will tell you something — that one appears over a device tag and opens its component card: quantity, part number, manufacturer, description and supplier for every item linked to the device. Size it N / M / L / XL; reach for XL when someone at the back asks for a part number.
Only links that actually resolve are offered, so a hand cursor is a promise the click will keep. Where you land is marked with four corner brackets that stay put while you talk about it — zooming in and panning around leave them alone, which is exactly when the room needs them most.
Set it up for the room
Tools > Personalize Workspace > Presentation sets the bar size, whether the sheet is fitted to the window on arrival, whether the menu bar and toolbars are hidden for full screen, and the colour of those arrival brackets. They are saved per user, not per project — they describe the screen you are presenting on, not the drawing.