Software For Creating Wiring Diagrams

[AndyW]

Can anyone recommend some PC software for creating wiring diagrams?

 

As I work my round the electrics on my Super Spec, understanding how the previous owner put the wiring together and making changes and additions myself, I want to get everything drawn up properly showing the wire colours, connections and routing. At the moment I'm collecting loads of scraps of paper with hand-drawn diagrams. I've got the original RHE wall chart wiring diagram, but that really isn't adequate to show what goes where and a lot is missed off. Features I'm looking for are:

 

vector drawing

connector lines for wires that attach to symbols and move with them

symbols for car electrical components with connector attachment points (battery, switches, fuses, relays, connectors, sensors, bulbs, etc)

text annotation

drawing layers would be a bonus

outputs to print, jpg and pdf

freeware, open source, (or cheap)

 

Anyone use anything already that might suit?

 

[nelmo]

I just used the drawing module of OpenOffice (https://www.openoffice.org). Not perfect by any means but does most of what you want and it's free.

 

If you look on the 'electrics' page of my blog (link below), you can see what I produced.

[Shaft]

Download Rhinoceros (spelling as I've typed it)

Free for 90 days but ideal for what you're looking for.

After 90 days it still works but you can no longer save anything

[knights_templar]

a simple spread sheet will do what you want.

 

modern manuals do not use string diagrams.

 

Nelmo will no what I mean

[nelmo]

a simple spread sheet will do what you want.

 

modern manuals do not use string diagrams.

 

Nelmo will no what I mean

Yeah but mines got colours and looks impressively complicated to the layman ☺.

 

Below is a link to a screenshot of what KT is referring to (it looks better in Excel - I'm doing this from Android) :

 

https://goo.gl/photos/vfsX3QwcExXNieWq6

Edited November 13, 2016 by nelmo

[AndyW]

I just used the drawing module of OpenOffice (https://www.openoffice.org). Not perfect by any means but does most of what you want and it's free.

 

If you look on the 'electrics' page of my blog (link below), you can see what I produced.

 

Ah, I'd forgotten OpenOffice had a drawing module. That looks promising, and your examples look good. I've got an old MS Office installed but found that Powerpoint wouldn't do what I want. So will have to try OO. One question - do your wiring lines connect to the switch shapes? So if you move one of the shapes do all the attached lines move with it?

 

 

Download Rhinoceros (spelling as I've typed it)

Free for 90 days but ideal for what you're looking for.

After 90 days it still works but you can no longer save anything

 

Think that's a lot more than I need with all the 3d modelling and surface rendering. And rather expensive to buy after the free 90 day period - 195 Euro!

 

 

a simple spread sheet will do what you want.

 

modern manuals do not use string diagrams.

 

Nelmo will no what I mean

 

Great - I have Excel so will give that a try. It probably won't do layers, but I can live without that if I can just make shapes and attached lines.

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

[nelmo]

Ah, I'd forgotten OpenOffice had a drawing module. That looks promising, and your examples look good. I've got an old MS Office installed but found that Powerpoint wouldn't do what I want. So will have to try OO. One question - do your wiring lines connect to the switch shapes? So if you move one of the shapes do all the attached lines move with it?.

I had to make the switches from a combination of boxes and circles, they're not a standard shape. But when you do the lines, you select the start and end and the software routes the line as best it can and you can fine tune it. If you then move the object the line is connected to, the line does move with it.

[nelmo]

Oh yeah, I forgot about Gimp (https://www.gimp.org) - free and does layers but horrendously complicated. I've never got on with it but maybe worth a go...

[AndyW]

Oh yeah, I forgot about Gimp (https://www.gimp.org) - free and does layers but horrendously complicated. I've never got on with it but maybe worth a go...

Yes I have Gimp as well but like you I have never managed to get to grips with it.

 

Interestingly, from trawling around today I've come across Dia drawing tool http://dia-installer.de/ which has several object templates available for drawing electrical circuits. Looks good but no specific shapes for car schematics though which is a pity. Also I haven't found a way to rotate shapes or add extra connection points so it's a bit restrictive.

 

Several programs to play around with now and see which I prefer or work best.

[Guest mr D]

You could always take out a second mortgage and get Autocad its the dogs danglies for what u want but requires selling at least 1 kidney, and hanging around at the weekends on the town hall steps touting for trade

Cheers all

mr D

[Peter Bell]

Or just download Draftsite from Dassault systems, its free! and very similar to Autocad.

[AndyW]

Or just download Draftsite from Dassault systems, its free! and very similar to Autocad.

Thanks Peter and MrD. More programs to consider, although I think any CAD program and their learning curve will be overkill for my needs.

[nelmo]

You could always take out a second mortgage and get Autocad its the dogs danglies for what u want but requires selling at least 1 kidney, and hanging around at the weekends on the town hall steps touting for trade

Cheers all

mr D

Interesting town hall you must have...:-) Edited November 13, 2016 by nelmo

[Kerry]

Rs components do a free version

[IanS]

Free town hall thats a first