Everyones favorite schematic drawing software?

Maybe we could have a sub category on PLCTalk.net :)

About fifteen minutes after my post I emailed them three times in a row with questions without giving them a chance to reply and in the last email I made it clear I was done with the software. It's garbage.

I could not select or delete motors in a drawing I created yesterday ( I eventually found a way to get them alive). I could not select or delete the wiring of those motors. I could not get the short cut for Redo (Ctrl+Y) to work even after changing it. That pretty much did it for me. I have better things to spend my time and energy on.
 
So I spent about a week (tens of hours) exploring zuken and my verdict is that it belongs to "more of the same" group and after another frustrating email exchange with one of their marketing people they clearly have no manuals except a 130 page "quicktour) introduction and beyond that you're on your own. How these people survive or even sell one copy of their software is astonishing to me.




I have thus far used or tried to use ACADE, Eplan, PC Schematic and Zuken and the only one with real support and superb forums is ACADE but unfortunately it's the one I find most not intuitive.
 
After hearing about SkyCad here and giving it a try, I will have to say that it is a very nice alternative to some of the other free ones out there. I’ve been a ACADE guy for five years now, and SkyCad does most of the simple things a lot easier and quicker in my opinion.
Creating custom blocks and PLCs is WAY better than ACADE. Rather than giving the user free reign at what they want to draw, SkyCad instead asks you to insert a left or right input/output/analog/digital/generic and then a label and address and it does the rest. It adds the screw terminals and places attributes for you. Then you can save it with a part number to your library for future use.

The free version is limited in some of the more advanced features and yes it being a subscription kinda sucks. But the free version can do many things still for most users.
 
After hearing about SkyCad here and giving it a try, I will have to say that it is a very nice alternative to some of the other free ones out there. I’ve been a ACADE guy for five years now, and SkyCad does most of the simple things a lot easier and quicker in my opinion.
That's why I like it! I feel it is not "another" electrical CAD software. You can see it's at another level, and you can tell the design was thought-out with high goals in mind. The user interface is not cluttered and very intuitive.

Creating custom blocks and PLCs is WAY better than ACADE. Rather than giving the user free reign at what they want to draw, SkyCad instead asks you to insert a left or right input/output/analog/digital/generic and then a label and address and it does the rest. It adds the screw terminals and places attributes for you. Then you can save it with a part number to your library for future use.
You can create your own "smart" symbols also.

By the way, if anybody is interested in being a SkyCAD beta tester, they are currently offering that opportunity:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6498228591061532672

Nice thing is they are very open to customer suggestions, and you can end up getting that neat CAD feature that you always wanted.(y)
 
I tried using SkyCAD a few weeks ago. The user interface seems pretty nice but after trying to watch some of the tutorial videos and following along, I think some of the tutorial videos are out of date.
 
I tried SkyCAD last week, seems nice but it kept crashing when I tried to delete wires. Not sure if that's an uncommon occurance among users, but I found it frustrating and haven't used it since.
 
I used tinycad, I actually found it on sourceforge some years ago. Its free :confused:

Able to build libraries of components. Definitely not groundbreaking in any way, but it does the trick.
 
So I spent about a week (tens of hours) exploring zuken and my verdict is that it belongs to "more of the same" group and after another frustrating email exchange with one of their marketing people they clearly have no manuals except a 130 page "quicktour) introduction and beyond that you're on your own. How these people survive or even sell one copy of their software is astonishing to me.




I have thus far used or tried to use ACADE, Eplan, PC Schematic and Zuken and the only one with real support and superb forums is ACADE but unfortunately it's the one I find most not intuitive.

I completely understand your frustration. I have yet to find an Ecad package I'd be willing to spend money on.

At this point, I'm approaching it differently. I have my own cad symbols and libraries, and I approach things on a sheet-to-sheet basis of standard drawings. Then I just pull sheets I need for each project.

Is it as automated as some of these other software programs? Nope. But I have the freedom to draw what I need and import most files from manufacturer websites.

(I use a copy of Bricscad, btw. Autocad clone that is perpetual and not to expensive)
 
I tried using SkyCAD a few weeks ago. The user interface seems pretty nice but after trying to watch some of the tutorial videos and following along, I think some of the tutorial videos are out of date.
Be aware that the developing stage of this software implies that some of the tutorials may need a refresh. I found most of the tutorials very well explained, and when I have a question their team replies very fast in their forum.
 
I tried SkyCAD last week, seems nice but it kept crashing when I tried to delete wires. Not sure if that's an uncommon occurance among users, but I found it frustrating and haven't used it since.
From my own experience, crashing is not very common. Some new features may behave, but they are constantly taking care of any issues you may find.

My philosophy as a software user is this: "I prefer a software that I like and (every now and then) crashes, than a software that never crashes and I don't like"
As long as the development team cares, and this is the case for SkyCAD, the issues will be fixed soon. However, asking the dev team to improve an application that your don't like is more complicated, if not impossible.

A good example is Red Lion's Crimson. I love that software, and I consider it better than many (if not all) the other HMI software around. However, from time to time, it crashes. And I am not planning on stopping using Crimson because of that.

If you really liked SkyCAD, I suggest you post your issue in their forum. You'll be surprised how fast they take care of it.
 
Last edited:
Just loaded SkyCad, very nice.... I like the help section and I think this one gets a (y)

I need to do a couple drawings next week so it will be nice to give it a try, they have one sample project so it was easy to get up and running.... well up and drawing :D
 
I am using QElectrotech. It is FREE and very simple to use, the database is big and has autowiring etc.
get working in 5 minutes.
own blocks can be made and it has a vast language possibility.
 
I am using QElectrotech. It is FREE and very simple to use, the database is big and has autowiring etc.
get working in 5 minutes.
own blocks can be made and it has a vast language possibility.


+1 for QElectrotech, especially as I use a Linux based distribution for everyday computing.
 
I may need to try qelectrotech again. I remember it was pretty limited when I tried it previously, but that was a couple of years ago. Also, I remember having an issue trying to get it to English.

I tried Skycad for a little while. I like the interface well enough, and it includes NFPA symbols and ladder, which is a huge plus. It seems pretty intuitive for the most part. If I were starting out new, I might look at it.

I think I'm done with it for two reasons, however. One, I will never buy a subscription, and the free version doesn't include enough to separate it from basic CAD with a decent symbol library, IMO. Two, when I was offline and it couldn't connect to the internet, it threw a screen with a license issue and stated it would 'default to standard'. Since I do work in places without internet, that's a big no no, IMO. (just a warning for those who would subscribe!)

I guess I will probably never find software I'd be willing to pay for in this field. Maybe someday!
 

Similar Topics

I have an AB SLC 5/03, 13 slot rack, P2 power supply, 1746-IA16, 1746-IA16, 1746-NT4, empty, empty, divider, 1746-N04I, 1746-OB16, empty, empty...
Replies
21
Views
4,973
I thought it would be fun to ask what everyone's favorite cheap-er HMI is and favorite features. My favorite features are how easy are 1)...
Replies
13
Views
1,095
What do you guys have in your bag of tricks? For software, my favorite is definitely PDF-XChange editor. There's a free version which has by far...
Replies
105
Views
73,298
Who's using MQTT to send/receive datat out of PLC's/Machines out there and if so, what is your favorite or "go-to" gateway? We've been using the...
Replies
8
Views
2,723
Looking to step away from the PVP hardware but not AB software. Its what customers request so thats just not usually an option. Wondering what...
Replies
8
Views
3,187
Back
Top Bottom