Onshape users have long known the value of cloud product development tools, but unfortunately there are still times when design tasks force even us cloud-loving engineers to resort to one of those old-fashioned, locally installed, and rarely updated tools that we’d all love to retire.
One notable area where this has traditionally been the case is 2D schematic design – for electrical, P&ID, pneumatic, and hydraulic schematics. For that type of design, you’re probably using tools that were first released before many of us were even born. Those tools were certainly not designed to take advantage of internet speeds, processing power, and the modern infrastructure that were literally unimaginable way-back-when.
Spoiler alert: That's not the case anymore.
Electra Cloud is a modern schematic design tool integrated seamlessly within the Onshape design space. To understand the full power of Electra Cloud, all you need to do is give it a try. It’s easy to use, easy to share, easy to edit, with built-in version control, and absolutely no setup or training needed. Before you dive in, let's take a closer look...
To start adding components to a design, we’ll first search the extensive database to find the right symbol, then use the simple drag and drop to place them:
Wow, did you see that? Now, let's add some more components, and take note what happens in the highlighted areas:
When the second and third components were added, the wires were automatically connected, AND named. Those intelligent numbers are associative, will update automatically, and will take the most time-consuming (but important) task, and reduce it to an afterthought.
In addition, if you have circuits you want to reuse, you can always copy and paste, or just as easily add it to the library of common circuits:
As you build out a list of commonly used circuits, you can be confident that sharing those with your team will be a breeze. Why? Because with Electra Cloud, you can now work hand-in-hand with your colleagues in real time, no matter where you are. (Sounds a lot like the anywhere-anytime accessibility of Onshape, doesn’t it?)
When the schematic design is done, you can:
- Add an electrical BOM
- Automatically generate, count, and number terminals; or
- Generate panel layouts
To learn more about Electra Cloud, watch the product demo below:
The future of 2D schematic design is here. Sign up for a free 30-day trial today!