You might have already tried free electrical drawing software, and that’s why you’re here. 

Basic features offer some value, but the electrical drawing software you use determines the efficiency, reliability, accuracy, and ultimately, the success of your designs. You need something more advanced. 

To make your choice easier, we’ve put together 5 key factors to serve as the cornerstone of your design journey. Each factor explored should serve as a map, guiding you towards a solution that’s intrinsically aligned with your creative visions and technical requisites. 

1. Look for features that enhance your design process

Functionality encompasses the core capabilities that the electrical drawing software offers. This includes the range of tasks the software can handle, such as creating electrical schematics and wiring harness layouts. In an ideal world, software should allow you to draw and manipulate symbols, lines, and components easily, enabling you to accurately represent complex electrical systems. If you can automate functions, you’re ahead of the game in terms of working efficiently. 

When choosing electrical drawing software, start with the features big on efficiency. 

– Comprehensive Symbol Libraries 

Below is an example of Arcadia Schematic, which includes an integrated library of electrical symbols. Both traditional and DIN standard schematic symbols eliminate the need for manual drawing and ensure consistency. This not only accelerates the design process but also reduces errors, enhancing the efficiency and precision of your electrical schematics. You can even create custom symbols to reuse when you’re drawing electrical circuits. 

– Circuit Simulation 

This is incredibly helpful to have, and we’ll point back to cloud-based Arcadia Schematic again in our example below. Its advanced simulation engine allows you to accurately simulate your design to see behavior such as voltage drops in real time.

Essentially, you can virtually test and validate your designs before implementation. You can identify potential issues, optimize performance, and ensure the functionality of your circuits without the need for physical prototypes. Circuit simulation enhances accuracy, reduces development time, and minimizes costly errors, ultimately leading to more efficient and reliable electrical designs – if you spot a problem, you can resolve it quickly, without discovering problems further down the line.

– Automated Functions 

Some software lets you automate various aspects of the design process. In the example here, Arcada Harness  has automatically selected Ultrasonic & Crimp splice types, assigning the correct type and diameter of Heat-Shrink-Sleeve from a customer profile.

With automated functions, you can streamline the design workflow by generating accurate schematics, optimizing wire routing paths, capturing all BOM parts, and ensuring adherence to industry standards. This automation reduces manual errors, accelerates design iterations, and enhances the overall efficiency of harness design, resulting in faster and more reliable product development.

– Seamless Collaboration 

Cloud-based sharing, real-time editing, and version control facilitates teamwork and communication among multidisciplinary teams. This is ideal if teams are located at different sites. They can still contribute their expertise, exchange insights, and collectively address design challenges. 

The ability to share designs, annotations, and modifications in a collaborative environment streamlines decision-making and reduces errors. Ultimately, these tools empower teams to leverage diverse skills and perspectives, resulting in more comprehensive, accurate, and successful harness designs.

The example here shows you collaboration at work with Arcadia Multi-User Schematic Design. 

With Arcadia reView, below, you can overlay both graphical and textual comments on either completed designs or work in progress without affecting the original underlying data. 

– 3D Visualization

The ability to view your electrical designs in 3D lets you spot interferences or spatial conflicts early in the design process, preventing physical clashes that could arise during product assembly. With a realistic representation, you can get a better understanding of the design’s physical layout and how electrical systems interact with mechanical elements.

Example: Arcadia MCAD Gateway, shown here, enables the synchronization of 3D mechanical models from MCAD software with electrical schematics from ECAD software. This integration allows engineers to visualize how electrical components fit within the overall mechanical design in a comprehensive 3D environment.

2. Ease of Use

Don’t neglect assessing the user friendliness of software. An intuitive interface and straightforward navigation serve as a bridge between you and the software’s intricate capabilities. A well-designed interface organizes tools logically, enabling fast access even for newcomers, which reduces the learning curve and enhances productivity.

An intuitive interface minimizes the chances of errors. If functions are intuitively placed, you’re less likely to make mistakes that could affect design accuracy. This not only saves time but also ensures accuracy in your final results.

Clear navigation acts as a guide, helping you explore the software’s features. It strikes a balance between offering powerful tools and making them easily accessible. Seamless transitions between tasks, such as creating schematics and conducting circuit simulations, empower you to focus on creativity rather than struggling with the software.

Ultimately, ease of use is more than just a convenience; it drives efficient and accurate design work. An intuitive interface and clear navigation lets you take full advantage of the software’s potential, resulting in smoother workflows and higher-quality designs.

Before you buy anything, get a demonstration. It would also help you significantly to trial the software so that you can judge for yourself. 

3. Compatibility with Current Software 

Let’s say you’re working with an eCAD that you’re happy with, but you need other electrical design tools. You’ll want to make sure anything you add is compatible with your operating system and the tools that you’re working with. Software not designed to integrate and work with 3rd-party software is just compounding problems with inefficiency. You want seamless data exchange, collaboration, and interoperability across different software applications – exactly what compatible software can give you.  

Your new software should have the ability to integrate with any package you’re already using. Can it interface the tool to your SAP purchasing environment? That’s just one instance. Before shopping around, know what you need now and even in the future. This will help you avoid mistakes in your purchasing. 

4. Costs: How Much?

Certainly, cost considerations are a pivotal aspect when choosing electrical design software, and the concept of value plays a paramount role in making an informed decision. It’s natural to be conscious of expenses, especially in software procurement, where costs can vary significantly. However, focusing solely on the upfront price can obscure the bigger picture.

Value encompasses not just the initial investment, but the comprehensive benefits and returns that the software provides over its lifecycle. While high-end software might come with a higher price tag, it often delivers a range of advantages that can significantly outweigh the initial cost.

Opting for well-supported software – which we’ll talk about next – ensures expert assistance and robust customer support, reducing downtime and enhancing your team’s productivity. Software such as this typically offers a broader suite of features, streamlined workflows, and regular updates that keep your designs current and aligned with industry trends.

Additionally, a higher-quality software reduces the likelihood of encountering limitations or compatibility issues down the line. Investing in a software package that meets your needs comprehensively reduces the risk of needing to switch to a more advanced solution sooner than anticipated. 

In contrast, cheaper software might initially seem like a cost-effective choice, but limitations in functionality, support, and future scalability could end up costing you more in terms of lost time, retraining efforts, and the need for additional software investments down the road.

When assessing cost, look beyond the immediate price and weigh the overall value the software brings to your design process. By considering long-term benefits, enhanced productivity, reduced risk, and the potential for innovation, you can make a choice that delivers true value and maximizes your ROI.

5. Can you Expect Support? 

Don’t limit your electrical CAD software review to the software itself. You want the whole package, and that means robust support. First and foremost, this ensures that you have a safety net when encountering technical challenges or issues during your design process. 

But even before that, you want a responsive team from the get go. Are they willing to implement any additional functionality for you, for example? 

The availability of expert assistance, whether through training or direct communication, enables you to overcome obstacles quickly and work uninterrupted.

Additionally, cloud-based software updates and advancements are integral to staying current and competitive in the forever evolving field of electrical design. A supportive provider offers regular updates that enhance features, fix bugs, and adapt to industry changes. This keeps your software optimized and aligned with the latest design practices and standards.

Technical support also contributes to maximizing your team’s efficiency and productivity. When your designers can access prompt answers to queries or troubleshoot problems effectively, they spend less time grappling with technical issues and more time focusing on innovation and design excellence.

Finally, a software provider that offers comprehensive support demonstrates its commitment to your success. It signals that they prioritize your needs and are invested in ensuring that you make the most of their software’s capabilities. This level of partnership fosters a positive user experience and can lead to a long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationship.

7-day free trial, always free demo  Arcadia’s suite of cloud-based ECAD software, integrated with MCAD Gateway, can streamline your wire harness design processes. To see how you can improve your efficiency and productivity, just ask for a free demonstration. We can even offer a seven-day free trial too – it’s easy to give our solutions a spin because they work in the cloud. If you have any questions, we’re always happy to help.