[Feature Request] Wiring plan based on TechDraw

Discussions about the development of the TechDraw workbench
Forum rules
Be nice to others! Respect the FreeCAD code of conduct!
User avatar
tobiasfalk
Posts: 93
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:35 pm

[Feature Request] Wiring plan based on TechDraw

Post by tobiasfalk »

Hi TD community,

Idea
I have an idea of a feature for FreeCAD. Drawing a wiring plan for a project.

In a bigger Projekt you need to plan where, what wires go and to do so, you typically make a wiring plan where you draw things like motors and relays, for example Kap.9 Schützschaltungen.pdf. This could also include wiring plans for houses and so, for example Kap.4_Die Lampenschaltungen.pdf. (I only have them in German sorry, those are from of my school.)
To my knowledge if the plan gets more complex you no longer draw single electrical connections but often wire pairs/bundle, for example a whole Ethernet cable and so on.

Why here?
The reason why I post it here is simple, a feature like this would most like be based on TD and so in my way of thinking I posted it here. It is also that it would be useless work if things like the sheet base and so where to be done again.

Existing Programs
There are some existing Programs where you can draw such wiring plans, but the only free that I could find was QelectroTech(https://qelectrotech.org/). My Problem with this is simple, you can not define the Page size in mm and do other things that are needed to make a good looking plan. The other options are all paid in one way or an other.

Base functions
This needs at lest the function to Create/Edit a Symbol and maybe even Library, to draw wires and cables and define there properties (name, gauge and so on) and lastly a way to export a BOM for the wires.

Possible functions
There are some features that could be realized with the inclusion to FreeCAD, for example you could make it so that the user defines wiring channels (areas) in the 3D space and defines where what devise is, with this information the workbench could then use this information to calculate the needed length of a wire/cable. A other feature would be that the program can calculate if a wire would fit in to this channel. Lastly if some work with the Assembly work benches where be done a feature where when you create a part that you than can say that has that symbol and on inclusion this in an assembly, the symbol would be listed in a window with included parts.
That are only the things that my brain can think of now, but I think that a Workbench like those would be nice to have and would add to the report of good workbenches.

Edit 2022-11-22:
{
Alsow a nice feature would be if it were posible to define how a cable or wire is terminatet, so what type of connection is used for example: RJ45 or Phoenix Contact 1757035. To that i would be nice if you could define the pinout in some way. Lastly it a good aditon woud be the abilaty to define that a device/sybol has these types of connectors.
}

Realisation
I do understand that this is something where the work will not start immediately and it will definitely not be done in one day, but I would be happy if there is someone that is able to write FreeCAD Plugins/Workbenches and would take on this task. I personally have no time to do this and I am not good enough in C++ and Python to do this especially in a way where not all of this need do be done again.
3.png
3.png (177.5 KiB) Viewed 3790 times
2.png
2.png (108.07 KiB) Viewed 3790 times
1.png
1.png (143.45 KiB) Viewed 3790 times
Attachments
Kap.9Schützschaltungen.pdf
(938.39 KiB) Downloaded 65 times
Kap.4_Die Lampenschaltungen.pdf
(472.87 KiB) Downloaded 67 times
Last edited by tobiasfalk on Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:50 am, edited 5 times in total.
User avatar
Kunda1
Veteran
Posts: 13434
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:03 pm

Re: [Feature Request] Wiring plan based on Tech Draw

Post by Kunda1 »

Can you add some screenshots to this? images really help boost interest, message, and best of all comprehension of what you're proposing
Alone you go faster. Together we go farther
Please mark thread [Solved]
Want to contribute back to FC? Checkout:
'good first issues' | Open TODOs and FIXMEs | How to Help FreeCAD | How to report Bugs
User avatar
tobiasfalk
Posts: 93
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:35 pm

Re: [Feature Request] Wiring plan based on Tech Draw

Post by tobiasfalk »

those are out of the PDF that is included
User avatar
Kunda1
Veteran
Posts: 13434
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:03 pm

Re: [Feature Request] Wiring plan based on TechDraw

Post by Kunda1 »

Thanks!
Alone you go faster. Together we go farther
Please mark thread [Solved]
Want to contribute back to FC? Checkout:
'good first issues' | Open TODOs and FIXMEs | How to Help FreeCAD | How to report Bugs
User avatar
ragohix769
Posts: 565
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2020 7:04 am
Location: Rome - Italy

Re: [Feature Request] Wiring plan based on TechDraw

Post by ragohix769 »

I think this is an incredible idea!
After #ElonMuskBuyTwitter I'm no more on Twitter, that's really enough :-(
=> Now you can find me here on #Mastodon: https://mastodon.uno/@opensoul - I hope more people do the same :-)
User avatar
tobiasfalk
Posts: 93
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:35 pm

Re: [Feature Request] Wiring plan based on TechDraw

Post by tobiasfalk »

For more reference, in Solidworks this feature is caled SOLIDWORKS Electrical and I found a maual how it is used: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ba ... uxgDo4rZQL
Screenshot_2022-11-22-13-07-03-996.jpeg
Screenshot_2022-11-22-13-07-03-996.jpeg (574.67 KiB) Viewed 3569 times
Screenshot_2022-11-22-13-07-17-965.jpeg
Screenshot_2022-11-22-13-07-17-965.jpeg (281.56 KiB) Viewed 3569 times
Screenshot_2022-11-22-13-08-30-108.jpeg
Screenshot_2022-11-22-13-08-30-108.jpeg (345.32 KiB) Viewed 3569 times
These are out of the PDF that is inked above.
User avatar
ragohix769
Posts: 565
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2020 7:04 am
Location: Rome - Italy

Re: [Feature Request] Wiring plan based on TechDraw

Post by ragohix769 »

It's a real COOL feature IMHO, if developed.

Some flowchart o scheme design can be a game changer in Techdraw. And it's pretty all there, it's all vector. OF course you can do that too in Inkscape, but using or re-using work already done in draw in draft or BIM, it's incredibile, even to store a big MEP project all in a single file.

Really good idea, indeed, +1
After #ElonMuskBuyTwitter I'm no more on Twitter, that's really enough :-(
=> Now you can find me here on #Mastodon: https://mastodon.uno/@opensoul - I hope more people do the same :-)
User avatar
wandererfan
Veteran
Posts: 6268
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2012 5:42 pm
Contact:

Re: [Feature Request] Wiring plan based on TechDraw

Post by wandererfan »

tobiasfalk wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 1:28 pm
Wow, those plans take me back to a past life in the Signals Department.

I think a workbench to make wiring diagrams is a great idea.

I would do the actual creation of the diagram in the "3d window" (like Draft or Sketcher), and then move it to paper in TechDraw. To do it all in TechDraw would require adding a lot of drawing code.

There has been some node and link work done in the past that might be reusable. https://www.forum.freecadweb.org/viewto ... 05#p623805 is one I found easily, but it isn't the one I was looking for. Dia/Visio could serve as an inspiration.
User avatar
Evgeniy
Posts: 477
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2021 6:10 pm

Re: [Feature Request] Wiring plan based on TechDraw

Post by Evgeniy »

Sooner or later , this idea had to come up ...
Last edited by Evgeniy on Tue Nov 22, 2022 2:55 pm, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
ragohix769
Posts: 565
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2020 7:04 am
Location: Rome - Italy

Re: [Feature Request] Wiring plan based on TechDraw

Post by ragohix769 »

Evgeniy wrote: Tue Nov 22, 2022 2:46 pm https://github.com/FreeCAD-Tools/FreeCAD_Electric

The start is made. Ha-ha-ha... :D

It's a joke, I don't even know how to create a white sheet class.
"Electric" IMHO it's not big enough. Because you can do even process plant (IE hydraulic, plumbing, HDVAC, etc etc) or general flow chart with this method and make a beautiful draw in techdraw at the end.
After #ElonMuskBuyTwitter I'm no more on Twitter, that's really enough :-(
=> Now you can find me here on #Mastodon: https://mastodon.uno/@opensoul - I hope more people do the same :-)
Post Reply