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Thanks to all who responded to my posting re: Electrical drafting software ( "http://www.control.com/1026147183/index_html":http://www.control.com/1026147183/index_html ).
I got a trial copy of a popular (read: well-marketed) package and tried it. Here's a summary of my experience: For all but the simplest drawings consisting of standard components and ladders, everything is way too complicated. It took me much too long to find out how to do the seemingly easiest tasks such as resizing objects and adding text to (annotating) components. I STILL can't draw and annotate a custom terminal strip. Even selecting objects is aggravating. Instead of click-drag-release to select a rectangle, it's click-release on one corner, move the mouse to the opposite corner and click-release. Not a big deal, but an example of the many little annoyances I encountered. After finally getting a halfway recognizable drawing, I couldn't, for the life of me, get it scaled and positioned properly on a print, and the "help" information had virtually no detail and was of virtually no help at all. When I realized that my frustration was turning to anger and my keyboard was in mortal danger, I quit and uninstalled. Unless you're a professional draftperson under no pressure and more learning curve time on your hands than you know what to do with, leave this stuff alone.
Note to software vendors - make us a schematic drawing tool that is as intuitive and as easy to use as "Paint" - technicians, electricians and other part-time draftpeople will beat a path to your door.
I got a trial copy of a popular (read: well-marketed) package and tried it. Here's a summary of my experience: For all but the simplest drawings consisting of standard components and ladders, everything is way too complicated. It took me much too long to find out how to do the seemingly easiest tasks such as resizing objects and adding text to (annotating) components. I STILL can't draw and annotate a custom terminal strip. Even selecting objects is aggravating. Instead of click-drag-release to select a rectangle, it's click-release on one corner, move the mouse to the opposite corner and click-release. Not a big deal, but an example of the many little annoyances I encountered. After finally getting a halfway recognizable drawing, I couldn't, for the life of me, get it scaled and positioned properly on a print, and the "help" information had virtually no detail and was of virtually no help at all. When I realized that my frustration was turning to anger and my keyboard was in mortal danger, I quit and uninstalled. Unless you're a professional draftperson under no pressure and more learning curve time on your hands than you know what to do with, leave this stuff alone.
Note to software vendors - make us a schematic drawing tool that is as intuitive and as easy to use as "Paint" - technicians, electricians and other part-time draftpeople will beat a path to your door.