tips_and_tricks

Tips & Tricks

Advanced workflows, techniques, and best practices to master QElectroTech and create professional diagrams efficiently.

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Drawing Faster

Wire Drawing

Drawing a wire:

1. Press on a symbol's terminal
2. Drag to the other terminal — it shows red where a connection is refused
3. Release. QET routes the wire itself

Rerouting:

• Select the wire and drag the handles on its segments to change its path
• Edit → Reset conductors (Ctrl+K) throws your changes away and lets QET route the selected wires again
• Placing or moving a symbol so that its terminals line up with free ones can wire them automatically (Automatic creation conductor (s), see Conductors §8)

Rapid Element Placement

Double-click to place:

1. Double-click a symbol in the Collections panel (or select it and press Enter) — it follows the pointer
2. Click to place it
3. Press A to place the same symbol again, as many times as you need

See Managing collections and Drawing faster for the picker (Insert), the shortcut bar (S) and repeating the last command (Enter).

Alignment:

• Everything you drag snaps to the grid; hold Ctrl to drag off it
• Edit → Align lines a selection up on one edge or centre line, or puts it back on the grid — see Aligning items
• Edit → Group → Group keeps items together while you move them — see Grouping items

Quick Rotation:

• Select the element and press Space to rotate it — this is the actual registered shortcut (diagrameditor.rotate_selection); R is not bound to anything in the diagram editor
• Shift+Space rotates a multi-element selection as one group
• Or right-click → Rotate

Selection Techniques

Multi-Select Tricks:

• Ctrl+click elements one by one to add to selection
• Drag selection box to select all within box
• Edit → Selection → Select All (Ctrl+A) for entire diagram
• Edit → Selection → Select all conductors / Select all text fields — these two exist as real actions; there's no "select by device type" (switches, motors, etc.) feature to reach for instead
• Tab / Shift+Tab cycles the selection through every item on the diagram, one at a time, wrapping at either end — see Keyboard-only control

Smart Copying:

1. Select element(s)
2. Ctrl+C to copy
3. Ctrl+V to paste — the copy follows the cursor until you click, Enter, or Escape to cancel
4. Click to drop it wherever you want

For a row of copies rather than one placed by eye, Ctrl+D is the faster tool — see the Duplicate Trick below.

Duplicate Trick:

• Select element(s), press Ctrl+D
• First time: a small dialog asks for a spacing (grid steps) and a direction — up, down, left or right. Confirm it and the copy lands at that offset immediately, no dragging into place
• Every later Ctrl+D reuses that spacing/direction silently and continues from the copy just placed — hold Ctrl, tap D a few times to lay out an evenly-spaced row
• Change the spacing/direction later from Edit → Configure duplication...
• See Keyboard-only control for the full mechanics

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Organization & Navigation

Master Large Projects

Sheet Strategy:

• One sheet per major section: Power Supply, Control Logic, Outputs, Safety, etc.
• Clear naming: "01-Power Distribution", "02-Motor Control", "03-Safety"
• Cross-references: Use automatic xref for inter-sheet connections

Naming Conventions (Best Practice):

For Elements:

• Use reference designators: S1, S2, R1, M1, U1 (switch, relay, motor, IC)
• Helps identify components in bills of materials
• Makes troubleshooting easier

For Wires:

• Use signal names: "Enable", "Speed_Feedback", "Alarm"
• Electrical properties: "24V", "GND", "Signal"
• Improves readability and documentation

Hierarchical Organization:

• Level 1: Single sheet (simple projects)
• Level 2: 3-5 sheets (medium projects)
• Level 3: 10+ sheets (split into multiple files)

Navigate Like a Pro

Zoom Shortcuts:

• Your platform's standard zoom-in/out keys (QKeySequence::ZoomIn/ZoomOut — usually Ctrl+Plus/Ctrl+Minus, not the bare +/- keys)
• Ctrl+8: Zoom on content
• Ctrl+9: Fit zoom (adapted to the sheet)
• Ctrl+0 (Cmd+0 Mac): Reset zoom
• Mouse wheel: Zoom in and out around the mouse pointer — zoom out, point at the next area, zoom back in

Pan Tricks:

• Middle mouse button drag to pan
• Ctrl+Scroll scrolls up and down without zooming
• Move (hand icon): left-drag pans without selecting
• Space rotates the selection; it does not pan

Full reference, trackpad mode and the Centre on cursor key: Moving around a zoomed-in sheet.

Quick Navigation:

• Project panel (left): Click sheet to jump to it
• Tab key doesn't cycle sheets — it cycles the selection through every item on the current sheet instead (Shift+Tab goes backward). See Keyboard-only control for the full keyboard picture, including what actually is and isn't reachable without a mouse.
• Ctrl+G: jump to a placed element by its label, or to a cell such as B13 or 4-B7 — see Finding your place on a sheet
• Display → Keep headers visible keeps the column numbers and row letters in sight when zoomed in

Color Coding for Clarity

Use Wire Colors Meaningfully:

• Red → Power/Phase
• Blue/Green → Neutral/Ground
• Yellow → Safety/Fault
• Gray → Signals/Control
• Improves readability at a glance

Element Coloring:

• Right-click element → Properties
• Assign background/outline colors
• Group by function or type
• Helps distinguish sections visually

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Creating Professional Documentation

Standards for Quality Schematics

IEC Standards Compliance:

• Use IEC symbols (included in QET)
• Follow IEC 81346 classification
• Consistent symbol size and spacing
• Clear signal flow direction

Good Diagram Habits:

1. One function per sheet — Easier to understand
2. Logical flow — Left to right, top to bottom
3. Consistent spacing — Use grid alignment
4. Minimal crossing — Reduce complexity
5. Clear labels — Every wire and element

Labeling Best Practices:

Element	Label	Wire Label
Switches	S1, S2, S3	"Enable", "Reset"
Relays	R1, R2	"Alarm", "Trip"
Motors	M1, M2	"Run", "Stop"
Sensors	B1, B2 (proximity)	"Sensor 1"
Power	U1 (supply)	"24V", "GND", "Phase"

Generate Documentation Automatically

Auto-Numbered Reports:

1. Project → Export to CSV (there's no "Reports" submenu — this is the actual menu entry, and it opens a query builder with a configurable column set; see Building a custom nomenclature or summary table)
2. Creates element list with counts
3. Useful for bills of materials
4. Export to file, or preview on screen first

Conductor Documentation:

1. Project → Export the list of names of wires
2. Lists all connections
3. Export for manufacturing
4. Useful for wiring technicians

Numbering Schemes:

• Elements: Auto-number as S1, S2, R1, R2, etc.
• Conductors: Auto-number L1, L2, L3, N, PE, etc.
• Sheets: Use consistent naming: "Sheet 1 of 10"

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Advanced Element Management

Create a Reusable Element Library

Design Custom Elements:

1. Identify repeated patterns in your work
2. Create as custom elements (.elmt files)
3. Define terminals for connections
4. Add metadata (properties, information)

Examples to Create:

• Complex subsystem blocks (controller units)
• Your company's standard components
• Industry-specific symbols not in library
• Custom logic or control blocks

Share Across Projects:

• Save .elmt files to shared folder
• Team members import via Elements panel
• Maintains consistency
• Saves time on repeated designs

Maintain Your Library:

• Version custom elements
• Document what each does
• Update when standards change
• Keep backup copies

Organize Collections

Collection Strategy:

• Group by function: Power, Control, Sensors, etc.
• Group by manufacturer for specific products
• Create company-standard library
• Add "Favorites" for frequently used

Access Community Elements:

• Browse Elements Repository
• Download and import new symbols
• Contribute your own
• Share with community

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Performance & Optimization

Handle Large Complex Diagrams

For 100+ Elements:

• Hide the grid (Display → Display the grid) if not needed
• Close unused panels (View → Panels) to free memory
• Zoom to working area rather than whole page
• Split into multiple sheets if very large

For 500+ Elements:

• Split into separate .qet files instead of one massive file
• Use simplified symbols (outline only) in overview diagrams
• Detail complex sections in separate diagrams
• Improves both performance and readability

Responsiveness Tips:

• Save frequently (Ctrl+S) to reduce potential data loss
• Don't undo extremely far back; can slow performance
• Close files you're not actively editing
• Restart QET occasionally for fresh memory

Reduce File Size

Cleanup Techniques:

• Delete unused elements (select, press Delete)
• Remove extra wires (clean up old drafts)
• Consolidate symbols (use one library symbol instead of many)

Save Space:

• File → Save (not Save As) overwrites current, efficient
• PNG export for archival (smaller than .qet if size matters)
• Compress .qet files if storing on limited space

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Collaboration Workflows

Team Project Management

Basic Sharing:

1. Each team member works on different sheets
2. Save .qet file to shared network drive
3. Work in sequence (one at a time) or parallel (different sheets)
4. Merge changes manually if editing same sheet

Git Integration:

1. Initialize Git in project directory
2. Commit .qet files to repository
3. Each team member branches for their work
4. Merge via pull request
5. Resolve conflicts in XML if needed

Best Practices:

• Communicate who's working on what
• Save frequently to avoid conflicts
• Use meaningful names for files and sheets
• Document changes in commit messages or notes

Combining Work from Multiple Contributors

Manual Merge:

1. Open Version A of diagram
2. Export sections as PNG/SVG
3. Open Version B (base)
4. Copy elements from Version A into Version B
5. Resolve conflicts (overlapping elements)

Git Merge:

1. Both contributors push branches
2. Create pull request with changes
3. Review differences (XML diffs)
4. Merge when ready
5. Manually adjust conflicts in resulting .qet

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Export & Output Workflows

Professional Document Generation

PDF Workflow (Best for Sharing):

1. Ensure all sheets are complete and labeled
2. File → Print or Export → PDF
3. Configure: scale, color/B&W, margins
4. Generate PDF
5. Share with clients, collaborators, installers

SVG Export (For Editing):

1. File → Export → SVG
2. Exports as vector format
3. Editable in Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator
4. Good for further refinement in other tools

PNG/JPG (For Web/Documents):

1. File → Export → PNG (or JPG)
2. Choose resolution (DPI)
3. Good for embedded in documents, web pages
4. Not editable but shareable

Multi-Format Export:

1. Generate documentation in multiple formats
2. Use PDF for official documents
3. Use PNG for web embedding
4. Use SVG for future editing
5. Archival strategy

Bills of Materials & Parts Lists

Keep spellings consistent: a parts list or query compares exact text, so "Schneider" and "Schneider Electric" end up as two suppliers. When you fill in an element's Informations tab (manufacturer, supplier, reference…), each field suggests the values other elements of the same project already use. Matching ignores case and works anywhere in the text — typing "ard" offers "Arduino" — so pick the existing spelling instead of typing a new one. The Label field has no suggestions, since a label names one element; nor do values from other projects.

Generate Automatically:

1. Project → Export to CSV
2. Creates element count and reference list
3. Export to CSV for spreadsheet
4. Use for purchasing, inventory

CSV Workflow:

1. Export nomenclature as CSV
2. Open in Excel/Google Sheets
3. Add supplier information, costs
4. Maintain parts list in spreadsheet
5. Reference during assembly

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Advanced Techniques

Using Dynamic Text Fields

Available Variables:

• %id — Element ID/reference
• %label — Element label
• %comment — Custom comment
• %author — Project author
• %date — Current date
• %filename — File name

Example: Add text "%date" to diagram → displays "2026-09-09"

Keyboard Shortcut Mastery

For the full picture — every registered shortcut checked directly against the source, plus how far you can actually get without a mouse at all — see Keyboard-only control.

Essential Shortcuts (checked against ShortcutManager's registry — see Keyboard-only control for the complete, verified list):

Action	Shortcut
New	Ctrl+N
Open	Ctrl+O
Save	Ctrl+S
Print	Ctrl+P
Undo	Ctrl+Z
Redo	your platform's standard "redo" key (varies — Ctrl+Y on Windows, Ctrl+Shift+Z on most Linux desktops)
Select All	Ctrl+A
Copy	Ctrl+C
Paste	Ctrl+V
Duplicate (offset by a configured spacing/direction)	Ctrl+D
Delete	Delete
Rotate	Space, not R — R isn't bound to anything here
Zoom In / Out	your platform's standard zoom keys, not bare +/-
Reset zoom	Ctrl+0

Power-User Series:

• Learn 5 shortcuts at a time
• Practice until muscle memory
• Gradually build speed
• Dramatically increases productivity

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Troubleshooting Tips

Common Issues & Solutions

"Wires won't connect"

• Ensure you're clicking directly on terminals (small dots)
• Not all points on symbols are connectable
• Check element definition for terminal locations

"Elements look wrong after rotation"

• Some symbols aren't symmetric
• Rotate before finalizing placement if possible
• Or use simpler symbol and rotate after

"Diagram is slow"

• Large projects (500+ elements) may lag
• Split into multiple files
• Close unused panels
• Save and restart QET

"Lost work/file corrupt"

• After a crash, QET offers its crash-recovery copies at the next start — the last three of each project, see FAQ
• Autosave is off by default: set an interval for Automatic backup of projects in Settings → Configure QElectroTech → General
• Keep .qet files under version control
• Regular manual backups recommended

Recovery Strategies

File Corruption:

1. Pick an older crash-recovery copy at the next start, if the newest is the broken one
2. Open .qet in text editor (it's XML)
3. Look for obvious corruption
4. Try opening in different QET version

Accidental Deletion:

• Use Ctrl+Z immediately after mistake
• Undo history very deep (many steps back possible)
• Version control (.git) has full history

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Industry-Specific Workflows

Industrial Control Systems

Pattern:

1. Create power distribution sheet
2. Create PLC/controller sheet
3. Create I/O terminal sheet
4. Create sensor/actuator sheet
5. Use cross-references between sheets
6. Generate wiring list for technicians

Automotive Wiring

Pattern:

1. One sheet per major system (engine, lights, climate)
2. Label with wire gauge (AWG)
3. Color code per standard
4. Export for manufacturing/assembly instructions

Home Automation

Pattern:

1. Power distribution diagram
2. Switch/outlet layout diagram
3. Network/control diagram
4. Device connectivity diagram
5. Generate for electrician and homeowner

Solar/Renewable Energy

Pattern:

1. Power generation (panels, inverters)
2. Battery storage (if applicable)
3. AC distribution
4. Grounding and safety
5. Metering and monitoring

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Learning Path

Start Here:

1. Quick Start Guide — Basic skills
2. User Manual — All features

Build Skills: 3. Create simple projects (5-10 elements) 4. Try multi-sheet projects 5. Learn export and reports 6. Create custom elements

Master Advanced: 7. Collaborate with team 8. Build element libraries 9. Automate reporting 10. Develop workflows for your industry

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Resources

• User Manual — Complete reference
• FAQ — Common questions
• Forum — Ask community
• YouTube Tutorials — Video guides
• Example Projects — Real-world examples

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Share Your Tips!

Found a great workflow? Have a technique to share?

→ Post on the Forum to share your tips with the community!