A tour of the editor
What the top bar, the seven panels, and the tools down the side of the schematic are each for.
Britt Espinosa
Last Update 15 days ago
The editor is a top bar and a workspace you fill with panels. Which panels are showing is up to you, and the arrangement is remembered per circuit.
The top bar
On the left is the circuit name, which you can click to rename, and the simulation status. Status reads Ready when nothing is running, a percentage while an analysis runs, and Running during an interactive simulation.
In the middle is a row of seven buttons that turn panels on and off: Schematic, SPICE, Chart, Table, Info, Notes, and Properties. The Info button grows a red badge when the schematic has an error and an amber triangle when it has a warning.
Beside them, Panel layout controls how the panels are arranged. Leave Free resize on to drag panel edges yourself, or turn it off and set a column count.
Hotkeys opens the shortcut list. Help offers a guided tour of the editor you can replay whenever you like.
On the right are the run button and the save button. The save button tooltip tells you what state you are in: Unsaved changes, Unsaved cosmetic only changes, or No changes to save.
The Schematic panel
This is the canvas, with its own toolbar across the top.
The tools, with their shortcuts:
| Tool | Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Auto tool | A | Picks select or wire based on what you click |
| Select tool | S | Selects and moves parts |
| Wire tool | W | Draws wires between pins |
| Interactive tool | I or Alt | Operates switches and controls during a run |
| Delete tool | D | Removes what you click |
Zoom controls sit next to them, including Zoom to extents, which frames everything you have placed. Undo is Ctrl+Z and redo is Ctrl+Shift+Z or Ctrl+Y.
On the right of that toolbar are Auto arrange schematic labels, which tidies overlapping text, and Export schematic, which offers PNG and PDF.
The Components drawer
Down the left of the schematic is the parts library, with a search box and filters for category, manufacturer, and who made the part. Favorites sits at the top once you have starred anything.
Press Ctrl+Space with the canvas focused to open Quick Search instead, which is faster once you know a few short codes. Typing r gives a resistor and c a capacitor.
The right-hand panels
Simulation Settings is where you choose the analysis and set its parameters. Item Properties shows the settings for whatever you have selected on the canvas, such as a resistor's resistance or a source's voltage.
The other panels
Chart plots simulation results over time or frequency, with cursors for reading values off the trace.
Table lists the same results as numbers, which is easier when you want an exact figure rather than a shape.
SPICE shows the netlist for the circuit, and lets you write one by hand.
Info reports what will stop a run, such as unconnected pins or a missing ground.
Notes is a markdown page attached to the circuit, for design reasoning or instructions to whoever opens it next.
Properties covers the circuit as a whole: name, description, tags, whether it is public, and who it is shared with.
If the workspace is empty
Turning every section off shows No panels selected and Select a panel above to view your circuit. Turn Schematic back on to get the canvas back.