Windows: Control Panel → Programs → Uninstall (or Windows Installer if portable)
macOS: Drag QElectroTech from Applications to Trash, empty Trash
Linux (apt): sudo apt remove qelectrotech
Linux (Flatpak): flatpak uninstall org.qelectrotech.QElectroTech
AppImage: Delete the downloaded .AppImage file

Q: Is QElectroTech free?

A: Yes! Completely free and open-source:

License: GNU GPL v3 (free software license)
Source code: Publicly available on GitHub
No cost: No licensing fees, subscription, or restrictions
Legal: Can be used for personal, educational, and commercial projects

See License for details.

Getting Started

Q: I just installed QET. How do I create my first diagram?

A: Follow the Quick Start Guide for a step-by-step tutorial. You'll:

Create a new project
Add elements from the library
Connect them with wires
Add labels
Save your work

Takes about 10 minutes!

Q: How do I add elements to my diagram?

Find the Elements panel on the right side
Search: Type in the search box (e.g., "switch", "relay")
Browse: Expand categories (Control, Electrical, etc.)
Drag: Click and drag element onto canvas
Place: Release to place; drag again for another copy

Tips:

Browse by category if you don't know the name
Double-click category name to expand it
Right-click element for rotation/flip options

Q: How do I connect elements with wires?

Click the Wire tool in the toolbar (lightning bolt icon)
Click on a terminal (small dot/circle on element edge)
Move your mouse to the next element's terminal
Click again to complete the connection
Wire is drawn automatically

Important: Only click on terminals (connection points). Wires won't connect to random points.

Q: How do I add labels to wires and elements?

Double-click on the wire or element
Type your label:
- Wire: "L1", "Signal_A", "24V"
- Element: "S1", "R1", "M1"
Press Enter

Label now appears on the object.

Q: Can I undo mistakes?

A: Yes!

Ctrl+Z (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Z (macOS) — undo
Ctrl+Y or Ctrl+Shift+Z (macOS) — redo
You can undo many steps by pressing multiple times

Creating & Saving Diagrams

Q: What file format does QElectroTech use?

Projects: .qet files (XML-based, human-readable)
Elements: .elmt files (XML format for custom symbols)
Both are text files, viewable in any text editor

See Project XML Structure and Elements XML Structure for technical details.

Q: Can I open QET files in other software?

A: Partially:

.qet and .elmt are XML, so text editors can view/edit them
For electrical design software: Export to DXF or SVG for compatibility
For documentation: Export to PDF or PNG

See User Manual → Export & Printing for export options.

Q: How do I export my diagram?

File → Export (or right-click project/folio)
Choose format:
- PDF — Best for sharing/printing
- PNG — Image format for web/documents
- SVG — Vector format, editable
- DXF — CAD format (see the page for fidelity limits)
Choose location and filename
Click Export

Q: How do I print my diagram?

File → Print (Ctrl+P)
Configure:
- Color or black & white
- Page size and orientation
- Scaling (fit to page, actual size, etc.)
Print to printer or PDF
For multi-page: Set up folio (page) layout first

Q: How do I save my project?

File → Save (Ctrl+S) — Save current changes
File → Save As — Save with new name
Auto-save: Enabled by default (every few minutes)
Projects save as .qet format

Projects & Organization

Q: How do I create multiple diagrams in one project?

Right-click in Project panel (left side)
New Folio (a folio = one page/diagram)
Choose folio type (Single-line, Multiline, etc.)
Enter title
New diagram ready to edit

Organize:

Drag folios to reorder them
Right-click folio for rename/properties

Q: How do I organize a large project?

A: Best practices:

Group by function: Power, Control, Safety, etc.
Name clearly: "Main Power", "Control Logic", "Outputs", etc.
Use multiple folios: One per major section
Consistent labeling: Use reference designators (S1, R1, etc.)

See Tips & Tricks for advanced organization strategies.

A: Yes!

Email .qet files — Portable, self-contained
Cloud storage: Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.
Version control: Push to Git repo, collaborate
Network drive: Share on company network

Note: Both users need QET installed to edit. Others can view via PDF export.

Elements & Libraries

Q: Where are all the available elements?

A: In the Elements panel (right side):

Built-in library: 8,000+ symbols included
Search: Type component name or number
Browse: Expand categories for different types
Community: Additional elements on qelectrotech.org/elements

Q: Can I create custom elements?

A: Yes! See Creating Elements for detailed instructions to:

Design element graphics
Define connection terminals
Create metadata
Package for sharing

Wires & Connections

Q: My wires aren't connecting properly

A: Common issues:

Not clicking on terminal — Click directly on the small dot (terminal), not near it
Broken connection — Delete wire, reconnect to correct terminal
Crossing wires without connecting — Crossing wires don't join; must connect at terminal
Element has no terminals — Check element type; not all symbols can connect

Solution:

Select wire with Selection tool
Right-click → Delete
Redraw, clicking precisely on terminals

Q: Can I edit wire paths?

A: Yes!

Select wire (click on it)
Drag waypoints to adjust routing
Right-click waypoint to remove it
Add waypoint by clicking on wire with Wire tool

Q: What does a crossed wire mean in QET?

A: By default, crossing wires do NOT connect. They're just visual crosses for complex diagrams. Explicit terminal connections are required.

Performance & Issues

Q: QET is running slowly with my large project

A: Tips to improve performance:

Reduce zoom level if viewing entire diagram
Disable grid display (View → Grid)
Close unused panels (View → Panels)
Split into multiple folios if diagram is very large (100+ elements)
Turn off selection handles when not editing

For very large projects (1000+ elements), performance may be limited.

Q: My file won't open

A: Try:

Check file location — Ensure .qet file exists and is readable
Verify permissions — File should be readable/writable
Version compatibility — Try opening in different QET version
Repair corrupted file — Open in text editor, check for XML errors
Restore backup — If file is corrupted

See Issues for bug reports.

Q: QET won't start

A: Try:

Reinstall: Remove and reinstall QElectroTech
Check logs: Look for error messages on startup
Try a clean profile: Start from a fresh configuration to rule out a bad setting
Clear cache: Remove ~/.qelectrotech/ (Linux) or AppData (Windows)
Update Qt: Ensure Qt libraries are current

File Compatibility

Q: Can I open QET files from older versions?

A: Yes! QET maintains backward compatibility:

Older .qet files open in newer versions
Some formatting may change with UI updates
Features added in newer versions won't be present in older files

Best practice: Keep files in current QET format.

Q: What about files from different QET versions?

A: Generally compatible, but:

Files made in v0.100 should open in v0.100+
Files from v0.9 work in v0.100
Very old files (v0.6 and earlier) may have compatibility issues

If having trouble, see Issues.

Advanced Topics

Q: How do I create element libraries?

Create custom elements (see Creating Elements)
Organize in folders
Distribute .elmt files to users
Users copy to element collection directory

Or publish on Community Elements repository.

Q: Can I use QET in scripts or automation?

A: Limited support:

Python terminal block generator available
Some command-line support in development
See Contributing for scripting roadmap

Q: How do I contribute to QElectroTech?

A: Multiple ways:

Report bugs — GitHub Issues
Create elements — Share symbols and components
Translate — Help internationalization efforts
Write code — See Contributing for guidelines

Q: Where can I find example projects?

A: Examples available:

PDF schemas: qelectrotech.org/schemas_pdf
Forum gallery: qelectrotech.org/forum
Your own projects: Once experienced, create reference diagrams

Platform-Specific Questions

Q: How do I launch QET on Linux?

Application menu — Search for QElectroTech
Command line: qelectrotech
Desktop shortcut: Create launcher for quick access

Q: How do I launch QET on macOS?

Applications folder → Double-click QElectroTech
Launchpad → Click QElectroTech
Dock → Drag application to Dock for quick access

Q: How do I launch QET on Windows?

Start menu → Search "QElectroTech" and click
Desktop shortcut → Double-click (if created during install)
Command line: qelectrotech (if in PATH)

Didn't Find Your Answer?

Resources:

Quick Start Guide — Get started in 10 minutes
User Manual — Complete feature documentation
Tips & Tricks — Advanced workflows
Forum — Ask the community (very responsive!)
GitHub Issues — Report bugs and request features
Community — Find help and connect with users

Still Stuck?

Post on the QElectroTech Forum with:

Description of your problem
QET version you're using
Steps to reproduce
Screenshots if helpful
Your operating system

Community members are very helpful and responsive!

Getting Started

Home

🌐 Languages — English · Français · Deutsch

Downloads

Quick Start Guide

User Manual

FAQ

Tips & Tricks

Guides

Conductors — wire properties, what feeds which export, and cables

Wire & cable catalogue — cable types, IEC 60757 core colours, assigning a core to a conductor

Printing and exporting — paper, PDF, images, and what each path does differently

Linking elements — master, slave, terminal

PLC modules — I/O tables and linking a wire to a specific point

Using the element editor — drawing tools, saving, checks

Preferences reference — what each settings page does

Keyboard-only control — mouseless QET, and the one real gap

Mouse modifiers — what Shift, Ctrl and Alt change while you drag

Managing collections — folders, writability, building your own shortlist

Templates — reusable multi-element blocks, and why clicking one does nothing

Search & Replace — bulk property changes

Building a nomenclature query — the BOM/summary table builder

Linking wires across pages — folio reports

Variables & formulas — %f, %{label}, sequences

Auto-numbering — schemes, sequences, freezing

Terminal strips — strips, levels, bridges

Title block templates — the .titleblock format

Importing EPLAN parts (.edz) — EPLAN Data Portal

DXF import & export — two unrelated features, one format

The project database — the in-memory SQLite cache

File formats

Elements XML

attribute
uuid
names
- name
informations
description
- line
- polygon
- rect
- ellipse / circle
- arc
- text
- dynamic_text
- terminal
kindInformations
elementInformations

Project XML

Development

Building from Source

Contributing Code

Automating QET — CLI, XML formats, external tools

CLI Reference — command line usage

JavaScript Scripting — --run, geometry editing, undo

Development Roadmap

Vision — proposal, under discussion

Developer Tools

About

Features

History

Community

License

Contributing to this Wiki

Home tools

Frequently Asked Questions

Installation & Setup

Q: Where do I download QElectroTech?

Q: What are the system requirements?

Q: How do I uninstall QElectroTech?

Q: Is QElectroTech free?

Getting Started

Q: I just installed QET. How do I create my first diagram?

Q: How do I add elements to my diagram?

Q: How do I connect elements with wires?

Q: How do I add labels to wires and elements?

Q: Can I undo mistakes?

Creating & Saving Diagrams

Q: What file format does QElectroTech use?

Q: Can I open QET files in other software?

Q: How do I export my diagram?

Q: How do I print my diagram?

Q: How do I save my project?

Projects & Organization

Q: How do I create multiple diagrams in one project?

Q: How do I organize a large project?

Q: Can I share projects with other QET users?

Elements & Libraries

Q: Where are all the available elements?

Q: Can I create custom elements?

Wires & Connections

Q: My wires aren't connecting properly

Q: Can I edit wire paths?

Q: What does a crossed wire mean in QET?

Performance & Issues

Q: QET is running slowly with my large project

Q: My file won't open

Q: QET won't start

File Compatibility

Q: Can I open QET files from older versions?

Q: What about files from different QET versions?

Advanced Topics

Q: How do I create element libraries?

Q: Can I use QET in scripts or automation?

Q: How do I contribute to QElectroTech?

Q: Where can I find example projects?

Platform-Specific Questions

Q: How do I launch QET on Linux?

Q: How do I launch QET on macOS?

Q: How do I launch QET on Windows?

Didn't Find Your Answer?

Still Stuck?