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cpfannenmueller edited this page Aug 26, 2025 · 3 revisions

CircuitTikZ Designer – User Documentation

The CircuitTikZ Designer is an interactive tool for drawing, editing, and exporting circuit diagrams.
This documentation explains the available commands, how they can be used, and the associated shortcuts.

1. Modes

Open Component Drawer

Opens the panel where components can be selected and added to the canvas.

  • Shortcut: Q

Wire Drawing Tool

Activates the wire drawing mode, allowing you to connect components.

  • Shortcut: W

Cancel / Return to Move Tool

Cancels the current action (wire drawing or component placement) and returns to the move tool.

  • Shortcut: Esc

Delete Components or Wires

Removes the currently selected components or wires.

  • Shortcut: Del / Backspace

2. Canvas Navigation

Move Canvas

Moves the visible area of the canvas for navigation.

  • Usage: Hold right-click and drag
  • Touch: Drag with two fingers

Zoom Canvas

Zooms in or out on the circuit diagram.

  • Usage: Scroll mouse wheel
  • Touch: Pinch with two fingers

Deactivate Snapping

Temporarily disables grid snapping for precise placement.

  • Usage: Hold Shift

3. Selection Tools

Start Selection

Selects one or multiple components by drawing a rectangle.

  • Usage: Hold left-click and drag
  • Touch: Drag with one finger

Add to Selection

Adds additional elements to the current selection.

  • Usage: Hold Shift before selecting

Remove from Selection

Removes elements from the current selection.

  • Usage: Hold Ctrl / ⌘ before selecting

Delete Selection

Deletes all currently selected components and wires.

  • Shortcut: Del / Backspace

4. Wire Controls

Preview Wire Segment

Begins drawing a wire segment.

  • Usage: Drag with left-click
  • Touch: Drag with one finger

Place Wire Point

Adds a node (corner) in the wire path.

  • Usage: Release left-click
  • Touch: Release touch

Finish Wire

Completes the wire connection between components.

  • Usage: Click the same wire point twice or press Enter

Straight Wire

Forces the wire to align in straight horizontal or vertical lines.

  • Usage: Hold Ctrl / ⌘ while drawing

Cancel Wire

Cancels wire drawing and reverts to move tool.

  • Shortcut: Esc
  • Touch: Select move tool

5. Component Controls

Add Component

Places a new component on the canvas. Components can be added via the component drawer or by using keyboard shortcuts.

  • Usage: Open drawer with Q or press shortcut keys
  • Drawer Shortcut: +

Move Component

Moves a placed component to a new position.

  • Usage: Hold left-click and drag
  • Touch: Drag with one finger

Adjust Component

Allows resizing or adjusting parameters of a selected component.

  • Usage: Drag adjustment points while component is selected

Align/Distribute Components

Aligns or evenly distributes multiple selected components.

  • Usage: Select multiple components, then use the align/distribute buttons

Set Alignment Reference

Defines one selected component as the reference for alignment.

  • Usage: Click an already selected component while more than one is selected

6. Component Shortcuts

  • R → Place resistor
  • (Alt/⌥ +) L → Place inductor
  • (Alt/⌥ +) C → Place polarized capacitor
  • D → Place diode
  • (Alt/⌥ +) G → Place tailless ground
  • (Alt/⌥ +) B → Place npn/pnp BJT transistor
  • (Alt/⌥ +) N → Place nmos/pmos transistor
  • (Alt/⌥ +) X → Place jump crossing
  • (Alt/⌥ +) . → Place (un)connected terminal
  • T → Place text

7. Edit Commands

Copy

Copies the currently selected components to the clipboard.

  • Shortcut: Ctrl / ⌘ + C

Paste

Pastes the copied components at the cursor position.

  • Shortcut: Ctrl / ⌘ + V

Cut

Removes the selected components and copies them to the clipboard.

  • Shortcut: Ctrl / ⌘ + X

Undo

Reverts the last action.

  • Shortcut: Ctrl / ⌘ + Z

Redo

Reapplies an undone action.

  • Shortcut: Ctrl / ⌘ + Y

Select All

Selects all components and wires on the canvas.

  • Shortcut: Ctrl / ⌘ + A

Rotate

Rotates selected components clockwise or counterclockwise.

  • Shortcut: Ctrl / ⌘ (+ Shift) + R

Flip at X-Axis

Flips the selected components horizontally.

  • Shortcut: Shift + X

Flip at Y-Axis

Flips the selected components vertically.

  • Shortcut: Shift + Y

8. File I/O

Save to JSON

Saves the current circuit design as a JSON file for later editing.

  • Shortcut: Ctrl / ⌘ + S

Load from JSON

Loads a previously saved circuit design.

  • Shortcut: Ctrl / ⌘ + O

Export CircuitTikZ Code

Exports the diagram into LaTeX CircuitTikZ code for integration into documents.

  • Shortcut: Ctrl / ⌘ + E

Export SVG

Exports the circuit diagram as an SVG image.

  • Shortcut: Ctrl / ⌘ + Shift + E

Summary

This documentation provides an overview of the workflow in CircuitTikZ Designer:

  1. Modes → Choose between placing components or drawing wires
  2. Canvas Navigation → Move and zoom the working area
  3. Wire Controls → Connect components with wires
  4. Components → Place, move, adjust, align, and label components
  5. Edit Commands → Copy, paste, rotate, and transform elements
  6. File I/O → Save, load, and export your work

With these tools and shortcuts, you can efficiently design and export circuit diagrams for use in LaTeX or other formats.

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