Help & Tutorials
Workflow Overview
The typical CableTrayRoute workflow follows these steps:
- Prepare equipment and load lists.
- Create cable schedules and panel schedules.
- Define raceway, ductbank, and tray layouts.
- Analyze fill, sizing, and optimal routes.
- Export reports and drawings.
- Equipment & Load Lists — define equipment tags and connected loads
- Cable Schedule — assign cables between equipment with conductor sizing
- Panel Schedule — configure panels and their circuit loads
- Raceway Schedule — model cable trays, conduits, and ductbanks
- Fill & Route Analysis — check NEC fill limits and compute optimal cable paths
- One-Line Diagram — build and annotate single-line diagrams with study results
Sample Projects
Download sample data sets to explore the application. Use Load Project in the ⚙ settings menu to open a downloaded file.
Saving Projects
The first time you click Save Project the browser prompts for a destination file. CableTrayRoute writes to that file immediately and schedules a background autosave every five minutes so in-progress work is preserved without additional clicks.
After a location is chosen the same file is reused for manual saves and the autosave loop. If direct file access is unavailable, the button falls back to downloading a JSON snapshot so you can keep a copy locally.
Use Load Project to switch between saved projects. To clear the saved entries, open the ⚙ settings menu and choose Delete Saved Data. Export Project remains available whenever you need a separate checkpoint or shareable archive.
Keyboard Shortcuts
These shortcuts work across all CableTrayRoute pages:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + K | Open command palette |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo last change |
| Ctrl + Shift + Z | Redo |
| Ctrl + S | Save project |
| Escape | Close modal / command palette |
| Tab / Shift + Tab | Move focus between interactive elements |
| Enter / Space | Activate focused button or link |
Use Settings ⚙ in the nav to switch themes (Light, Dark, High Contrast) and units (Imperial / Metric).
Analysis Modules
CableTrayRoute includes a full suite of electrical engineering studies and design tools accessible from the navigation menu:
Electrical Studies
- Load Flow — Newton-Raphson power flow for bus voltage and branch loading
- Short Circuit — 3-phase symmetrical fault currents per IEEE/IEC
- Arc Flash — incident energy and PPE categories per IEEE 1584
- Harmonics — THD/TDD analysis and IEEE 519 compliance
- TCC — time-current coordination curves with device libraries
- Motor Start — voltage dip and acceleration time during motor starting
- Transient Stability — swing-equation simulation for generation stability
- Voltage Drop — NEC 3%/5% recommendation screening across all cables
- Reliability / N-1 — component failure rates, SAIDI/SAIFI, and contingency analysis
- N-1 Contingency — post-fault load redistribution and overload screening
- Ground Grid — substation grounding per IEEE 80-2013 (touch/step voltage)
- EMF Analysis — magnetic field exposure vs ICNIRP limits at configurable distance
Structural & Environmental
- Support Span — maximum tray span per NEMA VE 1-2017 loading class
- Seismic Bracing — lateral force and brace requirements per ASCE 7-22
- Wind Load — tray wind pressure and reaction forces per ASCE 7
- Clash Detection — identifies cable routes sharing the same raceway segment
Construction & Procurement
- Pull Cards — cable pulling tension, jam ratio, and conduit fill documentation
- Tray Hardware BOM — hardware take-off: splice plates, hold-downs, dividers, covers
- Spool Sheets — prefabrication cut lists and spool dimensions for field installation
- Cost Estimate — RS Means–based project cost with configurable labor/material rates
- Submittal Package — formatted submittal document with equipment list, cable schedule, and compliance summary
- Product Configurator — select and validate manufacturer cable tray products against project requirements
- Project Report — consolidated summary of all project data and study results
Design Aids
- Auto-Size — selected NEC 2023 sizing checks for feeders, motors, and transformers
- Intl Cable Sizing — conductor sizing per IEC 60364, BS 7671, and AS/NZS 3000
- Design Rule Checker — selected NEC-informed quality checks across all schedules
Documentation
- Quick Start Guide — get up and running in minutes
- Full Documentation — detailed reference for all tools