Why you don't need AutoCAD Electrical for an apartment

The Problem

When an electrical engineer gets an apartment electrical design project, the first question is: what tool to use? Many habitually reach for AutoCAD Electrical or even EPLAN. This is a mistake.

Heavy CAD systems were created for industrial facilities — factories, power plants, multi-story business centers with thousands of equipment units. For a 60 m² apartment, their functionality is 95% redundant.

What's actually needed for an apartment

An apartment electrical project requires:

1. Floor plan with outlets, switches, and lights placement
2. Single-line calculation diagram of the apartment panel
3. Panel schematic — device layout on DIN rails
4. Specification (BOM) — equipment list with quantities
5. Calculations: loads, cable cross-section, short-circuit currents
6. Cable schedule — types, lengths, installation methods

And all of this — in a PDF for the client and electricians.

Why AutoCAD Electrical is overkill

• Cost: AutoCAD Electrical license — from $2,500/year
• Complexity: just learning the interface takes 2-3 weeks
• No calculations: AutoCAD doesn't calculate loads, cross-sections, short-circuit — it only draws
• No automation: every line, every symbol must be drawn manually
• Windows only: requires powerful hardware and Windows

What GorkyCAD offers

GorkyCAD is not a drafting tool — it's an engineering model:

• Single model: floor plan, schematic, panel, BOM — all derived from one model
• Automation: placed outlets → panel breakers auto-selected → schematic auto-built → BOM auto-generated
• Calculations: loads, cross-sections, short-circuit, voltage drop — automatically
• Browser-based: works on any computer, even Chromebooks
• Price: from free plan to 4 000 ₽/mo for Pro

Result

Typical apartment electrical project in AutoCAD Electrical: 4-6 hours. In GorkyCAD: 20-30 minutes. That's 10-15x faster. Not because GorkyCAD "simplifies" — it automates routine, leaving decision-making to the engineer.