Learning AutoCAD
PVCAD is built within AutoDesk’s AutoCAD application. Now that you have installed PVCAD and AutoCAD, you’re almost ready to get started with solar project design.
Let’s take a moment to make sure you know your way around AutoCAD. Since PVCAD functions as an extension on the AutoCAD platform, our users must have a working knowledge of AutoCAD to create solar project plan sets.
If you’re not familiar with AutoCAD or you need to brush up on the essentials, check out The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AutoCAD Basics, a handy resource that gives you a simple, self-directed tour of the most important AutoCAD concepts. Published by Autodesk, the developer of AutoCAD, the guide includes 12 sections. Click the link in the paragraph above to read the text. Or click the section headers below to access the same information in a series of short videos. (links)
Once you have covered the essential steps in AutoCAD, familiarize yourself with the one-key shortcuts and keyboard commands to toggle features, manage screens and perform various actions within the AutoCAD environment. Knowledge of these commands will help you efficiently manage workflow as you begin solar project design with PVCAD.
Basics — Introducing the AutoCAD user interface and basic file commands
Viewing — How to pan and zoom in a drawing and control the order of overlapping objects
Geometry — Draw lines, circles and other geometric objects
Precision — Specify grid points, angles and distances for accurate, mistake-free models
Layers — Group objects by function or purpose to keep complex drawings organized. PVCAD generates two dozen solar project-specific layers, including system components, setbacks, shadows, wind zones and much more. Create additional layers of your own as needed.
Properties — Use colors, linetypes and other settings to differentiate between objects and layers
Modifying Part 1 & Part 2 — Edit objects and groups of objects using commands such as erase, move, trim, copy and more
Blocks — Combine objects to easily store them and insert them into your designs
Layouts — Create scaled views of a model on a two-dimensional drawing sheet
Notes & Labels — Insert text and leader lines and save settings in your drawing template files
Dimensions — Create and modify dimensions for your objects and save settings for later use
Printing — Output a drawing layout to a printer, plotter or digital file
PVCAD & PVCAD Mega Commands
Using the AutoCAD command input you can access numerous common and complex features of PVCAD and PVCAD Mega. Try PVCAD and PVCAD Mega commands from the list below to explore all that the software has to offer:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| PVCABOUT | Opens up About window |
| PVCACTIVATEIRONRIDGE | Sets Iron Ridge active flag to true |
| PVCACTIVATEPOLARRACKING | Sets Polar Racking active flag to true |
| PVCADDFIXEDEWTRACKER | Adds new East West Fixed tables by selecting one and click and draging for PVCAD Mega |
| PVCADDFIXEDTRACKER | Adds new Fixed Tables by selecting and existing one and click and draging for PVCAD Mega |
| PVCADDOBJECTTODB | Allows insertion of custom modules or inverters to our DB |
| PVCADDPANEL | Adds new panels by selecting an existing one and click and dragging for PVCAD Standard |
| PVCADDTRACKER | Adds new Trackers by selecting an existing one and click and dragging for PVCAD Mega |
| PVCANNUALSHADINGANALYSIS | Creates csv report with annual shading analysis for PVCAD Standard |
| PVCAPPS | Opens up PVComplete Apps window |
| PVCAUTOELECTRICALCONNECTIONS | Automatically creates electrical connections on simple PVCAD Standard drawings |
| PVCCALCULATEAREA | Calculates array area for Ecolibrium specific layouts |
| PVCCASSYSSIMULATION | Performs energy simulation with Cassys Engine |
| PVCCLEARDRAWING | Creates Modules, tables, trackers, strings and electrical equipment from the drawing |
| PVCCLICKDRAG | Module layout creation with click and drag for PVCAD Standard |
| PVCCLICKDRAGFIXEDEWTRACKERLAYOUT | Creates east west fixed tilt layout by manually clicking and dragging in PVCAD Mega |
| PVCCLICKDRAGFIXEDTRACKERLAYOUT | Creates fixed tilt layout by manually clicking and dragging in PVCAD Mega |
| PVCCLICKDRAGTRACKERLAYOUT | Creates Layout for Trackers by click and drag for PVCAD Mega |
| PVCCREATEFIXEDEWTRACKERLAYOUT | Creates east west fixed tilt layout automatically in PCVAD Mega |
| PVCCREATEFIXEDTRACKERLAYOUT | Creates fixed tilt layout automatically in PCVAD Mega |
| PVCCREATEFIXEDUNALIGNEDTRACKERLAYOUT | Creates east west dual tilt layout automatically in PCVAD Standard |
| PVCCREATETRACKERLAYOUT | Creates one-axis layout automatically in PVCAD Mega |
| PVCDALYSIMULATION | Retrieves annual energy simulation from Daly’s api for PCVAD Mega layouts |
| PVCDEFINECARPORTOUTLINE | Defines a poly-line as a Carport Object |
| PVCDEFINEGROUNDMOUNTOUTLINE | Defines a poly-line as a Ground Mount Object |
| PVCDEFINEGROUNDMOUNTROAD | Creates roads surrounding a ground mount area |
| PVCDEFINEINSTALLATIONAREA | Defines a poly-line as an installation area object |
| PVCDEFINENEXTERAGROUNDMOUNTOUTLINE | Defines a poly-line as a Nextera ground mount object |
| PVCDEFINENEXTERAOBSTRUCTION | Defines a poly-line as a Nextera obstruction object |
| PVCDEFINEOBSTRUCTION | Defines a poly-line as an obstruction object |
| PVCDEFINEPIERS | Allows users to customize pier distances in PVCAD Mega |
| PVCDEFINEPOINTINTERCONNECTION | Defines a poly-line as a point of interconnection object |
| PVCDEFINEROAD | Creates a straight road by selecting two points and a road width |
| PVCDEFINEROOFOUTLINE | Defines a poly-line as a Roof Object |
| PVCDEFINESETBACK | Allows user to define custom setbacks |
| PVCDEFINESTRINGSAUTO | Creates strings automatically by selecting the modules in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCDEFINESTRINGSDIRECTIONAL | Creates strings directionally (east-west, west-east, north-south or south-north) in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCDEFINESTRINGSMANUALLY | Creates strings by manually defining the path in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCDOLAYOUT | Automatic layout creation filing the whole roof for PVCAD Standard |
| PVCDRAWACCIRCUITWIRE | Creates wire connections between Inverters and AC Panels/Main Panels or between AC Panels and Main Panels |
| PVCDRAWOUTPUTCIRCUITWIRES | Creates wire connections between Combiner Boxes and Inverters or between Junction Boxes and AC Panels |
| PVCDRAWSOURCECIRCUITWIRES | Creates wire connections between Strings and Combiner Boxes/Inverters or between AC Branches and Junction Boxes/AC Panels |
| PVCDRIVELINES | Draws drive lines in one-axis layouts in PVCAD Mega |
| PVCELECTRICALSUMMARY | Creates excel electrical report for PVCAD Standard |
| PVCEXPORTBOM | Exports Bill of Materials to an excel document |
| PVCEXPORTKML | Exports drawing to kml format |
| PVCEXPORTPIER | Exports to a CSV file information about all pier analysis data |
| PVCGCRCORRECTIONFIXED | Optimizes row spacing in fixed tilt layouts in PVCAD Mega to minimize self shading |
| PVCGENERATESHADINGREPORT | Generates a shading report |
| PVCGEOGRAPHICLOCATION | Sets drawing location |
| PVCHEATMAP | Retrieves relative shading from Daly’s API for PVCAD Mega layouts |
| PVCHELP | Opens up Help dialog |
| PVCIMPORTDWG | Generic command to import a drawing from the webapps (PVSketch Mega or NextEra Mega) |
| PVCIMPORTFROMPVMEGA | Imports PVSketch Mega projects onto PVCAD Mega |
| PVCIMPORTFROMPVSKETCH | Imports PVSketch projects onto PVCAD Standard |
| PVCIMPORTONDFILE | Uploads inverter ond file |
| PVCIMPORTPANFILE | Uploads module pan file |
| PVCIMPORTTOPODATA | Imports topography from Google’s API into PVCAD Mega projects |
| PVCINSERTACMAINCIRCUITSHEET | Creates AC Main Circuit table for Single Line Diagram in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCINSERTACPANEL | Inserts an AC Panel in the drawing |
| PVCINSERTACSOURCECIRCUITSHEET | Creates AC Source Circuit table for Single Line Diagram in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCINSERTCOMBINERBOX | Inserts a combiner box in the drawing |
| PVCINSERTDCOUTPUTSHEET | Creates DC Output properties table for Single Line Diagram in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCINSERTDCSOURCESHEET | Creates DC Source properties table for Single Line Diagram in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCINSERTINSTALLATIONAREAS | Creates installations areas automatically on ground mount areas in PVCAD Mega |
| PVCINSERTINVERTER | Inserts an inverter in the drawing |
| PVCINSERTINVERTERSHEET | Creates Inverter properties table for Single Line Diagram in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCINSERTJUNCTIONBOX | Inserts a junction box in the drawing |
| PVCINSERTMAINPANEL | Inserts a Main Panel in the drawing |
| PVCINSERTMFRBLOCKS | Inserts manufacturer specific blocks on to module layout in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCINSERTMODULESHEET | Creates Module properties table for Single Line Diagram in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCINSERTOUTPUTCIRCUITSHEET | Creates Output Circuit table for Single Line Diagram in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCINSERTRACKINGSHEET | Creates Racking properties table for Single Line Diagram in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCINSERTSHEETSET | Creates properties tables for Single Line Diagram in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCINSERTSYSTEMSHEET | Creates System properties table for Single Line Diagram in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCINSERTTRACKERMFRBLOCKS | Inserts manufacturer specific blocks to trackers in PVCAD Mega |
| PVCINSERTTRANSFORMEROUTPUTCIRCUITSHEET | Creates Transformer Output Circuit table for Single Line Diagram in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCKML | Loads location using a kml or kmz file |
| PVCLAYER | Moves trackers to specific layers in Array Technologies according to wind exposure |
| PVCLOADCONFIG | Loads from the saved text file the user configurations to the mechanical layout tab |
| PVCLOADPROJECTPROPERTIES | allows user to load project properties from an excel file |
| PVCMODIFYSETBACK | Allows user to alter custom setbacks |
| PVCNEPVXT | Sets Nextracker active flag to true |
| PVCNEVADOS | Custom command to allow specification of custom sized tracker for Nevados |
| PVCNEWDESIGNVERSION | Creates a new drawing version |
| PVCOMITMODULES | Ommits selected modules on PVCAD Standard |
| PVCPIERHEIGHTS | Performs pier analysis in ground mount layouts. Places piers, elevates trackers to topography and rotates them to the land slope. |
| PVCPIERPLAN | Generates Pier plan drawing |
| PVCPIERTYPE | Updates tracker properties for Array Technologies and for Nextera according to wind exposure |
| PVCPLOTPDF | Exports drawing to PDF (used in PVSketch mega and nextera export to pdf api) |
| PVCPROPS | Allows user to set tracker properties |
| PVCPVSYST | Exports drawing to PVSyst |
| PVCREGEN | Regenerates module attachments for PVCAD Standard |
| PVCREMOVEDESIGNVERSION | Removes a drawing version |
| PVCREMOVESTRINGS | removes selected strings |
| PVCRENAMEDESIGNVERSION | Renames a drawing version |
| PVCREPLACEBLOCK | Allow for block swapping |
| PVCREPOSITIONDRAWING | Automatically repositions drawing closer to drawing origin |
| PVCRESET | Unlocks documents that was saved in standard mode or in utility scale mode |
| PVCRESTOREMODULES | Restores omitted modules for PVCAD Standard |
| PVCROWCOUNT | Summarizes module count per rows on an excel file for PVCAD Standard |
| PVCRUNSIMULATION | Creates energy simulation in an excel template |
| PVCSAVECONFIG | Saves in a text file all user configurations on mechanical layout tab |
| PVCSELECTTOPOSOURCE | Allows switching between topo sources using a command |
| PVCSETCURRENTDESIGNVERSION | Sets version as current one |
| PVCSETIMAGESVISIBILITY | moves images in the ImageryLayer layer to the bottom (Background) |
| PVCSETLINEWEIGHTTOZERO | Sets selected polyline objects to a zero line weight |
| PVCSETPALETEVISIBILITY | makes PVCAD UI Panel visible |
| PVCSETTINGS | Opens up settings window |
| PVCSETUNITS | Allows drawing units change in a simple command |
| PVCSLD | Creates a Single Line Diagram for the electrical connections on the drawing for PVCAD Standard |
| PVCSNAPAZIMUTH | Automatically snaps azimuth to edge on sloped roofs in PVCAD Standard |
| PVCSWITCHTAB | Allows switching between tabs using a command |
| PVCTORQUEPLAN | Generates Torque Tube plan drawing |
| PVCTORTUGA | Sets Array Technologies active flag to true |
| PVCUNDEFINEOBJECT | Undefines a previously defined object |
| PVCUNDEFINESETBACK | Removes custom setbacks |
