Introducing PlanElec Sketch: draw a single-line diagram for free in your browser
PlanElec Sketch is a free browser tool for the Belgian single-line diagram and situation plan: no account, no limits, opens Trikker files, PDF from your browser. With a matrix against PlanElec Pro and Trikker.
AuthorStephan BehmPlanElec Sketch is a free web app for the two plans the Belgian AREI/RGIE asks for: the single-line diagram (eendraadschema) and the situation plan. You draw in your browser without an account and without a limit on circuits, symbols, pages or projects. Sketch opens Trikker files (.trik), creates the PDF on your own device and hands the drawing over to PlanElec Pro with one click when you need more. Start drawing in Sketch.
As of 16 October 2026. Written by the PlanElec team. We make Sketch and Pro. Every statement about Trikker below comes from Trikker's public sources, linked at the end with the date we checked them. Trikker is a trademark of its owner; we use the name only to refer to the product.
What is PlanElec Sketch?
Sketch is a drawing tool, not a planning suite. It does exactly two documents and does them quickly:
- Single-line diagram. You pick a symbol or a ready-made circuit and click a blue connection point. Layout, lines, circuit letters (A, B, …) and element numbers (A1, A2, …) follow automatically. Places where a symbol cannot go, such as a socket directly on the busbar, are not offered.
- Situation plan. You import a floor plan as an image or PDF page, set the scale with two points and a real length, draw walls, doors and windows, and drag the devices from the diagram onto the plan. Each device carries its element number, and Sketch ticks off circuits that are fully placed.
- Material list and circuit list from the diagram, optionally printed with the PDF.
- PDF in A4 landscape with a frame and title block: installation address, client, EAN, installer with enterprise number and logo, approved inspection body, date and sheet number.
Sketch is meant for installers who want a quick diagram, for engineering offices that need a plan without a full project, and for homeowners who prepare the plans for the inspection (keuring) of their own installation.
What does Sketch cost, and where is my drawing stored?
Sketch is free. No account, no trial period, no limit on circuits, symbols, pages or projects. The PDF carries no watermark; the title block shows the line “Drawn with PlanElec Sketch”.
Your drawing stays on your device. Sketch saves it automatically in your browser; you can also save it as a .planelec.json file and open it again later. Imported floor plan images stay in the browser and are embedded in the file when you save. The PDF is created in your browser, not on a server. A Trikker file is read in your browser as well and is not uploaded.
How do I start?
- Open Sketch. The start dialog asks What do you want to draw?
- Pick a starting point: House, Apartment, Add charging point, Empty drawing or Open Trikker file. The examples are typical installations; adjust circuits and values to the real situation.
- Draw in the Single-line diagram area, place devices under Situation plan and fill in the title block under Document data in the Document area.
- Under Print, choose the contents and click Create PDF. You can also choose the document language and print the Material list and circuit list with it.
Want to see the result first? These example PDFs come from Sketch, with fictional data: English, Nederlands, Français, Deutsch.
Which AREI/RGIE requirements does the Sketch PDF cover?
Subsection 3.1.2.1 a of the AREI requires single-line diagrams and situation plans for every new domestic installation and for every significant modification or extension. This table shows where Sketch places the information that subsection asks for.
| AREI/RGIE subsection 3.1.2.1 a requires | In Sketch |
|---|---|
| Single-line diagrams and situation plans | Single-line diagram and Situation plan areas, both in the same PDF |
| Name, capacity and VAT number of the person responsible for the work on both plans | Installer, address and Enterprise number under Document data, printed in the title block |
| Address of the installation on both plans | Installation address in the title block |
| Each final circuit has a capital letter; points numbered in order from the overcurrent protection | Circuit letters and element numbers are assigned automatically; a fixed letter is possible |
| On the situation plan, each point carries the circuit letter and the number from the single-line diagram | Devices dragged from the diagram keep their label (A1, B2, …) |
| Symbols from Table 2.23; other clearly identifiable symbols if defined in the legend | Print the legend (symbols outside AREI table 2.23) |
| Plans signed and dated by the person responsible and the approved body after a conforming inspection | Done on the printed plans at the inspection; Sketch prints the chosen Inspection body |
Sketch does not check your installation against the AREI/RGIE. It gives you the plans; the content is your responsibility, and the inspection is done by the approved inspection body. Sketch's symbols follow the usual IEC 60617/AREI drawing conventions; check on a real project whether the symbols you need are there.
Can I open my Trikker files in Sketch?
Yes. Choose Open Trikker file in the start dialog, or open the .trik file in Sketch. Sketch reads files from Trikker, including Trikker 2.0, and turns the single-line diagram into an editable drawing: supply, protective devices, cables, sub-boards, circuits and loads.
Nothing disappears silently. Elements without a Sketch symbol, or at a position Sketch does not allow, stay on the diagram as a note. Related symbols are approximated, missing values get a default, and the import report lists every deviation with its location in the Trikker file. Floor plans in .trik files are not imported yet. Always check the imported diagram.
Sketch, Pro and Trikker side by side
The compact overview. The detailed comparison with all sources is in Trikker, PlanElec Sketch or PlanElec Pro; the view from the Pro side is in Trikker alternative. Numbers in the Trikker column refer to the source list at the end.
| Criterion | PlanElec Sketch | PlanElec Pro | Trikker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform and installation | Browser, nothing to install | Browser, nothing to install | Desktop program for Windows 10 and 11; macOS beta since 30 Sep 2026; web version announced (1) |
| Account | Not needed | Needed | Licence per computer (2) |
| Price | Free | Early Access: €0. From the start of the plans: Try Pro €0, single property €12 one-off, Pro €24/month excl. VAT with three editing seats (+€5 per further seat). Price guarantee: the price stays for as long as the subscription runs without a break; start date not set | €45/month or €360/year excl. VAT, per computer (2) |
| Limits | None on circuits, symbols, pages or projects | Planning without limits | Demo: max. 5 circuits, 1 plan page, watermark (2) |
| Single-line diagram | Yes, automatic layout and circuit letters | Yes, derived from the project model | Yes (3) |
| Situation plan | Yes, on an imported floor plan, with walls, doors, windows | Yes, devices at their real position on the floor plan | Yes (3) |
| Floor plan as background | Image or PDF page | Image, PDF and DXF, several floors | Images, PDF, DWG and DXF (3) |
Open .trik files | Yes, single-line diagram with import report; floor plans not yet | No | Own format |
| AI floor plan recognition (PDF, scan, image) | No | Yes: walls, rooms, doors, windows, supported device symbols, scale | Not described |
| AI switchboard recognition from photos | No | Yes: visible DIN modules as a proposal for an empty board | Not described |
| Read an existing single-line diagram (PDF, photo) | No | No | Schemalezer: separate AI web tool, beta, for licence holders; reads diagram and situation plan into Trikker (4) |
| AI assistant | No | Yes, requests in your own words across the whole project | Not described in the program (1)(3) |
| Switchboard planning | No | Yes, with PDF | Not described |
| PV | No | Yes, strings, MPPTs and DC side | Symbols for PV, inverter, battery (3) |
| AREI/RGIE self-check | No | Yes, for the supported rules | In the Schemalezer, on the read diagram (4) |
| Created in your browser | Diagram, situation plan, switchboard, self-check report, dossier | Created on the manufacturer's servers (3) | |
| Material list | Yes, from the diagram | Detailed, manufacturer-neutral list (pilot) | Yes, Excel export (3) |
| Teamwork | No; the drawing stays on your device | Organisations, invitations, project roles | Local files, no cloud (3) |
| Languages | NL, FR, DE, EN | NL, FR, DE, EN | NL, FR, EN, DE, PL, RO (3) |
"Not described" means we found it neither in the manual nor on the website; it does not prove that the feature is missing.
What we did not measure. A stopwatch benchmark, such as the time to the first symbol, depends on hardware, connection and experience. We have no reproducible measurement, so we publish none. The figures in the table (installation, account, price, limits, platforms) are the measurable ones.
AI import and schema reading: what exists today?
"AI import" means three different things, and the tools differ on each:
- Floor plan from a PDF or scan: PlanElec Pro recognises walls, rooms, doors, windows, supported device symbols and the scale, also from a Trikker PDF export. You review the proposal before importing it. How floor plan recognition works.
- Switchboard from photos: Pro proposes the visible DIN modules for an empty board. Wiring and electrical connections are not derived from a photo.
- Reading an existing single-line diagram: Trikker offers this with its Schemalezer, a separate AI web tool in beta for licence holders. It reads a PDF, an image, a photo or a hand drawing into a Trikker file (4). Neither Sketch nor Pro reads a single-line diagram from a PDF or photo.
Sketch itself contains no AI. Its import is the Trikker file: structured data, read in your browser.
When is Sketch enough, and when do you need Pro?
| Your situation | Tool |
|---|---|
| Draw a single-line diagram and situation plan quickly and print a PDF | Sketch |
| Continue a Trikker diagram in the browser | Sketch |
| No account, no installation, no cost | Sketch |
| Turn a floor plan PDF or scan into an editable floor plan | Pro |
| Plan the switchboard, PV or home automation | Pro |
| Check the installation against the supported AREI/RGIE rules | Pro |
| Work as a team or deliver a complete dossier with cover and archive link | Pro |
How do I take a Sketch drawing to Pro?
Open the Document area in Sketch. Under Continue in PlanElec Pro, click Take it to Pro. Pro opens its import page and takes over the single-line diagram, boards and sub-boards, circuits, cables and project details. You sign in or create an account there; the drawing is only uploaded when you create the project. Values that do not exist exactly like this in Pro, such as some cable types, are adjusted, and the affected cables are marked for review.
The situation plan, free notes, the supply cable to the meter and images of imported floor plans do not come along. If a drawing is too large for the direct handover, save it as a file and use Import Sketch file in Pro. Projects move from Sketch to Pro, not back.
Frequently asked questions
Is PlanElec Sketch really free?
Yes. No account and no limit on circuits, symbols, pages or projects. The PDF carries no watermark; the title block shows the line “Drawn with PlanElec Sketch”.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Sketch runs in the browser. Trikker is a desktop program; Pro also runs in the browser but needs an account.
Is Sketch a Trikker alternative?
For drawing the single-line diagram and situation plan, yes: Sketch is free, runs in the browser and opens .trik files. Trikker offers more on the drawing side, such as DWG backgrounds, six languages and the Schemalezer. If you need floor plan recognition, switchboard, PV or a self-check, look at Pro.
Does Sketch have AI?
No. AI floor plan recognition, switchboard photo recognition and the assistant are part of PlanElec Pro.
Can Sketch read a paper single-line diagram?
No. Sketch reads Trikker files. Reading an existing diagram from a photo or PDF is not available in Sketch or Pro today.
Is a Sketch PDF enough for the inspection?
The PDF contains the single-line diagram, the situation plan and the title block with the data from subsection 3.1.2.1 a. You remain responsible for the content; the approved inspection body carries out the inspection and signs the plans.
Sources and date
The Trikker statements were checked on 16 October 2026.
| No. | Statement about Trikker | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Windows 10 and 11; macOS beta since 30 Sep 2026; web version for Android and iPad announced; no AI on the homepage | trikker.be |
| 2 | €45/month or €360/year excl. VAT; one computer per licence; demo with 5 circuits, 1 plan page, watermark | trikker.be/pricing |
| 3 | Six languages; offline drawing; PDF on Trikker's servers; local files without cloud; image, PDF, DWG/DXF import; Excel material list | Trikker manual 2.0-beta |
| 4 | Schemalezer: AI, beta, licence holders, PDF/image/photo/hand drawing to a Trikker file, AREI check of the read diagram | Trikker news, 13 Oct 2026 |
The statements about Sketch and Pro follow the product as of the same date. Features and prices change. If something is out of date, write to us and we will correct it.