Getting started
Using PlanElec offline: keep editing projects without a connection
PlanElec automatically prepares open projects for work without a connection. Requirements, status indicator, syncing when you reconnect, conflicts, limits and tips before a site visit. Pilot phase.
AuthorStephan BehmWhen you open a project online in the studio, PlanElec automatically prepares it for work without a connection. As soon as the status indicator shows Offline ready, you can keep editing the floor plan, single-line diagram and distribution board without a network. Your changes stay on the device and sync with the server when you reconnect; if they contradict a change from another session, you decide. Exporting documents, uploading project files and photos, the AI assistant and AI recognition wait until you are back online. Offline work is in pilot: the feature is switched on at planelec.be, and testing on building sites and tablets is still under way. Try the workflow once before an important appointment.
What do I need to work offline?
| Requirement | Why |
|---|---|
| Open the project online in the studio once | Preparation only starts for the open project and only with a connection. A project you have never opened does not exist offline. |
| Valid sign-in | A local copy is only created from a confirmed session. Without one, you see “Not ready: Valid session required”. |
| Live sync switched on in the environment | Offline preparation builds on live sync. It is switched on at planelec.be; there is no setting for you to change. |
| Current browser with offline cache | Without a service worker, PlanElec shows “Not ready: Browser does not support the offline cache”. |
| Free storage and a suitable connection | PlanElec only downloads floor plan images with at least 200 MB in reserve, and not over mobile data or with data saver on (see Limits). |
You do not need an organisation. Live sync also keeps your own sessions on several devices in step.
There is no “make available offline” button. PlanElec prepares the project in the background during quiet moments, re-checks it every 30 seconds and catches up on its own after an interruption.
How do I know a project is ready offline?
There is a round status icon at the bottom right of the status bar. Its tooltip shows the save state and the offline state; a click opens the details: save status, offline readiness and connection.
| Indicator | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Offline ready | The project model and all floor plan images are verified on this device. | Nothing. You can go offline. |
| “Model ready offline · 2 images missing” | You can work offline, but the listed floor plan images are missing. The reason appears below. | Fix the reason (storage, Wi-Fi) or work without those images. |
| “Not ready: Preparing …” | Preparation is still running. | Keep the project open and online. |
| “Not ready: Local project state not yet available” | The local project copy has not yet been stored durably. | Wait; if the message persists, reload the page while online. |
| “Not ready: App not yet available offline” | The app itself is not yet fully stored on the device. | Stay online until Offline ready appears. |
| “Not ready: Local save failed” | The browser could not store the local copy. | Check free storage; PlanElec retries on its own. |
| “Not ready: Live sync disabled” | Live sync is switched off in this environment. Normal saving to the server carries on. | Work online; look for Saved. |
| “A new app version is available. Reload the app to prepare it for offline use.” | A newer PlanElec version is active. | Reload while online; preparation then starts again. |
“Offline ready” is the most recently verified state. The browser may delete local data itself when storage runs low; PlanElec notices at the next check and reports it.
What can I edit offline?
Offline, you can edit everything stored in the project model: walls, rooms, devices and cable routes in the floor plan, circuits in the single-line diagram and the layout of the distribution board, including mounting notes on devices. Undo and redo work as usual.
Without a connection the status icon shows Offline or Saved locally, and the details add “Local offline editing. Changes stay on this device; access and synchronization are checked when you reconnect.” PlanElec counts pending changes, for example “3 changes pending since 10:42”.
If you reload the page without a connection, PlanElec opens the prepared project from the local copy. Your changes are not lost.
What happens when the connection comes back?
PlanElec sends pending changes by itself as soon as the browser is back online, when you return to the tab, and then every 30 seconds while anything is pending. You do not need to start anything.
- The status icon moves from Offline or Saved locally through Saving... to Saved.
- Changes others have made to other objects in the meantime are merged with yours. Both are kept.
- Before syncing, the server checks your sign-in and access. If your session has expired, Session expired appears; choose Sign in again. If someone has removed your edit rights, PlanElec shows “You no longer have edit permissions for this project.”
If an attempt fails, PlanElec waits a little longer each time, up to five minutes, and tries again. Keep the tab open until Saved appears.
What if my offline changes clash with someone else’s?
If someone changed the same object as you, such as the same name, PlanElec does not merge silently. You see Changes could not be merged.
- Choose Download local backup. You get a JSON file with your local project state.
- Choose Load server version and confirm. The local changes of this session are replaced by the shared saved version; other tabs keep their local changes.
- Re-enter the changes you want to keep in the current version.
The backup contains no image files, and PlanElec does not offer an import for it. Keep the file and contact support if you need to recover content from it. The other save and sync messages are explained in Solving common problems.
What has to wait until I am back online?
| Task | Why online |
|---|---|
| Exporting documents, Create release copy, archiving | Export and archive are not part of offline work; the server checks and seals the release copy. |
| Uploading project files and photos | Files live in Project files on the server. There is no upload queue. |
| Recognising a floor plan with AI, recognising a board from a photo | Recognition runs on the server. |
| AI assistant in the Activity & assistant panel | The language model runs on the server. |
| Calculating the PV yield forecast | The simulation runs on the server. |
| Inviting members | The server manages invitations. |
Plan these steps for the office or a break with a network. By then your offline edits are already synced, and you export from the current project.
What are the limits of offline work?
| Limit | What happens |
|---|---|
| Storage | PlanElec only downloads floor plan images if at least 200 MB stays free afterwards. Otherwise: “Less than 200 MB free or storage capacity unknown”, and only the model is ready offline. |
| Mobile data and data saver | With data saver, a metered or mobile connection, or 2G, downloads pause (“Data saver enabled”, “Downloads paused on a metered connection”). Some browsers do not report the connection type; there PlanElec downloads over mobile data too. |
| Missing images | The indicator counts missing floor plan images. The model stays editable; only the background image is missing offline. PlanElec loads the active floor first. |
| Extra files | 3D furniture models and interaction sounds are not guaranteed offline. |
| Device and browser | The local copy only applies to this browser on this device. |
| Closing the project, signing out | Both remove the offline preparation. Open the project online again before you go offline. |
| Permissions | Offline, PlanElec does not check permission changes. Current access counts when you reconnect. |
Do I need to install PlanElec as a web app?
No. Offline work also runs in an ordinary browser tab. As a web app you get your own window without the browser bar and an icon on your home screen. Install PlanElec through your browser’s install function, on phone and tablet usually via “Add to Home Screen”. The app opens on the project overview. If you launch it again, it reuses the open window instead of opening a second one.
Installing alone does not make any project ready offline. What counts is the status indicator in the open project. On phones and tablets the studio keeps the screen on while it is visible.
How do I prepare for a site visit?
- Open the project in the studio on Wi-Fi, starting with the floor you will need on site.
- Wait until the indicator shows Offline ready. If it reports missing images, check the reason below it.
- Keep the project open. Do not close it and do not sign out.
- Work offline in one window per project.
- Back on a network: wait for Saved before you close the tab.
- Only then export documents and upload photos.
Further reading
Important for electrical planning
These guides explain the software workflow. Have the design, installation and documents reviewed by a qualified electrician where needed; only an accredited inspection body performs the official inspection.
Continue reading
Getting started: from a new project to your first PDF
Create a project, choose the floor plan or the single-line diagram as your starting point, use guidance, a template or AI floor plan recognition, and produce your first draft PDF.
Using and reviewing automatic planning
Use PlanElec proposals for devices, switch chains, cable routes, circuits, phases, and the distribution board without skipping technical review.