PatchCAD 3
Patchbay Design and Labelling Software
For macOS and Windows
Requires macOS 10.15 Catalina or above / Windows 7 SP1 64bit or above
Design Professional Looking Patchbays in Minutes
PatchCAD 3 is more powerful than ever! Built from the ground up to support Windows and macOS, the new dark UI looks beautiful in HiDPI giving you more screen real-estate to see the big picture and bringing your designs to life. Work faster with all new undo/redo functionality, editing, formatting and auto-completion features, and a new context menu for instant access to common formatting actions.
2,000+ Factory Templates
The most powerful asset of PatchCAD is its vast and ever-updating library of templates.for industry standard, vintage and rare patchbays, patch panels and termination panels.
Bantam, Data, Fibre, GPO / B Gauge, Jack, Termination Panel, Trompeter, MIDI, Video or anything else — Simply add any template to the project and start labelling! New templates are added regularly so PatchCAD is always up to date!
PRO Termination panel models with specific configuration will load with predefined socket configurations already set up for quick start and labelling.
All template updates are FREE!
Custom Templates
Haven’t found what you are looking for or maybe you have an unusual panel? Create your own custom templates and share with other users using the very same tool we use to make our factory templates!
Virtually infinite design possibilities for Bantam, Data, Fiber, GPO/B Gauge, Jack, Termination Panel, Trumpeter, MIDI, Video or any other type of patchbay.
PRO Set default socket configuration for termination panel templates.
Printing
Print consistently accurate and beautiful labels on any printer and any paper size. PatchCAD’s smart algorithm will work out automatically how to spread the patchbay across as many pages as necessary with cutting guides to make sure you stay on track. And for further cutting precision, PatchCAD can print a cutting guide for each socket to help with seamless joins between pages.
NEW Built-in PDF printer! No need for extra software — generate printable PDF files straight from PatchCAD in any paper size!
NEW Print a single patchbay on one page!
Versatile printing options allow for printing one patchbay, the whole project or specific patchbays from the project. Choose whether to print titles, sockets, borders and cutting guides.
Print diagonally to fit most rack size labels on one A3 page!
Universal support for label printers. Set your label printer’s tape length and printing one row at a time for one continuous label.
PRO Print notes above and below the patchbay for wiring instructions or comments to colleagues or clients.
PRO Choose whether or not to print socket previews on termination panels, with or without socket labels.
Notes
Side notes to the left and right of the patchbay are used to label the padding areas at the ends of templates that have blank area defined.
PRO Additional editors above and below each patchbay in the project for notes and annotations. Use these to make wiring notes, reminders, instructions to the wiring or installation person, or to keep track of modification and revisions to the design.
PRO Both notes editors benefit from the same powerful editing and formatting features as the main patchbay editor for rich and clear looking annotations. When display real-estate is limited, the horizontal scrolling of all the editors is synchronised to avoid confusion and keep the relevant data in view at all times.
PRO Notes are added when exporting a Wiring Schedule, exporting to PDF, image or Excel, as well as when printing.
PRO Sockets Configuration
Configure individual sockets of termination panels with meaningful and instantly recognisable previews. Add notes to each socket to specify which part number socket to use, pinout remarks, data type or wiring instructions.
Factory templates of termination panels that come pre-fitted with specific sockets include a pre-defined but modifiable configuration when you add the template to your project.
Sockets previews are snows in the preview pane, when exporting a Wiring Schedule, as well as added when exporting to PDF, image or Excel, and of course when printing.
Audio
- Bantam
- TS Jack
- TRS Jack
- XLR 3 Male
- XLR 3 Female
- Combo
- Mini Jack
- speakON 2 Pole
- speakON 4 Pole
- Phono
- Binding Post
- XLR 4 Male
- XLR 4 Female
- XLR 5 Male
- XLR 5 Female
- XLR 6 Male
- XLR 6 Female
- XLR 7 Male
- XLR 7 Female
MIDI
- MIDI
Video
- BNC
- VGA
- S-Video
- SVHS
- HDMI
- F
- Display Port
- DVI
DATA
- Dsub 9
- RJ45
- USB Type A
- USB Type B
- USB 3 Type A
- USB 3 Type B
- FireWire 400
- FireWire 800
- PS/2
Fiber
- Fiber Optic LC
- Fibre Optic SC
- Fiber Optic ST
- Toslink
Power
- powerCON Input
- powerCON Output
Multifunction
- Lemo
- Tourine 25
- Tourine 37
General
- Generic
- Blanking Panel
PRO Export Wiring Schedule to Excel
Working with others? No problem.
Generate a quick wiring schedule and export as an Excel file. Select the details you wish to include from the comprehensive list of patchbay, socket, label and notes information; add custom columns, choose a style and hit Export! That’s it.
The wiring schedules is laid out clearly and data is separated into logical categories and groups.
All content is filled out automatically from each patchbay and termination panel to minimise work and save time.
Accurate Real-Time Preview
The real-time preview looks better than ever thanks to PatchCAD’s UI’s HiDPI support. As you edit your patchbay, see an accurate feedback of the design. Every change is immediately reflected on the screen. No need to print and reprint your project to see how it will look like in real life.
Export your project as a PNG, JPG or GIF image, Excel document or PDF for sharing online, to be used in manuals or documentation, sending to your clients or collaborating with your colleagues.
Optimised Toolbar
The new toolbar is more efficient than ever. A more compact design makes room for more screen real-estate for the main editor. All of PatchCAD’s functions are clear and sensibly organised on the toolbar while the common operations are also available via common sense keyboard shortcuts.
Functions like Auto Numbering, Auto Lettering, Merging, Borders, Colouring, Normalling and more are all a click away.
And So Much More…
- NEW Undo/Redo functionality per patchbay!
- NEW Bracket Line cell formatting
- NEW Fast GPU-powered UI rendering and patchbay drawing
- NEW Stereo L/R auto-complete
- Improved patchbay editor
- Patchbay normalling
- Improved parallel sockets markings
- Change the template of a patchbay that is already in the project
- Improved performance throughout speeds up operations and loading time
- Delta updates for templates makes sure you only download the updates you are missing
- Preview whole project and export to image, Excel or PDF.
- Rotated top-down type
- Word wrap
- PRO Insert images into cell to add the facility’s logo or when words are just not enough
- PRO Change border thickness and style
COMPARE VERSIONS
Which Version Is Right For You?
PatchCAD
- You need to label your patchbay or panel neatly and quickly
- You design patchbays but don’t necessarily do any wiring work
- You have an existing old patchbay that desperately needs a fresh look
PatchCAD Pro
- You designs patchbays for clients and have to liaise with clients, colleagues or outsource the wiring work to a 3rd party
- Your patchbays are complicated and could do with making notes and instructions to help prevent mistakes and assist with wiring
- You do installation work and need a more versatile design tool that just labelling a patchbay or a panel
- Designing termination panels is part of your work
PatchCAD 3
- Powerful editing tools
- Accurate real-time patchbay preview
- Precision printing of any printer or paper
- Export as image, to Excel or as PDF
- Perpetual free updates of templates
- Comprehensive templates list
- Create custom templates
- 3 Concurrent activations
PatchCAD 3 Pro
- Powerful editing tools
- Accurate real-time patchbay preview
- Precision printing on any printer or paper
- Export as image, to Excel or as PDF
- Perpetual free updates of templates
- Comprehensive templates list
- Create custom templates
- 3 Concurrent activations
- Sockets configuration, design and previews for termination panels
- Add notes above and below the patchbay
- Export Wiring Schedule
- Change border style and thickness
- Add images to patchbay cells
PatchCAD Viewer
Accellerate productivity with PatchCAD Viewer
Send your PatchCAD project files to your clients for them to view, review and print without the hassle of PDFs, printer compatibility, worrying about client’s page size or client printing something incorrectly.
PatchCAD Viewer features the same exact rendering and printing engine as PatchCAD Pro so your colleagues and clients will see the same exact design you worked on including Pro features like Notes and Socket Configuration.
Who is PatchCAD for?
INSTALLERS & INTEGRATORS
Perfect companion for any installation job. Design complex patching systems and impress clients with gorgeous labels within minutes. Keep track of client details, patchbay location, revisions and notes.
Accurate and consistent prints allow you to make last minute changes on site that the client forgot to tell you about and print new labels on any local printer! You have enough surprises on an installation. Labelling the patch should not be one of them.
WIREMEN & WIREWOMEN
Do you have folders and folders of Excel templates that you painstakingly made by trail and error? They don’t really work when you send them to the client right…? No more. Simply select the right model from our list of templates and deliver professional looking results to your client quickly and efficiently.
And when the client comes back months down the line to ask you to print new labels for them because they added a new device to the outboard patch, you can make the amendment in seconds and impress the hell out of them!
STUDIO OWNERS
If you’re an owner of studio, chances are that you have modified your patchbay many times and had to make less than elegant manual corrections with stickers or felt pen over the existing labelling. Stop that right now! Print new perfectly fitting labels for your patchbay just like it deserves!
If you’re setting up a new facility, then you’re about to find out that all of the patchbays on the market come with nothing more than a little piece of paper that would slide in to the label strip. It’s impractical to manually write on these the amount of information you’ll require. Print elegant labels with PatchCAD!
Used worldwide by top recording facilities, producers, broadcasters, venues, installation companies, retailers, manufacturers and governments.
