System Requirements
Elecdes Design Suite is designed to run on the same platform as used by your existing CAD package.
Minimum and Recommended System Requirements
| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 7 (SP1)(64bit) | Windows 10 (64bit), or later |
| CAD Software | AutoCAD 2018, or BricsCAD v21, or GstarCAD 2022 | AutoCAD 2024, or later, or BricsCAD v23, or later, or GstarCAD/LusoCAD 2024, or later |
| CPU | Intel or AMD dual core | Intel or AMD quad core |
| Memory (RAM) | 8GB | 32GB |
| Disk Space | 3GB (plus space for projects, drawings, and any additional symbol libraries) | |
| GPU (for Elecdes) | Any GPU capable of running your CAD package in 2D mode | Discrete Nvidia or AMD workstation class GPU (Certified by your CAD package) |
| GPU (for Paneldes) | Discrete GPU capable of running your CAD package in 3D mode | |
| Screen Resolution | 1280x800 | 1920x1080 (or better) |
| Office Suite (for Instrument Manager, Cable Scheduler) | Microsoft Office 2010 (64bit) | Microsoft Office 2016 (64bit), or later |
| Database Engine (for Instrument Manager, Cable Scheduler) | SQL Server 2008 R2, or Microsoft Access (with restrictions) | SQL Server 2017, or later |
Supported Operating Systems
EDS supports the following Microsoft operating systems:
Windows XP 32bit (with SP3)
Windows XP 64bit (with SP2)
Windows Vista (SP2)
Windows Vista 64bit (with SP2 or later)
Windows 7 (SP1)
Windows 7 64bit (with SP1 or later) (Recommended)
Windows 8
Windows 10
Windows 11
EDS requires the Microsoft .Net Framework v4.0 to be installed. The EDS Installer will attempt to install the .Net Framework v4.0 if it is not detected, but it is recommended to install this manually before installing EDS. Available from Microsoft.com or on the EDS installation media.
Supported CAD Software
Elecdes and Paneldes require one of the following CAD applications:
AutoCAD 2018 – 2025 (including derivatives, such as AutoCAD P&ID, Plant 3D)
BricsCAD Pro v21 – v24
GstarCAD/LusoCAD Professional 2022 – 2025
Supported Drawing Formats
EDS supports the following AutoCAD DWG file versions:
2000 (Some features are not supported in this drawing format)
2004 (Some features are not supported in this drawing format)
2007
2010
2013
2018
Supported Database Engines
Database Editor, Ebase, Catalog, and Global Editor use the DBASE 3 database format (stored as *.DBF files)
Instrument Manager and Cable Scheduler can use the Microsoft Access database format (stored as *.MDB or *.ACCDB files) or can connect to Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (or later).
Note: SQL Server Express is free and suitable for small and medium sized project databases. TCP/IP access must be enabled on a SQL Express instance before EDS will be able to connect to it.
Note: With appropriate configuration, cloud-hosted SQL Server databases are supported, although the performance of some operations will degrade as latency to the server increases, and/or bandwidth to the server decreases.
Supported File Storage
Note: Single-user Projects includes projects that are shared between users, but will only be edited by one user at a time (ie not concurrently).
Note: Files considered part of a Single- or Multi-user Projects include all files in the project directory and subdirectories, as well as any files outside the project directory referenced by the Project files (such as DWGs included in the project and their xrefs, an Access project database file, or a linked file-based P&ID database).
| File Storage Location | Data Type | Supported | Restrictions | Performance Implications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Machine | Multi-user Projects | No | ||
| Single-user Projects | Yes | |||
| Customisation Files | ||||
| EDS License | ||||
| Windows File Share (LAN) | Multi-user Projects | Yes | File share should not partake in replication, or all users must always connect to the same replica. Replication is typically transparent to users, so check with your IT department before using a file share in a multi-user environment. | A wired gigabit (or faster) ethernet connection to the file server is recommended for best performance. |
| Single-user Projects | ||||
| Customisation Files | ||||
| EDS License | ||||
| Windows File Share (WAN/VPN) | Multi-user Projects | Yes | The performance of some operations will degrade as latency to the server increases, and/or bandwidth to the server decreases. | |
| Single-user Projects | ||||
| Customisation Files | ||||
| EDS License | ||||
| Windows File Share (Cloud Hosted) Azure Files, Amazon FSx for Windows File Server, or hosted virtual machine running a compliant SMB server. | Multi-user Projects | Yes | The performance of some operations will degrade as latency to the server increases, and/or bandwidth to the server decreases. Performance degradation is typically minimized by using the geographically closest availability zone offered by the cloud host. | |
| Single-user Projects | ||||
| Customisation Files | ||||
| EDS License | ||||
| Cloud Storage Autodesk Docs, Autodesk BIM 360, MS Sharepoint, MS OneDrive, Google Drive, and similar. | Multi-user Projects | No | ||
| Single-user Projects | Under development | Users are responsible for ensuring they have exclusive access, and that they have the latest copy of all files before using the project. | ||
| Customisation Files | Users are responsible for ensuring they have the latest copy of all files. | |||
| EDS License | No |