Understand Redline

Describe physical equipment and wiring, organize the drawing, and review the result before delivery.

A system, not just lines and boxes

Devices represent equipment and ports represent its connection points. Connections identify the two ports that are actually connected; moving a device or changing a route does not create a different cable. Repeated drawings can share physical metadata, so the same device can appear in more than one place without acquiring a new physical identity. Learn the distinctions in [ Devices ], [ Ports ], and [ Connections ].

Separate the system from its presentation

Work on an infinite grid, then arrange page regions for output. Names, identifiers, cable numbers, and user fields describe the system independently of geometry. Frontmatter supplies the shared and page-specific information around each drawing. This separation lets you refine a layout without rebuilding the equipment inventory. See [ Organize a drawing across pages ], [ Number cables without losing authored labels ], and [ Make a title block with frontmatter ].

Check more than appearance

Summary lists let you review devices, ports, and connection endpoints as structured information. Diffs show changes to identity, properties, and placement, including edits that may not be obvious in a drawing thumbnail. Review before saving, restoring a history snapshot, or choosing between two files. See [ Summary lists and entity previews ] and [ Review changes before saving or restoring ].

A typical working cycle

Start with [ Draw your first system ], reuse equipment through [ Reuse devices and connected assemblies ], and make the wiring readable through [ Connect devices and clarify routes ]. Check numbering and page information, then follow [ Export a drawing for delivery ]. Keep the editable .wpr project as well as the delivered output. The reference pages explain individual controls when you need a precise operation rather than an entire workflow.