Simple Wires Help

- Getting Started: /manual/docs/getting-started.html
- Projects Dashboard: /manual/docs/projects.html
- Sharing Projects: /manual/docs/sharing.html
- Drawings and the Start Page: /manual/docs/drawings.html
- The Drawing Editor: /manual/docs/editor.html
- Functional Blocks and Ports: /manual/docs/blocks.html
- Master Library: /manual/docs/equipment-library.html
- Warehouses: /manual/docs/warehouses.html
- Racks and Rack Panels: /manual/docs/racks.html
- Drawing Cables: /manual/docs/cables.html
- Off Sheet Pointers: /manual/docs/off-sheet-pointers.html
- Shapes, Text and Images: /manual/docs/shapes-text-images.html
- Page Setup and Drawing Settings: /manual/docs/page-setup.html
- Printing and Exporting: /manual/docs/print-export.html
- Project Data Grids: /manual/docs/project-data.html
- Signal Types: /manual/docs/signal-types.html
- Drawing Revisions: /manual/docs/revisions.html
- Teams: /manual/docs/teams.html
- Billing and Plans: /manual/docs/billing.html
- Your Account: /manual/docs/account.html
- Themes and Appearance: /manual/docs/appearance.html
- Keyboard Shortcuts: /manual/docs/keyboard-shortcuts.html
- FAQ and Troubleshooting: /manual/docs/faq.html


# Getting Started

This page takes you from signing in to a saved first drawing. Each step links to the topic that covers it in detail.

## Sign in

1. Go to the Simple Wires sign-in page.
2. Enter your **Email** and **Password**, then click **Log in**.

If you don't have an account yet, click **Register as a new user**. If you have forgotten your password, click **Forgot your password?**.

{{< screenshot name="getting-started-sign-in" alt="The Sign In page with the Email and Password fields" >}}

After you sign in, Simple Wires opens your **Projects Dashboard**. For account details such as changing your password, see [Your Account]({{< relref "account" >}}).

## Create a project

Every drawing belongs to a project. A project also holds the signal types, equipment and cable data that its drawings share.

1. On the dashboard, click **New Project**.
2. Enter a **Project Name** and, optionally, a **Description**.
3. Click **Save Project**.

The project appears in your project list. It already contains an empty drawing named **Drawing 1**.

{{< screenshot name="getting-started-create-project" alt="The Create Project form with a project name and description filled in" >}}

Your plan sets how many active projects you can have. See [Projects Dashboard]({{< relref "projects" >}}) for project limits, archiving, and the other project commands.

## Open the project

Click the project name in the list. The project opens on its **Start Page**, which lists the project's drawings with a preview of each.

{{< screenshot name="getting-started-start-page" alt="The Start Page of a new project showing Drawing 1 in the Project Drawings list" >}}

You can return to the Start Page at any time by clicking the Simple Wires logo at the top left. See [Drawings and the Start Page]({{< relref "drawings" >}}).

## Create a drawing

1. On the Start Page, click the **+** button (**Add a New Drawing**) in the **Project Drawings** panel, or choose **File > New ...**.
2. Enter a name for the drawing and click **Next**.
3. Enter a description (optional) and click **Next** again.

The new drawing opens in the drawing editor. Its page size, margins and default stroke come from your [new drawing settings]({{< relref "projects#new-drawing-settings" >}}).

To open the existing **Drawing 1** instead, click its name or preview.

> [!NOTE]
> On the Free plan a project holds one drawing. Open **Drawing 1** and draw in it rather than creating a new drawing.

{{< screenshot name="getting-started-new-drawing" alt="The New Drawing Name dialog on the Start Page" >}}

## Save your work

Press <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>S</kbd>, or choose **File > Save (Ctrl + S)**. A short message confirms the save, and the title bar shows **Saving changes...** while it is in progress.

On paid plans, Simple Wires also saves automatically a few seconds after each change. The Free plan does not save automatically, so save often.

Every save also records a revision you can go back to. See [Drawing Revisions]({{< relref "revisions" >}}).

> [!TIP]
> If a save can't reach the server, Simple Wires keeps a copy in your browser and offers to recover it the next time you open the drawing. See [Recovering a drawing]({{< relref "drawings#recovering-a-drawing" >}}).

## Where to go next

- [The Drawing Editor]({{< relref "editor" >}}): the canvas, panes, menus and tools.
- [Functional Blocks and Ports]({{< relref "blocks" >}}): add equipment to a drawing.
- [Master Library]({{< relref "equipment-library" >}}): find existing equipment.
- [Warehouses]({{< relref "warehouses" >}}): keep the items you build and reuse them.
- [Drawing Cables]({{< relref "cables" >}}): connect ports and number cables.
- [Sharing Projects]({{< relref "sharing" >}}): work on a project with other people.
- [Keyboard Shortcuts]({{< relref "keyboard-shortcuts" >}})

In the drawing editor, press <kbd>F1</kbd> or choose **Help > Help for This View** to open help for the screen you are on.