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Engineer Onboarding Guide

Start-to-finish walkthrough of the EEP workflow — from a fresh project to a sealed PDF. Scroll the guide below, or jump to the FAQ for one-line answers. Real engineers reply to support@ee-platform.com.

5-minute orientation

EEP is a per-project workspace. One project = one state = every card reads from the same source of truth, every PDF is a snapshot of that state.

The four project flows

When you click + New project, you pick one of these. Your choice changes which workspace cards are visible — the canvas only shows what's relevant to the work you're doing.

FlowWhen to use itCards you'll see
New BuildingGround-up design from service to outlets.Setup · Load Calc · Feeder · Panel · SLD · Lighting · Validation · Reports
Tenant Fit-outTenant inside an existing building with a parent breaker.+ Parent Building card with live capacity-overflow check
Load Estimation (documented)Have equipment list + occupancy data; preparing utility submission.+ Quick Estimate card with 5 templates
Load Estimation (quick)No equipment docs — pure template-based estimate.Templates only; SLD / Lighting / Validation hidden; ESTIMATED banner across the workspace

What every project shares

  • Auto-save — every keystroke flushes to the backend after 800 ms of idle time. The header shows Saving… or Saved at all times.
  • Branching — every project starts on main. Fork a branch to try a what-if without touching the parent design.
  • D01 validation — A1..A14 acceptance gates run on demand and produce a single overall status. Reports stamp the gate result in the footer.
  • Standard lock — once you pick NEC 2023 or CEC 2024, the engines never cross rule packs mid-project.
You can always recover. Every restore auto-snapshots the current state first, so nothing is destructive. The Versions card shows every snapshot you and the system have taken.

Your first project

~10 minutes from clicking "New project" to a sealable PDF, assuming reasonable defaults. Below is each card in the order it appears.

  1. Open the dashboard, click + New project.
  2. Fill the modal: name, project type (one of the four flows above), standard (NEC or CEC), optional client name.
  3. Click Create project →. You land in the workspace at /workspace?id=<id>.

Setup card

Fill these once at the start; they're cited in every report.

  • Voltage system — drives every downstream divisor. CEC uses CEC2024-R8-100; NEC uses NEC2023-§220.5.
  • Occupancy — routes the load model. Residential → CEC R8-200 / NEC §220.82. Commercial / industrial uses different demand factors.
  • Engineer of Record (EOR) — name + licence + firm. Required before stamping; D01 gate A14 checks all three.

Load Calc card

Add every load: tag, description, kW, voltage, power factor, continuous?, category. The card computes connected kW + design current as you type.

  • Mark a load Continuous if it draws ≥ 1 h at design current — engines apply 125% per CEC R8-104.
  • The Category (LIGHTING / RECEPTACLE / HVAC / MOTOR / EVSE / HEATING) drives demand factor selection. Motors trigger the OVL-MOTOR overlay.
  • Connected kW + estimated amps appear in the header. Final design current comes from the chosen load model (Standard or Optional method) per NEC Art. 220.

Feeder card

For each feeder run: tag, from-bus, to-bus, length (m), material (Cu / Al), conductor size, ambient °C, CCC.

The engine sequence is:

  1. Ampacity — table lookup with derate per CEC T1/T2 or NEC T310.16/17, modified for ambient and CCC.
  2. Voltage drop — temperature-corrected resistance, recommended limits 3% branch / 5% combined per CEC R8-102 / NEC Annex D. The VD history (every conductor size the engine tried before settling) is recorded inline.
  3. OCP — design current rounded UP to the next standard size per CEC T13 / NEC §240.6(A), subject to the small-conductor caps in NEC §240.4(D) (15 A for #14, 20 A for #12, 30 A for #10 — never overridable).

Panel card

Bus rating, phases, and per-phase loads. The card live-computes imbalance and flags >15% amber / >30% red.

Assign branch loads to a panel via the load's panelId field — RPT-007 (Panel Schedule) groups them automatically.

SLD card

Drag-and-drop single-line editor (React Flow under the hood, lazy-loaded). Shapes auto-populate ratings from feeder + panel cards. Live recalc back-walks from leaf loads to service amps.

The SLD is not your source of truth. It's a visualisation of the workspace state. Edit the underlying load / feeder / panel cards; the SLD updates. Reverse-direction sync (SLD drag → state) is per-shape, with explicit save.

Lighting Design card

Lumen-method calculator + photometric preview + LPD compliance:

  • Add a space (room name, area m², IES illuminance category A→I).
  • Pick a fixture from the catalog (lumens / watts / CU / LLF).
  • The card shows the fixture count needed: N = (E × A) / (Φ × CU × LLF × n).
  • Layout grid (square / hex) + photometric preview visualises spacing-to-mount-height ratio (IES limit ≤ 1.5).
  • LPD compliance checks W/m² against ASHRAE 90.1-2022 §9.5.2 or NECB 2017 §4.2.1.5.

Branching for what-ifs

Every project has a main branch. Forks are git-like — the parent state is unchanged, edits on the fork are isolated, and you can compare, merge, or discard at any point.

When to fork

  • Owner asks "what if we drop the transformer to 50 kVA?"
  • You want to try a different load model without losing the current numbers.
  • A reviewer wants to explore an alternative routing before approving.

Compare / History / Merge

  1. Click + New branch in the branch bar — give it a name like reduced-trans-50kVA.
  2. Make your changes. Every edit is logged into the branch's BranchEdit trail.
  3. Click ⇆ Compare — see a field-level diff of every changed path, added entry, and removed entry.
  4. Click Merge A → B in the diff modal to apply the fork's changes onto main. Source wins on every conflict; the merge is recorded as edit-log entries on the target.
  5. Click ⏱ History to view every BranchEdit (path, from-value, to-value, reason, author, timestamp).

Validation (D01)

D01 is the master acceptance pipeline. Open the Validation card and click Run D01; the engine evaluates A1..A14 against the current branch state and returns one of four overall statuses.

GateNameRule citation
A1Lock JurisdictionCEC2024-S0 / NEC2023-§90
A2Validate Voltage SystemR8-100 / §220.5
A3Route Load ModelR8-200..212 / §220 Part III
A4Load CalculationDemand factor application
A5Overlay DetectionAtlas D12
A6Ampacity SelectionCEC T1..T5D / NEC T310.16-17
A7Voltage Drop CheckR8-102 / Annex D
A8OCP SelectionT13 + R14-104 / T240.6(A)
A9Feeder Sizing MasterCombined ampacity + VD + OCP
A10Panel ScheduleR8-108 / §408
A11Source-Gap ResolutionAtlas D03
A13Report GenerationRPT-001..009 readiness
A14PE Review GateEOR block + seal

Overall statuses

  • COMPLETE every gate passed — deliverable-ready.
  • WARNING at least one soft warning. Reviewer should look but stamp is allowed.
  • BLOCKED one or more gates failed. The Reports card warns; the Stamp endpoint refuses (see the source-gap guard below).
  • PARTIAL some gates not yet run (waiting on data). Run D01 again after filling them.
Tip: click any gate's rule citation (the monospace ref like CEC2024-R8-100) to open the rulebook excerpt drawer. Works in this guide too — try clicking any CEC2024-R8-100 tag above.

Overlays + Source Gaps

Overlays are emergent constraints the engine detects; Source Gaps are unknown inputs the engineer logs. Both surface in dedicated cards and both feed D01 gate A11.

Overlays (engine-detected)

The engines emit overlay tags whenever they recognise a pattern that changes how a value should be sized. Examples:

  • OVL-MOTOR — a load is tagged MOTOR → 125% applied to feeder per CEC R8-104 and locked rotor amps checked separately.
  • OVL-CONTINUOUS — continuous duty load triggers 125% upsize on OCP and feeder.
  • OVL-HARMONIC — non-linear loads >50% on a 3φ feeder require a full-size neutral.
  • OVL-EV — EVSE load requires dedicated branch + 125% on the breaker per Article 625.

Each overlay has Open / Resolved status. Resolving requires a short note that's stored with the resolution timestamp.

Source Gaps (engineer-logged)

Open a Source Gap (SGP-*) whenever you're calculating with an assumed value that the engine asked for but couldn't derive. Common examples:

  • Utility short-circuit current (need from POCO)
  • Existing parent-building load (tenant fit-outs)
  • Ambient temperature for an outdoor run

Mark a gap blocking: true when the assumption is load-bearing for the design. The Stamp endpoint refuses any project with open blocking gaps — see the next section.

9 RPT templates

Every PDF is generated in the browser from the live workspace state. No backend round-trip = the PDF is always a faithful snapshot of what's on screen.

CodeNameUse it for
RPT-001Engineering Calculation (full)The complete record: setup + load schedule + feeder schedule + panel schedule + D01 gates + overlays + EOR + seal. Submittal-quality.
RPT-002Project Summary1-page snapshot for owner / GC review.
RPT-003Code Compliance TraceEvery cited rule × value × status. Plan-reviewer audit trail.
RPT-004Warning ReportSoft warnings from engines / overlays / advisory gaps. Pre-stamp checklist.
RPT-005Assumption ReportASM-* entries the engine logged. Confirm each before stamping.
RPT-006Source Gap ReportSGP-* with resolution state.
RPT-007Panel ScheduleOne panel per page + assigned branch circuits.
RPT-008Feeder ScheduleAll feeders with conductor / OCP / VD% colour-coded.
RPT-009Audit TrailLifecycle events — share grants, restores, branch merges, stamp.
Stamped projects: every PDF footer carries Sealed · sha256:<hash>… — a cryptographic stamp of the branch state at sealing time. Any later restore or merge produces a different hash, so the sealed PDF remains independently verifiable.

Signing off

EEP never forges a stamp. The seal is your image; the platform embeds it and records the hash. You apply the legal weight.

Engineer Seal

One-time setup per device:

  1. Go to Account → Engineer Seal.
  2. Upload a PNG, JPG, or SVG of your seal (max 1 MB). The image is stored only on this device in your browser's localStorage — it never leaves your machine until a PDF embeds it.
  3. Replace or remove at any time. Stamped projects keep a copy of the seal that was active at stamping time, so changing your seal doesn't retroactively change sealed PDFs.

Submit for review

Click the workspace header's Submit for review button when the design is ready for a second engineer's eyes. This sets the project status to UNDER_REVIEW and records the transition in the audit log. A reviewer with project access can then verify the design before stamping.

Stamp + state hash

Only licensed engineers (User profile isProfessionalEng: true) see an active Stamp button. The flow:

  1. Click Stamp. The confirmation modal previews your seal, the EOR block, and the current D01 status.
  2. Add optional audit-log notes ("Issued for permit submission", etc.).
  3. Click Stamp project. The browser computes SHA-256 of the canonical branch state, the backend records the hash + your seal version + timestamp, and the project status flips to STAMPED.
Stamp guard: the backend refuses any stamp request while a blocking source gap (SGP-* with blocking: true and status: OPEN) exists. The error lists the offending sgpCodes so you know which Source Gaps card row to resolve.

Tenant fit-out flow

Pick "Tenant Fit-out" as the project type and the workspace adds a Parent Building card with a live capacity-overflow engine.

  1. Fill the Parent Building card: existing service voltage, main panel rating (A), existing connected load (A), owner / building manager.
  2. Add tenant loads in the Load Calc card as usual.
  3. The Parent Building card live-computes spare = mainA − existingA and compares to your tenant draw. Status pill flips:
    • VALID tenant ≤ 80% of spare
    • WARNING 80–100% of spare
    • BLOCKED tenant exceeds spare — inline overflow notice with required reduction in amps
  4. If overflow persists, the engine auto-logs SGP-TENANT-OVERFLOW as a blocking source gap → Stamp refused until you reduce the load or attach AHJ/utility confirmation of an approved service upgrade.

Quick estimate flow

For "Load Estimation (quick)" projects the canvas hides SLD / Lighting / Validation / Overlays / Source Gaps because the deliverable is a utility hydro form, not a sealed design.

Five pre-seeded templates:

  • STRIP_MALL — typical 1500 ft² retail / service tenant.
  • INDUSTRIAL_SHOP — small machine shop with 1–2 motors + welder.
  • RESTAURANT — full-service kitchen + dining; heavy appliance load.
  • PLAZA_UNIT — generic plaza tenant ~1000 ft².
  • CUSTOM — empty, you fill it in.

Picking a template seeds the Load Calc card with a starting schedule. Edit any row, then click ↓ Download Hydro Submission Form (PDF) — a 1-2 page pdfmake report with ESTIMATED banner, service summary, tenant load schedule, and EOR + signature block.

Quick-estimate projects can never be stamped. The flow is explicitly for utility / hydro submission. Every page and every PDF footer carries ESTIMATED — NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION in red striped text.

Free tools (advisory only)

~20 standalone calculators at /free-tools — voltage drop, conduit fill, breaker sizing, cable size, NEC code reference, AutoCAD scale converter, etc. They're useful for field estimates and learning, but they bypass the D01 pipeline and carry no engineer seal.

Every free-tool page shows an amber ADVISORY ONLY banner that links back to the dashboard. For sealed designs, always work inside a project workspace.

Quick answers (FAQ)

One-line answers to the questions support hears most. If yours isn't here, email support@ee-platform.com.

On phone or tablet (PWA)

Can I use EEP on my phone or tablet?

Yes. EEP is a Progressive Web App — every page reflows for small screens, the workspace cards stack one-per-column, and the free tools all accept touch input. Field staff use it on iPads on site. The full design workspace is best on a tablet or desktop because of the single-line canvas, but reports and quick-calc tools work fine on phones.

How do I install EEP as an app?

Android / Chrome desktop: Look for the "Install EEP" pill at the bottom-right of the page after a few seconds. Tap it and confirm. EEP appears as a standalone app with its own icon — no browser chrome.

iPhone / iPad (Safari): Tap the Share icon, scroll, then tap Add to Home Screen. EEP launches like a native app with offline support for already-opened pages.

macOS Safari 17+: File → Add to Dock. Same offline behaviour as iPhone.

Does EEP work offline?

Partially. Pages you've already loaded — the dashboard shell, the workspace template, the help center, the free tools — stay available offline thanks to the service worker. Live API calls (loading a project, running a calculation, saving an edit) require connectivity because we never cache engineering numbers locally; stale calculations are dangerous in this domain.

The "Reload to update" banner appears when a new EEP build is ready while you're using an old cached version.

What's the smallest phone EEP supports?

The UI is tested down to 320 px viewport (iPhone SE 1st gen). Touch targets are 44 px minimum throughout, matching Apple HIG and WCAG 2.1.

Getting started

How do I start my first project?

From the dashboard, click New Project. Pick your standard (NEC 2023 or CEC 2024), units (Metric or Imperial), and jurisdiction. Add a panel, add loads to that panel, then click Run Calculation. The platform produces a service-load result, a panel schedule, and a draft single-line — all from the same engine.

Which standard should I pick?

If the project is in the United States, NEC 2023. If it's in Canada, CEC 2024. If your firm works in both countries, the Both subscription tier lets you choose per project. The platform never crosses rule packs mid-project — once you pick, it locks (with an explicit switch workflow if you really need to change it).

Is the free tier really free?

Yes. Free tier covers residential ≤ 300 m² with the same engine, same warnings, same PDF report, same TraceStep audit as the paid tiers. No watermarks, no daily limits. Free is gated by project scope, not feature depth.

Engine & calculations

Why does my voltage drop result differ from a hand calc?

EEP uses temperature-corrected conductor resistance at the actual conductor operating temperature, not the book-rated 75°C value. For long runs at high load, this is a measurable difference. The TraceStep panel shows the corrected R and the operating temperature it used.

How does the engine pick a breaker size?

The engine rounds the design current to the next standard size per NEC 240.6(A) or CEC Rule 14-104, subject to NEC 240.4(D) small-conductor caps (15 A for #14, 20 A for #12, 30 A for #10). Caps are never overridden — not even by admins.

Can I override an engine result?

Yes — every result has an override button with a required note. The platform flags the override in the warnings panel and records it in the audit log. We never silently "correct" an engineer's professional judgment. Force-set values are highlighted in the report so a reviewer can see them.

What does ADVISORY ONLY mean on contractor outputs?

Contractor-tier accounts produce field-tool outputs (quick current, conduit fill, voltage drop) that the engineer of record is expected to confirm. The ADVISORY ONLY label is hard-coded into the report header and cannot be removed by any role. It's a regulatory boundary, not a UX choice.

Reports & submittal

Are EEP reports accepted by AHJ?

The reports are submittal-shaped — they include the rule citations, calculation details, P.E. seal block, and audit trail that plan reviewers ask for. Acceptance is ultimately the AHJ's decision; we know of dozens of jurisdictions where EEP PDFs have been used in approved submittals. Reach out if you want references in your area.

Can EEP auto-stamp my design with my P.E. seal?

No. EEP renders a sized seal/signature area positioned for an ink stamp or an electronic seal you apply yourself. Sealing is a licensed engineer's professional act — the platform respects that boundary by design, not omission.

What formats can I export to?

PDF (primary), DOCX, XLSX (schedules), SVG/DXF (one-lines), and JSON (full audit log). Each format is generated from the same engine state — they will never disagree on a number.

Accounts, teams, billing

How do I add a teammate?

From the team page, invite by email. They receive a setup link and join your organization with the role you set (viewer, editor, admin). Project sharing is separate and scoped per project.

What happens if I cancel?

Your projects remain accessible read-only for 90 days; PDFs already generated remain downloadable indefinitely. After 90 days, projects are archived to cold storage but never deleted unless you explicitly request it. Export-everything is a one-click action.

Can't find your answer?

Email support@ee-platform.com with the project ID and approximate timestamp. A real engineer (not a bot) reads every message and responds within one business day, usually same day.