Installation and Updates

What are the system requirements? #

RapidHarness runs on Windows 11, including Windows 11 on ARM (Snapdragon X). It is lightweight, so there are no strict requirements, but we suggest at least 500 MB of free disk space, 8 GB of RAM, and a 2-core processor at 2.5 GHz or faster. Integrated graphics are fine. An internet connection is required.

Is there a Mac, Linux, or web version? #

No, RapidHarness is Windows only. Many customers run it on a Mac, including Apple Silicon Macs, inside a Windows 11 virtual machine using Parallels or similar software. Anyone can view the PDFs RapidHarness exports on any platform.

Do I need administrator rights to install RapidHarness? #

No. The installer puts RapidHarness in your own user profile (%LocalAppData%\RapidHarness), so no admin rights are needed. Each person should run the installer from their own Windows account. If IT installs it while signed in as an administrator, it ends up in the administrator's profile instead.

The install location can't be changed. RapidHarness keeps itself up to date in that folder, so moving it can cause problems.

Can IT deploy RapidHarness silently to many machines? #

Yes. Run the installer with the silent switch: RapidHarnessSetup.exe -s. Run it as the end user so it installs into their profile, as described above.

Windows Security or Smart App Control blocked the installer. Is it safe? #

Yes. RapidHarness is code-signed. Download it only from rapidharness.com/download, where the installer shows a valid signature. Windows' threat detection has occasionally flagged the installer as a false positive. If that happens, allow the installer in Windows Security, or ask your IT team to add an exception.

How do I update RapidHarness? #

RapidHarness updates itself automatically. To check for an update, go to File > About. If no update appears, download and reinstall the latest version from rapidharness.com/download. Your designs are stored in the cloud, so reinstalling doesn't affect them.

If a design says it isn't compatible with your version, a teammate has saved it with a newer release. Update and then open it again. See Installer and Updater for more details.

Signing In and Connectivity

I get "Unable to connect to server" even though my internet works. What should I do? #

This is almost always caused by an out-of-date version or by a network block. Try these steps in order:

1. Restart RapidHarness, then check File > About for updates. If that doesn't work, reinstall the latest version from rapidharness.com/download. This fixes most cases.
2. Try a different network, such as a phone hotspot. If RapidHarness connects there, your company network, firewall, VPN, or antivirus is blocking it.
3. Ask your IT team to allow the addresses listed in the next question.

Occasionally the cause is an outage at our cloud provider, Microsoft Azure. If none of the steps above help, Contact Us and we'll let you know if there's a known issue.

What does our firewall or proxy need to allow? #

RapidHarness only needs outbound HTTPS (port 443) access to *.rapidharness.com. RapidHarness uses the proxy configured in Windows (search for "Proxy" in the Start menu). It has no proxy settings of its own.

If *.rapidharness.com is already allowed and RapidHarness still can't connect, Contact Us and we'll help your IT team track down the problem.

I never received my account confirmation code or password reset email. #

Check your spam or junk folder, and make sure you entered your email address correctly. Company email filters sometimes block automated emails. If you still can't find it, Contact Us. We can activate your account or reset your password for you. You can change your password later under File > Account > Profile.

Can I use RapidHarness offline? #

Not fully. RapidHarness needs an internet connection to sign in, open designs, search for parts, and save. If your connection drops while a design is open, you can keep making some edits, such as adding connections and adjusting the layout, but you must reconnect before you can save.

Your Data, Backups and Recovery

Where are my designs stored? Can I save them as local files? #

Your designs are stored in a secure cloud database hosted on Microsoft Azure servers in the US. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. They aren't saved as files on your PC. This makes built-in Version Control, sharing with your team and partners, automatic backups, and automatic updates possible. It also means you can sign in on another computer and find everything there.

To keep a local copy, export your Harness, System and Device designs to PDF and Excel. See Export, Import and Integrations below.

How do I back up my designs? #

Your designs are backed up automatically on our servers, every Version you create is kept in the design's history, and deleted items go to a Recycle Bin. For your own local copy, select several designs in the Library and export them all at once (see exporting many designs).

I deleted a design by mistake. Can I get it back? #

Yes. In the Library, open the Recycle Bin, select the design or folder, and restore it. Search results don't include the Recycle Bin, so a deleted design won't turn up in a normal search. If someone else deleted it, it may be in the design owner's Recycle Bin instead of yours. Anything deleted from the Recycle Bin is gone permanently.

RapidHarness crashed. Did I lose my work? #

Work you already saved is safe on our servers. When RapidHarness crashes, it tries to save your unsaved designs on your PC and offers to recover them the next time you start it on the same computer. There is no periodic autosave, so a sudden power loss or forced restart can lose changes made since your last save. Save often.

Version Control and Teamwork

Why can't my teammate see or edit the design I'm working on? #

Every design is either an Editable Copy or a Versioned Copy. Only the person working on an Editable Copy can open it. Teammates can see that it exists in the Library, but can't see your changes. When you press Create Version, your design becomes an unchangeable Version that the whole team can open. Any teammate can then press Edit to continue from it. See Version Control.

The Revision Table on your drawing is separate from Version Control. It records revisions for the people who read your drawings, but doesn't affect who can edit the design.

Can two people edit the same design at the same time? #

No. Only one person can edit a design at a time. When they create a Version, anyone else on the team can pick up where they left off.

A teammate is away and their design is locked for editing. How do we get access? #

A team Admin can release it. In the Library, select the design, open Admin Tools in the toolbar, and choose Force Version. This saves the other person's Editable Copy as a new Version that everyone can open.

Someone left our company. How do we keep their designs? #

An Admin can go to File > Account > Team, click their name, and press the X to remove them. Removing a user frees up their license but does not delete any of their designs. Their designs stay in your Library, and any designs they were still editing are versioned so the rest of the team can open them.

How do I share designs with another company, such as a contractor or manufacturer? #

Set up a Partnership under File > Account > Partners. Then share only the folders or designs you choose, with Can Edit or View Only permission. The Partner sees the same design you do, not a copy. To give them an independent copy, use Clone to New Design first. To hand designs over completely, use Transfer Ownership. See Partners and Sharing.

I updated a connector, but my harness still shows the old one. #

Harnesses don't pick up part changes automatically, so a new version of a part never changes a design you've already finished. Open the harness. Parts with a newer version show an up arrow in the Design Assembly. Right-click one and choose Update Design to Latest Version, or press Update All Designs in the toolbar to update everything in the harness.

How do I go back to an older version of a design? #

Versions can't be changed, but you can continue from an older one in two ways. You can delete the Versions created after it from the design's History in the Library. Or you can open the older Version and use Clone to New Design, which starts a new design from that point.

Parts and the Library

My parts Library is empty. Where are the connectors and wires? #

RapidHarness searches Octopart's catalog of over 95 million parts directly instead of installing a parts library. In a Harness, right-click an empty area of the drawing and choose Add Connector (or Add Wire, and so on). Type a part number or description, then press Enter or click Search Octopart. Double-click a result to add it to your Library and your drawing at the same time. Octopart search works for parts such as Connectors, Contacts, and Wires. It doesn't work for Devices, Harnesses, Systems, or Templates.

The Search Octopart button is grayed out. #

Type something in the search box first. The button turns on once there's a search term. It's also available on the Free plan.

Why do my connectors appear as circles instead of the pictures in the tutorial videos? #

This is by design. Older versions drew a generic connector shape that didn't match many real connectors and confused assembly shops, so it was replaced with a simple concentric-circle symbol that takes up less space. To show what your connector really looks like, add one or more images to the Connector design. Connectors added from Octopart usually come with manufacturer images already attached. Use the < and > arrows under the image in the Add Connector window to choose one.

A connector I added from Octopart has no cavities. #

Octopart's data doesn't always include cavities. Right-click the connector and open its design, add the Cavities, and save. Then, back in your harness, right-click the connector in the Design Assembly and choose Update Design to Latest Version. You can then assign contacts and make connections to the new cavities.

How do I rename a connector's cavities, for example from numbers to letters? #

Cavity names are plain text that you can edit in the Connector design. Each name must be unique within the connector and can't be blank, contain a period, or be "Housing". Save the connector, then update it in your harness. If you use Change Design to swap to a connector with different cavity names, remap your connections when RapidHarness prompts you.

How can contacts, seals, and other parts be added automatically with a connector? #

Use Design Configurations. In the Connector design, add a Configuration with the contacts, wire seals, sealing plugs, backshells, and other parts you want, and mark it as the Default. RapidHarness then adds those parts every time the connector is placed in a harness. For a connector already in a harness, right-click it and choose Apply Configuration. See Design Configurations.

Can I list alternate part numbers on the BOM? #

There's no field for alternates yet. Many customers put the alternate in the Internal Part Number (IPN) field, or list allowed substitutes in the Notes Table or a text box.

Connectors, Wires and Cables

How do I model a sensor or connector that comes with wires already attached? #

Use a Pigtail Connector. In the Connector design, open the Assembly tab, check Pigtail Connector, set the Pigtail Length, and set each cavity's wire size and colors. Its wires are then used as conductors when you connect it in a harness. To extend a pigtail wire, connect it through a splice. See Pigtail Connectors.

How do I add a fuse, relay, or terminal block? #

These don't have their own design types yet, but customers model them like this:

• Fuses and fuse holders - add a Resistor, then use Edit BOM to change its description to "Fuse" or "Fuse Holder". Attach a Custom Part to it for the fuse itself.
• Relays and power distribution boxes - create a Connector, with a Cavity for each terminal, so you can wire it like any other connector. Add an image of the real part, and use Edit BOM to change the part type shown.
• Terminal blocks - create a Device, using Terminal Points for the places where ferrules and wires land, then connect it to a Harness in a System.

How do I handle unused cavities so the Rule Checker stops flagging them? #

Fill unused cavities with sealing plugs. Right-click the connector, choose Edit Contacts and Wire Seals..., select the unused cavities, and assign a sealing plug. You can assign several cavities at once. If you don't have a suitable plug, create one with File > New > Contact and set the Termination to Sealing-Plug. The plugs also appear on your BOM. To make plugging automatic, include the plugs in the connector's Default Configuration.

How do I put two wires in the same cavity? #

When creating the second connection, choose Custom Cavity as the cavity and type the name of the cavity that's already in use. Both connections will share that cavity.

How do I twist wires together? #

Select the wires in the harness and use Edit Twisted Wires in the toolbar. To twist more than two wires, twist them into pairs first, then twist the pairs together. If you buy the pair already twisted under one part number, create it as a Cable design instead, so it appears as a single BOM item. Wires on a Pigtail Connector can't be twisted, because they come from the manufacturer ready-made.

How do I model a shield or drain wire? #

Create the wire as a Cable design (File > New > Cable) and include a shield and any drain wires. In the harness, make a connection as usual and select the shield as its conductor, for example to a connector's Housing. Every connection needs two ends, so if a shield or drain wire is only connected at one end, connect the other end to the connector's N/C position. Add a Connection Note to explain unusual terminations. To land a shield on two connectors, connect it to a Splice and run connections from the Splice to each connector.

How do I add heat shrink or sleeving to just part of a bundle? #

Add a Branch Point where the covering should start or stop, then apply a Covering to the bundle between the two points. You can stack several Coverings on the same bundle. Coverings are listed in the Coverings Table and the BOM. To show where they go, use Notes or labels on the drawing. See Coverings.

How do I tap into a wire without cutting it (a window splice)? #

There are two ways to model this:

• Split the main wire into two sections at the splice. The BOM totals stay correct, but the Cutlist shows two pieces.
• Connect the splice only to the tap wire, then drag the splice onto the main bundle. It looks right on the drawing and the Cutlist, but isn't electrically connected to the main wire.

Either way, add a note describing how the splice is made. See Splices.

Lengths, Units and Layout

Can I work in metric units? #

Yes. Click the ruler icon in the top-left corner of the drawing to switch between metric and imperial units. You can also type metric values into any length field, for example "60 cm". For wire gauges, choose mm² in the Gauge list. You can also create Drawing Templates with metric page sizes.

How do I change a wire's length or add extra length? #

Press Edit Lengths in the Home ribbon. You can set an Extra Length per Connection for the whole drawing, or double-click or right-click any cell to override one value. Select several rows to override them all at once. Overrides are fixed values, so they don't scale if the bundle lengths change later. See Editing Lengths.

How do I set the length of a loopback (a wire between two cavities on the same connector)? #

In Edit Lengths, set the Default Loopback Length at the top of the dialog, or override an individual loopback's length. Loopbacks aren't drawn on the drawing, but their lengths flow through to the BOM, Wiring Table, and Cutlist.

A length shows as ">=" or "Uncomputable". How do I fix it? #

Part of the connection's path has no defined length. Usually two Branch Points are stacked on top of each other without being merged. Drag the Branch Points along the path slightly to find a hidden duplicate, then drop one onto the other to merge them. "Uncomputable" can also mean a cable splits into more than one path. In that case, model the short branch as a separate wire.

Can I add length tolerances? #

There's no tolerance field. Add your tolerances as a note on the drawing.

How do I make a 1:1 formboard drawing? #

Follow To Scale Drawings, and use only Branch Points, not Layout Points, because Layout Points affect the scale. Use a Drawing Template with a page size large enough for your harness. Export to PDF, then print or plot from your PDF viewer at actual size. The Rule Checker tells you if any bundles aren't drawn to scale.

Adobe Acrobat and Illustrator can't show pages larger than 200 inches (about 5 m), so they cut off very large drawings. Open them in another PDF viewer, such as Foxit.

How do I merge two bundles, or branch one bundle into two? #

Right-click a bundle and choose Add Branch Point. Then drag the Branch Point onto another bundle until it turns green, and drop it to merge them.

Can I copy connections from one harness to another? #

Yes. Select the connectors at both ends and copy them. The connections and conductors between them come along when you paste into another harness. To copy a whole harness, open it and use Clone to New Design.

How do I connect several harnesses and devices together? #

Create a System (File > New > System) and add your Harnesses, Devices, and Subsystems to it. Mate their connectors, and Nets carry signals across the whole System. Each harness is still manufactured from its own drawing. See Systems, Matings, and Nets.

Drawings, Templates and Tables

Can a drawing have more than one page? #

No, each drawing has one page. For large harnesses, customers use one of these approaches:

• Use a Drawing Template with a larger page size.
• Build a template that looks like two pages side by side or stacked, then split it into pages when printing from your PDF viewer.
• Split the design into separate Harnesses and combine them in a System, which still gives you an Aggregate BOM across all of them.

You can also drag Connection Tables on top of each other to merge them and save space.

How do I make every new harness start with our own template, logo, and notes? #

Create a harness set up the way you want, with your Drawing Template, notes, table positions, and so on, and save it. Then go to File > Settings > Harnesses > New Harness Design and select it. From then on, RapidHarness clones it for every new harness. Existing harnesses don't change. Devices and Systems have the same setting.

How do I change the page size? #

Page size is set on the Drawing Template, not on the harness. Open your harness's Drawing Template (clone the RapidHarness template first if you haven't made your own), and set the page size in Page Setup. Then, in your harness, right-click the Top Level Template in the Design Assembly and choose Change Design to use it. See Drawing Templates.

How do I change which columns appear in the BOM, Wiring Table, or Connection Tables? #

The BOM, Wiring Table, Cutlist, and Labels tables are controlled by Table Templates. In the Design Assembly, right-click the template, open its design, and use Edit Columns to add, remove, or reorder columns. Save it, then press Update All Designs in the harness. See Table Templates.

For Connection Tables, double-click a table on the drawing to change its columns. To set the default columns for new connectors, go to File > Settings > Harnesses > Connection Tables.

How do I show the Revision Table, or a table I've hidden? #

Right-click an empty area of the drawing and choose Show Revision Table, Show Notes Table, or Show Coverings Table. For a connector's Connection Table, right-click the connector and choose Show Connection Table. Double-click the Revision Table to add entries. The design must be an Editable Copy.

Which text replacements can I use in templates? #

Drawing and Table Templates automatically replace $PART_NUMBER$, $MANUFACTURER$, $DESCRIPTION$, $INTERNAL_PART_NUMBER$, and $REV$ (the latest entry in the Revision Table) with that harness's values. You can't add your own replacements, and they don't work in Notes or labels. For other fields, add a text box to your template and fill it in on each drawing.

Can I put an image behind my drawing? #

Yes. Add the image to a custom Drawing Template and use that template on your harness. You can also add an image directly to the drawing, then right-click it and choose Send to Back.

Can RapidHarness draw electrical schematics? #

No. RapidHarness produces harness drawings, Wiring Tables, Cutlists, and BOMs. Most customers show connectivity with the harness drawing together with its Wiring Table.

Export, Import and Integrations

What can I export? #

You can export PDF drawings, and Excel files with Export Manufacturing Data in the toolbar. The Excel file includes the BOM, Wiring Table, Cutlist, Labels, and a full list of connections. Designs are stored in a database rather than as files, so you can't download them in RapidHarness format. To work on a design with another company, share it with them as a Partner (see Version Control and Teamwork).

Can I export to DXF, DWG, or other CAD or harness formats? #

No. RapidHarness exports PDF and Excel only, and doesn't connect directly to ECAD, MCAD, or PLM tools. Many customers convert the Excel export into the format they need. For 3D routing, a common approach is to draw the harness as a simple stick model in a 3D CAD tool, measure the bundle lengths, and enter them in RapidHarness.

Is there an API, or can I import connections from Excel? #

Not yet. There's no public API, and connections can't be imported from a spreadsheet. The one exception is importing a Device's interface from a CSV file. Customers who automate their work usually write scripts that read the Excel export. Most customers find that entering connections by hand goes quickly once they get into a rhythm.

Can I export many designs at once? #

Yes. In the Library, select several designs, then use Export in the toolbar to save PDFs or Manufacturing Data for all of them at once. Each Harness, System and Device design is saved as its own file in a folder you choose, and other design types are skipped. Export isn't available when a folder is part of the selection, so select the designs themselves.

How do I get one BOM that covers several harnesses? #

Add the harnesses to a System. When you export the System's Manufacturing Data, the first tab is an Aggregate BOM that combines and totals the parts from all of its harnesses and subsystems. See Aggregate BOM.

Saving a PDF fails or gives an error. #

Try these steps in order:

1. Update RapidHarness from File > About. PDF problems have been fixed in several updates.
2. Close any PDF viewer that has the file open, or save it under a different file name.

If it still fails, Contact Us.

Text in my exported tables is cut off. #

The table is wider than its page. Add line breaks to long entries, or give the table a bigger page. Clone the Table Template, increase its page size or change its orientation in Page Setup, and use it for your harness.

Troubleshooting

What should I send support when something goes wrong? #

Please include:

• Your version number from File > About.
• The steps that cause the problem.
• A screenshot of any error.
• For crashes, any files in %LocalAppData%\RapidHarness\User Data\Crash Reports.

Then Contact Us.