Getting started
RackDraw is a native macOS application for designing 19” equipment rack elevation diagrams. It runs on a Mac; there is no Windows, Linux, or web version.
To install, drag the RackDraw app into your Applications folder, then double-click to launch. Because this release is distributed outside the Mac App Store, macOS Gatekeeper may block the first launch. If it does, right-click (or Control-click) the app icon and choose Open, then confirm.
On first launch you must read and accept the End User License Agreement. RackDraw will not start until you accept, and you must accept again after installing each new version. You can revisit the license any time under Help → View License Agreement.
Building a rack
- Create a rack. Use Rack → Add Rack…, or the ＋ Add button in the left sidebar. Set the rack name, total U height, and whether it has rear rails (needed for rear-mounted gear). New racks appear in the sidebar list.
- Open the Equipment Library. Click the Equipment Library tab to browse the 294 built-in items across 17 manufacturers (Shure, Sennheiser, Yamaha, Biamp, QSC, Cisco, and more). Columns show manufacturer, model, U height, front/rear depth, and whether an item is a shelf.
- Place equipment. Drag a row from the Equipment Library directly onto a rack position in the Elevation tab. Alternatively, double-click an empty U in the elevation to open the placement dialog, where you can search for equipment by name and set the bottom U position.
- Choose the rail face. In the placement dialog, select Front, Rear, or Both. Front and rear items can share the same U; Both occupies the full depth and blocks that U on both faces. Rear and Both are disabled if the rack has no rear rails.
- Use smart placement when something doesn’t fit. RackDraw offers a three-level cascade: it first tries to find the next available position, then offers to shuffle existing items up or down to open room at your chosen spot, and finally can launch the Auto-Arrange wizard (Rack → Auto-Arrange…) to re-lay-out the whole rack automatically, pre-populated with your existing gear.
Right-click any placed item for quick actions such as editing or removing it. Shelf-type items support a top-down layout: right-click and choose Edit Shelf Contents… or View Aerial Layout….
Analysis & views
Switch views using the tabs above the rack:
- Elevation — the front (and rear) rack face with color-coded equipment.
- Depth / Clearance — a side-profile showing per-U front and rear depth usage, so you can spot where front and rear gear would physically collide. Conflicts are flagged as warnings.
- Equipment Library — the browsable/editable equipment catalog.
- Report Info — project metadata used on exports.
Manage multiple racks from the sidebar list; each project can hold several racks, and selecting one shows it in every view. Zoom with View → Zoom In / Zoom Out / Reset Zoom (Cmd +, Cmd −, Cmd 0).
Custom equipment & libraries
To add your own gear, click ＋ Add Equipment in the Equipment Library tab (or Edit / Duplicate an existing item). Set manufacturer, model, U height, front depth, rear depth, panel width, color, mounting, rail kit, and notes; items can be marked as shelves or chassis.
Share catalogs between installations with Library → Import Equipment… and Library → Export Equipment…. Library → Update from Defaults… merges in the latest built-in items.
Saving & exporting
Save your work with File → Save / Save As… to a .rackdraw project file (JSON). Reopen recent projects from File → Open Recent. Export a rack elevation to PDF via File → Export PDF…. PDF and .rackdraw are the only supported outputs — there is no DWG, DXF, or CSV export/import. Undo and redo any change with Cmd+Z and Cmd+Shift+Z.
Troubleshooting
macOS won’t open the app (“unidentified developer”). Right-click the app icon and choose Open, then confirm. This is only needed on first launch.
Equipment won’t fit where I want it. Accept a smart-placement suggestion — find-next-fit, shuffle-to-fit, or the Auto-Arrange wizard (Rack → Auto-Arrange…).
Front and rear items conflict. Open the Depth / Clearance tab to see per-U depth warnings, then reduce a component’s depth, move it, or place it on a single face instead of Both.
Rear or Both options are grayed out. The rack has no rear rails. Edit the rack (⚙ Rack Settings) and enable rear rails.
The item I need isn’t in the library. Add it via ＋ Add Equipment, or duplicate a similar item and adjust its dimensions.
PDF export failed. Choose a folder you can write to and ensure the filename ends in .pdf. Any error is shown in a dialog.
Unsaved changes warning on close. Save to a .rackdraw file first; the app prompts before discarding.
Getting help
For questions or bug reports, email admin@eggentechnologies.com. Include your macOS version, the RackDraw version (Help → About RackDraw), the .rackdraw project file if relevant, and the exact steps that reproduce the issue.