Frequently Asked Questions

Branch is feature-complete and being used by engineering firms for production work, but we're still actively refining the product based on user feedback. Early access subscribers lock in current pricing and get direct access to our founding team. As with any engineering software, all outputs should be verified by a licensed PE before use.

Leaf Automation builds CAD automation tools for engineers. Our AutoCAD plugin for solar engineering automates stringing and homerun routing—eliminating the tedious, repetitive drafting work that slows down solar design teams.

Yes. Many teams use Helioscope or Aurora for proposals, then bring the layout into AutoCAD for detailed engineering with Branch. The plugin also imports SolarEdge Designer PDFs directly.

The plugin is built specifically for AutoCAD 2018-2026 on Windows. We do not currently support BricsCAD, ZWCAD, or AutoCAD LT.

We're actively developing the plugin based on user feedback. All customers get priority support and we'll work with you on custom features your team needs.

Start with a 14-day free trial. No credit card required. You'll have full access to all features during the trial. After 14 days, access is revoked until you subscribe to a plan.

Branch is $299/mo per daily active user, averaged monthly. A 'daily active user' is anyone who runs a Branch function on a given day. No seat limits — everyone on your team gets access, and you only pay for the people who actually use it.

Each day, we count how many unique users run a Branch function. At the end of the month, we average those daily counts and bill at $299 per average daily active user. If your team of 10 only has 3 people using Branch on a typical day, you pay for 3 — not 10.

We accept all major credit cards through Stripe.

Yes, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you're not satisfied, contact us for a full refund.

We offer simple, transparent pricing at $299/mo per daily active user — no tiers, no seat limits, no complicated pricing tables. Everyone on your team gets access, and you only pay based on actual usage. Every user gets the same full-featured experience with priority support.

The plugin supports AutoCAD 2018 through 2026 on Windows. AutoCAD LT is not currently supported.

Branch replaces fragile LISP routines with purpose-built solar automation. Unlike scripts that break when CAD standards change, Branch understands solar design context—automatically handling string sizing, voltage windows, and NEC voltage window requirements. You get workflow automation, not just task scripting.

Yes. Branch supports SolarEdge power optimizers, Enphase microinverters, and traditional string inverters. The string sizing algorithms respect manufacturer voltage windows and optimizer count limits automatically.

Branch works with panel layouts in AutoCAD format. You can export from Helioscope or other design tools to DWG, then use Branch to automate stringing and documentation. Branch also imports SolarEdge Designer PDFs directly.

Branch automates the drafting portion of the solar design workflow. It places strings, routes homeruns, exports circuit lengths, and generates tags in AutoCAD. It does not do panel layout, energy modeling, shading analysis, or proposals — those are separate tools for earlier stages of the project. If you searched for 'solar design software' and you need construction document drafting in AutoCAD, Branch is what you're looking for.

Branch is a direct alternative to PVComplete (PVCAD) for AutoCAD solar drafting. Both work inside AutoCAD and automate stringing. Branch differentiates on speed (about 3 minutes per project), SolarEdge Designer PDF import (no other tool does this), K-means homerun routing optimization, and transparent pricing ($299/mo per daily active user vs sales-gated). Other alternatives include Virto.CAD and PV Rocket.

Branch is built for commercial and industrial solar projects. While the stringing automation works on any panel layout, the tool is optimized for the scale and complexity of C&I projects (100+ panels). For residential proposals and sales, tools like Aurora Solar, Helioscope, or Solargraf are better fits. Many companies use a proposal tool for sales and Branch for construction document drafting.

This usually happens when panels are slightly misaligned (not on a consistent grid), have non-uniform scaling, are on locked/frozen layers, or are part of external references (XREFs). Ensure all panels are aligned consistently, use uniformly scaled blocks, unlock all layers, and bind XREFs before detection.

Panel groups with irregular shapes can confuse the region carving algorithm. For complex roof shapes, split into multiple panel groups that are more rectangular. Also adjust the string length setting to better divide into your panel count.

Save in AutoCAD 2018+ DWG format to preserve all XData. When using WBLOCK, ensure you select all related entities. Keep backup copies of drawings before major operations.

The plugin may not have loaded on startup. Type NETLOAD and manually load the Branch DLL. If the DLL is blocked by Windows security, right-click it in Explorer, go to Properties, and click 'Unblock'. Verify your AutoCAD version is 2018-2026.

Branch imports PDFs exported from SolarEdge Designer's Summary & Report tab that contain the Project Layout with panel positions and string assignments. When generating your report, ensure the 'System Layout' section is included. Proposal-only PDFs, financial summaries, or reports without the visual layout diagram cannot be imported.

PDF import (IMPORTSOLAREDGEPDF) is recommended—it extracts panel positions and converts SolarEdge's stringing into clean, usable data for Branch. DXF export gives you raw geometry, but SolarEdge's stringing notation is cluttered and not suitable for construction documents. If you use DXF, you'll need to manually delete all the stringing lines and re-string from scratch.

Yes. Branch works with SolarEdge HD-Wave single-phase and three-phase models. String layouts respect SolarEdge's power-based design methodology with optimizer count limits enforced automatically.

After importing, you have full access to all Branch tools. Add panels, re-solve strings, generate homeruns, and export circuit lengths. The imported design becomes native AutoCAD geometry.

Branch extracts panel positions, string assignments, and optimizer placements from the PDF layout. Panel counts typically match exactly. You may need to scale the imported geometry to match your site plan's units.

Many installers use SolarEdge Designer for proposals and sales, then need construction documents in AutoCAD. SolarEdge's stringing graphics are designed for sales presentations, not construction documents—they're cluttered and don't include the detail needed for installation. Branch's import extracts the useful layout data and replaces the stringing with clean, construction-ready documentation.