How buildwithtrace/trace works
Trace is a KiCad-derived electronics-design suite whose documented user journey runs from natural-language circuit requests and component discovery through schematic and PCB editing, routing, and design-rule checking. The README also highlights cloud collaboration and 3D viewing, represented as parallel capabilities. AI implementation evidence is limited to sampled common-layer modules; the broader editor and routing relationships follow the README and repository tree, not inspected call sites.
Main entry points: pcbnew PCB editor · ai_backend_client.cpp AI assistant · kicad_manager_frame.cpp Project manager · conversation_sync.cpp Design sync
Components 17
AI design
- AI assistant
common/ai_backend_client.cpp - AI tool execution
common/ai_tool_executor.cpp - Edit translation
common/ai_edit_translator.cpp - Component search
common/vector_search_engine.cpp
EDA workflow
- Schematic editor
eeschema - Symbol libraries
eeschema/symbol_library_manager.cpp - PCB editor
pcbnew - PCB routing
pcbnew/router - Rule checking
pcbnew/drc/drc_engine.cpp - Project manager
kicad/kicad_manager_frame.cpp
Cloud collaboration
- Design sync
common/conversation_sync.cpp - Conversation storage
common/conversation_db.cpp
Visualization
- 3D viewer
3d-viewer/3d_viewer/eda_3d_viewer_frame.cpp - 3D model cache
3d-viewer/3d_cache/3d_cache.cpp - 3D rendering
3d-viewer/3d_rendering
Other components
- Engineer
- Cloud service
Connections 18
- Engineer → AI assistant: requests design
- AI assistant → AI tool execution: dispatches tools
- AI assistant → Component search: searches parts
- AI tool execution → Edit translation: translates edits
- Engineer → Schematic editor: creates circuits
- Schematic editor → Symbol libraries: uses symbols
- Engineer → PCB editor: edits board
- PCB editor → PCB routing: routes traces
- PCB editor → Rule checking: checks rules
- Engineer → Project manager: opens project
- Project manager → Schematic editor: opens design
- Project manager → PCB editor: opens design
- Engineer → Design sync: syncs designs
- Design sync → Cloud service: syncs remotely
- Design sync → Conversation storage: stores conversations
- Engineer → 3D viewer: views board
- 3D viewer → 3D model cache: loads models
- 3D viewer → 3D rendering: renders scene