User Manual

The browser-based circuit simulator with 2D, 3D, schematic, and breadboard views, a live oscilloscope, and an AI circuit assistant.

1. What Is VoltForge AI

VoltForge AI is a browser-based circuit simulator built for students, hobbyists, and educators. Build a circuit once and instantly see it in four representations — 2D canvas, 3D scene, schematic diagram, and breadboard layout — all backed by one live simulation engine. Snap a photo of a hand-drawn or textbook circuit to have it built for you, or describe a circuit in plain English to Volt·AI, the built-in AI assistant.

No installation required — VoltForge runs at voltforgeai.com and can be installed as a Progressive Web App (PWA) on desktop or Android.

2. Getting Started

1. Go to https://www.voltforgeai.com.
2. Sign up with email, or use Continue with Google.
3. Complete the short onboarding quiz — it tailors Volt·AI's tone and depth to your experience level. Change it later in Settings.
4. Land in the assistant view with a starter prompt ready, or skip to a blank canvas.

Every account starts on the Free tier — no payment details required.

3. The Interface at a Glance

Area	What it does
View switcher	Toggle 2D, 3D, Schematic, Breadboard — same circuit, four views.
Component palette	Drag resistors, batteries, LEDs, switches, capacitors, etc. onto the canvas.
Canvas	Main working area for the active view.
Simulation controls	Play/pause, reset, adjust speed.
Oscilloscope panel	Live voltage/current traces for probed points.
Volt·AI panel	Chat-style assistant for building, editing, explaining circuits.
Import button	Upload a circuit photo to auto-generate it (Pro/Premium).

4. Building a Circuit

Manually

1. Drag a component from the palette onto the canvas.
2. Click-drag between terminals to wire components together.
3. Click a component to edit its properties (resistance, voltage, capacitance, etc.).
4. Select and delete components or wires as needed.

With Volt·AI

Type what you want — e.g. "Build a series circuit with a 9V battery, a 220-ohm resistor, and an LED" — and Volt·AI places and wires it for you.

From an image

Upload a photo of a circuit diagram and VoltForge reconstructs it automatically.

All views share the same circuit graph — a component placed in one view exists immediately in all the others.

5. The Four Views

2D View

Top-down canvas — the default and fastest view for building and wiring.

3D View

Rendered 3D scene showing components as physical objects — helpful for visualizing assembly and current flow.

Schematic View

Standard schematic symbols and conventions — closest to a textbook diagram.

Breadboard View

Auto-lays your circuit onto a virtual breadboard — use this when planning a physical build.

Switch views from the top bar; selection, wiring, and simulation state carry over automatically.

6. Running a Simulation & Using the Oscilloscope

1. Build or import your circuit.
2. Press Play in the simulation controls.
3. Watch current flow, LED brightness, and meter readings animate live.
4. Click a wire or terminal and choose Add Probe to open a live trace in the oscilloscope panel.
5. Pause to freeze for inspection, or Reset to return to starting values.

Multiple probes can run simultaneously for side-by-side comparison.

VoltForge's solver is a resistive DC path-tracing engine with a time-stepping loop — built for clarity and speed on typical learning circuits, not full SPICE-level analog simulation.

7. Volt·AI — Your AI Circuit Assistant

• Build: "Make a parallel circuit with two 100-ohm resistors and a 6V battery."
• Modify: "Add a switch in series with the LED."
• Explain: "Why isn't the LED lighting up?"
• Ask concepts: Ohm's law, component behavior, circuit theory.

Volt·AI never clears your canvas — it only adds to or modifies what's already there, and self-corrects miswired connections automatically.

Free tier: 5 calls/month. Pro/Premium: higher/unlimited usage.

8. Importing a Circuit from an Image

Available on Pro and Premium plans.

1. Click Import.
2. Upload a photo or scan of a circuit diagram.
3. VoltForge identifies components and connections and reconstructs the circuit.
4. Freely edit the result afterward, just like a manual build.

Free-tier users are prompted to upgrade when clicking Import.

9. Account, Plans & Pricing

Feature	Free	Pro ($4.99/mo)	Premium ($9.99/mo)
All four views	✅	✅	✅
Live oscilloscope	✅	✅	✅
Volt·AI assistant	✅ (5/mo)	✅	✅
Image-to-circuit import	❌	✅	✅

Manage your plan from Settings → Subscription. Full pricing: voltforgeai.com/pricing.html. Billing runs securely through Stripe.

10. Installing VoltForge as an App (PWA / Android)

• Android (Chrome): voltforgeai.com → menu (⋮) → Add to Home screen / Install app.
• Desktop: Install icon in the address bar, or browser menu → Install VoltForge AI.

PWAs cache aggressively. If the app looks out of date after an update, fully close and reopen it, or reload in a private window.

A dedicated Android app is also in closed testing on Google Play.

11. Troubleshooting

LED or component isn't responding: check for a complete loop, correct polarity, and that simulation is playing.

Volt·AI wired something wrong: describe the fix in plain language — it corrects without wiping the rest of your circuit.

Import missed a component: use a clearer, higher-contrast photo, then manually finish the result.

App looks outdated: hard-close and reopen, or try a private window.

Hit the Free-tier AI or Import limit: see Account, Plans & Pricing above.

12. FAQ

Is VoltForge free? Yes — Free includes all four views, the oscilloscope, and limited Volt·AI access.

Do I need to install anything? No — it runs in-browser; installing as a PWA is optional.

Full SPICE-level simulation? No — a resistive DC solver with time-stepping, tuned for educational circuits.

Do views share my work? Yes — all four views share one circuit; edits appear everywhere instantly.

Can Volt·AI erase my circuit? No — it only adds to or modifies existing circuits.