A Beginner’s Guide to Git and AI for Electrical Engineers: Protect Your Drawings, Work Smarter, and Design Better

Published Oct 19, 2026

Author: George Wanjohi
Audience: Electrical and Electronics Engineers who use Autodesk Revit and AutoCAD
Reading time: 8–10 minutes

Introduction

As an electrical and electronics engineer, you spend a lot of time creating drawings, placing electrical components, routing cables, preparing schedules, and making sure your designs are correct.

You probably already know how important it is to save your work regularly. But what happens when a client requests changes, a drawing becomes corrupted, or you accidentally remove something that was working perfectly in the previous version?

What if you could ask an AI assistant to help you create a drawing, automate repetitive tasks, or identify potential mistakes before submitting your work?

There are two technologies worth exploring: Git and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Git helps you manage changes to your project files. AI can help you automate design tasks, learn new techniques, and review your work.

You don't need to be a software developer to benefit from either technology.

Let's explore how they work and how you can start using them.

Part 1: Understanding Git without learning to code

1. What is Git?

Imagine you are designing the electrical installation for a commercial building.

You finish the initial design and send it to your client. The client requests changes to the lighting layout, and later asks you to restore the original arrangement in one section.

Without a proper version history, you might end up with folders like these:

Office_Design.dwg
Office_Design_Final.dwg
Office_Design_Final_Updated.dwg
Office_Design_Final_Updated2.dwg
Office_Design_Really_Final.dwg

We've all seen variations of this problem.

Git is a version-control system. It records snapshots of your files at different points in time, allowing you to review changes and return to an earlier version when necessary.

Think of it as a carefully maintained history book for your engineering projects.

For example, your project history might look like this:

Version	Description
Version 1	Initial electrical layout
Version 2	Added lighting fixtures
Version 3	Revised socket-outlet positions
Version 4	Updated distribution board schedule
Version 5	Corrected cable routing

Each version can have a description explaining what changed and why.

If a later change causes a problem, you can refer to an earlier version rather than relying on memory or searching through dozens of backup files.

Git is widely used in software development, but the underlying idea of tracking changes can be useful in other fields too.

2. Does Git upload your drawings to the internet?

No. Git does not require cloud storage.

Git can maintain a complete repository on your own computer. In this setup, your project history remains on your local drive unless you deliberately copy or transmit it elsewhere.

For this guide, we will use local-only Git.

We will not use GitHub, GitLab, or any other online repository.

This matters when your drawings contain copyrighted designs, client information, proprietary layouts, or commercially sensitive engineering work.

One important distinction: Git being local does not automatically guarantee that your files never leave your computer. Cloud-synchronised folders, AI applications, backup software, and other connected services may transmit data independently. We will address AI privacy later.

3. What do you need to install?

You only need two things to get started.

Git is the software that records your project history.

Download it from the official website:

https://git-scm.com/downloads

GitHub Desktop is an optional application that gives you a visual interface for working with Git. You can see changes and create saved versions without memorising commands.

Download it from:

https://desktop.github.com/

You can use GitHub Desktop without publishing your project to GitHub. When creating a repository, choose the option to create it on your local computer, and do not publish it.

For a beginner, I recommend using the visual interface first.

4. Create your first local repository

Let's imagine you have an AutoCAD project called Commercial_Building_Electrical.dwg.

First, create a folder on your computer:

D:\Engineering\Commercial_Building_Electrical

Copy your project files into this folder. Keep the original project somewhere safe until you have verified your new setup.

Open GitHub Desktop and select:

File → New repository

Enter the following information:

Name: Commercial Building Electrical
Local path: D:\Engineering
Repository location: The application will create a project folder under the selected path.

Choose the option to create the repository locally. Do not publish it.

Your project is now being managed by Git.

In Git terminology, this folder is called a repository. It contains your working files and a hidden .git directory that stores the version history.

You can continue opening and editing your drawings in AutoCAD or Revit as usual.

Git works alongside your existing engineering software. It does not replace it.

5. Save a version whenever you reach an important milestone

In Git, saving a version is called making a commit.

Imagine that you have just completed the first lighting layout.

Open GitHub Desktop. It will display the files that Git can see have changed.

Enter a summary such as:

Completed initial lighting layout

Then click Commit to main.

You have now created your first recorded version.

Later, after updating the distribution board schedule, create another commit:

Updated distribution board schedule

After correcting the cable routing:

Revised cable routing on Level 2

You can repeat this process throughout the project.

A commit is not the same as pressing Save in AutoCAD or Revit. Save your drawing in the engineering application first, then create a Git commit when you want to record a milestone.

A practical workflow

Open your drawing in Revit or AutoCAD.
Make your changes.
Save your drawing.
Open GitHub Desktop.
Review the changed files.
Write a short description of the changes.
Commit the changes.

You now have a history of your project.

6. What happens when you make a mistake?

Suppose you spend two hours changing the lighting layout, only to discover that the changes introduced a problem.

With Git, you can review the previous versions and recover an earlier copy of the affected file.

For binary engineering files such as DWG and RVT, Git generally cannot show you the individual drawing elements that changed in the way it can show changes in a text document. It can, however, preserve earlier file versions.

For example, you could maintain this history:

Initial electrical layout
Added emergency lighting
Revised emergency lighting
Corrected emergency lighting

If the latest version is faulty, you can retrieve the earlier file and open it in your engineering software.

Important: Restoring an older version can overwrite newer work. Recover it into a separate folder or filename first, then inspect it before replacing anything.

7. An important limitation: Revit and AutoCAD files are not ordinary documents

This is where we need to be careful.

A Word document, a text file, and an AutoCAD drawing are different types of files.

Git is particularly good at tracking text files. AutoCAD DWG files and Revit RVT files are largely binary files, which means Git generally stores a new version of the file rather than showing you a meaningful, element-by-element drawing comparison.

Large engineering files can also consume considerable disk space when many versions are saved.

There are additional considerations for Revit projects involving linked models, families, worksharing, and central models.

For these reasons, I recommend the following approach:

Use Git to track project milestones and preserve selected versions.
Keep all related project files together, including relevant families, links, and supporting documents.
Avoid committing temporary files, caches, lock files, and unnecessary generated files.
Keep a separate backup of important projects.
Do not use Git as a replacement for Revit's native worksharing or backup mechanisms.

For workshared Revit projects, follow Revit's central-model and synchronisation workflow. Do not treat a live central model as an ordinary file that can be freely replaced with an older Git version.

For AutoCAD, the built-in DWG Compare command can also help identify drawing differences between revisions.

Git is most useful here as an additional version-management tool, not as a replacement for the engineering software's native project-management features.

Part 2: Using AI to improve your engineering workflow

Git helps you protect your work. AI offers a different opportunity: reducing the time you spend on repetitive tasks and helping you inspect your designs.

But we need to distinguish between two types of AI tools.

General-purpose AI assistants answer questions, analyse information you provide, and help develop automation.

CAD-integrated AI tools can work with supported information inside engineering software and, depending on the available features, perform actions on the actual model or drawing.

The second category is particularly interesting for electrical engineers.

8. Start with AI as your engineering assistant

You can begin with a general-purpose AI assistant to help you understand engineering workflows and solve problems.

For example, you could ask:

"Explain how to create an electrical distribution board schedule in Revit. Assume I am a beginner. Give me step-by-step instructions and explain the purpose of each step."

Or:

"I have an AutoCAD electrical drawing with several layers. Explain how to organise lighting, power, emergency lighting, and cable-routing information into separate layers without changing the geometry of the drawing."

You can also use AI to help you understand error messages, learn commands, develop checking procedures, and plan repetitive work.

The key is to give the AI enough context.

Instead of asking, "How do I improve my drawing?", try:

"I'm working on the electrical layout for a two-storey commercial building. I want to improve the organisation of lighting circuits, socket outlets, distribution boards, and emergency lighting. Suggest a practical drawing-review checklist. Do not assume that you know my project specifications."

Specific questions usually produce more useful answers.

9. Can AI actually create Revit and AutoCAD drawings?

Yes, in some workflows, but the capabilities vary significantly.

There is a difference between asking AI to draw an illustrative image and asking it to create an editable, technically meaningful DWG or RVT model.

A generated picture of an electrical distribution board is not the same as a Revit model containing correctly configured electrical equipment, connectors, circuits, parameters, and schedules.

Here are three practical levels of AI-assisted design.

Level 1: AI guides you through the drawing process

This is the easiest starting point.

You describe what you want, and AI explains the steps to achieve it in Revit or AutoCAD.

For example:

"Guide me through creating a lighting layout for a small office. Explain how to place lighting fixtures, connect them to the appropriate circuits, and prepare a schedule. Ask me for any project requirements you need rather than inventing them."

You still perform the operations, but you have an assistant available to guide you.

Level 2: AI helps automate actual drawing operations

This is where things become more interesting.

AI can help create or modify automation scripts that interact with CAD software. These scripts can potentially place symbols, create layers, label circuits, generate schedules, or perform repetitive checks.

In AutoCAD, this could involve AutoLISP or other supported automation mechanisms.

In Revit, automation could use the Revit API or visual programming tools such as Dynamo.

You do not have to learn programming before benefiting from these approaches. AI can help develop the automation, while you explain the engineering rules and verify the results.

For example, you might request:

"Help me design an automation workflow for AutoCAD that checks whether electrical symbols are on the correct layers. First, explain the approach in plain English. Then propose a solution that reports possible errors without modifying my original drawing."

The safest first automation tools are those that report problems rather than immediately changing the drawing.

Level 3: AI works directly with your CAD model

This is the longer-term goal.

Autodesk is introducing AI capabilities into its design applications. Autodesk Assistant, for example, offers product guidance and, where supported, model-aware queries and task automation.

In AutoCAD, supported capabilities include AI-assisted workflows such as Smart Blocks and drawing-related assistance. In Revit, Autodesk Assistant capabilities are evolving, with supported workflows depending on the release and availability.

These features are worth investigating because they can bring AI closer to the actual design environment rather than requiring you to describe every detail manually.

Read the official documentation:

Revit AI features: https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/What-AI-features-are-available-in-Revit.html
AutoCAD AI features: https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/What-are-the-AI-driven-features-in-AutoCAD.html
Autodesk Assistant: https://www.autodesk.com/solutions/autodesk-ai/autodesk-assistant

Check the features available in your specific software version and licence. Some capabilities are previews, may require an Autodesk account, and may process information through Autodesk's services.

AI integration is promising, but it should not be assumed that every feature can independently generate a complete electrical installation design from a single prompt.

10. Can AI find and correct mistakes in electrical drawings?

Potentially, yes. However, identifying a suspicious condition and proving that it is an engineering error are two different things.

AI-assisted checks can be useful for finding inconsistencies, missing information, and deviations from explicitly defined rules.

Consider these examples:

Potential issue	What an AI-assisted workflow could do
Missing circuit labels	Identify unlabelled circuit elements
Inconsistent equipment naming	Flag naming differences
Duplicate annotations	Identify possible duplicate labels
Missing drawing information	Compare the drawing against a defined checklist
Incorrect layer usage	Identify objects on unexpected layers
Inconsistent schedules	Compare model data with schedule requirements
Changes between revisions	Highlight additions, deletions, and modifications
Potential electrical design issues	Flag conditions that need engineering verification

Some of these checks are better handled by conventional CAD rules, Revit schedules, model validation, or deterministic calculations than by AI alone.

For example, if a project requires a specific circuit naming convention, a rule-based check can verify it consistently. AI can help create the checking workflow and explain the findings.

For an electrical design review, AI could also help you investigate questions such as:

Are the circuit descriptions consistent with the project requirements?
Are the equipment ratings consistent with the approved design information?
Are the relevant drawing notes and schedules complete?
Are there apparent inconsistencies between the drawings and the specification?
Which items require further review by the responsible engineer?

The important limitation is that AI cannot reliably determine every electrical design error from a drawing image alone. It may miss information, misunderstand symbols, or make incorrect assumptions about design intent.

A technically correct review may require access to the actual model data, project specifications, calculations, applicable standards, and manufacturer information.

Never accept an AI-generated correction to a safety-critical electrical design without appropriate verification.

The engineer remains responsible for the design and its compliance.

Part 3: Protecting copyrighted engineering work while using AI

11. Local Git and local AI are two separate things

Keeping your Git repository on your computer does not automatically make your AI workflow private.

Git can store files locally. An AI application may still send prompts, images, drawings, or extracted model data to a remote service.

If client confidentiality and copyright are important, you should decide which AI workflow is acceptable before sharing any project information.

There are two broad options.

Option A: Use a cloud-based AI assistant

Cloud AI services can be useful for learning Revit, understanding AutoCAD commands, writing automation scripts, and discussing general engineering workflows.

However, you should not upload confidential drawings or client files unless you have confirmed that the service and its terms are appropriate for that information.

You can still ask general questions without sharing actual project files.

For example:

"I'm working in Revit on an electrical layout for a commercial building. Explain how to check circuit assignments and prepare a distribution board schedule. Do not use or require any client drawings."

This lets you learn without disclosing the project itself.

Option B: Run AI locally on your own computer

A local AI model runs on your computer instead of relying on a remote AI service for its model inference.

Tools such as Ollama and LM Studio can run supported language models locally. These can help explain tasks, develop scripts, and support workflows that you build around your CAD applications.

Web search, online integrations, software updates, and other connected features may still communicate externally, so local model inference alone does not guarantee that an entire application is offline.

A local model also needs sufficient hardware resources, and its performance will depend on the model and the complexity of the task.

Most importantly, running a chatbot locally does not automatically give it the ability to edit Revit or AutoCAD drawings.

To make that possible, you would need a compatible integration or automation workflow that lets the model interact with the engineering software. You would then need to test that integration carefully.

This is a worthwhile longer-term direction if you want to combine privacy with AI-assisted drawing creation and checking.

Part 4: A practical plan for getting started

You do not need to learn everything at once.

I would start with small, low-risk experiments and gradually build towards more advanced automation.

Week 1: Learn local version control

Install Git and GitHub Desktop.

Choose a small, non-confidential practice project. Create a local repository and record a few meaningful milestones.

Practise finding previous versions and recovering an older file into a separate folder.

The objective is simple: become comfortable maintaining a history of your work without uploading it.

Week 2: Use AI to learn your existing tools

Use AI to answer questions about Revit and AutoCAD.

Ask for beginner-friendly instructions, drawing-review checklists, and explanations of unfamiliar features.

Where possible, test the instructions on a copy of a practice drawing.

The objective is to make AI a useful learning assistant without giving it control over your live project.

Week 3: Experiment with drawing checks

Choose one repetitive task, such as checking naming conventions, identifying missing annotations, or reviewing drawing layers.

First, define the rule clearly.

Then investigate whether a built-in Revit or AutoCAD feature can perform the check. If not, ask AI to help design an automation workflow.

Start with a report that identifies potential problems. Do not begin with a tool that automatically modifies the original drawing.

Week 4: Explore AI-assisted drawing creation

Investigate the AI capabilities available in your current Autodesk software.

If a suitable workflow exists, test it on a simple practice project. Otherwise, explore a small automation using Revit's API, Dynamo, or AutoCAD automation tools.

Compare the result with a manually prepared drawing.

Evaluate whether the automation saves time, produces editable engineering objects, preserves project standards, and introduces any errors.

At the end of the month, you should have a basic local version history, a useful AI-assisted workflow, and a better understanding of which tasks can safely be automated.

Final thoughts

Git and AI solve different problems, but together they offer a useful way to modernise an engineering workflow.

Git gives you a history of your project files. AI can help you learn faster, automate repetitive operations, and investigate potential drawing errors.

The most exciting possibility is not simply asking AI to explain how to draw something. It is building a workflow in which AI helps create or inspect actual engineering models, while version control and backups give you a safer way to manage the results.

Start small. Protect the original files. Verify the engineering. Expand the automation only when you understand what it changes.

You do not have to become a software developer to benefit from these tools. Your engineering knowledge is the foundation; Git and AI are additional tools that can help you apply it more efficiently.

The goal is not to replace the engineer. It is to give the engineer better tools.