PlanTools IT Setup Guide

For the facility's IT administrator

PlanTools is a self-contained server application that runs on one always-on Windows computer inside your network. Employees use it from a web browser — nothing is installed on their devices. This guide covers installation, network access, licensing, backups, and updates. Total setup time is typically under 30 minutes.

1. What you're installing

A single signed Windows installer places one application and registers it as a Windows service that starts automatically. It contains everything it needs — there are no external runtimes, databases, or dependencies to install. It listens on one TCP port (default 3000) for browser connections on your LAN.

2. System requirements

Host machine	Windows 10/11 or Windows Server, 64-bit. Any always-on PC, server, or VM the facility controls. ~2 GB free disk; modest CPU/RAM.
Clients	Any modern web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari) on PCs, tablets, or phones on the same network. No install.
Network	The host reachable on the LAN. Outbound HTTPS for license checks (optional — an offline activation path exists, see §6).

3. Install

Copy TRCS-PlanTools-Setup-x.x.x.exe to the host machine.
Right-click → Run as administrator. Accept the default location (C:\Program Files\TRCS PlanTools).
The installer registers and starts the TRCS PlanTools Windows service and adds a firewall rule for the app port. It then opens http://localhost:3000 to confirm it's running.

First-run administrator account: on first start, PlanTools creates an admin account and writes its one-time password to the log folder (C:\ProgramData\TRCS PlanTools\logs). Sign in, then change it immediately and create accounts for your users.

4. Network access for employees

Employees connect to http://<host>:3000. Use the host's name or static IP, e.g. http://plantools:3000 or http://192.168.1.50:3000. We recommend a static IP or DHCP reservation so the address never changes. The installer opens the port on the host's firewall; if you run additional network segmentation, allow inbound TCP 3000 from the user VLAN.

5. Data & backups

All facility data — layouts, equipment library, users, uploaded plans — lives in:

C:\ProgramData\TRCS PlanTools\

Back up this folder on your normal schedule. Restoring it restores everything. This folder is never modified by upgrades or uninstall. TRCS does not store, transmit, or have access to any of this data — security and backup of it are managed entirely by you.

6. Licensing

An administrator activates PlanTools in-app (License screen) with the product key TRCS provides:

Online: enter the key and click Activate; the host contacts the TRCS license server once to register, then periodically to re-verify.
Offline / air-gapped: if your network blocks outbound access, use Download activation request, email the file to TRCS, and load the activation file we return. No connectivity required.

If you restrict outbound traffic but want online activation, allow HTTPS to license.trcsconsulting.com. If the license can't be re-verified within its grace period, or the subscription lapses, PlanTools becomes read-only (view and print only) until reactivated — existing data is never lost.

7. Updates

To update, run the newer installer as administrator. It stops the service, replaces the application, and restarts it. The ProgramData folder (your data) is untouched and the database migrates automatically. No reconfiguration needed.

8. Service management

PlanTools appears in Services as TRCS PlanTools (starts automatically, restarts on failure). Logs are in C:\ProgramData\TRCS PlanTools\logs. To change the port or settings, contact TRCS.

9. Support

TRCS Consulting Group · [email protected] · (469) 215-2871. Have your facility name and product key ready.