FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

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General

What is Cine Power Planner?

A local-first PWA for film/video/photo professionals to create, edit, and organize equipment lists. Features PDF export, a catalogue of 86 offline PDF tools (85 built, one still in progress), camera simulators, contact management, and works offline.

Who is it for?

Is it free?

Yes, there is a free tier. You can create up to two projects for free. A Pro subscription unlocks unlimited projects (EUR 2/month or EUR 20/year on the web).

On iPhone and iPad the subscription is bought through the App Store, so Apple sets the price for your country and it already includes local tax — it can differ from the web price. Either way it is one subscription tied to your account: subscribe once and Pro is active everywhere you sign in. Manage or cancel it wherever you bought it — see the Managing Your Subscription topic in the in-app Help.

Can I use it on mobile?

Yes! Responsive PWA works on:

• Desktop (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
• Mobile (iOS Safari, Android Chrome)
• Installable as native app

Is my data secure?

Yes! Local-first architecture:

• Data stored locally on your device
• Optional cloud sync (opt-in)
• You control exports/backups
• No external servers by default

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Usage

How do I create a project?

1. Click "New Project" in sidebar
2. Enter name (and optional description)
3. Fill metadata (resolution, codec, framerate)
4. Click "Create Project"

How do I add items?

How do I export to PDF?

1. Open project
2. Click "Export" button
3. PDF downloads automatically

PDF includes: name, description, metadata, all items with quantities/notes.

How do I use templates?

1. Go to Templates
2. Create/edit template with standard equipment
3. When creating project, select template from dropdown
4. Template items copy to new project

How do I manage contacts?

1. Go to Contacts in the sidebar
2. Click "Add Contact"
3. Enter details (name, email, phone, company, role)
4. Reference in gear list notes

How do Auto Gear rules work?

Auto Gear rules automatically add equipment when you add items to your gear list. For example, adding a camera can automatically include batteries and media cards.

1. Go to Settings → Workflow → Auto Gear
2. Click Create Rule
3. Define a trigger (e.g., "Category: Cameras") and an action (e.g., "Add 4× V-Mount Batteries")
4. The rule fires on all future gear list additions

See Auto Gear Rules for details.

Can I disable Auto Gear?

Yes. Go to Settings → Workflow → Auto Gear and toggle individual rules off, or disable factory defaults entirely. Your custom rules and factory defaults are managed independently.

How do I quickly navigate the app?

Press Cmd/Ctrl + K to open the Quick Switcher — a command palette with fuzzy search:

• Type a project name, feature, or setting to jump there instantly
• Type > followed by a space to enter command mode for actions
• Results show match highlighting and a count

Can I duplicate/archive projects?

How do I use the Connection Diagram?

1. Open a project and go to the Camera Package tab
2. Select your camera body, monitor, wireless video, battery, and lens control system
3. A visual connection diagram auto-generates showing power, video, and data connections
4. Drag nodes to rearrange the layout and zoom to inspect details
5. Positions are saved automatically with the project

How do I use Comment Threads?

1. Open a shared project
2. Click the Comments icon in the collaboration panel
3. Start a new thread or reply to an existing one
4. Mark threads as Resolved when discussion is complete
5. All collaborators receive notifications for new comments

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Data & Storage

Where is my data stored?

How do I back up data?

1. Go to Settings
2. Click "Download Full Backup"
3. JSON file downloads
4. Store safely

How do I restore backup?

1. Go to Settings
2. Click "Import Backup"
3. Select JSON file
4. Confirm restore

Is data synced across devices?

Yes (optional):

1. Sign in with your account (Settings → Account) — that is the whole switch. There is no separate "enable cloud sync" control: sync runs whenever you are signed in, and stops when you are not
2. Works offline, syncs when back online

Settings shows a Sync status line — Synced / Syncing… / Offline / Sync Error — but it is a read-out, not a toggle.

Alternative: Manual backup transfer between devices.

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Technical

What browsers are supported?

How do I install as app?

Does it work offline?

Yes! Full offline support:

• Create/edit projects
• Export PDF
• Use the PDF tools (merge, split, encrypt, sign, etc.) — 85 of the 86 in the catalogue are built; edit-attachments still opens a Coming Soon page
• Camera tools (DoF Simulator, Frame Line Composer, Lens Coverage)
• Manage contacts
• All features work without internet

How much data can I store?

IndexedDB has no strict limit, but typical browser storage is:

• Desktop: 50MB - several GB
• Mobile: Limited by available storage

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Money & Accounting

Availability. The billing & accounting suite is being rolled out gradually — it may not be enabled on your account yet.

Can I send invoices and quotes to clients?

Yes. Create quotes and invoices with line items, send them by email, and download a PDF with embedded ZUGFeRD / Factur-X (EN 16931) e-invoice XML. Invoices support recurring schedules, cancellation (Storno), and dunning (Mahnwesen per § 286/288 BGB). See Invoices and Quotes.

Does it support German tax filing (EÜR / UStVA)?

Expenses are categorised with SKR04 codes that map to the right lines of the Anlage EÜR and the UStVA Vorsteuer-Kennziffern, and you can export DATEV CSV for your Steuerberater. The app helps you prepare these figures — it does not file them for you. See Accounting.

Can I track receipts and depreciation?

Capture receipts by phone scan, file upload, or manual entry (with OCR pre-fill), then write owned equipment off over its useful life with the AfA / Depreciation tool. See Accounting.

Can I reconcile a bank account or keep a cash book?

Yes — import bank statements (CSV with 13 bank presets — the German high-street and direct banks plus N26, Revolut, Wise and Trade Republic — or camt.053) and auto-match them to invoices and expenses (Banking), and keep a GoBD-compliant Kassenbuch cash book (Kassenbuch).

Is my accounting data private?

All of it is local-first. Once you are signed in it also syncs to your own account with row-level security; receipts live in a private bucket served only through short-lived signed URLs.

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Troubleshooting

Browser Issues

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Getting Help

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Still have questions? Open an issue or start a discussion.

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Last Updated: 2026-09-10 Version: 0.790.2