T-1.0Tutorial
Five steps cover the whole loop, shown with real captures from the test-strux project — 78 elements across 8 sheets, every frame from the program. The complete, searchable reference ships inside the app: press F1 on any dialog.
T-2.0The workflow
TEST-STRUX · 78 ELEMENTS · 8 SHEETS
Step 01 / 05
Start a project and drop in the architect's PDF — every page lands as a sheet you can draw on, with the original linework referenced underneath your framing. Then calibrate: open Choose Scale, click a dimension you trust, and type its true length. Spans, spacings, and tributary widths all measure off that one number, so set it before placing anything.
Step 02 / 05
Place joists, beams, headers, columns, walls, and footings directly over the plan — thirteen member types, each opening a design dialog with live code checks the moment it lands. Most connections happen automatically as you draw: end a joist region on a beam and the bearing registers; drop a column at a girder's end and it picks up the reaction. The schedule fills itself in the background, one row per member.
Step 03 / 05
T-Connect handles the connections geometry alone can't infer. Switch to Drag Mode, pull a rectangle across the intersections, and every crossing registers as a load transfer — flush beams pick up their carried joists on the spot. Loads come from the project database: quick-apply a stored dead, live, or snow case to any member instead of retyping psf values, and define custom load cases where the defaults don't fit.
Step 04 / 05
Open the model in 3D and look at what you built before anything prints. Every applied load draws as an arrow on the real geometry — filter by case or view all of them factored — and the utilization heatmap re-colors each member by its governing check. Hover any member for its tag, utilization, and max deflection: joist JR-001 reads 237.0% FAIL in its Joist Designer dialog and U = 2.370 on its heatmap hover card — same engine, same number.
Step 05 / 05
One dialog prints the whole submittal: the structural calculation report — cover sheet, design criteria with your selected code editions, and a member-by-member appendix — plus key plans with your drafting markups, as PDF or layered DXF. The test-strux project shown through this page prints a 195-page report from its 78 elements. Download it and read what your reviewer would.
T-3.0What you can design
Every type below places directly on the plan with its own properties dialog, checked against the code editions you set for the project.
v0.3.7 · EDITIONS SELECTABLE PER PROJECT
01DIM · GLB · LVL · PSL
Multi-span with overhangs each end, roof slope, partial-span and point loads.
02DIM · LVL · I-JOIST
Regions at 12 / 16 / 19.2 / 24″ o.c. with custom angle and tributary width.
03DIM · GLB · LVL
Spans the opening with trimmer and king studs — size and count for each.
04DIM · GLB · LVL · PSL
Stack types and tributary area; auto-places at beam ends.
052×4 · 2×6 STUDS
Stud size and spacing, wall height, and stack type per level.
06W-SHAPES · HSS
A992 / A500 / A36 grades, Cb lateral bracing, ASD or LRFD.
07W-SHAPES · HSS
K-factor with Euler buckling; rotatable cross-section, auto-place at steel beam ends.
08CONCRETE
Width × length × thickness, f′c, rebar both ways, bar sizes #3–#11.
09CONCRETE
Width and thickness checked against allowable bearing, with the wall on the footing.
10CONCRETE
Square or round, with ties, k-factor, and rebar count and size.
11CMU · CONCRETE · ICF
Type, thickness, and height against backfill height and soil density, with f′m for masonry.
12CAST-IN-PLACE
Stem taper, toe and heel, shear key, surcharge, and sloped backfill — strength plus stability.
13STEEL
Diameter 3/8″–1″, spacing, and embedment depth.
Full property tables, per type
FeaturesT-4.0In-app help
StruxDraft ships with a complete, searchable help system that stays in sync with the version you're running — every dialog, every tool, every engineering check, explained where you're standing.
T-5.0Keyboard
PREFERENCES → SHORTCUTS TO REMAP
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open help on the current dialog | F1 |
| Command bar — find any tool or member | Ctrl + K |
| Beam tool | Ctrl + B |
| Joist tool | Ctrl + J |
| Wall tool | Ctrl + W |
| Undo / redo | Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y |
| Zoom in / out | = / - |
| Previous / next sheet | ← / → |
| Cancel the current tool | Esc |
T-6.0Worth learning early
REAL UI · NO MOCKUPS
Ctrl+K command bar
Ctrl+K command bar
Press Ctrl+K and start typing over the plan — the bar matches commands and member tags on every keystroke. Two or three characters jump you to a tagged member or fire a draw tool, so your hands never leave the keyboard mid-layout.
Split view
Split view
Plan on the left, model on the right — draw a member in plan and watch it land in 3D beside it. A missed bearing or a member at the wrong elevation shows up while it's still a one-click fix, not a redline at review.
One click to 3D
One click to 3D
The 3D view is one click from any sheet, so check the model as you go instead of saving it for the end. Sheets stack at true elevation — a second-floor joist region reads directly above the wall that carries it, and a gap in that stack is a gap in the load path.
T-7.0Issue for review
Bring your own plan set to the beta — the five steps above are the whole workflow.
WINDOWS · v0.3.7 · INVITE-ONLY BETA · FULL TUTORIAL SHIPS IN THE APP — F1