Build your first truss — a simple triangle — and read off its reactions and member forces.
The classic first truss: three nodes forming a triangle, two supports, one load. By the end you'll be able to read every reaction and every member's force straight off the canvas.
New to the toolbar itself? Take the interactive tour first — it points out where everything is before you start building.
A video walkthrough of this exact example is on its way — check back soon.
Pick the Draw member tool. Click once to place a node, then click again to place the next one — that finishes one member. Repeat for each side:
Press Esc any time to cancel a member you're still placing.
Pick the Support tool. In its panel, choose a type, then click the node you want it on:
A pin plus a roller is the standard way to support a truss: enough to hold it in place, without fighting itself.
Pick the Nodal load tool. In its panel, set a value — either Fx / Fy or F / α — for example Fy pointing downward, then click the apex node to apply it.
There's no calculate button — results appear immediately. Each support already shows an arrow for its reaction force right on the canvas. Hover a support for the exact numbers: Rx, Ry, and the resultant |R|.
Every member shows its internal force directly on the canvas too — red for tension (being pulled), blue for compression (being pushed). Hover a member for the exact numbers: length, section, material, and Nx, plus a Tension/Compression label.
Everything is live. Drag a node, move a support, or change the load, and every reaction and member force updates immediately — no calculate button anywhere.
Color is consistent everywhere. Tension is always red, compression is always blue, on every diagram and every check in the app — worth learning early.