Question 1

What is ForceCanvas?

Accepted Answer

ForceCanvas is a 2D sketcher with structural analysis built in. You draw your design with CAD-style dimensions and constraints, add supports and loads, and it solves for reactions and member forces live. Drag the design and the forces update as it moves.

Question 2

What kinds of structures can I analyze?

Accepted Answer

Any 2D structure made of straight members: beams, trusses, frames, and mechanisms like linkages, booms, and clamps. You can use pinned, roller, and fixed supports, pinned or rigid joints, and point loads and moments.

Question 3

Can I use ForceCanvas for statics problems?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It's built for the statics problems you see in engineering coursework and design work: reactions, internal member forces, and equilibrium of trusses, frames, beams, and mechanisms. Sketch the structure, add supports and loads, and it solves live as you draw and drag.

Question 4

Can it solve statically indeterminate structures?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ForceCanvas uses the direct stiffness method, the same approach used in professional frame analysis software, so fixed-fixed beams, propped cantilevers, continuous beams, and closed frames all solve. On these structures, the material and section you assign affect the results, so set real values rather than leaving the defaults.

Question 5

How accurate are the calculations?

Accepted Answer

The solver is validated against closed-form solutions and benchmarked with commercial structural solvers. Every validation problem is published on the Benchmarks page as a real canvas you can open and inspect. As with any tool, results are only as good as the inputs: supports, loads, materials, and sections.

Question 6

What happens to the forces when I drag my design?

Accepted Answer

The sketch solver moves the geometry and the structural solver re-solves each new position, about 15 times per second while dragging. This gives you a quasi-static view of the forces through the full range of motion, so you can find the position where your design works hardest.

Question 7

Does ForceCanvas account for dynamics or inertia?

Accepted Answer

No. Each position is solved as a static problem, without mass, inertia, speed, or acceleration. For slow-moving mechanisms, this is usually what you want. For fast or heavy ones, treat the results as a lower bound.

Question 8

Which beam theory does ForceCanvas use?

Accepted Answer

Timoshenko beam theory by default, which includes shear deformation and matters most for short, stocky members. You can switch any canvas to Euler-Bernoulli in Canvas Settings to compare against textbook results. See How It Works for the details.

Question 9

Why does my structure say UNSTABLE?

Accepted Answer

Part of the structure can move freely, so there is no unique answer. This usually means a missing support or supports arranged so nothing resists movement in one direction, such as a beam sitting only on parallel rollers. Add or reposition supports until the badge changes to DETERMINATE or INDETERMINATE.

Question 10

What do the colors on my sketch mean?

Accepted Answer

They show how well-defined your geometry is. Under-constrained geometry can still move, fully constrained geometry is locked by your dimensions, and over-constrained geometry has redundant or conflicting rules. This is separate from structural stability: a fully defined sketch can still be an unstable structure. The Canvas Legend lists every color.

Question 11

What units does ForceCanvas support?

Accepted Answer

You can display lengths in inches, feet, millimeters, centimeters, or meters, and forces in pounds, kips, newtons, or kilonewtons. Change units from the canvas footer at any time.

Question 12

What can't ForceCanvas do yet?

Accepted Answer

ForceCanvas is a 2D, linear-elastic, small-displacement solver. It does not currently support distributed loads, shear or moment diagrams, deflection results, springs or support settlement, thermal loads, torsion, second-order (P-Delta) effects, or buckling analysis. The full list is on the How It Works page.

Question 13

Can I use ForceCanvas for final design sign-off?

Accepted Answer

ForceCanvas is built for fast design exploration, checking, and learning. It does not perform design code checks, so for work that needs code compliance or professional sign-off, verify the results with the appropriate methods and tools.

Question 14

Is there a limit to how complex my structures can be?

Accepted Answer

There's no fixed limit on the number of members or joints. Very large models may update less smoothly while you drag, since every frame re-solves the whole structure.

Question 15

Can I share my canvases?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can share a canvas with a link. If you allow copying, anyone with an active plan can copy it into their own workspace to build on.

Question 16

Do I need an engineering background to use ForceCanvas?

Accepted Answer

It helps, but it isn't required. The canvas is designed to be intuitive, and basic statics knowledge will help you get the most out of it. Tutorials cover everything from your first sketch to more advanced structures.

Question 17

How do I get support if I encounter issues?

Accepted Answer

You can reach our support team through the Contact page or by emailing support@forcecanvas.com.

Frequently asked questions