User Interface

Think of Edubeam as three simple zones that work together:

• App bar across the top for project actions.
• Viewer in the middle where you draw and inspect the model.
• Bottom bar with tabs for the details.

Once you know what lives in each zone, the app feels as easy as a whiteboard.

App bar

The app bar is your command center. From left to right you will find:

Project controls

• File – start fresh, open a JSON file, or restore an autosave. Share creates a link you can send to anyone.
• Units & settings – switch between metric/imperial, adjust autosave, and pick the background/grid style.
• Language – change the interface language on the fly.

Modeling tools

• Add nodes / elements – drop geometry directly from these buttons (they match the keyboard shortcuts shown in the tooltips).
• Load tools – quick buttons for point loads, distributed loads, settlements, temperature changes, and more.
• Undo / redo / history – step backward, forward, or open the history list if you want to explain what changed.

Results & exports

• Auto-solve toggle – keep it on for instant updates or pause it while you make a batch of edits.
• Display toggles – turn on/off reactions, diagrams, deformation shapes, coordinate axes, or background aids.
• Export – download JSON, SVG, or PNG snapshots, or copy tables straight to your clipboard.

Viewer

This is the canvas where you spend most of your time.

• Move around – scroll or pinch to zoom, hold space (or the middle mouse button) to pan. Double-click zooms to your selection.
• Select things – click a node or member, Shift-click to add more, or drag a box to select several at once.
• Right-click – opens a mini menu with edit/delete shortcuts so you don’t need to leave the canvas.
• Turn on helpers – grid, snap, and coordinate readouts live in the app bar so you can keep drawings tidy.
• Press H – shows the keyboard shortcut palette whenever you need a reminder.

Bottom bar

All the structured data (numbers, labels, and presets) sit in tabs along the bottom. Work from left to right the first time; afterward you can jump between tabs as needed.

Nodes tab

• Enter coordinates, paste spreadsheets, or duplicate existing nodes.
• Lock positions when you don’t want a support to move.

Nodes

Elements tab

• Pick two nodes to create a member, then assign its material and section from the dropdowns.
• Use the toggles for hinges or releases when you need them.

Elements

Materials tab

• Store the properties you use often (steel grade, timber class, concrete mix, etc.).
• Pin favorites so they stay at the top of the list.

Materials

Cross sections tab

• Enter area and inertia values or use the built-in templates for quick shapes.
• Rename sections so you can spot them easily inside the element table.

Cross sections

Loads tab

• Apply nodal forces, moments, distributed loads, settlements, or temperature effects from one place.
• Group loads into cases to compare different scenarios (service vs. ultimate, demo A vs. demo B, etc.).

Results tab

• Read exact numbers for displacements, internal forces, and reactions.
• Highlight a row to see the matching member in the viewer and export CSV when you need a report.

Results

Once you get the rhythm—App bar for actions, Viewer for visuals, Bottom bar for data—you can guide a class, review a homework submission, or test a design sketch without touching other software.