Documentation/Workflow modes

Calculator workflow modes

Auto-design, Validate, and Compare — shared across all engineering modules. Application presets and document-status guidance for exports.

Calculator workflow modes

Every engineering module exposes three workflow modes in the header. They change how the primary action button behaves and which panels appear — they do not change the underlying physics.

Auto-design

Purpose: Size from your targets instead of starting from a fixed geometry.

  1. Enter loads, limits, and safety factors (design targets) in the inputs panel.
  2. Click Auto-design — the module ranks catalog or solver candidates, applies the best match, then validates.
  3. Review updated geometry, utilization, charts, and code checks in the results.

Maturity note: On modules marked workflow-only, Auto-design changes the button label but does not auto-size yet — use Validate for analysis. On catalog-backed modules, Auto-design ranks catalog entries. On solver-backed modules, it runs a sizing search and applies the best candidate.

Validate

Purpose: Run the forward solver on the geometry and loads already in the form.

  1. Enter geometry, loads, material, and supports in the inputs panel.
  2. Click Validate (or Calculate) to run the forward solver.
  3. Review numeric results, plots, and engineering checks for your design standard.

This is the default mode when you open a module.

Compare

Purpose: Browse ranked sizing options before committing to one size.

  1. Open Sizing candidates & reference to see ranked catalog or solver options.
  2. Click Apply on a row to load that size into the form (switches to Validate).
  3. Run Validate again to confirm the chosen option with full physics and code checks.

Application preset

The Application preset dropdown (when shown) sets screening context for your design standard: service factors, deflection limits, and reference standards. It does not replace module-specific inputs — it seeds design targets and, on some modules (e.g. bearings), catalog filters.

Document status & export quality

Before exporting a PDF or sharing results, confirm the calculation is complete:

ItemMeaning
Inputs completeAll required fields have valid values.
Solver runYou have clicked Calculate / Validate at least once.
Checks reviewedEngineering checks in the results panel have been read.
Charts includedResult plots are populated (where applicable).
Assumptions notedLimitations from the module reference doc are understood.

The export dialog uses this checklist internally. Full assumptions and limitations for each module are in module documentation.

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