Support and FAQ

1. Go to the website https://www.ftool.com.br/; 2. Click on "EN" in the upper right corner of the site to switch to English; 3. Click on the "Client" button; 4. Click on the "Create account" text below the login form, which will open a new page requesting your information. Fill it in and follow the steps shown on screen.

On the login page, below the "SIGN IN" button there is a "Recover" link. By clicking this link, a page requesting your registered email will appear. Enter your email and click "Recover password". An email will be sent to the specified address with your password. Use it to log in and change your password as desired.

1. Go to the website https://www.ftool.com.br/; 2. Click on "EN" in the upper right corner of the site to switch to English; 3. Click on the "Download" menu to view the options; 4. Click on the button corresponding to the desired version; 5. If you have already registered, log in. Otherwise, register; 6. If you want to use the Advanced Edition, purchase a license through the "Licenses" menu; 7. During the process, read the Terms of Use that will appear. To proceed with the download, you must accept them; 8. Upon accepting the Terms, the program will be downloaded.

To get the basic version of Ftool, you need to register as a user on the Ftool website and download the application. To download, you must accept the terms of use. After downloading, Ftool basic free version is ready to use. It is not necessary to register a license code. This is only required for the advanced version of Ftool. The download file is the same for both versions: basic and advanced.

The Basic Edition allows users to create complete structural models with multiple materials, different cross-sections (including generic, parametric, and tabulated sections), rigid or elastic nodal supports, hinges, deformation constraints, and nodal, distributed, and thermal loads. Possible results include internal force diagrams (axial force, shear, and bending moment) and deflection diagrams, influence lines, and internal force envelopes for load trains. There is a maximum limit of 500 members per model. The Advanced Edition adds several features: - The most important is creating load cases and factored load combinations. For example, in the design of a building, it is necessary to handle multiple types of loads, such as: the self-weight of the structure, permanent superimposed load, crowd load, and wind (among others). In the Basic Edition, you must choose between adding these different loads to apply a single load to each element (and redo the calculations if any of the load components is changed), or create copies of the same model to apply each type of load individually and sum the forces manually (and, if there is a change in the structure, be careful to modify all models correctly). In the Advanced Edition, this is not necessary. You can define the load case "Self-weight" and apply only the self-weight loads of the structure; and other load cases "Permanent superimposed load", "Crowd", "Wind (Left)" and "Wind (Right)". You can then view the force diagrams for each load case and modify each case independently. However, the most important result is often the sum of these cases, and for this we have load combinations. Combinations are a sum of specific cases, so we can define the following combinations: - "Empty with Wind (Left/Right)" = Self-Weight + Permanent Superimposed Load + Wind (Left) (or Wind (Right)), to verify the case of maximum moment and minimum axial load in columns - "Full with Wind (Left/Right)" = Self-Weight + Permanent Superimposed Load + Crowd + Wind (Left) (or Wind (Right)), for maximum moment in beams and maximum moment and axial load in columns - among others... Each case within a combination can be factored by a different coefficient, allowing easy calculation of ULS and SLS forces. Results from load cases or combinations can be combined into envelopes, enabling quick analysis of the worst case or combination at any point. Another new feature is the cross-section composed of trapezoids. This cross-section can be used to create custom sections that do not fit well into Ftool's standard sections, reducing the need to use the "Generic" section, which requires many manual calculations (of area, moment of inertia, etc.). In this Edition, Ftool can have standardized initial settings. If you prefer to work with ton-force instead of kiloNewton, or with centimeters instead of meters, you can configure Ftool to always open with these units. If you frequently use the grid with snap, you can set Ftool to open with these active and with the spacing you want. These are just examples of possible settings; check the manual at https://www.ftool.com.br/Ftool/site/manual_pt.html for more examples and details. You will receive notifications within Ftool when a new version (or update) is released. There is no limit on the size of each model.

Currently, the license can only be paid via PayPal (which also allows the use of credit cards). To purchase a license, follow these steps: 1. Go to the website https://www.ftool.com.br/; 2. Click on "EN" in the upper right corner of the site to switch to English; 3. Click on the "Client" button in the menu bar; 4. If you have already registered, log in. Otherwise, register; 5. On the downloads page within the logged-in area, enter the desired number of licenses and click "Buy License"; 6. Read the Terms of Use that will appear. To proceed with payment, you must accept them; 7. Upon accepting the Terms, a PayPal page will open. Complete the payment; 8. Upon completing the payment, the Ftool website will open to a payment confirmation page. Do not close this page until the payment is confirmed (the blue box will turn green); 9. When the payment is confirmed, an email with the license number will be sent to the user's registered address.

1. To activate the Advanced Edition, you need to purchase a license. 2. When you purchase a license, an email will be sent to the user's registered address that includes the license number. 3. Run Ftool. It will open in Basic Edition. Click on "File / Upgrade...", which will open a window requesting the license number. When you enter the number, it will be verified (requires internet connection). If the license is valid, the program will close. When you run it again, the program will open in Advanced Edition. When the license is validated, two files (Ftool.license and Ftool.properties) will be created in the same folder as the executable. These files must always remain in the same folder as the executable.

The advanced license is valid for one year.

The Ftool advanced license is associated with only one computer. Therefore, if you wish to use Ftool in Advanced Edition on multiple computers, you need to purchase multiple licenses. However, if your computer had a malfunction and a component needed to be replaced, this can confuse Ftool's licensing system. To fix this problem, close Ftool, log in to our website and access the "My licenses" option. A table with all your licenses will appear. Find the problematic license and click the button in the "Reset" column. When you run Ftool again, the error should be resolved.

Yes. On the Ftool website, log in as a client. After logging in, access the "My licenses" option. When you do this, you will see a list of licenses you have already purchased. If you have already associated a license with a computer, you can "Reset" (reset the license). To do so, click the button on the right side in the same row as the license. After that, you can associate that license with another computer.

Ftool currently works on Windows (10 and 11) and Linux (Ubuntu and Fedora).

In the Basic Edition, internet access is not required. In the Advanced Edition, intermittent internet access is required. At the time of Advanced Edition activation, an internet connection is necessary. Once the Advanced Edition is activated, Ftool will attempt to connect to our servers when opening and during routine use. If there is no internet access, Ftool will display an alert to the user informing that the program requires an internet connection, but will allow offline use for a period of 30 (thirty) days and/or 10 (ten) uses. For example, if Ftool is used with internet access on January 1st and again on January 2nd, but without internet access, the alert will appear. The program can be used without internet until January 31st (thirty days after the last connection) as many times as the user wishes. However, if Ftool is used with internet access on January 1st and again only on March 1st (two months after the last connection) without internet, the alert will appear. The user can use the program ten times (whether on the same day or over time) without internet. If both limits (time and uses) are exceeded, an alert informing the user will appear and the program will open in Basic Edition until internet access returns.