Q. What is Structural Toolkit?
A. Structural Toolkit is an engineering design tool. Harnessing the power of Microsoft Excel and VBA Structural Toolkit has a minimal learning curve allowing the user to start designing structural elements - fast. It incorporates an easy interface and produces full design outputs.
    
Q. What is the difference between Structural Toolkit and other structural design software?
A. Some design software requires setting up of a full design model; some require standard load-cases to be set up every time; some provide old console style output; and others hide many essential intermediate steps in calculations to enable checking. Structural Toolkit allows designers to produce a designs efficiently and with minimal input to a standard format easily checked by others. Try and see the difference yourself.
    
Q. Who is using Structural Toolkit?
A. Many large and small design offices (in excess of 150) around Australia and a number of international offices have been using the software in various versions for over 6 years.
    
Q. What is Structural Toolkit capable of designing?
A. Using the Australian Standards as the basis of design, Structural Toolkit can design many elements for concrete, Steel, Timber and Masonry. All that is required is simple geometry and load inputs.
    

    
Q. What is the limitation of the trial version?
A. You get the full version to evaluate for 30 days, nothing is disabled. Printing does include a watermark which disappears following purchase?
    
Q. Can the duration of evaulation be extended?
A. If you just didn't get around to testing everything, or need more time to be sure about the purchase, contact us and we are able to extend the evaluation for a further 30 days.
    

    
Q. What do I get when I purchase Structural Toolkit?
A. When Structural Toolkit is purchased, you get the design software, hardware lock, access to regular version updates and technical support.
    
Q. What methods of payment are avaiable?
A. Contact us for details of accepted payment methods.
    
Q. How long does the delivery take?
A. Following verification of your registration details, the software is usually dispatched within 2 working days.
    
Q. Do I have to pay a suscription fee for updates?
A. Updates for the current version 3 are free of charge.
    
    

    
Prerequisites
    
Q. What version of Excel do I need to run Structural Toolkit
A. The minimum requirements are Excel 2000 although 2003 is highly recommended.
    
Q. Structural Toolkit does not recognise my lock?
A. Check that the hardware lock light is on and that all the drivers have been installed. If it is a single user lock attached to your workstation then make sure that a firewall is not conflicting or that virus protection is not disabling Excel's Macros. You must also allow macros in Excel. You can also try removing the lock and re-inserting into another USB port.
    
Problems with starting Structural Toolkit
    
Q. I get an error code when Structural Toolkit starts
A. This is mostly caused by trying to run Structural Toolkit on an older version of Excel (typically Excel 97 or a corrupt installation).
    
Q. The menu buttons do not work
A. If Excel has a very high security settings then nothing will happen and you will not be prompted to allow macros to run. If you are using Excel 2003 goto the Tools > Macros > Security menu and set to an approriate level. If you are using Vista goto the Home (Office orb) > Excel Options > Security > Macros and set an appropriate level.
    
Q. I am always asked if I want to enable macros?
A. Much of the power Structural Toolkit provides is by the use of Visual Basic. These are "Macros". Some macros are designed to cause harm (virus). The VBA used in Structural Toolkit can be trusted, however a security level must be used enabling macros - please see your IT department on policy.
    
Q. I am using Vista and Office 2007
A. Structural Toolkit will operate on Vista and Office 2007. Vista has its own unique set of issues to deal with including UAC (user access accounts), firewalls, permisions and changes to how the operating system functions. Office 2007 also presents you with a completely new menu layout making same features difficult to find initially and we have detected a language bugs which have been introduced. Updated hardware lock drivers may also be necessary on some installations. Cantact support if troubles are encountered.
    

    
Q. What will the new version cost?
A. A new license will be of a similar cost. Upgrading customers will be able to purchase the new license for a discounted cost depending on their purchase date and includes a year subscription. Annual subcription after the first year will be a set fee per license and will be determined closer to the release date.
    
Q. Why a subscription fee.
A. Subscription fees enable ongoing development to occur with the software and enables us to be able to provide more than just minor updates. More importantly, all updates, code changes, upgrades, improvements etc are all included in the subscription.
    
Q. What is changing?
A. The basic functionality of being able to create a design quickly remains. BUT, we are removing the requirement for Excel and wrapping everything in a modern interface complete with multiple document handling and file saving and loading. This also implements the flexibility to add more enhancements not obtainable on the Excel platform in future development such a text document handling, pdfs, and analysis functionailty.
    
Q. When will it arrive.
A. Soon we hope, the development has been going pretty hard for a number of years but various problems have changed the direction of programming several times. Screen shots are going to be available soon :)