SteelFrame Studio User Manual

Press Ctrl+N (Windows) or Cmd+N (macOS), or go to File → New.

The initial dialog asks you to choose a country (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, or Paraguay). This choice determines the default structural codes, the available cities list, units, and the applicable profile catalog. You can change it later from the design panel, but starting with the right country avoids reconfiguring loads afterwards.

The project initializes with a 12 × 30 m slab and no walls.

From File → House Templates you can start from 8 pre-configured designs that cover the typical Argentine market range:

Each template comes with perimeter walls, interior partitions, openings, roof, and floor system preloaded. They are a great starting point for learning the app or adapting to a real project with minor tweaks.

File → Sample Project loads the "Casa Ejemplo": a 10 × 20 m house with exterior walls, one interior partition, doors, windows, and a gable roof. It serves as a tutorial for walking through every feature without designing from scratch.

Projects are saved with the .sfp extension (serialized JSON that includes geometry, configuration, and the full undo history).

The app automatically saves your project every 2 minutes to a temporary file inside the OS config directory. If the app closes unexpectedly and you open it again, a dialog asks if you want to recover that work.

Every change (adding a wall, editing a property, etc.) is stored as a snapshot. The history has a depth of 50 actions.

The slab is the foundation pad the house is built on. In the left panel you can choose from common presets or enter custom dimensions:

You can also configure the slab thickness. The default is suitable for residential homes.

If you need to conform to urban planning rules, use the Lot and Setbacks section:

• Lot width and depth — terrain dimensions (not slab dimensions).
• FOS limit (Floor Occupancy of Site) — max allowable horizontal footprint.
• FOT limit (Total Floor Occupancy, similar to FAR) — sum of built areas allowed.
• Setbacks: front, back, left side, right side.

Once setbacks and FOS are defined, a buildable zone is highlighted on the slab with a red border. Walls outside that zone are flagged. The app also calculates the occupied percentage and warns you if you exceed FOS or FOT.

File → Import Lot DXF loads the exact lot geometry from a DXF file containing a closed polyline (typically generated by surveyors or architects).

The app extracts the vertices, computes the bounding box, and adjusts the slab dimensions automatically. If the DXF does not contain a closed polyline, you get a warning.

To discard the imported lot and revert to a rectangular slab, use Clear imported lot.

To place a wall:

1. Click the + Add Wall button in the left panel. This activates the Select a point mode.
2. Click on the slab to set the starting point. The system auto-snaps to existing wall endpoints and midpoints when the cursor is nearby.
3. Directional arrows appear: Front, Back, Left, Right. Pick one for an orthogonal wall, or choose Free angle to define an arbitrary direction.
4. In free-angle mode, click a second point and the wall is drawn between both points.

While placing a free-angle wall, you can force specific angles with modifier keys:

• Shift — snap every 45°. Ideal for standard diagonals.
• Alt / Option — snap every 5°. More granular, useful for shallow pitches.

While holding the key, the wall angle jumps to the nearest multiple.

Clicking a wall in the left panel expands it. From there you edit:

• Start and end coordinates (X and Z, in meters).
• Height — 2.40 m by default.
• Stud spacing — 0.40 m standard, 0.60 m for light loads.
• Member count and opening count (read-only).

There are also Duplicate (creates a copy offset by ~0.5 m) and Delete Wall actions.

When two walls share an endpoint, the app automatically detects the junction and places reinforced corner studs.

When a wall ends on the middle of another (T-junction), blocking is inserted in the receiving wall to transfer lateral loads.

These insertions happen automatically; you do not need to configure them.

You can drag a wall endpoint directly in the viewport to resize it. If two walls meet at that point, a disambiguation dialog lets you choose which one to move.

A short click (without dragging at least 5 pixels) is interpreted as a selection — this prevents accidentally shrinking the wall with short clicks.

In addition to exterior and interior, a wall can be marked as party wall (medianera). This loads a layer preset with fire-rated gypsum (RF) on both sides, typically to meet F60 fire resistance and acoustic reduction R'w ≥ 52 dB (IRAM 4044).

Party walls are also handled specially in thermal calculations (they do not count as exterior enclosure).

Expand a wall in the left panel and click + Add Opening. You can pick a preset or enter custom dimensions:

The position is defined as the distance from the wall's starting point to the left edge of the opening.

The app blocks placement if any of these rules are violated:

• Too close to wall start or end — minimum distance required for king and trimmer studs.
• Opening taller than the wall — height + sill cannot exceed wall height.
• Overlaps another opening on the same wall.

For each opening, the system automatically generates:

• King studs — full-height studs on both sides.
• Trimmer studs (jack studs) — shortened studs supporting the header.
• Header (dintel) — horizontal beam above the opening, generally two PGCs in a box configuration.
• Sill on windows.
• Cripples above the header and below the sill.

Structural verification of the header (capacity and deflection) is automatic — see Structural Design.

Each wall has a type that determines which layer preset applies by default:

In the Wall Layers section you can load a preset with one click or edit layer by layer.

Layer order matters: the vapor barrier always goes on the warm side, the water-resistive membrane outside, etc.

In addition to interior and exterior layers, exterior walls typically carry cavity insulation (between studs). The app accounts for this in thermal transmittance calculations.

Enable or disable cavity insulation with a toggle in the layers panel.

The menu View → Show Wall Layers enables a 3D visualization where every layer appears with its own color and real thickness. Useful for catching configuration errors before exporting.

SteelFrame Studio supports up to 3 levels: Ground Floor + Floor 1 + Floor 2.

The + Floor and − Floor buttons add and remove levels. Removing always drops the topmost floor.

The active floor selector determines which level you are editing. Walls, openings, and layers are independent per floor.

Each floor system has a configurable construction system:

Floors can be mixed: typically Steel Frame on the ground floor over the foundation slab, plus a concrete floor for the upper level if the client prefers. The app handles the system switch and computes dead loads accordingly (concrete density × thickness).

For a Steel Frame floor system:

• Direction — "Along X" or "Along Z".
• Spacing — 0.40 m standard, 0.60 m for light loads.
• Profile — selected from the PGC catalog (150 to 300).
• Bridging rows — number of cross-braces between joists.
• OSB subfloor — on/off toggle.

The Generate Floor System button creates rim tracks, joists, bridging, and subfloor in one step. Structural verification (span, deflection, capacity) is automatic.

For a reinforced concrete floor:

• Thickness in meters (typical 12–18 cm).
• Concrete grade: H13, H17, H21, H25, or H30.

The slab is rendered as a solid and contributes to self-weight via density × thickness. No steel members are generated for this type.

Trusses are the load-bearing structure of pitched roofs. SteelFrame Studio generates 4 types:

• Howe — verticals near supports, diagonals toward the center.
• Pratt — verticals at the center, diagonals toward supports (more efficient under gravity).
• Fink — W pattern, very economical for medium spans.
• King Post — a single central post; ideal for short spans.

For each truss you configure the chord profile (top and bottom) and the web profile (diagonals and verticals).

• Slope — in degrees (default 25°). Typical range: 5° to 30°.
• Eave — overhang beyond the exterior wall. Default 0.40 m.
• Truss spacing — 0.40 m standard, 0.60 m for light loads.

In addition to trusses, the app automatically generates purlins at ~1.20 m spacing, collar ties on gable and hip roofs, a ridge beam, fascia, and, on hip roofs, hip rafters.

When the perimeter is closed, the Structure → Suggest load-bearing walls menu item enables a modal with three strategies:

• Option A — all perimeter walls are load-bearing (maximum safety).
• Option B — only walls perpendicular to the ridge (optimized cost).
• Option C — with interior reinforcement walls (reduces clear spans).

The choice affects which walls get more robust profiles and where trusses rest.

SteelFrame Studio supports three types:

In the Stairs panel you pick type, stringer profile, width (distance between stringers), and rotation. The Generate Stairs button builds all components:

• Stringer — the main inclined profile.
• Tread support — horizontal clips per step.
• Tread — the step surface.
• Landing beam and landing deck (L and U types).

To remove, use Remove Stairs.

The app validates the tread/riser relationship using the Blondel formula:

2 × riser + tread ≈ 0.64 m

Based on the target floor height, SteelFrame Studio automatically calculates the number of steps, riser height, and tread depth, and warns you if the combination falls outside the ergonomic comfort range.

From the Design panel you configure:

• Country — determines the applicable code set.
• City — preloads wind speed, seismic zone, snow zone, and bioclimatic zone.
• Exposure category — A (dense urban), B (suburban), C (open field), D (coastal).
• Occupancy type — residential, office, commercial, storage.
• Floor finish and roof cover — affect dead loads.

The app automatically calculates:

• Dead load — self-weight of structure, cladding, insulation, floor system, finishes, roof, and ceiling. Displayed broken down by component.
• Live load — use-based surcharge per occupancy (CIRSOC 101 Table 4.1).
• Wind load — pressure and suction on walls and roof per CIRSOC 102 (Argentina) or NCh 432 (Chile), with velocities by city.
• Seismic action — INPRES-CIRSOC 103 (AR/UY) or NCh 433 (CL). Computes base shear and floor distribution.
• Snow load — CIRSOC 104 (AR/UY/PY) or NCh 431 (CL), by zone.
• Point loads — manually configurable in the corresponding panel (e.g., plumbing fixtures, tanks, etc.).

Soil type (SA to SE, per INPRES-CIRSOC 103 §3.1) amplifies seismic response via the F_a coefficient. Ranges: SA = hard rock, SB = rock, SC = very dense soil, SD = stiff soil, SE = soft soil.

Verifications use LRFD combinations per CIRSOC 301/303:

• 1.2D + 1.6L + 0.5(L_r / S / R)
• 1.2D + 1.0W + L + 0.5(L_r / S / R)
• 1.2D + 1.0E + L + 0.2S
• 0.9D + 1.0W (uplift/overturning)
• 0.9D + 1.0E (seismic overturning)

The critical envelope is used for each member.

The system automatically verifies:

• Studs — axial + bending capacity, utilization ratio.
• Headers — capacity and deflection over openings.
• Floor joists — max allowable span and deflection.
• Lateral deflection of walls under wind (typically H/300).
• Lateral bracing — shear wall capacity vs. wind and seismic demand (considers OSB coverage, opening ratio, wall length).
• Foundation — continuous footing width based on soil capacity.

At the top-right of the menu bar there is a structural status indicator:

• 🟢 Green "OK" — all checks pass.
• 🟠 Orange "!!" — warnings (high ratios, close to limits).
• 🔴 Red "XX" — failures; the project does not comply as is.

Hover to see the detailed list of warnings/failures.

The Foundation section configures soil bearing capacity via presets:

The app computes continuous footing width B = P / σ_adm and verifies slab thickness against the minimum (12 cm).

Thermal analysis in Argentina follows IRAM 11603 (zoning) and IRAM 11601/11605 (transmittance and levels). The zone loads automatically based on the selected city:

Chile uses NCh 1079 with equivalent zoning; Uruguay and Paraguay adopt IRAM with local adjustments.

The app sums the thermal resistance of every layer plus the interior (RSI) and exterior (RSE) surface resistances, applies a correction for thermal bridging (85% with rigid exterior sheathing, 65% without), and reports the final transmittance:

U = 1 / Rtotal

The Thermal Transmittance (IRAM 11601) panel shows the calculated U value together with the maximum allowed for the selected zone and level, with status:

• ✅ Meets Level B
• ⚠️ Meets Level C minimum only
• ❌ Does not comply (U exceeds Level C limit)

The right Bill of Materials panel updates in real time with every design change. It shows all required members (studs, plates, headers, joists, chords, webs, purlins, etc.) with type, profile, quantity, total length in meters, weight in kilograms, and cost.

The Copy to Clipboard button lets you paste it directly into Excel, Google Sheets, or WhatsApp.

In the Purchase Summary you can choose between several Argentine suppliers from a dropdown:

• Barbieri (default)
• Hiperplaca
• PuntoSeco
• Gili y Cia

Prices are automatically scraped from each supplier's public pages, and the app caches them locally. Every 14 days, when you open the app, it checks for newer prices and downloads them in the background.

The Update prices button forces a manual sync. The last-updated date shows below the selector.

Profiles come in 6 m bars. To minimize waste, SteelFrame Studio uses a bin-packing algorithm that:

• Groups cuts of various lengths within each bar.
• Reuses offcuts for shorter cuts when possible.
• Reports the number of bars, waste percentage, and total cost.

In the cutting-diagram PDF you can see graphically how cuts are distributed across each bar.

Beyond profiles, the BOM includes:

• Boards (cement, OSB, gypsum, etc.) — with coverage calculation, utilized cuts, and reusable offcuts.
• Insulation — fiberglass batt, vapor barrier, water-resistive membrane.
• Fasteners — T1 Wafer (steel-to-steel), T2 Trumpet (board-to-steel), Tornillo Alado (OSB/cement-to-steel). Quantities computed from generated connections, with per-box pricing.

The File → Submit Supplier Price List option opens your mail client so you can send us an up-to-date supplier price list. This helps improve the pricing database for all users.

The Steel Frame vs. Masonry Comparison section contrasts the current project in Steel Frame against traditional masonry systems:

• Hollow brick 18 cm
• Hollow brick 25 cm
• Solid brick
• Hollow brick + plaster

Metrics compared:

All exports use reasonable defaults (A4, 1:100 scale for PDF, full model for IFC). There is no settings dialog — if you need specific tweaks, edit in the target application.

Includes:

• Dimensioned floor plan with wall labels (M1, M2, …) and scale.
• BOM table with quantities, profiles, and weights.
• Reference of applied loads, finishes, and standards.

Meant to be delivered to the client or attached to the construction file.

A more extensive PDF aimed at licensed professionals. It contains:

• Design criteria (country, city, exposure, occupancy).
• Complete breakdown of dead, live, wind, seismic, and snow loads.
• Applied LRFD combinations.
• Joist and member verification (if a floor system exists).
• Thermal analysis with U-value and IRAM compliance.
• Foundation sizing.
• Applicable standards and their versions.

For every profile used, the PDF shows how the 6 m bars are cut: what lengths come out of each bar, what offcuts are left, and which are reused. It includes waste and reused-offcut statistics.

Taking it to the jobsite reduces cut errors and makes better use of the material.

IFC4 export produces a complete 3D model compatible with BIM software (Revit, ArchiCAD, Tekla, BIMsync, etc.). It includes wall, roof, and floor geometry and metadata (wall types, materials, structural role).

Useful for coordinating with MEP/structural projects done on other platforms.

See section 2. The import looks for a closed polyline in the DXF and uses it as the lot outline.

SteelFrame Studio is available in 4 Mercosur countries:

When you choose a country, the city list, pricing currency, and profile catalog adjust automatically. Chile uses the Metalcon system (the Argentine equivalent of PGC/PGU).

SteelFrame Studio supports Spanish (default) and English. The language selector is in the Settings section of the left panel. The change applies immediately to the whole UI and is persisted for the next session.

The 2D view is a top-down orthographic projection. Ideal for reviewing plan dimensions and the overall layout of walls, openings, and setbacks. All editing tools work the same as in 3D.

The View menu includes toggles to show or hide:

• Floor grid — reference every 0.5 m on the slab.
• Wall layers — 3D render with all cladding materials.
• Roof — hides trusses and purlins to work on the walls.
• Floor system — hides joists and subfloor.
• Decimal coordinates — toggles between 2.40 m and 2 m 40 cm.

SteelFrame Studio is a design and quotation support tool. Structural, thermal, and foundation calculations are indicative and must be verified by a licensed professional (civil engineer or architect) before construction. The company takes no responsibility for use of the software outside that context.