Quick Start — Your First Tower in 5 Minutes
This walkthrough creates a 54m triangular self-supporting tower, adds antennas, and runs a structural analysis.
| Step | Action | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Tower tab. Set: Triangular, Base 3.0m, Top 1.0m, Height 54m, 8 variable + 1 constant section. Click Generate. | 30 sec |
| 2 | Review the 3D model. Orbit with left-click drag. Check geometry looks correct. | 30 sec |
| 3 | Open Standard tab. Set: Exposure C, Wind Speed 150 km/h (Service), Importance 1.0, Ice 0mm. | 30 sec |
| 4 | Open Mounts tab. Add a mount at 52m on Face A. Then open Assets tab and add a panel antenna (1.2m x 0.3m, 35kg). | 60 sec |
| 5 | Click Analyze in the header. Wait for results (5–15 seconds). | 15 sec |
| 6 | Review: Switch to Unity Check view. Check Metrics Window EPA and BOM views. | 60 sec |
| 7 | Click Export and select Export XLSX to download the spreadsheet report. Click Share to generate a link. | 30 sec |
Total: ~5 minutes from signup to shareable results.
Video Tutorials
This workflow is covered in our three video tutorials:
- Create a tower — covers Steps 1–4
- Run structural analysis — covers Step 5
- Read the results — covers Steps 6–7
See Video Tutorials for links.
What Happens Behind the Scenes
When you click Analyze, TowerPlot automatically:
- Converts your geometry into a finite element model (nodes + elements)
- Calculates EPA and wind forces per section for all wind directions
- Applies dead loads (self-weight + appurtenances)
- Generates TIA-222-H/TIA-222-F load combinations (Service + Ultimate)
- Solves the system: K × u = F (stiffness × displacement = force)
- Runs capacity checks on all members per AISC 360-16
- Returns results to the 3D viewer and tables
No manual load case setup. No separate pre/post-processing. One click.