> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://calcs.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Video Series: Calcs.com Overview – Tools and Navigation
> Learn what Calcs.com is, our transparency philosophy, traffic lights, Member Selector, link loads, units, views, print mode, support, and changing materials.
In this series of short videos, we walk you through an overview of Calcs.com tools and how to navigate inside the calculators. Each video focuses on one or two features, so you can watch only what you need and come back to the rest later.
**New to Calcs.com?** Start with the Introduction video to understand our transparency philosophy and how we show every step of the calculation. Then jump to any topic that interests you—each video stands on its own.
## Jump to a video
What Calcs.com is and our philosophy of showing every step
Visual indicators and picking the best member
Connect calculators and work with unit-aware inputs
Standard vs detail view; one-page summary and PDF export
Contact support, share your project, and use the AI search
Swap calculator material (e.g. wood beam to steel); links stay intact
***
## 01 – Introduction and transparency
One of our philosophies at Calcs.com is to be transparent. We don't want to be a black box. You'll see every step of the calculation, and you can go deeper: click on any label or result (for example, shear design or shear reduction factor) to see a description, the reference we use, and the equation we're applying. This is available across almost every step of our calculations.
***
## 02 – Traffic lights and Member Selector
**Traffic lights** are visual indicators that show whether a structural check passed, is near the limit, or failed, based on utilization. When you change inputs (for example, increase loads in the Loads section), the traffic lights update so you can see how the design is performing at a glance.
The **Member Selector** helps you choose the right member quickly. When you select a member (e.g. in Size and grade), open the Member Selector to see your Preference Sections first, with an overview of traffic lights for each section. You can see which sections would fail with your current configuration and which would work, then try a larger designation and pick an efficient member that passes.
***
## 03 – Link loads and units
You can **link loads between calculators**. For example, create a wood column and link it to the reactions from a wood beam: in the column's load section, under Lateral movement loads, click Link, select the beam (and the support location), and the column will use those reactions. Clicking the linked label takes you back to the source calculator. If you change the beam (e.g. increase loads), the column updates automatically—no refresh needed.
Calcs.com is **unit-aware**. In inputs like Beam span length you can type expressions such as `20 feet + 10 inches` or `10 inches × 5`, and the conversion is done automatically. You can mix units (e.g. `8 meters`) as well. You can also reference variables in other inputs (e.g. use the total length `L` or `L/2` for end locations), and the calculator will resolve them correctly.
***
## 04 – Views and export
We offer two in-app views: **Standard** and **Detail**. Use the view toggle to show more or fewer calculation steps depending on how much detail you want.
When **exporting**, use the print icon at the top and choose among:
* **One page summary** – essentials only, inputs and results on a single page
* **Standard view** – balanced detail for most use cases
* **Detail view** – full calculation steps for review or submittal
You can also set your company logo (e.g. in Settings) so it appears on exported PDFs.
***
## 05 – Send questions, support and knowledge base
Use the **airplane icon** to send a message to support. You can grant access to your project so we can see what's going on. Helpful when you have questions about how we calculate something, unexpected results, or differences from other software. Our support team includes civil engineers.
We also have a **knowledge base**: click through to find articles and design examples (e.g. for Wood Beam). An **AI assistant** can search the knowledge base—try asking something like "How can I design a steel beam?" to get relevant examples and links.
***
## 06 – Change material
If you've finished a calculation (e.g. a wood beam) and want to see the same setup with a different material, use **Change material** in the top sidebar. Select another calculator (e.g. Steel beam). Loads and configuration are preserved; only the material and designation change. Load links (e.g. to a column) continue to work—you don't need to redo the link.
***
# Check out the next videos in our onboarding series
Setting up project defaults and linking to calculators
Organizing projects in Calcs.com
Joists, beams, columns, footings, and live linked updates
Build a fully connected lateral load path
## Related articles
Set global rules for your design
Pin sections and speed up member selection
Load path tracking and load linking
Export and print your calcs
Swap modules between timber and steel
Add and set up new calcs in a project