Tribby3D

Open your browser, drag in a floor plan, and start placing supports—no installs, no license servers. In Tribby3D, you begin by creating a new project and bringing in a DXF to use as a tracing background, or you can sketch directly on the canvas. Draw floor boundaries, then click to add columns and walls where you intend to carry gravity loads. Rename elements to match your office standards, organize by level or zone, and align everything with snaps for clean geometry. This setup takes minutes and forms a clear starting point for preliminary gravity load work.

When you’re ready, run the tributary computation. The app partitions the slab plan around each support using planar geometry, delivering catchments for columns and line contributions for walls. You can inspect each support, see the associated area, and verify that load sharing matches your intent. Move a column, extend a wall, or tweak edge conditions, then recompute to compare outcomes. This rapid iterate-run-review loop helps you explore column spacing, wall placement, and floor layout options without building a finite element model. Use it to balance tributary extents, check edge bays, and sanity-check manual estimates early in design when decisions are still flexible and cost-effective to change.

Once the layout is stable, export the numbers. Download spreadsheets that include areas per support and related identifiers to feed your sizing sheets or cost studies. Capture plan graphics as PDF/PNG/HTML to paste into reports or proposals. Save the project in the cloud so you can reopen it later, update assumptions, and maintain continuity from concept through scheme. Add notes to record review comments and action items; when feedback comes in from a teammate or client, make a copy, adjust the model, and keep a clear trail of alternatives and decisions.

Common workflows include: importing an architect’s DXF to align your grid and supports; testing different bay sizes to keep tributary areas within target ranges; preparing quick load summaries for footing concepts; and generating visuals that explain how loads are shared across a floor. Educators can demonstrate tributary principles live, while engineers can pipe the exported Excel into office-standard calculators or lightweight scripts for material takeoffs. The result is a practical, fast path from a blank canvas to defensible preliminary load data you can use immediately in design discussions and early estimates.