This is where we will publish detailed release notes in future. We are spending the first months frantically building our "minimum viable product" (MVP), and we will leave cursory comments only. But as our development process matures, we promise to get the release notes on track.
Follow along on our development blog as we share our journey with you.
The table below shows our vision of what Centroid may become over time. There will be many iterations to get there, starting with a simple prototype. The further you go down the table, the more speculative it becomes – both our destination and the route to get there will change based on user feedback.
| Status | Description | User Experience | Structural Analysis | Concrete Design | Steel Design | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: En route to a minimum viable product (MVP) | ||||||
| Completed | Hello world! | View this website | ||||
| Completed | Concrete Section prototype | Public preview available | Reinforced concrete section flexural design to CSA code | |||
| Completed | Add more design calculations | A bit more useful | Shear design to CSA code | |||
| Completed | Make application installable | Automatic software updates Work offline | ||||
| Completed | Make application more interactive | See design results immediately; similar to a spreadsheet but smarter PDF design report on desktop and mobile | ||||
| Completed | Handheld calculator prototype | A few simple structural calculations in the palm of your hand | ||||
| Completed | Add beam analysis | Use tables from the Handbook of Steel Construction | Single and multi-span beams | |||
| Completed | Add concrete section design | Re-use library for Concrete Section application | Bending and shear design to CSA code | |||
| Completed | Add W shapes | Quick dimensions W shapes and section properties for any I-section | ||||
| Completed | Add US Customary Units | Use either metric or USCU | Accept USCU input for CSA code | |||
| Completed | Add local storage | Data persistence over sessions | ||||
| Completed | Add unit calculations | Quick calculation and conversion across unit systems | ||||
| Completed | Make available on app stores | Discovery via Google Play (completed) and Apple App Store (postponed indefinitely) | ||||
| Completed | Document trail | Annotate and print calculations to paper or PDF | ||||
| Completed | Add support for larger screen screens | Tablet and desktop versions | ||||
| Completed | Installation and updating service | Prompts to simplify app installation and updating | ||||
| Completed | Add synchronization across devices | Use your phone as a handheld calculator, and generate reports on your desktop computer | ||||
| Completed | Improve documentation | Quick access to contextual Help | ||||
| Completed | Material properties | Quick access to density and elastic modulus values | Concrete elastic modulus based on CSA and ACI codes (dependent on unit system) | |||
| Next | App setting | Design defaults | ||||
| Pending | Intermediate design steps | Calculation steps and design code references | ||||
| Phase 2: Expanding to a more useful product (to be confirmed) | ||||||
| Pending | Add commercial service | Paid service option | ||||
| Pending | Add concrete column design | Simple column checks | CSA code | |||
| Pending | Add foundation design | Getting a bit more serious | Pad footing design | CSA code | ||
| Pending | Add basic steel section capacities | Quick beam and column capacities | CSA code | |||
| Pending | Add load calculations | Material densities and quick load take-down | NBC code | |||
| Possible | Add simple member design | Use in simple projects | 2D frame analysis engine with beam elements | Continuous beam design | ||
| Add more design codes | Expand relevance | Add ACI code | ||||
| Add more complex member design | Getting a bit more serious | Retaining and shear wall design | ||||
| Getting a bit more serious | Include more users | Add Eurocode and other international codes | ||||
| Phase 3: Accelerate to a mature service | ||||||
| Hopeful | Add cloud computing | 3D frame analysis with beam elements | ||||
| Add more concrete members | Column design | |||||
| Integrate analysis and design | Post-processing of 3D analysis | |||||
| Improve analysis capability | Shell finite elements | |||||
| Add more concrete members | Slab design | |||||
| Add some steel design | Struts and ties | |||||
| Add more steel design | Frame members | |||||
| Enable third-party integration | Model exchanges | |||||
| Begin connection design | Simple connections | |||||
| More connection design | Moment connections | |||||
| Do amazing things we cannot yet fully imagine | ||||||