Two free browser tools are now live

Small tools we reach for in day-to-day design and site work will land in /tools. Two to start with.

JWW Viewer

/en/tools/jww-viewer

Open .jww files from builders and collaborators on a Mac or tablet — without installing Jw_cad.

• Zoom, pan, and double-click to fit
• Toggle layer groups and layers
• Switch between “print colors” (auxiliary lines hidden) and “screen colors”
• Supports SXF extended colors, line types, and 16×16 layer groups
• Verified with Jw_cad versions 2.3 to 7. Version 8 format is not yet verified

The file is read entirely inside your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

Beam Notch Loss

/en/tools/beam-notch

Section properties of a timber girder carrying joists from both sides with a column tenon at mid-span — the most common junction in Japanese timber framing, and a tedious one to work out by hand because a housed dovetail is stepped.

• Reduction ratios for area, moment of inertia, and section modulus
• Cross-section and a 3D view of the joint
• Results update as you change the sizes (no calculate button)
• Everything runs in your browser

About the earlier β calculator

The β calculator that used to live at /contact-8 had a formula error (differing by up to −70% at real sizes). /contact-8 now redirects permanently to /tools/beam-notch. If you relied on the old page, please re-check your figures with the new tool.

What’s next

More small tools will land at /tools. Feedback and bug reports are welcome via the consult form.