The Load-Path Sandbox
Drag a load onto the frame and watch the force travel through every member to the ground. Toggle diagonal bracing and push a wind load — then feel the difference between a frame that stands and one that doesn't.
1. Every load needs a path to the ground. A roof load doesn't "sit" on a joist — it travels: roof deck → rafter → top plate → stud → bottom plate → foundation. Break any link and the load finds its own path, often through failure.
2. Bracing resists racking. A rectangle of studs is a parallelogram waiting to happen. One diagonal changes that — it creates a triangle, the only shape that can't deform without breaking a member.
3. Wind is a lateral load. Gravity pushes down. Wind pushes sideways. A frame that handles gravity perfectly can still rack under wind if it has no lateral resistance.
Ask GENO: "Why does a diagonal brace prevent racking?" or "What is dead load vs. live load?" — GENO AI Tutor available 24/7, answers in 32 languages. A robot you can actually TALK to.