Frequently Asked Questions

o The Evaluation License (i.e., free trial) lasts for 30 days. After which, it will automatically convert into the FREE version. If you would like to purchase a full license, discover our Academic/Research licenses here or discover our commercial licensing options here.

o From now on, when your trial version expires it will automatically become a Free Academic License without you needing to do anything. If your trial expired already, you can simply log into your user area and click the Start button to reactivate your ID.

o Yes, you will be able to read, use, and edit any files and models you made during your trial period, even if you didn’t immediately purchase a license.

o Yes you can, however, your STKO license can only be used by one device at a time. In order to use it on a different device or computer, you must first detach the license from the device it is associated with, and then download and install STKO on the new device.

o First, open STKO. Navigate to the toolbar at the top of the page and click Help. A drop-down menu will open, from this menu, select System Info. This will open the System Info window that contains the expiration date of your license and your customerID. You will see a button at the bottom of the window that says Detach License from this machine. In order to detach the license, simply click the button to detach the license.

Then, in order to associate your license with a new device, go to your user area, download STKO, and install it on the new device. 
If STKO is already installed on the second device, simply launch STKO and it should connect. If, even after successfully completing the detach, you are unable to connect to STKO on the second device, please contact us.

o Once you download STKO, that customer ID will lock to your computer. In order to switch to the new customer ID, you will need to contact us and give us the customer ID associated to the trial version, and the new customer ID of the paid license. We will create a specialized tool that will allow you to switch the license.

o We also support payment via PayPal, Stripe, and bank transfer. If you are interested in purchasing STKO, please contact us using the Request a Quotation contact form. We can provide you with a customized quotation, any documentation necessary for your university’s purchasing department, and supply you with links to the payment sites or our bank information.

o Yes, in order to purchase an Academic or Educational License, we must receive proof of academic status. We understand that universities around the world have different systems, so we are flexible on what we will accept as proof. It could be a copy of a current student or staff ID, a copy of your class list, a link to a university webpage staff or student directory, etc. During the purchase process, we also require you to download, sign, and email back to us the Declaration of Academic Use form, in which you declare that you will not use the software for commercial purposes. We will not activate your license until we receive the signed declaration.
o We also recognize that there may be private individuals who don’t want a commercial license but may not be associated with a university. We ask that these individuals contact us and explain their situation. We can make exceptions under certain circumstances.

o We understand that all universities have different systems and require different documentation. We do our best to provide students and staff the specific documentation they need to the best of our abilities. Please contact us, describing what you need as specifically as possible.

o As STKO is a software download, all materials, licenses, and receipts are issued electronically. Nothing is shipped. We do, however, ask you to provide a physical billing address during the payment process so we can issue an official invoice. The invoice will, of course, be sent to you electronically. We will never send you anything physically.

o For commercial licenses, we ask that you contact us, describing your needs and the number of licenses you wish to purchase. We can create a personalized quotation tailored to your projects and goals. For more information on our commercial license options, visit our commercial page.

o Our academic licenses are already significantly discounted to make them as affordable as possible for students and professors.

o All you have to do is open STKO, navigate to the toolbar at the top of the page, and click Help. A drop-down menu will open, from this menu, select System Info. This will open the System Info window that contains the expiration date of your license and your customerID.

o To run STKO, you will need:

• a 64-bit processor architecture
• 4 GB memory
• At least 500 MB disk space available for installation
• Video Card supporting at least OpenGL 3.0 or higher and GLSL (OpenGL Shading Language) 1.20 or higher
• Operating System 64-bit Windows 8.1 or higher

o Try writing in the STKO User Forum. There, STKO users can engage and help other users with issues they may be having and collaborate on ideas. It should be your first stop for help. If you have a commercial license, you can also contact us directly.

o Yes, you can either download it from our webpage or view it in STKO. Click Help on the toolbar in STKO and then click Manual. It will open as a pdf file.

o STKO is a Graphic User Interface for OpenSees; however, it does not include the OpenSees software. If you can’t select a solver, the probable cause of the problem is that you haven’t installed OpenSees. There are several free versions of OpenSees offered by universities around the world. To see a list of universities and other organizations that offer OpenSees downloads, click here.

o This error can be caused when your system’s time or date settings are incorrect. Try changing your system’s clock’s settings to automatic to sync time and date with the online server. Then open STKO and see if the issue is resolved. If not, search online for guides for resetting and resyncing your computer’s clock. If you still continue to have problems, please contact us and let us know what you have tried to do specifically.