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Installation and first launch

Installation​

  1. Download the installer. Get the current release from the VirtuCath download page. Every download starts a free 15-day trial with all features unlocked, no license key or credit card needed. Existing customers also receive a direct download link in their license-key email.
  2. Run the installer (VirtuCath-<version>-Setup.exe) and follow the on-screen prompts. Administrator privileges may be required.
  3. Once installed, launch VirtuCath from the Start Menu or Desktop shortcut.

License Activation​

Every installation includes a 15-day free trial with full access to all features, no license key required to get started. The trial starts automatically the first time you launch VirtuCath, and every launch reminds you how many trial days remain. Starting the trial requires an internet connection on first launch only; once it's seeded, the trial runs offline for the rest of the 15-day window.

When you're ready to activate (during the trial or after it expires), open Help > Activate License, paste your License Key into the activation dialog, and click Activate. Your key is validated against the VirtuCath license server and your seat is locked to your hardware. See Licensing and activation for full details, including offline activation for air-gapped or firewalled workstations.

If the trial expires before a license is applied, VirtuCath drops into a restricted Unlicensed Mode where Build Model, Run Simulation, Save Config, exports, and analysis reports are disabled until a valid license key is entered. You can still open the interface, browse loaded designs, and install updates: Help > Check for Updates keeps working, so you can always move to the newest version before activating.

Main Window Overview​

The first time you launch VirtuCath, a short welcome orientation points out where to start in the Catheter Setup wizard. You can keep working while it is open, close it any time with the × in its corner, and replay it later from Help > Show Guided Tour. The rest of the window:

  • Tab bar (across the top): every part of the workspace is a tab, and Ctrl+1 … Ctrl+8 jump straight to one.
    • Design and analysis: Catheter Setup (define the shaft) and Catheter Analysis (read its computed static properties).
    • Simulations: Steering Simulation (drive the live model in the 3D viewer, with the readouts column beside it), plus the stepped Design Sweep, Pushability, and Kink Radius analyses.
    • Fabrication aids: Reflow and Braid Transfer, working back from the design to what you have to buy and build.
  • Menu bar: file operations, reports, unit settings, tools, and help resources.

Your First Simulation​

A default catheter design is already loaded when VirtuCath starts, so your first run needs no setup:

  1. Build the model: on the Catheter Setup tab, click Build Model. When the build finishes, the app lands on the Catheter Analysis tab with the design's computed properties.
  2. Deflect the catheter: switch to the Steering Simulation tab and use the directional control pad to apply pullwire displacement, watching the catheter curve in the 3D viewer.
  3. Read the results: the readouts column beside the viewer shows live tip angle, bend radius, and pullwire tension.

Saving and Loading Catheter Designs​

Your catheter configuration is stored as a .json file and can be saved and loaded at any time:

  • Save: File > Save Config... saves all layer definitions, section geometry, materials, and pullwire settings.
  • Load: File > Load Config... restores a previously saved design and automatically rebuilds the model.

The .json file captures the full catheter definition but does not save simulation run history or exported report data.