About Transparent Tools
Transparent Tools is a collection of free, browser-based engineering calculators designed for quick calculations, verification, and learning.
Every calculation runs entirely in your browser using Python (via Pyodide). No data is sent to any server. No signup required.
Why "Transparent"?
The name reflects our core philosophy:
- Transparent calculations: Every result can be traced back to its source equation. Click any result to see the derivation, substituted values, and references.
- Transparent development: You can inspect and verify any calculation. The methodology is always visible.
- Transparent about AI: Many tools were developed with assistance from AI (Claude, GPT). We believe in being upfront about this rather than hiding it.
Who Made This?
Transparent Tools is a personal project by an engineer who got tired of hunting for reliable online calculators or rebuilding spreadsheets from scratch.
The goal is simple: build the engineering tools I wish existed - fast, accurate, educational, and free of clutter.
AI Transparency: This project uses AI assistants (primarily Claude) for code generation, documentation, and development. Every tool is reviewed and tested, but the AI assistance is a core part of how this project moves quickly. We believe transparency about AI involvement builds trust rather than undermining it.
Design Philosophy
Every tool follows two core principles:
- Progressive Simplicity: Get a useful result in under 10 seconds. Sensible defaults, minimal required inputs, clear primary output.
- Progressive Disclosure: Complexity is available on demand, never forced. Click to see equations, expand for derivations, dig into theory if you want it.
Technology
- Frontend: Pure HTML, CSS, JavaScript (no framework)
- Calculations: Python running in-browser via Pyodide
- Hosting: Netlify (static site, no backend)
Support the Project
Transparent Tools is free and will stay free. If you find it useful, you can support continued development:
- Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi
- Share it with colleagues who might find it useful