Method for determining an active surface of a forming tool for producing a complex formed part with a target geometry by performing a drawing type of forming process on a workpiece comprising: simulating a forming operation on the workpiece by means of a zero tool for producing a first configuration of the workpiece, the zero tool representing a forming tool which has an active surface geometry that corresponds to the desired target geometry of the workpiece; and simulating an elastic springback of the workpiece from the first configuration into a second configuration, which is largely free of external forces, the simulation being performed on the basis of an elastic-plastic material model of the workpiece; or describing the first configuration and the second configuration by an accumulation of topological points; calculating a deviation vector field with deviation vectors between the first configuration and the second configuration; carrying out a non-linear structural-mechanical finite-element simulation on the workpiece, the workpiece being deformed by the non-linear structural-mechanical finite-element simulation from the first configuration or the second configuration into a target configuration by using deviation vectors of the deviation vector field, characterized in that the following steps are carried out in the non-linear structural-mechanical finite-element simulation: defining at least three fixing points (FIX1, FIX2, FIX3, FIX4) of the first configuration or the second configuration, the fixing points being intended to remain unchanged with respect to their position during the non-linear structural-mechanical finite-element simulation; fixing the first configuration or the second configuration at the fixing points; approximating the configuration of the workpiece to the target configuration outside the fixing points by means of calculating forces or displacements while taking into account the stiffness of the workpiece until the target configuration is achieved; specifying the achieved target configuration as the active surface for the forming tool. simulating a forming operation on the workpiece by means of a zero tool for producing a first configuration of the workpiece, the zero tool representing a forming tool which has an active surface geometry that corresponds to the desired target geometry of the workpiece; and simulating an elastic springback of the workpiece from the first configuration into a second configuration, which is largely free of external forces, the simulation being performed on the basis of an elastic-plastic material model of the workpiece; or describing the first configuration and the second configuration by an accumulation of topological points; calculating a deviation vector field with deviation vectors between the first configuration and the second configuration; carrying out a non-linear structural-mechanical finite-element simulation on the workpiece, the workpiece being deformed by the non-linear structural-mechanical finite-element simulation from the first configuration or the second configuration into a target configuration by using deviation vectors of the deviation vector field, characterized in that the following steps are carried out in the non-linear structural-mechanical finite-element simulation: defining at least three fixing points (FIX1, FIX2, FIX3, FIX4) of the first configuration or the second configuration, the fixing points being intended to remain unchanged with respect to their position during the non-linear structural-mechanical finite-element simulation; fixing the first configuration or the second configuration at the fixing points; approximating the configuration of the workpiece to the target configuration outside the fixing points by means of calculating forces or displacements while taking into account the stiffness of the workpiece until the target configuration is achieved; specifying the achieved target configuration as the active surface for the forming tool. defining at least three fixing points (FIX1, FIX2, FIX3, FIX4) of the first configuration or the second configuration, the fixing points being intended to remain unchanged with respect to their position during the non-linear structural-mechanical finite-element simulation; fixing the first configuration or the second configuration at the fixing points; approximating the configuration of the workpiece to the target configuration outside the fixing points by means of calculating forces or displacements while taking into account the stiffness of the workpiece until the target configuration is achieved; specifying the achieved target configuration as the active surface for the forming tool.