IES ShapeBuilder User's Guide
Training Videos
You will find the following videos below, showcasing several features available in ShapeBuilder.
ShapeBuilder determines the geometric and structural section properties for variety of complex shapes made from almost any material. ShapeBuilder also performs a finite element analysis to calculate the torsion properties for any arbitrary cross-section and to calculate the stresses on the cross-section from the loads you apply.
Import shapes from a DXF or text file, draw your own custom shapes, or build up shapes from parametric parts or by choosing shapes from numerous manufactured shape databases. The analysis results are easily exported to a text file or to excel. The shapes can be exported to a DXF file or to the IES Shape Database for use in other IES applications, such as VisualAnalysis.
In ShapeBuilder, it is easy to create and modify shapes. Shapes can be created from standard parametric parts, by selecting parts from numerous manufactured shape databases, or by drawing your own custom parts. Also, you can import shapes from several different file formats including DXF, STEP, and text files. Shapes are easy to modify to create the exact cross-section that you need.
ShapeBuilder provides quick and easy ways to position shapes relative to each other. Several tools are available for snapping, aligning, and spacing shapes to help you quickly achieve the desired cross-section.
In ShapeBuilder, any shape can be set as a hole to remove area from another shape. Holes are a powerful and easy-to-use feature to help you achieve the final shape that you need.
In ShapeBuilder, you can use polar coordinates, polar arrays, and polar grids to position shapes exactly as needed. This makes it easy to create cross-sections with circular patterns that would be cumbersome to produce in the standard Cartesian coordinate system.
Dimensions and text labels can help you effectively document your work in ShapeBuilder. Simply, create the exact dimensions you need or let ShapeBuilder automatically generate dimensions for you. Text labels and dimensions are adaptable and can always be repositioned and modified so that they appear exactly as needed in your report.
ShapeBuilder can automatically ‘flatten’ the model for you by merging touching parts, removing overlaps, and subtracting holes. You have the option to override this feature and manually flatten the model. This option is useful when trying to model a shape that is contained inside of a hole, for example.
ShapeBuilder will calculate the First Moment of Area and the Shear Flow for individual parts or at the horizontal and vertical locations that you specify. This allows you to easily determine the shear flow at any location on the cross-section.
ShapeBuilder can calculate the geometric, principal, polar, and plastic section properties for a shape. Also, the torsion section properties, normal stresses, shear stresses, and the warping function for a cross-section can be determined in ShapeBuilder. The results that are available depend on the number of boundaries in your model, on the number and type of materials you use, and on the loads you apply.
In ShapeBuilder, you can easily import shapes from a DXF or text file, export shapes to a DXF file, and export the analysis results to a text file or to excel. The shapes you create in ShapeBuilder can also be exported to the IES Shape Database for use in other IES applications, such as VisualAnalysis.