IES ShapeBuilder User's Guide
Shape Operations
There are three ways to create shapes in ShapeBuilder: draw generic section parts, select parametric or database shapes, and import shapes from a file. Watch the Creating & Modifying Shapes video for an example of how to create shapes.
Arbitrary polygon parts can be drawn in the Sketch View by selecting from the Ribbon. A drawing grid is typically defined before sketching, but a polygon can be drawn to existing vertex points. Parts have "snap" points and the snap distance can be specified in the tab. Any arbitrary geometry can be constructed by drawing multiple parts connected to or overlapping one another. Once a polygon is drawn, the dimensions of the part cannot be modified.
To use a shape from the database, simply Drag a shape from the with the mouse and position it as needed. Alternatively, double click on the shape to have it appear in the sketch view with its center of gravity located at the origin.
The ability to import DXF, DWG, IGES, STEP, BREP, and CSFDB files into ShapeBuilder provides a direct link to your favorite CAD package. ShapeBuilder cannot import all DXF files, and IES does not control these file formats. Polygons contained in these files do not have materials and are not "nested" or otherwise related. Each polygon is imported independently, and those with a clockwise ordering are assumed to be holes. Each polygon will become an independent "part" in ShapeBuilder. The data is assumed to be in the unit system you choose when prompted by ShapeBuilder. Watch the Importing & Exporting video for an example of how to import shapes from CAD.
You should simplify any DXF file down to purely Model Space objects (just the outlines of the shapes). The DXF file is assumed to contain one or more shape outlines defined as Polyline entities. If your DXF file contains disjointed Line and Arc entities, ShapeBuilder will attempt to create a "closed chain" outline from them, but it may not work. Other entities in the file may or may not be imported properly. It is always recommended that you verify the model is correct after importing into ShapeBuilder.
You can create a shape by describing the outline using x,y coordinate points in a text file. This is useful if you have a complex shape that is not handled by the built-in Parametric Shapes. Simply list the data points in a text file (.txt) that is space, tab, or comma delimited. Here is an example for the outline of an L shape:
cm
0.0, 0.0
2.0, 0.0
2.0, 0.25
0.5, 0.25
0.5, 3.75
0.0, 3.75
0.0, 0.0
The units line is optional; inches are assumed if one of the following is not specified: {in, ft, yd, mm, cm, m}. You do not need to list the first point twice, the shape will be "closed" automatically. Imported shape sizes cannot be modified after import, unlike parametric shapes created within ShapeBuilder. Watch the Importing & Exporting video for an example of how to import shapes from a text file.
When part or parts are selected, their properties can be changed in the . Below are the properties that can be modified many of which are also covered in the training videos.
Each part in your assembled shape is made of a specific material. If all your parts have the same material, your shape is non-composite. For composite shapes you must specify one Base Material, which is a material used in one of the parts.
Also, any part can be turned into a hole by setting its "Is a Hole" property to true in the tab when the part is selected. Holes may be fully contained or may overlap the boundaries of other shapes. Anything "under" the hole part is subtracted. Complex holes can be created out of multiple hole parts. Switch to the Analysis View to see if the shape has been correctly interpreted for analysis. Holes are handled differently between the two Shape Flattening modes. With the Auto mode, you can overlap parts, including holes, to create notch effects. With the Manual mode, holes and other parts must be fully contained or simply touching other parts. See Project Settings for more information on Shape Flattening.
This command disables many of the options in the Modify tab such as: hole, rotation, dimensions, location, etc. This is useful if you want to fix the location of some part(s) so you don't accidentally move it/them while modifying other parts. If you are trying to arrange lots of small parts around one main part, locking the main part can make it easier.
Entering a positive rotation angle causes the selected part(s) to rotate about the part's centroid in a counter-clockwise direction. More rotation options (Quick Rotate Shape and Rotate about a Point) are available in the Shapes tab of the Ribbon.
The Mirror command causes the part to be mirrored about the vertical axis without changing the shapes rotation angle. The Flip command mirrors the part and increases the rotation angle by 180-degrees.
Only the dimensions of parametric shapes can be changed (the dimensions of database or imported parts cannot modified, except by overlapping holes or Merging with other parts). Clicking the Definition option in the will display of graphic of the part with the dimensions defined.
You can specify the exact location of your shape by entering in values for the Centroid, Left, Right, Center, or Polar Center. You may use mathematical expressions in these boxes to add or subtract a specific distance from the current location. You can also move parts using mouse or keyboard commands or using the Move commands in the tab.
The Array command automatically generates an array of the part(s) selected. The number of parts and the spacing of the parts can be modified and the arrangement of the array can be changed from rectangular to polar. Parametric shapes remain editable (size) while arrayed. The Explode Shape Array command from the tab can be used to turn the array into several independent parts.
The Split command (from the tab) allows you to slice a shape into two parts either horizontally or vertically at the centroid or a specified location. The resulting shapes, unless they are rectangular, will not be parametric shapes with editable dimensions.
Some commands are only valid when more than one part is selected. All of these commands are located in the tab and are described below. While the merge, intersect, and subtract commands can be used they are typically not required as ShapeBuilder automatically performs these operations when it "flattens" the shape. Watch the Shape Flattening video for more on this topic.
The Merge command combines multiple shapes into a single shape. If you merge parametric shapes, you will no longer be able to edit their dimensions. Therefore, you may wish to save a copy of your project for editing before merging shapes. For this command to be available the shapes must be touching and all shapes to be merged need to be selected. You cannot merge shapes with different materials. You can merge a shape with holes to create a part reduced by the holes (this will cause the original holes to vanish).
This command creates new shapes from the intersection of two (and only two) parts. Intersecting complex parts can result in multiple parts or holes. Only the resulting shapes that are rectangular will be parametric shapes with editable dimensions.
You can subtract overlapping holes from a part to create the net piece. If the original is parametric, you may lose the ability to edit the dimensions.
The Snap commands move two shapes together so that they touch or align left-to-right or top-to-bottom. You can also snap a shape's vertex to any other shape's vertex, by dragging one vertex towards the other. As you get close (within 1/8th of an inch) you will see your shape jump to that point and a large circle will flash to indicate that they have snapped.
A variety of alignment and spacing commands are available so that you can easily position your parts relative to each other.