About Shapes

To add a basic shape feature, you need to create a 3D shape under the volume. If the volume is created as product, without 3D shape, you must create a 3D shape manually.

This page discusses:

Basic Shapes

There are two types of basic shapes:

  • Parameter-driven shapes: Pad, cylinder, cone sphere.
    Note: You can only create one basic shape feature inside a 3D Shape.
  • Free shapes: A 3D shape is considered as a free shape when it has not geometric set.
Note: You can create specific geometric set using Sys3DGeometricalSet.

Parameter-Driven Shapes

There are four types of parameter-driven shapes:

  • Pad: Created on the XY plane of the 3D shape, so the center of the rectangle sketch coincides with the origin of the local axis. The extrusion is in the Z direction of the local axis.
  • Cylinder: Created on the XY plane of the 3D shape, so the center of the circle sketch coincides with the origin of the local axis. The extrusion is in the Z direction of the local axis.
  • Sphere: Triangle sketch is created on the XY plane of the 3D shape, so the origin of the local axis is the center of the circle base. The revolution is along the Z axis.
  • Cone: Created on the YZ plane of the 3D shape, so its center coincides with the origin of the local axis. The revolution is along the Z axis.

The default dimension for the shapes is 100 mm.

Feature Types

The following features types are created for parameter-driven shapes:

  • Sys3DGeometricalSet: This specialized HybridBody aggregates the shape feature created for the selected shape type and appears in the tree. You can delete it but you cannot cut or copy it. The content and icon for this object depends on the aggregated shape feature type (Sys3DRevol or Sys3DExtrude).
  • Sys3DExtrude: This specialized feature derives from the GSMExtrude type.
  • Sys3DRevol: This specialized feature derives from the GSMRevol type.
Note: The shape features Sys3DExtrude and Sys3DRevol are not visible in the spec tree.

Geometric Features

Shape Icon Shape Feature Parameters
Pad Sys3DExtrude Base Length, Base Width, Height
Cylinder Sys3DExtrude Base Diameter, Height
Cone Sys3DRevol Base Diameter, Height
Sphere Sys3DRevol Diameter

Changing Shapes

You can change shapes using the data information panel.

  • From a free shape to any parameter-driven shape or vice versa
  • From a parameter-driven shape to another parameter-driven shape

Current Shape Current Dimensions New Shape Computed Dimensions
Pad BL, BW, H Cylinder H' = H, BD'=2*SQRT(BL*BW/PI)
Cone H' = H, BD'=2*SQRT(3*BL*BW/PI)
Sphere D' = 2*(3*BL*BW*H/(4*PI))^1/3
Cylinder BD, H Pad H' = H, BL' = BW' = SQRT(PI*BD*BD/4)
Cone H' = H, BD' = SQRT(3*BD*BD)
Sphere D' = (3*H*BD*BD/2)^1/3
Cone BD, H Pad H' = H, BL' = BW' = SQRT(PI*BD*BD/12)
Cylinder H' = H, BD' = SQRT(BD*BD/3)
Sphere D' = (BD*BD*H/2)^1/3
Sphere D Pad H' = BL' = BW' = (PI*D*D*D/6)^1/3
Cylinder H' = BD' = (2*D*D*D/3)^1/3
Cone H' = BD' = (2*D*D*D)^1/3
Where:
  • BL = current Base Length
  • BW = current Base Width
  • BD = current Base Diameter
  • H = current Height
  • D = current Diameter
  • BL' = computed Base Length
  • BW' = computed Base Width
  • BD' = computed Base Diameter
  • H' = computed Height
  • D' = computed Diameter

From Free to Parameter-Driven Shape

The geometric features and shape feature is created according to the selected shape. Parameters initialize with the default values.

From Parameter-Driven Shape to Free Shape

Based on the shape feature (Sys3DExtrude or Sys3DRevol) a new GSM feature (GSMExtrude or GSMRevol) is created under the part body.

The dimension and color of the existing shape apply to the new GSM feature. The features Sys3DGeometricalSet, Sys3DExtrude, and Sys3DRevol are deleted.

From a Parameter-Driven Shape to Another

If the shape type is switched from one parameter-driven shape to another, the computation of the dimensions is performed as follows:

  • The volume remains the same.
  • The height (if applicable) remains the same.
Note: Default computation also assumes that the Base Width and the Base Length are equal while computing the dimension of a pad.

When changing shape, the following formulas are used to compute the volume and the default dimensions:

  • Pad: Base Length x Base Width x Height
  • Cylinder: PI x Height x (Base Diameter/2)^2
  • Cone: PI x (Height/3)x(Base Diameter/2)^2
  • Sphere: 4/3 x PI x (Diameter/2)^3