Creating Elements from an External File

You can create points, curves, and multi-sections surfaces from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet containing macros.

In this file, you can define:

  • the point space coordinates
  • the points through which the curves pass
  • the curves used as profiles for the multi-sections surface.

Before you begin:

  • Only Excel sheets created with Excel 97 and subsequent versions are supported. Ensure you have Windows TM installed on your machine.

  • Create a 3D shape containing geometric elements.

  1. Create an Excel sheet and enable the macros.
    The document can look like this:



    It contains:

    • instructions, such as StartMulti-SectionsSurface and EndMulti-SectionsSurface, StartCurve and EndCurve between which other instructions or numerical data are given.
    • numerical data that are point space coordinates: X, Y, Z respectively from the left to the right.
    • a final End instruction.

    In the above example, a multi-sections surface is to be created based on three curves. The first and second curve pass through four points, and the third curve passes through five points.

    The elements will be created from top to bottom, that is, the four points of the first curve will be created, then the curve itself, then the points making up the second curve and the latter itself, and so forth.

    Tip: You can add rows to create more elements or delete rows to edit elements or delete them (point), then save the spreadsheet.
  2. From Excel, select View > Macros > View Macros.
    The Macro dialog box appears.
  3. Select the corresponding macro.
  4. Click Run.
    The User Info dialog box appears.
  5. Enter the type of element to be generated:

    • 1: to generate only the point(s).

    • 2: to generate the points and the curve(s).

    • 3: to generate the points, curves and multi-sections surfaces.

  6. Click OK.
    The elements (points, curves, and multi-sections surface) are created in the geometry. The tree is updated accordingly.



    Important:
    • The Generative Shape Design apps does not need to be loaded, provided a session is running and a 3D shape representation is loaded.
    • The curve definition is limited to 500 points, and the multi-sections surface definition to 50 splines, with the delivered macro. This can be modified using the Excel macro edition capabilities.