Product(s):	ProStructures, ProSteel
Version(s):	CONNECT Edition
Environment:	N/A
Area:	Utilities
Subarea:	Utilities
Original Author:	Alistair Lobo, Product Advantage Group

Overview

In certain instances while modelling steel structures, there may be a requirement of a customized shape. By means of the ‘User shape’ tool, you can create your own library of cross-sectional shapes that can be placed and extruded into any model with same properties, that a ProSteel standard shape has.

This document will guide you on how to select and create user shapes, as well as their placement in the drawing model.

Method

1) Create a shape of poly lines as per your requirement.



2) Navigate to Steel > Utilities > Utilities > Create User Shape.



3) Click on the ‘+’ sign near User Shapes, then select one of the existing folders and right click and click on Create catalog.



4) Now, right click on the newly created catalog and select  Create user shape. Give it a name.



5) Now right click on the newly created shape and select Create normal resolution option. 



6) Now the ProStructures command will prompt you to select an outer polyline for the shape, then an inner polyline along with a mid-point and user defined insertion points.



After this, the ‘User Shape Properties’ dialog box will pop up, here you can fill in the name, material and weight of the new shape you are creating and then say OK.



7) Now your User shape is created. To place the same in your model, you can click on the ‘Shapes’ button and in the Shape type, select ‘User Shapes’ and then in the Shape class and size you need to recognize the shape and select it, then place it in your model.






In this way one can create User Shapes of any outline with interior holes and thickness variation.