Product(s):	OpenBuildings Designer
	Version(s):	2024, 2023 and CONNECT Edition
	Area:	Structural Design
	Subarea:	Parametric Shapes

Problem

Instead of always having to manually enter values when placing rectangular or circular concrete shapes, we'd like to add them to the existing parametric library. But it's not clear exactly how to do that. 

Solution

The way concrete parametric shapes work is much different than steel catalog-based shapes. Where steel shapes are directly pulled from tables in regional MBD files, concrete uses a combination of legacy XML shapes and a mapping file to "convert" them to the updated ProStructures format. For example, the delivered NM dataset includes a number of regional XML files in the \Data folder, whether local or within PW, which is defined by the configuration variable TFDIR_DATA:

 

The "legacy" shape must first exist in the applicable XML file(s) to be used as a source for the mapping process. And, that XML file(s) must be included by the configuration variable STRUCTURAL_SHAPES. 

The mapping file itself is ShapeMapping-Parametric.xml also located in the \Data folder, and defined by the configuration variable BB_SHAPEMAPPING_FILE:

In this example I've opened the AU_Concrete.xml file and copied the rectangular shape SQF900, naming the new version "SQF900ABC", and changed the dimensions to 900x800.  

Then, in the ShapeMapping-Parametric.xml file I copied the last entry UP90x35 and pasted it to the first "empty" spot below, renaming the legacy shape to "SQF900ABC" and changing the dimensions to 900x800 to match the above. 

After restarting OpenBuildings Designer, I can now select "SQF900ABC" from the Parametric Shapes > Rectangle list and it places/measures as 900x800:

 

Also see: https://bentleysystems.service-now.com/community?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0041158