Shape File Management (topic)
On this page :
- Materials listed in a shape file
- The local shape file
- Default shape files: Copy from only
- Archival shape files: Copy to or from
Also see :
- Shapes Properties (for reviewing a shape file)
- Shape file Entry (window)
- Shape File Report (reports the contents of a shape file)
- Shape File Comparison Report (compares two shape files)
Materials listed in a shape file :
Among the types of material that may be included in a shape file are channel , angle , HSS round (pipe), W tee , HSS rectangular (tube), wide flange , joist , welded plate box and welded plate wide flange material.
Plate material and flat bar , square bar and round bar material are not listed in a shape file.
topics | shapes properties | top
Location and purpose: A Job's local shape file is the file named job_mtrl in the main folder of that Job. It lists the section sizes that are available for use in that Job.
The local shape file can be a copy of any shape file. You select which file to copy when you create a new Job. It is recommended that you select one of the archival shape files that are maintained in the conf_mtrl folder (
) that is used by your current version of this program.
The section sizes that you can use in your current Job are limited to the section sizes that are listed in the local shape file.
Also, the specifications contained in the local shape file are used in a full-featured SDS2 program for making calculations involved in connection design . For example, the flange width, weight and depth of materials are all calculated from specifications in the local shape file. Also, the weight of a member's main material in the member's bill of material is based on its weight/length in the local shape file.
topics | shapes properties | top
Default shape files: Use these files to copy from only!
You should not alter the default shape files, but should use them only if you have to restore default values to materials in other shape files that you maintain.
The default shape files are kept in the /conf_mtrl/SDS2 folder for your current version of this program.
The names of the default shape files are the default USA shape file ( dusa_mtrl ), the default Canadian shape file ( dcan_mtrl ), the default Australian shape file ( aus_mtrl ) and the default All shape file ( dall_mtrl ). SDS2 programmers use up-to-date information from AISC or CISC or etc. to create these files.
The default files are automatically updated each time you install a new version of this program over an earlier version.
topics | shapes properties | top
Archival shape files: Users of full-featured SDS2 programs use these files to copy from or to!
The usa_mtrl (USA shape file), can_mtrl (Canadian shape file) and all_mtrl (All shape file) are copies of the default shape files which are placed in the conf_mtrl folder (
Users of a full-featured SDS2 program update these shape files as needed. For example, they may delete from these files materials that are not available in their region or country.
You may wish to select one of these shape files to copy as your local shape file when you create a new job.