Copy Shapes

The Copy Shapes utility can be used to copy material from one shape file to another.
  • Step-By-Step
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1. Select Copy Shapes in Home > Utilities > Utility Functions > Copy.

2. The Copy Shapes screen appears with options to select the shape file you want to Copy From and the shape file you want to Copy To.

Copy From: Use the Local, Open file..., or Browse job... buttons to select a shape file you want to copy shapes from.

Copy To: Use the Local or Open file... buttons to select a shape file you want to copy shapes to.

Buttons:

selects the local shape file in your current Job.

(Open file...) lets you select a shape file using the Windows file selection window. The conf_mtrl folder in your current version of SDS2 is the default file path that opens in the file selection window. These files are used when creating a new job. They are not the local shape files in your Job(s).

(Browse job...) lets you select the local shape file in a different job. A Select Job window opens where you can select any Job from a Job repository in your current version of SDS2.

Alternative: Press the Cancel button to end this operation.

3. A list of all materials sorted by section size populates the screen. These are the materials found in the Copy From shape file you selected. Uncheck ( ) the boxes for material types if you don't want to see them listed. Optionally check ( ) the box for Show unavailable sizes to display materials that are set to Size Not Available in the Copy From shape file.

Alternative 1: Select the material(s) you want to copy to the Copy To shape file. You can also press the Select All button. Consider whether or not you want to Overwrite material if it exists in the Copy To shape file, and check/uncheck the box accordingly. Then press the OK button to copy the selected shapes.

Alternative 2: Press the Cancel button to end this operation without copying any materials.

Note 1: If you Copy Shapes to the local shape file, all SDS2 programs (Modeling, the Drawing Editor, etc.) must be restarted in order for your current Job to pick up the changes.

Note 2: If the Copy Shapes operation changes the specifications of material already included in the model, you need to Process and Create Solids in order to redesign affected members using the changed specifications.

  • Copy Shapes can be used to overwrite existing materials in the Destination file with specifications contained in the Source file, or you can use it to add material.
  • If you have altered specifications of a material using Edit Material, the Copy Shapes utility can be used to restore the default specifications of the material.
  • If the Copy To file is your local shape file, this operation affects materials that are available in your current Job. If you Copy Shapes to the local shape file, all SDS2 programs (Modeling, the Drawing Editor, etc.) must be restarted in order for your current Job to pick up your changes.
  • If the Copy Shapes operation changes the specifications of material already included in the model, you need to Process and Create Solids in order to redesign affected affected members using the changed specifications.
  • Red or yellow exclamation point icons ( or ) indicate that a setting field is required to be filled out or corrected before the settings can be accepted by clicking OK. Hover your mouse cursor over the icon to make a tooltip appear with more information.