Shapes

In Sym3, a Shape is a 3D model. Sym3 supports only the .obj 3D file format (Wavefront). You can import an .obj file and it will be saved inside the sym3 project file.

You can use Shapes to:

• Change the 3d shape of a product. By default it is a cube (0.5m or 1.64 feet)
• Use it as a custom shape in a Basic Shape.

IMPORTANT

For graphics performance it is important to use low polygon (low-poly) objects, especially if:

• You are using Sym3 Operator web,
• You are using lot of instances of a shape.

Create new shapes

You can create new shapes by importing an .obj 3D file by:

• Using the Project Explorer > System > Shapes and right-click New.... You will be asked to select a valid .obj file.
• You can directly drag and drop .obj files from Windows Explorer directly in the project explorer. This is a nice feature if you want to create multiple shapes all at once (by dropping multiple .obj files).

Properties

Using the Property Editor, you have access to the properties and actions detailed below.

Model

Provides a preview of the 3D object.

Some basic tools are provided:

• Toggle Background Color: Toggle the background color: dark/light.
• Show/Hide Axis: Show/hide a XYZ axis (Red, Green, Blue).
• Show/Hide Unit Cube: Show/hide a cube of 1 unit (1 meter or 1 feet) at position 0, 0, 0.
• Zoom to Fit: to reset the view. The mouse shortcut is: Middle Mouse Double Click.
• Extract 3D Model File: Allows you to extract the .obj file saved in the Sym3 project file.

Parts

List of parts as defined in the .obj file and allows you to change the default color.

Sym3 will read the Material file (.mtl) (if provided) to get the default diffuse color.

Visual

Name	Description	Default
X Offset	Offset for the X axis	0
Y Offset	Offset for the Y axis	0
Z Offset	Offset for the Z axis	0
Direction	Change the direction of the object	0
Tilt	Change the tilt of the object	0
Roll	Change the roll of the object	0
Scale X	Scale the object in the X axis	1
Scale Y	Scale the object in the Y axis	1
Scale Z	Scale the object in the Z axis	1

While it is possible to change those above values in Sym3, we recommend importing a clean and properly scaled object.

Tools

• Center to Middle: Change all vertices of the 3d shape so the center of the object is in the middle of the bounding box.
• Center to Bottom: Change all vertices of the 3d shape so the center of the object is at the bottom/center of the bounding box.

How to use

Change the product shape

You can change the default shape of a product:

• In the Project Explorer, select the System node on the top,
• Open the Property Editor if it is not open,
• Change the shape in Product > Shape

You can also change the product shape in simulation script

Change the shape of a Basic Shape

You can use the shape using the Basic Shape:

• Create a basic Shape,
• Change the Model to Custom,
• Set the Shape to the shape you want.