Shop Solver

Define Commands

The Define commands provide comprehensive methods for defining a wide assortment of geometric types and operations upon them.  Definitions are modeled in the style of APT geometric statements.  (APT is a computer language for programming numerically controlled tools.   APT knowledge/experience is not required to use Shop Solver.)  In some cases Shop Solver's implementation is different from APT as described in Note 2 below.

Shop Solver evaluates definitions in real-time.  For example, if you define a point as the intersection of 2 lines then the point's coordinate is calculated as soon as the point definition is saved.

Point
Line
Circle
Plane
Cylinder
Ellipse
Vector
Sphere
Hyperbola
Pattern

The figure below shows an example of a definition tool:



The left side of the tool is the list of currently defined geometrics stored in memory.  A point and a circle are defined and the circle definition is selected.  The circle's definition is:

C1=CIRCLE/CENTER,P1,RADIUS,1.0

The right side of the tool shows how the circle is defined.  The definition title is "Circle: Center Point and Radius".  This definition has 3 fields:  Name, Point and Radius.  The Name  field defines the circle's name, the Point  field defines the center point of the circle, and the Radius  field is the circle's radius.  The Name  field is a simple text field.  The Point  field is a drop-down list from which you can select any currently defined points.  The Radius  field is a numeric input field called an "Expression Box."  It, and all numeric input fields in Shop Solver, can evaluate mathematical expressions such as (1+2)*3 and sqrt(3^2+4^2).

Click the Help  link for an explanation of the current definition and its fields.

This circle definition has a reference to a point which must be defined first.  The "..." button to the right of the Point  field is called the Nest Button.  You can use the Nest Button  whenever an appropriate geometric has not already been defined.  It displays a menu of definition commands appropriate to the geometric being selected.  In this case a menu of point definition commands appears.  Selecting an item on the menu takes you directly to that definition tool.  After saving that definition you are returned to the current definition tool with the new geometric already selected.  To return to the previous definition tool without saving press the Escape key.

After filling in all of the definition fields and clicking the Save  button, the geometric's metrics are displayed below the definition fields.  The metrics area displays whatever metrics are appropriate to the defined geometric.  The mathematical equation is also shown for most geometrics.

To edit an existing geometric double-click its definition in the list on the left.  To delete a definition right-click on it and select "Delete" from the pop-up menu (see Note 1 below).  To copy all definitions in the list to the clipboard right-click anywhere in the list and select "Copy All" from the pop-up menu.  To plot the definitions right-click anywhere in the list and select "Plot" from the pop-up menu.

Note 1
Shop Solver maintains a list of backward references for all geometric definitions.  A reference is when a geometric definition refers to another previously defined geometric.  A definition cannot be deleted if another definition is referencing it.  For example, in the figure above circle C1 has a reference to point P1.  Therefore P1 cannot be deleted until all definitions referencing it are deleted (in this case circle C1).  In addition, modifying a referenced geometric automatically updates the geometric referencing it.  In this example C1 is automatically updated when the definition of P1 changes.

Note 2
Shop Solver does not require or use an APT compiler.

Shop Solver and APT differ in how some geometrics are stored and operated upon.  For example, a line in APT is treated as a plane perpendicular to the XY plane.  Shop Solver defines a line as passing through 2 points in 3-space.  The difference manifests when finding the intersection of 2 lines.  For example, the perpendicular lines in the following definitions are both at Z1.0:

L1=LINE/0,0,1.0,1.0,0,1.0     $$ 1 unit above the X axis
L2=LINE/0,0,1.0,0,1.0,1.0     $$ 1 unit above the Y axis
P1=POINT/INTOF,L1,L2

In APT the coordinate of point P1 is X0 Y0 Z0.  In Shop Solver P1 is at X0 Y0 Z1.0.

Another difference is in how circles are treated.  APT defines a circle as a cylinder perpendicular to the XY plane.  Shop Solver makes no such assumption.  Again, the different implementations sometimes yield different results when intersections are calculated.  And there may be other differences in how various geometrics are treated.