To start an optimization either a geometry can be imported or created with the Apex Modeler. In the following the geometry creation for the Bookshelf with the Apex Modeler is shown:
With the geometry create tools many different sketching tools can be selected. To create the Design space for the generativ designed Bookshelf the polyline tool is needed. To create a sketch a plane must be selected.
After selecting the plane automatically a part inside the model tree is created
On the right side options for the polyline sketching tool can be set up (e.g. grid size)
With the polyline tool the following sketch can be done
After finishing the sketch the tool box can be closed
The sketch will convert automatically into a surface
With the Push/Pull tool a 3D geometry can be generated
In this case the surface is pulled by 150 mm
To create Void spaces another sketch is needed
Therefore the center point circle tool is choosen from the sketching tools and the the surface of the 3D geometry as the new sketching plane
Three circels are created with a radius of 5 mm
After closing the tool box three new surfaces are created
With the Push/Pull tool the surfaces can be selected and be pushed completly through the 3D geometry
This results in holes inside the geometry which work as Void spaces
The Void spaces are getting extended by a new sketch on the same plane with slightly bigger circles with a radius of 8 mm
This time the new created surfaces get only pushed 130 mm inside the geometry
This creates sections which can be later used as Nondesign spaces
Another option to create Void spaces is to generate new solids and to subtract them with a boolean operation from the alreadys existing solid
Finally the Design space for a Bookshelf is created
Now the optimization model setup can start which is discribed here