To start an optimisation either a geometry can be imported or created with the MSC Apex Modeler. In the following the geometry generation for the Bookshelf with the MSC Apex Modeler is explained step by step:

• With the Geometry Create Tools many different sketching tools can be selected. To create the Design Space for the generative design Bookshelf the Polyline Tool is needed. To create a sketch a plane (in this case y- z-plane) must be selected.

• After selecting the plane, a part inside the model tree is created automatically

• On the right-side options for the Polyline Tool can be set up (e.g. grid size)

• With the Polyline Tool the following sketch is done

• After finishing the sketch, the tool can be closed

  • The sketch automatically converts into a surface

• With the Push/Pull tool a 3D geometry is 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 chosen from the sketching tools and the surface of the 3D geometry as the new sketching plane

• Three circles are created with a radius of 5 mm

• After closing the tool three new surfaces are created

• With the Push/Pull tool the surfaces are selected and pushed completely through the 3D geometry

  • This results in holes inside the geometry which are Void Spaces

• To create bolts for the fixation of the bookshelf the Void Spaces are used as a starting point. They are extended using a new sketch on the same plane with slightly bigger circles with a radius of 8 mm

  • This time the new created surfaces are pushed only 130 mm inside the geometry

  • This creates sections which can be later used as Non-Design Spaces

• Another option to create Void Spaces is to generate new solids and to subtract them with a Boolean operation from the already existing solid

You can find the created Design Space here:

With these steps the Design Space for a Bookshelf is created and the optimisation model setup can start which is described here.