shape "global settings" command?

is there a text command that brings up the settings in Shape, similar to any intellicad software?
I would like to know where I can change the global settings of the software...

Also, when I have shape already opened with a drawing, and start a NEW additional drawing, there is no way to setup the units (cm, mm, etc.) in the new drawing...
Only if I close shape, restart it and then start immediately a new drawing, I can setup the units. Otherwise it is impossible.
But perhaps there is some generic command (like in any autocad-clone) that would bring up some settings menu...

Thanks in advance...

Comments

  • @Horia - BricsCAD Shape is not an AutoCAD clone. It is a stripped down version of BricsCAD BIM, and it is a free software with limited functionality. What you are asking for is available in the paid versions of BricsCAD.

  • Horia
    edited April 2019

    I found a command called "COMMANDS", which lists in the F2-window all the commands of Shape. I could not find any "settings" command there...

    For anybody interested, these are the shape commands, as of today, V 19.2.06:

    BricsCAD internal and external commands:

    External:

    [Convert]
    CONVERTOLDLIGHTS, CONVERTOLDLIGHTS
    CONVERTOLDMATERIALS, CONVERTOLDMATERIALS

    [BIMCommands]
    -BIMINSERT, -BIMINSERT
    -BIMWINDOWCREATE, -BIMWINDOWCREATE
    BIMAPPLYPROFILE, BIMAPPLYPROFILE
    BIMCOPY, BIMCOPY
    BIMDRAG, BIMDRAG
    BIMFLIP, BIMFLIP
    BIMINSERT, BIMINSERT
    BIMLINEARSOLID, BIMLINEARSOLID
    BIMMULTISELECT, BIMMULTISELECT
    BIMQUICKDRAW, BIMQUICKDRAW
    BIMSECTION, BIMSECTION
    BIMSPLIT, BIMSPLIT
    BIMSTRETCH, BIMSTRETCH
    BIMWINDOWCREATE, BIMWINDOWCREATE
    BIMWINDOWUPDATE, BIMWINDOWUPDATE

    [Mechanical]
    BMCREATECOMPONENT, BMCREATECOMPONENT
    BMINSERT, BMINSERT

    [BDMCommands]
    DMCHAMFER, DMCHAMFER
    DMCOPYFACES, DMCOPYFACES
    DMDEFORMCURVE, DMDEFORMCURVE
    DMDEFORMMOVE, DMDEFORMMOVE
    DMDEFORMPOINT, DMDEFORMPOINT
    DMEXTRUDE, DMEXTRUDE
    DMFILLET, DMFILLET
    DMGROUP, DMGROUP
    DMMOVE, DMMOVE
    DMPUSHPULL, DMPUSHPULL
    DMREVOLVE, DMREVOLVE
    DMROTATE, DMROTATE
    DMSELECT, DMSELECT
    DMSELECTEDGES, DMSELECTEDGES
    DMSIMPLIFY, DMSIMPLIFY
    DMSIMPLIFYALL, DMSIMPLIFYALL
    DMSTITCH, DMSTITCH
    DMTHICKEN, DMTHICKEN
    DMTWIST, DMTWIST
    LCONNECT, LCONNECT
    TCONNECT, TCONNECT
    XFACES, XFACES

    [ODA Export Commands]
    TFLOAD, TFLOAD
    TFSAVE, TFSAVE
    XMLSAVE, XMLSAVE

    Internal:

    [BRICSCAD_CMDS]
    -ARRAY, -ARRAY
    -ARRAYCLOSE, -ARRAYCLOSE
    -BLOCK, -BLOCK
    -COLOR, -COLOR
    -FBXEXPORT, -FBXEXPORT
    -HYPERLINK, -HYPERLINK
    -IMAGEATTACH, -IMAGEATTACH
    -IMPORT, -IMPORT
    -INSERT, -INSERT
    -LAYER, -LAYER
    -PAN, -PAN
    -PURGE, -PURGE
    -RENAME, -RENAME
    -RENDER, -RENDER
    -TEXT, -TEXT
    -VIEW, -VIEW
    -WBLOCK, -WBLOCK
    3DARRAY, 3DARRAY
    3DFACE, 3DFACE
    3DMESH, 3DMESH
    3DPOLY, 3DPOLY
    ABOUT, ABOUT
    ARC, ARC
    ARRAY, ARRAY
    ARRAYCLOSE, ARRAYCLOSE
    ARRAYEDIT, ARRAYEDIT
    ARRAYEDITEXT, ARRAYEDITEXT
    ARRAYPATH, ARRAYPATH
    ARRAYPOLAR, ARRAYPOLAR
    ARRAYRECT, ARRAYRECT
    AUDIT, AUDIT
    BACKGROUND, BACKGROUND
    BASE, BASE
    BLIPMODE, BLIPMODE
    BLOCK, BLOCK
    BMPOUT, BMPOUT
    BOX, BOX
    BREAK, BREAK
    BROWSER, BROWSER
    CAMERA, CAMERA
    CHAMFER, CHAMFER
    CHANGE, CHANGE
    CHPROP, CHPROP
    CIRCLE, CIRCLE
    CLEANSCREENOFF, CLEANSCREENOFF
    CLEANSCREENON, CLEANSCREENON
    CLEANUNUSEDVARIABLES, CLEANUNUSEDVARIABLES
    CLIPDISPLAY, CLIPDISPLAY
    CLOSE, CLOSE
    CLOUDACCOUNT, CLOUDACCOUNT
    CLOUDDOWNLOAD, CLOUDDOWNLOAD
    CLOUDLOGOFF, CLOUDLOGOFF
    CLOUDLOGON, CLOUDLOGON
    CLOUDOPEN, CLOUDOPEN
    CLOUDPROJECT, CLOUDPROJECT
    CLOUDUPLOAD, CLOUDUPLOAD
    COLOR, COLOR
    COMMANDLINE, COMMANDLINE
    COMMANDLINEHIDE, COMMANDLINEHIDE
    COMMANDS, COMMANDS
    CONE, CONE
    CONVTOMESH, CONVTOMESH
    CONVTOSOLID, CONVTOSOLID
    CONVTOSURFACE, CONVTOSURFACE
    COPY, COPY
    COPYBASE, COPYBASE
    COPYCLIP, COPYCLIP
    COPYHIST, COPYHIST
    CUTCLIP, CUTCLIP
    CYLINDER, CYLINDER
    DDEDIT, DDEDIT
    DISH, DISH
    DIST, DIST
    DISTANTLIGHT, DISTANTLIGHT
    DOME, DOME
    DWGPROPS, DWGPROPS
    ELLIPSE, ELLIPSE
    ERASE, ERASE
    EXPLODE, EXPLODE
    EXPORT, EXPORT
    EXTEND, EXTEND
    EXTRUDE, EXTRUDE
    FILEOPEN, FILEOPEN
    FILLET, FILLET
    GENERATEBOUNDARY, GENERATEBOUNDARY
    GEOGRAPHICLOCATION, GEOGRAPHICLOCATION
    GRAPHSCR, GRAPHSCR
    HELIX, HELIX
    HIDE, HIDE
    HIDEOBJECTS, HIDEOBJECTS
    HYPERLINK, HYPERLINK
    ID, ID
    IMAGEATTACH, IMAGEATTACH
    IMAGECLIP, IMAGECLIP
    IMAGEFRAME, IMAGEFRAME
    IMAGEQUALITY, IMAGEQUALITY
    IMPORT, IMPORT
    IMPRINT, IMPRINT
    INSERT, INSERT
    INSERTALIGNED, INSERTALIGNED
    INTERSECT, INTERSECT
    INVOKETESTAPP, INVOKETESTAPP
    ISOLATEOBJECTS, ISOLATEOBJECTS
    JOIN, JOIN
    LAYCUR, LAYCUR
    LAYMCUR, LAYMCUR
    LIGHT, LIGHT
    LINE, LINE
    LIST, LIST
    LOFT, LOFT
    LOOKFROM, LOOKFROM
    MAIL, MAIL
    MANIPULATE, MANIPULATE
    MATCHPERSPECTIVE, MATCHPERSPECTIVE
    MATCHPROP, MATCHPROP
    MATERIALASSIGN, MATERIALASSIGN
    MATERIALMAP, MATERIALMAP
    MIRROR, MIRROR
    MIRROR3D, MIRROR3D
    MOVE, MOVE
    NAVIGATE, NAVIGATE
    NEW, NEW
    OFFSET, OFFSET
    OOPS, OOPS
    OPEN, OPEN
    ORTHOGONAL, ORTHOGONAL
    PACKAGE, PACKAGE
    PAN, PAN
    PASTEBLOCK, PASTEBLOCK
    PASTECLIP, PASTECLIP
    PASTEORIG, PASTEORIG
    PASTESPEC, PASTESPEC
    PEDIT, PEDIT
    PEDITEXT, PEDITEXT
    PLAN, PLAN
    PLINE, PLINE
    POINTLIGHT, POINTLIGHT
    POLYGON, POLYGON
    POLYSOLID, POLYSOLID
    PREVIEW, PREVIEW
    PRINT, PRINT
    PROJECTGEOMETRY, PROJECTGEOMETRY
    PURGE, PURGE
    PYRAMID, PYRAMID
    QNEW, QNEW
    QPRINT, QPRINT
    QSAVE, QSAVE
    QUIT, QUIT
    RECORDRAWINPUT, RECORDRAWINPUT
    RECOVER, RECOVER
    RECOVERALL, RECOVERALL
    RECTANG, RECTANG
    REDO, REDO
    REDRAW, REDRAW
    REDRAWALL, REDRAWALL
    REDSDKINFO, REDSDKINFO
    REGEN, REGEN
    REGENALL, REGENALL
    REGENAUTO, REGENAUTO
    RENDER, RENDER
    RENDERWINCLOSE, RENDERWINCLOSE
    ROTATE, ROTATE
    ROTATE3D, ROTATE3D
    RTLOOK, RTLOOK
    RTPAN, RTPAN
    RTROT, RTROT
    RTROTCTR, RTROTCTR
    RTROTF, RTROTF
    RTROTX, RTROTX
    RTROTY, RTROTY
    RTROTZ, RTROTZ
    RTUPDOWN, RTUPDOWN
    RTWALK, RTWALK
    RTZOOM, RTZOOM
    RULESURF, RULESURF
    SAVE, SAVE
    SAVEALL, SAVEALL
    SAVEAS, SAVEAS
    SAVEFILEFOLDER, SAVEFILEFOLDER
    SCALE, SCALE
    SCRIPT, SCRIPT
    SELECT, SELECT
    SELECTALIGNEDFACES, SELECTALIGNEDFACES
    SELECTALIGNEDSOLIDS, SELECTALIGNEDSOLIDS
    SELECTCONNECTEDFACES, SELECTCONNECTEDFACES
    SELECTCONNECTEDSOLIDS, SELECTCONNECTEDSOLIDS
    SELECTSIMILAR, SELECTSIMILAR
    SELGRIPS, SELGRIPS
    SHAPE, SHAPE
    SLICE, SLICE
    SOLIDEDIT, SOLIDEDIT
    SPHERE, SPHERE
    SPOTLIGHT, SPOTLIGHT
    STATBAR, STATBAR
    STATUS, STATUS
    STLOUT, STLOUT
    SUBTRACT, SUBTRACT
    SUPPORTFOLDER, SUPPORTFOLDER
    SWEEP, SWEEP
    TEMPLATEFOLDER, TEMPLATEFOLDER
    TESTDBUSERIO, TESTDBUSERIO
    TESTDLG, TESTDLG
    TESTFATAL, TESTFATAL
    TESTINTERNAL, TESTINTERNAL
    TEXT, TEXT
    TEXTSCR, TEXTSCR
    TORUS, TORUS
    TRANSPARENCY, TRANSPARENCY
    TRIM, TRIM
    U, U
    UCS, UCS
    UCSICON, UCSICON
    UNDO, UNDO
    UNION, UNION
    UNISOLATEOBJECTS, UNISOLATEOBJECTS
    URL, URL
    VIEWRES, VIEWRES
    WBLOCK, WBLOCK
    WCLOSE, WCLOSE
    WEBLIGHT, WEBLIGHT
    WEDGE, WEDGE
    XEDGES, XEDGES
    XLINE, XLINE
    XPLODE, XPLODE
    ZOOM, ZOOM

    End of List.

  • Horia
    edited April 2019

    @Per Gogstad said:
    @Horia - BricsCAD Shape is not an AutoCAD clone. It is a stripped down version of BricsCAD BIM, and it is a free software with limited functionality. What you are asking for is available in the paid versions of BricsCAD.

    Thank you for your reply (regarding no availability of a basic thing: units setup! great! :) )

    Well, why discuss about clones or not clones? Shape is using all the autocad commands (and even same shortcuts, like "L" for "line") as all other Intellicad-based programms do too. Of course Shape is a stripped down version of BricsCAD, but this is not relevant, as the original source of its commands and also of its working methods is still the old Autocad.

    I would like to remind to you and to any other Bricsys defender and lover, that Bricsys shows in its advertising videos that SHAPE is the tool to start with, when one does a PROFESSIONAL BIM project. This is what they say. So if they ask me, as a potential customer (I really would like to buy, but first I test!) to use first SHAPE in order to build the BIM model, I do this as instrructed!!! And I observe that I get into much trouble, which is usually typical for unrefinded CAD products, that do say something in the advertising but do not work well in reality.

    I had a lot of trouble to understand what was happening: Created a new drawing from scratch, and the doors and windows were completely out of scale. There was no way to setup the units.
    I had to try a lot until I understood what it is happening. In the end I discovered what I have already written here above!

    It is a shame that these problems are not adressed AT ALL in SHAPE support documents, and that SHAPE's serious technical documentation is similarily zero, like it is also for the case of other clone CADs.

    If shape is just a toy to attract customers, than please state it accordingly, and do not claim it is a software to use when an architect wants to build a BIM model with Bricsys BIM software!

  • Thanks for the interesting Command Listing.

    I really like OOPS and PAN, PAN :)
    (Although I think they won't do what I would expect)

  • So if it is intendet to start with SHAPE and then refine the whole stuff in Bricsys BIM, how does an architect work with SHAPE, how should he setup everything (as this it the starting point: SHAPE) if he does not have the possibility to setup units, if he does not start SHAPE completely anew, but has already an open drawing next to the NEW drawing that he is just creating?
    How should he discover that the software has a negligent bug, as it ignores units settings in that case?

    This is a real problem, and I kindly ask everybody here to stop explaining to me (in a condescendant way) what SHAPE is in reality, each time I simply ask why something is not working. Shape should work, it should be a part of a professional suite, and not something that you ask yourself each 10 minutes why it is not working as expected.

  • @Horia - all what you have in BricsCAD Shape is available in BricsCAD BIM. If you really want to test BricsCAD BIM, you should try the full trial and not Shape. You will also find better descriptions and tutorials for BricsCAD BIM than for Shape.

    https://help.bricsys.com/hc/en-us/categories/360000408774-BricsCAD-BIM

  • Horia
    edited April 2019

    @Michael Mayer said:
    Thanks for the interesting Command Listing.

    I really like OOPS and PAN, PAN :)
    (Although I think they won't do what I would expect)

    Dear Michael, if you like commands, I show you another trick, in case you don't know it:
    type "COMMANDLINE" into Shape! You will be surprised that it starts showing the usual 5-line text part, below the drawing screen (As in any other autocad clone!) .
    if you type COMMANDLINEHIDE, than the same command text "area" will disappear again.
    (these details are of course nowhere covered in the SHAPE documentation!)
    This is for shure for the programmers themselves. They show us a "simple" SHAPE UI, but of course any real professional works with typed commands , not (only) with quads and other graphic things. It is simply faster.

  • @Per Gogstad said:
    @Horia - all what you have in BricsCAD Shape is available in BricsCAD BIM. If you really want to test BricsCAD BIM, you should try the full trial and not Shape. You will also find better descriptions and tutorials for BricsCAD BIM than for Shape.

    https://help.bricsys.com/hc/en-us/categories/360000408774-BricsCAD-BIM

    Thank you!
    In that case, Bricsys has a problem of communication to customers! I did not read anywhere that SHAPE and BIM are overlapping. Even the promotional video shows that one has to use SHAPE to start building the BIM model. So... again the same problem. Bad/missing information...

  • Per Gogstad
    edited April 2019

    BricsCAD Shape in 10 Minutes Webinar

    https://youtu.be/-IMMk-uG_XM

    BricsCAD BIM - Workflow Overview with Heidi Hewett

    https://youtu.be/GAmOuJ9gqkc

  • Regarding the original question:
    The units selected in the Start dialog define the default template that will be used during that session. IMO this make sense.

    @Horia:
    You are critical of this forum's etiquette. Looking at your own contributions this is rather surprising.

  • @Per Gogstad said:
    BricsCAD Shape in 10 Minutes Webinar

    https://youtu.be/-IMMk-uG_XM

    BricsCAD BIM - Workflow Overview with Heidi Hewett

    https://youtu.be/GAmOuJ9gqkc

    Thank you!
    I already saw these videos! My comments above relate to the video of Heidi Hewett exactly! > @Roy Klein Gebbinck said:

    Regarding the original question:
    The units selected in the Start dialog define the default template that will be used during that session. IMO this make sense.

    @Horia:
    You are critical of this forum's etiquette. Looking at your own contributions this is rather surprising.

  • Horia
    edited April 2019

    @Roy Klein Gebbinck said:
    Regarding the original question:
    The units selected in the Start dialog define the default template that will be used during that session. IMO this make sense.

    @Horia:
    You are critical of this forum's etiquette. Looking at your own contributions this is rather surprising.

    in your opinion, that setting might be enough! But if you read my argumentation, you will understand that it is not enough, and that there is a usecase that is not foreseen by the programmers, and causes havoc!

    "Etiquette" means a formal way of communicating. I am not talking about etiquette, but about wrong ideas, about things that do not correspond to reality, or are contradictory.

  • Roy Klein Gebbinck
    edited April 2019

    Bricsys has decided to hide many settings in Shape and to present the user with a simplified GUI. If you do not like this then Shape is not the right product for you.

    Regarding the forum etiquette: you accuse others of being condescending. IMO this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Just reread your very first post...

  • @Horia said:

    Dear Michael, if you like commands, I show you another trick, in case you don't know it:
    type "COMMANDLINE" into Shape! You will be surprised that it starts showing the usual 5-line text part, below the drawing screen (As in any other autocad clone!) .

    Unfortunately I don't like Commands at all.
    I am visually thinking and multiple App user so I prefer (standardized)
    Tool Icons. Commands and Commandline is no viable input method
    for me.
    There is just no real way around Commandline in Bricscad or even Shape.
    But the majority of users loves it.

    But Commandline opens much easier as @Louis from Bricsys disclosed
    a few days ago.
    You can just double click into left part of the Status Bar to open or close
    Commandline.

  • Horia
    edited April 2019

    Regarding the forum etiquette: you accuse others of being condescending. IMO this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Just reread your very first post...

    this is your opinion, and...
    it's fine to have personal opinions!

    But, statistically, if I post only two questions here, well documented, and showing some problems that are objective, and I am reminded for FIVE times that SHAPE is free so I should not expect bla... bla... it is a form of condescendence. And a way of NOT answering to the problem, but to move it away to another place ("as Shape is stripped, we cannot discuss it's problems, or expect to...!")

    Fact is, that Shape produces problems to a user that just wants to use it. This is a case of non-considered usecase, not of a user that has "different" requests. I just want that simple piece of software to work. I Don't ask that it works "complicated" or different than intended. It should just work flawless and bugless.
    Or is free software permitted to have bugs, and its users forbidden to complain about? :)

  • @Horia
    Every piece of software has bugs. But your complaints about Shape are mostly about the limitations (built-in and intended) of the program. That is quite different. If you find any real bugs you should send in a Support Request.

  • Shape isn't a free Open Source Software with priority on "free".
    And Shape isn't the new complete Sketch and Design Solution
    that you should use and happens to cost no money.
    Of course Shape is offered to increase Bricscad sales and not to
    decrease them by making it obsolete.

    As Per already said it is a stripped down version of Bricscads
    Direct Modeling Tool Set. I come from Bricscad so I have never
    mistaken Shape as an App of its own.
    But maybe Bricscad should better Communicate that overlapping
    to avoid such misunderstandings.

    When announced, Shape had a much simpler and easier GUI than
    Bricscad. Which has changed meanwhile and you can get neraly a
    similar easy GUI experience in Bricscad. So now less need for a
    Bricscad user today to switch to Shape to better concentrate
    on pure design.

    But people like the senior boss that may have never learned to
    use a CAD App may be enabled by Sketchup or Shape to do some
    coputer aided designs.
    Opposed to Sketchup, which I think is much easier as it follows
    real world UI/UX rules instead of isolated proprietary Autodesk
    behaviors,
    Shape has the advantage of producing ready-to-use lossless
    Solid DWG Geometry.

  • Michael Mayer
    edited April 2019

    @Roy Klein Gebbinck said:
    @Horia
    If you find any real bugs you should send in a Support Request.

    Same for "Feature Requests".
    I think the current Feature Set of Shape isn't fixed for eterity.
    Some additions may be possible and useful.
    Adding an INSUNITS to be able to see or change units might
    perhaps make some sense (?)