Geometry Toolbar

Once a geometry is added to the model, the Geometry ribbon toolbar (Windows) and the Geometry contextual toolbar (Mac and Linux) contains many of the common features and actions required to create and build a geometry.

For cross-platform users, some options listed in Table 2-7 are available from other toolbars and menus. Table 2-8 lists the geometry drawing tools available on the toolbars in 1D and 2D, as well as on the Work Plane toolbar for 3D models. See Cross Platform (Mac and Linux) Toolbars and Menus.

For step-by-step instructions and general documentation descriptions, this is the Geometry toolbar.

Table 2-7: the Geometry Toolbars

Button or Menu	Name	Description or Options
Build
	Build All2	Build all features in the current geometry. See Editing and Building Geometry Nodes.
Import/Export
	Import2	Import the geometry from a COMSOL Multiphysics file or CAD file.
	Insert Sequence	Insert a geometry sequence from a COMSOL Multiphysics file into the current geometry. See Inserting a Sequence.
	Export	Export the current geometry as a COMSOL binary or text file or to a CAD file format. See Exporting a Geometry.
Primitives (3D)
	Block	Add a Block to the current geometry.
	Cone	Add a Cone to the current geometry.
	Cylinder	Add a Cylinder to the current geometry.
	Sphere	Add a Sphere to the current geometry.
	Torus	Add a Torus to the current geometry.
	Helix	Add a Helix to the current geometry.
	More Primitives	Add all other primitives as in Table 7-1 and Geometric Primitives. Also see the geometry parts available in the Part Libraries.
Primitives (2D)
	Primitives	The following are available from this menu: Circle, Ellipse, Rectangle, Square, Bézier Polygon, Interpolation Curve, Parametric Curve, Point, and Polygon. Also see Geometric Primitives and The Geometry Toolbar — Drawing Tools (Table 2-8).
Primitives (1D)
	Interval	Draw an interval (line) in the Graphics window. For 1D models, first click the Interval button, then click the start and end points in the Graphics window. Also see Geometric Primitives and The Geometry Toolbar — Drawing Tools (Table 2-8).
	Point	Add a point to the Graphics window. Use this to draw a single point. First click the Point button, then click in the Graphics window (in 1D and 2D), or specify the point location in its Settings window. In 2D and 3D, this button is available on the More Primitives menu.
Work Plane
	Select Work Plane	Once Work Planes are available or added, these are listed here and you can click to take you to the associated Plane Geometry node in the Model Builder. It also opens a new Work Plane contextual toolbar for the Work Plane. See Using Work Planes, Work Plane Modal Toolbar and Table 2-8.
	Work Plane	Add a Work Plane to the current geometry. See Using Work Planes, Work Plane Modal Toolbar and Table 2-8.
Operations
	Extrude	Extrude planar faces of geometry objects or objects from a work plane to create 3D geometry objects.
	Revolve	Revolve planar faces of geometry objects or objects from a work plane about an axis to create 3D geometry objects.
	Sweep	Sweep faces along a spine curve to create a solid object.
	Loft	Requires the Design Module. Lofting planar sections along a path.
	Booleans and Partitions	Create a geometry object using Boolean operations: Union, Intersection, Difference, and Compose. Partition geometry objects into parts using other geometry objects as tool objects for the partition. Alternatively, in 3D, use a work plane to partition the geometry objects. Select Partition Objects or Partition Edges.
	Transforms	This menu has these operations available: Array, Copy, Mirror, Move, Rotate1, Scale1
	Conversions1	See Table 7-5 for a list of these features. Also see Conversion Operations.
	Chamfer1	Chamfer corners in 2D geometry objects. Also in 3D with the Design Module.
	Fillet1	Fillet corners in 2D geometry objects. Also in 3D with the Design Module.
	Tangent	Add a line segment that is tangent to a given edge in 2D geometries.
	Delete1	Delete the selected geometry objects. See Clearing Sequences and Deleting Sequences or Nodes.
	Edit Object	Adjust edges and vertices for 2D geometry objects or add or delete edges and vertices in the object.
	Cross Section	Create 2D cross sections from 3D geometries.
	Defeaturing and Repair1,3	Choose from Cap Faces, Delete Fillets, Delete Short Edges, Delete Sliver Faces, Delete Small Faces, Delete Spikes, Delete Faces, Detach Faces, Knit to Solid, and Repair.
	Virtual Operations1	Virtual geometry operations and mesh control operations. See Virtual Geometry Operations and Virtual Geometry and Mesh Control Operations.
Other
	Parts	3D, 2D, and 1D Parts, Load Part, and Part Instances. See Part Libraries, Using Geometry Parts, and Part Instance.
	Programming1	If + End If and Parameter Check. From the Add Before and Add After menus: If, Else If, Else, and End If. See If, Else If, Else, End If, and Parameter Check.
	Selections1	Create named selections of geometry objects or geometric entities in geometry objects. See Creating Named Selections in the Geometry Sequence.
	Measure1	Measure the volume, area, perimeter, or other geometric properties of the selected geometric entities or objects. See Measuring Geometry Objects.
	Delete Sequence1	Delete a geometry sequence. See Clearing Sequences and Deleting Sequences or Nodes.
1 For cross-platform users (Mac and Linux), the combination of buttons that display is dependent on the toolbar setting. For example, some buttons may not be visible if the Tools>Toolbar Display Mode is set to Normal and the Tools>Toolbar Button Label is set to Show Icon and Text. It also depends on whether you are using a Widescreen or Regular Screen Layout. It also depends if the button is available on the Work Plane toolbar, in which case it may be visible. 2 For cross-platform users, this option is available from a different toolbar or menu. See Cross Platform (Mac and Linux) Toolbars and Menus. 3 These features are available for the LiveLink and CAD products, and you must use the CAD kernel for the geometry representation.

Geometry Drawing Toolbar Buttons

In 1D and 2D there are buttons for drawing Geometric Primitives by using the mouse. In 3D, the buttons are available to create primitives, but you cannot draw these using the mouse unless you are using a Work Plane.

Table 2-8: The Geometry Toolbar — Drawing Tools

Button or Menu	Name	Description or Action
Draw Settings
	Snap to Grid (1D, 2D. and 2D axisymmetric)	Snap to the grid when drawing a geometry object in the Graphics window. By default, the mouse pointer snaps to the grid points. The active grid point for the snapping is indicated with a red circle. To disable snapping to the grid, click the Snap to Grid button.
	Snap to Geometry (1D, 2D. and 2D axisymmetric)	Snap to the vertices, centerpoints, and, in some cases, side midpoints of other geometry objects when drawing a geometry object in the Graphics window. By default, the mouse pointer snaps to the geometry vertices (for example, the corners of a rectangle). The active point for the snapping is indicated with a red circle. To disable snapping to the geometry objects, click the Snap to Geometry button.
	Solid (2D and 2D axisymmetric)	Create a solid (instead of a curve) when drawing a geometry object in the Graphics window. The Solid button is used to toggle between drawing solid objects or outlines (curves) and can be used in combination with all the draw buttons on the toolbar (for example, to draw squares, circles, and rectangles). It is selected by default to draw solid objects. When used to draw a polygon in combination with the Line, Quadratic, and Cubic operations, the solid object (or outline) displays once the object is closed or the points joined.
Draw (2D)
	Line   Quadratic   Cubic	Draw line segments, quadratic curve segments, and cubic curve segments of a Bézier Polygon in the Graphics window. To draw a polygon consisting of line segments or Bézier curves first click one of these buttons. Then click the control points of the segments in the Graphics window. Click one point for each linear segment, two points for each quadratic segment, and three points for each cubic segment. If you want to switch segment type, click one of the buttons and then click some more control points. Close the polygon by right-clicking anywhere in the Graphics window. Then, a solid Bézier polygon appears, and a corresponding Bézier Polygon node appears in the geometry sequence. If you want to modify the polygon (for instance, change from solid to curve) you can edit the Bézier Polygon node by clicking it to display its Settings window.
	Point	Add a Point to the Graphics window. Use this to draw a single point. First click the Point button, then click in the Graphics window (in 1D and 2D), or specify the point location in its Settings window. In 2D and 3D, this button is available on the More Primitives menu.
	Rectangle	To draw a Rectangle or Square select Rectangle, Square, Rectangle (Center), or Square (Center) from the menu. Then, click a corner (or the center) of the square or rectangle in the Graphics window. Drag the mouse to the desired position of a corner. When the mouse button is released, a square or rectangle appears and a Square or Rectangle node is added to the geometry sequence.
	Circle	To draw a Circle or Ellipse, select Circle, Ellipse, Circle (Corner), or Ellipse (Corner) from the menu. Then, click the center (or a corner of the bounding box) of the circle or ellipse in the Graphics window. Drag the mouse to the desired position of a corner of the bounding box. When the mouse button is released, a circle or ellipse appears and an Ellipse or Circle node is added to the geometry sequence.
Draw (1D)
	Interval	Draw an Interval (line) in the Graphics window. For 1D models, first click the Interval button, then click the start and end points in the Graphics window.
	Point	Add a Point to the Graphics window. Use this to draw a single point. First click the Point button, then click in the Graphics window (in 1D and 2D), or specify the point location in its Settings window. In 2D and 3D, this button is available on the More Primitives menu.