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Building a Part with the Shape Library
The Shape Library lets you build quick, simple parts from a ready-made shape right inside your quote, with no CAD work.

Open Process A Part

1.  On the Add Items step of your quote, click Process A Part.


Process A Part is the single entry point for anything involving part geometry: uploading your customer's DXF, DWG, or STEP file, or building a part from a shape template. It does not replace the upload flow, it sits alongside it.


Choose a shape template

1.  Below the upload area, under No file? No problem., find the Template Part Builder card and click CHOOSE A TEMPLATE.


2.  Click the shape you want. Shapes include plates with bolt patterns, rectangles, rings, discs, gussets,  slotted plates, and more. Scroll to see them all.

The builder opens with your shape loaded and a live preview on the right.


Name and dimension your part

The form on the left holds your part details. The preview on the right redraws in real time as you type, so you can see the part before you commit to it.


1.  In Qty, enter how many pieces your customer needs. This field is required.


2.  In Part Name, type a name. This is required too, and it's the label you and your customer will see on the quote.


3.  Work down the parameter sections and fill in your dimensions. Sections change by shape. A rectangular bolt flange, for example, gives you:

◦      Plate: Plate width, Plate height, Corner radius

◦      Bolt Holes: Bolt hole width, Bolt hole height, Bolt hole diameter

◦      Center Hole: Diameter


4.  Turn optional features on or off with the toggle next to the section name. On the bolt flange, Bolt Holes and Center Hole are both optional. Toggle a section off and those features drop out of the preview.


5.  Check your part in the preview.


Two field rules apply to every template:

    • 500 is the maximum value for any input. Larger values are rejected when you click CONFIGURE PART.
    • Fields accept up to three decimal places, which matches the tolerance precision your profile machines expect.


6.  Click CONFIGURE PART.

Stella Source builds a DXF from your inputs and sends it through the standard file upload flow. From this point on, nothing is different from quoting a file your customer sent you.


Pro tip: Need to start over on a shape? Use the delete icon in the top right of the part card to clear it, then pick a new template.


Finish the line item

Your quantity is already set from the builder, so only the material choices are left.

1.    Select your cutting process.

2.    Select your material type and grade.

3.    Add the item to your quote.

You land back on the Process A Part screen, ready to build the next shape. Repeat as many times as your customer's request calls for, then move on to pricing.

 

Download the DXF (optional)

If you're pushing the part through production, you can download the file the builder created. There is no file for you to save or manage otherwise, the builder generates it automatically.

  • Open the part on your quote and download the DXF, the same way you would for a customer-supplied file.


Downloaded files carry a note reading "Generated by Stella Source - NOT FOR PRODUCTION USE."  If you need to bring the file back in later, you can re-upload it through Process A Part and it quotes normally.

 

What your customers see

The Shape Library is on your ecommerce store as well, carrying your branding. Your customers get the same templates, the same fields, and the same limits you do. That means a customer can build a part, price it, and place the order without ever sending you a file.

Here's what that changes on your end:

  • Customer-built parts arrive like any uploaded file. They appear on the quote and in your worklists the same way, and boundary hits work normally.
  • Give a customer-built part a look before you quote it, especially if the part name and the shape don't seem to match.


What the builder does not check

The Shape Library does not review your geometry for manufacturability. It will happily build a shape nobody can cut: a 500” x 500” plate, a 5 x 20 hole grid, reverse chamfers 10” deep on a small part. It does not block or warn on overlapping lines, or on geometry that falls outside the shape boundary.


Downstream fabrication checks still run. A part that's too big for any sheet you stock, or a hole pattern the system reads as more than one part on a file, usually fails when you click CONFIGURE PART or ADD TO CART. That catch is not guaranteed, though, so treat the preview as your first line of defense and look it over before you click CONFIGURE PART.

Troubleshooting

I get "One or more required fields is missing" when I click Configure Part.

Every parameter for that shape has to be filled in, including Qty and Part Name. Scroll the form and look for empty fields. Sections you toggle on still need their dimensions.

The part failed when I clicked Configure Part.

The shape may be violating a check against multi-parts. An example would be holes outside of the part perimeter. Adjust the dimensions or the pattern and configure the part again.

The part failed when I clicked Add to Cart.

The shape is probably too big for the sheets you stock, or the hole pattern read as multiple parts on one file. Delete the item and select the shape template again.

A feature I turned on isn't showing in the preview.

Expand that section and confirm its dimensions are filled in. A toggled-on section with empty fields won't draw.

My customer built a part that looks wrong.

Download the DXF to check the geometry, then reach out to your customer before you quote it. See What your customers see for what they can and can't verify on their end.