Reference Section > Shape Library > Rectangular Shapes

Rect with 2 Vert. Slots is a rectangular plate with two identical slots cut through it, side by side. Each slot is a stadium (obround): two straight sides, Slot Height long along Y, closed at top and bottom by a semicircular end of diameter Slot D. The outside corners of the plate are sharp. Both slots are centred on the plate by default, and Slot Offset X and Slot Offset Y move the pair together.

It appears in the shapes library under Rectangular Shapes and Gussets.

Insert point and orientation

The insert point is the bottom left corner of the plate, at X = 0, Y = 0. Width is built along +X and Height along +Y. The outside rectangle is a closed outline with square corners. Each slot is a closed outline of two straight sides and two semicircular ends.

With both offsets at 0 the slots are centred on the plate. The centre of each slot is the midpoint between its two end semicircles, and those end semicircle centres are Slot Height apart. The slot centres are at:

•Left slot – X = Width/2 − Horz. Dist./2, Y = Height/2

•Right slot – X = Width/2 + Horz. Dist./2, Y = Height/2

Slot Offset X and Slot Offset Y are added to both centres. The spacing between the two slot centres is always Horz. Dist.

Properties

Lengths are in the current units (mm or inch). The defaults are given in millimetres; in inch mode the defaults are 8 in, 6 in, 2 in, 1 in, 2 in.

Property	Description	Default
Width	Overall width of the plate, along X. The field minimum is 0.	200 mm (8 in)
Height	Overall height of the plate, along Y. The field minimum is 0.	150 mm (6 in)
Slot Height	Length of the straight sides of each slot along Y, between the centres of its two end semicircles. The overall slot length is Slot Height + Slot D. The field minimum is 0.	50 mm (2 in)
Slot D	Width of each slot along X, and the diameter of its semicircular ends. The field minimum is 0.	25 mm (1 in)
Horz. Dist.	Distance between the centre lines of the two slots, along X. The field minimum is 0.	50 mm (2 in)
Slot Offset X	Moves both slots together along X from the centred position. Positive moves them right, negative moves them left. The spacing between the slots does not change. No lower limit is set.	0
Slot Offset Y	Moves both slots together along Y from the centred position. Positive moves them up, negative moves them down. No lower limit is set.	0

The dimensions drawn on the shape are Height (on the left edge), Width (on the bottom edge), Horz. Dist. (between the slot centre lines, at the lower end of the straight sides), Slot Height (on the centre line of the right slot) and Slot D (across the upper end of the left slot, at its full width).

Limits and errors

The shape does not check its values against each other. It builds the outline exactly as entered, so check the outline after changing the slot sizes or offsets. For both slots to sit fully inside the plate and apart from each other:

•Horz. Dist. must be at least Slot D. At exactly Slot D the two slots touch along their sides; below it they overlap.

•Horz. Dist./2 + Slot D/2 + the absolute value of Slot Offset X must be less than Width/2, or a slot reaches or passes the left or right edge.

•Slot Height/2 + Slot D/2 + the absolute value of Slot Offset Y must be less than Height/2, or a slot end reaches or passes the top or bottom edge.

The shape has no "Cannot build shape" checks of its own. If building the geometry raises an error, the shape is marked as failed: it is drawn as a broken-shape marker at the insert point, and the property page shows the red warning Warning: Cannot build shape from these parameters.

Zero or very small slot sizes are not rejected by the shape. Check the outline before cutting.

Every 2D shape also has the Transform properties (Base X, Base Y, Rotation, Scale, Mirroring X) and the Polar Array properties, listed after the shape's own properties.