Files and saving
A Shack CAD project is a single .shack file. It holds every body, sketch and feature, the project's printer and units, and any geometry you have imported. Saving, opening and autosave use the standard macOS document commands.
Saving and opening
| Command | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| New | ⌘N |
| Open | ⌘O |
| Save | ⌘S |
The other document commands, such as Duplicate, Rename, Revert and keeping a copy under a new name, are in the File menu as in any Mac document app. There is no separate save button in the workspace.
You choose where projects are kept: any local folder, or a location in iCloud Drive through the standard file dialog. A file kept in a synchronised folder follows that storage provider's terms.
No Shack CAD account is needed to model, open or save.
What the file contains
The .shack file stores the model as dimensions and features in plain JSON, not as triangles. That is why a project can be re-dimensioned and exported again at any resolution.
Imported STEP and BREP geometry is stored inside the project, so reopening it does not need the original file. The complete project file is limited to 32 MiB. See Importing STEP and BREP.
Projects and exports are different things
Keep the .shack file as your master copy. An exported STL or 3MF carries the finished shape only, not the sketches and features behind it, so it cannot be edited the way the project can.
Settings: project versus app
| Kept in the project file | Kept in the app |
|---|---|
| Printer and build plate | Theme |
| Project units, if the project overrides the defaults | Default units and decimal places |
| Snapping, navigation and display preferences |
File ▸ Project Settings… (⇧⌘,) edits what the project saves; changes there can be undone. Shack CAD ▸ App Settings… (⌘,) edits preferences that apply to every project and are not saved in any file.