Consolidate Panels

After HRB assignment, executing combined elements, or further manual panel processing, panel pieces sometimes arise that could be consolidated into a larger panel. In the wall construction module the new function "5-03 Merge panels" can do this automatically according to the settings:

• A list displays the identification numbers for which panels should be merged.

  • For each identification number the maximum panel width and the maximum panel length are specified. Two or more panel parts are merged as long as these maximum dimensions are not exceeded.

  • It is also specified whether panels may be rotated for merging.

  • Because panels are often entered with gaps, the program must also search for panels that do not touch. Therefore a value is specified for the maximum distance the panels may have. Only when panel edges lie closer than this value will an attempt be made to merge those panels.

• The settings made can be saved, recalled, and managed using the usual procedure (SaveDefaultSettings). It is possible to define favorites for the icon bar.

• When the "Merge panels" button is triggered, the panels in the current wall are merged according to the settings.

• Prerequisites for panels to be merged:

  • Panels must have the same identification number and belong to the same MOS group.

  • The viewing surface of the panels must be parallel to the wall. However, the longitudinal orientation of the panels does not need to be identically aligned.

  • The panels must have the same thickness.

  • The panels must have parallel edges with a maximum distance as specified in the settings. The shorter of these edges is shifted to the parallel edge of the other panel for merging and united there.

  • The following rules apply here to cover some practical situations in which merging is not permitted. These situations occur particularly when panels in HRB are to be aligned to windows and doors:

• The shorter edge must overlap at least 90% of the other edge (left side left window).

  • The edges must not lie within the bounding rectangle of either panel (right window).

  • The merged panel must not exceed the specified maximum panel width and length.

When panels are merged with this function, machine operations are retained and transferred to the united panel. Only at the edges where the panels are connected is the shape changed. Other shapes, recesses, and openings in the panels are also retained.

• Note how processing affects the merged panel. Example: cutout at a longitudinal edge or end cut:

  • If the cutout or end cut is located on an external longitudinal edge, it will continue to affect only that longitudinal edge after merging:

  • If the cutout is on an edge where the panels are united, it will affect the entire merged panel:

  • For such operations the machine processing should be deleted beforehand while retaining the graphical representation (Wall construction 6-1-3 delete by bar). As a result, the original shapes are then united:

  • The cutouts for doors and windows are automatically created only as shapes and not as machine operations. They accordingly remain when merging:

A call to the function has also been included as the final step in the HRB assignment dialog. There a setting for merging panels can be chosen. Then this function is triggered after the preceding steps (assign HRB, recalculate type 4 operations, execute combined elements).