\page merging_elements_page Merging Elements
-\n This functionality allows to merge coincident elements of a mesh
-selectable in the dialog box.
+\n This functionality allows to merge coincident elements of a
+mesh. Two elements are considered coincident if they are based on the
+same set of nodes.
+\image html mergeelems_ico.png "Merge elements menu button"
-\image html mergeelems_ico.png "Merge elements button"
+To merge elements choose in the main menu \b Modification -> \b Transformation
+-> <b>Merge elements</b> item. The following dialog box shall
+appear:
+\image html mergeelems_auto.png
-\image html mergeelems.png
+In this dialog:
+<ul>
+ <li>\b Name is the name of the mesh object whose elements will be
+ merged.</li>
+ <li>\b Automatic or \b Manual Mode allows choosing how the elements
+ are processed. In the \b Automatic Mode all elements created on
+ the same nodes will be merged. In \b Manual mode you can adjust
+ groups of coincident elements detected by the program.
+
+ If the \b Manual Mode is selected, additional controls are
+ available:
+\image html mergeelems.png
+<br>
<ul>
- <li>\b Name is the name of the mesh whose elements will be merged.</li>
- <li>\b Tolerance is a maximum distance between elements sufficient for merging.
- <ul>
- <li>\b Detect button generates the list of coincident elements for the given \b Tolerance.</li>
- </ul></li>
- <li><b>Coincident elements</b> is a list of groupes of elements for
- merging. All elements of each group will form one after the operation.
- <ul>
- <li>\b Remove button deletes the selected group from the list.</li>
- <li>\b Add button adds to the list a group of elements selected in the
- viewer with pressed "Shift" key.</li>
- <li><b>Select all</b> checkbox selects all groups.</li>
- </ul></li>
- <li><b>Edit selected group</b> list allows editing the selected group:
+ <li>\b Detect button generates the list of coincident elements found
+ in the selected object.</li>
+ <li><b>Coincident elements</b> is a list of groups of elements for
+ merging. After the operation all elements of each group will
+ be united into one element. The first element of a group is kept and
+ the others are removed.
+ <li>\b Remove button deletes the selected group from the list.</li>
+ <li>\b Add button adds to the list a group of elements selected in the
+ viewer with pressed "Shift" key.</li>
+ <li><b>Select all</b> check-box selects all groups.</li>
+ <li><b>Show double elements IDs</b> check-box shows/hides identifiers of
+ elements of the selected groups in the 3D viewer.</li>
+ <li><b>Edit selected group of coincident elements</b> list allows
+ editing the selected group:
<br><br>
\image html add.png
- <center>adds to the group the element selected in the viewer.</center>
+ <center>adds to the group the elements selected in the viewer.</center>
<br>
\image html remove.png
- <center>removes from the group the selected element.</center>
+ <center>removes the selected elements from the group.</center>
<br>
\image html sort.png
<center>moves the selected element to the first position in the
- group. This means that all other elements will be merged into this
- one.</center>
+ group in order to keep it in the mesh.</center>
<br>
</li>
+</ul>
<li>To confirm your choice click \b Apply or <b>Apply and Close</b> button.</li>
</ul>
