\page merging_elements_page Merging Elements
\n This functionality allows to merge coincident elements of a mesh
-selectable in the dialog box.
+object selectable in the dialog box. 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"
+<ol>
+<li>Choose in the main menu \b Modification -> \b Transformation
+ -> <b>Merge elements</b> item. The following dialog box shall
+ appear:</li>
+\image html mergeelems_auto.png
+<br>
+<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.
+</ul>
-\image html mergeelems.png
+<li><b>Automatic mode:</b>
+<ul>
+<li>In the \b Automatic Mode the elements created on the same nodes
+ will be merged.</li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+
+<li>If the \b Manual Mode is selected, additional controls are
+ available:
+\image html mergeelems.png
+<br>
+<ul>
+<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. As result of the operation all elements of each group will
+ be replaced by the firts element of the group.
<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:
- <br><br>
- \image html add.png
- <center>adds to the group the element selected in the viewer.</center>
- <br>
- \image html remove.png
- <center>removes from the group the selected element.</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>
- <br>
- </li>
- <li>To confirm your choice click \b Apply or <b>Apply and Close</b> button.</li>
+<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>
+<li><b>Show double elements IDs</b> checkbox shows/hides identifiers of
+ elements of selected groups in the 3D viewer.</li>
+</ul></li>
+<li><b>Edit selected group</b> list allows editing the selected group:
+<br><br>
+\image html add.png
+<center>adds to the group the elements selected in the viewer.</center>
+<br>
+\image html remove.png
+<center>removes from the group the selected elements.</center>
+<br>
+\image html sort.png
+<center>moves the selected element to the first position in the
+ group. This means that all other elements of the group will be
+ replaced by this one.</center>
+<br>
+</li>
+<li>To confirm your choice click \b Apply or <b>Apply and Close</b> button.</li>
</ul>
+</ol>
In this picture you see a triangle which coincides with one of the
elements of the mesh. After we apply <b>Merge Elements</b> functionality, the
