The Panel Concept

The panel represents a part of the hull steel design that is suitable from the user's perspective. Typically, the panel is representing large parts of the design early in the process (for example a full deck) and later when detailing evolves in much smaller parts suitable for detail and production work.

Panels are generated in zones that normally represent the design or the production blocks. The zones are best generated by using Space Management, where a space arrangement can be created and used to create both database structure and the actual zones. The zones will in this case relate to the corresponding space and thus get a geometrical representation.

Below is an example of a block arrangement in zones.

The data structure of panels is built up in a hierarchy. The pictures below show this hierarchy with top element names in the database. Each definition element can then have additional definition data in elements below, a stiffener can for example have a hole definition element.

One definition can generate one or many instances in the outcome model, that is several stiffeners can be the outcome of one stiffener definition as show below.

If specific changes shall be made to one of the instances, then that instance needs to be broken out from the group using the Regroup function.