Remove Seam

This function removes a seam and then automatically updates all components within the panel that are affected by this. For example, it combines the plates that are defined on both sides of the seam into one. Also stiffeners and flanges that either refer directly to the seam or that are close enough are combined.

In case the components to combine are geometrically equal but have differences in some attributes, the user is presented with a form containing the data from the two components to combine, with a possibility to pick from either of them.

The components handled in the combination process are seams, plates, stiffeners and flanges.

In order to combine seams, their starting or ending points must be close and the corresponding tangent vectors also must be close. Other differences, such as bevel codes and excess, are resolved by the user.

For plates the two corner points close to the seam to remove must coincide with two corners of a plate on the other side of the seam. Also the material thickness and orientation must be the same while the user resolves differences in other properties.

For stiffeners and flanges the profile type and dimensions must match as well as the side, inclination, tag code and symmetry code. Also the mold line definitions have to be compatible and the end points must be close as well as the tangent vectors. The user resolves differences in material quality, weld and bevel data as well as other related information.

For plates, stiffeners and flanges to be combined, the assembly references are removed if they are not equal. For stiffeners and flanges also the part names are nullified.

Note: that for two groups to match they must have the same number of components and the components must match two and two. Plates within the same group may be combined with each other. However the plates must still match two and two as for matching between groups.

When there are differences in data for components to be combined, a number of forms are presented to help the user select the data for the component to be created.

• Each form has three columns where the left and the middle one list data for the existing component and the one to the right for the new combined component.

• To the left of each cell containing data belonging to the existing components a toggle button is placed. This toggle is used to pick data either from the first or the second component for the new one. If the data of the two existing components are equal, both toggles are "on" and the third column is already updated.

• If a value different from any of the two existing is wanted, it can be keyed in. In this case both toggles should be "off".

• The menu button Apply at the bottom of each form is used to check the effect on the new component data derived from the combination of toggles and keyed in values. The button OK continues the combination while Quit cancels the combination for the current component group making the two existing groups remain as they are.