smesh/doc/salome/gui/SMESH/input/merging_elements.doc

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\page merging_elements_page Merging Elements

\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"

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

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 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 elements selected in the viewer.</center>
    <br>
    \image html remove.png
    <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 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>

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
triangle will be completely merged with the mesh.

\image html meshtrianglemergeelem1.png

<br><b>See Also</b> a sample TUI Script of a
\ref tui_merging_elements "Merge Elements" operation.

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