The Fit objects component fits the secondary part to the main part by creating cuts where necessary and filling the gaps with additional parts.

The component only fits secondary part faces that create an angle between -35° and 35° degrees with the main part. The example image below shows that additional material is not created for secondary parts with an angle more than 35°.

Once the main part and secondary part faces to be fitted have been identified, the secondary part face is fitted in the direction of its adjacent faces.

(1) Face to be fitted

(2) Adjacent faces

Planes are extended from the adjacent faces until they intersect with the main part.

Additional material is created to fill the space between the extended planes, the main part, and the secondary part.

Limitations

• Curved panels, polywalls, and polybeams are not supported.

• Fit to main part setting: With the Face projection option, only the closest face of the main part is projected. Multiple faces cannot be projected.

• Additional material is not always created from the same object type as the secondary part. For example, for walls, the additional material is created as a slab.
• Parts created with sketched profiles are not supported as secondary parts.

We recommend that you first define the properties that you want to use when fitting the objects. When you have defined the properties, select the parts that you want to fit, and create the fitting in the model.

1. Select the Fit objects component in the Applications & components catalog.

2. To change the default properties, open the Fit objects dialog and modify the properties.

3. Create gap: Define the gap distance between the main part and the additional material or the secondary part. To create a fitting that is level with the main part, leave the value as 0.0.

   

   The gap distance is measured in the direction perpendicular to the secondary part face, shown with the dashed line in the image below. After the gap direction is established, the same gap is applied along the main part face. In the example, the gap distance is 200 mm.

   

   When more than one face is fitted, the gap direction is perpendicular to an imaginary line between the outer faces of the object. To use the same example, when there is only one face between the outer faces, the direction of the gap distance remains the same.

   

4. Create additional material: Select what kind of additional material is created.

   • As added material

     Tekla Structures automatically attaches the added material to the secondary part to form one single combined part.

     

     This is a useful option if you are creating quantity reports based on parts, because quantities such as HEIGHT take into account the added material and attempt to take the full height of the combined part.

   • As parts added to assembly/cast unit

     Additional material is added to the cast unit (concrete) or assembly (other material) of the fitted part.

     

   • As loose parts

     Additional material is created as a separate individual part.

     

   • No

     Additional material is not added to fill the gap between the part to be fitted and the main part. Note that if the part to be fitted overlaps with the main part, cuts are used to remove the overlapping material.

     

     (1) Wall fitted only by cutting material

     (2) Additional material not added

5. Create to: Select whether the part is fitted to the nearest face or to all faces within a certain distance.

   • Nearest face only fits the nearest face to the main part.

     Fit objects considers each secondary part face one at a time to determine which secondary part face is closest to the main part. For each face, Fit objects checks the following:

     1. Identifies the center point of the secondary part face.

     2. Creates a line from the center point of the secondary part face towards the main part, perpendicular to the main part face, until the line intersects with the main part.

     3. Measures the line.

     4. Repeats steps a - c for all secondary parts and the main part.

     The shortest line indicates the two closest faces. The face corresponding to the secondary part is the Nearest face.

     

     (1) Shortest distance

     (2) Face to be fitted (= nearest face)

     The result is shown in the image below:

     

   • Faces closer than fits all the faces that are closer than the specified distance.

     The distance is measured similarly as in Nearest face, except that all points of a face need to be below the defined distance for that face to be fitted.

     

     In the example above, the used limit distance is 1000 mm. The only face that has all its vertexes closer than 1000 mm is the face near the bottom, and it is therefore the only face fitted.

   • Use Direct modification to manually select which secondary part faces are to be fitted.

     In the model, select the component. The green and red direct modification handles that appear on the secondary part faces indicate the faces that can be fitted.

     

     Red and green faces indicate the faces that have been and that have not been fitted, respectively. Click a green face to fit that face. Click a red face to stop that face from getting fitted, as shown in the example image below.

     

6. Use fit part end if possible: Add fittings to parts in the same way as with the Fit part end command.

   This option only applies to those objects that can be fitted with the Fit part end command: beams, columns, and footings. Slabs, plates, and walls cannot be fitted in this way, so this option does not affect them.

   • Yes: If possible, parts are fitted by using the Fit part end command.

     

   • No: The Fit part end command is not used, and parts are fitted using the option you select in Create additional material.

7. Fit to main part: Define how the main part is used to fit the secondary part.

   • Actual face: The secondary parts are fitted exactly to the geometry of the main part. The image below shows an example of Actual face applied to a wall and a column.

     

   • Face projection: The secondary parts are fitted to the plane that is coplanar with the main part face. The image below shows an example of Face projection applied to a wall and a column.

     

8. Click Modify to save the properties that you have defined.

9. Select the main part (part to be fitted to).

10. Select the secondary part (part to be fitted).

    The part is fitted when you select the secondary part.