Menu path
Estimate (Metal) > Gen-Panels
🧾 What it does
The Gen-Panels command automatically draws individual metal panels on every metal roof plane in the model. The Generate One Panel function works the same way but generates panels on one plane at a time.
🔧 How to use it
Go to Estimate (Metal) menu
Select Gen-Panels to generate panels on all roof planes, or select Generate Panel Layout > Generate One Panel for single plane generation
If you haven't set the roof cover material using the Cover Roofing command, you will be prompted to do so
The metal panels will be generated automatically based on your panel specifications
🛠 How panel layout is determined
The starting point for the panel layout is determined by several factors:
The longest gable line on the roof plane
The lap direction setting
The panel underlap distance
If there is no gable on the roof plane, the starting point will be determined by the lap direction setting.
🛠 Special cases
Hip roofs: On full hip roofs, the panels are laid out according to the lap direction and underlap distance settings.
Dutch gables: When gables are present on a roof plane, they can reposition the starting point of the layout. For dutch-gable features, the full width sheet starts at the gable.
💡 What you can see
The lines you see drawn on the roof plane represent the actual panel boundaries as they will appear on the physical roof. The lap direction determines how these panels overlap.
⚠️ Important notes
You must have roof cover material set using the Cover Roofing command before generating panels. If this hasn't been done, you'll be prompted to set it up first.