How do I modify metal panels in my roof model?

Cover > Panels > Modify-Panels

This command brings up a menu with several options for modifying and annotating the panels in your roof model.

This command automatically draws individual sheets on a selected roof plane in the model. You would use this command to change the starting point of the sheets on a plane.

After you select the command you are prompted to select the plane you want to generate the sheets on. Then you locate a point through which you want a sheet edge to go. After you have located the point, the sheet alignment is updated to suit.

The following diagram shows the selection of a plane (d1) then snapping to the hip apex (d2). This forces the seam to go through the ridge apex point.

This command lets you split metal panels on a roof based on maximum length of the panels or by the positions of battens on the roof.

The dialog box displays parameters for standard panels and the splitting methods you can use.
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Overlap – Bottom of Panel sets the amount added to the sheet for lap. It is, in actual practice half this amount as it is calculated about the centre line of the purlin or batten.

Underlap – Top of Panel is the amount added to each panel at the top of the panel and this is also calculated about the centre line of the purlin or batten.

If the base of the panel is at the eave, then the eave overhang value is added to that panel length.

The panel parameters of "Eave overhang" are set under the Gen-Panels > Allowances option.

Specify/Use the maximum panel/stock length

This method will use the maximum panel length you defined for this panel to split the panels in the roof or the number you specify when prompted.
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The length starts at the base of the panel. You can modify which panels are split by selecting an option under Apply split to. Here you can limit the splitting to a single roof plane or a single panel rather than splitting all panels on the roof.

Note – If a selected panel definition has a 'Stock Length' table defined, such as one would have with a long run metal tile profile which has a repeating pattern of say 300mm or 500mm, then the appropriate stock length will be selected.
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However, for this to calculate and display correctly, the allowances must be set to round off using the Round-Off Panels to Next (mm) setting for the profile selected, and also set the annotation to rounded panel length (Rnd) Panel length Only or you will not get the correct cutting list or correctly annotated panel layout you would send to site.
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Once set, the cutting list reflects the material selected and the way it is to be supplied. Note also that if you the setting Combine for Maximum Lengths, then the cutting list is optimised for this purpose, making it easier to pack and ship the job.
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This method lets you select the batten to split the panels. In this case, you need to select the batten for each roof plane.

For this method the split position will be at the intersection of a roof batten which falls short of the maximum panel length. (You must have inserted battens using Cover > Battens for this method to work). Again, you can modify which panels are split by selecting the relevant Apply split to field.

This method lets you insert a new panel between battens and adjust the lengths of the adjoining panels to suit. You would have already split the initial panels at a batten before carrying out this command. After selecting the new panel to insert, you then select the 2 battens between which the new panel will be inserted. You then select pairs of panels, each on the same run which will be trimmed back to squeeze in the new panel.

This command allows you to merge two panels together. You can either merge two panels butting into each other to make a longer panel or two adjacent panels to make a wider panel.

This command allows you to change the material for individual panels. By selecting this command the roof metal panel dialog appears. Simply click the change button, select the new material and click OK. Crosshairs will appear and the panels will become highlighted. Simply select the panels that you would like to change, right click the mouse and confirm the entities. You will need to Tally the panels for the changes to be calculated.
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This command allows the operator to change the calculated length of an individual panel, or group of panels by adding or subtracting and amount to or from the calculated length. This function allows for the panel length(s) to be adjusted subsequent to a site check-measure, without remodelling the entire job.
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Select the panels to add/subtract an amount to; confirm selection.

Then specify the amount to add or subtract. A [+] sign adds to the calculated length, a [–] sign subtracts from the calculated length.
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This will subtract 50mm from the calculated length.

This command allows you delete singular panels manually or every panel shorter than a specified length. By selecting this command the following dialog will appear.

By setting a number in the Select Sheets Shorter than field, then clicking Delete, any panels shorter than this length will be deleted automatically.
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By clicking on the Delete Sheets Manually, crosshairs will appear and all of the panels will be shown, simply click on the panels to delete. When you have selected all of the required panels, right click the mouse and confirm the entities.

This command will automatically re-number all of the panels for you.

This command will highlight all of the panels.

Annotation text automatically repositioned based on Allowance settings:

Move-Text can be used to manually relocate annotation text.

Should the location of the annotation still be difficult to read, a function exists to move the annotation and the leader line repositioned to suit. Select the option Move-Text and the prompts guide you through selecting, moving and moving the text and reposition the leader line.

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If you move the text, the software remembers where you move it to when the panels are 're-tallied', unless the text is deleted.

This button also provides for deleting or adding a leader line to a panel annotation.

For the correct installation of insulated metal panels, the installer will usually cut the panels to match the geometry of the roof, taking account of the thickness of the panel. This will also apply to structural insulated panels.

When we model the roof geometry in Roof Wizard, we make an assumption that, notionally at least, the panels have no thickness, so the geometry of the roof is not actually the geometry of the panels.

Adding batten/purlin offsets as described above allows us to account for the panel thickness as well as or indeed, instead of purlin thickness thus defining the thickness of the panels, and represented as shown below:

Now that we have the panel surface raised to the actual panel surface height (and added overhang into the gutter if required) we can now see that we are correctly representing the true panel size. Before we can install the panels, the installer must cut the panel edges so that opposite panels at the ridges, hips and valleys fit together perfectly.

To set the correct cutting angles for the saw, we need to advise the installer what these angles are as it is not a simple calculation.

Select the option Add-Panel-Angles, select a panel that is representative of the other panels on that side of the roof and insert all the details required to make the cut.

The software will correctly show the compound angle across each panel as well as the angle through the panel. As all installers know too well, the ridge and hip cuts are different. It will display this for all edges that are cut, including roofs with multiple pitches as shown above.

Simply select one panel that represents the panels to be installed on that side of the roof and the details for each panel cut, at the top edge and the bottom edge are displayed.

If a leader line is required, simply use the CAD > Line > Insert > Free option.

It is recommended that this function be used in conjunction with the Linear Nesting report function which shows the finished cut length of each and every panel on a job.

Deletes the panel angle text.