Tolerance for the verification of a model
Diamonds conducts a significant number of verifications and automatic operations to ensure that the model remains coherent and logical. Namely each time you:
- import a DXF, a Diamonds ,a PowerPlate or a PowerFrame file
- you add, delete or modify the shape of the model (drawing a line, creating a slab starting from its contour, deleting elements, rotation or translation operations, etc.)
Diamonds:
- divides each line joined by a new segment;
- intersects crossing lines provided that they belong to the same slab or wall;
- generates new slabs each time an existing slab is cross cut by a new line or when a closed contour is located in an existing slab;
- divides each surface intersected by another one.
- merges points that are closer to each other than the imposed geometric tolerance.
You can impose the geometric tolerance via the menu ‘Options – Preferences – tab page Model’.
This last option has a downside. Let’s say you set the geometric tolerance to 30mm. Points A and B are closer to each other then the given geometric tolerance. Do modify the model. When verifying the model, Diamonds will join the points. But you don’t know if Diamonds will join point B with point A, or point A with point B… Hereby parts of the structure that were drawn correctly, could end up inclined after running this function. Resulting in a model that is worse than before you used this function.
So if you’re planning to modify the shape of the geometry, set the geometric tolerance to 1mm. When done, set it to 30mm. If you have forgotten something, this function will help you detect the last few errors (more info).
You can also start the automatic check performed by Diamonds manually via the Model verification 
.
Setting tolerance for the group definition
A certain number of Diamonds features concern bars that are in the prolongation of each other. For example, to group physical elements, it is essential for them to be perfectly aligned (see Defining groups). The alignment also affects buckling lengths.
An angular tolerance allows you to make sure that the elements originating from a CAD software or drawn with the use of various functions of are perfectly aligned.
Move elements as physical entity
The transformations described in Groups for geometry operations, were established by applying a function ( 
or 
). When performing these function you can indicate if the transformation should be applied on the elements as a physical entity or not.
But you can also deform a structure by adjusting the coordinates of the points.
If you don’t want Diamonds to perform the deformation on the physical entity, you must uncheck the option ‘Move elements by default as physical entity’ in the tab ‘Model’ (and vice versa).
