Member Move/Stretch, Include Material ( Modeling )

Tool summary :

  • Moves an entire member or stretches one member end. Materials -- with some exceptions -- move with the member end.
  • If you want to stretch one end ( ) of a non-miscellaneous member that has a graphical connection , then this tool is probably the tool you want to use.
  • This tool is a direct alternative to the Member Move/Stretch tool. For step-by-step instructions on how to use this tool, refer to the documentation for Member Move/Stretch . The documentation on this page simply shows how this tool differs from that tool.
  • Both Move/Stretch Include Material (this tool) and Member Move/Stretch behave in exactly the same way with respect to moving members. However, when you stretch a member (by grabbing a member end ( )), the two tools behave in different ways.
  Move/Stretch Include Material Move/Stretch
Graphical connection material, bolts, welds Graphical connections move when the member end ( ) which that connection is associated with is stretched. See example 1 . Graphical connections do not move when a member end is stretched. See example 1 .
User-created materials User-added materials move when the member's left end is stretched. See example 3 . They do not move when the member's right end is stretched. User-added materials do not move when a member's left end (or right end) is stretched. See example 3 .
Custom components Both tools produce the same result. That "same result" depends on the type of component, the component's settings and, for some components, which end ( ) is stretched. See example 4 .
System connections Both tools give the same result. The connection material associated with the end that is stretched moves with the end that is stretched. See example 2 .
Member main material Main material stretches when either end ( ) of a member is stretched. Submaterials, bolts and welds attached to that main material move as described above. Main material stretches when either end ( ) of a member is stretched. System connection materials and components move with the stretched main material.
  • See example 1 and example 2 and example 3 and example 4 .
  • You can add an icon or keyboard shortcut or context menu option by selecting Move/Stretech Members, Include Material from the command group ' Model -- Member ' (lightning). For classic toolbar configuration, keyboard shortcut configuration and context menu configuration, the command group is also named ' Model -- Member ' .

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   Example 1: Stretching a member with graphical connection material:

These three columns were exact copies of one another before the middle and right columns were stretched. The user cap plate on all three columns is " Graphical ." When the middle column was stretched using Move/Stretch , the cap plate did not move. When the right column was stretched using Move/Stretch include Material , the cap plate moved the same distance that the end of the column ( ) was moved. Move/Stretch Include Material would be the tool to use if you want to move the graphical connection , including graphical material, bolts and welds, along with the member end.

Here's a similar example with beams. The clip angle on all three members is " Graphical ." When the right end ( ) of the middle beam was stretched using Move/Stretch , the clip angle and web extension plate did not move. When the right end of the bottom beam was stretched using Move/Stretch Include Material , the bottom beam's graphical connection moved along with the member end.

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   Example 2: Stretching a member's right end ( ), effect on system-created connection material and user-created material:

These two columns were exact copies of one another before the top end of the column on the right was stretched. The stiffener was not moved because it is user-created material . Both Move/Stretch and Move/Stretch Include Material would produce exactly the same results since it is the right end (top end) of the column that is stretched. If the left end of the member had been stretched, Move/Stretch Include Material would have moved the stiffener.

Here's an example of two beams, both with a system-generated clip angle connection. Neither connection is graphical. After the bottom beam was stretched using either Move Stretch or Move/Stretch Include Material , the system connection was regenerated as shown. The position of the user-created stiffener at the middle of the beam is not affected by the stretch operation since it is the right end of the member that is stretched. Compare this with example 3 , in which the left end of the member is stretched.

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   Example 3 : Stretching a member's left end (a vertical column's bottom end), effect on user-created material:

These three perfectly vertical columns were exact copies of each other before the bottom ends of the middle and right columns were stretched. The three column plates are user base/cap plates. The stiffener under each of these cap plates is user-created material . That stiffener is not moved in the middle example because Move/Stretch was used to perform the operation.

Note: The left end of a perfectly vertical column is its bottom end. User-created material is placed along a member at specific distances from that member's left end.


These three beams were exact copies of each other before the left ends of the middle and bottom beams were stretched. The three right-end system connections are welded clip angles with web extension plates. It makes no difference in this example whether the connections are graphical or not since they are right-end connections and it is the left end that is stretched. The stiffener near the center of each of these beams is user-created material . That stiffener is not moved in the middle example because Move/Stretch was used to perform the left-end stretch operation.

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   Example 4 : Stretching a beam's end ( ), effect on custom components:

These two beams were exact copies of one another before the right end of the bottom beam was stretched. The custom component Beam Stiffeners - Beam was used to generate the stiffeners. Either Move Stretch or Move Stretch Include Material could be used to produce the result shown in this example. The " Location method " of ' Fixed Spacing ' specifies that stiffener spacing be based on the overall length of the beam.

These two beams were exact copies of one another before the right end of the bottom beam was stretched. The custom component Beam Stiffeners - Beam was used to generate the stiffeners. Either Move/ Stretch or Move/Stretch Include Material could have been used to perform the stretch operation shown in this example. " Lock stiffener spacing values " caused the stiffeners to remain positioned at the same distances from the left end before and after the stretch operation.

Note: Since custom components are created by different developers for different purposes, you will find that different custom components behave in different ways when their members are stretched. However, it should make no difference whether the custom component's member is stretched using Move/ Stretch or Move/Stretch Include Material .

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