MPanel Tutorials

The drawings below can be downloaded to your computer and looked at in your CAD package. These drawings illustrate some of the basic uses of MPanel.

Tutorial	Files	Summary	Thumbnail
Standard Tutorial	AutoCAD Rhino	The standard tutorial for learning MPanel, as shipped on demo CD’s. Consists of a starter drawing, with prototype structures, a MS Word document to describe the operations needed to complete the drawing, and a copy of the finished drawing.
Ten Steps to an MPanel Project	AutoCAD Rhino	A step by step tutorial showing how to design a cone tent using MPanel.
Formfinding Options	AutoCAD	Deciding on which relaxation method to use is sometimes confusing. This tutorial shows the difference between Fixed Edge, Cable Edge, and Joined Edge relaxations.

Follow the links to download a zip file containing the drawing in AutoCAD or Rhino

Tutorial	Files	Summary	Thumbnail
Fixed Edge Sail	AutoCAD Rhino	Shows a method to design a sail structure with one fixed edge and 3 catenary edges.
Fixed Edge Cone	AutoCAD Rhino	How to design a cone tent with fixed edges. Illustrates how to use MPanel to fix the eaves on a double cone tent structure.
Change Mesh Density	AutoCAD Rhino	Shows mesh density being changed to refine a cone tent. Change Mesh Density can be a great time saver, allowing the initial design to be drawn out with very coarse meshes that require little construction time and allow MPanel to relax the forms quickly. When the design is further along the meshes can be increased in density and then re-relaxed, to obtain a high definition drawing.
Square Sail Droop Control	AutoCAD Rhino	Looks at the problems of adjusting the droop of a square sail with high/low points. There is a peculiarity of an exactly square sail on a symmetrical frame, that adjusting the weft/warp ratio does not adjust the droop of the sail. This drawing explains that issue, and offers a solution to the problem.
Embedded Cables	AutoCAD Rhino	How to use embedded cables to carry some of the loads in a cone tent design.
Half Dome Awning	AutoCAD Rhino	Creating an awning cover with some double curvature on a half dome. Framed structures, which are sometimes made without double curvature, benefit in strength and rigidity if they are designed with double curvature. This drawing illustrates working over a simple entry way awning.
Cable Structures	AutoCAD Rhino	Looks at designing cable reinforced structures as an alternative to stressed skin structures using MPanel.

Follow the link to download a zip file containing the drawing in AutoCAD or Rhino

Tutorial	Files	Summary	Thumbnail
Standard Panel Handling	AutoCAD Rhino	Shows the standard panel handling used by MPanel to take a set of panels from the 3D model, into panels with compensation, seams, and production annotation.
Paneling Using Cross Sections	AutoCAD Rhino	Shows making panels by using cross sections, which gives complete control over seam placement and panel widths.
Seam Allowances	AutoCAD Rhino	MPanel allows different types of seam allowances, depending on your assembly method. This tutorial describes how to apply those seam allowances.
Geodesic Seams	AutoCAD Rhino	Creating geodesic seams on a saddle tent. Geodesic seams are often used to minimize seam lengths and create substantially rectangular panels. MPanel can create geodesic seams from any boundary points over any number of meshes, and can then turn the seam lines into a new mesh, to ease paneling.
Specified Width Panels	AutoCAD Rhino	How to make panels of a specified width. Illustrates working from a geometrically fixed seam to produce a series of specified width panels.
Merging Panels	AutoCAD Rhino	Looks at the issues involved in merging panels, and shows how the shearing error occurs. Merging is a powerful technique for joining panels together and achieving panel end curvature, but it has implications in the way the fabric stress relaxes that need to be understood. This drawing illustrates those issues for a simple hoop structure.
Diagonal Seams	AutoCAD Rhino	Creates a set of panels running diagonally on a square sail. Diagonal seams are required for aesthetic or structural reasons, and MPanel can create them nicely, although there are difficulties with the corner triangular panels. This drawing illustrates the process.
Calculating Compensation		This pdf explains the procedure for calculating the compensation on panels.

Tutorial	Files	Summary	Thumbnail
Deep Catenary	AutoCAD Rhino	Deep catenaries can be used for entrance arches, shade tents, sculptural effects, etc. This drawing shows how to develop deep catenaries without running into meshing problems.
Advanced Cone Tent	AutoCAD Rhino	Shows how to build up a cone tent based on an outline frame, with different mesh MSurf on individual meshes. This is needed if the cone tent perimeter shape is irregular, to keep an even mesh density.
Single Sheet Modeling	AutoCAD	The method of modeling using a single sheet over several constraints. This was an earlier modeling technique, used before the capability to relax multiple meshes arrived. For some fabric shapes it is difficult to think of a reasonable multiple set of meshes to define the structure, and so this drawing details the old method.
Modular Tent	AutoCAD Rhino	How to design a modular structure, so that you can add any number of central sections to create different length designs.
Advanced Compensation	AutoCAD	Ordinary compensation or shrink methods work for most situations, but MPanel’s compensation can be tailored to fit special circumstances. This drawing illustrates methods for variable compensation, partial decompensation, and changing compensation across the panel.
Natural Pole Angle	AutoCAD	Illustrates the method to find the natural top ring position and pole angle for a cone tent. Uses a structure of links to allow top ring to relax to it’s natural position.	/td>
Stress Estimation	AutoCAD Imp ACAD Metric Rhino IMP Rhino Metric	A basic introduction to stress estimation in a cone tent example. Covers membrane stress variations, cable loads and anchor loads.
Inflated Structures	AutoCAD	MPanel has a limited capability to handle inflated structures. This drawing illustrates that capability.
Design Checklist	AutoCAD Rhino	When you have completed your design, you might want to go through these steps to help avoid any errors. This is also a useful reference page when you are having problems manipulating your designs with MPanel.
Using Links	AutoCAD	This drawing will explore using link models with MPanel.  Links can be Guys, that try to maintain their length, or cable links, that maintain fixed tension
Determining Pre-Stress	AutoCAD Imp ACAD Metric	This example takes a simple shape and shows how the fabric stress is affected by wind and snow loads. It provides an estimate of the required fabric pre-stress, and so provides the information needed to detect a suitable material.

Getting Started with MPanel

Using MPanel with AutoCAD

Designing a barrel vault using a fixed edge mesh

Shade sail design using a cable edged mesh

Designing a structure with six sides

Designing a conic with four meshes

Using cross sections

Getting your panels production ready

Nesting your panels

Using MPanel with Rhino

Designing a barrel vault using a fixed edge mesh

Shade sail design using a cable edged mesh

Designing a structure with six sides

Designing a conic with four meshes

Using cross sections

Getting your panels production ready