# Connect 1D Elements
This one dialog box is used to connect 1D elements or members, depending on the context in which it is opened.
The Connect 1D Elements dialog box is used to connect beams, bars etc. that intersect, maintaining element releases and offsets as originally defined. The standard case is where two elements that cross are connected. Sculpt creates a new node at the point of intersection and replaces the two original elements with four elements meeting at the new node. Also, a 1D element aligned with the edge of a 2D element will be split at each 2D element node.
The elements that are to be connected must be selected prior to opening this dialog box. Two or more elements must be selected.
Open this dialog box by giving the “Sculpt | 1D Element Operations | Connect 1D Elements” menu command when the current view is a Graphic View.
# Offset tolerance
The offset tolerance defines the maximum separation of two elements at the point at which they “cross” for the elements to be deemed to be intersecting.
# Trim tolerance
If an element crosses another within “trim tolerance” of the element end then the element is trimmed to end at the crossing point.
# Coincident nodes, Use existing nodes where present
When checked, wherever a new node is required during the execution of this operation the program searches existing nodes for one that lies within the Coincidence tolerance of the required position, and uses the first node found instead of creating a new node. Otherwise new nodes are always created.
# Split loads and replace references to old elements with references to new
When checked, loads applied to original elements are mapped onto new elements and, other than in loading records, references to the original elements in element lists are replaced by references to the new elements. Note that the splitting of loads does not occur where a load is applied to an element because that element is included in a saved list or grid surface that is referred to by the loading record rather than being referred to directly in the loading record list. See Connecting 1D elements graphically for more details.