222 — Panel Joint (Expansion Gap), in cv-web¶
The space left between this panel and the one beside it, set per edge. Tutorial 111 sets the same two numbers in AutoCAD.
Note
This lesson also exists in the browser. Work it in ConstructiVision on the web — same steps, same values, so you can follow either and end up with the same panel.
Where it is¶
The properties panel, Geometry section — Exp Gap, with an Auto tick, then Gap L and Gap R.
cv-web does more here than AutoCAD¶
This is one of the few places the two products genuinely differ, and the difference is in cv-web’s favour — so it is worth understanding rather than skipping.
AutoCAD |
two manual fields. You type both, always |
cv-web |
Auto by default — each edge’s gap is computed from the project joint: the interior joint between neighbours, and the corner joint where a wall ends |
On Auto, Gap L and Gap R are greyed but still show you the computed value rather than hiding it. Most panels never need more than that.
When to untick Auto¶
Untick it when a panel genuinely differs — say three eighths of an inch on one edge and three quarters on the other. Then type each edge yourself.
That is ordinary, not exotic. Measured across all 146 panels in both sample projects:
gap (left, right) |
panels |
|---|---|
3/8” and 3/8” |
36 |
1/4” and 1/4” |
34 |
none at all |
17 |
3/4” and 3/8” |
8 |
3/8” and 3/4” |
8 |
Thirty-one of the 146 carry different gaps on each edge. A wider gap usually means that edge meets something the wall has to move against — a building expansion joint, or a change in the structure behind it. The narrow side is a routine panel-to-panel joint.
Why it matters more than it looks¶
The gap is not an annotation. It is what spaces panels along a wall line, so the number on this panel decides where the next one lands, and the one after that. A wrong gap does not draw a wrong line on one sheet; it shifts a wall.
Watch the lesson¶
A companion video for this lesson is planned alongside the written curriculum.