Answer:
Elements are connected together if you have a common node. Thus, Element 1 and Element 2 shown in Image 01 are connected by Node 2.
If no common node is available, you can create a shear-rigid connection using a null element. In the case of the null element, the normal thickness t is equal to zero. However, the shear thickness t* must be greater than zero. Determination of the shear thickness t* is required for the null elements that are not affected by "normal" elements (t > 0) along their entire length. We recommend specifying the thickness of the thinnest element adjacent to the null element.
A null element can be defined manually or created using the "Connect node and element" function. Please make sure that the connection is always created using nodes of the elements and not help points (see Image 02).
When connecting the elements with cross-sections, the cross-sections first have to be reduced into the individual elements using the "Reduce Cross-Section into Elements" feature (Image 03). This is also shown in the video.
