i. Placement gap

In real loading, manual placement gaps are unavoidable. Cargo may also swell after some time, or cushioning materials may need to be inserted. All of these can be modelled with placement gaps.

Manual placement gaps and carton swelling can also be modelled by setting reserved sizes on the Container interface — see Reserved size above. Use either method. If center-of-gravity balance is involved, modelling with Placement gap is recommended. How much to set is an empirical value; after using the software to guide on-site loading you can refine the recommended value. For first-time use, about 1 cm is recommended.