Tekla Structures 2017i US Environments Release Notes

==================== CARA INSTAL TEKLA STRUCTURES V.16.
0
====================1.Matikan dulu jaringan internet dan disable antivirus anda.2.Extract
Master File Tekla Structures 16.0. ( setelah di extract maka akan muncul 2 buah folder dengan
nama
Tekla Structures 16.0
Crack
dan
Master File
).3.Buka folder
Master File
lalu double click pada file TeklaStructures160Software.exe,lalu tunggu sampai proses instalasi
selesai.4.Buka folder Environment, lalu double click pada file
EnvironmentManager.exe
, jika muncul kotak dialog Environment Manager,maka centang pada pilihan Common, Default,
Korea, kemudian klik Next dan tunggu sampai proses instalasi selesai.5.Buka folder Crack, lalu
copy file dengan nama
TeklaStructures.exe
ke directory tempat Tekla Structures terinstal.(
C:\Program Files\Tekla Structures\16.0\nt\bin\
).6.Tekla Structures 16.0 siap digunakan.=== SALAM ENGINEER => UDHIYE ==

Tutorial Tekla Structures
Tekla Structures merupakan software 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM) yang mampu
memberikan tingkat akurasi dan constructability yang tinggi. Cakupan dari software ini adalah:
 Full construction management and detailing

 Construction management
 Steel detailing
 Precast concrete detailing
 Reinforced concrete detailing
 Engineering
dan masih banyak lagi
Tekla Structures bisa diaplikasikan pada workshop, warehouse, jembatan, rangka atap, tower,
piperack, plaform, pre engineered building, steel light frame dan sebagainya. Pembuatan model
struktur secara 3D memberikan hasil yang cepat dan akurat. Dari model 3D langsung bisa
dihasilkan gambar cutting, assembling, general arrrangement dan material/bolt list.
Buku ini membahas perintah-perintah pada Tekla untuk membuat model struktur baja. Pada
akhir buku ini dilengkapi dengan tutorial yang berisi langkah-langkah dalam membuat model
struktur baja sederhana.
Penulis berharap buku ini bisa bermanfaat bagi para Pembaca.
Untuk lebih lengkapnya bisa hubungi:
Mutohar, ST 0817467796
tutorialny ada tu di web official Tekla, http://www.tekla.com/international/s...index_eng.html
Sebagai gambaran awal untuk belajar tekla beberapa tahap pembelajaran harus dikuasai
secara manual (tidak menggunakan automatisasi) karena sifatnya basic antara lain:
- Grid editing
- Create view
- Create element2 struktur
- copy and move (basic editing)
- Cutting
- integrasi dengan software design analisis (sap 2000)
- produce gambar
Grid editing,
Kita bisa punya banyak jenis grid yang bisa di load atau hide sesuai kebutuhan. Prinsip
dasar grid untuk arah X dan Y bersifat relatif sementara untuk arah Z bersifat absolute.
Masing masing grid berkorespondensi dengan labelnya.
Spoiler for "grid basic":
Creating view,
ini penting untuk dikuasi, gunanya untuk menampilkan view tertentu yang kita butuhkan.
Bisa digenerate automatik tapi bagus dikuasai manualnya dari create view menggunakan
point sampe grid.
Create element struktur.

masing masing element di tekla memiliki properti sendiri-sendiri. Propertinya itu berisi
informasi atribut, posisi dsb.
Spoiler for "element attribute":
Spoiler for "element position":
Copy and move,

jika terbiasa dengan CAD perintah copy and move di tekla mirip dengan command Array di
CAD atau copy with base point. Kalo terbiasa dengan sap, mirip dengan perintah replicate.
Cutting,
ini berhubungan dengan pendetailan dan kebutuhan desain. Di tekla command nya mulai
dari istilahnya fit part dan cut part baik itu dengan line atau poligon.
Integrasi dengan software structural design macam SAP2000,

Tekla itu tidak mendesain struktur jika yang dimaksud adalah mendesain strength,
penulangan dan optimasi element struktur. Itu semua dikerjakan oleh software lain macam
sap2000 atau staad. Dari tekla dibuat modelnya saja lalu dilempar ke sap000 dan setelah
ok di sap2000 di get lagi di tekla dan dilanjut dengan pendetailan. Butuh patch khusus agar
fiture ini bisa aktif.
Spoiler for "integrasi dengan sap2000":

Produce gambar,
memproduksi gambar di tekla ini bagian menarik karena tinggalmelakukan beberapa klik
sudah bisa didapat gambar detail yang menarik dan bisa dilempar ke cad (export dwg).
Kalo dah terbiasa akan menarik dan hemat banyak waktu.
demikian, diatas itu gambaran umum tahap awal belajar tekla. tentu saja masih sangat
kurang untuk bisa dibilang sebagai tutorial. Tapi dengan mencoba atau mengikuti tutorial2
yang sudah ada (googling plis) dan terus latihan pasti akan bisa. Fitur2 lain yang sangat
menarik adalah penggunaan macro untuk automatisasi pendetailan, penulangan,
sambungan dan banyak lagi.
Intinya, ga rugi belajar tekla.

Selamat mencoba.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – SETTINGS

December 29, 2011 | Tekla Structures Tutorial | No Comments
Units and decimals
To configure how units and decimals are input, output, stored and displayed, click Tools >Options > Options… > Units
and decimals.
Update When you click OK in the Units and decimals dialog box, Tekla Structures updates the format
of units and decimals in all open dialog boxes.
Input and output Different types of data are separated onto three tabs in the Units and decimals dialog box. Inputdata
data appears on the Modeling and Catalogs tabs. Output data appears on the Analysis results
tab (output data only relates to structural analysis).

Modeling func-
The settings on the Modeling tab affect the data you use when using modeling commands, such
tions as copy, move, create grid, create point, part location, and dimensions.
Catalogs Settings on the Catalogs tab affect the data stored in the profile and material catalogs.
No effect Settings in the Units and Decimals dialog box have no effect on drawings, reports, or the
Inquire and Measure tools.
The number of decimals affects input and storage accuracy. Always use a
sufficient number of decimals.
Exponent notation The decimal point symbol is always a period (.). It cannot be changed. You can use
positive exponent notation, but not negative exponent notation.
Imperial units
Fractional notation You can input length in imperial units in the following ways:
• Inches in decimals (e.g. 300.5″)
• Feet in decimals (e.g. 62.7′)
• Fractional notation (e.g. 60′-6″)
In fractional notation, all input is shown in feet (‘) and inches (“). If you are using
imperial units and want to use fractions, you must use fractional notation.
162 TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Settings and Tools
Mouse and pointer settings

You can configure your mouse and pointer settings to suit the way you work using:
• Pan
• Drag and drop
• Xmouse
• Xsnap
• Rollover highlight
Pan
Pan toggles the function of the middle mouse button between panning and scrolling. Toswitch
between scrolling and panning, click Tools > Options > Middle Button Pan, or pressShift+M. Scrolling moves
the “viewer”, and panning moves the model. Hold down the middle button and drag the pointer away from the
origin of the object. To scroll faster, drag the pointer farther
from the origin mark; drag closer to slow down. You can use Scroll and Panwhen other commands are active.
Drag and drop

With Drag and drop active, you can use drag and drop to move or copy parts. You can also modify polygon
shape using drag and drop. You cannot drag and drop components, component parts, bolts, or welds.
Activate To toggle Drag and drop on and off, use the keystroke D, or Tools > Options > Drag and Drop.
It remains active until you switch it off.
Tekla Structures remembers this setting between sessions by user name.

To avoid accidentally dragging and dropping parts, de-activate drag and drop when
you are not using it.
Smart Select With both Drag and Drop and Smart Select active, you can drag and drop handles without
selecting them first.
To toggle SmartSelect on and off, use the keystroke S, or select Tools> Options > Smart
Select. It remains active until you switch it off.
Tekla Structures remembers this setting by session and user name.
Xmouse
With Xmouse active, moving the pointer over a view activates the view. Without Xmouseyou
have to click on a view to activate it. To toggle Xmouse on or off, click Tools > Options
>Xmouse. A checkmark appears next to the menu option if Xmouse is already active.
Using Xmouse
Xmouse is useful when you are using two views that partly overlap. See the following examples:
• If you want to pick beam positions from two overlapping views, with Xmouse active you simply move the
pointer over the view to activate it.
• With Xmouse active, you can also use the Page Up, Page Down and arrow keys in overlapping views,
without having to click a view to activate it first..
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 163Settings and Tools
Xsnap
Xsnap helps you to snap to the correct points by giving you visual cues. As you move thepointer over an object,
Tekla Structures automatically highlights the points it suggests you snap to.
Activate To toggle Xsnap on and off, use the keystroke T or Tools > Options >
Xsnap. It will stay active
until you turn it off.
Tekla Structures remembers this setting by session and user name.
Snap switches Use snap switches to control the kind of items to which the cursor reacts
Rollover highlight
As you move the mouse pointer over objects in rendered model views, Tekla Structures highlights the objects in
yellow, so that you can easily see which objects you can select.
Activate To turn Rollover highlight on and off, press H or click Tools > Options > Rollover highlight.
Phases
In Tekla Structures, you can use phases to break up a model into different sections. Phases are often used to
indicate erection sequences. You can create reports and views, hide objects, and copy objects from other models,
according to their phase number.
Example
For example, you have a large project on which several users will work simultaneously in single-
user mode. First create a basic model which includes, for example, the columns. This is phase 1. You then copy
this basic model to all users.
Each user then works on a separate part of the building. As each part of the model is completed, you can copy it
back to the basic model as a separate phase (phase 2, 3, etc.).
Working with To work with phases, click Tools > Phase Manager…. The Phase manager dialog box appears.
phases

The following table explains how to use the buttons in the Phases dialog box.
Button Description
Filter Lists the phases by the number and/or name criteria you enter..
Makes the selected phase the current phase. Tekla Structures assigns all objects you
Set create after setting a phase to current to the current phase. The @ character in front of
current the phase number indicates the current phase.
Select by Highlights the phases associated with the objects currently selected in the model. Use
objects this button to identify the phase of an object.
Add Creates a new phase.
Delete Deletes the phases you select from the list.
Select by Selects and highlights the corresponding objects in the model if you have selected
phase associated phases on the list.
Modify
phase Changes the phases of the selected objects to the phase selected on the list.
You can add more phase properties, which will appear as extra columns on the list. Tekla Structures
considers phase properties to be user-defined attributes, so you can define the names of phase properties
Additional in the objects.inp file. See Adding properties. To use phase properties
properties in reports and templates, use the syntax PHASE.ATTRIBUTE_NAME in the phaseproperty field name.
Options
Use the Components dialog box to set various default values for numbering, coefficients,
profile names and connections. To open the Components dialog box, click Tools > Options >Options… >
Components.
To save your settings, click Apply or OK.
Preferences in the online help
See also Orientation marking settings in the online help
Colors
You can specify the color of some model objects by defining their class with a number.
You can also use the object representation settings to specify colors for defined object groups. You have the
following color options:
Color Number
black
light gray or white 1
red 2 or 0
bright green 3
blue 4
cyan 5
yellow magenta
gray 8
pink 9
lime 10
aqua 11
lilac 12
orange 13
light blue 14
You may also need to use the numbers of colors with some variables, for
exampleXS_CLASH_CHECK_COLOR. For more information, see the online help.
General settings
Tekla Structures also includes the following general settings:

Snap grid
Use Snap grid when picking a point using the Snap to any
position snap switch. To define a snap grid, click Tools > Options > Options… > Mousesettings.
Enter the following information:
Field Description
Activate snap grid when free snap is on Check to make the snap grid active.
Spacing x, y Snap grid spacing
Origin dx, dy Offsets for grid origin
Beep
With this switch active, Tekla Structures warns you with a beep when an error occurs. ClickTools > Options >
Beep to toggle this switch on and off.
TEKLA STRUCTURES –
SKETCHING AND USING CROSS
SECTIONS
January 31, 2012 | Tekla Structures Tutorial | No Comments
The Sketching toolbar is embedded in the Cross section sketch editor. It contains thetools you need to define
and save cross sections:
Sketching cross sections
To sketch a cross section:

1. Click Modeling > Profiles > Define Cross Section in Sketch Editor…. Tekla Structuresopens the:
• Cross Section Sketch Editor View and Sketching toolbar
• Variables and Sketch Browser dialog boxes

2. Use the following tools on the Sketching toolbar to sketch the outline of a crosssection, and holes in the cross
section:
Command Icon Description
Sketch polyline hi Sketch lines.
L^j
Sketch arc Sketch an arc.
.
Sketch circle Sketch a circle.
•F Ensure that you create a closed shape:

• Try to start sketching at a point that is easy to pick, such as a gridline intersection.
• If necessary, use the Coincident constraint tool to close it.
Next you need to add constraints and dimensions, and save your sketch. See:
• Using constraints to lock cross section shape (p. 197)
• Adding dimensions to cross sections (p. 199)
• Naming, saving, and closing cross sections (p. 205)
196 TEKLA STRUCTURES14.0 Advanced Modeling
Tekla Structures will not save a cross section that does not have dimensions.
Using constraints to lock cross section shape

After you have sketched the outline of a cross section, use the constraint tools to refine your sketch and lock
the shape, for example, to straighten lines, create 90° angles, force lines to meet, and close the shape.
The Sketching toolbar includes the following tools to create constraints:
Sketch radial dimension Creates a radial constraint for an arc or circle.
Sketch angle dimension te Creates an angle constraint for an arc or circle.
Parallel constraint Force a line to be parallel to another line.
Perpendicular constraint Fi Force a line to be perpendicular to another line.
Force two lines to meet (extends or shortens

one or both lines.) Useful when you need to
close a shape.
Tekla Structures automatically creates
coincident constraints:
• Where 2 lines meet
• Between line segments when you

draw them with the Sketchpolyline tool.
• Between the start of the first line segment

and the end of the last line segment in a shape,
if they are within a certain distance of each
Coincident constraint other.
Locks the position and angle of a line, so that

Fixed constraint other constraints do not affect it.
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Advanced Modeling 197

Force a line in the sketch to be parallel to the local x

axis. Use with other constraints to straighten the entire
profile.
Tekla Structures automatically creates horizontal
Horizontal constraints for horizontal lines, and lines that are almost
constraint - horizontal.
Force a line in the sketch to be parallel to the local y

axis. Use with other constraints to straighten the entire
profile.
Tekla Structures automatically creates vertical
Vertical constraints for vertical lines, and lines that are almost
constraint LL=J vertical.
See the online help for a step-by-step example on using these tools.
Sketching cross sections (p. 196)
You can choose to create chamfers in your cross section. Then you need to add
dimensions, and save your sketch. See:
• Defining chamfers (p. 199)
• Adding dimensions to cross sections (p. 199)
See also • Naming, saving, and closing cross sections (p. 205)
Deleting constraints
To delete a constraint:
1. Click the Sketch Browser icon
2. Select the constraint in the Sketch Browser dialog box.
3. Right-click and select Delete from the pop-up menu:

Defining chamfers
When you use the Create polyline tool to sketch a profile, Tekla Structures automatically creates coincident
constraints between the line segments and displays a chamfer symbol where
line segments meet EEl.
To change the shape or dimensions of a chamfer:
1. For each chamfer you want to change, double-click the chamfer symbol in the sketch. Tekla Structures
opens the Chamfer properties dialog box.
2. Change the shape and dimensions of the chamfer.
(T) Select chamfer shape fa)Enter chamfer dimensions
3. Click Modify to modify the chamfer.

4. Click OK to close the Chamfer properties dialog box.
5. Click the Save sketch icon to save the changes.
Adding dimensions to cross sections
After you have sketched a parametric cross section, use the dimension constraint tools on
the Sketching tool bar to create dimensions for it.
You can use these dimensions to define the size of the profile cross section when you use it in a model.
Tekla Structures also adds the dimensions you create to the list of variables that you can use in calculations.
See Using variables to define cross section properties (p. 201).
Tekla Structures will not save a

parametric cross section that does not
have dimension constraints.
The Sketching toolbar includes the following tools to create dimensions.
Sketch free distance * Creates a dimension between any two points.
n
Sketch horizontal distance Creates a horizontal dimension.
c
Sketch vertical distance Creates a vertical dimension.
Using planes to position parts and connections
By default, Tekla Structures determines the position of parts using the outline of the part
or
connection, together with the options you select in the Positions section of thePosition tab in
the part properties dialog box. For example, the Middle option positions apart based on the
geometric center of the part profile. See also Part location (p. 82).
Part positioning planes You can have Tekla Structures use part positioning
planes instead of the part profileoutline to calculate the On plane and At
Depth part position options.
For example, you can create part positioning planes that define the Middle optionof an
asymmetrical profile:
Part positioning planes
©© Middle option based on the intersection of part positioning planes, not part
outline
The part positioning planes appear as blue lines in the Cross section sketch editor view .
Connection Tekla Structures uses connection positioning planes to define the position of components
positioning relative to parts. Connection positioning planes appear as green lines in the Cross section
planes sketch editor view.
The following image shows the default connection positioning planes and locations where you can place details when the part
is a double tee slab created as sketched cross section.
MJ The green line illustrates the default connection positioning planes

When creating a detail to the slab, select the detail location using the following checkboxes on
the General tab in the component dialog box.
If you want to place details as in the image below, you need to move connection positioning planes.
Tools The Sketching toolbar includes the following tools to define positionin
Allows you to move part positioning planes. When you

use the profile in a model, the On plane and At
Show or hide part depthpart position options are based on these planes,
positioning planes dl not the outline of the profile.
Show or hide
connection
positioning planes cS Allows you to move connection positioning planes.
Using variables to define cross section properties
You can define variables to define the properties of a sketched cross section. Variablescan define fixed properties, or they can incl
formulas, so that Tekla Structures calculates the property value each time you use the profile in a model. For example, you can cr
variable that calculates a dimension:
The Sketching toolbar includes the following tools to create and use variables:
Command Icon More information
View, add or change variables in parametric model objects, including

sketched cross sections.
1 Works the same way as Display variables in the Custom component
Display variables ■■■ editor.
Opens the sketch browser, which shows the elements in a sketched

Display sketch parametric cross section.
browser i Works in the same way asCustom component browser.
Example: Symmetric C
This example shows how to use the Variables dialog box and Sketch Browser. Wecreate a symmetric C-shaped cross section with
= b2 and h2 = h3. When you use the profile in the model, you can change the following dimensio
• Thickness (P1)
• Total height (h1)
• Height (h2)
• Width (b1)

First, create the cross section and distances:
1. Click Modeling > Profiles > Define Cross Section in Sketch Editor… to open the sketch editor.
2. Use the Sketch polyline command to create a C-shaped cross section.
3. Use the Sketch horizontal distance and Sketch vertical distance commands to create all
distances. All the created distances are automatically displayed in the Variables dialogbox.
• To change the distance value, click the Formula cell and enter a new value.
• To make the profile symmetric, type =h2 in the Formula cell of distance h3 and=b1 of distance b2.
© Distances from the sketch
f2J Add this parameter to enter varying values for profile thickness
/T\ If you want to give variables different values when using the profile, set
Visibility to Show
To add the P1 variable for profile thickness:

1. In the Variables dialog box, click the Add button.
2. Click the Formula cell and enter a thickness value.
3. In the Visiblity cell, select Show.

4. Type Thickness in the Label in dialog box cell.
5. In the Sketch Browser, right-click the Thickness object and select Add equationfrom the pop-up menu. Then
type in =P1.
6. Right-click the ExtrusionType object and select Add equation from the pop-up menu. Then type in =2. For
more information about the ExtrusionType, see Extruding sketched polyline (p. 207).
Creating a picture of a cross section
Library profiles include pictures which illustrate the shape and dimensions of each profile.
To add pictures of sketched parametric cross sections:
1. Using any image editor, e.g. Paint, create an image that shows the shape and dimensions
of the profile.
2. Save the image in the

folder..\TeklaStructures\*version*\nt\bitmaps, using the cross section
name as the filename, with the file extension .bmp. For example, mysketch.bmp.
To use a Tekla Structures screenshot as a picture:
1. Open the sketch in the cross section sketch editor view. If necessary, click in the sketch
to ensure it is the active view.
Using
screenshot 2. Press F12 on your keyboard to take a screenshot of the sketch, without the borders.
3. In any file manager, e.g. Microsoft Explorer, rename the screenshot file to have the same
name as the sketch, with the extension bmp.
4. Copy the renamed file to the

folder..\TeklaStructures\*version*\nt\bitmaps.
5. Tekla Structures displays a picture of the sketch when you browse for profiles.
Naming, saving, and closing cross sections
Tekla Structures saves sketched cross sections in the profile catalog in the current model folder.
See Adding dimensions to cross sections (p. 199).
The Sketching toolbar includes the following tools to name and save sketched cross sections:
Save sketch
as I5J Saves the cross section.
Prompts you to save the sketch. Option to close the sketch

Close sketch ■/
without saving.
Testing your cross section
To check that the constraints and dimensions in a sketched cross section work correctly, try this test:
• Double-click a dimension line to open the Distance properties dialog box.
• Change the Value field then click the Modify button. Tekla Structures updates thecross section in the sketch
editor.
• Check that the shape of the profile does not change and that the dimensions adjust correctly.
Click the Cancel button to close the dialog box.
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0205 Advanced Modeling

Modifying sketched cross sections
To modify an existing sketched cross section:

1. Click Modeling > Profiles > Edit Cross Section in Sketch Editor…. TheComponent Catalog dialog box opens.
2. Double-click the name of the cross section to open it in the Cross Section Sketch Editor View.
3. The elements you can edit appear in yellow. For example, you can edit distances and chamfers. Double-
click an element to edit its properties:
f-M Double-click an element to edit its properties

You cannot change dimensions that have been calculated using
formulas in the Variables dialog box.
Constraints may also prevent you from changing dimensions. See Using
constraints to lock cross section shape (p. 197).
Modifying chamfers
To modify the shape or dimensions of a chamfer in a sketch:
1. Double-click the chamfer symbol HS9.

2. Modify the properties in the Chamfer properties dialog box:
Select a chamfer shape from the Type dropdown list.

According to the shape of the chamfer, use the x and y fields to define its dimensions:
© Use the x field to define the radius of this convex chamfer
3. Click the Modify button to change the chamfer.

4. Click the OK button to close the Chamfer properties dialog box.
Copying and moving
You can also copy and move the entire sketch or parts of it with the copy and move commands. For more
information, see Copy (p. 138) and Move (p. 140).
Extruding sketched polyline
To easily create a cold-rolled cross section (of a consistent thickness), sketch an open polyline,
and define the extrusion type and thickness of the profile in the Sketch Browser:
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0207 Advanced Modeling

The Extrusion type defines how the polyline is extruded. The options are:
Sketch Browser dialog

Sketch editor view box Description
Default.
Polyline is extruded symmetrically
Extrusion Type = 0 from the center of the sketched line.
Polyline extruded to the outside of the

Extrusion Type = 1 sketched line.
Polyline extruded to the inside of the
Extrusion Type = 2 sketched line.
To define the thickness:
1. In the Variables dialog box, add a new length variable, for example P1, and enter thedefault
thickness in the Formula cell.
2. In the Sketch Browser, set Thickness = P1 (the new variable). If you define thethickness
value directly in the Sketch Browser, it means that thickness has a fixedvalue (Thickness = 10).
3. See also Example: Symmetric C (p. 202).
Using sketched cross sections in models
Once you have created a cross section and saved it in the profile catalog, you are ready to use it in the model. If you have
applied constraints correctly, the shape of the profile will not change if you change its dimensions. See Testing your cross
section (p. 205) for more information.
To use the profile cross section in a model:
1. Double-click the part icon to open the part properties dialog box. For example, double-click the Create
beam icon to open the Beam Properties dialog box.
2. To select a profile to use:
• For steel parts, click the Select… button next to the Profile field.
• For concrete parts, click the … button next to the Profile field.
3. The Select Profile dialog box opens.
4. Select the sketched parametric cross section. They appear under the Others profiletype at the end of the profile tree:
5. To change the dimensions of the profile, click a dimension in the Value column inthe
properties table in the lower part of the dialog box. Enter a new value, thenclick Apply.
6. Click OK to close the Select Profile dialog box.
7.
In the part properties dialog box, click Modify to change the part profile in the model.
8. Click OK to close the part properties dialogbox. Importing and exporting

See also sketches (p. 209)
Importing and exporting sketches
To use a sketched cross section in other models, you have to export the cross section sketch to a file (.uel), and then import
the file into another model.

Exporting To export a sketch:
1. Click Ctrl + F to open the component catalog.
2. Select Sketches from the list. Tekla Structures shows all the sketches available inthe current
model.
3. Select the sketches you want to export. If you want to export several sketches, hold down
the Ctrl key when selecting sketches.
4. Right-click and select Export… from the pop-up menu. The Export componentsdialog box
appears.
5. Enter the name for the export file. Tekla Structures writes the exported sketches to a
file (.uel).
To import a sketch to another model:
1. Click Ctrl + F to open the component catalog.
2. Select Sketches from the list. Tekla Structures shows all the sketches available inthe current
model.
3. Right-click and select Import… from the pop-up menu. The Import componentsdialog box
appears.
4. Browse to find the folder which contains the exported .uel files. Select the file to import
Importing and click OK.
J? If you have modified the sketched profile to a library profile, you also need to import
the profdb.bin file.
To automatically import all *.uel files from a folder when creating a new model, use the
variable XS_UEL_IMPORT_FOLDER.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – TOOLS

Snapping
Tekla Structures includes many tools you can use alone or together with other tools to snap to specific
locations. These tools are:
• Snap switches
• Numeric snapping
• Orthogonal snapping
• Tracking
• Temporary reference points See also Snapping examples
Numeric snapping
Use the Enter a numeric location toolbar to key in position coordinates you want to snap to.
TEKLA
To display the toolbar, initiate a command that requires you to pick positions, and then do one of the following:
• Start entering the coordinates using the keyboard.
• Click Tools > Enter a Numeric Location and select an option. To access additionaloptions, click Tools > Options > Shortcuts > Enter a
Numeric Location.
The following table explains the types of information you can enter.
You can
enter Description/Example Special character
The x, y, and z
coordinates of a position
Cartesian separated by commas,
coordinates e.g. 100,-50,-200. , (comma)
A distance, an angle on
the xy plane, and an
angle from the xy plane
separated by angle
brackets, e.g.
1000<90<45.
Angles increase in the
Polar counterclockwise
coordinates direction. <
Set with the

variable
XS_KEYIN_AB
The coordinates based on the origin SO
Absolute coordinates of the work plane. LUTE_PREFIX
The coordinates relative

to the last position Set with the variable
Relative picked, e.g. @1000,500 XS_KEYIN_RELA
coordinates or @500<30. TIVE_PREFIX
A distance to an
One value indicated direction.
Two If you omit the last

coordinates coordinate (z) or angle,
Tekla Structures
assumes that the value is
0.
In drawings, Tekla
Three Structures ignores the
coordinates third coordinate.
After you enter the coordinates, press Enter or click OK to snap to the position.
Snapping
mode Tekla Structures has two snapping modes, relative and absolute. Use the variableXS_KEYIN_DEFAULT_MODE to
indicate the default snapping mode.
See also XS_KEYIN_ABSOLUTE_PREFIX
XS_KEYIN_RELATIVE_PREFIX
Orthogonal snapping
Use the shortcut O (Tools > Ortho) to snap to positions in orthogonal directions on the work plane (0, 45, 90, 135, 180 degrees, etc.).
To control orthogonal snapping, use the variables XS_SEMI_ORTHO_ANGLE andXS_USE_SEMI_ORTHO. For more
information, see Appendix C, Variables, in the System Manual.

Tracking
Tracking means that you follow a line and pick a point at a specified distance along the line. You usually use
tracking in combination with other snapping tools, such as snap switches, or orthogonal and numeric snapping.
Temporary reference points
You can create a temporary reference point to use as a local origin when snapping in models or drawings.
1. Initiate a command that requires you to pick positions.
2. Hold down the Ctrl key and pick a position. A green cross indicates that this position is now a temporary
reference point.
3. Use this temporary reference point with snap tools to define directions and distances.
Snapping examples
When you have snap switches on and you use a command that requires you to pick positions, the mouse
pointer locks onto a snap point. Tekla Structures displays a magenta line between the last point picked and the
snap point.
You can track along the line towards a snap point, and use the Enter a numeric locationtoolbar to specify the
distance from the last point picked.
You can also track along an orthogonal direction..
In the illustration below, we snapped to a grid line midpoint and tracked along the tentative line for 1000 units.
You can also track beyond the snap point, for example, 4000 units from the last point picked.
Track in the opposite direction by entering a negative value, for example, -1000.
In this example, we create a beam using a grid line midpoint as a temporary reference point and
Reference tracking along an orthogonal direction (shown as green dashed line) for 500 units. Click OK,and Tekla
points Structures creates the beam along the magenta line.

Locking
You can lock the x, y, and x coordinates on a line. This is useful when you need to determine a
coordinates point to pick and the needed point does not exist on the line.
To lock the x coordinate, for example, press x on the keyboard. To unlock the coordinate, press x again.
Exact lines
With fast representation of parts, use View > Representation > Show Part with Exact
Lines todisplay selected parts with exact lines. Click View > Redraw All to clear the exact lines effect.
1. Select the parts.
2. Click View > Representation > Show Part with Exact Lines.
3. Click the window in which you want to display exact lines. Youcan also right-
click on the selected parts and choose Exact lines.
See Display in the online help for more on drawing techniques.
Hide lines
Use this command to display hidden lines in selected parts in wire frame views. Click View >Redraw
All to clear the hidden lines effect.
The options in Tools > Options > Options… > General determine the way Tekla Structures displays hidden lines:
Option Example
No dotted
Other parts dotted
All parts dotted
Solid bolts
No solid bolts
Hide parts To display hidden lines:
2. Click View > Show > Hidden Lines.
3. Click the window in which you want to display the hidden lines
You can also right-click a part, then click Hide

Lines. Using this option there is no need toclick the window to make it active.
You can quickly hide selected parts from a view. For example, you could use this feature in
complex connections, to temporarily hide parts in order to see the parts behind them.
1. Select the parts to hide.
2. Right-click and select Hide.
• By default, hide changes parts to sticks
• To completely hide parts, use the Shift key with the hide command.
3. To make parts visible, use the command View > Redraw All or right-
click the parts andselect Show with Exact Lines.
See also
Show component
Use Show component to display the contents of selected components (parts, bolts, etc.),even if Visibility in
components is not checked in the View properties dialog box.
If Visibility in components is not checked for the parts within the components, they arevisible when you create
them. When you redraw the view window, they are no longer visible.
To use Show component:
1. Click View > Representation > Show Component Content.
2. Click a component symbol or select an area.
Show assembly
Use Show assembly to display the actual contents of a selected assembly, even if someobjects are hidden in a
view:
1. Click a part.
2. Right-click a part.
3. Select Show assembly from the pop-up menu.
Tekla Structures displays all parts, bolts, welds, cuts, fittings, and other details belonging to the assembly,
even if they were hidden in the view properties.
Lotting
Lots are consignments of assemblies for transporting to site. You can use lot names and numbers in reports.
To use lotting:
Click Tools > Lotting to open Lotting dialog box. This displays the properties of existing lots. Lots can be
changed.
Creating a lot
To create a lot:
1. Click Tools > Lotting to display the Lotting dialog box. Tekla Structures lists the existing lots.
2. Click Properties to display the Lot properties dialog box.

© Enter new lot number here
3. Enter new lot number, and then enter a number in Current lot, Number and ensureNumber is checked.
4. Enter a the maximum weight of the lot in Max weight. Click Add.
5. You now have an empty lot.
Adding parts to an existing lot
To add parts to a lot:
1. Click Tools > Lotting to display the Lotting dialog box.
2. Click an existing lot on the list. Tekla Structures highlights the parts included in the lot. The total weight of
the lot and the number of assemblies it contains in are displayed underApplied values.
3. To add parts to an existing lot, use the Shift key and select the part(s). Click Apply selected.
Tekla Structures displays the weight and number of the parts you add underCurrent values.
4. Click OK to close the dialog box. When you re-open the lotting dialog box, the Applied
values include the weight and number of the parts you added.
5. Tekla Structures displays a warning message when the weight limit of the lot is exceeded.
Deleting parts from an existing lot

To delete parts from a lot:
2. Click an existing lot on the list. Tekla Structures highlights the parts included in the lot.
3. Hold down the Ctrl key and select each part to remove.
4. Click Apply to remove the parts from the lot.
5. Click OK to exit the Lotting dialog box.
Deleting an existing lot
To delete an existing lot:
2. Click Properties.
3. Click an existing lot on the list.
4. Click the Delete key.
Sequencer
Use Sequencer to name sequences and assign incremental numbers to parts. There aremany
uses for the Sequencer, including defining erection sequences. You can define several sequences for different
purposes. You can include the same parts in several sequences at the same time.
The Sequencer works by assigning user-defined attributes to parts. So you can use theSequencer to create user-
defined attributes when you only need to use numeric values.With Sequencer you can also assign numeric values to ex
isting user-defined attributes.
Creating a report
To include the sequence number in reports, enter the sequence name in the text field.
You can also use the sequence number in a report by entering the sequence name in the table part row.
To create a list showing all the parts belonging to a sequence, use the
v following rule in a row or intermediate row in the Template Editor:

if(curr(“SEQUENCENAME”) != 0) then do()
Checking the sequence value
You can check the name and number of a sequence using the Inquire object command. To do this, the sequence name
must appear as a user-defined attribute in the objects.inp file. For more information, see Adding properties in the
System Manual.
Using Sequencer
Click Tools > Sequencer to open a dialog box displaying existing sequences. You can enterthe following information:
Option Description
If you want to assign values for existing user-defined attributes with the sequencer,
Sequence enter exactly the same name as in the objects.inp file. For
name example,PRELIM_MARK for preliminary marks.
The highest number to use in the sequence. Objects are numbered from 1 up. If you
select an object that has already been included in a sequence, Tekla Structures prompts
Max if you want to override the existing number. If
number you click Yes, Tekla Structures gives thenext available number to the object.
Deletes the sequence. If there is only one sequence in the list, the name of the empty
Delete sequence remains.
Creating a new sequence

To create a new sequence:
1. Click Tools > Sequencer to display the Sequencer properties dialog box.
2. Enter the Sequence name.
3. Click OK or Apply.
4. Select the parts you want to include in the sequence. The first part gets the sequence number 1, the second, number 2,
etc.
5. Finish adding parts to the sequence with the Interrupt or Esc key. The Sequencerproperties dialog box closes.
Adding parts to a sequence
To add parts to an existing sequence:
1. Click Tools > Sequencer to display the Sequencer properties dialog box.
2. Click the Sequence name.
3. Select the parts you want to add to the sequence.
4. Finish adding parts to the sequence with the Interrupt or Esc key. The Sequencerproperties dialog box closes.
Project status visualization

Use the project status visualization tool to review the status of the objects in the model, in specific time frame, for example:
• Display the erection schedule for groups of parts using colors.
• Identify the parts that are scheduled to be fabricated during a specific time period.
To create project status visualizations, you need predefined object representation settings which include object groups based
on date rules.

T The 4D tool is included in the Project Management configuration only.
Usage To use the project status visualization tool:

1. Click Tools > Project Status Visualization… to open the Project Status Visualizationdialog box. You have the
following options:
Field Description
By default, the current date.

Change by selecting a new date in the calendar, by stepping
Review date backward or forward with the buttons, or by moving the slider.
Enter the time step in days. Use the backward and forward buttons
Step buttons to change the review date as many days as the time step defines.
Time scale Move the slider to change the review date.
Scale start
Scale end Select the start and end date for the slider.
Object Select object representation settings from the list box.

representation Click Edit to modify the existing settings.
Select the checkbox to automatically refresh the model view when

Refresh view you click the Step buttons, or use the slider.
automatically (To manually refresh the model view, click theRefresh button.)
Create reports based on the latest time step or on the review date
Reporting project status.
2. Select the object representation settings from the list box.

3. Select the Review date.
4. Enter the time step.

5. Select Scale start and Scale end.
6. Select the Refresh view automatically checkbox.
7. Click Save to save the properties.
8. Use project status visualization tool by clicking the step buttons.
Project status visualization files
Tekla Structures saves the project status visualization settings with filename extension *.4din the current
model’s attributes folder.
• You can copy the *.4d file to another model’s attributes folder.
• To make the *.4d file available to all models, copy the file to the system folder.
• Include also a copy of the object representation file (filename extension .rep) and object group files
(filename extension .PObjGrp) when copying the *.4d file to theattributes or system folder to
have all the files working correctly.
Tekla Structures searches for the *.4d files in the standard search order.
Project status visualization example
In this example, we visualize when parts are erected. The project status visualization is based on object
representation settings including an object group rule for the user-defined attribute Planned erection date.
This is how the model looks with the standard object representation settings:
Object To define which objects are shown in the model:

representation
1. Click View > Representation > Object representation… to open Object representation settings
dialog box.
2. Enter a name for the object representation settings.
3. Click Add row to add a new row.
4. Select the newly added row, and click Create new group… in the Object group list box.
5. In the Object group – representation dialog box, enter a name for the group, for example,
“plan_same_or_before_review_date”.
6. Click Save as.
7. Modify the rule. This rule should include all objects that have the user-defined attributePlanned erection
date earlier than or equal to the review date.
• Select Object in the Category column.
• Select Planned erection date in the Property column.
• Select Earlier than or equal in the Condition column.
• Click Select date… in the Value list box and select Review date in the Select datedialog box and click OK.
8. Save the object group and click Close.
9. In the Object representation dialog box, select Color by class for the new object groupin
the Color list box and check that the row is set to Visible.
10. Set the All object group to last, and select Hidden:
11. Click Save.

Project status To use the object representation settings in the project status visualization tool:
visualization
1. Click Tools > Project Status Visualization… to open the Project Status Visualization
dialog box.
2. Modify the properties (the image below shows the Review date and other properties according to this
example):

3. Click the step buttons to change the Review date and to view the changes in the model.
The images below show how the objects are shown when you click the step button. The object group rule
defines the visibility of the objects based to the time steps:
Review date 01/11/2006 Review date 01/18/2006
Review date 01/25/2006 Review date 02/01/2006

Screenshot
Use Screenshot to capture dialog boxes, views, or the entire Tekla Structures window. Tekla
Structures saves the screenshot as a bitmap in the current model folder. This can be a useful
tool. You can use screenshots in posters, brochures, or other material to show projects
carried out using Tekla Structures. Tekla Structures technical support staff may ask you for a
screenshot if you contact them with a question.
Function keys Use the following function keys to create screenshots:
Key Action
F9 Captures entire Tekla Structures windows
F10 Captures the last dialog box displayed
F11 Captures the active view
F12 Captures the active view, without borders
Select the Tools > Screenshot > Print Screenshot switch to have Tekla Structures automatically
print out the screenshot.
If you need high resolution screenshots, use the command Tools > Screenshot >
Custom….Tekla Structures opens a dialog box where you can define the properties of a
screenshot, as follows:
• From which view to take the screenshot
• Filename
• Include or omit view borders
Print screenshot • DPI, size, background color, line properties (only for rendered views
TEKLA STRUCTURES – QUERYING

OBJECTS
Introduction
The Inquire tool displays the

properties of a particular object, or
group of objects, within the model.
Click Tools > Inquire, and then
pick an object in the model to access
the following options:
Option Action
Object Displays the properties of the object.
Tekla Structures creates a point at the center of gravity

Center of of the picked part(s) and displays information on the
gravity center of gravity in a separate window.
Highlights the selected part and all the parts that are
Welded parts welded to it.
Primary Highlights the primary part when you select a

Welded Part secondary part.
Assembly Highlights all the parts in the same assembly or cast

Objects unit as the selected part.
Component Highlights the objects that form part of the selected

Objects component.
Displays the object properties of the different phases in

Phases… the model, in a separate window.
Displays the quantity of all object quantities of the

Model size… current model, in a separate window.
To display the properties of a part, assembly, or cast unit

using a customized report template when you use the Tools
> Inquire > Object command, modify the following
templates to suit your needs:
• TS_Report_Inquire_Part.rpt (for parts)
• TS_Report_Inquire_Assembly.rpt (for assemblies)
•p • TS_Report_Inquire_Cast_Unit.rpt (for cast units)
Measure
Use the Measure tool to measure angles, the distance between two points and between
bolts. All measurements are temporary.
Measurements appear in the rendered view window, until you

T? update or redraw the window.
Click Tools > Measure to access the following options. Remember to follow the prompts
on the status bar. The steps for each option are listed below the table.
Option Icon Action
Measures a user-defined distance between any

two points. You can use this option to measure
inclined or aligned distances in the current view
Distance ** plane.
Measures the x distance between two points on

Horizontal Distance n the view plane.
Measures the y distance between two points on the

Vertical Distance view plane.
Angle .i Measures angles.
Measures bolt spacing and edge distances in the

Bolt Spacing » selected part.
Horizontal, To measure horizontal, vertical and user-defined distances:

vertical and user-
defined 1. Click Tools > Measure and select one of the options.
Angles 2. Pick the starting point.
Bolts 3. Pick the end point.

4. Click to indicate on which side of the dimension line you want
the number to appear. To measure angles:
1. Click Tools > Measure > Angle.
2. Pick the center point.
3. Pick the starting point.
4. Pick the end point. (Counterclockwise from the starting point.)
Use this option to measure the distances between bolts in a bolt

group. Tekla Structures also gives you the edge distances between
the bolts and a selected part.
To measure bolt spacing:
1. Click Tools > Measure > Bolt Spacing.
2. Pick a bolt group.
3. Pick a part.
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 133 Settings and Tools
See also XS_VIEW_FREE_MEASURE_PLANE
Clash check
When you have completed your model, run the Clash check to find parts, bolts, or
reference model objects that collide.
Clashes of objects that are only touching one another are not
included in the clash check log.
Steps 1. Select the objects you want to check.
2. Click Tools > Clash check.
3. The clash check progress is displayed in the status bar. You can
continue working during the clash check.
If there are no colliding parts, Tekla Structures displays the message No

collisions detected on the status bar.
If parts, bolts, or reference model objects collide, Tekla Structures

highlights them in yellow and displays the clash check log in
the List dialog box.
If you start clash checking while another clash check is still running, you
can choose whether to continue checking, restart the operation and check
the currently selected parts, or stop checking.
4. To quickly locate and view colliding parts in the model, select the line
containing the ID numbers of colliding parts from the list. Tekla Structures
highlights the parts in the model. Hold down the F key while you do this to
have Tekla Structures fit the work area.
To define bolt clearance for clash checking, click Tools > Options >
Set bolt Options… > Clash check. Enter the values in the Bolt clash
clearance check settings dialog box.
MJ d is the larger value of the bolt head or nut diameters (2) Clash check clearence
The clash checking clearance area is grey. Select the checkbox in front of the field
if you want to use the clearance value. If you clear the checkboxes, the clearance
will be zero.The clearance in front of the bolt head is equal to the bolt length.
If you do not enter values for clearances, Tekla Structures uses the default value of
1.00.
You need to save the clearance values to use them in future sessions. Click Tools >
Defaults > Save Defaults.
If Tekla Structures cannot find the bolt head or nut diameter in the bolt catalog, it
uses the shank diameter.
The following reference model file types are supported in clash checking:
• IFC
Referenc • DWG
e models
• DGN
If you are working on a large model, running the clash check may sometimes
be slow. In that case you can use the old clash checking functionality, which
does not recognize clashes with reference models.
For more information,

seeXS_USE_NEW_CLASH_CHECK andXS_CLASH_CHECK_BETWE
5 EN_REFERENCES.
Compare
Use this tool to compare two assemblies or parts.
To compare parts, select two parts in the model. Click Tools > Compare > Parts.
To compare assemblies, click on a part in each assembly. Click Tools > Compare >
Assemblies.
Tekla Structures displays the results on the status bar.
Part labels
Use the Part label option to display selected part properties, user-defined attributes, and
template attributes in a model view:
To use the Part label option in a model view:
1. Double-click the view to open the View properties dialog box.
2. Click Display…. The Display dialog box appears.
3. Click the Advanced tab and select the Part label checkbox.

To add a property to the part label:
1. Select a property on the Properties list.
2. Click Add to add it to the Part label list.
To add a user-defined attribute or template attribute to the part label:
1. Select User-defined attribute on the Properties list.
2. Click Add. The Part label dialog box appears:

3. Enter the attribute name and click OK.
For more information on the Display dialog box, see Display in the online help.
Finding distant objects
When the work area is huge, the model may contain some distant objects that are not easy to find.
Use the Find Distant Objects command to find these objects.
You cannot use this command to find parts (such as beams, columns
or plates).
To find distant objects:
1. Click Tools > Diagnose & Repair Model > Find Distant Objects. Tekla Structures
displays a list of object IDs.
2. Select an object in the list.
3. Right-click and select a command from the pop-up menu. You can, for example,
inquire or delete the object.
See also XS_DISTANT_OBJECT_FINDER_TOLERANCE

EXAMINING THE MODEL
Examining the model
Zoom commands
The zoom tools allow you to focus in on a particular area, or pull out for a wider view. You
can use a mouse, or keystrokes, or a combination of both. You use the majority of these
tools within an existing view. However, a zoom window must be open to use
theMagnifier and Pan tools.
The Zoom commands are:
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 125 Settings and

Tools
Zoom
command Icon Description
Zoom in Works within the existing view.
•”
Zoom out p Works within the existing view.
Zoom Restores the original level of zoom. Works within the

original Vp\ existing view.
Zoom Restores the previous zoom. Use this to switch between the
previous <- last two zooms. Works within the existing view.
Create Creates a new zoom window from an existing view. You can
zoom only create zoom windows from wire frame views. The
window zoom window contains two additional
commands, Magnifier and Pan.
Active The commands below Active window automatically zoom the active
window window. So you do not need an extra click to complete the command.
Magnifier
Pan
Zooming with mouse
Use the Zoom in tool to focus in on a specific area of the model. The Zoom outtool pulls
out for a wider view. Both work within an existing view window. How you use the zoom
tools depends on the pointing device you are using: a 3-button mouse, or a wheel mouse.
3-button mouse
To use zoom with a 3-button mouse:
1. Open the model.
2. Click the zoom in or zoom out icon on the Zoom toolbar.
3. Click the area of the model that you want to examine.
4. Continue to click to zoom further in or out.
Wheel mouse
Tekla Structures has two zoom modes you can use with a wheel mouse:
• In mouse-wheel mode, scroll the wheel to zoom in and out.
• In scroll mode, you can also hold down the wheel when scrolling. To use zoom with a
wheel mouse:
1. Open the model.
2. Click the zoom in or zoom out icon on the Zoom toolbar.

3. Click the area of the model that you want to examine.

4. Scroll forward to zoom in, scroll backward to zoom out.
Using keystrokes
To zoom using keystrokes:
1. Open the model.
2. With the mouse cursor over the model, press Page Up to zoom in, Page Down to
zoom out.
Zoom settings
Centered zooms To keep the center point of the view in the middle of the view window,
regardless of the position of the pointer, check Centered zooms on theSetup menu.
If Centered zooms is not checked, the pointer does not move.
Zoom ratio The following variables control how much you zoom in or out with
each click.
3-button mouse Use the variable XS_ZOOM_STEP_RATIO to control the zoom ratio
when using a 3-button
mouse. The default value is 0.25. Increase this value to zoom in or out more with each click.
Wheel mouse To set the zoom ratio when scrolling (not holding down) the
wheel, use the variable XS_ZOOM_STEP_RATIO_IN_MOUSEWHEEL_MODE.
To set the zoom ratio when scrolling and holding down the wheel, use the variable
XS_ZOOM_STEP_RATION_IN_SCROLL_MODE.
Creating a zoom window
Opening a zoom window gives you access to additional tools, the Magnifier
and Pan These appear on the toolbar within the zoom window.
You can only create zoom windows from wire frame views.
To create a zoom window:

1. In the View Properties dialog box, click Wire frame in the View type list box.
2. Click Modify.
3. Click View > Zoom > Create Zoom Window.
4. Click a starting corner for the zoom window, then drag the pointer to size the window.
Release the mouse button to create the window.
5. Move the zoom window to a convenient location on the screen.
6. Resize the zoom window by dragging the window boundaries.
Magnifier
The Magnifier is useful when you need to keep a general view of the model open, and
examine particular areas in detail, at the same time.
To use the Magnifier, you must have both a general view window containing the model and
a zoom window open
Click the Magnifier icon J in the zoom window. As you move the pointer in the general view, the
zoom window displays the area around the pointer in detail, as shown in the example below.
Change the level of magnification by zooming in and out in the zoom window.
Moving the model in the view window
In Tekla Structures you can move, pan, rotate or fly through a model, in the view window.
Move
Center by cursor
The Move commands move the viewpoint (or camera) rather than the
model itself. Use the up, down, left and right arrows on the keyboard to
move the viewpoint. You can also click View > Move to use the move
commands.
To center the model on a particular point, click View > Move > Center by
Cursor, then click anywhere in the view to center the view on that point.
Pan
The Pan command moves the model itself. Activate dynamic panning using the P key on
your keyboard, or click View > Move > Pan. The pointer will change to a hand. Click and
drag the mouse to move the model anywhere within the view window.
You can also pan while using the Fly command. To do this, activate the Flycommand, and
use the middle mouse button to pan when needed.
Rotating the model
You can use keystrokes, menu commands, the mouse, or a combination of these techniques
to rotate the model.
In rendered views, you can rotate the model around the existing
center of rotation. Hold down
the Ctrl key and click and drag with the middle mouse button.
To relocate the center of rotation:
1. Press the V key.
2. Click to pick the new center of rotation.
Or:
1. Use the keystrokes Ctrl+R.
Rendered view 2. Click to pick the new center of rotation.
Keyboard 3. Click and drag with the left mouse button to rotate the model.
technique
4. Use the Esc key or Interrupt to end rotation.
You also have the following keyboard options to rotate the model
around the existing center of rotation:
Wire frame In wire frame view, you can only use the keyboard technique to
rotate a model. The center of
rotation is fixed in the center of the work area.
Automatic Click View > Rotate. You have the following options:
rotation
Click Esc to stop rotation.

Snap switches affect model rotation. For example, with Free active, you can click
anywhere to define the center of rotation. If Free is inactive, you need to pick an
T intersection point, or the end of a part.
Disable view To disable or enable view rotation, click Window > Rotate> Disable
view rotation, or use F8.
rotation
Flying through the model
In Tekla Structures, you can travel through a model, changing direction and varying speed
as you go.
Start flying
To fly through a model, you must have a rendered view open, with Projection set
to Perspective. See View properties for more infromation on how to change view
properties. Use the keyboard shortcut Shift+F to start flying though the model, or
click View > Fly.
Pick the view to fly in.Tekla Structures displays an arrow symbol to indicate the flying
direction.
See also View properties
Stop flying
Use Interrupt to stop flying
Adjust speed
To adjust your flying speed, move the mouse to the desired flying direction. The flying
speed grows exponentially when you are approaching the model from a distance.
Change direction
To fly forward, move the mouse forward. To change the flying direction, move the mouse
to the desired direction.
Changing the level of flying
1. To change the level you are flying on and to go straight up or down, hold down
the Ctrl key and move the mouse forward to go up, and backwards to go down. Release
the Ctrl key to continue flying on a level.
Changing the camera angle
1. To change the camera angle, scroll with the mouse wheel. To fly in the in the direction of
the camera angle, hold down the Shift key and scroll forwards to go down or backwards to
go up.
Creating clip planes
In Tekla Structures, you can create up to six clip planes in any rendered model view. Using
clip planes enables you to focus in on the required detail in the model.
To create a clip plane:
1. Select a rendered model view.
2. Start the Create clip plane command:

• Right-click and select Create clip plane from the pop-up menu, or
• Click View > Create clip plane.
3. To select the position of the clip plane, click a plane.
4. To finish, right-click and select Interrupt.
5. The clip plane symbol appears in the model:

(T) Selected plane t2J Clip plane symbol
To move the clip plane, click the symbol, and drag it to a new location.
To delete a clip plane, click the clip plane symbol and press Delete.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – WELD

Introduction To create welds in
Tekla Structures, you can:
• Create single welds
• Apply components that automatically

create welds
Creating Tekla Structures forms

assemblies based on where the weld should be
made. You can create: assemblies
• Workshop welds
• Site welds
The Connect part/assemblysetting in

the Weld properties dialog box also affects
T assemblies.
Tekla Structures uses the order in which you select the parts when creating
the weld to determine the primary and secondary parts of the assembly. This
affects drawings.
The first part you select becomes the primary part of the assembly. Tekla
Structures dimensions secondary part(s) relative to the primary part in
assembly drawings. The largest primary part in the weld becomes the main
part of the assembly.
When you connect assemblies, the first part you select determines the
assembly towhich you weld sub-assemblies.
Visibility in views To have welds visible in views, open the Display dialog
box and set weld visibility to Exact. Tekla Structures displays all weld types
in a similar way.
Creating welds
You can create the following types of welds:
Regular welds. Tekla Structures welds the two parts together using the weld position
in the Weld properties dialog box. The length of the weld depends on the length of
the connection between the welded parts.
Polygon welds. You define the exact position of the weld by picking the points you
want the weld to traverse.
Single part welds.
If you move welded parts, polygon welds move with the primary part.
For detailed instructions on how to create welds, see:
Weld symbols in drawings
Weld properties Tekla Structures shows the properties of the weld in the weld symbol in
drawings, as shown below.
MJ Contour
(2J Weld no Reference text
(3J Size
(4J Type
fsj Weld around
nej Length
MM Angle
faj Finish
m) Site weld
f2J Pitch (c-to-c spacing)
f3J Lenght
C4) Stitch weld
?/
12IS1V \
m) Effective throat f2J Root opening
The weld symbol also contains a reference line and an arrow. The arrow
connects the reference line to the arrow side of a connection.
When parts are welded together, you can place welds on:
• The arrow sides only
• The other sides only
• Both the arrow and other sides
Reference The welds on the arrow and other sides of a part can have different weld
line and properties.
arrow
By default, the properties you define for a weld on the arrow side
Arrow and appear above the reference line in drawings. The properties of an other-
other side side weld appear below the reference line in the weld symbol.
To show the arrow-side weld properties belowthe reference
line in a weld symbol and the other-side properties above, use
the variableXS_AISC_WELD_MARK.
114 TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Detailing
Weld properties
Size This section describes weld properties. See the image below.
fl) Size
(2J Root face thickness (RFT)
Type If you enter a zero or negative weld size, Tekla Structures creates the
weld, but does not display it drawings.
Weld
preparation When parts are prepared for welding, their edges can be beveled to
groove angle produce a groove for the weld. This type of weld preparation is
commonly used for V-type welds. You can define the angle of bevels and
grooves. Tekla Structures displays the angle between the weld type
symbol and the fill type contour symbol. For more information on weld
preparation.
The fill type contour of a weld can be:
• None
• Flush —-
• Convex -^.
Contour
• Concave *w
Finish Tekla Structures displays the finish symbol above the weld type symbol
in drawings. The options are:
Length
• G (Grind)
• M (Machine)
• C (Chip)
The length of a regular weld depends on the length of the connection

between the welded parts. You can set the exact length of a polygon weld
by, for example, defining the start and end points of the weld.
To create a non-continuous weld, define the center-to-center spacing and

the pitch of the welds. Tekla Structures calculates the distance between
Pitch the welds as the pitch minus the length of the weld.
By default, Tekla Structures uses the character – to separate weld

length and pitch, e.g. 50–100. To change the separator to @, for
example, set the
V” variable:XS_WELD_LENGTH_CC_SEPARATOR_CHAR=@.
Root face and Root face is the height of the narrowest part inside the root opening.
The RFT fields in the
RFT connection dialog boxes also refer to the root face (thickness).
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Detailing 115
Neither root face nor RFT values appear in drawings, but

you can use the WELD_ROOT_FACE_THICKNESS field
in reports to show the root face dimension in the weld list.
Effective throat is the weld size used in weld strength

Effective throat Root calculation.
opening Edge/Around
Root opening is the space between the welded parts.
Workshop/Site
Either one edge (Edge) or the entire perimeter of a face
(Around) can be welded. A circle in the weld symbol in
drawings indicates the Around option has been used.
Tekla Structures indicates site welds in the weld symbol

using a flag.
Where weld is to be made (workshop or site),

f affects assemblies and drawings.
Connect part/ Use the Connect part/assembly and Workshop/Site list boxes in
the Weld properties dialog
assembly box to control how Tekla Structures creates assemblies. The order in
which you select parts
when creating the connection determines the main and secondary parts of the assembly, or
the
assembly hierarchy.
Connect part/ Workshop/

assembly Site Result
As sub- Nested assembly with the assembly

assembly Workshop you are welding as a sub-assembly.
The first part you pick determines

As sub- the assemblyto which you are
assembly Site welding.
Basic assembly with the part you are

welding as a secondary part.
The first part you pick usually

As secondary becomes the main part in the
part Workshop assembly.
As secondary
part Site No assembly created.
Position
Stitch To create stitch welds, select Yes in the Stitch weld list box. Stitch
welds are staggered on both
sides of the part being welded. Tekla Structures shows the weld type symbols as staggered
in weld symbols.
User-defined Create additional properties for welds with user-defined attributes.

See Adding properties in
attributes the online help.
Reference text To enter additional text for the weld symbol, use theReference
text and Wtext fields. For
and Wtext example, information on the weld specification or process, etc.
Weld types
The table below shows the available weld types. Some weld types also automatically
prepare the parts to be welded. For more information on weld preparation,
Weld
type Name Number Preparation
None 0 No
K Fillet weld 10 No
Bevel-groove (single-V butt

V weld) 3 Both parts
Bevel-groove (single-bevel Secondary

V butt weld) 4 part
Square-groove (square butt

II weld) 2 No
Single-V butt weld with
Y broad root face 5 Both edges
Single-bevel butt weld with Secondary

Y broad root face 6 part
U-groove weld (single U-butt

Y weld) 7 Both parts
J-groove weld (single J-butt Secondary

K weld) 8 part
V Flare V-groove weld 16 Both parts
Secondary
\( Flare-bevel-groove weld 15 part
JL Edge-flange weld 1 No
K Corner-flange weld 17 No
i—i Plug weld 11 No
1C7 Bevel backing weld 9 No
O Spot weld 12 No
=3= Seam weld 13 No
1=1 Slot weld 14 No
Partial penetration weld Secondary

^+L (single-bevel butt + fillet) 18 part
Partial penetration weld

ll + ti (square groove + fillet) 19 No
Weld position
You define the position of a weld relative to the work plane. The type and position of the
parts to be welded affect the position of the weld.
The options for weld position are:
• x
• y
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 117 Detailing
These can all be in a positive or negative direction. Tekla Structures creates the weld on the face or
side of the part that faces in the selected direction (x, y, or z).
See the illustrations below:
Mj Secondary part f2J Main part

If there are no faces that touch in the specified direction, Tekla Structures places the weld relative to
the center point of the secondary part.
MJ Assembly main part
(2J Assembly main part
f3J Welding order
t4j secondary
fs) primary
Weld preparation
When preparing welds, Tekla Structures bevels the parts to be welded using an anti-material
cutting part. Tekla Structures subsequently deletes this cutting part. Tekla Structures
displays weld preparations using cyan dash-and-dot lines. Some weld types and connections
also automatically prepare the parts to be welded.
To prevent automatic weld preparation, set the

variableXS_DISABLE_WELD_PREP_SOLID=TRUE.
VV1
4.3 Fine-tuning part shape
This section describes the

various tools you can use to
fine-tune the shape of a
Introduction part.
Chamfer
Some part corners can be chamfered. You can use the Chamfer command to shape the
following parts: polybeam, contour plate, strip footing, concrete polybeam, concrete slab,
and concrete panel.
Tekla Structures creates chamfers using the current properties in the Chamfer
Properties dialog box. Click Detailing > Properties > Chamfer… to open the dialog box,
or double-click an existing chamfer.
fl) Default chamfer f2J Modified chamfers
When Tekla Structures creates a part, by default it has a rectangular chamfer at each corner,
which does not change the geometry of the part. To change the shape of a part corner:
1. Set the chamfer properties.
2. Click Detailing > Create Chamfer.
3. Pick the corner(s) of the part to be chamfered. See the online help for more information
on using this command.
Fitting
Use the Fitting command to fit the part end to a picked plane. You can use fitting to make
part shorter, for example.
We recommend to move part Handles (p. 130) to
make the part longer.
Mj Fitting symbol
This command adjusts the end of a beam on a plane, perpendicular to the view plane, which
passes through the cutting line you pick. Tekla Structures displays the fitting in the model using
a blue fitting symbol. This command has no effect on contour plates.
Cuts
Use cut to shape parts. Cut is not meant for

cutting the entire part end. Either move
part Handle
or use the Fitting
command instead.
Line cut You can create the following types of cuts for a
part:
• Line cut
• Polygon cut
• Part cut
A line cut shapes end of the beam or column.
Line cut cuts the end of a beam on a plane,

perpendicular to the view plane, which passes
through the cutting line you pick. Tekla
Structures displays the cut in the model using a
blue cut symbol.
121
Mj Exact representation (without symbol) (2J Fast representation (Cut symbol)

By default, line cuts do not affect beam length in NC files. To change this,
see Fittings affect NC datathe online help.
See the online help for more detailed information on using this command.
This command cuts a part using a polygon. Tekla Structures displays the cut
Polygon cut using dot-dash lines. You must create cuts in a plane view.
MJ Exact representation (without symbol) f2J Fast representation f3J Polygon-shaped cut
You should always define the polygon so that there is some tolerance
between the edges. If the edge of a cutting polygon is in exactly the same
position as the edge of the part to be cut, it can be unclear whether the edge
should be cut away.
See online help for more detailed information on using this command.
This command creates an anti-material cutting part. Tekla Structures does not
Part cut delete the original cutting part. An anti-material part only cuts the selected main
part. Tekla Structures displays the anti-material part using dot-dash lines.
You can cut parts that already have cuts. For example, you can cut anti-material
parts to create more sophisticated cut shapes.
MJ Cut symbol
(2J Hidden lines
f3J Hidden lines (cutting part deleted)

Do not create cuts with the same planes or vertices. This makes it unclear
what should be cut away.
See online help for more detailed information on using this command.
Polygon shape
You can modify the shape of a polygonal part using the Detailing > Modify Polygon
Shape command. You can use this command on the following parts:
• polybeam
• contour plate
• strip footing
• concrete polybeam
• concrete slab
• concrete panel
See the online help for more information on using this command.
4.4 Detailing commands
To fine-tune or detail your model, use the icons on the Detailing and Steeltoolbars, or select
commands from the Detailing menu. The following table lists the commands for detailing
and gives a short description of each one.
Detailing command Icon Description
Create Bolts EMfc3 Creates a bolt group in a part/parts.

Edit Bolted Parts Changes the parts a bolt group connects.
Create Weld
between Parts Creates a weld between two parts.
Create Polygon
Weld Welds parts together using a polygon.
Create Weld to
Part Creates a weld to a part without connecting any other parts.
Prepare Part for

Welding m Prepares the parts to be welded.
Create Chamfer Chamfers part corners.
Fit Part End Creates a fitting to a part.
Cuts the end of a beam on a plane, perpendicular to

Cut Part > With the work plane, which passes through the picked
Line line.
Cut Part > With

Polygon A Cuts a part using a polygon.
Cut Part > With

Another Part Cuts a part with another part.
Modify Polygon Modifies the shape of a polygonal part.

Shape m
TEKLA STRUCTURES – BOLTS

Introduction There are two ways to create bolts:
• Create a single bolt group
• Apply a component that automatically creates bolt groups.
This section concentrates on creating single bolt groups. For more information on using
components to automatically create bolt groups, see Defining bolts and welds in the
Detailing Manual.
You can create different part marks for holes and bolts in drawings.
You cannot use bolt elements (such as screws, washers, and nuts) while you are creating
holes, as Tekla Structures uses the same command to create bolts and holes.
Creating You can use bolts to create and connect assemblies. You can create
nested assemblies by assemblies connecting sub-assemblies to an existing assembly, or
you can just connect more parts to assemblies using bolts.
Use the Connect part/assembly and Bolt type list boxes in theBolt properties dialog box
to control how Tekla Structures creates assemblies. The order in which you select parts
when
creating the connection determines the main and secondary parts of the assembly, or the assembly
hierarchy.
Connect part/
assembly Bolt type Result
As sub-assembly Workshop Nested assembly with the assembly you are

bolting as a sub-assembly.
The first part you pick determines the

As sub-assembly Site assembly towhich you are bolting.
Basic assembly with the part you are bolting as

As secondary part Workshop a secondary part.
The first part you pick usually becomes the
main part in the assembly.
As secondary part Site No assembly created.
Bolt catalog Tekla Structures treats bolts as pre-defined assemblies made up of individual
elements (bolts,
washers, nuts, etc.).
Tekla Structures stores bolt assemblies in the bolt assembly catalog. The individual elements (bolts of
different size and length, nuts, washers, etc.) are contained in the bolt catalog. For more information on
catalogs, see Bolt and bolt assembly catalogs in the online help.
Creating a bolt group
See Bolt in the online help for detailed instructions on how to create a bolt group.
The work plane only affects the rotation of the bolt group. The points you
pick determine the position of the bolt group.
It is important that the points you pick to create the bolt group are close
enough to the parts you
want to connect. The cut length property of a bolt group defines how far
Work plane Bolted parts along the bolt axis the parts must be in order to hit the bolt group.
Dimensions are relative to the bolt group origin, which is the first point
you pick when creating a bolt group. Tekla Structures sets the x direction
of a bolt group using the second point picked. These points are shown as
crosses in the illustration below. The dashed line indicates the x
Bolt group origin direction.
Array
• Bold dist X: 150
• Bold dist Y: 100 xy list
©© • Bold dist X: 75 175
• Bold dist Y: 100 100
See also
Creating by modifying
You can also create a new bolt group by modifying an existing one. In most cases it is
easier to create bolt groups by applying a component including bolt groups, using the
following method:
1. Apply a component.
2. Explode the component.
3. Modify the bolt group.
Changing bolted parts
You can change which parts a bolt group connects using the command Detailing > Bolts >
Edit Bolted Parts. This command prompts you to reselect the main and secondary parts.
Tekla Structures automatically updates bolt length to suit these changes. For more
information, see Bolt length calculation in the online help.
Creating holes
Tekla Structures creates holes in the same way as bolts, but you do need to change some of
the properties in the Bolt properties dialog box. You can create the following types of
holes:
• Round
• Oversized
• Slotted
• Tapped
Creating round holes
To create a round hole, follow the steps in Tekla Structures calculates the diameter of a
round hole as the sum of:
• Bolt size
• Tolerance (hole)
To only create a hole, clear all bolt element checkboxes in the Bolt propertiesdialog box,
as shown below:
© Clean these checkboxes to create a mere hole
Creating slotted holes
You also use the Bolt properties dialog box to create slotted holes.
1. Select the checkboxes against Parts with slotted holes to indicate which parts should be
slotted.
Tekla Structures counts the pieces of steel from the head of the bolt down.
For example, if you select the second checkbox from the head of the bolt,
Tekla Structures slots the second piece of steel from the head of the bolt.
2. To only create a slotted hole, clear all the Include in bolt assemblycheckboxes.
3. Select Slotted in the Hole type list box.
4. Enter the allowance for the slotted hole in the x and y directions of the bolt group using
the Slotted hole X or Slotted hole Y fields.
fl) Tolerance
f2J Slotted hole X or Y
f3J Bolt size
You indicate the x direction of the bolt group

when you create the bolt group
5. If the bolt connects several parts, you may want to rotate alternate holes by 90 degrees.
This allows the bolt to move in different directions. To do this, selectEven or Odd in
the Rotate slots list box.
MJ Crossing slotted holes to odd or even parts (2J Parallel slotted holes
Creating oversized holes

Use the Bolt properties dialog box to create oversized holes.
1. Select the checkboxes against Parts with slotted holes to indicate which plies of
connection get oversized holes.
2. To only create a hole, clear all the Include in bolt assembly checkboxes.
3. Select Oversized in the Hole type list box.
4. Enter the allowance for the oversized hole in the Oversize field. You can also use a
negative value to create smaller (tapped) holes.
Bolt group shape
You have the following options for bolt group shape:
• Array for rectangular
• xy list for any shape
• Circle for circular
Tekla Structures uses the values in Bolt dist X and Bolt dist Y to determine how many
bolts the bolt group contains, as shown in the table below:
Shape Bolt dist X Bolt dist Y
Spacing between bolts, in the Spacing between bolts, in the

Array x direction of the bolt group. y direction of the bolt group.
x coordinate of each bolt, y coordinate of each bolt,

from the bolt group point of from the bolt group point of
xy list origin. origin.
Circle Number of bolts. Diameter of the bolt group.
To create a single bolt, set Bolt group Shape to Arrayand

Single bolt enter “0″ for both bolt distances.
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Detailing 109

Bolt properties The bolt properties are:
Field Description
Bolt size Bolt sizes available in the selected bolt standard.
Bolt Bolt assembly standard, which is defined in the bolt

standard catalog.
Bolt type Indicates if bolts are assembled on-site or in the shop.
Bolt length
Tekla Structures calculates bolt length automatically, using the material thicknesses of the
connected parts, and other factors. The following settings in theBolt group
properties dialog box affect bolt length calculation:
• Thread in material
• Cut length
• Extra length
Thread in material indicates if the thread of the bolt can extend beyond the bolted parts.
Tekla Structures does not use this value when calculating the length of full-threaded bolts.
Cut length indicates the area Tekla Structures should search for parts that belong to the bolt
group. Using cut length you can determine whether the bolt will go through one flange or
two. In the illustration below, A is the cut length and B is the bolt origin. Tekla Structures
calculates the search area as A/2 in both directions from point B.
Tekla Structures warns you if the cut length is too small (i.e. the bolt group contains no
parts) and makes the bolt length 100 mm.
If you want to force a bolt to be a certain length, enter a negative value for length
PHI (e.g. -150).
Using Extra length to increase the material thickness Tekla Structures uses when
calculating bolt length. For example, you might need extra bolt length to allow for painting.
You can also build additional lengths into bolt assemblies .
If there are large gaps between connected

parts, the gap is added to the length of
the bolt. Tekla Structures calculates bolt
length using the the total distance
T between the first and last surfaces.
Bolt catalog
See also Bolt length calculation

Bolt group location
Tekla Structures determines the location of the bolt group using the following values:
• Bolt group x axis
• Work plane
The two points you pick to create the bolt group determine the bolt group point of origin
and its x direction.
Position on plane Position on plane moves the bolt group perpendicular to the bolt group
x axis.
Position at depth moves the bolt group perpendicular to the current

work plane.
Rotation defines how far the bolt group is rotated around the x axis,
Position at relative to the current work plane. For example, you can use this field
depth to indicate on which side of the connected parts you want the bolt head
Rotation to be.
Front
©
(2j Top
You can also use offsets to change the position of the bolt group.
Offsets move the bolt group by moving the x axis of the bolt group.
The starting point values Dx, Dy and Dz move the first end of the bolt
group, relative to the bolt group x axis. The end point values move the
second end of the bolt group.
• A positive Dx value moves the starting point towards the end

point.
• Dy moves the end point perpendicular to the bolt group x axis on

Offsets the current work plane.
• Dz moves the end point perpendicular to the current work plane.
Example An example showing the parameters of a bolt group.
Bolts created using the bolt properties:
• Bolt group Shape = Array, Bolt dist X = 100 100, Bolt dist Y = 200
• Slotted hole X = 28, Bolt size = 20, Tolerance = 2 (overall dimension = 50)
• Starting point, Dx = 100.0

TEKLA STRUCTURES – SURFACE
TREATMENT
This section explains how to create various surface treatments and finishes for steel and
concrete parts. It contains the following topics:
Adding surface treatment to parts
Use the surface treatment tools to add surface treatment to parts. Surface treatment
for concrete parts include flat finishes, surface mixes, and tiles. Surface treatment for
steel parts include fire-proofing and unpainted areas.
Tekla Structures includes the following surface treatment tools in Detailing > Create Surface Treatment:
To Part Face D Adds a surface treatment to an entire face of a part.
To Selected Area on Part Adds a surface treatment to a selected area on the

Face . face of a part.
To All Faces of Part D Adds a surface treatment to all faces of a part.
Overlapping When you create overlapping surface treatments, the smaller surface treatment overrides
one.
surface
The overlapping area is recognized in reports: only the topmost (visible) surface treatmen
treatments calculated.
To have Tekla Structures include surface treatment in numbering, click Drawings & Rep
Numbering > Numbering Settings…, and select the Surface treatment checkbox on
Numbering the Numbering tab.
Z\ Synchronize with master model (save-
See also numbering-save)
Defining surface treatment properties
To define the properties of a surface treatment:
1. Click Detailing > Properties > Surface Treatment… to open the Surface Treatment
Properties dialog box:
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Parts 91

2. In the Type list box, select the type of surface treatment to use.
3. In the Surface treatment name list box, select the specific surface treatment.
4. Click the Select… button against Material to select a material from the catalog.
5. Enter the Thickness of the surface treatment.
6. Set the Color to use to display the surface treatment in rendered views.
7. In the At depth list box, select the location of the surface treatment. The options
are Middle, Front, and Behind.
8. Click Apply or OK to save the surface treatment properties. To define the properties of a
tiled surface treatment, continue as follows:
1. On the Attributes tab, select Tile surface from the Type list box.
2. On the Pattern tab, select the pattern from the Pattern type list box.
3. The Definition table lists the properties of the pattern type.
When you redefine the properties of a part (e.g. you change the size
of a part), Tekla Structures automatically modifies the surface
treatment to fit the part.
Defining custom properties
To define your own surface treatment properties to use in reports and

drawings, click the User-defined attributes… button and go to
the Parameters tab.Adding properties in the online help explains how to add
user-defined properties.
See also
Adding tiled surface treatment to parts
Tekla Structures includes complex tile and brick surface treatment options,
such as basketweave and herringbone patterns.
Tiled surface treatment options are based on repeating tile patterns that are
stored in XML format. For more information creating tile patterns
See also
You cannot use previous versions to edit surface treatments created in
Tekla Structures version 11.2 or newer.
Defining tile patterns
Information about the predefined tile patterns in the Surface treatment properties dialog
box are stored in the following files:
File Description
• Contains the tile pattern definitions.
TilePatternCat- • Located in the model’s attributes folder,

alog.xml project folder, firm folder, and system folder.
File Description
• Document Type Declaration (DTD) file that

defines the elements allowed in the
TilePatternCatalog.xml file.
TilePatternCat- • Located in the same folder as the Tile-

alog.dtd PatternCatalog.xml file.
• The images that appear in thePicture field in

the Surface treatment properties dialog box.
• Located in the ..\nt\bitmaps folder.
Thumbnail • Filenames identify the pattern types, for

images example, herringbone.bmp illustrates the
herringbone pattern type.
Example pattern This example explains how the Basketweave tile pattern is defined in
the definition TilePatternCatalog.xml file and shows how the pattern options
appear on the Pattern
tab of the Surface treatment properties dialog box:
94 TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0
Parts
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 95
Parts
96 TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Parts
PO The name of the pattern
/T\ The size of the pattern block in the x direction, after which the pattern
repeats
© The size of the pattern block in the y direction, after which the pattern repeats
The Basketweave pattern block is made up of eight tiles:
MJ Tile width
f2J Mortar width
f3J VOffset
(4) HOffset
Red marks indicate TileOrigin
^^ Angle value for vertical tiles is 90
f6J Tile height MM Mortar height
The pattern is repeated in the x and y direction of the surface treatment, starting from the
origin of the surface treatment. You can run the pattern in different x directions:
Parts
Defining your own tile patterns
XML file To define your own tile patterns:
1. Open the TilePatternCatalog.xml file using any text editor. The file is located in the
..TeklaStructures\*version*\environments\*your_environment*\s ystem folder.
2. Add a new <TilePattern> element to the file. A <TilePattern> element must have
<HOffset> and <VOffset> elements and at least one <Tile> element. Other elements are
optional. You may find it easier to copy one of the existing elements, then change it suit
your needs.
The TilePatternCatalog.xml file can contain the following elements:
Element Description
TilePatternCatalog The container for tile patterns. Required.
Tile pattern element. Required. This element can

TilePattern contain the following elements listed in this table.
HOffset Horizontal offset of the tile pattern. Required.
VOffset Vertical offset of the tile pattern. Required.
The individual tiles used in a tile pattern. At least

Tile one required.
Color of the tile or mortar, defined by the RGB

Color values (0–255). Optional.
Creates an attribute for any element in

Parameter the TilePattern. Optional.
The label that identifies a parameter in the dialog

Label box. Optional.
The origin of an individual tile, defined from the

TileOrigin origin of the pattern. Optional.
3. Repeat adding <TilePattern> elements for all the patterns you want to define.
4. Save the TilePatternCatalog.xml file.
Adding surface treatment to parts with cuts and recesses
To force Tekla Structures to consider openings and recesses in parts when adding surface
treatment, select the Cut by father part cuts checkbox in the Surface Treatment
/T\ The green surface treatment has the Cut by father part cuts checkbox
selected
/T\ The tiled surface treatment is not cut by the cut in the part: Cut by father
part cuts is not selected.
add surface treatment to cut faces:
Click Detailing > Create Surface Treatment, and then click

either To Part Face or To
Surface
treatmentTo Selected Area on Part Face.
to cut faces Pick the origin of the surface treatment.
1. Pick the direction.
2. 3. 4. Select the cut face on which to apply the surface treatment:
5. For the To Selected Area on Part Face option, pick the points to define the area of the
surface treatment.
If you use the To All Faces of Part command and select

rjl the Cut by father part cuts checkbox, Tekla Structures
automatically adds surface treatment also to the cut faces.
Cutting To define the cut depth of a polygon cut, for example, to cut thick surface
surface treatment, use the
treatment variableXS_POLYGON_CUT_EXTRA_THICKNESS:
1. Click Tools > Advanced options…, and go to the Modeling propertiescategory.
2. Set the cut thickness for the variable XS_POLYGON_CUT_EXTRA_THICKNESS.

The default value is 5.0 mm.
Adding surface treatment to chamfered parts
Take these things into account when adding surface treatment to chamfered parts:
• Surface treatment does not work on sketched profiles with chamfers.
• Add surface treatment before chamfering the part. If surface treatment is applied to a
chamfered part, the surface treatment chamfer cannot be modified later on.
• The chamfers for the main part and surface treatment are separate. Modifying the main
part chamfer does not affect the surface treatment chamfer.
• The orientation of unsymmetric chamfers depends on the face where it was created
(such as top, bottom, left, or right). To change the orientation of an unsymmetric chamfer,
you must swap the chamfer’s x and y values.
Creating and editing surface treatment options
To create new options in the Surface treatment name list box in the Surface treatment
properties dialog box, or to edit existing names, edit the product_finishes.dat file, located
in the ..environments\*your_environment*\system folder.
The first section of the file defines the available types of surface treatment. Do not edit this
section:
// Product finishes
// ————————-
//
// Type : Type of surfacing
// 1 = concrete finish
// 2 = special mix
// 3 = tile surface
// 4 = steel finishes
The remaining sections define the options for each type of surface treatment. This is where
you can edit existing options, or add rows to define new options:
//
// Concrete Finish
// ==============
// WET FINISH
// ———-
“Magnesium Float” “Smooth
1 MF 1 SMF 1 WT Magnesium Float” “Wet Trowel”
In this example:
• 1 is the surface treatment type (concrete finish)
• MF is the code for the surface treatment option
• “Magnesium Float” is the full name of the surface treatment option (remember to
enclose the name in double quotes ” “)
Here is how this option appears in the dialog box:

Code
©© Full name
Adding surface treatment information to report templates
You can include the following surface treatment specific fields in report templates:
Name Explanation
Code for the surface treatment defined in the

CODE product_finishes.dat file. For example, TS1.
MORTAR
VOLUME Volume of mortar used in surface treatment.
Text in the Name field in the Surface Treatment

NAME Properties dialog box.
NUMBER OF TILE
TYPES Number of tiles used in a tile pattern.
SURFACING Surface treatment name defined in

NAME theproduct_finishes.dat file.
SURFACING Surface treatment type number defined in

TYPE NUMBER the product_finishes.dat file.
TILE VOLUME Volume of tiles used in surface treatment (without

mortar volume).
Surface treatment type in the Surface Treatment

TYPE Properties dialog box.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – STEEL

PART COMMANDS
To create steel parts, use the icons on the Steel toolbar, or select a command from the Modeling
menu. The following table lists the commands used to create steel parts and gives a short description of each one.
To create steel parts, use the icons on the Steel toolbar, or select a
command from the Modeling menu. The following table lists the
commands used to create steel parts and gives a short description of
each one.
Creates a steel beam

between two picked
Beam points.

orthogonal to the work
plane in a picked
Orthogonal beam >f position.

with its radius defined
Curved beam s by three picked points.

consisting of straight
Polybeam and curved segments.
Column Creates a steel column at a picked position.
Twin Creates a twin profile between two picked

profile s points. A twin profile consists of two beams.
Contour Creates a contour plate based on picked

plate a positions forming a contour.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – PART

LOCATION
In this section This section
describes the part position properties
that vary according to the part type.
Part reference When you

create a part, you position it by
picking points. These are the
partreference points.
point The position

of a part is always relative to its
reference point(s).
Part reference If you pick two

points to position a part, these points
form the part reference line, and
handles
line appear at the

line ends.
When creating horizontal parts, it is worth being
consistent and always picking points from left to
right, and from bottom to top. This ensures that Tekla
Structures places and dimensions the parts in the same
way in drawings, and that part marks automatically
appear at the same part end.
To see the part reference line in the model:
1. Click View > View Properties….
2. Click the Display… button to open the Display dialog box.
3. On the Advanced tab, select the Part reference line checkbox.
4. Click Modify and OK. You can use part reference lines to help snapping to the
middle points of parts, for example.
Tekla Structures indicates the direction of a part with handles.

When you select a part, the handle at the first end is yellow, and
Handles the handle at the second end is magenta.
You can use handles to move the part end: 1. Select the part to display the handles.
2. Click the handle you want to move. Tekla Structures highlights the handle.
3. Move the handle(s) like any other object. If you have Drag and drop on, just drag the handle
to a new position.
By default, the handles of contour plates and concrete slabs are

not visible. To show them, set the
variableXS_DRAW_CHAMFERS_HANDLES to HANDLES.
Position on work plane
You can define the position of a part on the work plane as:
• Middle
• Right
• Left
Beam You can also define the distance of a part from its original reference line.
An example of the options for beams:
(T) Middle
C2J Left
L3J Right
t4j Middle 200
fSJ Left 200
MS} Right 200
Position depth
You can define the position of a part in terms of its depth, perpendicular to the
work plane, as:
Beam • Middle
• Front
• Behind An example showing the options for beams:
fl) Work plane
f2J Middle
f3J Front
f4J Behind
f5j Middle 100
fej Front 100
Contour f7J Behind 100

plate
An example showing the options for contour plates:
(T} Work plane
f2J Middle
(3J Front
f4j Behind
Rotation
Beam You can define the rotation of a part around its axis on the
work plane as:
• Front
• Top
• Back
• Below
You can also define the angle of rotation. Tekla Structures

measures positive values clockwise around the local x axis.
An example of the options for beams:

Front
f2J Top
(3J Back
(4) Below
fsj Positive (10 degrees) rotation around local x axis
Column An example of the options for columns:

Front
f2J Top
f3J Back
C4) Below
Vertical position
You can define the vertical position of a part, relative to its reference point, as:
• Middle
• Down
• Up
Column An example of the options for columns:

Mj Middle
(2) Down
f3J Up
(4J Middle 100
fsj Down 100
00 Up 100
Horizontal position
You can define the horizontal position of a part, relative to its reference point,
as:
• Middle
• Left
Column • Right An example of the options for columns:

© Middle
© Left
© Right
© Middle100
© Left 100
© Right 100
End offsets
Use end offsets to move the ends of a part, relative to its reference line. You can enter
positive and negative values. The options are:
Field Result
Changes the length of the part by moving the part end point
Dx along the reference line
Dy Moves the part end perpendicular to the reference line
Dz Moves the part end in the z direction of the work plane
Levels
For parts that you create by picking only one point (e.g. columns), you can enter the
positions of the part ends, relative to the picked point, in the global z direction.
Use Bottom to define the position of the first end. Use Top to define the position of the
second end.
Bending
In Tekla Structures, you create curved parts by defining a radius and the plane of curvature.
Parts
Radius When you create a curved part, you pick three points to define the
radius. You can also enter a
specific value for the radius in the part properties dialog box.
T The sector angle must be less than 180 degrees.
Plane The plane of curvature is relative to the current work plane. The options
are:
• xz plane
• xy plane
To have Tekla Structures draw a curved part, you need to specify a

number of segments. Tekla Structures does not show curved surfaces
exactly in views, instead the number of segments determines how
realistic the curved part looks: the more segments, the less angular the
part appears. If you specify a large number of segments it affects how
quickly Tekla Structures draws the model. See also How handles
solids in the online help.
NUMBERING PARTS
Introduction This section discusses the principles you need to consider when
planning numbering. Tekla
Structures uses numbers to identify parts, cast units, and assemblies when producing
drawings and reports, and exporting models. You must have Tekla Structures number the
model parts before you can create single-part, assembly, cast unit, and multdrawings, or
some export files from a model. Tekla Structures uses part numbers in many tasks, for
example:
• Connecting a drawing with the right part, cast unit, or assembly.
• Reporting the properties of identical parts, cast units, and assemblies.
• Identifying part information for export another program.
Defining numbers to be used for parts
Numbering series You use a numbering series to

divide steel part, cast unit, and assembly numbers into
groups. For example, you can allocate separate
numbering series to different phases or part types.
You can name the numbering series to which a part,

cast unit, or assembly belongs, using the part
properties dialog box. The numbering series name
consists of a prefix and a starting number.
Example For example, if you define a

numbering series with the prefix P and starting
number 1001, Tekla
Structures numbers that series P1001, P1002, P1003,

…
By default, the steel part mark prefix is P, the concrete part prefix is Concrete, and the
starting number is 1. You do not have to specify a part prefix (for example, you may want to
omit the part prefix for minor parts).
When you run numbering Tekla Structures compares parts that belong to the same series
with each other. All identical parts in the same numbering series are given the same part
number.
By default, a part retains its number, as long as only one part has
that particular number, regardless of the settings in the Numbering
setup dialog box.
Cast units Tekla Structures numbers concrete cast units and steel assemblies
using the same principles as
and assemblies it follows when numbering parts. The default starting number is 1.
The prefix varies based on
the part type.
Assembly and cast unit numbering may affect part numbering, if the
variableXS_USE_ASSEMBLY_NUMBER_FOR is set.
Part numbering does not affect cast unit and assembly numbering. For more information on
cast units and assemblies,
Overlapping When planning numbering, ensure that you reserve enough numbers
for each series. If one series
series overflows into another, Tekla Structures might allocate the same
number to different parts.
Tekla Structures warns you about series overlaps. View the numbering history log to check
which numbers overlap. See Log files in the online help.

What affects numbering
Identical parts Tekla Structures treats parts as identical, and so gives them the same
number, if the following
basic part properties are the same:
Part
property Condition
Including the location, size, and number of holes, if you

select the Holes checkbox in the Numbering setup dialog
box.
Tekla Structures gives parts the same number if the parts

are identical in the fabrication or casting. If a part is
deformed after fabrication or casting (for example if the
Part part is cambered, shortened, or warped), the final
geometry geometry on site and in the model may be different.
Numbering
series
If you select the Part name checkbox in theNumbering

Name setup dialog box.
Profile
Part property Condition
Material Finish
Class and phase do not affect numbering. Tekla Structures gives the same number to
identical parts that belong to different classes or phases.
You can set the degree of tolerance for part geometry in the Numbering setupdialog box. If
the geometry of parts differs within this degree of tolerance, Tekla Structures treats the parts
as identical for numbering purposes.
Additional Tekla Structures treats parts as different, and so numbers them

differently, if the following
properties properties differ:
Property Condition
If a user-defined attribute has the variable special_flag

set to yes, Tekla Structures takes this user-defined
attribute into account when numbering.
For more information on defining user-defined

User-defined attributes, see Adding properties and Interpreting
attributes objects.inp in the online help.
E.g. if two parts have different pop marks, or one part

has pop marks and the other one does not, Tekla
Structures gives the parts different numbers. SeePop
Pop marks marks in the online help.
Beam If you select the Beam orientationcheckbox in

orientation the Numbering setupdialog box.
Column If you select the Column orientationcheckbox in

orientation the Numbering setupdialog box.
If otherwise identical concrete parts have different

reinforcement and if you select the Reinforcing
bars checkbox in the Numbering setup dialog box,
Tekla Structures gives the parts different numbers.
Reinforcement See Reinforcement andNumbering reinforcement.
If you select the Embedded objectscheckbox in

Cast-in embeds the Numbering setupdialog box.
Surface If you select the Surface treatmentcheckbox in
treatment the Numbering setupdialog box.
Cast units and Tekla Structures numbers cast units and assemblies in the same way as
it does parts. The
assemblies orientation of assemblies also affects numbering if you select

the Beam orientation and
Column orientation checkboxes in the Numbering setup dialog box.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – CAST

UNITS AND ASSEMBLIES
November 24, 2011 | Tekla Structures Tutorial | No Comments
Steel assemblies Tekla Structures creates basic assemblies of steel parts
when you use aworkshop weld or bolt to join parts. Assemblies and their
main parts are automatically defined when you:
• Create single workshop welds or bolts.
• Apply automatic connections which create workshop welds or bolts.
You can also create nested assemblies by addingsub-assemblies to

existing assemblies, or by joining assemblies together.
Concrete cast The concrete structures in Tekla Structures are

modeled as single parts. By default, each part is
units considered a separate cast unit.
For construction purposes you may need to merge several concrete parts
into one cast unit. For example, a single cast unit could consist of a
column with corbels.
You need to specify which parts form the cast unit. Cast units can include
reinforcement, as well as concrete parts.
Main parts The main part in a steel assembly has other parts
welded or bolted to it. By default, the main part
is not welded or bolted to any other parts.

The main part in a concrete cast unit is the one with the largest volume of
concrete.
You can change the main part in an assembly or a cast unit.
Checking To visually check the objects in a cast unit or an

assembly, click Tools > Inquire > Assembly
contents Objects. Select a part in the cast unit or assembly.

Tekla Structures highlights the other parts
that belong to the same cast unit or assembly.
Tekla Structures uses different colors to highlight different objects:
Highlight
Object type color
Concrete – main
part magenta
Concrete –
secondary part cyan
Reinforcement blue
Steel part – main

part orange
Steel part –
secondary part yellow
— To select an entire cast unit or

^ assembly:
To check the sub-assemblies
• Use theSelect , nested assembly, right-click
zS assembliesswitch ■saii or assembly and select Assemb
Show Assembly from the p
• Hold down the Alt key and select menu. Tekla Structures draw
one of the parts in the cast unit or orange box around each assembl
assembly.
Drawings and You can also produce drawings and reports for cast units and
assemblies. See Cast-unit
reports drawing, Assembly drawing, and Printing reports in the Drawing

Manual.
Assembly hierarchy in nested assemblies affects drawings and reports. You can create
separate drawings and reports of the sub-assemblies and the nested assembly, and still
produce dimensions, marks, fabrication information, etc. for all assembly levels.
Assembly examples
A column corbel is fabricated in one workshop, and then

attached to the column in another workshop. Model the corbel as
a sub-assembly of the column. Then create an assembly drawing
for each workshop: one assembly drawing showing how the
corbel is welded together, another assembly drawing showing
how the corbel and the other part are welded to the column.
m) Drawing 2, Workshop 2 £2) Drawing 1, Workshop 1
Model the halves of a complex truss as assemblies. Create

assembly drawings for the workshop to fabricate the truss halves.
Then create another assembly drawing showing how the halves
should be joined on site.
In a frame of built-up columns and beams, each built-up profile

can be a sub-assembly. You can create an assembly drawing
showing the entire frame and separate drawings showing how
the columns and beams are built up.
73
Working with assemblies
To work with nested assemblies, you need to know how to use the Shift key
■s and mouse scrolling to select objects on different levels in assembly hierarchy.
You can work on any level of a nested assembly, from single parts and bolts, through the
basic and sub-assemblies, up to the highest level of the nested assembly:
74
You can hide individual assemblies from model views. To do this:
1. Select the assemblies to hide.
2. Right-click and select Assembly > Hidefrom the pop-up menu.

T*
To show the assemblies again in a model view, select the view, right-click, and then
selectRedraw View from the pop-up menu. To redraw all model views at the same
time, clickView > Redraw All.
Adding objects to assemblies
You can add objects to assemblies in the following ways:
Assembly type Method
Basic or nested Add parts to an existing assembly as secondary

assembly parts.
Bolt or weld parts to an existing assembly as

Basic assembly secondary parts.
Bolt or weld assemblies to an existing assembly

as sub-assemblies.
Add assemblies to an existing assembly as sub-

assemblies.
Join existing assemblies together without adding

Nested assembly any loose parts.
Sub-assemblies in a nested assembly retain their own assembly information and main part.
You can also open properties dialog boxes and define properties separately for the sub-
assemblies and the nested assembly.
Adding parts to assemblies
To add secondary parts to a basic assembly or to any level of a nested assembly:
1. Ensure that the Select objects in assemblies switch is active.
2. Select the parts to add.
3. Right-click and select Assembly > Add to Assembly from the pop-up menu.
4. Select the assembly to add to.
Nesting assemblies
To create nested assemblies:
1. Ensure that the Select assemblies switch is active.
2. Select the assemblies you want to add to another assembly. They will become sub-
assemblies in the nested assembly.
3. Right-click and select Assembly > Add as sub-assembly on the pop-up menu.
4. Select the assembly to add to.
Joining assemblies
To join existing assemblies without adding any loose parts:
1. Ensure that the Select assemblies switch is active.
2. Select the assemblies you want to join.
3. Right-click and select Assembly > Make into Assembly from the pop-up menu.
When you use this method to create a nested assembly, by default the assembly with the
largest volume will become the main assembly. To change the main assembly, use the Set
as New Main Object of Assembly command.
Creating sub-assemblies of assembly parts
You can create sub-assemblies of parts that are already in an assembly.
Usage 1. Ensure that the Select objects in assemblies switch is active.
2. Select the parts you want to include in the sub-assembly.

3. Right-click and select Make into Sub-Assembly from the pop-up menu.
Removing objects from assemblies
To remove parts from an assembly:
1. Select the part to remove.
2. Right-click and select Assembly > Remove from Assembly on the pop-up menu.
To remove sub-assemblies from an assembly:
1. Select the sub-assembly to remove.
2. Right-click and select Assembly > Remove from Assembly on the pop-up menu.
Exploding assemblies
To explode an assembly:
1. Select the assembly.
2. Right-click and select Assembly > Explode on the pop-up menu.
When you explode a nested assembly, Tekla Structures breaks the

assembly hierarchy level by level, always starting from the highest
level. You need to use the Explode command several times to break a
nested assembly back to single parts.
Use the Explode Sub-Assembly command to explode sub-assemblies

T to single parts without breaking the entire assembly hierarchy.
Exploding sub-assemblies
You can explode sub-assemblies to single parts without breaking the

entire assembly hierarchy.
1. Select the sub-assembly you want to explode.

Usage
2. Right-click and select Assembly > Explode Sub-
Assembly from the pop-up menu.
Working with cast units
Creating cast To create a cast unit:

units
1. Click Modeling > Cast unit > Create.
2. Select the objects to form the cast unit.
3. Click the middle mouse button to create the cast unit. To add
objects to a cast unit:
1. Click Modeling > Cast unit > Add to.
2. Select the object to add.
Adding objects 3. Select an object in the cast unit.
You can also add custom components to cast units using

v the Add to command.
To add a custom part to a cast unit:
1. Ensure that theSelect

componentsswitch *Ji is active.
2. Click Modeling > Assembly > Add as Sub-Assembly.
3. Select the custom part.
4. Select the cast unit.
Removing
objects To remove objects from a cast unit:
Exploding cast 1. Click Modeling > Cast unit > Remove from.
units
2. Select the object to remove.
Copying cast
units To explode a cast unit:
is
See also 1. Click Modeling > Cast unit > Explode.
2. Select an object in the cast unit.
When you select cast units for copying, ensure that the Select
assemblies switch active.
Cast unit type
To define whether a concrete part is precast or cast in place:
1. Open the concrete part properties dialog box.
2. Go to the Cast unit tab.
3. In the Cast unit type list box, select Precast or Cast in place.
Tekla Structures checks the cast unit type of the cast unit main part each
time you create or modify a cast unit. Tekla Structures does not mix
T precast and cast-in-place parts inside a cast unit.
Defining and showing the top-in-form face
To indicate the casting direction of a concrete part, you can define the top-in-form face of
the part and show it in model views. The top-in-form face will appear in the front view in
drawings.
Preconditions Create the concrete part.
Usage To define the top-in-form face of a concrete part:
1. Click Modeling > Cast Unit > Set Top in Form Face.
2. Select the part face which will face upwards in the form.
To show the top-in-form faces of concrete parts in a model view:

1. Click Modeling > Cast Unit > Show Top in Form Face.
Tekla Structures highlights the top-in-form faces in red:
You can also right-click the part and then selectCast Unit > Set Top in
Form Face or Cast Unit > Show Top in Form Face from the pop-up
menu.
To hide the top-in-form faces from a model view, select the view, right-click, and then
select Update Window from the pop-up menu.
In drawings, use the Fixed coordinate system to show the top-in-form

face in the front view.
See also Defining concrete part orientation
Coordinate system
Changing the assembly or cast unit main part
Use the Inquire commands on the pop-up or pull-down menu to check which is the main
part in an assembly or cast unit.
To change the main part in an assembly or a cast unit:
1. Click Modeling > Assembly > Set as New Main Object of Assembly.
2. Select the new main part.
You can also select the part first and then selectAssembly > Set as New
T* Main Part of Assembly from the right-click pop-up menu.
Changing the main assembly
You can also change the main assembly in a nested assembly:
1. Click Modeling > Assembly > Set as New Main Object of Assembly.
2. Select the new main assembly.
You can also select the assembly first and then select Assembly > Set as
New Main Sub-Assembly from the right-click pop-up menu.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – PARTS

Introduction In Tekla
Structures, we use the term parts to refer
to the basic components of a model.
These
are the building blocks of the physical

model. For structural analysis purposes,
we use the termmembers to mean load-
bearing parts.
The main concrete parts are:
• beam
• polybeam
• column
• pad footing
• strip footing
• panel
• slab The main steel parts are:
• beam
• curved beam
• orthogonal beam
• polybeam
• column
• twin profile
• contour plate
This chapter explains how to create and modify

parts using different materials and profiles. It
also includes a general description of part

In this chapter properties and an overview of part commands.
You can find step-by-step instructions for all
these commands in the online help.
We assume that you have read Chapter 1, or have

comparable knowledge of Tekla Structures.
Before you start to create parts, you need to create
grids, views, and points, as explained in Chapter
2,
Assumed background
Contents This chapter is divided into the following
sections:
3.1 Part properties
Introduction
Every part has properties which define it (e.g. material, profile, location,
etc.). This section describes the basic part-specific properties. Use the
Filtering by part properties dialog box to view or modify the properties of a part.
properties
In reports You can use part properties in filters. For example, you can select,
and modify, or hide parts based on their properties. You can include part
drawings properties and user-defined attributes in drawing and report templates.
The name of the part is user-definable. Tekla Structures uses part names in
reports and drawing lists, and to identify parts of the same type, e.g. beams or
Name columns.
Finish Finish is user-definable. It describes how the part surface has been treated,
e.g. with anti-
corrosive paint, hot galvanized, fire retardant coating, etc.
Class Use Class to group parts. To display parts of different classes in different
colors, click View >
Representation > Object Representation… and select Color by class in theColor list box.
Profile
Tekla Structures contains standard, parametric, and user-defined profiles.
Standard profiles When you first start Tekla Structures, the profile catalog contains standard,
environment-specific profiles. The properties of these library profiles conform to industry
standards, so you should not edit them. You can add profiles to the profile catalog. See The profile
catalog in the online help.
Parametric Parametric profiles are partly user-definable, they have a predefined shape,
but you determine
profiles their size by giving one or more parameters. You can use parametric profiles
to closely “model”
profiles that are standard in specific environments, but do not exist in the Tekla Structures profile
catalog. Parametric profile names have specific prefixes and include dimension values. These are
described in Appendix A, Parametric Profiles If you want to define alternative prefixes for
parametric profiles, seeCustomizing parametric profiles in the online help. Dimension values in
parametric profile names are separated by standard separators -, X, /, or *. If you want to define
additional separators,
seeXS_PARAMETRIC_PROFILE_SEPARATOR andXS_USER_DEFINED_PARAMETRI
C_PROFILE_SEPARATORS in the online help.
User-defined You can also create your own profiles and save them in the profile catalog.
For example, you
profiles could create a user-defined profile pitched, with different cross sections at
the beginning and end
of the profile. You can also define cross sections. To create user-defined cross sections, you pick
the points which define the cross section corners. To create your own profiles, see Sketching and
using cross sections
and Adding a standard (fixed) user-defined profile in the online help.
Selecting a profile
To select the profile of a part, click Select… next to the Profile field in the part properties dialog
box. The Select Profile dialog box appears.
fl) Standard profile C2J Parametric profile
All You can select a profile from the tree which lists profiles contained in the profile
profiles catalog. Profiles are grouped in the tree according to rules (such as profile type)
and which you can define and modify. Only the profile types that are relevant to the
details material of the part are shown. For more information on how to modify the profile
catalog and rules, and how to associate profile types with materials, see The profile
catalog and Working with rules in the online help.
If you select a parametric profile, enter the profile dimensions in the Value column.
If you select the Show all profiles checkbox, Tekla Structures includes all the
profiles in the profile catalog in the tree. To see all the properties of profiles, select
the Show details checkbox.
For user-defined profiles Tekla Structures also displays cross section information.
When you have selected a profile, click Apply or OK.
can also:
Use the Profile name list box in the Select profile dialog box to
select a recently used profile.
Enter a profile name in the Profile field in the part properties

dialog box. Parametric profile names must be in the format shown
in Appendix A, Parametric Profiles.
Using standardized values for profile dimensions

You can define standardized values for the dimensions of parametric profiles in the
industry_standard_profiles.inp file in the ..\environments\*your_environment*\system
folder.
To use these values, in the Select profile dialog box, select a parametric profile for which
you have defined standardized values and select the Use industry standardized values
only checkbox. You can select the profile dimensions from a list box in the Value column.
You can edit the industry_standard_profiles.inp file using any standard text editor (for
example, Notepad). Use the following format:
• Profile and profile subtype
• Parameters separated by spaces
• Units for each parameter

• Standardized values for each parameter (own row for each dimension combination)
Example In the following example we define standardized combinations of

dimension values for a C
profile:
industry_standard_profiles.inp
C h*b*t
hb t
mm mm mm
75 35 5
75 35 6
75 35 7
100 40 7
100 40 8
100 40 9
Material
The material catalog contains standard, environment-specific materials. You can add,
modify, and delete materials and grades.
Defining the material of a part
Select… To select the material of a part, click Select… next to

theMaterial field in the part properties
dialog box. The Select material dialog box appears. You can select the material and grade
from the tree, which displays all the materials in the material catalog.
Aliases and To include aliases for material grades in the tree, in theSelect material dialog
box, select the
details Show aliases checkbox. Aliases are alternative names. For example, they can
be former names,
or names used in different countries or standards. Tekla Structures automatically translates aliases
into the standard name when you select a material grade. To see all the properties of materials,
select the Show details checkbox.
Analysis The Analysis tab contains information on the properties used in structural
analysis, including
the modulus of elasticity, Poisson’s ratio, and thermal dilatation coefficient.
Design The Design tab contains information on design-specific properties, such as

strengths, partial
safety factors, etc.
User attributes Use the User attributes tab to view or modify the user-defined properties of
materials. For
example, this tab could contain the maximum grain size, porosity, or surface quality class of a
concrete material type, or country-specific properties.
When you have selected the material for a part, click Apply or OK.

You can also enter a material name in theMaterial field in the part properties
T dialog box.
To modify the material catalog, see The material catalog in the online help.
User-defined attributes
User-defined attributes provide extra information about a part. Attributes can consist of
numbers, text, or lists. The following table explains what you can use attributes for:
Attribute Can be used…
In part and weld marks in Tekla Structures drawings, or

Comment in projects.
When drawings of the parts are created, Tekla

Structures decreases the true length of the part by this
value. This is useful when creating assembly drawings
Shorten of bracing bars which should always be under tension.
Camber In part marks in Tekla Structures drawings.
To obtain preliminary marks for parts in reports. To

assign part position numbers to preliminary marks,
click Drawings & Reports > Numbering > Save
Preliminary Numberswhen you number parts. To
check the preliminary mark of a selected object,
Prelim mark clickTools > Inquire > Object.
To save reaction forces for AutoDefaults. SeeAuto-

Shear, Defaults settings and Reaction forces and UDL in the
Tension, and online help. You can enter forces separately for each
Moment end of a part.
To protect objects from being accidentally changed.

Locked See Locking objects in the online help.
User-defined fields. You can change the names of these

User field fields and add new user-defined fields. See Adding
1…4 properties in the online help.
When importing information on connection types into

Tekla Structures. You can then use the connection codes
Connection as rules in AutoConnection and AutoDefaults. Each end
code of a part can have a different connection code.
For more information on defining attributes using the objects.inp file, see Adding
properties in the online help.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – POINTS

To place an object in a model you may need to pick points. To place an
object where no lines or objects intersect, you have the following options
to place objects:
• Use snapping commands.
• Use construction planes, lines and circles.
• Create points.
There are many ways to create points in Tekla Structures. Which method
is the most convenient at each time, depends on what you have already
created in the model and which locations you can easily pick.
When you create points, Tekla Structures always places them according
to the work plane coordinate system. Points located in the view plane are
Introduction yellow and points outside the view plane are red.
Point properties
To view the properties of a point, double-click the point or clickTools >

Inquire > Object and select the point.
Phase and ID Just like any other object, each point has an ID number
which is used in log files. Points and
parts have phase numbers. You can filter objects by their phase and ID
numbers.
Coordinates The point information you are most probably interested

in is the local (work plane) and global
x, y, and z coordinates of a point. Checking them convinces you of the correct

location of the point or some other object related to it.
Creating points
To create points, use the icons on the Points toolbar, or select a command
from Modeling > Add Points. The following table lists the commands for
creating points and gives a short description of each one:
Along Creates points as an

Extension of extension of a line between
Two Points ■ two picked points.
Creates two offset points,

parallel to a line, between
two picked points. This
command also creates
Parallel to construction lines showing
Two Points :
^ offset distances.
Creates points which divide a

On Line ‘S line.
Displays the Point Array dialog box and creates a point

On Plane… array relative to the current work plane.
Projected Points on
Line Projects a picked point onto a picked line.
Using Center and Arc

Points V. Creates points along an arc.
Creates points as an extension of an arc defined by three
Using Three Arc Points picked points.
Tangent to Circle Creates a point where a circle and a line meet tangentially.
At Intersection > Of
Two Lines Creates a point at the intersection of two lines.
At Intersection > Of Creates a point where a line intersects with a

Plane and Line •£. plane.
Part and Line Creates points where a line intersects with a part surface.
At Intersection > Of Creates points where a circle and a line

Circle and Line \d intersect.
Creates a point where the axes of two parts

At Intersection > Of intersect, and projects the point onto the view
Two Part Axes 4 plane.
At Any Position Creates a point to any position you pick.
Creates points at the bolt center points of the

Bolt Points ■B= picked bolt groups.
Creates points at the intersections of grid lines

Grid Points #
! on the view plane.
2.5 Construction planes, lines, and circles
Construction planes, lines, and circles help you place other objects. For example, you can
easily pick the points at intersections of construction lines and circles. The snap priority of
construction objects is the same as with the other lines.
Construction objects remain in the model when you update or redraw views and windows.
They do not appear in drawings.
To create construction objects, use the icons on the Points toolbar or select a command on
the Modeling menu. The following table lists the commands for creating construction
objects and gives a short description of each one:
Construction plane Is) Creates a plane.
Creates a construction line

between any two picked 3D
Add Construction Line (2 points.
Add Construction Circle Creates a construction circle in

Using Center Point and the view plane of the first view
Radius 0 picked.
Creates a construction circle

Add Construction Circle defined by three picked 3D
Using Three Points 0 points.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – VIEWS

October 22, 2011 | Tekla Structures Tutorial | No Comments
Introduction There are several ways to create views in Tekla
Structures. For example, you can create views:
• of the entire structure
• of selected part(s) and component(s)
• along the grid lines
Each view has properties which define its appearance. You can change the
appearance of a view after you create it so choose the creation method that
suits you. This section describes the view-specific properties. You can
open the view properties dialog box for each view, to view or modify the
properties.
T Unnamed views
disappear when
you close them.
You can have up to nine views on the screen at the same time. If you try to
open more than nine views, Tekla Structures displays a warning. If the view
does not appear, check how many views you have open.
To switch between views, press Ctrl+Tab.
View plane
Each view has a view plane on which the grids are visible and points are
represented as yellow crosses.
Basic views are those parallel to the global basic planes, i.e. xy, xz, and
zy. In basic views two axes always define the view plane and they appear
in the plane name. The third axis is perpendicular to the view plane. It
does not appear in the plane name. In the basic plane view, the model is
shown from the direction of that third axis.
Basic view plane The view plane options for basic views are:
View plane coordinate For basic views, you also define at which distance from the global origin
the view plane is in direction of the third axis. The view plane coordinate
Other views equals this distance.
For view types other than basic views, you define the view plane and
coordinate by picking points, e.g. With three points, or they are defined
automatically according to the chosen creation method/command, e.g. To
work plane.
You can change the view plane by moving it like any other object. Click
anywhere on the plain background, right-click and select Move Special >
Moving the view plane Linear… from the pop-up menu.
Moving a view plane may result in a situation such that view

depth and work area do not intersect and thus nothing can be seen
■s in the window.
View properties
Naming views Tekla Structures numbers views in order of creation, so you do not have to give
each view a
specific name.
You should give a view a unique name if you need to open it in later sessions. When you exit the
model, Tekla Structures only saves named views. Tekla Structures does not save unnamed views when
you close them.
In multi-user mode, it is very important to give views unique
names. If several users have different views with the same name,
the view settings of one user may randomly override the settings
of another user.
View type
The view type defines the appearance of the view. It also affects what methods you can use
to rotate the model. The view type options are:
• Wire frame
Objects are transparent and their outlines are displayed. As the wire frame views use line
graphics technique, redrawing views is quick.
• Rendered
Objects look more realistic because they are non-transparent and their surfaces are
displayed as shown in the illustrations below. However, you can also choose
theWireframe or Shaded Wireframe option in the rendered views. Rotating the model in
the rendered views is very convenient with the mouse.
Representation
In rendered views, you can define how Tekla Structures displays parts and component
objects separately. The following options are available:
• Wireframe
Part outlines are displayed,

surfaces are not, i.e. parts are
transparent.
(In this example, component

objects are displayed
as Rendered.)
• Shaded Wireframe
Part outlines are displayed. Parts

are transparent, and their
surfaces are shaded.
(In this example, component

objects are displayed
as Rendered.)
• Hidden Lines
Parts are not transparent, i.e.

underlying parts are not visible.
Part surfaces are not displayed.
• Rendered
Part surfaces are displayed, i.e.

parts are not transparent.
• Rendered (Dark Colors)
Parts are not transparent. Part

outlines are displayed with
brighter color, and part surfaces
with darker color than in
the Rendered option.
In rendered views, use the

shortcuts Ctrl+1…5and Shift+1…5 to set the desired
• representation for parts in the model and components.
Projection
If you choose the rendered view type, the projection can be:
• Orthogonal
All objects are of equal size (no perspective). When you zoom, text
and point size remains the same. In addition, the zoom remains on part
surfaces.
• Perspective
Distant objects appear smaller than close ones, as do text and points.
You can zoom, rotate the model, or fly through it.
Views can be:
• Plane
View angle • 3D
Use the shortcut Ctrl+P or click View > Switch to 3D /

Plane to switch between 3D and plane view.
Rotation is view-specific. You can rotate the model in 3D views using

the mouse and keyboard or by defining the rotation angle in the View
properties dialog box. You can specify rotation angles around the z
Rotation axis and around the x axis.
Every view has depth, which is the thickness of the displayed slice of
model. You can define the depth separately upwards and downwards from
the view plane. The objects within the displayed depth and the work area
are visible in the model. However, objects created after the view are
View depth visible also outside the view depth.
Defining grid view properties

Number of Grid views are views along the grid lines. Before creating grid views, you
views can define how many views Tekla Structures will create, how it will name
the views, and which view properties it will use.
View name
prefix There are four options for the number of views:
• None Tekla Structures does not create any views.
• One (First) Tekla Structures only creates the view closest to the grid
origin.
• One (Last) Tekla Structures only creates the view furthest from the
grid origin.
• All Tekla Structures creates all views in grid planes in the relevant
direction.
View names consist of a prefix and a grid label, e.g. PLAN +3000. If
the View name prefix field is left empty, no prefix is used. Tekla
Structures adds a dash and a running number to the view name if view
names are otherwise identical.
Each view plane has its own view properties. You can load the properties
from the current view properties with the option <applied values> or
View from saved view properties. The Show… button displays the view
properties properties.
Creating and modifying views
When you create a new model, you can select theCreate default view and
grid checkbox to have Tekla Structures automatically create a grid and a
view according to the saved standard properties.
To create views, use the commands on the Viewmenu. The following table
lists the commands for creating views and gives a short description of
Creating each one:
Create View of
Model > 3D View… Displays the Create 3D View dialog box and creates a 3D view.
Create View of
Model > Using Two
Points
Create View of Creates a view using two picked points.

Model > Using
Three Points Creates a view using three picked points.
Create View of
Model > On Work
Plane Creates a view of the current work plane.
Displays the Creation of Views

Create View of Along Grid Linesdialog box and
Model > Along creates views along the grid lines
Grid Lines… ■& of a selected grid.
Create View of Creates a view on the front, top,

Model > On Part back or bottom plane of the
Plane selected part.
Create View of Creates a 3D view of the selected

Part > 3D View ‘- part.
Create View of y
Part > Default Creates four basic views of the
Views part.
Create View of Creates a view that shows a

Part > deformed part in undeformed
Undeformed View form.
Create View of
Component > 3D Creates a 3D view of the
View component.
»
Create View of Creates four basic views of the
Component > component.
Default Views
To modify a view, double-click anywhere on the plain background.

The View Properties dialog box appears and you can modify the
Modifying properties.
Opening, closing, and deleting named views
To view and open the existing named views, do one of the following:
• Click 1-= .
• Click View > View List… to display the Views dialog box.
Tekla Structures lists all invisible named views on the left, and all visible views on the right.
To display or hide views, select the view(s) and use the arrows between the lists. You can
also double-click a view in the Views dialog box to open or close it.
To select multiple views on lists, use the Shift and Ctrl keys when you select views. To
deselect views, hold down the Ctrl key.
To delete a named view, select the view and click Delete.
Refreshing the screen display
Active window To update and display the contents of an active window, do one of
the following:
• Press Ctrl+U.
• Right-click, then select Update Window.
• Click View > Zoom > Active Window > Update.
All windows To update the contents of all windows, click View > Update All.
You can also use View >
Redraw All to recalculate and redraw the contents of all the windows.
Click Window > Close All to close all the windows on the screen at the same time.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – SELECTING

MODEL OBJECTS
To use Tekla Structures effectively, you need to know how to select objects and use select
switches. Selection filter settings also affect which objects you can select. See
How to select objects
You need to select objects to carry out many Tekla Structures commands. You can select
objects as a sequence of single selections and/or area selections. Tekla Structures highlights
the selected objects.
You can use the following techniques to modify the current selection:
Technique Description
When you select objects using the mouse button, without

pressing any other keys, every pick or drag selects objects. All
Single objects previously selected objects are deselected.
Enclosing window Drag the mouse from left to right to select all objects totally
selection within that rectangular area.
Crossing window Drag the mouse from right to left to select all objects totally or
selection partly within that rectangular area.
To select an object and open its pop-up menu, click the object
with the rightmouse button.
This feature is active if you have a check mark next to Select on
Right-click Right-Click inTools > Options.
To examine and work with nested components, hold down

the Shift key andscroll with the mouse wheel.
Nested components
To examine and work on different assembly levels, hold down

the Shift key and scroll with the mouse wheel. An orange box
Nested assemblies indicates the assembly which you can select.
Press the Alt key while clicking a part to select the entire cast
Assembly or cast unit unit or assembly containing that part.
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Introduction 37
Technique Description
When you want to select only the handles of a part, select the part, press the Alt key and
Handles part again with enclosing window selection.
Adding Press the Shift key and select objects, to add to the current selection.
To toggle the current selection on and off, press the Ctrl key during selection. Tekla Struct
deselects the objects, which are already selected and selects those, which are not previously
Modifying selected.
Controlling the selection
Main select The main select switches shown in the following table set whether you can select obj
switches component or assembly hierarchy. These switches have the highest priority.
Icon Selectable objects Description
When you click any object belonging to a component,

Tekla Structures selects the component symbol and
:*!: Components highlights (does not select) all component objects.
Component Objects created automatically by a component can be

:i!i objects selected.
When you click any object in an assembly or a cast
unit, Tekla Structures selects the assembly or cast unit
Assemblies and and highlights all objects in the same assembly or cast
i^l] cast units unit.
Objects in
assemblies and You can select single objects in assemblies and cast
isaii cast units units.
You can use the Select components switch to select ref
■S itt
models, and the Select objects in components ijl j

switch to select reference model objects. For more information, see Selecting reference models and refere
model objects.
38 TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Introduction
To define the level on which to select objects in nested components or

assemblies, hold down the Shift key and scroll with the mouse wheel.
The active select switch defines on which level you start and toward
Shift + which direction you move in the component or assembly hierarchy. The
scroll status bar shows the steps you take in the hierarchy.
If the Select assemblies switch iffr

is active, you can select objects in assembly hierarchy, starting
from the assemblies on the highest level, move to their sub-
Example assemblies, and finally select single parts, bolts, and so on.
If the Select objects in assemblies switch is active, you start selecting
from single
objects and move to bigger and bigger nested assemblies.

Other select The following table lists the remaining select switches. Use these
switches to set which object
switches types you want to select. For example, you can decide to select only
welds and bolts, but no
parts.
Selectable
Icon objects Description
Turns all switches on. You can select all

[« Any objects object types, except for single bolts.
[4] Components You can select component symbols.
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Introduction 39
Icon Selectable objects Description
You can select parts, i.e. columns, beams, plates,

Parts etc.
Surface treatments You can select surface treatments.
Points You can select points.
You can select entire grids by selecting one line in

Grids the grid.
Grid lines You can select single grid lines.
Welds You can select welds.
You can select line, part, and polygon cuts, and

Cuts and fitting fittings.
Views You can select model views.
You can select entire bolt groups by selecting one

Bolt group bolt in the group.
Single bolts You can select single bolts.
Reinforcing bars You can select reinforcing bars and bar groups.
Loads You can select point, line, area, and uniform loads.
3 Planes You can select planes.
Distances You can select distances.
Selection filter In addition to the select switches, selection filter settings control
which objects can be selected.
To set the selection filter, click the Selection Filter icon on the Selecting toolbar. There are
also predefined filters available in the Available selection filters list box:
Canceling object selection
You can cancel the object selection process if the selection takes over a defined period of
time. For example, if you are working on a large model and you accidentally select all or
part of the model, you can cancel the selection if it takes over 5000 milliseconds to
complete.
Usage 1. Click Tools > Options > Advanced Options > Modeling
Properties.
2. Set the cancellation value for the variable

XS_OBJECT_SELECTION_CONFIRMATION.
The default value is 5000 milliseconds.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – USING

COMMANDS
As you become familiar with Tekla Structures, you will find that there are several ways to
do some operations. This section introduces most of the ways. Later in this manual, we refer
to this section or present only the way(s) most useful for a first-time user. After some
practice, you may choose a different way.
Executing commands
There are several ways to execute commands in Tekla Structures. Icon

You can use icons:
• Single-click an icon just to execute the command.
• Double-click an icon to display the properties of the object type, and to execute the
command.
Pull-down menu You can execute commands using pull-down menus. Tekla Structures
contains two types of menus for basic objects:
• The commands on the Properties menu set the properties of different object types.
• The commands on the Points, Parts, and Create menus, for example, create objects
using the properties of each object type.
Pop-up menu A pop-up menu appears when you click the right mouse button. If
you have an object selected,
the commands on the pop-up menu relate to that object.
Repeating commands
To repeat the last command, do one of the following:
• Click Edit > Repeat Last Command.

• Press Enter.
Creating objects
Most of the commands you run in Tekla Structures create objects. To create an object, or
multiple objects:
• Open the object type’s properties dialog box and set the object properties.
• Place the object(s) in the model.
You can carry out these steps in any order. For example To create objects:
1. Double-click the icon of the object type you want to create. Tekla Structures displays
the properties dialog box.
2. Enter or modify the object properties.
3. Click Apply or OK.
4. Pick points to place the object(s). To position objects without defining their properties:
1. Single-click an icon, or a menu command.
2. Pick points to place the object(s). Tekla Structures creates the object using the current
properties of the object type.
To create several objects with the same properties, pick multiple points. The object
commands in Tekla Structures run until you end them or use another command.
Modifying objects
To modify the properties of an object, or multiple objects:
• Select the object(s) to modify.
• Open the properties dialog box and modify the object properties.
You can carry out these steps in any order. For example To modify objects:
1. Double-click one of the objects you want to modify to open the object properties dialog
box.
2. Modify the properties. 3. Select the remaining object(s) to modify.
4. Click Modify.
Using commands simultaneously
Transparency You can use some Tekla Structures commands transparently. This
means that you can execute
these commands while another command is still running. For example, the commands on
the Zoom and Points toolbars are transparent.
Ending commands
To cancel or end commands, do one of the following:
• On the Edit menu, click Interrupt.
• Right-click and select Interrupt from the pop-up menu.
• Press the Esc key.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – TOOLBARS

The toolbars contain icons which give easy access to
some of the most frequently-used commands.
Using icons Most of the Tekla Structures

icons work as follows:
• A single-click executes the command.
• A double-click displays the properties dialog box

of the object type, and executes the command.
Managing toolbars
Toolbars can either be floating or docked, i.e. located at the edge of the program
window.
To move toolbars, click the handle on the left or upper edge of a docked toolbar (or
the title bar of a floating toolbar), and drag the toolbar to a new location.
To drag toolbars beyond the program window, hold down the Ctrl key while dragging.
The toolbars remain floating. You can resize floating toolbars by grabbing any edge
with the mouse pointer.
To display or hide a toolbar, click Tools > Toolbars and click the toolbar name.
Visible toolbars have a check mark against their name.
For more information on menus and toolbars, and how to customize them,
seeCustomizing the user interface in the online help.
Basic toolbars
This section describes the most important

toolbars and their icons in the Tekla
Structures Model Editor. These toolbars
are visible by default.
To display or hide a toolbar, click Tools >

Toolbars and click the toolbar name.
Visible toolbars have a check mark against
their name.
To get more information about an icon,

move the mouse pointer over it.
The General toolbar contains basic

commands for creating, opening and
saving a model, printing, creating reports,
creating views, copying and moving
General objects, and so on.
• New
• Open
• Save
• Undo
• Redo
• Reports
• AutoDrawing
• Open drawing list
• Print drawings
• Create basic 3D view
• Create view by two points
• Create basic 3D view of a part
• Open named view list
• Create clip plane

• Fit work area using two points
• Set work plane
• Set work plane to view plane
• Set work plane by three points
• Set work plane to part top
• Insert reference model
• Copy
• Move
• Inquire object
• Measure horizontal distance
• Measure vertical distance
• Measure free distance
• Measure angle
• Measure bolt spacing
• Number modified objects
• Clash check
• Project status visualization
• Create a screenshot of a view without borders
• Publish as Web page
• Show macros
• Open model folder
• Customize Concrete The Concrete toolbar contains commands for creating concrete
parts and reinforcements.
• Create pad footing
• Create strip footing
• Create concrete column
• Create concrete beam
• Create concrete polybeam
• Create concrete slab
• Create concrete panel
• Create reinforcing bar
• Create reinforcing bar group
• Create reinforcement mesh Steel The Steel toolbar contains commands

for creating steel beams, columns, and plates.
• Create column
• Create beam
• Create polybeam
• Create curved beam
• Create contour plate
• Create bolts
• Create weld Detailing The Detailing toolbar contains commands for trimming parts.
• Open component catalog
• Create current connection
• Display the AutoConnection setup dialog box
• Create face surface treatment
• Create fitting
• Create line cut
• Create polygon cut
• Create part cut
Points The Points toolbar contains commands for creating points,

construction planes, distance
variables, and construction objects you can use to place structural objects in a model.
• Add point along extension of two picked points
• Add points on line

• Add points parallel to two picked points
• Add projected points on line
• Add points at intersection of two lines
• Add points at any position
• Add construction line
• Add construction circle using center point and radius Selecting

TheSelecting toolbar contains commands for selecting objects.
• Select all
• Select connections
• Select parts
• Select surface treatments
• Select points
• Select grid
• Select grid line
• Select welds
• Select cuts and fittings

• Select views
• Select bolts
• Select single bolts
• Select reinforcing bars
• Select loads
• Select planes
• Select distances
• Select component
• Select objects in components
• Select assemblies
• Select objects in assemblies
• Select tasks
• Available select filters
• Select filter Snapping The Snapping toolbar contains commands for picking different
positions and points.
• Snap to points and grid intersections

• Snap to end points
• Snap to center points
• Snap to mid points
• Snap to intersection points
• Snap to perpendicular points
• Snap to nearest points
• Snap to any position
• Snap to reference lines/points
• Snap to geometry lines/points
• Auto
• Outline planes
TEKLA STRUCTURES – SCREEN

LAYOUT
When you start Tekla Structures, a new window appears on the screen. The following
illustration identifies the various areas of the Tekla Structures Model Editor window:
m) Status bar displays the prompt and the status of some settings
(2J Snap settings control which points you can snap to and pick
f3J Select switches determine selectable objects
f4J Pull-down menus contain all commands
f5J Steel beams, columns, plates
(6J Concrete footings, beams, columns
f7J Commands for creating views
fsj Toolbars can either be docked or floating
Initially, most of the menu options and all the icons are gray indicating that they are
inactive. When you open or create a model, the icons and available menu options will
become active.
Screen components
Menu bar This section briefly describes several important screen components.
Toolbars The menu bar located under the blue title bar has pull-down menus
containing all the Tekla Structures commands. To select a command,
click a menu title and then select the command.
The toolbars are located under the menu bar. They contain icons which
give easy access to the most frequently-used commands. To execute a
command, click the appropriate icon. Use the icon as an alternative to
selecting commands from a pull-down menu.
When you move the mouse pointer over an icon, a tooltipdisplays the
Tooltips name of the icon:
If the enhanced tooltips are switched on, the tooltips are not
■5 displayed. The enhanced tooltips are switched on by default.
Enhanced The enhanced tooltips give more information about the command and
tooltips how it can be executed. They also give examples, hints and tips:
On the basis of the information in the enhanced tooltip you are able to decide whether the
command is the one that you need for your current task. You can also open the related
online help topic by clicking the More… button.
To hide or display the enhanced tooltips, click Tools > Options > Enhanced Tooltips.
Menu tooltips The menu tooltips provide the same functionality as the enhanced
tooltips, but for menu
commands. The menu tooltips are displayed in a separate window, which you can drag and
drop to any position on the screen:
To hide or display the menu tooltips, click Tools > Options > Menu Tooltips.
Dialog boxes Tekla Structures displays a dialog box if you select a command
whose name has three dots after
it, e.g. Select…. You can also double-click an object or icon.
To display the current properties of an object type, double-click the corresponding

icon. Tekla Structures displays a properties dialog box, and you can change the
V properties before applying the command.
To display the properties dialog box of an individual object, double-click the object.
Switches Select switches and Snap settings are special toolbars containing
switches which control the
selection of objects, and snapping to points.
Use select switches to define which object types can be selected. With them you can limit
selection. For example, if only the Select welds switch is active, Tekla Structures only
selects welds, even if you select the entire model area.
Introduction
The two circled pairs of switches control whether you can select:
• Components or objects created by components, or
• Assemblies or objects in assemblies.
You need to activate snap switches to pick different positions and points, e.g. line ends and
intersections.
The two circled switches define whether you can pick reference points or any other points
on objects, e.g. part corners. Either or both of these switches must be active for the other
switches to work.
Status bar Tekla Structures displays prompts and messages on the status bar
located at the bottom of the
Tekla Structures window.
The status bar also displays the following information:
• The status of Xsnap (T), SmartSelect (S), and Drag and drop (D)
• The level in assembly or component hierarchy (0–9)
• The middle mouse button mode (Pan or Scroll)
• The current phase

• The number of selected objects and handles.
Warning Tekla Structures displays warning messages when necessary, for

example when you are about
messages to copy or move objects outside the work area. To prevent Tekla
Structures from displaying the
warning messages again, select the Do not show this message again checkbox.
To re-display the warning messages, press Shift when the warning message should appear,
for example when you are copying or moving objects outside the work area, and Tekla
Structures displays the warning message again.
Using windows
A typical Windows workspace can contain many windows. You can stack windows on the
workspace, just like sheets of paper on a desk. Windows may partially or completely hide
other windows. Only one window is active at a time, but Tekla Structures may also produce
information in the inactive windows.
22 TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0
Introduction
Use the commands on the Window menu and View menu to control the windows.
Shows all open windows in a cascaded

Window > Cascade arrangement.
Window > Tile
Horizontally Shows all open windows tiled horizontally.
Window > Tile

Vertically \m Shows all open windows tiled vertically.
Window > Close All 3 Closes all the windows on the screen.
View > Update All c5 Updates and displays the contents of all windows.
Recalculates and redraws the contents of all

View > Redraw All a windows.
You cannot use the Cascade, Tile Horizontally, and Tile

Verticallycommands for windows that you can move outside the Tekla
Structures window. For more information on moving part and component
basic views and zoom windows across the entire Windows desktop,
seeXS_MDIVIEWPARENT,XS_MDIZOOMPARENT,
^ andXS_MDIBASICVIEWPARENT in the online help.
SPECIFYING POINTS
Most Tekla Structures commands ask you to pick points to position objects in a model. Snap
priority, snap switches, and snap settings all affect picking.
Snap zone Each object has a snap zone. It defines how close you need to pick to hit a
position. When you pick within the snap zone of an object, Tekla Structures automatically
snaps to the closest pickable point on that object.
Positions to
Icon pick Description Symbol
Large
You can pick the object reference

Reference points, i.e., the points that have
points handles.
Small
Geometric points You can pick any points on objects.
The following table lists the remaining snap switches. You can have Tekla Structures
Other display the snap symbols in the model when you move the mouse pointer over
snap objects.The snap symbol is green for objects inside components, and yellow for
switches model objects.
Positions to
Icon pick Description Symbol
Snaps to points and grid line

Points intersections. 13
Snaps to end points of lines,

End points polyline segments, and arcs. 13
Centers Snaps to centers of circles and arcs. B
Snaps to midpoints of lines, polyline

Midpoints segments, and arcs.
Snaps to intersections of lines,

Intersections polyline segments, arcs, and circles.
Snaps to points on objects that form

a perpendicular alignment with
Perpendicular another object.
Snaps to the nearest points on

objects, e.g. any point on part edges
Nearest point or lines.
Free Snaps to any position.
If there is more than one point available to snap to, use the Tab
key to cycle forward through the snap points, and Shift+Tab to
cycle backwards through them. Click the left mouse button to
T* select the appropriate point.
Overriding snap To temporarily override current snap switch settings, do one of the
following:
switches
• Right-click and select the appropriate snap option from the pop-up menu.
• Click an icon on the Snap override toolbar.

This will only override the snap settings for the next point you pick.
Numeric snap You can also key in position coordinates to snap to using the Enter a
locations numeric location toolbar.
Snap settings
The first list box on the Snapping toolbar defines the depth of each position you pick. The
following options are available:
• 3D Tekla Structures picks positions in 3D space.
• View plane Tekla Structures projects picked positions onto the view plane.
• Auto
In perspective views, this option works like the 3D option. In non-perspective views, it
works like the View plane option.
Snap switch settings
Click Tools > Options > Options… > Mouse settings. Use the Mouse settingsdialog box
to:
• Set Tekla Structures to display snap symbols and tooltips for the available snap points
when you move the mouse pointer over objects.
• Define a snap grid and switch it on.
Xsnap
To make it easier to snap to points and position, you can use Xsnap and have Tekla
Structures display visual cues when you pick. Click Tools > Options > Xsnap, or use the
shortcut T. The cursor turns into a magenta crosshair. As you move the cursor over objects,
you can see it snap to positions.
Binding objects to planes
When you create distances to bind model objects together, use the second list box on
the Snapping toolbar to select the plane to bind the object to. The options are boundary,
center, outline, and cut planes of parts, and grid planes. Grid planes are available only in the
Model Editor.
Ml Grid plane
TEKLA STRUCTURES – GRIDS

So that you can easily locate objects in your model, we strongly advise that you create a
modular grid. The Tekla Structures grid is shown on the view plane by dash-and-dot lines.
You can have more than one grid in a model. You may want to create a large-scale grid for
the entire structure, and smaller grids for some detailed sections. Grids are rectangular. You
can also create single grid lines and attach them to an existing grid.
To position objects in a radial or circular pattern:
• Create one grid line and use the Edit > Copy Special
> Rotate command to copy it.
• Use construction lines and circles
You can pick grid lines and grid line intersections.
Grid properties
To access the Grid dialog box, do one of the following: • Click Modeling > Create
Grid….
Use theSelect and double-click an existing

gridswitch ;« grid.
The x and y coordinates of a grid are relative. This means that the entries
for x and y are always relative to the previous entry. The z coordinates
are absolute meaning that entries for z are absolute distances from the
work plane origin.
There are two ways to enter the x or y coordinates of grid lines:
• individually, e.g. 0 4000 4000, or
Grid • several grid lines with equal spacing, e.g. 0 2*4000. Both create three
coordinates lines with the spacing of 4000.
Use a zero at the start to represent a grid on the 0,0

coordinate and spaces as separators for coordinates. You
can have a maximum of 1024 grid characters in the co-
ordinates field.
Labels Labels are the names of the grid lines shown in views. The names in
the X field are associated with the grid lines parallel to the y axis and vice
versa. The Z field is for the names of levels parallel to the work plane. If
you wish, you can leave the label fields empty.
When working with very large grids, having the grid labels
always visible might slow down Tekla Structures. To hide
the grid labels when you zoom in, use the
T variableXS_ADJUST_GRID_LABELS.
Line You can also define the Line extensions over the given grid coordinates
extensions and the Origin of the grid.
Getting Started
m) Line extensions f2j Work plane origin f3J Grid labels

You can make grids and grid lines act magnetically so that the objects
on the grid lines follow if you move the grid line.
To bind objects to grid lines, select the Magnetic grid

plane checkbox.
In the Extension for magnetic area field, enter a distance from the
grid line to extend the area within which the objects are bound to the
Magnetism grid lines.
Grid line properties
You can also create and modify single grid lines. To access the Grid Line
Use the Select grid

lines switch \Wi and double-click an existing grid line.
Working with grids
Automatic grid When you create a new model, Tekla Structures automatically creates
a grid and a view according to the saved standard properties.
See also
Getting Started
Creating grids
To manually create a grid:
1. Select Modeling > Create Grid… or click
2. Fill in the properties described in Grid properties .
3. To create the grid, click the Create button.

Tekla Structures prompts you to pick the origin when you create the grid. Pick a point in a
view, and the coordinates of the picked point appear in the Grid dialog box as X0, Y0,
and Z0. If you do not pick, Tekla Structures positions the origin according to the values you
entered for X0, Y0, and Z0.
Creating grid lines
To manually create a grid line:
1. Click Modeling > Add Grid Line.
2. Select an existing grid to which to attach the grid line.
3. Pick the starting point of the grid line.
4. Pick the end point of the grid line.
Using select switches on grids
Tekla Structures includes separate select switches for entire grids and single grid lines. The
active select switch affects the objects you can select, modify, and delete.
(T) Select grids t2j Select grid lines
Modifying grids
To modify a grid:
1. Ensure that the Select grids switch is selected.
2. Double-click any of the grid lines. The Grid dialog box appears, and you can modify
the properties.
Getting Started
If you modify a grid and have the checkboxes against the coordinate
fields selected in the Grid dialog box, Tekla Structures deletes all
single grid lines attached to the grid.
3. Click the Modify button to save the changes. See also

XS_ADJUST_GRID_LABELS
Modifying grid lines
To modify a grid line:
1. Ensure that the Select grid lines switch is selected.
2. Double-click the grid line. The Grid Line Properties dialog box appears, and you can
modify the properties.
3. Click the Modify button to save the changes.
Moving
grid
lines
using Single grid lines have handles. When you select a grid line, the handles
handles appear magenta. You can use handles to move the grid lines.
If you want to move the grid lines using the handles to make a skewed
T grid, you can do this on the local XY plane of the grid only.
Changing grid color
Use the variable XS_GRID_COLOR to change the color of the grid in rendered views.
1. Click Tools > Options > Advanced Options > Model View.
2. Set the RGB value for the variable XS_GRID_COLOR.
Define the color using RGB values on a scale of 0 to 1. For example, to

change the color to red, set the value to 1.0 0.0 0.0.
3. Close and reopen the view for the change to take effect.
To find RGB values

for colors:
Log on to Tekla
1. Extranet.
Select Tekla
Structures – Hints - Generaland
2. & Tips go to the How
to find perfect color for your

background needs page.
Download the
3. application.
Getting Started
Deleting grids and grid lines
To delete a grid:
1. Ensure that the Select grids switch is selected.
2. Click any grid line, then right-click and select Delete from the pop-up menu.
When you delete a grid, ensure that you do not have any other
object(s) selected. If you have also other objects selected, Tekla
Structures only deletes the objects, not the grid.
To delete a grid line:
1. Ensure that the he Select grid lines switch is selected.
2. Click the grid line you want to delete.
3. Right-click and select Delete from the pop-up menu.
2.3 Views
Introduction There are several ways to create views in Tekla Structures. For
example, you can create views:
• of the entire structure
• of selected part(s) and component(s)
• along the grid lines
Each view has properties which define its appearance. You can change the appearance of a
view after you create it so choose the creation method that suits you. This section describes
the view-specific properties. You can open the view properties dialog box for each view, to
view or modify the properties.
T Unnamed views disappear when you close them.
You can have up to nine views on the screen at the same time. If you try to open more than
nine views, Tekla Structures displays a warning. If the view does not appear, check how
many views you have open.
To switch between views, press Ctrl+Tab.
Getting Started
View plane
Each view has a view plane on which the grids are visible and points are represented as
yellow crosses.
Basic views are those parallel to the global basic planes, i.e. xy, xz, and zy. In basic views
two axes always define the view plane and they appear in the plane name. The third axis
is perpendicular to the view plane. It does not appear in the plane name. In the basic plane
view, the model is shown from the direction of that third axis.
Basic view
plane The view plane options for basic views are:
View plane For basic views, you also define at which distance from the global origin the view
coordinate plane is in direction of the third axis. The view plane coordinate equals this distance.
Other views For view types other than basic views, you define the view plane and coordinate by
picking points, e.g. With three points, or they are defined automatically according to
the chosen creation method/command, e.g. To work plane.
You can change the view plane by moving it like any other object. Click anywhere on
Moving the view the plain background, right-click and select Move Special > Linear… from the pop-
plane up menu..
Moving a view plane may result in a situation such that view depth and work area
■s do not intersect and thus nothing can be seen in the window.
View properties
Naming views Tekla Structures numbers views in order of creation, so you do not have to give
each view a
specific name.
You should give a view a unique name if you need to open it in later sessions. When you exit the model, Tekla
Structures only saves named views. Tekla Structures does not save unnamed views when you close them.
In multi-user mode, it is very important to give views unique names. If several

users have different views with the same name, the view settings of one user may
J? randomly override the settings of another user.
Getting Started
View type
The view type defines the appearance of the view. It also affects what methods you can use
to rotate the model. The view type options are:
• Wire frame
Objects are transparent and their outlines are displayed. As the wire frame views use line
graphics technique, redrawing views is quick.
• Rendered
Objects look more realistic because they are non-transparent and their surfaces are
displayed as shown in the illustrations below. However, you can also choose
theWireframe or Shaded Wireframe option in the rendered views. Rotating the model in
the rendered views is very convenient with the mouse.
Representation
In rendered views, you can define how Tekla Structures displays parts and component
objects separately. The following options are available:
• Wireframe
Part outlines are displayed, surfaces are not, i.e. parts are
transparent.
(In this example, component objects are displayed asRendered.)
• Shaded Wireframe
Part outlines are displayed. Parts are transparent, and their surfaces are shaded.
(In this example, component objects are displayed asRendered.)
• Hidden Lines
Parts are not transparent, i.e. underlying parts are not visible. Part surfaces are not
displayed.
• Rendered
Part surfaces are displayed, i.e.

parts are not transparent.
• Rendered (Dark Colors)
Parts are not transparent. Part

outlines are displayed with
brighter color, and part surfaces
with darker color than in
the Rendered option.
In rendered views, use the

shortcuts Ctrl+1…5and Shift+1…5 to set the desired
•7 representation for parts in the model and components.
Projection
If you choose the rendered view type, the projection can be:
• Orthogonal
View angle All objects are of equal size (no perspective). When you zoom, text
and point size remains the same. In addition, the zoom remains on part
surfaces.
• Perspective
Distant objects appear smaller than close ones, as do text and points.
You can zoom, rotate the model, or fly through it.
Views can be:
• Plane
• 3D
Use the shortcut Ctrl+P or click View > Switch to 3D /

Plane to switch between 3D and plane view.
Rotation is view-specific. You can rotate the model in 3D views using

the mouse and keyboard, or by defining the rotation angle in the View
properties dialog box. You can specify rotation angles around the z
Rotation axis and around the x axis.
Every view has depth, which is the thickness of the displayed slice of
model. You can define the depth separately upwards and downwards from
the view plane. The objects within the displayed depth and the work area
are visible in the model. However, objects created after the view are
View depth visible also outside the view depth
Defining grid view properties
Number of
views Grid views are views along the grid lines. Before creating grid views, you
can define how many views Tekla Structures will create, how it will name
View name the views, and which view properties it will use.
prefix
There are four options for the number of views:
• None Tekla Structures does not create any views.
• One (First) Tekla Structures only creates the view closest to the grid
origin.
• One (Last) Tekla Structures only creates the view furthest from the
grid origin.
• All Tekla Structures creates all views in grid planes in the relevant
direction.
View names consist of a prefix and a grid label, e.g. PLAN +3000. If
the View name prefix field is left empty, no prefix is used. Tekla
Structures adds a dash and a running number to the view name if view
names are otherwise identical.
Each view plane has its own view properties. You can load the properties
from the current view properties with the option <applied values> or
View from saved view properties. The Show… button displays the view
properties properties.
Creating and modifying views
When you create a new model, you can select theCreate default view and
grid checkbox to have Tekla Structures automatically create a grid and a
view according to the saved standard properties.
To create views, use the commands on the Viewmenu. The following table
lists the commands for creating views and gives a short description of
Creating each one:
Create View of
Model > 3D View… Displays the Create 3D View dialog box and creates a 3D view.
Create View of
Model > Using Two Creates a view using two picked points.
Points
Creates a view using three picked points.
Create View of
Model > Using
Three Points
Create View of
Model > On Work
Plane Creates a view of the current work plane.
Displays the Creation of Views

Create View of Along Grid Linesdialog box and
Model > Along creates views along the grid lines
Grid Lines… ■& of a selected grid.
Create View of Creates a view on the front, top,

Model > On Part back or bottom plane of the
Plane selected part.
Create View of Creates a 3D view of the selected

Part > 3D View ‘- part.
Create View of y
Part > Default Creates four basic views of the
Views part.
Create View of Creates a view that shows a

Part > deformed part in undeformed
Undeformed View form.
Create View of
Component > 3D Creates a 3D view of the
View component.
Create View of »
Component > Creates four basic views of the
Default Views component.
To modify a view, double-click anywhere on the plain background.
The View Properties dialog box appears and you can modify the
Modifying properties.
Opening, closing, and deleting named views
To view and open the existing named views, do one of the following:
• Click 1-= .
• Click View > View List… to display the Views dialog box.
Tekla Structures lists all invisible named views on the left, and all visible views on the right.
To display or hide views, select the view(s) and use the arrows between the lists. You can
also double-click a view in the Views dialog box to open or close it.
To select multiple views on lists, use the Shift and Ctrl keys when you select views. To
deselect views, hold down the Ctrl key.
To delete a named view, select the view and click Delete.
Refreshing the screen display
Active window To update and display the contents of an active window, do one of
the following:
• Press Ctrl+U.
• Right-click, then select Update Window.
• Click View > Zoom > Active Window > Update.
All windows To update the contents of all windows, click View > Update All.
You can also use View >
Redraw All to recalculate and redraw the contents of all the windows.
Click Window > Close All to close all the windows on the screen at the same time.
Getting Started
2.4 Points
To place an object in a model you may need to pick points. To place an

object where no lines or objects intersect, you have the following options
to place objects:
• Use snapping commands.
• Use construction planes, lines and circles
• Create points.
There are many ways to create points in Tekla Structures. Which method
is the most convenient at each time, depends on what you have already
created in the model and which locations you can easily pick.
When you create points, Tekla Structures always places them according
to the work plane coordinate system. Points located in the view plane are
Introduction yellow and points outside the view plane are red.
Point properties
To view the properties of a point, double-click the point or click Tools > Inquire >
Object and select the point.
Phase and ID Just like any other object, each point has an ID number which is used
in log files. Points and
parts have phase numbers. You can filter objects by their phase and ID numbers.
Coordinates The point information you are most probably interested in is the local
(work plane) and global
x, y, and z coordinates of a point. Checking them convinces you of the correct location of
the point or some other object related to it.
Creating points
To create points, use the icons on the Points toolbar, or select a command fromModeling >
Add Points. The following table lists the commands for creating points and gives a short
description of each one:
Along
Extension of Creates points as an extension of a line
Two Points ■ between two picked points.
Creates two offset points, parallel to a line,

between two picked points. This command
Parallel to Two also creates construction lines showing
Points :
^ offset distances.
On Line ‘S Creates points which divide a line.
Displays the Point Array dialog box and creates a point array
On Plane… relative to the current work plane.
Projected Points on
Line Projects a picked point onto a picked line.
Using Center and Arc

Points V. Creates points along an arc.
Using Three Arc Creates points as an extension of an arc defined by three

Points picked points.
Tangent to Circle Creates a point where a circle and a line meet tangentially.
Two Lines Creates a point at the intersection of two lines.
At Intersection > Of Creates a point where a line intersects with a

Plane and Line •£. plane.
Part and Line Creates points where a line intersects with a part surface.
Circle and Line \d Creates points where a circle and a line intersect.
Creates a point where the axes of two parts

At Intersection > Of intersect, and projects the point onto the view
Two Part Axes 4 plane.
At Any Position Creates a point to any position you pick.
Creates points at the bolt center points of the

Bolt Points ■B= picked bolt groups.
Creates points at the intersections of grid lines on

Grid Points !
# the view plane.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – BASICS

In this section This section presents basic Tekla Structures vocabulary and concepts
so that you can start modeling. The illustration below shows the modeling guides you use in
Tekla Structures windows.
View m) Points are red outside the view plane
\2J Grid is on the view plane
f3j Green dashed lines outline the work area
(4) Points are yellow on the view plane
f5J Arrow symbol indicates the work plane
Qej The coordinates symbol indicates the direction of the model
To see your Tekla Structures model from virtually any angle, you
can move and rotate the model. You can also create views. A view
is a representation of a model from a specific location. Each view
is displayed in its own window inside the Tekla Structures
window.
The symbol with three axes (x, y, and z) represents thelocal

Coordinate system coordinate system and indicates the direction of the model. It is
located in the lower right corner of the model view. The coordinate
symbol follows the work plane.
The green cube in a wire frame view represents the global coordinate system and lies at the
global point of origin.
Getting Started
Work plane The red coordinate arrow symbol indicates the work plane, which is the
current local coordinate system of the model. The arrow symbol shows the
Work area xy plane. The z direction follows the right-hand rule. You can reset the
work plane so as to ease modeling and placing objects. Most of the
commands, which are dependent on the coordinate system, use work plane
coordinates; e.g. creating points, part positioning, and copying always
comply with the work plane coordinate system. The work plane is the
same in all views.
Tekla Structures indicates the work area of a view using green, dashed
lines. Defining the work area makes it faster and easier to work with the
model. Objects outside the work area still exist, but they are not visible. So
you can confine to a substructure, for example, and the views to the model
are simpler and quickly updated.
Grid and view Dash-and-dot lines show the projections of the gridswhich are visible on
plane the view plane.
The appearance of points also shows which view plane you are using.
Points located in the view plane are yellow. Points outside the view plane
are red.
Opening a model
To open a Tekla Structures model:
1. Click File > Open… or
You can only have one model open at a time. If you already have a model open, Tekla Structures
prompts you to save that model.
2. In the Open dialog box, select the model.
By default, Tekla Structures searches for models in the folder you specified when you installed
Tekla Structures. If your model is in another folder, click Browse…to browse for the model folder,
or use the Look in list box with the recently used folders.
3. Click OK to open the model.
45
If no views are visible after you have opened a model, Tekla Structures prompts you to
select one.
You can also double-click a model on the list to open it, or use the Model namelist box to
open a recently used model.
. You can sort models by clicking the column titles.
When the models are sorted alphabetically by their names, you can use the keyboard to
select models. For example, when you type N, Tekla Structures selects the first model
starting with an N.
The Open dialog box provides you with the following information:
• Whether the model was last saved in single-user 3 or multi-user ^fl mode (Model type)
• The version of Tekla Structures the model was created or last saved in
• Designer
• Description
• Template that was used as a basis when creating this model
• Environment
The Designer and Description columns show information from the Project
properties dialog box. Switching between single-user and multi-user modes
You can easily switch between single-user and multi-user modes by using the different
options in the Open dialog box.
To open a multi-user model in single-user mode:
1. In the Open dialog box, select the multi-user model.
2. Right-click and select Open as single-user model from the pop-up menu.
To open a single-user model in multi-user mode:
1. In the Open dialog box, select the single-user model.

2. Right-click and select Open as multi-user model from the pop-up menu.
3. Tekla Structures asks for the name of the server. In the Open as multi-user
model dialog box, enter the server name or select it from the list box, and then click OK.
Changing the
server To change the Tekla Structures server of a multi-user model:
1. In the Open dialog box, select the multi-user model.
2. Right-click and select Change server from the pop-up menu.
3. Tekla Structures asks for the name of the new server. In the Change serverdialog box,
enter the server name or select it from the list box, and then click OK.
If you change the server of a model, but the connection to the

new server cannot be established, the old connection is
T restored.
Getting Started
The file .This_is_multiuser_model located in the model folder defines

whether the model is a multi-user or a single-user model. The file
includes also the name of the server. You can open the file using any
standard text editor.
See
also For more information on the multi-user mode, see Multi-user Mode.
Creating a new model
When you first open Tekla Structures, only some icons such as New and Open are active.
To create a new Tekla Structures model:
1. Click File > New… or |J—I . The New dialog box appears.
You can only have one model open at a time. If you already have a model open, Tekla
Structures prompts you to save that model.
2. In the New dialog box, define the folder to save the model in.
By default, Tekla Structures saves models in the folder you specified when you installed
Tekla Structures. If you want to save the model in another folder, clickBrowse… to browse
for the model folder, or use the Save in list box with the recently used folders.
For more information on how to change the default model folder, seeXS_RUNPATH in the
System Manual.
3. Enter the model name.
4. In the Model type list box, select either Single-user or Multi-user.
5. If you select Multi-user, enter the server name, or select a recently used server from
the Server name list box. See also Overview of the multi-user system in the System
Manual.
6. Click OK to create the new model. The remaining icons become active and the model
name appears in the title bar of the Tekla Structures window.
Every model must have a unique name. Tekla Structures does not allow
duplicate model names.
Do not use special characters ( / \ ; : | ) in model names.
You can use model templates as a basis when you create new models.
For more information on creating model templates, see the Tekla

Structures 14.0 Administrator’s Guide.
Project setup
Update the project information at the beginning of a project to make reports and drawings to
display the correct information automatically.
Getting Started
To update the project information, click File > Project Properties….
The Project Properties dialog box appears. Tekla Structures displays this information in different reports and
drawing titles.
The names in the image below refer to template fields, which you can
*& use when designing your own reports and templates.
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Before starting a new project, read also Using effectively in the online help.
Defining the work area and shifting the work plane

You can define the work area to suit particular situations, for example, to
concentrate on a particular area of the model. You can shrink and expand
the work area by picking the corner points of the new work area, or size
the work area to include selected parts, or all model objects. You can
define the work area in a selected view, or in all visible views.
Work area To define the work area, use a command from the Viewmenu:
Sets the work area based on two corner

points you pick on the view plane. The depth
Fit Work Area Using of the work area is the same as the view
Two Points depth.
To Entire Model in Fits the work area to include all model

All Views objects in all visible views.
To Entire Model in Fits the work area to include all model objects in the selected
Selected Views views.
To Selected Parts in Fits the work area to include the selected model objects in all
All Views views.
To Selected Parts in Fits the work area to include the selected

Selected Views & model objects in the selected views.
Work plane The current work plane defines the local coordinate system of a
Tekla Structures model. You
can set the work plane to any position by picking points, parallel to one of the global basic
planes, or on a part or view plane. The current work plane is model-specific, so it relates to
all views.
When modeling sloped parts, shifting the work plane helps you to place parts accurately.
To shift the work plane, use the icons on the View toolbar, or select a command from
the View menu. The following table lists the commands for setting the work plane, and
gives a short description of each one:
Parallel To XY(Z) Sets the work plane parallel to xy, xz,

Plane… L. or yz plane.
Sets the work plane according to one

Using One Point u. picked point.
Sets the work plane according to two

Using Two Points k picked points.
Sets the work plane according to three picked

Using Three Points points.
Sets the work plane to be equivalent to the

Parallel To View Plane If view plane of a picked view.
Sets the work plane parallel to the front plane

To Part Front Plane of a part.
Sets the work plane parallel to the top plane of

To Part Top Plane D. a part.
Sets the work plane parallel to the back plane

To Part Back Plane of a part.
Sets the work plane parallel to the bottom

To Part Bottom Plane & plane of a part.
Saving a model and exiting Tekla Structures

y
To save a model, click File > Save or
Click File > Save as… to save a model with a new name, or to give a new
model a specific name.
Tekla Structures automatically saves the model at set intervals. To set the
Save as interval and define the location of autosave files, see Autosave in the
Autosave online help.
Saving models differs in multi-user mode. SeeMulti-user mode in

the online help.
To exit Tekla Structures, close the Tekla Structures window, or click File
> Exit. A confirmation dialog box appears and you can choose whether or
Exit not to save the model.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – INPUTTING

INFORMATION
You can use dialog boxes to enter and view information in Tekla Structures. If you click
any command or button that has three dots in its name, e.g. Select…, Tekla Structures
displays the appropriate dialog box.
This section describes the components of dialog boxes. The following illustration also
identifies the most common components:
MJ List box for saved properties
(2J Tabs
f3J Modify filter check-boxes
f4J Retains the properties and closes the dialog box
f5J Retains the properties without closing the dialog box
f6j Modifies the selected object(s) without retaining the properties
f7J Fills the dialog box with the properties of the selected object
fSJ Toggles all the modify filter check-boxes on and off
•£ Closes the dialog box without retaining the properties or modifying
objects
(10) Buttons (tf) Fields
Components in dialog boxes
Dialog boxes may have following components for described purposes:
Component Is used to
Display, enter, and modify information. To select the

field, point to it and click. An I-shaped blinking cursor
appears at the beginning of the field and marks your
Field typing position.
Group related settings that allow only one selection at a

time. To select an option, click the appropriate button.
Radio buttons
Group settings that can be set in any combination, and
are usually displayed as small square buttons.
Checkboxes
Present a collection of options in a list. To select an

option, point to the list you want to display, click, drag
the pointer to highlight the desired option, and then
List box single-click.
Run a command immediately.
Button
Select options from a list. A list can have both

horizontal and vertical scrollbars for scrolling the
visible portion of the list items. When you select a list
item, it is highlighted. There are two ways to select an
item on the list:
• Point to the item you want to select and click.
• Use the Down and Up arrow keys to move the

Multiple selection list highlight to the item you want to select, and press Enter.
30
Tabs
Information in some Tekla Structures dialog boxes has been divided up on several tabs.
This makes the dialog boxes easier to use. Moving from tab to tab does not affect the
information they contain.
The common buttons located at the top and bottom of a dialog box affect all the tabs in the
dialog box. For example, when you click Save before closing the dialog box, Tekla
Structures saves all information on all tabs.
^ Press Ctrl+Tab to switch between tabs.
Common buttons
Most of the Tekla Structures dialog boxes contain common buttons. These buttons mean the
same thing in all dialog boxes. The common buttons are:
Button Description
Retains the properties in the dialog box and

closes the dialog box. Tekla Structures uses
these properties the next time you create an
object of this type.
Retains the properties in the dialog box

without closing the dialog box. Tekla
Structures uses these properties the next
Apply time you create an object of this type.
Closes the dialog box without retaining the

properties in the dialog box or modifying
objects.
Modifies the selected object(s) using the

properties in the dialog box, but does not
retain the properties in the dialog box.
Fills the dialog box with the properties of

the selected object. When you select
several objects, Tekla Structures takes the
properties at random from one of the
selected objects.
Creates a new object using the properties in

the dialog box.
Toggles all the modify filter checkboxes in
the dialog box on and off.
Save, Load, Save as, Help
Many Tekla Structures dialog boxes have the Save, Load, Save as, and Help…buttons.
You can use these buttons to save the information from the dialog box to a file, and reload it
later from the file.
31
Button Description
Save as Stores the dialog box properties with the name given in the
field. The Save as button also updates the Load list box. This is important if you add or
delete files manually.
Tekla Structures stores the properties files in the model folder. The files also include the
properties in subdialog boxes. The file extensions are different for different dialog boxes.
See Appendix D, File extensions, in the online help.
Load Loads all previously stored properties to the dialog box. Tekla
Structures also loads the properties of subdialog boxes, even if they are not open. You can
select the name of the file you want to use from the list box.
Save Stores the modifications of properties. Tekla Structures saves
the properties in the file shown in the list box.
Help… Displays the help topics for the dialog box.
Modify filter checkboxes

The checkboxes located in front of the dialog box fields are modify filter checkboxes. They
indicate the properties Tekla Structures modifies when you click the Modify button. When
a checkbox is selected, Tekla Structures changes only the corresponding value.
This means you can modify a single property common to several objects. For example, to
change the material of all parts in the model:
• Select all the parts.
• Open a part properties dialog box, e.g. Beam properties.
• Check only the Material field.
• Click Modify.
Special keys
You can use the keyboard to enter and modify text in dialog boxes, and to move the pointer
in dialog boxes.
Key Description
Arrow keys Move the pointer within fields.

Key Description
Moves the pointer to the next field or button in the dialog

Tab box. You can also scroll through lists using Tab.
Del,
Backspace Delete characters.
See also Appendix E, Reserved shortcuts, in the online help.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – GENERAL

INFORMATION
Tekla Structures is a tool for structural engineers, detailers, and fabricators. It is
an integrated model-based 3D solution for managing multi-material databases
(steel, concrete, timber, etc.). Tekla Structures features interactive modeling,
structural analysis and design, and automatic drawing creation.
3D model Using Tekla Structures, you can create a real-life model

of any structure, including information
necessary for manufacture and construction. The 3D product model includes the
structure’s geometry and dimensions, and all the information about profiles and
cross sections, connection types, materials, structural analysis, etc.
Introduction
Up-to- You can automatically produce drawings and reports from the 3D model, at
date any time. Drawings and reports react to modifications in the model, and are
drawings always up to date.
Sharing Tekla Structures includes a wide range of standard drawing and report
models templates. You can also create your own templates using the Template
Editor.
Main
features Tekla Structures supports multiple users working on the same project. You
and your partners can work together on the same model, at the same time,
Easy to
even in different locations. This increases accuracy and quality, because you
use
always use the most up-to-date information.
Tekla Structures includes:
• Useful modeling tools, such as 3D grids, adjustable work area, and

clash checking.
• Catalogs of available material grades, profiles, and bolts.
• Modeling tools to create complex structures, such as staircases and

trusses.
Global • Intelligent connections, such as end plates and clip angles, to

but automatically connect main members.
localized
• A custom component editor that you can use to create your own
parametric connections, details, and parts.
• Links to transfer data between Tekla Structures and other software,

such as AutoCAD, STAAD, and MicroStation.
• Drawing wizards to create several drawings with one click.
• Data output for CNC machines.
If you need assistance when working with Tekla Structures, use the F1 key
to quickly access the context-sensitive online help. The online help is a
comprehensive source of information, with full-text search and easy
navigation.
Tekla Structures also supports undo and redo, so you can test solutions, and
revert to the original, if needed.
Tekla Structures is used worldwide. It is available in a wide range of

languages, and adapted to local requirements.
Languages and environments
When you install Tekla Structures, you can choose the language(s) and the environment(s)
you want to use.
16
Tekla Structures 14.0 software is available in the following languages:
• Chinese – simplified (chs)
• Chinese – traditional (cht)
• Czech (csy)
• Dutch (nld)
• English (enu)
Language
• French (fra)
• German (deu)
• Hungarian (hun)
• Italian (ita)
• Japanese (jpn)
• Polish (plk)
• Portuguese (ptg)
• Portuguese – Brazilian (ptb)
• Russian (rus)
• Spanish (esp) Some language-dependent file and folder names include

the abbreviations listed above.
The language in which you install Tekla Structures will be the default
language of the user interface.
To change the language of the user interface, click Tools > Change
Language… , select a language, and then click OK. Restart Tekla
Structures for the change to take effect.
See also Changing the language of the user interface
Environment The environment means region-specific settings and information. It

defines which profiles,
material names, default values, connections, wizards, variables, reports, and templates you
use.
The environments available in Tekla Structures 14.0 are:
• Australasia
• Brazil
• China
• Europe
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• India
• Italy
• Japan
• Korea
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Portugal
• South Africa
• South-East Asia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland (French)
• Switzerland (German)
• Switzerland (Italian)
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom
• United States (Imperial)

• United States (Metric)
Single-user mode vs multi-user mode
Tekla Structures can be used in either single-user or multi-user mode. During the
installation you are asked whether you want to install the multi-user facility.
Single-user mode When one user at a time is to work with a model, Tekla Structures
should be run in single-user mode. In single-user mode, only one user can work with each
model at any time.
Multi-user mode If several users will work with a model simultaneously, you can choose
to run Tekla Structures in multi-user mode. We recommend that you only run Tekla
Structures in multi-user mode if the users will make use of the additional features of multi-
user mode.
To run Tekla Structures in multi-user mode, one machine in the network has to be set up as
a server running the Tekla Structures server program. For more information, see Multi-user
mode in the online help.
Tekla Structures editors
Tekla Structures includes the following editors: Model, Drawing, Symbol, Template,
Custom Component.
Model The Model Editor is the main and starting mode of Tekla Structures.
You create and analyze
models, and initiate drawing and report creation using the Model Editor.
Drawing In the Drawing Editor, you work with drawings. Tekla Structures
opens the Drawing Editor
when you open any drawing.
Symbol In the Symbol Editor (SymEd), you can create and modify symbols
for use in drawings, reports,
and templates. To open the Symbol Editor, click Tools > Symbols… in the Model or
Drawing Editor.
Template Use the Template Editor (TplEd) to create and modify templates
used in drawings and reports.
To open the Template Editor, click Tools > Templates… in the Model or Drawing Editor.
NUMBERING
Numbering settings
To open the Numbering Setup dialog box, click Drawings & Reports > Numbering > Numbering Settings…:
You can use various numbering options:
Option Action if checked
Renumber all Tekla Structures renumbers all parts. All information on previous numbers is lost.
Reuse old Tekla Structures reuses numbers assigned to parts that have subsequently been
numbers deleted. These numbers may be used to number new or modified parts.
If a separate standard part model has been set up, Tekla Structures compares the
parts in the current model to those in the standard part model.
Check for If the part to be numbered is identical to a part in the standard model, Tekla
standard parts Structures assigns it the number of the part in the standard model.
New parts Options when numbering new parts:
Option Action
Compare to old A new part gets the same number as a previously numbered similar part.
Take new A new part gets a number not used in previous numbering, even if a similar numbered
number part already exists.
Modified parts Options when numbering modified parts:
Option Action
Compare to old Same as for new parts (above)
Take new number Same as for new parts (above)
Keep number if possible Modified part maintains its previous number if possible.
Always carry out full numbering on the model after you have changed numbering settings. See Number All
Partsthe online help.
Family numbering
With family numbering you can group objects within the same numbering series into different
“families”. When you use family numbering, the cast unit position numbers consist of familynumber and qualifier. For example:
MJ Family number (2JQualifier
• The family number is the same for assemblies and cast units which match the criteria you
define in the Numbering setup dialog box.
• Assemblies or cast units which have the same family number but different exact geometry or
materials get unique qualifier numbers.
Assigning family numbers for series
On the Family numbering tab, you can assign family numbers for series.
See also For example, the following two beams both have the numbering series prefix B:
fl) Assembly position: B/1 \2JAssembly position: B/2
The beams are otherwise similar, but the connections used are different. To assign family
numbering for the series:
1. Click Drawings & Reports > Numbering > Numbering Settings… to open theNumbering
Setup dialog box.
2. On the Family numbering tab, click Add series to open the Add series dialog box,
Usage which lists all the assembly and cast unit numbering series in the model.
3. Select the numbering series B/1 and click Add. The numbering series appears in the family numbering list.
4. Use the Compare section of the dialog box to define what to compare for thenumbering series. Define the compare
criteria for each numbering series separately. a Select at least one checkbox, but not all of them. b If you select all
checkboxes, the family number will be the same as the normal
assembly position, and the qualifier number will be 1 for all. If you do not select any checkboxes, only one family
number per series is assigned.
5. Click Apply or OK.
6. Update the numbering in the model.
7. Tekla Structures assigns the beams family numbering.
Tekla Structures considers beams different according to the compare criteria you defined, and they get
Result different family numbers:
(T) Assembly position: B/1-1 f2JAssembly position: B/2-1
Assigning family numbers for parts
To assign a family number and/or family qualifier for parts:
1. Select the objects whose family numbers you want to change.
2. Click Drawings & Reports > Numbering > Change Number > Family Number….
3. In the Assign Family Number dialog box, enter the desired values in the Family
number and Family qualifier fields.
Usage 4. Click Assign.
Assembly position numbers
You can sort the order in which assemblies are given their position numbers. To do this, use the
options in the Numbering Setup dialog box:
You can sort the position numbers in ascending or descending order.
The sort order can be based on the following criteria:
• The x, y or z coordinates of the main part of the assembly.
• The user-defined attribute of an assembly.
• The user-defined attribute of the main part.
If your sorting is based on user-defined attributes, Tekla Structures displays a list box that includes all the
available user-defined attributes.
When sorting by x, y or z coordinates, the sorting is based on the center of gravity of the reference axis.
■s Sorting by user-defined attributes or by location does not affect the part position.
J? If you add new parts, already numbered objects are not renumbered to suit the sorting
order by, for example, the x coordinate. In this case you should renumber the parts.
See also Numbering Settings…
Numbering examples
Part numbers
This example explains how different numbering settings result in different part numbers when
you modify a part.
1. Create three identical beams with the numbering series prefix P and start number 1.
2. Number the model. All the beams have the part position number P1.
3. Modify one of the beams.
4. Number the model. You should now have two beams P1 and one P2.
5. Change beam P2 to be identical to the others.
6. Number the model.
Tekla Structures assigns different part position numbers to this part, according to which numbering settings
you used, as follows:
• Compare to old: P1
• Keep number if possible: P2
• Take new number: P3
Project phases
When you start modeling a project, the required numbering settings may be totally different
from what they are after the project has been issued for the first time and you start revising the model.

To control numbering settings on different phases of the project, create pre-defined numbering
settings for the different phases of the project. Save the settings with the Save asbutton.
For example:
• Phase 1 – Stick modeling
Doing only modeling before any drawings are released. At this stage you may even want to select Renumber all, or at
least Re-use old numbers.
• Phase 2 – Drawing issue
When the first set of drawings is issued, but modeling continues, you may want to minimize
the effects to already issued drawings. You can do this for example by selectingKeep number if possible in the Modified list
box.
• Phase 3 – Revisions
At some point the project is more or less finalized, and any changes to the model should be handled in a different way than
before. You may want to take a new number for all modified
parts, not comparing them to any of the existing parts. To do this, select Take a new number in the Modified list box.
When you reach the next step in a project, you can load pre-defined
settings, and then save them as standard. This way the standardsettings are always automatically
. loaded from that point on when someone opens the model.
Applying numbering
When you apply numbering, Tekla Structures assigns marks to parts and assemblies. Numbering
is carried out according to the settings in the Numbering Setup dialog box.
Pop-marking for NC files also affects numbering. When pop-marking is activepop-marks, Tekla
Structures will assign different numbers to identical parts if they have different pop marks.
Pop-
marking Two main parts in different assemblies are identical, apart from a difference in the position of the plates
welded to them. In this case, Tekla Structures assigns them different numbers.
Example
You can safely interrupt numbering before it is complete by clicking Cancel in the dialog box Tekla
Interrupt Structures displays while it is running. If you interrupt numbering, parts and assemblies retain their
numbering original numbers.
Log file Click Tools > Display Log File > Numbering History… for a report showing the numbering
history.
T For information on how to interpret the log file, see Log files in the online help.
Applying num- To apply numbering, click Drawings & Reports > Numbering. You have the following options:
bering
Option Result
Assigns marks to all modified and new parts and

Number Modified Objects assemblies.
Number All Parts Assigns marks to all parts and assemblies.
Change Number Changes final position number.
Clear Numbers Deletes position numbers.
Save Preliminary Saves current part position number as preliminary marks

Numbers for selected parts.
Assign Control
Numbers… Assigns control numbers to parts.
Lock/Unlock Control Locks or unlocks control numbers. See

Numbers
Assigning control numbers to parts

Control numbers are properties that identify the location of parts in a model. Use the Create control numbers
(S9) macro to assign control numbers to parts. You can have TeklaStructures assign consecutive control
numbers to all parts in the model, to selected parts, or only to parts in a specific numbering series. Each part
gets a unique control number.
To display control numbers in drawings, reports, or when you use the Tools > Inquire > Object command, select
the property, ACN.
For more information on how to use this tool, see the online help.
See also To find out how to display control numbers in drawings, see User-
defined attributes in marks
in the Drawing Manual.
Locking and unlocking control numbers

To prevent Tekla Structures from renumbering the control numbers of all parts in the model, or
of specific parts, use the Lock/Unlock control numbers tool.
To lock or unlock control numbers:
1. Click Drawings & Reports > Numbering > Lock/Unlock control numbers:

2. To define which parts’ control numbers to lock or unlock:
• To lock or unlock the control numbers of all parts, do not select any parts in the model OR
• To lock or unlock the control numbers of specific parts, select the parts in the model.
3. Select Lock or Unlock in the Status list box.
4. Click Apply, then Create.
The user-defined attribute ACN_STATUS tells you if a part’s control number is locked or unlocked.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – FILTER

This section describes the Selection and View filters.
• Use the Selection Filter to avoid making errors when

selecting objects.
• Use the View Filter to define which objects appear in

each view. This is particularly useful for complicated
models containing a large number of objects.
The view and selection filters are

based on the object group
functionality. Fore more
T information.
View filter
Use the View filter to define which objects are displayed in a view,
according to object properties. Work area, view depth, view setup, and
the object representation settings also affect whether an object is visible.
To display the View filter dialog box:
1. Double-click the view to open the View properties dialog box, or

click View > View Properties….
2. Click the Object group… button.
Selection filter
Use the Selection Filter to define which objects can be selected. Tekla Structures also contains
several switches that control whether you can select an object).
To use the Selection Filter on an object, the object must

be visible in the relevant view.
Selection filter dialog box
To display the Object Group – Selection Filter dialog box:
• Click the Selection Filter icon
• click Edit > Selection Filter…. e, or
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Settings and Tools 153

Use object properties to define whether or not an object can be selected.
To use the Selection Filter dialog box that was available in previous versions, set the
variable XS_USE_OLD_FILTERING to TRUE.
Using the variable XS_USE_OLD_FILTERING affects only the

appearance of the dialog box. Internally Tekla Structures uses the new
filters in all filtering.
See also XSUSEOLDFILTERING
Standard selection filters
Tekla Structures contains several standard selection filters. The selection filter list box on
the Selecting toolbar lists both standard and user-defined filters.

To apply a filter, select one from the list. Standard filters always appear first on the list.
Converting old selection filters
The selection filter list box is divided into two parts:
• New selection filters (file extension .SObjGrp), which you can use in selection filtering
• Old filters (file extension .msf)

When you select an old filter, Tekla Structures automatically converts it to a new filter and
saves the new filter. The old filter is then removed from the list box.
Defining your own filters
To define your own filters:
1. Click the Selection Filter icon *v , or click Edit > Selection Filter… to open
the Object Group – Selection Filter dialog box.
2. Find a filter which has close to the same settings as you need.
3. Modify the settings, then enter a new name in the Save as field.
4. Click Save as, then OK to exit. You can now choose the new filter from the dropdown
list.
To have the filters you define appear at the top of the list, right after
the standard filter, use capital letters in the filter name.
The Selection Filter is very useful when using the drawing wizard to
automatically create drawings. For example, if you only want to produce
drawings of the beams in the model, use the Selection Filter to select them.
Examples Use the Selection Filter to select the parts you want to carry loads.
Filtering techniques
You can define filters containing several properties. You can also have
multiple filtering values for each property. If you use multiple values,
separate the strings with blank spaces (for example, 12 5). If a value
consists of multiple strings, enclose that particular value in quotation
marks (for example, “custom panel”).
Filter by multiple By using conditions, parentheses, and the And/Oroption you can create
properties filters that can be as complex as needed.
When you create rules between objects that

represent different categories, use
the Andoption when possible to avoid potential
problems with more complex rules.
Set filtering on To set filtering on for a particular property, select the corresponding checkbox.
The checkboxes
define which rows of the filter are enabled and effective. In the following example, only the second
row affects filtering:
Complement To use complement filtering (in other words, defining which parts not to
select), select Does
filtering not equal in the Condition column.
Template You can select objects according to template properties. To do this,

select Template in the
properties Category column, and then select the desired property in

the Property column.
TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Settings and Tools 157

In the Object Group – Selection Filter dialog box, use the
following units for template properties, even when using
the US Imperial environment:
• mm for lengths
• mm2 for areas
• kg for weights
• degree for angles
To check which units Tekla Structures uses for certain

template properties, use the Select from model… option in
■s the Value column.
If the category you have selected is Assembly, the property you have
selected is Assembly type, and you use the option Select from
model… in the Value column, Tekla Structures returns the value as
a number. The number indicates the type of assembly in question.
The following table lists the numbers and the corresponding
Assembly types assembly types:
Value Assembly type
0 precast
1 cast in place
2 steel
3 timber
6 miscellaneous
See also
Filtering examples
To create a selection filter for beams and columns:
1. Click Add row twice to add two new rows.

Beams and
columns 2. Fill in the part names, BEAM and COLUMN.
To select the value directly from the model, clickSelect

7″ from model… and pick an object.
3. Select the Or option. The filter is now looking for an object that has the NameBEAM or
COLUMN.
The same result is accomplished if you write BEAM

COLUMN in the Value column in the first row. If you use
multiple values, you must separate the strings with blank
T spaces.
4. Enter the filter’s name next to the Save as button, and click Save as.

To create a selection filter for all parts in phases 1 and 2:
1. Click Add row.
2. Fill in the part phases, 1 and 2. Separate the strings with a blank space.
Phases 3. Enter the filter’s name next to the Save as button, and click Save as.
Complement filter If you only want to select certain parts, use complement filter to filter out the
remaining parts.
Select switches also affect the selection of objects.
To create a filter that selects all parts except for those with the profile BL200*20:
1. Click Add row.
2. Fill in the profile, BL200*20.

3. In the Condition column, select Does not equal.
4. Enter the filter’s name next to the Save as button, and click Save as.
Using wildcards
You can use wildcards to shorten filter strings. A wildcard is a symbol that stands for one or more
characters. Tekla Structures uses the following wildcards:
Wildcard Description Example
HE* matches all parts with a

profile name that begins with the
characters “HE”.
Matches any
* number or You can also this symbol at the
(asterisk) characters beginning of a word: *BRAC*.
Wildcard Description Example
HE?400 matches parts with

? (question Matches a single profile names such as HEA400,
mark) character HEB400, and HEC400
Matches whatever is L[78]X4X1/2 matches parts

[ ] (square enclosed in the with the profile names
brackets) brackets L7X4X1/2 and L8X4X1/2
The characters * and ? can also be used in object names. If the object
name you want to filter contains * or ?, enclose * or ? in square brackets.
E.g., to find the profile P100*10, enter P100[*]10 in the filter field.
Filter in dialog boxes
The Filter also appears in many dialog boxes. In a Filter field you can enter characters
from the name of the object you are looking for, and then click theFilter button to find the
matching names.
TEKLA STRUCTURES – COPYING
AND MOVING OBJECTS
Copying and moving objects
Copy creates a new object, leaving the existing object in its

original position. Move relocates the existing object.Copy
Special and Move Special provide additional options for
copying and moving objects.
You can also move the view plane of a selected view. When
you move a view, Tekla Structures only uses the vector
perpendicular to the view plane.
Limitations Tekla Structures does not mirror

connection properties, so Mirror does not fully mirror
objects
if they include connections that contain, for example,

asymmetrically positioned parts.
Duplicate objects When you copy or move objects, Tekla

Structures checks for duplicate objects in the location where
you are about to copy or move the objects to. Tekla
Structures also checks for duplicates if you create new parts
in the same location with an existing part.
Tekla Structures considers two

objects duplicates if they have
the same orientation and the
same size of bounding box.
Use the variableXS_DUPLICATE_CHECK_LIMIT_FOR_COPY_AND_MOVE to

define the maximum number of objects that are checked for duplicates while copying or
moving objects.
If duplicates are found, you can choose whether to keep or delete the duplicate objects.
This functionality does not

apply to objects that you copy
T by using a modeling tool, such
as the Array of Objects
(29) component.
Copy
To create copies of selected object(s):
1. Select the objects to copy.
2. Click the Copy icon, or click Edit > Copy.
3. Pick the origin for copying.
4. Pick one or more destination points.

The objects are copied immediately. 5. To stop copying, click Edit > Interrupt.
I f you click Edit > Undo, the latest copy

operation is undone, but theCopy command
remains active.
Tekla Structures copies all objects connected to

the objects you copy. Tekla Structures also tries
to copy connections. Connections must be
surrounded by similar parts to be copied
successfully.
Move
To move selected object(s) to a new position:

1. Select the objects to move.
2. Click the Move icon, or click Edit > Move.
3. Pick the origin for moving.
4. Pick the destination point.

The objects are moved immediately. The Move command does not remain active. To move
selected object(s) to a new position at a specified distance:
1. Select the objects to move.
2. Click Edit > Move.
3. Pick the origin for moving.
4. Move the cursor in the direction you want to move the objects, but do not pick the
point.
5. Type in the distance.
When you start typing, Tekla Structures displays the Enter a numeric locationdialog box
automatically.
6. Click OK.
T? Tekla Structures also moves the objects connected

to the objects you move. For example, if you
move points, Tekla Structures also moves the
parts or assemblies that use those points.
Copy Special
The Copy Special command provides additional options for copying objects.
1. Select the objects you want to copy.
2. Click Edit > Copy Special.
You have the following options:
Creates copies of selected

object(s) at a specified
Linear… *i distance from the original.
Creates copies of selected object(s), either rotated around a line you

Rotate… specify on a work plane, or around the work plane z axis.
Mirror… Creates a mirrored copy of selected object(s) through a plane

you specify.
To
Another Creates a copy of selected object(s) on another plane, which
Plane * you specify by picking three points.
Copies selected objects(s) from an object to other,

To Another Object similar objects.
Creates a copy
of model objects
From Another in phases you
Model… mm specify.
Tekla Structures copies all objects connected to the objects
you copy. Tekla Structures also tries to copy connections.
Connections must be surrounded by similar parts to be copied
w successfully.
Move Special
The Move Special command provides additional options for moving objects.
1. Select the objects you want to move.
2. Click Edit > Move Special.
You have the following options:
Moves selected object(s) to a new position

Linear… r^ at a specified distance from the original.
Rotates selected object(s) either around a

line you specify on a work plane, or around
Rotate… 4^ the work plane z axis.
Mirrors selected object(s) using a line you

Mirror… -i- specify.
To Another Moves selected object(s) to another plane,

Plane fl* which you specify by picking three points.
To Another Moves selected object(s) from an object to

Object another, similar object.
Tekla Structures also
moves the objects
connected to the objects
you move. For example, if
you move points, Tekla
Structures also moves the
parts or assemblies that use
those points.
Drag and Drop
You can move and copy objects using drag-and-drop.
1. Click Tools > Options > Drag and Drop to activate it.
2. Select the object to move or copy.
3. You have the following options:
fl) To move the part, drag it to the new position
f2J To copy the part, hold down the Ctrl key and drag it to the new position
f3J To move the part end, click the handle and drag it to the new position
DISPLAYING AND HIDING
OBJECTS
Object The visibility of objects in views depends on the following settings:

visibility
• work area
Object
representation • view depth
• view setup
• view filter
• object representation settings
Work area and view depth are like two virtual boxes. Objects which
have their center line partially or totally inside both boxes are visible.
Newly created objects are visible also outside the view depth but
never outside the work area. Redrawing a view only shows the objects
inside the view depth (for redrawing)
To define which objects are visible and how they are displayed in a
view:
1. Double-click the view.
2. In the View properties dialog box, click Display….

The Display dialog box appears.
3. Set the visibility and representation for different object types

and for components.
For information on advanced view settings and different display

options, see Display in the online help.
and for information on hiding selected parts, see
To create customized presentation of objects, use object representation

Filtering settings. For more information on using theObject
objects representation dialog box,
To more precisely define which objects are displayed in a view, use
the view filter:
1. Double-click the view.
2. In the View properties dialog box, click Object group….
3. Use the Object Group – View Filter dialog box to define which
objects are displayed in the view.
Object representation settings
Use object representation settings to modify the color and transparency of objects in the
model view and create customized presentation of defined object groups.
For example, the following images show the same model with different object
representation settings:

MJ Standard object representation:
f2J Only parts with profile name starting with IPE* or HEA* are visible: /Ts Objects
with user-defined attribute Planned erection date set to 01/05/
2006 are displayed in blue, while all other parts are 90% transparent.
Creating object representation settings
To create new representation settings:
1. Click View > Representation > Object representation….
Topics The Object Representation dialog box has the following buttons:
Button Description
Add row, Delete Use to specify the coloring and visibility of several
row object groups.
Button Description
Use to change to order of the rows.
If an object belongs to several object groups, the coloring

Move up, and visibility of the objects defined on the top row is
Move down applied to that object.
Object Click to open the object group of the selected row in the
group object group dialog box.
2. Enter the name of the setting in the text box next to the Save as button and click Save
as. The object representation setting is saved in the model’s attributes folder.
3. Click the Add row button to add a new row.
4. In the Object group column, select a predefined object group from the list box. OR
Select Create new group… to create a new object group.
5. Select coloring for the objects in the object group, in the Color column.
6. Select the Transparency setting.
7. Use the Add row button to add more rows.
8. Click Save to save the object representation settings.
9. Click Modify to preview the settings in the views.
10. Click Apply and OK.

If you click Modify, Apply, or OK, Tekla Structures adds a row All to lowest down, if the
object representation settings did not contain the group All.
The default values for row All are Color by class and Visible.
Colors
To define the color of some model objects, click View > Representation > Object
representation….
The Color settings are:
Option Description
The current color is used.
If the object belongs to one of the object groups defined in

the following rows, its color is defined by the settings that
As is the object group in question has on that row.
Colors Select color from the list.
Color by All parts of the model are colored according to

class their Class property.
Color by
lot Parts belonging to different lots get different colors..
Option Description
Parts belonging to different phases get different
Color by phase colors.
Displays parts according to the member analysis

Color by type. See also Member analysis typein the Analysis
analysis type Manual.
Color by Displays parts according to the utilization ratio in

analysis utility analysis. See also Viewing analysis resultsin the
check Analysis Manual.
Color by Displays parts in different colors according to the

attribute values of a user-defined attribute.
Transparency
The Transparency settings are:
Option Description
The current visibility.
If the object belongs to any object group for which the

visibility and color settings have been defined, the
As is settings will be read from that object group.
Visible Object is shown in the views.
50%
transparent
70%
transparent
90%
transparent Transparent in rendered view.
Hidden Does not show in the views.

Object representation files
Tekla Structures saves object representation settings with filename extension *.rep in the
current model’s attributes folder.
• You can copy the object representation setting file to another model’s attributes folder.
• To make the object representation setting available to all models, copy the file to the
system folder.
Tekla Structures searches for the object representation files in the standard search order. For
more information, see Folder search order in the online help.
Object groups
Object groups are sets of rules with which you can group objects by selected properties and
conditions. Use the object groups:
• In view filter, to define which objects are displayed in the selected view.
• In select filter, to define which objects can be selected.
• In the Object Representation dialog box, to control the transparency and coloring of
objects in all views.
Topics • In the Project Status Visualization tool. Creating object groups
Filenames To create a new object group:
1. Click View > Representation > Object Representation… to

open the dialog box.
2. Select Create new group… in the list box in the Object

group column, and the Object group – representation dialog box
opens.
3. Enter the name of the object group and click Save as.
Filename • The object group you create is saved in the

extension model’s attributesfolder.
4. Click Add row to define a rule.
• Rule is based on selected Category, Property, Condition,

and Value.
5. Use the Add row button to add rows for more rules. Use
theDelete row and Delete all buttons when needed.
6. When the set of rules is ready, click Save.
7. Click Close.
8. The new object group is shown in the Object

representationdialog box.
Object group files
Tekla Structures saves object group representation files with filename

extension *.PObjGrp.
Tekla Structures has three different object group types: view filter,
selection filter, and object representation. All these use different
object group files, so you cannot, for example, use selection filter
object groups in the view filter.
Object group filename extensions depend on the purpose the group

was created for:
Filename exten-sion Created in dialog box
*.PObjGrp Object group – representation
*.VObjGrp Object group – view filter
*.SObjGrp Object group – select filter
File location Object groups are saved in the current model’s attributes folder.
• To make an object group available in another model, copy its file to the attributes folder
of the destination model.
• To make an object group available in all models, copy its file to the system folder.
You must restart Tekla Structures to apply the changes.
Tekla Structures searches for the object group files in the default order. For more
information, see Folder search order in the online help.
A consistent naming policy for created object groups is important, as

handling the object group files is done manually in the model, project,
■s and system folders.
To delete an object group, delete the object group representation file located
the attributes folder.
Object group rules
In the object group dialog box, you can add, delete, and modify the rules on
Deleting an object group which the object group is based.
See also The object group rules include the following options:
Column Options Description
Select the checkbox to include the row in the rule. By default each new
Checkboxes row is disabled.
• empty
• ()
• (( ))
Parentheses • ((( ))) Use parentheses to create nested rules.
Category • Part Use theObjectcategory with user-defined attributes

or, for example, if you need to create a selection
• filter based on ID numbers.
Component
• Bolt
• Weld
•
Reinforcing
bar
•
Assembly
• Load
• Object
Various
properties,
depending on You can use most of the available properties in the
the selected object group rules. All user-defined attributes are
Property category. selectable too.
Various
conditions to
define the Numeric, textual, and date properties all have
Condition rules. different set of conditions.
Column Options Description
Enter the
value Enter the value to define the rule. You can
manually. use wildcards in the Value column.
Value
Select the value from the model by picking
the object.
For example, if you chosePart as Category,

andName as Property, by clicking a part in
Select from the model, you get its Name property in the
model… object group rule.
• empty
(= And) Use the And/Or column when you create
rules with several rows.
• And
An empty field is the same as if it had
And/Or • Or the And option selected.
To add a rule:
1. In the object group dialog box, click Add row.
2. Select Category from the list box.
3. Select Property from the list box.
4. Select Condition.
5. Enter the value in the Value column, or select the value from the model.
6. Add more rows and use And/Or column and parentheses to create more complex
rules.
Using dates in the object group rules
To use date rules in the object groups:
1. Open the Object group – representation dialog box and add a row to the group.
2. Select, for example, Object in the Category column.
3. Select, for example, user-defined attribute Actual erection date in

theProperty column.
4. Select Condition. With date properties, you can use the following conditions:
• Equals
• Does not equal
• Later than
• Later than or equal
• Earlier than
• Earlier than or equal
5. In the Value column, click Select date… to open the Select date dialog box. The
dialog box includes the following options:
Option Description
Date Select a date from the calendar.
The date defined by the computer running Tekla

Structures.
This is the same as Review date in the Project

Review date Status Visualizationdialog box.
day(s) before the

review date
day(s) after the Define the number of days before/after the review
review date date.
6. Select the date option and click OK.
Object representation example
In this example, we create a visualization for parts with different value for the user-defined
attribute Planned erection date. The parts will have the following colors:
• Blue if the planned date is earlier than the review date.
• Green if the planned date is the same as the review date.
• Yellow if the planned date is one day after the review date.
• Red if the planned date is two days after the review date. This is how the model looks
with standard object representation settings:
To create object representation settings and object groups that define which objects should
get the coloring defined above:
1. Click Setup > Object representation… to open Object representationdialog box.
2. Name the empty object representation, for example, as plan_test. By default, the object
representation dialog box includes an object group All. Do not delete this group, but keep it
last in the list.
3. Click Add row to add a new row.
4. Select the newly added row, and click Create new group… in the Object group list
box. The Object group – representation dialog box opens.

5. Enter a name for the group, for example, plan_before_review_date.
6. Click Save as.
7. Modify the rule. This rule includes objects that have user-defined attributePlanned
erection date set earlier than the review date.
• Select Object in the Category column.
• Select Planned erection date in the Property column.
• Select Earlier than in the Condition column.
• Click Select date… in the Value list box and select Review date in theSelect
date dialog box and click OK.
8. Click Save and Close.
9. In the Object representation dialog box, select blue in the Color list box of the
plan_before_review_date row and check that the object group is set to Visible.
Repeat steps 3 to 9 and create three more object groups with different rules:
• Object group plan_review_date, with the following rule: Object Planned erection
date Equals Review date.
• Object group plan_one_day_after, with the following rule: Object Planned erection
date Equals 1 day(s) after the review date.
• Object group plan_two_days_after, with the following rule: Object Planned erection
date Equals 2 day(s) after the review date.
10. When all object groups are created, set the color and visibility of the object groups, in
the Object representation dialog box, to be the following:
11. Select Hidden in the Transparency column for the All object group and check that it
is last in the list.
12. Click Save and Modify. The model is now shown with the defined colors:
Tekla Structures 2017i US

environments Release Notes
Table of Contents
1. Common to all US Roles
2. Steel Detailing Role
3. Engineering Role
4. Precast Detailing Role
5. Cast In Place Role / Rebar Detailing Role
1 Common to all US Roles

1.1 Environment ini files
The following variables were removed from the US environment ini files:
- REMOVED
 XS_DSTV_CHANGE_AK_BLOCK_RADIUS_SIGN - this variable was

moved to the NC dialog a few versions ago and should have been removed at
that time.
 XS_DSTV_CHANGE_IK_BLOCK_RADIUS_SIGN - this variable was moved
to the NC dialog a few versions ago and should have been removed at that time.
 XS_RECREATE_DRAWING_IF_SETTING_NAME_CHANGES - this
variable became obsolete a few versions ago and should have been removed a
while back.
1.2 Catalogs
PROFILE CATALOG
 The new parametric profile
(BENTZ) has been added for Z shapes.
 Two parametric profiles (TRPBL and TRPBR) did not work correctly. The
expression y3 did not work in these profiles. This has been fixed.
 There was an issue where some plate
profiles did not show up in the catalog
, even when the "show all profiles" option was checked. This has been fixed.
1.3 User-Defined Attributes

The following changes were made to the objects.inp file used by all roles.
 Spiral UDAs - The following UDA
tabs have been included for use with the new spiral beams.
 P roduct Website -
this UDA has been added to the Product fields.
 Numbering
Order - this UDA has been added to the Parameters tab of Concrete objects.
1.5 Macros
- NEW (CLICK ON THE MACRO
NAME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT)

 Converge on Point
 Inquire Elevation
 Inquire Point
- FIXED (CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE

MACROS)
 View Plane
- Dimension X
 View Plane - Dimension Y
 View Plane - Orthogonal
Dimension
1.6 Components
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
 updated attributes for fixed Concrete components and Steel components.

CUSTOM COMPONENTS
- NEW
Hole
+ Custom Anchor - This custom component

creates a hole in an object and includes an option to call in a custom anchor.
Anchor - Hook Rod - This custom component creates a hook-style anchor rod.
Reducing Studs - This custom component creates reducing studs on an object.
Stair Layout components - These two custom components are useful when creating
stairs with components S71 and S74.
IMPROVED -
Anchor components - These custom components were updated to now include an
option to create a fabricated plate under the standard washer.
Moment components - These custom components were updated to now include

slotted hole options for the flange plate
holes.
UPDATED -
Embed
Creator - The studs are now shop attached by default.
Stud
Flange v2 - This custom component can now be applied to WF webs.
REMOVED -
The following custom components have been removed from the US environment
since there are new versions available.
 Anchor-Bent Rod
 Anchor-Epoxy
 Anchor-Headed Bolt
 Anchor-Straight Rod
1.7 Drawings
Layouts
A new layout named CIP
has been added. This layout includes several new table layouts (16 total) and it
replaces the old layout (CastInPlace).
Pattern Lines - The following 30 pattern lines have been created and included in the
US environments
2 Steel Detailing
2.1 Steel Detailing Role
The Steel Detailing Role was created to include only the items needed to use
Tekla Structures for Steel Detailing and Steel Fabrication. This Role combines the
contents of the environment folders with the contents of the us_roles\steel folders.
The Role_Steel_Detailing.ini file located in the usimp (usmet) folder runs after
the env_US_imperial.ini (env_US_metric.ini) file is run.
2.2 Model Template

The Steel Detailing role’s model template
has been updated to support the new/updated Custom Components.

A new project UDA has been added for standard project copes.
This UDA has been added to the Style 2 and 5 title blocks.
Add this UDA to your title block and/or reports if you need it.
2.4 Reports
- ADDED
The following reports are now available in PDF format.
 350 Advanced Bill.pdf
 350 Assembly list BOM.pdf
 350 Bolt list.pdf
 350 Material list.pdf
 650 Lotting
list.pdf
2.5 Templates
- ADDED
To support the new double "in assembly list" in single part drawings, the following
templates were created. See section 2.6 for more information.
 TypeW-Drg_DoubleInAssyGrid
 TypeW-Drg_DoubleInAssyList
- UPDATED
 TypeA-Drg_Revisions - this template did not work correctly when the drawing
switch override was used. This has been fixed.
 TypeA-Drg_TitleBlocks - this template was updated to support the new
standard copes project UDA.
 TypeAM-Drg_Handrail_TL_BOM - The border for this template did not
close. This has been fixed.
2.6 Drawings
LAYOUTS
The SinglePartDrawings layout was updated to include these two new table layouts.
 Single8.5x11_wDoubleInAssyList
 Single11x17_wDoubleInAssyList
Use one of these table layouts when you have a single part that is attached to many
assemblies and the "in assembly list" data does not fit on the drawing.
3 Engineering
3.1 Engineering Role
The Engineering Role was created to include items an engineer needs to use Tekla
Structures. This Role combines the contents of the environment folders with the
contents of the us_roles\engineering folders. The Role_Engineering.ini file, located in
the usimp (usmet) folder, runs after the env_US_imperial.ini (env_US_metric.ini) file
is run.
The following variables were modified in this role’s ini file:
- MODIFIED
 XS_DEFAULT_MODEL_TEMPLATE - this variable was updated to use the

new name of this role's default model template (Engineering).
3.2 Model Templates

The Engineering role’s model template has been updated to support the new/updated
Custom Components.

A new project UDA has been added for standard project copes. See section 2.3 above
for more information.
3.4 Reports
There are no role-specific Report changes that affect Engineering other than those
mentioned above in the Common section.
3.5 Templates
There are no role-specific Template changes that affect Engineering other than those
3.6 Drawings
2D LIBRARY
One new sample drawing detail has been added into the 2D Library.
4 Precast Detailing
4.1 Precast Detailing Role

The Precast Detailing Role was created to include only the items needs to use Tekla
Structures for Precast Detailing. This Role combines the contents of the environment
folders with the contents of the us_roles\precast folders. The
Role_Precast_Detailing.ini file located in the usimp (usmet) folder runs after the
env_US_imperial.ini (env_US_metric.ini) file is run.
4.2 Model Template

The Precast Detailing role’s model template has been updated to support the
new/updated Custom Components.
4.3 User-defined Attributes

4.4 Reports
There are no role-specific Report changes that affect Precast Detailing other than
those mentioned above in the Common section.
4.5 Templates
There are no role-specific Template changes that affect Precast Detailing other than
4.6 Drawings
There are no role-specific Drawing changes that affect Precast Detailing other than
5 Cast In Place / Rebar Detailing

5.1 Cast In Place (or Rebar Detailing) Role
The Cast In Place (and Rebar Detailing) Role was created to include only the items
needs to use Tekla Structures for Cast In Place / Rebar Detailing projects. This Role
combines the contents of the environment folders with the contents of the
us_roles\castinplace folders. The Role_Cast_In_Place.ini (or
Role_Rebar_Detailing.ini) file located in the usimp (usmet) folder runs after the
env_US_imperial.ini (env_US_metric.ini) file is run.
5.2 Model Template

The Cast In Place (and Rebar Detailing) role’s model template has been updated to
support the new/updated Custom Components.
5.3 Modeling
There are no role specific Modeling changes that affect Cast in Place other than those
5.4 User-defined Attributes

5.5 Reports
There are no role specific Report changes that affect Cast in Place other than those
5.6 Templates
Several new templates have been included in v2017i and are used in the CIP layout.
 CIP - Layout Schedule

 CIP - Pad Ftg Schedule Type 1
 CIP - Pad Ftg Schedule Type 2
 CIP - Pier Schedule
 CIP - Pile
Schedule
 CIP - Pour Schedule Simple
 CIP - Pour Schedule
 CIP - Strip Ftg Schedule
 Rebar Schedule - Pullout Pictures
5.7 Drawings
There are no role specific Drawing changes that affect Cast in Place other than those
6 Download Previous US Localization

Notes
If you missed what was done by your local technical team in previous versions (2016i
and earlier) you can download the at localization notes here.
Tekla Structures 2017i Finland

environment Release Notes
1. General Settings
1.1 Applications & Components catalog and Start
Model Concrete update
Applications & Components catalog
and the model template
Start Model Concrete were updated.
1.2 General
Line BENTZ ! USER ! 0 ! ! 4 ! 5 !BentZ.BENTZ !h*b*d*t[-a] was added to
profitab.inp
1.3 DWG Export

Finland specific example settings "FIN-RAK-asetukset" for DWG Export were
defined. Also a DWG template "FINtemplate" with some common Finnish layers
used in DWG drawings was created and new material filters Materiaali - Betoni,
Materiaali - Betonielementit, Materiaali - Puu, Materiaali – Paikallavalu
betoni and Materiaali - Teräs were added.
1.4 IFC4 Export

Additional property sets BEC and BEC Tilaaja were added both to IFC
Export and IFC4 Export.
1.5 FIN Area spcific custom property files moved

FIN Area specific custom property
files:
 BeamCustomProperties.dll
 ElementCustomProperties.dll
 LocationCustomProperties.dll
 SlabCustomProperties.dll
 WallCustomProperties.dll
were moved from
folder ...\finland\extensions to ...\common\extensions\custom\properties. This applies
to TS versions 2017 SP5, 2017i SP1 and newer. This is done to speed up the loading
of custom properties
(https://teklastructures.support.tekla.com/2017i/en/xs_enable_fast_custom...).
2. Concrete
2.1 Standard files to new rebar extensions
Standard files to the new rebar extensions were added:
 Draw rebar pullouts

 Rebar pullout picture and marking
 Rebar group
marking
 Rebar group dimension
3. Steel
3.1 Steel components
(1004) Baseplate file "WithWeldPreparations.j1004" was updated.
3.2 Spiral beam
New dimensions (a_angle_standard.dim,
a_straight_standard.dim and a_radius_standard.dim) and a dimensioning rule
(Spiraalipalkki.SpiralBeamDimXML) for spiral beam
were added.
Tekla Structures 2017i France

Environment Release Notes
TABLE OF CONTENT
1. General Settings
1.1 ini Files for French environment
1.1.1 env_France.ini
1.1.2 role_Acier.ini
1.1.3 role_Béton_Coulé_Sur_Site.ini.ini
1.1.4 role_Béton_Planificateur_de_production.ini
1.1.5 role_role_Béton_Préfabriqué.ini
1.2 Folder structure
1.3 File settings
1.4 Catalogs
1.4.1 Profile catalog
New profiles MONOPANEL MP B FILEA
New profiles RAICO:

New profiles BACACIER COVISO:
New profiles ISOPAN ISOCOP & ISOPARETE PLISSE:
1.4.2 Bolt catalog
Update WURTH bolts
- Added all reference numbers on each anchors

- The replacement of the W-SA anchor screws by the W-BS more efficient
and more aesthetic.
- The addition of WIT-PE 500 seismic resin C2 with standard threaded rods.
- The addition of WIT-PM 200 resin enhanced for full and hollow
- The addition of W-VIZ-IG threaded sleeves associated with WIT-VM 100
resin
1.5 Objects.inp
objects_inp_tab.txt .\france updated
New spiral_beam(0,"j_spiral_beam") and
concrete_spiral_beam(0,"j_concrete_spiral_beam") added
tab_page("France - Armature") replacement of the "positions nord, sud,..." by
"Face supérieure, inférieure,...
tab_page("DR_TITLE_DESIGNER") added to all role
1.6 Reports
 New : E_liste vis.pdf.rpt, B_liste plats.pdf.rpt
 Modified: E_liste vis.xls.rpt, E_liste vis.csv.rpt >title name; xxxx.pdf.rpt
> title1 to title2; E_liste boulonnerie.pdf.rpt > ref prefix removed for
“Chevilles”
 Complete overhaul of concrete and reinforcement lists
1.7 Tools
1.7.1. Custom Inquiry
Quantity and radius have been added for “Pièce” and “Elément
Béton”
IFC file format commonly used in BIM that facilitates software
interoperability
IFC is an open specification developed by the IAI (International Alliance for
Interoperability).
Model can be exported into an IFC file.
setting have been updated

2. Drawing settings
2.1 Drawings for steel role
2.1.1 New settings for spiral beam
New ts_débillardé.wd created for spiral beam
2.1.2 UDA
Titre Dessin tap is now available for Workshop, Assembly and GA
drawings
2.2. Drawings for concrete role
2.2.1 New settings for spiral beam
New Poutre débillardée.cud created for spiral beam
2.2.2 Rebars marks standards
Creation of reference mark standards, associative notes,... for reinforcements
2.2.3 Rule sets (Wizard)
 Assistant dalle béton : Correction of filters concerning the top and bottom
layers that were inverted
 Croquis Massif Béton renamed as Assistant Massif Béton to standardize
concrete wizards
 Assistant panneau béton : Deleting drawing config.
“Panneau_ferraillage_2” unnecessary
3. Modeling settings
3.1 Common
New standards ITEM
3.2 Concrete Components
New standards #67, #70, #90, #64, Plancher composé (Outil
Calepinage), #76, #78
nquiry

Tekla Structures 2017i US Environments Release Notes

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==================== CARA INSTAL TEKLA STRUCTURES V.16.

Tekla Structures 16.0

Tekla Structures 16.0

Tekla Structures 16.0

ke directory tempat Tekla Structures terinstal.(

C:\Program Files\Tekla Structures\16.0\nt\bin\

).6.Tekla Structures 16.0 siap digunakan.=== SALAM ENGINEER => UDHIYE ==

 Full construction management and detailing

Penulis berharap buku ini bisa bermanfaat bagi para Pembaca.

Untuk lebih lengkapnya bisa hubungi:

tutorialny ada tu di web official Tekla, http://www.tekla.com/international/s...index_eng.html

Spoiler for "grid basic":

Create element struktur.

Spoiler for "element position":

Copy and move,

Integrasi dengan software structural design macam SAP2000,

Spoiler for "integrasi dengan sap2000":

Intinya, ga rugi belajar tekla.

TEKLA STRUCTURES – SETTINGS

of units and decimals in all open dialog boxes.

tab (output data only relates to structural analysis).

Inquire and Measure tools.

• Feet in decimals (e.g. 62.7′)

• Fractional notation (e.g. 60′-6″)

162 TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Settings and Tools

Mouse and pointer settings

• Drag and drop

Drag and drop

It remains active until you switch it off.

Tekla Structures remembers this setting between sessions by user name.

Tekla Structures remembers this setting by session and user name.

TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 163Settings and Tools

until you turn it off.

Tekla Structures remembers this setting by session and user name.

164 TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 Settings and Tools

Add Creates a new phase.

Delete Deletes the phases you select from the list.

TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 165Settings and Tools

light gray or white 1

Tekla Structures also includes the following general settings:

Enter the following information:

Spacing x, y Snap grid spacing

Origin dx, dy Offsets for grid origin

TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0 167Settings and Tools

Sketching cross sections

To sketch a cross section:

• Cross Section Sketch Editor View and Sketching toolbar

• Variables and Sketch Browser dialog boxes

Command Icon Description

Sketch polyline hi Sketch lines.

•F Ensure that you create a closed shape:

• If necessary, use the Coincident constraint tool to close it.

• Adding dimensions to cross sections (p. 199)

• Naming, saving, and closing cross sections (p. 205)

196 TEKLA STRUCTURES14.0 Advanced Modeling

Using constraints to lock cross section shape

Command Icon Description

Sketch radial dimension Creates a radial constraint for an arc or circle.

Sketch angle dimension te Creates an angle constraint for an arc or circle.

Parallel constraint Force a line to be parallel to another line.

Perpendicular constraint Fi Force a line to be perpendicular to another line.

Force two lines to meet (extends or shortens

• Where 2 lines meet