Tekla Structures

Keyboard Shortcuts
REPRESENTATION FOR PARTS

Wire frame
CTRL + 1
Shaded wire frame
CTRL + 2
Rendered (black)
CTRL + 3
Rendered
CTRL + 4
Rendered (dark colors)
CTRL + 5
REPRESENTATION FOR COMPONENT PARTS
Wire frame
SHIFT + 1
Shaded wire frame
SHIFT + 2
Rendered (black)
SHIFT + 3
Rendered
SHIFT + 4
Rendered (dark colors)
SHIFT + 5
GENERAL SHORTCUTS
Open
Save
Properties
Undo
Redo
Interrupt
Repeat the last command
Copy CHANGED!
Move CHANGED!
Delete
Drag and drop
Pan
Middle button pan CHANGED!
Move right
Move left
Move down
Move up
Center by cursor
Zoom original
Zoom in/out
Zoom previous
Rotate using mouse
Rotate using keyboard
Ortho
Relative coordinate input
Absolute coordinate input
Next position
Previous position
Xsnap
SmartSelect
Select lter
Add to selection
Toggle selection
Lock X, Y or Z coordinates
CTRL + O
CTRL + S
ALT + ENTER
CTRL + Z
CTRL + Y
ESC
ENTER
CTRL + C
CTRL + M
DEL
D
P
SHIFT + M
x
z
y
w
INS
HOME
PG UP/PG DN
END
CTRL + R
CTRL + arrow keys,
SHIFT + arrow keys
O
@, R
$, A
TAB
SHIFT + TAB
T
S
CTRL + G
SHIFT
CTRL
X, Y or Z
Select all select switch

Select parts select switch
Snap to reference lines/points
Snap to geometry lines/points
Snap to nearest points
Snap to any position
Advanced options
Inquire object
Free measure
F2
F3
F4
F5
F6
F7
CTRL + E
SHIFT + I
F
MODELING SHORTCUTS
Create new model
Open the Views list
Create clip plane
Rollover highlight
Set view rotation point
Autorotate CHANGED!
Disable view rotation
3D / Plane
Fly (in perspective views)
Select all
Select assembly
Hide object
Snapshot
Undo last polygon pick
Finish polygon input
Open component catalog
Create AutoConnection
Phase manager
Clash check
Drawing Wizard
Drawing list
Clone drawing
Print drawings
Create report
CTRL + N
CTRL + I
SHIFT + X
H
V
SHIFT + R, SHIFT + T
F8
CTRL + P
SHIFT + F
CTRL + A
ALT + object
SHIFT + H
F9, F10, F11, F12
Backspace
Space bar
CTRL + F
CTRL + J
CTRL + H
SHIFT + C
CTRL + W
CTRL + L
CTRL + D
SHIFT + P
CTRL + B
DRAWING SHORTCUTS
SHIFT + A
Associative symbol
Black and white drawing
B
Ghost outline
SHIFT + G
Open next drawing
CTRL + PG DN
Open previous drawing
CTRL + PG UP
Create an orthogonal dimension G
USER COORDINATE SYSTEM (UCS) SHORTCUTS
Set coordinate system origin U
Set coordinate system by two points SHIFT + U
Toggle orientation
CTRL + T
Reset current
CTRL + 1
Reset all
CTRL + 0
Keyboard Shortcuts
DEFINING SHORTCUTS
If you frequently use certain commands,
assign keyboard shortcuts to them. You will
nd it faster than using the icons and menus.
To assign a shortcut to a command:
Click Tools > Customize... to open the
Customize dialog box.
Click on the command on the list on the left.
Use the Filter list box to nd commands
easily. Click the down arrow to select subgroups
of commands. ALL displays all the commands
available in Tekla Structures. You can also type
in the command name to search for commands.
Use the Shortcut elds to assign a shortcut
to the command. You can use a single letter, or
combine a letter with the Shift, Alt or Ctrl key.
Move the command to the Menu list by clicking
the right arrow. This will activate the shortcut
and also add the command in the User menu.
Click Close to exit the Customize dialog box.
For more information, see Online help,
Appendix E > Reserved shortcuts.
Basic Modeling 1
Tekla Structures 12.0 Basic Training

September 19, 2006
Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation
Contents
Contents
Basic Modeling 1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
Start Tekla Structures

Create a New Model BasicModel1
Create Grids
Create Plane Views along Gridlines
Create Foundations
Create Columns
Create Beams
Create Slabs
6
7
10
12
16
21
26
41
TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

Basic Modeling 1

Basic Modeling 1
In this lesson
Basic Modeling 1
We will go through the basic functions of Tekla Structures: How to create a new structural
3D model, and how to create grids (i.e. module lines), grid views and structural members in
the model. As a result of this lesson the model will look as shown below.

Basic Modeling 1
1.1 Start Tekla Structures

Start Tekla
Structures
To start Tekla Structures, click the Windows Start button. Navigate through Programs >
Tekla Structures > Tekla Structures enu Europe. This will start Tekla Structures in
European environment using English language.
The modeling user interface is now opened. At first, most of the menu options and all the
icons are gray indicating that they are inactive. When you open an existing model or create a
new model, the icons and available menu options become active.

Basic Modeling 1
1.2 Create a New Model BasicModel1

To start a new model, you first need to create an empty model database with a unique name.
In this lesson use the name BasicModel1.
Start a new model
1.
Select File > New from the pull-down menu or click the New model icon in the
Standard toolbar to open the New model dialog box.
2.
At the center of the dialog box, Tekla Structures suggests the name "New Model" for the
model. The full path of the model folder is shown in the first field.
3.
Replace the name "New Model" by BasicModel1.
4.
Click the OK button (or Enter) to create the new model.
The menus and icons become activated 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 marks ( / \ ; : | ) in model names.
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.
Tekla Structures automatically created a grid and a view according to the saved standard
view properties. The default 3D view and grid are shown below.

Basic Modeling 1
Cyan dash-and-dot lines show the projections of the grids which are visible on the view
plane. Tekla Structures indicates the work area of a view using green, dashed lines. For more
information, see: Help: Modeling > Getting started > Basics.
Save the model
To save the model:

5.
Select File > Save from the pull-down menu or click the Save icon in the Standard
toolbar.
Remember to save your model every now and then, and always when opening
another model or exiting Tekla Structures.
Tekla Structures includes also an auto save feature that backs up and saves your work
automatically at set intervals. These are set in the Autosave properties dialog box obtained
from the Setup > Autosave pull-down menu.
For more information on saving and auto saving, see:
Help: Modeling > Getting started > Basics > Saving a model and exiting Tekla
Structures
Most commands of Tekla Structures are found both in menus (main or pop-up) and in
toolbars (icons). In this training manual we will mainly use the pop-up menu to activate
commands.

Basic Modeling 1
There are several ways to execute commands in Tekla Structures:

x
Icons
Commands in main pull-down menu
Commands in pop-up menu
By default all the commands are found in pull-down menu, and most of them
in the icons. A pop-up menu appears when you click the right mouse button
(right-click). If you have an object selected, the commands on the pop-up menu
relate to that object.
For more information on Tekla Structures screen layout and toolbars, see:
Help: Modeling > Introduction > Screen layout
Help: Modeling > Introduction > Toolbars

Basic Modeling 1
1.3 Create Grids
To create the appropriate grid for BasicModel1 as shown above, you can delete the existing
grid and create a new one from the Points > Grid pull-down menu. Alternatively you can
modify the existing grid.
Modify the
existing grid
To modify the existing grid:

1.
Double-click on the gridline.
2.
Complete the appearing Grid dialog box as shown below by filling in the X, Y and Z
coordinates and the labels for the gridlines.

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10
3.
Click Modify to apply the new grid values.
4.
Enter the grid file name, GRID1, and click the Save as button to save the grid values for
later use. The settings are saved in the file GRID1.grd, which is stored in the attributes
subfolder of your model folder.
For more information on grids and dialog box buttons, see:

Help: Modeling > Introduction > Inputting information > Common buttons
The number of decimals used in the Grid dialog box (as well as in other
modeling dialog boxes) can be controlled from the Units and decimals...
dialog box obtained from the Setup pull-down menu.
When the grid was modified, the work area of the view, shown with the green dashed line,
was not updated.
Fit work area
To fit the work area according to the modified grid:

1.
Click the view to activate it.
2.
Right-click and select Fit work area from the pop-up menu.
The view should now look as shown below:

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1.4 Create Plane Views along Gridlines

We will now create Elevation and Plan views along the gridlines created in the previous
section.
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. Each view has a view plane on which the
grids are visible and points are represented as yellow crosses. Points outside the view plane
appear as red dots.
For more information, see: Help: Modeling > Getting started > Views.
Create grid views
To create views along gridlines,

1.
Select one gridline.
2.
Right-click and select Create view > Grid views from the pop-up menu to open the
Creation of views along grid lines dialog box.
3.
Change the View properties as shown above and click the Show button of the XY
view plane to open the View properties dialog box.
4.
Change the View depth values as shown below and click OK to close the dialog box.

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12
5.
Select the number of views as All and click Create in the Creation of views along grid
lines dialog box.
The Views dialog box appears presenting all the created views. All invisible named views
are listed on the left, and all visible views on the right.
For more information on view properties, see:

Help: Modeling > Getting started > Views > View properties
Display or hide
views
To display or hide views:

1.
Click the Open named view list icon to open the Views dialog box (which is now
already open).

Basic Modeling 1
13
2.
Select the view(s) you want to display or hide.
3.
Use the arrows to move view(s) from left to right (visible) or vice versa (invisible).
Do not keep too many views open at the same time. Nine is the maximum
number of open views. You can open or close named views by clicking the
Open named view list icon. Delete unnecessary views from the view list.
To switch between views, press Ctrl+Tab.

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14
Rotate the model
Change between
3D / Plane
You can rotate the model in a 3D view with rendered view type.
1.
Press the key v.
2.
In the view, pick a center of rotation.
3.
Hold down the Ctrl key, and click and drag with the middle mouse button.
With the shortcut Ctrl+P you can change the view angle between 3D and Plane, which is
very useful.

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15
1.5 Create Foundations

We will now create foundations for the BasicModel1.
Column footing
1800*1800 footing
To create footings for columns:

1.
Double-click on the Create pad footing icon. This will open Pad footing properties
dialog box.
2.
Complete the Pad footing properties dialog box as shown below and click Apply.

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16
3.
In the 3d view, pick the grid intersection A-1 to create the footing.
4.
Create the rest of the 1800*1800 footings at other intersections of gridline A by picking
each position.
Help: Modeling > Parts > Part location > Position on work plane
Help: Modeling > Parts > Part location > Position depth
Help: Modeling > Parts > Part properties > Profile
You can undo (and redo) previous commands one by one since the last save by
clicking the icons or typing Ctrl + Z (Undo) and Ctrl + Y (Redo).
2700*2700 footing
While still in the command,

5.
Complete the Pad footing properties dialog box for a 2700*2700 footing as shown
below and Apply this.
The footings on gridline B need offsetting from the gridline because there will be
additional columns modeled afterwards. This offset will be accomplished by adjusting
the Vertical Position value in the Pad footing properties dialog box.
6.
Create the footings at intersections of the gridline B.
7.
Right click and select Interrupt to end the command.

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17
The commands will stay active until you interrupt them.

To end commands, right-click and select Interrupt from the pop-up menu, or
press the Esc key.
To restart the last command used, press Enter.
Foundations for silos parametric profiles

We will create two identical circular foundations for the silos. At first, one foundation will be
created at the coordinate 4500,4500,0 and then the other foundation will be created as a copy
of the first one.
Tekla Structures contains standard (library), parametric, and user-defined profiles. For the
foundation, we will use parametric profiles.
Help: Modeling > Parts > Part properties > Profile
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Appendix A: Parametric Profiles
Create footing
1.
Double-click on the Create pad footing icon.
2.
Complete the Pad footing properties dialog box as shown below and click Apply.
You can select the profile for a part from the Select profile dialog box that
opens next to the Profile field in the part properties dialog box.
You can as well enter a profile name in the Profile field in the part properties
dialog box.

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18
3.
Type 4500,4500 to define the position for the footing (typing the numbers automatically
displays the Enter a numeric location dialog box).
4.
Press Enter (or click OK) and the foundation is created.
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Tools > Snapping
Copy the footing
1.
Click the footing once to select it.
2.
Right click and select Copy special > Translate from the pop-up menu..
3.
Click copy.

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19
Now the footings should look as shown below:

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20
1.6 Create Columns

We will first create two of the columns and then use the Copy command to create the other
columns.
You can create your columns and beams either in steel or concrete! Follow the
left side of the instruction for steel and the right side for concrete.
Create
steel/concrete
columns
To create the first two columns.
Create steel columns
Create concrete columns
1. Double-click on the Create column icon.
1. Double-click on the Create concrete column

icon.
2. Complete the Column properties dialog

box as shown below.
2. Complete the Concrete column properties

dialog box as shown below.
3. Complete the dialog's Position tab as

shown below, and then click Apply.
3. Complete the dialog's Position tab as shown

below, and then click Apply.

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21
Copy columns
4.
Pick the intersection of gridlines A-1 to create one column, and then pick grid B-1 to
create the second column.
1.
Select the columns that you just created by dragging a window across them.
2.
Right click and select Copy special> Translate from the pop-up menu. Complete the
dialog box as shown below and click Copy.

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22
Now all the columns appear in the model.
When you want to model identical structures, you can alternatively create one
footing (and its reinforcement), the steel column on top of it and the base plate
connection between the footing and the column, and copy this structural entity
to all other positions of similar structures.
You can select multiple parts in the model by holding down the Ctrl-key when
selecting objects in the model.
Help: Modeling > Introduction > Selecting model objects > How to select objects
Silos
We will now model the steel silos by using solid parametric profiles. A more precise
alternative would be to create the silo as a circular hollow section with a contour plate
welded on top of it.
Create silos
1.
To create the silos, double-click on the Create column icon.
2.
Complete the Column properties dialog box as shown below, and then click Apply.

Basic Modeling 1
23
3.
Pick the top point of the first silo footing and then the other.
Now the silos appear in the model.

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24
The visibility of objects in views depends on the work area, view depth, view
setup, and view filter. You can also temporarily hide parts in a view by using
the Hide tool (on the pop-up menu).
In the pictures hereafter all the model objects created may not always be
visible.
Help: Modeling > Getting started > Views > Displaying and hiding objects
in views

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25
1.7 Create Beams

Level 3850 beams
We will first create the beams at the +3850 level and then copy them (using the select filter)
to the two upper levels. Again, you can create the beams either in steel or in concrete.
Create
steel/concrete
beams
1.
Open the PLAN +3850 view.
Create steel beams
Create concrete beams
2. Double-click on the Create beam icon.
2. Double-click on the Create concrete beam

icon.
3. Complete the Beam properties dialog box as

shown and Apply.
3. Complete the Concrete beam properties

dialog box as shown.

Basic Modeling 1
26
4. Complete the dialog's Position tab as shown below, and

Apply.
5. In the PLAN +3850 view

pick the intersection of
gridlines A-4 and then B-4.
5. In the PLAN +3850 view pick the intersection of gridlines

A-4 and then B-4.
6. Continue at gridlines 5, 6, and 7.

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When inputting horizontal members always pick from left to right or from
bottom to top for consistency purposes.
Copy beams to upper levels

Filter beams
1.
Choose the select filter option beam_filter from the drop down list.
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Filter > Select filter
Copy beams
2.
By dragging the mouse, select an area in the model as shown below.
1.
Open the Grid 7 view, right-click and select Copy from the pop-up menu.
2.
Pick the gridline intersection B-3850 and then B-7350.
3.
Copy beams to level +13400 by repeating steps 1-2.
4.
Change the select filter option back to standard to enable also the selection of other
objects than beams.

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Level 13400 beams

Next we will create beams at the view +13400 level.
Create grid beams
By using the same beam properties that we applied earlier, create the missing beams at the
gridline intersections shown in the figure below.

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29
Create the rest of

the beams
Next we will create beams in locations where no gridlines intersect. The snapping tools help
you pick points to position objects precisely without having to know the coordinates or
layout additional lines or points.
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Tools > Snapping
Create beam A
1.
Double-click one of the existing beams in the model and press Apply.
2.
Start the beam command.
2. Start the concrete beam command.

Basic Modeling 1
30
Create beam B
3.
Make sure only the Snap to reference lines / points icon of the two main snap switches
on the right is pressed down.
4.
Make sure the Snap to mid points and Snap to end points icons are pressed down.
5.
Pick a midpoint of the beam between A2 and A-3 and then the midpoint of the
beam between B-2 and B-3.
5. Pick a midpoint of the beam between A-2

and A-3 and then the midpoint of the beam
between B-2 and B-3.
We will pick the start position of beam B by using the gridline intersection A-1 as a
temporary reference point and tracking along gridline 1 in the direction of intersection B-1
for 9000 mm.
We will then pick the second position of beam B using the temporary snap switch
Perpendicular.
Pick the first

position of beam
B
1.
Start the beam command.
2.
Hold down the Ctrl key and pick gridline intersection A-1 as the origin to show the
From location coordinates.
3.
Then use the cursor to snap (do not pick!!) in the correct direction (e.g. to gridline
intersection B-1).
1.
Start the concrete beam command.

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31
Pick second
position of beam
B
4.
Type 9000 for the numeric location. (The Enter a numeric location dialog box will
open automatically.)
5.
Press OK or Enter and the cursor snaps to the correct position. (=9000 mm from A-1 in
the direction of B-1).
6.
Right click and select Perpendicular.
7.
Pick the second position on beam A (see

below).
7. Pick the second position on beam A (see

below).

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32
Create beam C
Create beam D
While still in the beam command,

8.
Right click and select Intersection for snap override.
9.
Pick the intersection of beam B and

gridline 2 and then the intersection of
gridlines B-2.
9. Pick the intersection of beam B and

gridline 2 and then the intersection of
gridlines B-2.
We will first create one of the beams that frame around the silo and then by using the Copy >
Rotate command create the other three.

Basic Modeling 1
33
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Settings and tools reference > Edit>Copy
>Rotate
Copy rotate the

beam
1.
Hold down the Ctrl key and pick gridline intersection A-1 to show the From location
coordinates, use the cursor to snap (do not pick!!) in the correct direction. (E.g. grid
intersection B-1).
2.
Type 4000 for the numeric location and press Enter, the cursor snaps to the correct
position.
3.
Type the letter O on the keyboard to snap to positions in orthogonal directions on the
work plane (0, 45, 90, 135, and 180 degrees).
4.
Let the cursor snap to the midpoint as shown below and pick.
5.
Type the letter O to turn the ortho off.
1.
Select the beam that you just created.
2.
Right click and select Copy special > Rotate from the pop-up menu.

Basic Modeling 1
34
Copy translate the

beam to the other
silo
3.
Pick the center point of the silo as the point to define the rotation (select a view in which
the silos are visible and pick near the circumference to snap to the center point). The
origin X0 and Y0 values will appear in the dialog box.
4.
Complete the other fields in the dialog.
5.
Click Copy.
We will now copy the beams to the other silo.

1.
Select the beams shown highlighted in the picture below (press the Ctrl key to add parts
to the selection).
2.
Copy special > translate them 9000 mm in the x direction.
Bracing
Working in the Grid A elevation view, we will input the vertical steel bracing members using
the Create beam tool.

Basic Modeling 1
35
Create braces a
and b
1.
Double-click on the Create beam icon.
2.
Complete the Beam properties dialog box as shown below and Apply.

Basic Modeling 1
36
3.
In the 3d view create brace a by first picking the gridline intersection A-2 and then the
midpoint of column A-3.

Basic Modeling 1
37
4.
Use handle to
move brace end
Create brace b by picking the top position of column A-2 and then midpoint of column
A-3.
We can see from the drawing above that the lower end of the brace needs 200 mm offsetting
from the grid level. Now we will use handles to move the part end.
Help: Modeling > Parts > Part location
1.
Select brace a to display the handles.

Basic Modeling 1
38
Copy mirror
braces a and b
2.
Select the yellow handle (Tekla Structures then highlights the handle).
3.
Right click and select Move special > Translate to move the handle 200 mm
upwards.
4.
Click Move.
5.
Repeat the procedure to move brace bs top handle 1000 mm downwards.
1.
Select braces a and b.
2.
Right click and select Copy special > Mirror
3.
In the 3d view, pick grid A-3 then grid B-3 to define the mirror line.
4.
Click Copy.
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Settings and tools reference > Edit>Copy
>Mirror
Now we have modeled all the steel and concrete members in Model1. The model should look
like in the picture below.

Basic Modeling 1
39

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40
1.8 Create Slabs
Concrete hollow-core slabs

We will now create concrete hollow-core slabs. Instead of positioning the slabs to the
gridline intersection we will model the slabs to the face of the steel columns.
Create hollowcore slabs
In the PLAN +13400 view:

1.
Double-click on the Create concrete beam icon.
2.
Complete the Concrete beam properties dialog box as shown and Apply.

Basic Modeling 1
41
If you have modeled steel columns and

beams:
If you have modeled concrete columns and

beams:
3. Pick the intersection of the column flange

outer face and gridline 4 and then the
intersection of the column flange outer face
and gridline 5 (make sure that Snap to
geometry lines/points is active).
3. Pick the intersection of the column outer

border and gridline 4 and then the
intersection of the column outer border and
gridline 5 (make sure that Snap to
geometry lines/points is active).

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Copy the slabs in

y direction
Copy the slabs in

x direction
1.
Select the slab that you just created.
2.
Right click and select Copy special > Translate from the pop-up menu.
3.
Type 1200 in the dY field of the Copy translate dialog box and 10 as the number of
copies.
1.
Drag an area select, selecting all the concrete slabs.
2.
Right click and select Copy > Translate from the pop-up menu.
3.
Type 6000 in the dX field of the Copy - translate dialog box.
4.
Click Copy.

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43
Copy hollow-core slabs to levels 7350 and 3850

Copy the slabs
1.
Hold down the Ctrl key and select all the hollow-core slabs by dragging 3 areas through
the slabs.
2.
Still holding down the Ctrl key, pick the two slabs shown in the picture below to
unselect them.
3.
Right click and select Copy special > Translate from the pop-up menu.
4.
Enter -6050 in the dZ field of the Copy special > Translate dialog box, click Copy.
5.
Enter -9550 in the dZ field of the Copy special > Translate dialog box, click Copy.

Basic Modeling 1
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Concrete slab
Start the slab

command
1.
Double-click on the Create concrete slab icon.
2.
Complete the Concrete slab properties dialog box as shown and Apply.

Basic Modeling 1
45
Pick positions for

the slab
3.
In the PLAN +13400 view pick point A (intersection of column flange outer face and
gridline 1, shown in the drawing above).

Basic Modeling 1
46
4.
Let the cursor snap to the position just picked (do not pick!) and press y to lock the y
coordinate.
5.
Let the cursor now snap to the end point of the beam near point B and pick.
6.
Press y to release the coordinate lock.
7.
Pick point C.

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Copy concrete
slab
8.
Pick point D.
9.
Click the middle mouse button to create the slab.
1.
Select the slab that you just created.
2.
Copy translate the slab 9000 mm in x direction.

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Create in-situ slabs

Before we add reinforcements to concrete members we need to create additional 600 mm
wide in-situ slabs beside the hollow-core slab area in first and second floors. For this, zoom
in to first floor in gridlines A and 5 6.
1.
2.
Set the profile height to 175 mm.
3.
Press OK to close the dialog.
4.
Start picking the polygon shape at the middle of the hollow-core slab in gridline 5.

Basic Modeling 1
49
5.
Write: R then add 0, 600, to the Enter a numeric location dialog and press OK.
6.
Write: R then add 6050, 0, to the Enter a numeric location dialog and press OK.
7.
Write: R then add 0, -600, to the Enter a numeric location dialog and press OK.
8.
Close the polygon with middle button.
Now select the slab and copy it 3500.00 mm in z-direction using Copy special >
Translate right button command.
Now the Model1 framework is finished.
Links to additional information

Help: Modeling > Introduction > General information > Single user mode vs multiuser
mode
Help: Modeling > Introduction > General information > Languages and environments

Basic Modeling 1
50
System Components
for Precast Concrete

September 19, 2006
SYSTEM COMPONENTS FOR PRECAST CONCRETE

System Components for Precast Concrete
ii
Contents
Contents ................................................................................................................................ 1
System Components for Precast Concrete .............................................................. 2

2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
About System Connections .......................................................................................................2

Create System Connections ......................................................................................................4
Create Rebars Using System Components .............................................................................15
Modify All the Corbel Connections...........................................................................................32


ii
System Components for

Precast Concrete
In this lesson
This lesson introduces the basics of creating system components in Tekla Structures.
You will learn how to:
2.1
Create connection and reinforcement components
Work with component properties
Save the properties for later use.
About System Components

You can model connections, reinforcements, etc, quickly with the Tekla Structures system
components.
The greatest benefits of using system components are:
x
The connection properties can be saved with a particular name so that they can be used
later. These properties can then be used for all projects.
When you modify a main object's profile in the model, all of the connections to the
object are automatically modified at the same time.
If you select options such as move or copy, all components are automatically included.
With AutoDefaults you can create rules defining when to use different component
properties.
All available system components are located in the component catalog, which can be opened
using Ctrl+F or by clicking the binocular icon on the component toolbar.
When applying a connection that you are unfamiliar with, accept the default properties and
create the connection. Then look to see what needs to be modified. This is usually quicker
than trying to set the values for the connection before seeing what the connection actually
creates.
Help: Detailing > Getting started > Using components > Creating components
Help: Detailing > Getting started > Basics > Component concepts
Help: Detailing > Getting started > Basics > Picking order
Help: Detailing > Getting started > Basics > Up direction

Check clashing of structures

In lesson 1 we created a model of a small industrial structure. To complete the model we will
need to connect the parts. Before creating the connections usually all of the members in the
model collide with other members.
By using the Clash check command we can check which parts in the model collide. We will
run a clash check now and then again after the connections components have been applied.
Help: Modeling > Settings and Tools > Querying objects > Clash check
Check clashing
1.
Select all of the parts of the model by dragging an area select around the whole model.
2.
Right-click and select Clash check.
Tekla Structures highlights the colliding parts in yellow and displays the clash check log in
the List dialog box. You can see that all the parts in the model collide.
3.
Select any clashing parts on the list and Tekla Structures highlights them in the model.

2.2 Create System Components

Next we will create connection components to beam-to-beam and beam-to-column
situations. The connections will automatically fit the concrete members.
Use of components:
x
Click once on the component icon to activate the command.
Double-click on the component icon to activate the command and

open the component dialog.
Note: if you click again on an already active command, the command will be
deactivated.
Fitting concrete members

The beams between gridlines 1 and 4 at elevation +13400 will be in-situ concrete beams. In
lesson 3 we will create a cast unit out of the beams, but first we will need to fit the beams and
columns. We will use the battering component.
Set the
connection
parameters
1.
Open the component catalog by clicking on the binocular icon or by typing Ctrl+F.
2.
To see pictures of the connection, check that the Thumbnails icon is active, see below.
3.
Type "battering" into the upper field and click on the Search button.
1.
Double-click on the Battering connection (13) icon to activate the command and open
the dialog.

Extend beams
2.
Change the distance to 380 as shown on the dialog below.
3.
Click Apply to take the component setting in to use (the dialog is left open).
4.
Pick the column and then a beam at grid intersection A-1 to extend the beam.

Change the
connection
parameters
Shorten all the

other beams
5.
Repeat for grid intersections A-4, B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4.
6.
Leave the command running.
1.
Select standard from the drop-down menu at the top of the dialog and click Load (the
clearance value field is cleared).
2.
Click OK to apply the settings and close the dialog.
3.
Pick the extended beam at the grid intersection A-1 and then the other beam. The
secondary beam is fit according to the primary beam.

4.
Repeat the procedure for all those beam-to-beam situations in the model where beams
clash with each other.

Shorten the
columns
Next cut the column on grid A-4 in the same way:

1.
Pick beam.
2.
Pick column.
3.
Repeat to all the columns on gridlines 1 to 4. (Note! If you are working on level +13400
and the view depth is 500, you may not see the cut columns, but they are visible in other
views.)
4.
Interrupt the command.

Create corbel connection

We will use the Corbel connection (14) to create corbels to columns on gridlines 4 to 7 at
elevations +3850 and +7350. The corbel is automatically added to the same cast unit as the
column. This connection will cut the beam and add a bearing pad and a reinforcing bar
according to the connection settings. For more information on the corbel connection click the
Help icon on the connection dialog.
Set the
connection
parameters
Create the
connection
1.
Click Ctrl+F and find Corbel connection (14).
2.
Double-click on the connection icon to open the connection dialog.
3.
Change the component settings according to the dialog below.
4.
Accept the settings by clicking OK.
5.
At grid A-4, elevation +3850, pick the column and then the beam.

6.
Check connection
To make it easier to check the connection you created, you can create views from different
sides of a selected connection. In the view the work area is closely fitted around the
connection.
Create connection
basic views Select
connection
1.
Select the component.
2.
Right mouse click.
3.
Select Create view > Component basic views.

10
4.
Check
dimensions
Keep the connection front view open and close the other connection basic views.
We will now check that the corbel dimensions are as we defined on the connection dialog.
Help: Modeling > Settings and Tools > Querying objects > Measure
1.
Click Create x measure.
2.
Pick two points at the edges of the corbel.
3.
Pick a third point to define the dimension line location.
4.
Check also the y dimensions.

11
Check cast unit
We will now check the cast unit. Help: Modeling > Parts > Cast units and assemblies
1.
Press down ALT and then pick column. The corbel will also be highlighted.
The corbel and the other connection objects are automatically added to the column cast unit.
Create the rest of

the corbel
connections
1.
Reactivate the Corbel connection (14) command.
2.
Repeat the creation procedure to all the other column-beam situations on gridlines 4 to 7
at elevations +3850 and +7350.

12
Create dowel connection

Next we will create dowel connections in the beam-to-column situations on gridlines 5 to 7
at elevation +13400. We will use the Seating with dowel (75) connection. This connection
automatically fits the column according to the beam. It also creates the necessary cuts to the
beam, adds a bearing pad and the dowel according to the connection settings. For more
information on the Dowel connection click on the Help icon on the connection dialog.
Create the
connection
1.
Click Ctrl+F and find Dowel connection (75).
2.
Use the default settings (click the connection only once).
3.
Pick the column and the beam on grid B-7, elevation +13400.
5.
Repeat in all the beam-to-column situations on gridlines 5 to 7 at elevation +13400.

13
Create cuts to hollow-core slab corners

We will next fit the hollow-core slab corners to the columns. For this we'll use the grating
penetration component.
Set the
connection
parameters
Create the
connection
1.
Find Grating penetration component (92) in the component catalog.
2.
Double-click on the icon to open the properties dialog.
3.
Set the Penetration type to Rectangular and the clearance around the column to 20 mm.
4.
Close the dialog with OK.
5.
At grid A-4, elevation +3850, pick the hollow-core slab.
6.
Pick the column.
7.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 for all other hollow-core slab corners that collide with columns.

14
2.3 Create Rebars Using System Components

Once you have created and detailed a model of concrete parts, you may need to reinforce the
parts. Reinforcing macros create the entire reinforcement of a part in one go. The
reinforcement is created according to the component attributes. Reinforcement created using
a component is updated automatically if the dimensions of the reinforced concrete part
change.
See more about reinforcements in Tekla Structures help: Detailing > Reinforcement >
Getting started with reinforcement and in help: Detailing > Reinforcement > Basic
reinforcement properties.
Reinforcing pad footings

We will first put reinforcements into the 1800*1800 pad footings, which are 650 mm high.
For this we use the Pad footing reinforcing macro. For more information click the Help
icon in the component dialog.
Define component
parameters
1.
Find the Pad footing (77) component in the component catalog.
2.
Double-click on the component to define the properties to be used.
3.
Check the cover thicknesses on the Picture tab page:
4.
Next define primary bars as described below. Select the grade and size from the Select
reinforcing bar dialog, which opens when you push the button in the size field. Exit the
dialog with OK.

15
Create
reinforcements
5.
Use the same settings for the secondary bars and put 12 mm reinforcement in 200 mm
intervals.
6.
Then you need to set the lacer bars as described below.
7.
Save the values in the Save as field with the name 1800*1800-650.
8.
9.
Now pick the Pad footing at A-1 sized 1800*1800*650. The macro generates the
reinforcement inside the pad footing.
10. Repeat to all the other 1800*1800*650 sized pad footings.

16
You can create reinforcements components to multiple parts by using area

select, e.g. activate component, area select all pad footings on grid line A.
Note, if you already have reinforcement created e.g. A&1 and you area select it
together with the others, second set of reinforcements will be created.
For pad footings on gridline B we will use the Pilecap reinforcement component, which
creates reinforcement also to the top of the footing. For more information click the help in
the component dialog.
Define component
parameters
1.
Find the Pilecap reinforcement (76) component in the component catalog.
2.
Double-click on the reinforcing component to define the properties to be used.
3.
Check the cover thicknesses on the Picture tab page:
4.
Next define top primary and secondary bars as described below. Select the grade
and the size in the Select reinforcing bar dialog, which opens when you click on
the button [] in the size field. Exit the dialog with OK. With these settings, top
bars will be created only under columns 150% of the column size.

17
Create
reinforcements
5.
Now define bottom bars for primary and secondary directions using 16 mm bars
in 150 mm spacing, bend length on both sides is 700 mm. The bottom bars don't
need to suit the piles, so you can use the default in that field and leave the % fields
empty.
6.
Then set 10 mm diameter lacer bars at 200 mm intervals starting at 100 and ending
at 700 mm.
7.
Save the values in the Save as field with the name 2700*2700-850.
8.
9.
Now pick first the Pad footing sized 2700*2700*850 at B-1, then the column on top
of the footing. End with clicking the middle mouse button. The macro generates the
reinforcement inside the pad footing and concentrates top bars under the column.
10. Repeat step 9 for all pad footings on gridline B.
Reinforcing columns

18
We will now create reinforcements into columns using the Rectangular column
reinforcement component. See more information by clicking the Help icon in the
component dialog.
Define component
parameters to be
used on gridlines
5 to 7
1.
Find Rectangular column reinforcement (83) in the component catalog.
2.
3.
Turn on side bars, and define cover thickness and rebar diameters as described below:
4.
Set the top bars so that they hold the dowel as shown below:

19
Create
reinforcements
5.
And the bottom bars as shown below:
6.
Press OK to close the dialog.
7.
Pick the column on grid intersection A-7, and the component generates reinforcements
inside the column.
8.
Pick, one by one, all the columns on gridlines A and B between gridlines 5 and 7. .
(Note: you can also use area select as explained on page 17)

20
We will now change the component settings to be used on the columns between gridlines 1
and 4.
Define component
parameters to be
used on gridlines
1 to 4
Create
reinforcements
1.
Double-click on the component in the component catalog again.
2.
Change the main rebars to come out from the top of the column (into the in-situ beams)
as shown below.
3.
Turn off the top rebars.
4.
Click OK to lock the settings and close the dialog.
5.
Pick the column at A-1, and the component creates reinforcements as defined.
6.
Pick, one by one, all the columns on gridlines A and B between gridlines 1 and 4. (Note:
you can also use area select as explained on page 17)

21
We will next reinforce the column corbels using the Corbel reinforcement (81) component.
See more information by clicking the Help icon in the component dialog.
Create
reinforcements
1.
Find the Corbel reinforcement (81) in the catalog.
2.
Click the component icon once to active the command.
3.
Pick first the column, then the corbel and end the selection with the middle mouse
button. The component generates reinforcements inside the corbel and the column.
4.
Create corbel reinforcement for all the corbels.
To see connections, such as a corbel connection, in shaded wire frame, use the
shortcut Shift+2.

22
You can create the corbel reinforcement in a two-sided situation by picking

first the column, then both the corbels and then end the selection with the
middle mouse button.
Two components don't interact together - depending on the settings, it is

possible that reinforcements collide. Check collisions with clash check option.
Remember to use object in components select switch, see page 27.
Reinforcing beams
We will next create reinforcements into beams using two reinforcing components. See more
information by clicking the Help icon in the component dialog.
We will first create main bars and stirrups.
Create
reinforcements
1.
Find Beam reinforcement (63) in the catalog.
2.
We are going to use the default settings. Click on the reinforcing component once to
activate the command.
3.
Pick the beam at gridline 7 at elevation +3850. The component generates reinforcements
inside the beam and cuts the bottom bars at the corbels.
4.
Pick, one by one, all the precast concrete beams between gridlines 4 and 7. (Note: you
can also use area select as explained on page 16)
We will continue reinforcing the beams by inserting additional rebars at the beam ends. This
we will do with the Beam end reinforcement (79) component. See more information by
clicking the Help icon in the component dialog.
1.
Find the Beam end reinforcement (79).
2.
We are going to use the default settings. Click on the reinforcing component once to
activate the command.
3.
Pick a position at the end of a beam. (Note: this point can be any corner at the end of the
beam)

23
Create
reinforcement
4.
Pick the beam, and the component generates reinforcements inside the beam.
5.
Repeat the picking for each end of all precast concrete beams between gridlines 4 and
7 at elevations +3850 and +7350.
Next we will create the beam end reinforcement for a beam at elevation +13400.
Create
reinforcement
1.
Using the same settings, create the beam end reinforcement at grid intersection A-7 at
+13400.

24
As shown above, the reinforcements come through the cut at the top of the beam. So we need
to change the parameters and modify the connection.
2.
Open view GRID 7 to see the situation better.
3.
Double-click on the component to open the component dialog.

25
In the dialog, study the area marked with a red frame above. The problem rebars are defined
as 5A.
Change
connection
parameters
4.
Go to the Groups tab and change the distance between the rebars to 30.00 210.00 40.00
as shown below.
Modify the
connection
5.
Click Modify.

26
The connection is modified and the rebars are arranged according to the new settings.
Create
reinforcements
6.
Click Apply to use the new settings.
7.
Create the beam end reinforcements to all the other beams at elevation +13400.
When trying to select the component it is important to understand the Select

component and Select objects in component icons in the Select toolbar:
When the Select component icon is active you can only select the component,
not the objects created by the component. You can open the component dialog
by double-clicking on any component object.
When the Select objects in components icon is active you can select objects
inside the component: parts, bolts, reinforcements, etc. If you need to modify
the component you need to double-click on the component symbol.

27
Reinforcing slabs
We will next create reinforcement mesh into the slabs at elevations +3850 and +7350 using
the Slab bars (18) reinforcing component. See more information by clicking the Help
icon in the component dialog.
Define component
parameters
Create mesh
1.
Find Slab bars (18) in the catalog.
2.
3.
Define the cover thickness to be used.
4.
Open the Bottom bars tab page and set the bar diameter to 10 mm, and spacing in both
directions to 200 mm. Change also the bar generation type to mesh.
5.
Use the same settings for top bars.
6.
7.
Pick the cast in-situ slab between gridlines 5 and 6 at level +3850. The macro generates
reinforcements inside the slabs.

28
8.
Create reinforcements to the in-situ slab at level +7350.
Lifting hooks
We will next create lifting anchors into beams and columns using the Lifting anchor (80)
macro. The macro generates lifting anchors according to center of gravity. See more
information by clicking the Help icon in the component dialog.
Define component
parameters
1.
Find Lifting anchor (80) in the component catalog.
2.
3.
Select anchor shape and define anchor dimensions.
4.
Select anchor size and grade.
5.
Change also side and class.
6.
Click Apply to lock the settings.

29
Create lifting
anchor
7.
Pick the column at grid intersection A-1. The macro generates lifting anchors inside the
column.
8.
Pick, one by one, all the columns on gridline A. (Note: you can also use area select as
explained on page 16)
The corbels are on the other side of the columns on gridline B so we need to modify the
lifting anchors to appear on the other side of the column.
Change
component
parameters
Create lifting
anchor
1.
Change the side to Top.
2.
Click OK to lock the settings and close the dialog.
3.
Pick, one by one, all the columns on gridline B. (Note: you can also use area select as
Still using the Lifting anchor (80) component, we are going to create lifting anchors to all
the pre-cast concrete beams.
Change
component
parameters
1.
Double-click on the component again.
2.
Change the anchor shape and dimensions and apply.

30
Create lifting
anchor
3.
Pick the beam on gridline 7 at elevation +3850. The macro generates a lifting anchor
inside the beam.
4.
One by one, pick all the pre-cast concrete beams. (Note: you can also use area select as

31
2.4 Modify All the Corbel Connections

Next we are going to modify the corbel connections.
1.
Double-click on the corbel connection on A-7 at elevation +3850 to open the connection
dialog.
2.
Select and load the standard settings.
3.
Click Modify.
As you can see, the reinforcement inside the corbel and the beam will be modified according
to the changed corbel size.
Modify all the

corbel
connections at
once
We can easily modify only connections of the same type shown in the connection dialog by
selecting Ignore other types in the connection dialog box. Help: Detailing > Getting
started > Using components > Modifying components
1. Check that Ignore other types is selected in the connection dialog box.
2. Select all the connections in the model by using the Select connection select switch
shown below and dragging a window around the whole model.
3. Click Modify.

32
System Components
for Steel

September 21, 2006
Contents
Creating System Components for Steel ....................................................................3

2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
About System Components.......................................................................................................3

Column Base Plates ..................................................................................................................5
Beam to Beam Web ..................................................................................................................8
Beam to Column Web .............................................................................................................11
Beam to Column Flange..........................................................................................................16
Create AutoDefaults Rules ......................................................................................................18
Use AutoDefaults Rules ..........................................................................................................25

Contents

Contents
ii
In this lesson
Creating System
Components for Steel
This lesson introduces the basics of creating system connections in Tekla Structures.
x
Create connections
Work with connection properties
Save the properties for later use
Work with AutoDefaults, i.e. create rules to apply pre-defined connection properties
automatically
2.1 About System Components

You can model connections quickly with the Tekla Structures system components.
The greatest benefits of using system components are:
x
The connection properties can be saved with a particular name so that they can be used
later. These properties can then be used for all projects.
When you modify a main objects profile in the model all of the connections to the object
are automatically modified at the same time.
If you select options such as edit, copy, or mirror, all connections are automatically
included. The connections that are copied or mirrored are exactly the same as the
originals. The same applies to plates and bolts.
With AutoDefaults you can create rules defining when to use different connection
properties.
All available system components are located in the component catalog, which can be opened
using Ctrl+F or by clicking the binocular icon on the component toolbar.
When applying a connection that you are unfamiliar with, accept the default properties and
create the connection. Then look to see what needs to be modified. This is usually quicker
than trying to set the values for the connection before seeing what the connection actually
creates.
Help: Detailing > Getting started > Using components > Creating components
Help: Detailing > Getting started > Basics > Component concepts

Creating System Components for Steel
Help: Detailing > Getting started > Basics > Up direction
Check clashing of steel structures

In Chapter 1 we created a model of a small industrial structure. To complete the model we
will need to connect the parts. Before creating the connections usually all of the members in
the model collide with other members.
By using the Clash check command we can check which parts in the model collide. We will
run a clash check now and then again after the connections have been applied.
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Querying objects > Clash check
Check clashing
1.
Select all of the parts of the model by dragging an area select around the whole model.
2.
Tekla Structures highlights the colliding parts in yellow and displays the clash check log in
the List dialog box. You can see that all of the parts in the model collide.
Select any clashing parts from the list and Tekla Structures highlights them in the model.

2.2 Column Base Plates

The first system connections that we will add are the column base plate details.
First we will create a base plate using the default values. We will then modify the properties
of the base plate and finally create the rest of the base plates with the new properties.
Create base plate
to one column
1.
Open the component catalog by clicking on the binocular icon or by typing Ctrl+F.
2.
To see pictures of the connection, check that the Thumbnails icon is active, see below.
3.
Type "base plate" into the upper field and click on the Search button. In the Component
catalog, double-click on the Base plate (1004) icon.
4.
The following dialog appears:

5.
Click OK to accept the default values.
6.
Pick any column.
7.
When prompted, pick the bottom endpoint of the column as the position and the base
plate will be created.
8.
Use the shortcut Ctrl+2 to set the parts displayed in shaded wire frame.
You can see that the anchor bolts were created just as ordinary bolts.

Add anchor rods

to base plates
We will change the bolts in the base plate to anchor rods by modifying the connection
properties.
1.
Double-click on the green connection symbol, and the Base plate dialog box will
reopen.
2.
Select the Anchor rods tab page in the dialog box.
3.
Edit the values in the fields shown highlighted in the figure below.
4.
Click Modify and the bolts become anchor bars.
5.
Click OK to accept the properties for use later.

Create base
plates to rest of
the columns
1.
Press the Enter key to start the base plate command again.
To repeat the last command, do one of the following:
x
Click Edit -> Repeat last command
Press Enter
2.
Create the rest of the base plates by picking each column and then the position for the
base plate.
2.3 Beam to Beam Web

Shear plates
We will use the Shear plate simple (146) connection to make the beam to beam web
connections. The shear plate will be welded to the primary beam web and bolted to the
secondary beam web. We will use the connection both when the secondary beam is
perpendicular to the main member or at a skewed angle to the main member.
Create one shear
plate connection
1.
Open the component dialog (Ctrl+F or binocular icon), find the Shear plate simple
(146) connection, and double-click on its icon.
The following dialog appears:

2.
Pick the beam on gridline 1 as the main part of the connection.
3.
Pick the beam perpendicular to the main part to be the secondary part and the connection
will be created.

Check the connection

To make it easier to check the connection you created you can create views from different
sides of a selected connection. In the view the work area is closely fitted around the
connection.
Create connection
basic views
Check bolt
dimensions
To create component basic views:

1.
Select the connection symbol.
2.
Right-click and select Create view > Component basic views, and four basic views
(front, top end and perspective) appear.
3.
Keep the Component front view open and close the other component basic views.
We will now check the bolt location distances and bolt edge distances between bolts and the
shear plate.
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Querying objects > Measure
1.
Click Tools > Measure > Bolt measure.
2.
Pick the bolt group.
3.
Pick the shear plate and the temporary dimensions are shown in the view.

10
Now we will accept the created connection with the default properties.
Create the rest of
the shear plates
With the connections applied properties, create shear plate connections to all the other beam
to beam conditions.
2.4 Beam to Column Web

We will use the End plate (144) connection to make the beam to column web connections.
For the double sided beam to column web connections we will use the Two sided end plate
(142) connection. That connection uses only one bolt group to go through all three parts.
We will then make the wall brace to column connections with Tube gusset (20). The
connection uses a gusset plate to connect the beam to the column. Connection plates welded
to the end of the braces will be bolted to the gusset plate.

11
End plate
We will now use the End plate (144) connection to make all beam to column web
connections using the default connection properties. We will modify the properties later with
AutoDefaults.
Create end plates
1.
In the component catalog, find the End plate (144) connection.
2.
Make an end plate connection at every beam to column web condition where there is
only one secondary beam coming to the column web. The column is the main part in the
connection, so when prompted, pick the column as the main part.
Two-sided end plate

Create the two sided end plate connection to all double sided beam to column web conditions
to connect beams to both sides of the column web:
Create two-sided
end plates
1.
Find the Two sided end plate (142) connection.

12
2.
When prompted, pick the column as the main part.
3.
Pick each beam as a secondary part.
4.
Click the middle mouse button to complete the connection.

When there are multiple secondaries you need to click the middle mouse button
to complete the selection.
Wall bracing tube gusset

We will connect all the wall braces to columns using Tube gusset (20) connections and after
that modify their properties all at once.
Create tube
gusset to
intersection of
braces
1.
Find the Tube gusset (20) connection.
2.
Pick the column on grid intersection A-3 as the main part.
3.
Pick the four braces, one by one, as secondaries.
4.
Click the middle mouse button to create the connection.
Now we can see that the connection created has only one gusset plate which goes through the
column.
We could also have created a separate gusset plate at each side of the column
by creating two separate connections.

13
Create the rest of

the tube gussets
While still in the command, create the connections to the other ends of the braces by doing
the following:
1.
Pick the column.
2.
Pick the brace.
3.
Click the middle mouse button to create the connection.
Modify the connection
Edit the number

of bolt rows
1.
On the Bracebolts1, Bracebolts2 and Bracebolts3 tab pages, edit the number of
horizontal and vertical bolt rows as shown in the figures below.
2.
Click Modify and then Apply.

14
The Bracebolts1 tab affects the first picked brace, Bracebolts2 tab the second
pick and Bracebolts3 picks 3-9.
Check the
changes
Check that the number of bolt rows was changed and that the clearance is correct.
To check the clearance:
1.
Click the Create X measure icon.
2.
Pick the starting and end points as shown:
3.
Pick a point to locate the dimension.
4.
Repeat for the other dimensions you want to check.
Now we will also modify the other tube gusset connections with the new properties we
applied.
Modify all the tube
gusset
connections at
once
We can easily modify only connections of the same type shown in the connection dialog by
selecting Ignore other types in the connection dialog box.
1.
Check that Ignore other types is selected in the connection dialog box.
Help: Modifying connections

15
2.
Select all the connections in the model by using the Select connections select switch
shown below and dragging a window around the whole model.
3.
Click Modify.
We will now save the edited properties for later use.

By saving the properties with a descriptive name you can easily use them later.
You can also get AutoDefaults to automatically use the saved properties in
desired cases by setting up AutoDefaults rules.
Save the
properties
4.
Type Wall bracings in the Save as field in the dialog box.
5.
Click the Save as button.
2.5 Beam to Column Flange

We will now create End plate (144) connections to all the beam to column flange conditions
by using the default properties.
Then we will edit one of the connections properties. Instead of modifying the rest of the
connections with the new properties, in the next section, we will create AutoDefaults rules to
define when certain properties will be used.
End plate
Create end plates
1.
Find the End plate (144) connection.

16
2.
Create connections at all the beam to column flange framing conditions.
Change the number of bolt rows and save the properties

We will now change the number of bolt rows to eight when the secondary beam is IPE600.
We will then save the new properties with a specific name so that we will be able to use them
in AutoDefaults.
We will also save properties with seven bolt rows for later use with IPE500 beams.
8 bolt rows to
IPE600
1.
Double-click one of the connections we just created to open the connection dialog box.
2.
On the Bolts tab input 8 as the number of bolt rows.
3.
Click Modify.

17
7 bolt rows to
IPE500
4.
Type 8_bolt_rows in the Save as field in the dialog box and click Save as.
5.
On the Bolts page input 7 as the number of bolt rows.
6.
Use Save as to save the properties as 7_bolt_rows.
2.6 Create AutoDefaults Rules

With AutoDefaults you can create rules defining when to use different pre-defined
connection properties. When the connections need to be modified (for example changing the
beam size), Tekla Structures automatically redefines the connection properties using
AutoDefaults rules defined by you.
New rule group: Industrial building rules

We will now create a new AutoDefaults rule group named Industrial building rules.
This rule group could include all the rules needed to define when to use certain pre-defined
connection properties for the entire project.
Help: System > AutoConnection > AutoDefaults setup > AutoDefaults setup
We will first select connection parameters to be always used for Tube gusset (20)
connection. We will then define two simple rules for the End plate (144) connection.
1.
When the secondary is an IPE500, the end plate connection will have 7 bolt rows.
2.
When secondary is an IPE600, the end plate connection will have 8 bolt rows.
When the secondary is neither of the above (IPE500 or IPE600) the default rule will be met
and the standard properties will be used.

18
Create new rule

group: Industrial
building rules
Select connection
parameters for
tube gusset (20)
1.
Click Setup > AutoDefaults to open the AutoDefaults setup dialog box.
2.
Right-click in the dialog and select New rule group, and a rule group named New
appears.
3.
Select the New rule group, press the F2 key and type: Industrial building rules.
1.
Browse to Industrial building rules > Components 4 > Tube gusset (20).
2.
Select the standard.j120 parameters, right-click and pick Select connection

parameters
3.
Select the Wall bracings and click OK

19
The Tube gusset (20) connection will now use Wall bracing parameters in all cases
Create new rule

sets for end plate
1.
Browse to Industrial building rules > Components 1 > End plate (144).
2.
Right-click the connection Endplate (144) and select Create additional rule sets.

20
3.
Two rule sets: New and Default appear in the tree. By default, both rule sets have
standard connection properties selected.
IPE 600 rule set

Add rule to rule
set New
Enter name for

rule set
1.
Right-click the rule set New and select Edit rule set... to open the AutoDefault Rules
dialog box.
2.
Select the rule Secondary 1 profile from the Available rules list.
3.
Click the right arrow button to move the selected rule into the list of rules in the rule set.
4.
In the right pane under Exact value, fill in IPE600.
5.
Enter a name for the rule set: Secondary IPE600.
6.
Click OK.

21
We have used the End plate (144) connection both in beam to column web and
beam to column flange cases so the rule will now be used in both cases.
We could make this rule to work only in beam to beam flange cases by setting
another rule: Secondary beam to beam flange TRUE.
Select connection
parameters
7.
Select the standard.j144 parameters, right-click and pick Select connection

parameters
8.
This opens Attribute file list in which all the saved properties for connection 144 are
listed.
9.
Select the 8_bolt_rows properties and click OK.

22
IPE 500 rule set

We will now create another rule set for IPE500 taking advantage of the IPE600 rule set we
just created.
Copy and modify
rule set
1.
Select the rules set Secondary IPE600, right-click and select Copy rule set.
2.
While the rule set Secondary IPE600 is still selected, right-click again and select Paste
rule set.
We now have two identical rule sets.
3.
Select the upper Secondary IPE600 rule set, right-click and select Edit rule set
4.
Modify the value in the rule to IPE500 and the Rule set name to Secondary IPE500
and click OK.

23
5.
Select the properties 8_bolt_rows under the rule set Secondary IPE500, right-click and
pick Select connection parameters
6.
Select the parameters: 7_bolt_rows and click OK.
7.
Finally click OK in the AutoDefaults setup dialog box.
Now the new AutoDefaults rules are ready for use.

24
2.7 Use AutoDefaults Rules

We will now use the Industrial building rules created to automatically apply the correct
properties to the existing End plate (144) connections.
Switch the AutoDefaults on in the end plate connections

1.
Open the End plate (144) connection dialog box.
2.
On the General tab select Industrial building rules.
3.
Click the on/off button and tick only the Rule Group check box.
4.
Check that the Ignore other types is selected.
5.
Save as ipe600.
6.
Select all of the connections in the model.
7.
Click Modify.

25
Since all the secondaries in our end plate connection are IPE600, they all pass the
Secondary IPE 600 rule and result in having the same properties, 8_bolt_rows.
Change profiles AutoDefaults react

Lets now assume that first and second floor beams on gridlines 4 and 7 don't have as much
load as others and we can change their profiles to IPE500.
Change the
profiles
1.
Double-click one of the beams selected in the figure below to open the beam properties
dialog box.
2.
Change the profile to IPE500 and tick only the profile check box.
3.
Select the four beams shown highlighted in the figure below and click Modify.
You can see that the connections in the modified beams were updated to have 7 rows of
bolts.
Inquire the
properties used
1.
Select one of the connection symbols of the changed profiles.
2.
Right-click and select Inquire.
From the inquire object dialog box you can check which rule group, particular rule and
connection attributes were used.

26
Check clashing again

Now that we have connected all the steel parts in our model we will run the clash check
again.
Check clashing
1.
Select all of the parts by dragging an area select around the whole model.
2.
To quickly locate and view colliding parts in the model, select a line containing the ID
numbers of colliding parts from the list. Tekla Structures highlights the parts in the model.

27
Interactive Precast
Concrete Detailing

September 19, 2006
Contents
Contents ................................................................................................................................. i
Interactive Precast Concrete Detailing...................................................................... 3

3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
Create a Cast Unit .....................................................................................................................3

Create a Brace Connection from Scratch ..................................................................................7
Create a Brace Connection with a Custom Part ......................................................................19
Create a Column Shoe and an Anchor Bolt Connection..........................................................23
Create Interactive Reinforcements ..........................................................................................31
Create Cuts Interactively .........................................................................................................42

Interactive Precast Concrete Detailing

ii
In this lesson
Interactive Precast
Concrete Detailing
Tekla Structures covers a great variety of the connection and reinforcement components used
in most projects. However, you may come across situations where it's not possible to make
the necessary detail in your model using the system components.
In this lesson we will practice interactive detailing. We will create interactive
reinforcements, cast units, embeds, column shoe connections and cuts.
3.1 Create a Cast Unit

As we learned in lesson 2, the corbel connection component automatically included the
corbel in the column cast unit. However, often cast units need to be created interactively.
You might need to create a complicated concrete shape out of many separate parts and then
merge them into one cast unit. For more information on cast units see help file: Help:
Modeling > Parts > Cast units and assemblies > Working with cast units
Clean model
views
1.
Double-click on the background of the 3D view to open view properties.
2.
Click Display.
3.
Turn off points, reinforcements, cuts, fittings and component symbols.

Select in-situ
beams
4.
Click Modify.
5.
Click OK on View properties dialog.
1.
Turn on the part select switch.
2.
Click select filter.

3.
Use part name to filter beams only.
4.
Click OK to accept the settings.

Tekla Structures has also pre-defined select filters, which you can find from the
drop down menu next to select filter icon e.g. "BEAM_CONCRETE" filters
according to BEAM name and CONCRETE material.
You can easily create more pre-defined select filters, just do save as on select
filter dialog.
Create cast unit
5.
Rotate the 3D view so that it is easy to select the in-situ beams.
6.
Window-select the beams.
7.
Right-click, select Cast unit > Create cast unit.

The cast unit is colored cyan. The main part of the cast unit is colored magenta. The main
part can be changed by selecting any part, right-click, select Set as new main part of
assembly.
Turn off select

switches
8.
Click on the arrow on the select toolbar to view the drop-down menu.
9.
Select standard on the select filter drop-down menu to load the standard values.
Remember that you can always check the cast unit by holding down the Alt
key and selecting a part.
Alt + Select

3.2 Create a Brace Connection from Scratch

We are going to create a fastening plate by creating all the separate parts and welding them
into an assembly. This embed plate is then added to a cast unit. Braces are fitted and sitewelded to the fastening plate to finalize the connection.
1.
Open the view G

RI D A.
2.
Pick a work area around the brace connection at gridline 3.
Create steel plate

Define plate
parameters
1.
Double-click on the Create beam icon to open the beam properties dialog.
2.
Apply the properties for the fastening plate as shown in the dialog box below.

Locate start
position
3.
Hold down the Ctrl key and pick a reference point from the middle of the braces.

4.
While still holding down the Ctrl key, pick another reference point from the edge of the
column.
5.
Right mouse click and select snap override Near.
6.
Let the cursor snap (do not pick) to the edge of the column below the previous point.

Locate end
position
7.
Type 450 (the Enter a numeric location dialog will open automatically)
8.
Press Enter.
9.
Right mouse click and select snap override Near again.
10. Let the cursor snap (do not pick) to the edge of the column above the previous point.
11. Type 900.

12. Press Enter.

10
The plate will appear in the correct location.

13. Interrupt.
Create stud
Next we will create steel parts for studs. We will create one completed stud with welds, and
then move and copy it to the correct locations.
Create the body of

the stud
14. Change the beam properties of the studs as shown in the dialog box below.

11
15. Click Apply (leaving the dialog open).
In plane view (2D), the picking of start/end points is always to view plane in depth wise (in
this situation to grid A). So in order to place the stud in correct position we need define
starting point 50mm into the view. We can do this with reference point
Define start and
end positions
16. Hold down the Ctrl and pick a reference point at the bottom inner corner of the plate.
17. Type 0, 50, 50 (direction x, y, z).
18. Press Enter
19. Type 100, 0, 0. (this creates end point 100mm in x direction)
20. Press Enter
The body of the stud is created.

Create the head of
the stud
1.
Change the profile to D30.
2.
Click OK.
Define start and

end positions
3.
Turn the view to 3D with Ctrl+P
4.
Pick starting point at the end of the stud.
5.
Type 15, 0, 0. (this creates end point 15mm in x direction)
6.
Click Enter.
7.


12
The parts of the stud are created.
Create welds
Next we are going to weld the stud head to the stud body. The stud is then welded to the
plate. This will create an embed assembly.
Help: Modeling > Detailing > Detailing commands > Weld
Define weld
parameters
1.
Double-click on the Create weld icon.
2.
Apply the settings as shown below.

13
Pick parts to be
welded
3.
Click OK.
4.
Pick the body of the stud (the primary part for the first weld).
5.
Pick the head of the stud (the secondary part for the first weld).
6.
Pick the plate (the primary part for the second weld).
7.
Pick the body of the stud (the secondary part for the second weld).
It is very important to enter the welding order correctly. Tekla Structures uses
the welding order to determine the primary and secondary parts of the
assembly. This affects the position of the parts in the drawings.
Inquire assembly
You can check assemblies using the command Inquire Assembly.

1.
Pick the plate (or any part of the assembly).
2.
Right-click and select Inquire > Assembly.
The main part of the assembly will appear red and other parts will appear yellow.
To select the entire assembly: press the Alt key while clicking on a part in the
assembly.
Copy studs
Next we will copy the stud to the correct locations to complete the embed.
Select part to be
copied
1.
Select the stud and welds with a window from left to right

14
Copy
Select parts to be
copied and copy
2.
Right-click and select Copy special > Translate -100 mm in y direction.
3.
Click Copy.
4.
Interrupt.
5.
Select both studs and welds with a window from left to right (exactly like in step 1).
6.
Right-click, select Copy special > Translate 4 times 200 mm in z direction.
7.
Click Copy.
8.
Interrupt.
9.
Check the assembly.

15
Adding embed to cast unit

Next we will add the embed to the cast unit. For more information on cast units see help file:
Help: Modeling > Parts > Cast units and assemblies > Working with cast units
10. Turn on the select assemblies switch.
11. Pick the embed (all the parts of embed are highlighted).
12. Right-click, select Assembly > Add as sub-assembly.
13. Pick the column.
The embed has been added to the column cast unit.

16
Create fitting
We will use the Fitting command to trim the braces at the embed.
The Fitting tool will trim the end of the part on a plane perpendicular to the view plane,
which is defined by picking 2 points on a line.
Help: Modeling > Detailing > Fine-tuning part shape > Fitting
Define cut line
1.
Click the Create fitting icon.
2.
Window-select the braces to be fitted.
3.
Pick the points on the plate corners to set the cutting line for the fitting.
Define the fitting line with two points.
The selected parts have been fitted.

17
Creating site welds

To finalize the connection we will create a site weld between the brace and the embed. The
site weld will not create an assembly, but the weld can be called automatically into drawings.
Define weld
parameters
1.
2.
Apply the settings as shown below.
Pick parts to be
welded
3.
Pick the first brace.
4.
Pick the plate.
5.
Repeat for the other brace.
The connection has been finalized. In lesson 4 we will create a custom component out of the
embed and the connection.

18
3.3 Create a Brace Connection with a Custom Part

Next we will create a similar connection at the bottom end of the brace on gridline 2, but this
time we will use a predefined custom component embed. In lesson 4 we will cover creation
and use of custom components in more detail. For more information on cast units, see help
file: help: Detailing > Custom components
Importing custom
components
1.
Open the component catalog.
2.
Right-click, select Import.
3.
Select the fastener plate file (in Finland: SBK

L-K
L
-JPL -PK
L fastening plates.uel)
Note! You need to have predefined custom components files downloaded in

order to complete this task!
Define custom
part parameters
4.
Search SBKL on Component catalog menu.
5.
Double-click on the SBKL component.
6.
Select and load the SBKL200x300 settings.

19
Insert custom part
7.
Click OK.
1.
At the bottom of the column at grid intersection A2, pick the insertion point at the
intersection of the column edge and the brace center line (use fully rendered view
Ctrl+4).
2.
Pick a point below the insertion point to show the direction of the component.
Change the transparency with Ctrl+2 to see the inserted component.


20
Next we will add the embed to the cast unit just like before. Note: component itself can't be
added to the cast unit, so we need to select the objects inside the component.
Select parts
Add parts to cast

unit
3.
Activate the Select assemblies icon on the select toolbar.
4.
Pick the custom component (all the parts of the embed are highlighted).
5.
Right-click, select Assembly > Add as sub-assembly.
6.
Pick the column.
To finalize this connection we will fit the brace and site-weld it to the plate just like we did
earlier when we created a brace connection from scratch.
Fit the brace
Site weld
1.
Click the Create fitting icon.
2.
Select the brace to be fitted.
3.
Pick the points on the plate corners to set the cut line for the fitting.
1.
Activate the Create weld icon (previous site-weld settings are still applied).
2.
Pick the brace.
3.
Pick the plate.

21

22
3.4 Create a Column Shoe and an Anchor Bolt

Connection
Next we will create a connection which will make column shoes and anchor bolts, and cut
the column according to the column shoes. We will use predefined custom parts for the
column shoes and anchor bolts. In lesson 4 we will cover the creation and use of custom
components in more detail. For more information on cast units, see help file: help: Detailing
> Custom components
Importing custom
components
1.
2.
Right-click, select Import.
3.
Select the column shoe file (in Finland: HPK

M -PPK
M -PEC column shoes.uel).
4.
Right-click, Import.
5.
This time, select anchor bolt file (in Finland: HPM-PPM anchor bolts.uel).
6.
Select custom on the drop-down menu to display custom components.
Next we will insert a column shoe and an anchor bolt at the edge of the column at grid A-7.
We will first insert the components and then move them to the correct location.
Inserting the
components
1.
Click once on the HPKM24 column shoe to activate it.
2.
Pick the corner of the column.
3.
Type 0, -1, 0 to define the direction of the component.
4.
Click OK or Enter.

23
5.
Interrupt.
6.
Repeat same steps for anchor bolt HPM24L.
Now we will move the components to the correct location, but first we will have to make
sure that we select the whole components, not the parts inside the components.
Move the
components to
correct location
1.
Press the Select component icon on the select toolbar.
2.
Select the column shoe.
3.
Right-click, Move special > Translate.
4.
G
ive t he necessary values in the dX and dY fields as shown below.
5.
Click Move.
6.
Interrupt.

24
7.
Now select the anchor bolt.
8.
Type the necessary dZ

=80 value into the Move dialog (the dX and dY values are the
same as those of the column shoe).
9.
Click Move.
10. Interrupt.
The column shoe and the anchor bolt are now in the correct location.
Next we will create a very small cutting part with the Concrete slab command, which we
will use for cutting the column corner according to the column shoe.
Create a cutting
part
1.
Hide the column shoe and the anchor bolt.
2.
3.
Define a 210 mm thick slab.
4.
Define the slab position to Front with -10 mm offset.
5.
Pick the corner of the column.
6.
Let the cursor snap to the other corner of the column (do not pick).
7.
Type 100.
8.
Select perpendicular snap override (right-click) and let the cursor snap to the opposite
edge of the column.

25
9.
Type 100.
10. Select perpendicular snap override again and let the cursor snap to the edge of the
column according to the picture.
11. Type 100.

12. Click the middle mouse button to close the polygon.
13. Interrupt.
We now need to move the cutting part to the correct position and round the corner. Open the
view at elevation +0 to see the needed distance better.

26
Move the slab
Round corner of
the slab
1.
Select cutting part.
2.
Right-click, Move special > Translate.
3.
Define dX = 7 mm and dY = -7 mm.
4.
Click Move.
5.
Double-click on the chamfer at the back corner to open the Chamfer properties dialog.
6.
Select the rounded corner option and define the radius as 15 mm.
7.
Click Modify.
Next we will copy-rotate the column shoe, anchor bolt and cutting part 3 times to the other
corners of the column. Redraw the view to bring back the hidden column shoe and anchor
bolt.
Copy rotate
1.
Select the parts.
2.
Right-click, Copy special > Rotate.

27
3.
Pick the grid intersection as the rotation origin.
4.
Define the number of copies as 3 and rotation angle as 90.
5.
Click Copy.
The column shoe and the anchor bolts are now at each corner of the column.
Now we need to cut the column according to the cutting part and then delete the parts. (In
section 3.6 cut options are explained in more detail.)
Create cuts
1.
Activate the part cut command.
2.
Pick the column.
3.
Click on the cutting part.
4.
Repeat to all the corners.
5.
Delete all the cutting parts.

28
To finalize the connection we will add the column shoes to the column cast unit and the
anchor bolts to the pad footing cast unit.
Select parts
Add parts to cast

unit
1.
Activate the Select components icon on the select toolbar.
2.
Hold down Ctrl and pick all four column shoes (all the parts are highlighted).
3.
Right-click, Assembly > Add as sub-assembly.
4.
Pick the column.
The column shoes have been added to the column cast unit.
5.
Repeat to the anchor bolts.

29

30
3.5 Create Interactive Reinforcements

In lesson 2 we created reinforcements with system components. You may need to do some
reinforcing interactively to complete reinforcing. Tekla Structures has multiple options for
reinforcement creation. In this lesson we will use rebar groups to complete in-situ slab
reinforcement at the first floor on gridline A between gridlines 5 and 6.
See more about reinforcements in Tekla Structures help: Detailing > Reinforcement >
Single bars, bar groups, and meshes > Reinforcing bar and help: Detailing >
Reinforcement > Single bars, bar groups, and meshes > Reinforcing bar group
First we will create two rebars tying the in-situ slab together with the hollow-core slabs.
Define rebar
parameters
1.
Double-click on the Create reinforcing bar group icon.
2.
Click Select to define the rebar size and grade. The bending radius is defined
automatically according to the rebar.
3.
Select 10 mm main reinforcement.
4.
Click OK on the Select reinforcing bar dialog.

31
Define rebar
shape
5.
Use the No hook option for both ends.
6.
Define the first and last segment leg length as 1000 mm as shown below.
7.
Define a group of 2 with equal distribution on the Group tab page.
8.
9.
Pick the slab at the first floor.
10. Define a U-shaped poly-line as shown below. You can pick the start and end positions at
any locations (use near snap override), because the segment length has been defined as
1000 mm.
11. Click the middle mouse button to end defining the rebar shape.

32
Define rebar
group direction
12. Define the group direction with two points as shown below.
The reinforcements are created after the second pick.

Next, we will copy-mirror the reinforcements to the other end of the slab.
1.
Select the reinforcements.
2.
Right-click, Copy special > Mirror.
3.
Indicate the mirror line at the middle of the slab with two points.

33
The reinforcements are mirrored.
Next we are going to create a reinforcing bar group for the other direction.
Create rebar
group
1.
Double-click on the Create reinforcing bar group icon.
2.
3.
Select the 10 mm stirrup reinforcement.
4.
5.
Use the 50 mm long 135-degree custom hook with 20mm radius.
6.
Define 25 mm cover thickness in the on-plane direction and 25 mm in the from-plane

direction.

34
7.
G
o to the Group tab page.
8.
Define the group creation method as exact spacing with flexible first and last space. Set
intervals to 200 using normal group type.
9.
Close the dialog by clicking OK.
10. Pick the in-situ slab.

11. Now define the rebar shape. This time we need to pick the points at the corners of the
slab.

35
12. Click the middle mouse button to end defining the rebar shape.
13. Next define the group location by picking the start and end positions at the long side
corners.
The rebars are created after the second pick.
Clash check
Redraw the window and if necessary turn on reinforcing from the view settings.
1.
Click the Select objects in components icon.


36
2.
Select the reinforcements and the slab.
3.
Right-click, Clash check.
In case of collision, a list will open to indicate the id numbers of the colliding rebars. Select
the first row and those colliding rebars will be highlighted in the model. As you can see, the
mesh collides with the L rebar and the stirrups also collide also with the L rebar. Open the
G
R ID 5 view and the elevation view +3850.
Modify stirrups
1.
Double-click on the stirrups.
2.
Change the cover thickness of the second segment to 35.
3.
Change the From plane distance to 45.

37
4.
Click Modify.
The U bars cover thicknesses change as shown above. The L shaped bar is still colliding with
the mesh and the stirrups so we need to modify it further.
Modify L shaped
rebars
1.
Double-click on the L rebar.
2.
Change the From plane distance to 45.


38
3.
Click Modify.
The L bar cover thicknesses change as shown above. Run the clash check again and continue
modifications if necessary.
Next we will copy the reinforcements to elevation +7350.

Copy
reinforcements to
upper elevation
1.
Delete the slab at elevation +7350.
2.
Hold down Alt and select the slab at +3850 (slab and reinforcements will be
highlighted).
3.
Right-click, Copy special > Translate.
4.
Set dZ
= 3500.
5.
Click Copy.
Next we will create seam reinforcements between hollow-core slabs on the first floor.
1.
Open the view at elevation +3850.
2.
Double-click on the Create reinforcing bar group icon. (See settings on the dialog
below)
3.
Change the name to SEAM_

REBAR.
4.
5.
Select 12 mm main reinforcement.
6.
7.
Change class to 4.
8.
Turn off hooks.
9.
Define 50 mm cover thickness for the On plane direction and 0 for other directions.

39
10. Change the rebar group to exact spacing and define 8 spaces.
11. Apply.
12. Pick the hollow-core slab next to the in-situ slab (in plan view, above the in-situ slab).
13. Use the following snap settings:
14. Hold down Ctrl and pick a reference point (1) between the hollow-core slabs close to the
corner of the in-situ slab.
15. Type 1200.
16. Let the cursor snap to the right between the slabs.
17. Type 2400.

40
18. Click the middle mouse button.

19. Show the range to reinforce with two points.
20. Interrupt.
Next we will detach the seam rebars from the hollow-core slab that we picked while creating
the rebars. Otherwise, the seam reinforcements would be shown in the cast unit drawing
created for that hollow-core slab.
1.
Select the seam rebars.
2.
Right-click, Detach from part.

41
3.6 Create Cuts Interactively

You can cut parts by various methods in Tekla Structures. The available cuts are:
x
Line cut
Polygon cut
Part cut
There are numerous places in our model in which the parts are still colliding with each other,
and the shape of the parts needs to be modified with the cutting tools.
We will use these cutting tools to cut the concrete slabs with the silos (part cut) and then
create a penetration for a column (polygon cut) through a hollow-core slab.
Create part cuts for silos
Create part cut
1.
On the View properties dialog, Display, check that cuts are visible.
2.
Click on the Create part cut icon.
3.
Pick one of the slabs as the part to be cut.
4.
Pick the related silo as the cutting part. Click the middle mouse button.
5.
The slab is now cut. A striped antimatter part cut the same size as the silo appears.

42
Change part cut

profile
In order to have clearance between the concrete slab and the silo we will now modify the size
of the profile used to make the part cut.
1.
Disable all the selection switches except for the Select cuts switch. This will make it
easier to select the part cut.
2.
Double-click on the part cut.
3.
The Column properties dialog box appears.
4.
Uncheck all the modify check boxes and change the profile as shown in the dialog
below:
5.
Click Modify.
This creates a 150 mm gap all the way around between the slab and the silo.

43
The part cut height is still equal to the height of the cutting part (= the silo). Sometimes it is
more convenient to work with shorter part cuts.
By inquiring the slab (select object, right-click, select Inquire > Part) you can see that the
slab bottom level is +13400 and top level +13575.
Change part cut
height
Double-click on the part cut to open the Column properties dialog box. On the Position tab
page:
1.
Change the bottom level to 13000 and top level to 13800.
2.
Click Modify.
Now the part cut is just a little thicker than the slab, which is enough.
Copy the part cut

to the other silo
3.
Copy it 9000 mm in the x direction to the other silo.
The antimaterial part will automatically adjust to the new situation and cut the other slab.

44
Interactive Steel Detailing

September 21, 2006
Contents
Contents..................................................................................................................................i
Interactive Steel Detailing ...........................................................................................3

3.1
3.2
3.3
Create Gusset Plate with Stiffeners Interactively.......................................................................3

Create an End Plate Connection from Scratch ........................................................................10
Create Cuts Interactively .........................................................................................................24

Contents
In this lesson
Tekla Structures system components cover a great variety of the components used in most
projects. However, you may come across situations where it's not possible to make the
necessary connections in your model using the system components.
In this chapter we will take advantage of the Tekla Structures tube gusset connection by
using it as a base for a connection. We will explode the system component, modify the
ungrouped objects and then add objects to the connection using a system component detail.
We will also create a whole new connection (i.e. all connection objects: parts, welds, bolts
and cuts) interactively from scratch without using any system components.
3.1 Create Gusset Plate with Stiffeners

Interactively
In Tekla Structures there is no gusset plate system component available in which you can get
the stiffeners included in the connection. You can, however, create the stiffeners separately
by using a system component detail.
We will explode an existing tube gusset connection, modify the gusset plate shape and then
create stiffeners in the connection using a system component detail.
Near the bottom end of the column at grid A-2 is a Tube Gusset (20) connection.
In the figure on the left we see the connection before the stiffeners have been added. In the
figure on the right we see how the connection will look after the stiffeners have been added.

Create component
basic views
Select the component symbol, right-click and select Create view > Component basic
views.
Explode gusset plate connection

Inside of the system connection we are not able to reshape the gusset plate the way it is
shown in the figure above.
In situations where the connection parameters do not contain a particular option, we must
edit the parts outside of the connection.
In order to modify connection objects outside the connection, we need to explode the
connection. Exploding ungroups the objects in a connection. Modifications when done
outside of the connection dialog without first exploding the connection will result in the
changes being overwritten if the connection were to get updated.
Before exploding the connection you should take advantage of the connection
to get as close to the desired result as possible since editing connection macros
is faster and easier than editing objects outside the connection.
Explode
connection
To explode the connection:

Select gusset plates connection symbol, right-click and select Explode component.
All connection objects (even if they are set to "not visible" in the view properties) will
become visible. Now all of these objects have lost intelligence and association to the
connection dialog.
Reshape the gusset plate

We will now reshape the gusset plate as shown in the figure below by editing the polygon
plate using the Edit polygon shape command.

Create a
construction line
We will first create a temporary construction line to help to locate the bottom right corner of
the gusset plate.
1.
Click the Create construction line icon.
2.
Pick the top right corner of the gusset plate as the starting point of the line.
3.
Type 0,0,-500 to define the end point of the construction line (-500 mm in the z direction
from the last picked point).
As you type, the Enter a numeric location dialog box is automatically displayed.
4.
Press Enter and the construction line is created
Instead of recreating the polygon plate we will now reshape the existing plate by using the
Create line cut command.

Help: Modeling > Detailing > Detailing commands > Detailing>Line cut
Edit polygon
shape
1.
Select the Create line cut icon and follow the instructions on the command line.
2.
Pick the gusset plate as the part to be cut.
3.
Pick the intersection of the gusset plate edge and the construction line.
4.
Snap to the perpendicular point on the gusset plate edge and pick point. (Make sure you
pick the plate edge and not the gridline).
5.
Pick the bottom corner as the side to be removed. The plate is now reshaped.
The construction line is no longer needed and you can delete it.
Add stiffeners
We will now add stiffeners to our connection using the Multiple Stiffeners (1064) detail.
When we open the details dialog box we can see which options are available to us for
creating the stiffeners. In this case we are interested in setting the stiffener spacing and the
edge distance from the edge of the stiffener to the edge of the column. We can then measure
the column to get the parameters exactly as desired.
Measure
dimensions
1.
Take the following measurements in the model: Click the Create X measure icon, pick
the points and a place for the dimension as shown below:

Create stiffeners
using macro
2.
Click the Create Y measure icon, pick the points and a place for the dimension as
shown below:
1.
Open the component catalog (Ctrl+F) and find the Multiple stiffeners (1064)
component. Double-click on the component icon.
2.
Edit the fields shown highlighted on each of the tab pages below and click Apply (study
the association with the dimensions taken in the model and note the tolerances).

3.
Pick the column.
4.
Pick the midpoint of the gusset plate, and the stiffeners are created.

You can see the final result in the figures below.
We could now explode the stiffener detail but since we have not edited the connection
objects except for the detail we can also just leave it.
In the next lesson, Lesson 4: Custom element, you will learn to group objects in your own
user-defined connections.

3.2 Create an End Plate Connection from

Scratch
Sometimes you may need to create all the objects for a connection interactively from scratch.
As an example we will now create plates, a polygon cut, a fitting, a bolt group and welds
interactively in order to create the connection shown below.
Create plate and fitting for the beam

At grid intersection B-3 at level 13400:
Create connection
basic views and
delete the
connection
1.
Select the existing end plate connection, right-click and select Create view >
Component basic views.
2.
Delete the existing connection.
Create end plate

for the beam
We will now use the beam command to create the end plate for the beam.
1.
Start the beam command and Apply the properties for the end plate shown in the dialog
box below.

10
It is possible to create plates by using either the beam or the contour plate
command.

11
In the Component front view:

2.
Hold down the Ctrl key and pick the intersection of the beam lower flange and the
column flange (1) to set the From location coordinates.
3.
Then use the cursor to snap (do not pick!) at the top right corner of the column (2) to set
the correct direction.
4.
Type 10 for the numeric location (the Enter a numeric location dialog box will open
automatically) and press Enter.
The cursor picks to the desired start position (which equals 10 mm from point 1 in the
direction of point 2).
5.
To pick the end position, hold down the Ctrl key and pick position (2). Then use the
cursor to snap to position (1). Type 10 for the numeric location and press Enter (which
equals 10 mm from point 2 in the direction of point 1).

12
The plate then appears.

Fit the end of a
beam
We will use the Fitting command to trim the end of the beam at the end plate.
The Fitting tool will trim the end of the beam on a plane perpendicular to the view plane,
which is defined by picking two points on a line.
Help: Modeling > Detailing > Fine-tuning part shape > Fitting
1.
Click on the Create fitting icon.
2.
Select the beam as the part to be fitted.
3.
Pick the points on the end plate corners to set the cut line for the fitting.
Tekla Structures displays the fitting in the model using a blue fitting symbol.

13
Create a plate for the column

We will now use the Create contour plate command to create a plate for the column. We
will use the Component end view for ease of picking points to place the plate. We will then
move the plate to the correct depth.
Help: Modeling > Parts > Steel parts commands > Contour plate
Create column
plate
1.
Start the Create contour plate command.

14
2.
Apply the properties for the plate as shown below:
In the Component end view:

3.
Let the cursor snap to the top left corner of the end plate and type z to lock the z
coordinate.
4.
Hold down the Ctrl key and pick the top left corner of the column to set the From
location coordinates.

15
5.
Let the cursor snap to the inner side of the flange shown, type 5 and press Enter.
The first point for the plate is now picked.
6.
Hold down the Ctrl key and pick the top right corner of the column to set the From

16
7.
Let the cursor snap to the inner side of the flange, type 5 and press Enter.
8.
The second point is now picked.
9.
Press z to release the coordinate lock.
10. Let the cursor snap to the bottom right corner of the end plate and type z to lock the z
coordinate.
11. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to pick the third point for the plate.
12. Repeat steps 6 and 7 to pick the last position for the plate.
13. Press z to release the coordinate.

17
14. Press the middle button to create the plate.

The plate is created in the view plane of the Component end view.
Move the plate
1.
Select the column connection plate, right-click and select Move > Translate...
2.
Move the plate in the x direction (and only x) so that it is next to the end plate.
Fitting the column

The column connection plate is now in the correct position but it collides with the column
flanges. We will use the Create part cut command to cut the column with the plate. We will
then enlarge the antimatter cut to add some clearance between the plate and the column
flanges.
Help: Modeling > Detailing > Detailing commands > Detailing>Part cut
Create part cut for
the column
1.
Click the Create part cut icon.
2.
Pick the column as the part to be cut.
3.
Pick the plate as the cutting part.
The column is now cut exactly along the edges of the connection plate.

18
We will next enlarge the antimatter cut.

Since the column connection plate and the part cut are now in exactly the same space, it
would be hard to select the correct chamfers to modify.
That's why we will temporarily hide the column connection plate and then move the cut
chamfers.
Move the cut
chamfers
1.
Select the column connection plate (only the plate, using select switch Select parts
shown below), right-click and select Hide.
2.
Turn the Select all select switch back on. Select both upper chamfers (using Ctrl).
3.
Move the chamfers 20 mm upwards.

19
4.
Select the lower chamfers and move them 5 mm downwards.
5.
Select the right side chamfers and move them 20 mm right.
6.
Select the left side chamfers, move them 20 mm left.
Create welds
Next we will weld the end plate to the beam and the column connection plate to the column.
This will also add the plates to the beam and column assemblies.
Weld column
plate to the beam
1.
2.
Edit the Weld properties dialog as shown below and click OK.

20
3.
Select the beam as the part to weld to (the primary part for workshop welds).
4.
Select the end plate as the part to be welded (the secondary part for workshop welds).
It is very important to enter the welding order correctly. Tekla Structures uses
the welding order to determine the primary and secondary parts of the
assembly. This affects the position of the parts in the drawings.
Inquire assembly
You can check assemblies using the command Inquire Assembly.

1.
Pick the beam (or any part of the assembly).
2.
Right-click and select Inquire > Assembly.
The main part of the assembly will appear red and other parts will appear yellow.
To select the entire assembly: press the Alt key while clicking a part in the
assembly.

21
If your weld was not automatically placed in the desired position, you can
manually affect the location by setting the desired position for the weld in the
Weld properties dialog box.
Weld connection
plate to the
column
By using the applied weld properties, weld the connection plate to the column.
Create bolt group

Next we will create a bolt group to connect the beam to the column. We will use the bolts to
bolt the beams end plate to the columns connection plate.
For information on bolt group dimensions see:
Help: Modeling > Detailing > Bolts > Creating a bolt group
Create bolts
1.
Double-click on the Create bolts icon.
2.
Define bolt group properties as shown in the picture below and Apply.
3.
Pick the column connection plate as the part to bolt to.
4.
Pick the end plate as the part to be bolted.


22
5.
Click the middle mouse button to finish selecting parts.
6.
Pick the end plate top point as the first point (this will be the bolt group origin).
7.
Pick the end plate bottom point as the second point (this will indicate the bolt group's x
direction).
The bolt group has now been created and the final connection looks like in the figures below.

23
3.3 Create Cuts Interactively

You can cut parts by various methods in Tekla Structures. The available cuts are:
x
Line cut
Polygon cut
Part cut
There are numerous places in our model in which the parts are still colliding with each other,
and the shape of the parts needs to be modified with the cutting tools.
We will use these cutting tools to cut the concrete slabs with the Silos (part cut) and then
create a penetration for a column (polygon cut) through a hollow-core slab.
Create part cuts for silos
Create part cut
1.
Click the Create part cut icon.
2.
Pick one of the slabs as the part to be cut.
3.
Pick the related silo as the cutting part. Click on the middle mouse button.
4.
The slab is now cut. A blue antimatter part cut the same size as the silo appears.

24
Change part cut

profile
In order to have clearance between the concrete slab and the silo we will now modify the size
of the profile used to make the part cut.
1.
Disable all of the selection switches except for the Select cuts switch. This makes it
easier to select the part cut.
2.
Double-click on the part cut.
3.
The Column properties dialog box appears.
4.
Uncheck all the modify check boxes and change only the profile as shown in the dialog
below:
5.
Click Modify.
This creates a 150 mm gap all the way around between the slab and the silo.

25
The part cut height is still equal to the height of the cutting part (= the silo). Sometimes it is
more convenient to work with shorter part cuts.
By inquiring the slab (select object, right-click, select Inquire > Part) you can see that the
slab bottom level is +13400 and top level +13575.
Change part cut
height
Double-click on the blue part cut to open the Column properties dialog box. On the
Position tab page:
1.
Change the bottom level to 13000 and top level to 13800.
2.
Click Modify.
Now the part cut is just a little thicker than the slab, which is enough.
Copy the part cut

to the other silo
1.
Copy it 9000 mm in the x direction to the other silo.
The antimatter part will automatically adjust to the new situation and cut the other slab.
Create slab penetration (polygon cut)

We will now create a penetration through a slab using a polygon cut.
We will create a 20 mm clearance between the penetrating column and the slab simply by
picking positions to outline the polygon cut.
You should always define the polygon so that there is some tolerance between
the edges of the part and the edges of the cut. 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.

26
Help: Modeling > Detailing > Detailing commands > Polygon cut
Create polygon
cut
1.
In the view +3850 zoom close to the column on grid A-4.
2.
Click the Create polygon cut icon.
3.
Select the hollow-core slab as the part to be cut.
4.
Hold down the Ctrl key and pick the bottom left corner of the column to set the From
5.
Type -20,-20, Press Enter, the cursor picks the point.
6.
Press o (to snap to positions in orthogonal directions).
7.
Move the cursor to the right to the track along the ortho line.
8.
Enter 340 to specify the distance from the last point picked. Press Enter.
9.
Move the cursor upwards, type 330 and press Enter.
10. Move the cursor to the left, type 340 and press Enter.

27
11. Click the middle mouse button to create the polygon cut.

28
Custom Components for

Precast Concrete

September 19, 2006
Contents
Contents..................................................................................................................................i
Custom Components for Precast Concrete ..............................................................3

4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
Define Custom Part of Fastener Plate .......................................................................................3

Define Brace Fastener Plate Custom Connections ...................................................................8
Use Your New Custom Connections in the Model...................................................................12
Define User_Hole_Creation Custom Detail .............................................................................16
Parameterize User_Hole_Creation Custom Detail ..................................................................20

Contents
In this lesson

Precast Concrete
Tekla Structures contains a set of tools for defining intelligent connections, parts,
seams, and details, called custom components.
Help: Detailing >Custom components
In this lesson we will define few custom components (a custom part, two custom
connections and one custom detail) then use the custom components in the model
and finally edit the custom detail a little to make it parametric.
x
Define custom components
Use custom components
Edit custom component to make them parametric
4.1 Define Custom Part of Fastener Plate

You can build custom components (connection, part, detail or seam) either by
exploding and modifying an existing component, or by creating the component
objects individually as we did in lesson 3.
You then define a custom component by picking the objects to include in the custom
component, and specifying the information the user needs to input, for example,
main part, secondary parts, or points they need to pick. You can then apply the
custom component to similar framing conditions in the model.
We will now create a custom part from the fastener plate, which was interactively
created in Lesson 3.
By changing the group of objects to a custom component we can use it in other
places of the model inside other custom components and in other models. In next
chapter we will use this custom part as a sub component in a custom connection
Help: Detailing >Custom components >Defining custo m components >Defining a
custom component

Custom Components for Precast Concrete
Clean model view
1. Turn off Reinforcing bars and fittings in the 3D view and display the rest of the
objects.
2. Zoom in close to the fastener plate that was interactively created between a
column and bracing in lesson 3.
You can also create a part basic view when you need to see a specific
part clearly. This places the part in the center of the view and fits the
work area according to this part.
To further improve the view, use the Hide command to hide adjacent
parts, such as the two braces on the other side of the column.

Define Fastener
plate custom part
1. Select Detailing > Define custom component to open the Custom component
wizard dialog box.
2. On the Type/Notes tab, set Type to Part, enter a name and description
(description is not mandatory) for the custom component as shown. Click Next>.
The Custom component types available:

x
Connection: A connection is 2 or more items connected together

and is defined as having a main part and 1 or more secondary parts
Detail: A detail connects one or more items at the end of, or along
the length of, a main part
Part: A part is a component in the model such as a ladder or cell

form beam
Seam: A seam creates seam objects along part or connects two

parts along the parts' axial direction.
3. Drag the mouse from left to right as shown below to select the needed fastener
plate objects (i.e. plate , studs and welds totally within that rectangular) click
Next> on the wizard page 2/3.

Be careful not to select objects (e.g. parts, fittings, or rebars) that do not
belong to this component. Otherwise, when you use the custom
component, those objects will also be created.
4. Select two positions: first the plate's lower definition point and then the upper.
Click Finish on wizard page 3/3.
The new custom part that you have defined is added to the Custom components
dialog box list. You are now able to create this custom part (instead of creating
plate, studs and welds separately) in your model by selecting it in the component
catalog and creating it by picking two definition points.


4.2 Define Brace Fastener Plate Custom

Connections
We will now define the brace connection as a custom connection. We will include
the custom part just created to this custom connection.
We could also have defined the custom connection straight away from
the interactively created objects.
Defining a custom connection that includes a custom part enables us
later, for example, to change the nested custom part to another one (a
different size of fastener plate).
Define Brace(2)
custom
component
wizard dialog box.
2. Set Type to Connection, enter a name and description

3. On the Position tab set the Position type to Box plane and click Next>.
Help: Detailing > Custom components > Custom components reference > Position type
4. Make sure you have Select component select switch pressed down. This enables
the selecting of a component (instead of just component objects).
5. Use area select from right to left to select all (and only) the objects belonging to
the component (custom part, the fittings and the site welds), click Next > on the
wizard page 2/4.

Site welds and fittings must be visible in the view in order for you to be
able to select them. If you are not sure, check the view properties!
Tekla Structures ignores the main part, secondary parts, grids and
component symbols when selecting objects to include in the custom
component.
6. Select the column as the main part and click Next> on wizard page 3/4.
7. With the Ctrl button pressed down, select the upper brace and the lower brace as
secondary parts, click Finish on wizard page 4/4.
Tekla Structures displays a connection symbol for the new Custom component.
Following the procedure above, we will now define another custom connection at
the bottom end of the brace on gridline 2. The only difference now is the name of
the connection and that we define only one secondary for the connection.
Define Brace(1)
custom
connection
wizard dialog box.
2. Set Type to Connection, enter a name and description. Define the position type
as box plane.

10
3. Use area select to select all the objects belonging to the component (, click Next>
on the wizard page 2/4.
4. Select the column as the main part and click Next> on wizard page 3/4.
5. Select the brace as the secondary part and click Finish on wizard page 4/4.

11
4.3 Use Your New Custom Connections in the Model

We will now use the custom components just defined to connect the rest of the
braces in the model.
Create Brace(2)
custom
component
1. Open the component catalog.
2. Search with the word fastener.
3. Double-click on the Brace(2) connection to display the properties.

12
4. Review the properties and click Apply.

Help: Detailing > Custom components > Defining Custom components > Custom
components basic properties
5. Pick the column as the main part and the upper and lower brace as the secondary
parts and click middle button to create the connection.
The custom component is created.


13
Once the custom component is created it has no intelligence or input

values. In practice you can apply the custom component only in framing
conditions similar to those for which it was originally created.
Test the Change
in the column size
We will now check how the Custom component reacts when the situation changes in
the model.
1. Change the column size from 380*380 to 600*600, Modify.
Since we selected Box plane as the position type (= where the main part
cross section box and the center line of the secondary part intersect), the
connection will automatically adjust to the change in the primary profile
size.
2. Click the Undo icon to change the beam back to 380*380.
Test the change in

the brace sloping
angle
3. Change the sloping angle of braces by moving the handles in the other end from
the connection in z direction.
Since the fittings are created according to the main part, the cuts of the
brace ends will be correct despite the change of the sloping angle.

14
4. Undo the changes of the brace sloping angles.

Create Brace (1)
custom
components
1.
Click Brace(1) connection in the component catalog.
2. Create connections to the remaining column brace situations in the model.
You can either create separate custom components for each different
case needed in the model or you can parameterize the custom
component (see the next section).

15
4.4 Define User_Hole_Creation Custom Detail

We will now create a custom detail that cuts a hole through a hollow-core slab.
Create a part cut through a hollow-core slab

First we will create a part cut through a hollow-core slab by using a column to
define the shape of the cut.
Create cutting
part
1.
Select the hollow-core slab on level +3850 closest to grid 7-B and create a part basic
view of it: right-click and select Create view > Part basic view.
2. To create square part cut of size 380*380 mm:

x
Double-click on the Create concrete column icon and define column size and
position.

16
If necessary, restart the column command and then pick the middle point at the
outer end of the hollow-core slab while holding Ctrl button down (this is a
reference point for column position).
Release the Ctrl button, and type -1000,0,0 press Enter to create the column 1000
mm from the edge.

17
Cut part
Cut the hollow-core slab using part cut:

3. Pick the Create part cut icon.
4. Pick the hollow-core slab.

5. Pick the column.
6. To end the command right-click and select Interrupt.
7. Remove the cutting part.

18
Define a custom detail

Next we will create a detail type custom component.
Define custom
component
wizard dialog box.
2. On the Type/Notes tab, set the Type to Detail, enter a Name and a Description
(description is not mandatory) for the custom component as shown below.
3. Select the objects (cut + hollow-core slab using the Ctrl key) and press Next >.
4. Pick the main part (hollow-core slab) and press Next >.
5. Select middle point at the outer end of the hollow-core slab to set the position.
6. Click Finish.

19
4.5 Parameterize User_Hole_Creation Custom Detail

The User_Hole_Creation custom detail is defined as a custom component but as yet
has no intelligence or input values. In order to add these capabilities we have to edit
the custom component.
We will not create a complete parametric custom component here, but we will give
you an idea how to build some simple dependencies between component objects and
the model.
We will create the following variables to automatically adjust to suit a change in
hole position, size and shape and we will also input them in the finished connection
interface:
x
The hole position in x direction
The hole position in y direction
The hole size and shape
Open Custom Component Editor

Edit custom
component
1.
Select the User_Hole_Creation custom detail symbol.
2. Right-click and select Edit custom component. A new toolbar named Custom
component editor opens along with the Model browser and four basic views of
the custom component.
Define parameters
Hole size and
shape
1.
Open variables dialog by clicking on the Display variables icon.
2. Add a new variable by pressing the Add button.

3. Define the Value type as Profile.
4. Set the Formula to 380*380.
5. In the Label in dialog box field, enter Hole shape.

20
6. Select Part cut from the Custom component browser.

7. Under General properties, select Profile of the part cut.
8. Right-click Profile and select Add equation to edit the name.
9. Type Profile=P1 (variable name).

21
Bind hole
definition points
We will define the hole position by binding the part cut's reference points.
1.
Select the part cut in any of the views.
2. Select the upper reference point.

3. Right-click and select Bind to plane command.
4. Select Component planes from Custom component editor toolbar's drop down
menu.
5. Zoom in to the detail symbol.

6. Rotate to highlight the XY plane.
7. Pick the detail's XY plane.
8. Rotate to highlight the YZ plane.

9. Pick the YZ plane.

22
10. Select Boundary planes from Custom component editor toolbar's drop down
menu.
11. Zoom out and rotate to highlight the top boundary plane of the slab.
12. Pick the top plane.
You have now bound the upper reference point in three directions. The distances are
now visible in the Variables dialog.
Repeat steps 3 - 12 to the part cut's lower reference point by binding it to XY and
YZ directions in the Component plane and to slab bottom plane using Boundary
plane.
Edit hole
definition
variables
We will next edit the hole position variables and define their visibility on the detail's
dialog.
1.
Open the Variables dialog.
2. Edit D1 variable: Label: Distance from middle.

3. Edit D2 variable: Label: Distance from definition point.
4. Edit D3 variable: Formula: 100, Visibility: Hide.
5. Edit D4 variable: Formula: =D1, Visibility: Hide.
6. Edit D5 variable: Formula: =D2, Visibility: Hide.

23
7. Edit D6 variable: Formula: 100, Visibility: Hide.

8. Close editor, save changes.

24
Check the results

We will now check that the dialog custom detail dialog has the fields that we needed
and that they function correctly.
Modify custom
detail
1.
Double-click on the User_Hole_Creation custom detail symbol. A dialog opens.
2. Change cut size and location, press Modify.

25

26
Custom Components
for Steel

September 21, 2006
Contents
Contents..................................................................................................................................i
Custom Components for Steel ...................................................................................3

4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
Define User_end_plate Custom Component .............................................................................3

Create User_end_plate Custom Component.............................................................................7
Parameterize User_end_plate Custom Connection.................................................................10
Define User_Hole_Creation Custom Detail .............................................................................19
Parameterize User_Hole_Creation Custom Detail ..................................................................23

Contents
In this lesson

Steel
This lesson introduces custom components and details.

x
Define custom components
Use custom components
Edit custom components to make them adaptive and parametric
4.1 Define User_end_plate Custom Component

You can build custom components either by exploding and modifying an existing
component, or by creating the component objects individually as we did in lesson 2.
You then define a custom component by picking the objects to include in the custom
component, and specifying the information the user needs to input, for example, main part,
secondary parts, or points they need to pick. You can then apply the custom component to
similar framing conditions in the model.
We will now create a custom component from the column-beam connection, which was
interactively created in Lesson 3. By changing the connection to a custom component you
can use it in other parts of the model and in other models.
Zoom in close to the component, which was interactively created between a column and a
beam in lesson 3. Make sure that all of the object types are visible in the view (welds, cuts,
fittings, bolts, etc).

Custom Components for Steel
Define Custom
component
1.
Select Detailing > Define custom component to open the Custom component
wizard dialog box.
2.
On the Type/Notes tab, set Type to Connection, enter a name and description
(description is not mandatory) for the custom component as shown.
The Custom component types available:

x
Component: A Component is 2 or more items connected together and is

defined as having a main part and 1 or more secondary parts
Detail: A Detail connects one or more items at the end of, or along the
length of, a main part
Part: A Part is a component in the model such as a ladder or cell form

beam
Seam: A seam creates seam objects and connects parts along a line picked

with two points.
3.
On the Position tab set the Position type to Box plane and click Next>.
Help: Detailing > Custom components > Custom components reference > Position type
4.
Use area select to select all the objects belonging to the component, click Next> on the
wizard page 2/4.
Be careful that you do not select objects (e.g. parts, bolts, welds or cuts) not
belonging to this component. Otherwise when you use the custom component
those objects will also be created.
Tekla Structures ignores the main part, secondary parts, grids and component
symbols when you are selecting objects to include in the Custom component.
5.
Select the column as the main part and click Next> on wizard page 3/4.

6.
Select the beam as the secondary part and click Finish on wizard page 4/4.
The new custom component that you have defined is added to Custom components dialog
box list.

4.2 Create User_end_plate Custom Component

We will now use the custom component that you just defined to create a connection at the
other end of the beam.
Create custom
component
1.
Delete the End plate 144 connection from the other end of the beam.
2.
3.
Select the User_end_plate component on the list.
4.
Right-click and select Properties...

5.
Review the properties and click Apply.

Help: Detailing > Custom components > Defining Custom components > Custom
components basic properties
6.
Pick the column as the main part and the beam as the secondary part.
The custom component is created.

Change the beam
size
We will now check how the Custom component reacts when the situation changes.
1.
Change the beam size from IPE600 to IPE750*137, Modify.

Once the custom component is created it has no intelligence or input values. In

practice you can apply the custom component only in similar framing
conditions to that which it was originally created.
2.
Click the Undo icon to change the beam back to IPE600.
You can either create separate custom components for each different case
needed in the model or you can parameterize the custom component (see the
next section).

4.3 Parameterize User_end_plate Custom

Connection
The User_end_plate connection is defined as a custom component but as yet has no
intelligence or input values. In order to add these capabilities we have to edit the custom
component.
We will not create a complete parametric custom component in this lesson, but we will give
you an idea how to build some simple dependencies between the component objects and the
model.
We will create variables that will automatically adjust to suit a change in the beam profile
and we will also input them in the finished connection interface:
x
The end plate top and bottom position (which also defines the plate length)
The distance from the first bolt to the beam top flange
We will then create the following variables to automatically adjust to suit a change in the
beam profile:
x
Column plate top position
Part cut top position

Since we have a custom component in the model we can open the Custom component editor.
Edit custom
component
1.
Select the User_end_plate component symbol.
2.
Right-click and select Edit custom component.
The Custom component editor opens along with the Custom component editor toolbar,
the Custom component browser and four views of the custom component.

10
In the Custom component editor, you can create your own components and
details and define their properties. You can build in dependencies between
objects to make custom components parametric and have them adapt to
changes in the model.
Define end plate top and bottom positions

Our end plate is modeled with the beam command using plate profile PL20*230. This means
the thickness (20) and the width (230) of the plate are defined by the profile. To change the
thickness or the width of the plate we will need to parameterize the profile.
The length is defined by the start and end points picked for the "beam"(plate). We will now
create dependencies between the end points and secondary beam top and bottom flanges.

11
Tie end plate top

to secondary
beam top
1.
Select the end plate.
2.
Select the upper handle of the end plate.
3.
Right-click and select Bind to plane.
By moving the cursor around you can now highlight the available planes.
4.
Highlight the plane on the secondary beam top flange, and select it by clicking the
mouse.

12
The appropriate dimension in the model will appear on the screen.
Tie end plate

bottom to
secondary beam
bottom
By following the same procedure tie the end plate lower handle to secondary beam bottom
plane.
1.
Select the end plate.
2.
Select the lower handle of the end plate.
3.
4.
Highlight the plane on the secondary beam bottom flange, and select it by clicking the
mouse.
The appropriate dimension in the model should then appear on the screen.
Define distance from beam top flange to the first bolt

We will now add a variable to control the distance from the top of the beam to the first bolt.
Remove the bolt
offset
To make it simpler to use the new variable, we will first remove the original offset from the
bolt. This way the value added in the dialog will be the distance from the top of the beam to
the first bolt.
1.
Double-click on the bolt group to open the Bolt properties dialog box.
2.
Change the Start point offset Dx to 0, click Modify.

13
Tie 1st bolt to

secondary beam
top
1.
Select the bolt group.
2.
Select the upper handle of the bolt group.
3.
4.
Highlight the plane on the secondary beam top flange, and select it by clicking the
mouse.
The appropriate dimension in the model appears on the screen.

Display and test
the variables
1.
Click the Display variables icon to see all distance and parameter variables in a
component.
The Variables dialog box appears:

Help: Detailing > Custom components > Custom components reference > Variables
2.
Change the value of the lowest variable (the bolt distance), from 10 to 60 and press
Enter.

14
Set the variable

labels in dialog
3.
To show the variables in the custom component dialog box set the variable visibility to
Show.
4.
Change the field names in the custom component dialog box by naming the variable
labels as shown below.
Tie column plate and cut part top to beam top flange
Next we will tie the top of the column connection plate and the top of the part cut to the top
flange of the beam.
The column end plate (as well as the part cut) was modeled as a contour plate. Unlike beam,
a contour plate does not have handles that we can bind. Instead, we can create distance
variables from the contour plate chamfers to a plane.
Instead of binding the chamfers one by one to a plane we will create a magnetic custom
plane on the top face of the contour plate. We will then bind this magnetic plane to the beam
top flange. The top face of the contour plate will then move with the magnetic plane.
Help: Detailing > Custom components > Custom components reference > User defined
planes
Create user
defined planes
1.
Click the Create construction plane icon.
2.
Pick three corner points of the top of the column plate.
3.
Click middle button and the plane is created.

15
While still in the command:
Edit custom
planes to be
magnetic
4.
Pick three corners points at the top of the plate part cut.
5.
Click the middle button and the plane is created.
1.
Double-click one of the user planes that you just created to open the Construction
plane properties dialog. You must have the plane Select planes switch active:

16
Bind magnetic
planes to beam
top
2.
Tick the Magnetic switch on and click Modify.
3.
Select the magnetic custom plane.
4.
5.
Pick the highlighted plane on the top of the secondary beam.
6.
Repeat for the other plane.
7.
Close the editor by clicking the Close editor icon.

17
In a case where we would like to keep the existing Custom component in our model we
could choose to save the custom component with a new name.
Change the beam
size
Change the beam size from IPE600 to IPE750*137, Modify.
Test the variables
In the custom component dialog change each of the variables and Modify to test their
function.

18
4.4 Define User_Hole_Creation Custom Detail

We will now create a custom detail that cuts a hole through a hollow-core slab.
Create a part cut through a hollow-core slab

First we will create a part cut through a hollow-core slab by using a column to define the
shape of the cut.
Create cutting
part
1.
Select the hollow-core slab on level +3850 closest to grid 7-B and create a part basic
view of it: right-click and select Create view > Part basic view.
2.
To create square part cut of size 380*380 mm:

x
Double-click on the Create concrete column icon and define column size and
position.

19
If necessary, restart the column command and then pick the middle point at the
outer end of the hollow-core slab while holding Ctrl button down (this is a reference
point for column position).
Release the Ctrl button, and type r to open Enter numeric location dialog.

20
Cut part
Type @-1000,0,0 and press Enter to create the column 1000 mm from the edge.
Cut the hollow-core slab using part cut:

1.
Pick the Create part cut icon.
2.
Pick the hollow-core slab.
3.
Pick the column.
4.
To end the command right-click and select Interrupt.
5.
Remove the cutting part.

21
Define a custom detail

Next we will create a detail type custom component.
Define custom
component
1.
Select Detailing > Define custom component to open the Custom component
wizard dialog box.
2.
On the Type/Notes tab, set the Type to Detail, enter a Name and a Description (not
mandatory) for the custom component as shown below and click Next >.
3.
Select the objects (cut + hollow-core slab using the Ctrl key) and press Next >.
4.
Pick the main part (hollow-core slab) and press Next >.
5.
Select middle point at the outer end of the hollow-core slab to set the position.
6.
Press Finish.

22
4.5 Parameterize User_Hole_Creation Custom Detail

The User_Hole_Creation custom detail is defined as a custom component but as yet has no
intelligence or input values. In order to add these capabilities we have to edit the custom
component.
We will not create a complete parametric custom component here, but we will give you an
idea how to build some simple dependencies between component objects and the model.
We will create the following variables to automatically adjust to suit a change in hole
position, size and shape and we will also input them in the finished connection interface:
x
The hole position in x direction
The hole position in y direction
The hole size and shape

Edit custom
component
1.
Select the User_Hole_Creation custom detail symbol.
2.
Right-click and select Edit custom component. A new toolbar named Custom
component editor opens along with the Custom component browser and 4 basic
views of the custom component.
Define parameters
Hole size and
shape
1.
Open variables dialog by pushing the Display variables icon.
2.
Add new variable by pressing the Add button.
3.
Define the Value type as Profile.
4.
Set the Formula to 380*380.
5.
In the Label in dialog box field enter Hole shape.
6.
Select Part cut from the Custom component browser.
7.
Under General properties, select Profile of the part cut.


23
8.
Bind hole
definition points
Type Profile=P1 (variable name).
We will define the hole position by binding the part cut's reference points.
1.
Select the part cut in any of the views.
2.
Select the upper reference point.
3.
Right-click and select Bind to plane command.
4.
Select Component planes from Custom component editor toolbar's drop down menu.

24
5.
Zoom in to the detail symbol.
6.
Rotate to highlight the XY plane.
7.
Pick the detail's XY plane.
8.
Rotate to highlight the YZ plane.
9.
Pick the YZ plane.
10. Select Boundary planes from Custom component editor toolbar's drop down menu.
11. Zoom out and rotate to highlight the top boundary plane of the slab.
12. Pick the top plane.
You have now bound the upper reference point in three directions. The distances are now
visible in Variables dialog.
Repeat steps 3 - 12 to the part cut's lower reference point by binding it to XY and YZ
directions in the Component plane and to slab bottom plane using Boundary plane.
Edit hole
definition
variables
We will next edit the hole position variables and define their visibility on the detail's dialog.
1.
Open the Variables dialog.
2.
Edit D1 variable: Label: Distance from middle.
3.
Edit D2 variable: Label: Distance from definition point.
4.
Edit D3 variable: Formula: 100, Visibility: Hide.

25
5.
Edit D4 variable: Formula: =D1, Visibility: Hide.
6.
Edit D5 variable: Formula: =D2, Visibility: Hide.
7.
Edit D6 variable: Formula: 100, Visibility: Hide.
8.
Close editor, save changes.

26
Check the results

We will now check that the dialog custom detail dialog has the fields that we needed and that
they function correctly.
Modify custom
detail
1.
Double-click on the User_Hole_Creation custom detail symbol. A dialog opens.
2.
Change cut size and location, press Modify.

27
Basic Modeling 2

September 20, 2006
Contents
Contents..................................................................................................................................i
Basic Modeling 2.........................................................................................................3

5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
Start a New Model - BasicModel2 .............................................................................................4

Setting Up Job Specific Information...........................................................................................7
Create Concrete Members ......................................................................................................11
Create Steel Members.............................................................................................................23
Combine Models 1 and 2.........................................................................................................41
Define Your Own Select Filters................................................................................................45

Contents
In this lesson
Basic Modeling 2
In this lesson we will cover some preliminary tasks that you need to do before starting to
model in a real project. We will create a new model and recap the basic functions introduced
in lesson 1. After that, you will learn some more about the basic functions.
x
Set up project information
Define part properties and numbering series
Work in true planes (sloped, skewed)
Use phases
Combine separate models
Create your own select filters

Basic Modeling 2
5.1 Start a New Model - BasicModel2

Start a new model and name it BasicModel2.
Create new model

Start a new model
1.
Pick the New icon.
2.
Save in C:\TeklaStructuresModels, type Model name "BasicModel2".
3.
Click the OK button and the model will be created.
Create grid
We will now create a grid for the model. In order to combine Basic Model 1 and Basic
Model 2 later, we will take into account the positioning of Basic Model 1 and define the
origin of Basic Model 2 grid to be 0,13900,0 in the global coordinates.
The grid is created according to the work plane, the current local coordinate system, of the
model. So before creating the grid we will temporarily position the work plane to the global
coordinates 0,13900,0.
The red coordinate arrow symbol indicates the work plane, which is the current
local coordinate system of the model. Most of the commands dependent on the
coordinate system use work plane coordinates.
You can create a skew grid by first setting the work plane to the desired skew
position.

Basic Modeling 2
Set Work plane to

a new position
1.
On the menu, select View > Work plane > With one point.
2.
Type 0,13900, click Enter or OK.
The work plane is positioned in global 0,13900,0
You can also create a grid and then move the grid with the Move command.
You can use the command Work plane > With one point to set the work plane
exactly to the desired position. This command keeps the work plane parallel to
the current work plane, but moves it to a new position using a single picked
point.
Create the grid
Fit work area
1.
Delete the default grid (if there exists one).
2.
Double-click on the Create grid line icon.
3.
Edit the grid, in the Grid properties dialog box, according to the grids shown in the
figure above (coordinates and text).
4.
Click Create.
5.
Enter GRID2 in the Save as field and click the Save as button to save the grid values.
1.
Click anywhere in the view.
2.
Right-click and select Fit work area.
The view should now look like the one below.

Basic Modeling 2
Create plane views along gridlines

We will now create Elevation and Plan views along the gridlines.
Create grid views
1.
Select the grid.
2.
Right-click and select Create view > Grid views from the pop-up menu.
3.
Click the Show button on each view plane to open the View properties dialog box,
set the view properties the way you want and click OK.
4.
Click Create in the Creation of views along grid lines dialog box.

Basic Modeling 2
5.2 Setting Up Job Specific Information

Prior to adding any parts we will setup the model with the necessary job specific
information:
x
Project properties
Preferences
Part properties and numbering series
Project properties
Project properties are common to all drawings and can be used to fill in typical information
in the title blocks.
Set up project
properties
1.
Open the Project properties dialog box by selecting Properties-> Project
2.
Fill in the information as shown in the dialog box below.
3.
Press OK.
Check preferences
Before starting the modeling we will check that preferences are set up correctly.
Help: System > Using Tekla Structures effectively > General > Preferences

Basic Modeling 2
Check that your preferences are set up correctly before you start modeling. If
you change settings on the Preferences tab, Tekla Structures only applies the
new settings to connections you subsequently create. Connections you created
prior to changing the preferences are not affected.
Check
preferences
1.
Open Setup > Options
2.
On the Preferences tab check the values are as below, click OK.
Part properties and numbering series

You use a numbering series (numbering prefixes and start numbers) to divide parts,
assemblies (steel detailing) and cast units (concrete detailing) 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, assembly or cast unit belongs, by using
the part properties dialog box. The numbering series name consists of a prefix and a starting
number.
If you already know in the beginning of the project how the members should be numbered it
is a good idea to create the parts right from the start with the correct numbering series.

Basic Modeling 2
Help: Modeling > Parts > Numbering parts > Defining numbers to be used for parts
In a later lesson you will learn the basics of numbering parts in Tekla Structures; how
numbering series result in different part / assembly /cast unit numbers, numbering settings
etc.
Set the part
properties
Go through each of the part properties dialog box (Beam properties, Column properties,
Contour plate properties, etc.) and set them up with the information shown in the tables
below and save each of them with a specific name. See the Adjust Beam properties example
below the tables.
Steel members
Parts/
command
Part
prefix
Part
start no.
Assembly
prefix
Assembly
start no.
Part name
Material
Class
Beams
PB
AB
BEAM
S355JR
Vertical
braces
PV
AV
BRACING_V
S355JR
Horizontal
braces
PH
AH
BRACING_H
S355JR
Rafters
PR
AR
RAFTER
S355JR
Purlins
PP
AP
PURLIN
S355JR
Columns
PC
AC
COLUMN
S355JR
Silos
PX
AX
SILO
S355JR
1001
PLATE
S355JR
99
Beam
command:
Column
command:
Contour
plate
command:
Plates
Concrete members
Parts/
command
Cast unit
prefix
Cast unit
start no.
Part name
Material
Class
Concrete
beam
command:
Beams
CB
BEAM
K40-1
Hollow-core
slabs
CH
HCSLAB
K40-1
CC
COLUMN
K40-1
CP
FOOTING
K40-1
Concrete
column
command:
Columns
Pad footing
command:
Pad footings
Concrete
slab

Basic Modeling 2
command:
Slabs
Example: Adjust
beam properties
CS
SLAB
1.
Open the Beam properties dialog.
2.
Match the highlighted fields in the dialog box below.
K40-1
Type the part name BEAM in the save as field and click the Save as button.
Save defaults
After you have set up the properties, you must save the Project properties and Preferences
for this model with the Save defaults command.
The Save defaults command creates a set of standard files which also include the part
properties files. These standard properties are loaded when you open the model.
In other words, when you want specific properties to be loaded by default when you open a
model, set up and load the properties before using the Save defaults command.
Help: System > Files and Folders > Customizing Tekla Structures > Save defaults
Save Defaults
Click Setup > Save defaults.

Basic Modeling 2
10
5.3 Create Concrete Members

First we will create pad footings and columns on gridline 1 and then copy them to the other
gridlines.
We will then create beams on gridlines 1 and 3 and mirror them to the other side of the
structure. With a slab generation macro, we will then create TT slabs on top of the beams at
level 7175.
Finally we will create a sloped grouting on top of the TT slabs.
Pre-cast footings
We will now create foundations on gridline 1.
2700*2700 footing
1.
Double-click on the Create pad footing icon.

Basic Modeling 2
11
2100*2100 footing
2.
Load the saved FOOTING properties.
3.
Enter the pad footing information in the dialog box for a 2700*2700 footing as shown in
the drawing.
4.
Click Apply.
5.
Pick grid intersections C-1 and F-1.
While still in the command:

6.
Enter the pad footing information in the dialog box for a 2100*2100 footing as shown in
the drawing.
7.
Click Apply.
8.
Pick grid intersections D-1 and E-1.
The footings should now look like those shown below:
Pre-cast columns
Now we will create the columns on gridline 1.
900*600 columns
600*600 columns
1.
Double-click on the Create Concrete column icon.
2.
Load the COLUMN properties that you saved earlier.
3.
According to the drawing shown above, enter the information in the Concrete column
properties dialog box for a 900*600 column, and click Apply.
4.
Pick the intersections of grids C-1 and then F-1.While still in the command:
Complete the dialog for 600*600 columns and create them on grid intersections D-1 and E-1.

Basic Modeling 2
12
Copy the members

We will now copy the footings and columns to other gridlines.
Copy the
members on
gridlines C and F
Copy the
members on
gridlines D and E
1.
Select the footings and columns on gridlines C and F.
2.
Right-click and select Copy > Translate on the pop-up menu.
3.
Pick two points to show the translation vector (6000 in x direction).
4.
Type in the number of copies (6).
5.
Click Copy.
1.
Select the footings and columns on gridlines D and E.
2.
Right-click and select Copy > Translate on the pop-up menu.
3.
4.
Type in the number of copies (3).
5.
Click Copy.

Basic Modeling 2
13
Pre-cast ledger beams

We will now create the beams on gridlines 1 and 3 at level +7175.

Basic Modeling 2
14
Create beams on
gridlines 1 and 3
1.
Double-click on the Create concrete beam icon.
2.
Load the BEAM properties that youve saved.
3.
Enter the information in the Concrete beam properties dialog box for gridline 1 beams
according to the drawing above, click Apply.
4.
In the 3D view pick the reference point of the column at C-7175 .
5.
Still having the cursor snapping to the picked point, type z to lock the z coordinate and
then pick the top point of the column at D-7175.

Basic Modeling 2
15
6.
End the command by clicking the middle mouse button.
7.
Still having the z coordinate locked, create the other two beams on gridline 1 in the same
way.
8.
Enter the information for the beams on gridline 3 in the Concrete beam properties
dialog box, click Apply.
9.
Create the gridline 3 beams.
10. Type z to unlock the z coordinate

The model should now look as shown below.
Mirror the beams

to gridlines 5 and
7
1.
Select the beams just created on gridlines 1 and 3.
2.
Copy special > Mirror the beams to the other end of the structure indicating two points
on gridline 4 as the mirror line.

Basic Modeling 2
16
The model now looks as shown below.
Pre-cast TT slabs
We will now create precast TT slabs on top of the framework by using the Modeling of Slab
Area macro (88).
Create the TT
slabs
3.
Find the Modeling of Slab Area macro (88) in the Component catalog.
4.
Double-click on the component to open the component dialog box.
5.
Complete the dialog box as shown and Apply.

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6.
In the PLAN +7175 view, pick positions 1 and 2 (the intersections of gridlines and the
column edges) as shown, click the middle mouse button.
7.
Pick positions 3 and 4 as shown, click the middle mouse button.
8.
Pick positions 5 and 6, click the middle mouse button.
9.
Then, pick position 4.

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The slabs are created.
10. Select the macro symbol and copy it to the other spans.

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19
Second stage concrete / grouting

We will create grouting out of four symmetrical slabs. First, we create one slab, edit the
sloping for the slab, and then copy-mirror the rest of the slabs.
Create the
grouting
1.
2.
Load the SLAB properties that you saved earlier.
3.
Set the profile to 50 and the position in depth to Front and Apply.
4.
In the PLAN +7175 view, pick the four corners for the slab as shown.
(1) Outer corner of the column
(2) Intersection of the gridline and the column edge
(3) Mid point of the gridline
(4) Outer edge of the beam (Perpendicular snap)
5.
Click the middle mouse button to create the slab.

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We will next set the sloping for the grouting by editing the dz values of the three chamfers
shown below.
Create the rest of

the slabs
1.
Create the rest of the slabs (with Copy-Translate).

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Set the sloping for

the grouting
2.
Double-click on the chamfer.
3.
Set the Dz1 value to 150, Modify.
4.
Repeat this for the other two chamfers.

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5.4 Create Steel Members

First, we will create two columns on gridline 1 and then a rafter between them.
After that we will create the construction points needed to create the horizontal bracing and
purlins. We will copy-translate the completed portal frame and points.
We will then replace the concrete columns on gridlines 2, 4 and 6, combining them with the
upper steel columns so that they are turned into full-length steel columns.
Utilizing a sloping work plane and view planes, we will model the horizontal bracing and
purlins.
Finally, we will create vertical bracing on gridlines C and F.
Steel columns
We first create two columns on gridline 1.
Create columns
1.
Double-click on the Create column icon.
2.
Load the COLUMN properties.

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3.
Complete the Column properties (profile and levels) for the column at grid intersection
C-1 as shown in the figure above and click Apply.
4.
Pick grid intersection C-1 to create the column.
5.
Complete the Column properties for the column at grid F-1, and click Apply.
6.
Pick the grid intersection F-1 to create the second column.
Since the profile depth of the concrete and steel columns are different (900*600 => h=900
while HEA 800 => h=790), middle positioning causes a gap in the outer face.
Use the Measure tool to measure the distance from the edge of the column to the edge of the
slab.
Measure the gap
1.
Click on the Create y measure icon.
2.
In the GRID 1 view pick the point in the slab corner, then the point in the column
corner.
3.
Pick a position to place the dimension.

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The measure tools measure distances between two points in the view plane.
Measures are visible in the rendered view window until you update or redraw
the window.
Adjust the vertical

position
Adjust the column edge to the slab (and concrete column) by using the vertical position
offset in the Column properties dialog.
1.
Open the Column properties dialog box.
2.
Modify the column on gridline C using a vertical offset of -55.
3.
Modify the column on gridline F using a vertical offset of 55.
Steel rafter
Now we will create a rafter between the two columns that we just created.

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Create rafter
1.
2.
Load the RAFTER properties.
3.
Enter the rafter information in the dialog according to the drawing above (Profile:
IPE750*160) and click Apply.
4.
In the GRID 1 view pick grid C-20200 and then F-18200.
Work points for horizontal bracing and purlins

After inputting the two columns and the rafter, we will layout points for modeling the
purlins, and the vertical and horizontal braces.
Bracing work points

First, we need to create points at the intersection of grid C and the rafter centerline and the
intersection of grid F and the rafter centerline. Then, using those points, we will create work
points for the braces.
To create a point at the intersection (indicated with a red arrow) of grid C and the rafter
centerline:

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26
Intersection of
grid and rafter
centerline
Copy the point to

the other side
1.
Double-click on the Create divided line points icon.
2.
Type 1 (1 point) and pick the positions shown below.
To create the point in the intersection of grid F and the rafter centerline on the other end of
the rafter, we simply copy the first point.
1.
Select the point just created, right-click and select Copy Translate
2.
Pick the start point of the rafter, then the end point of the rafter, then click Copy.
We will now create the work points for the first and the last brace.
First and last
brace work points
1.
Double-click on the Create extension point icon.
2.
Type -800, click OK.
3.
Pick one of the points just created, and then the other.

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4.
Repeat, picking the points in the reverse order.
Using the Create divided line points command to divide the space between the work points
that you just created into ten equal spaces (9 points).
Divide the
working points in
ten segments
1.
Double-click on the Create divided line points icon.
2.
Enter 9 as the number of dividing points, click OK.
3.
Pick one of the work points that you just created, and then the other.
Purlins work points

We can now use the grid intersections C-20200 and F-18200 to create the work points for the
first and last purlins.
First and last
purlins work
points
Divide the
working points in
12 segments
1.
Double-click on the Create extension point icon.
2.
Type -600, click OK.
3.
Pick grid intersection C-20200, and then F-18200.
4.
Repeat, picking the points in the reverse order.
Using the Create divided line points command, divide the space between the work points
that you just created into 12 equal spaces (11 points).
Copy the portal frame and the points

We will now copy the columns, the rafter and the points to gridlines 2-7.

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Copy the
members
1.
Select the columns, the rafter and the points.
2.
Right-click and select Copy > Translate.
3.
4.
Type the number of copies (6).
5.
Click Copy.
Combine columns
We modeled concrete columns also on gridlines 2, 4 and 6 even though they are not needed
to support the concrete beams. We will now replace them with full length steel columns by
combining them with the steel columns on top of them.
Combine columns

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1.
Select Edit > Combine from the menu.
2.
Pick the steel column at grid C-2.
3.
Pick the concrete column at grid C-2.
4.
Reply OK to both questions.
The columns are now combined. The combined column has inherited the properties of
the steel column (the first picked part).
5.
Repeat the combining for the rest of the columns on gridlines 2, 4 and 6.

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1.
Set sloping work plane for bracing and purlins

The next step is to model the horizontal bracing and purlins of the sloped roof. To place the
parts in the correct plane we will first change the work plane (which currently is the local
coordinate system of the model) to the roof slope.
Help: Modeling > Getting Started > Basics > Defining the work area and shifting the
work plane
Help: Modeling > Getting Started > View reference > View >Work plane>To part
plane
Set work plane to
the roof slope
To set the work plane to the roof slope:

1.
Pick the Set Work plane to part top icon.
2.
Pick the rafter on gridline 1.
The work plane is now positioned in a plane parallel to the top plane of the rafter.

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The Set work plane to part plane command sets the work plane parallel to the
part plane (front, top, back, bottom) on the center line of the part.
You can use the command Work plane > With one point to set the work plane
exactly to the desired position. This command keeps the work plane parallel to
the current work plane, but moves it to a new position using a single picked
point.
True plan view

To make it easier to add the roof bracing we will now make a true plan view of the roof
bracing by creating a view perpendicular to the work plane. We can also use the true plan
view in drawings.
Working in a true plan view makes it easier to model e.g. sloped objects since
the grids are also shown in the true plan and points in the view plane are
presented as yellow crosses.
The part positioning, copying, etc, however, always comply with the work
plane coordinate system no matter in which view you perform the commands.
Create true plan

view
1.
Pick Properties > View...
2.
Complete the properties as shown below, click OK.
3.
Select View > Create view > To workplane.
The new view is created. The work points created for braces appear in yellow since they are
now on the view plane. The grid is also shown in the true plan view plane.

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Create horizontal bracing

Working in the true plan view, we will next create the horizontal bracing members using the
Create beam tool.
Create horizontal
bracing
1.
2.
Load the BRACING_H properties.
Complete the dialog box according to the information shown in the drawing above and
change the Position at depth to: Middle and Apply.
3.
In the true plan view create the braces shown in the drawing by snapping to the yellow
points.

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Check the
positioning
Check the position of the braces in the 3D view and elevation view on grid 1.
We will now copy-mirror the braces to the other end of the building (between gridlines 4 and
5). Since the work plane is now at the same slope with the TRUE PLAN view, it is easy to
pick the points for the mirror line.
The Copy special > Mirror command copies and mirrors objects through a
plane that is perpendicular to the work plane and passes through a line you
specify.
Mirror the braces
1.
Select the braces.
2.
Copy special > Mirror.
3.
In the True plan view pick two points on gridline 4 to set the mirror line and click
Copy.

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Create purlins
While still working in the true plan view we will create the purlins by using the Create beam
tool.
Create purlins
1.
2.
Load the PURLIN properties.
3.
Select a 3Z00 /3.0 profile for the purlin.
4.
Change the Position / At depth to: Front with 5 mm offset and Apply.
5.
Pick the purlin work point near grid intersection F-1 at the command Pick first position.
The point that you pick for the purlin is red since it is not in the view plane.
6.
At the command: Pick second point, pick the work point near grid intersection F-2.
7.
Check the elevation view on grid 1 to ensure that the purlin is orientated and positioned
correctly.

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With asymmetric profiles (Z, L, etc) the picking order of the first and second
position determines the orientation. It is not possible to change the orientation
using the beam properties.
8.
Set the work
plane back to
global origin
Create the rest of the purlins by using the Copy > Translate command.
Now we must switch the work plane back to the global origin to carry on modeling outside
of the roof plane.
1.
Select View > Work plane > Work plane
2.
Select Plane: XY and set the depth coordinate to 0 and click Change.
The work plane is now set back to the global origin.
Vertical bracing
Working in the elevation on the GRID C view we will create vertical bracing using the
Create beam tool.
Create brace
1.
2.
Load the BRACING_V properties.
3.
Enter RHS200*120*8 as the profile.
4.
Change the Position / At depth to: Front and add a 5 mm offset, click Apply.

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5.
Create one brace using the column top positions at C-1 and C-2.
6.
Move the brace 1300 mm downwards and to the middle of the column.

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Copy the brace

along grid C
1.
Select the brace and use Copy special > Translate to copy the brace five times at
6000 mm intervals along gridline C.
Copy the braces

to gridline F
2.
Select all the braces on gridline C and select Copy special > Translate
3.
In the GRID 1 view, pick the outer corner of the column on gridline C as the first
position.
4.
Pick the inner corner of the column on gridline F as the second position, click Copy.
Crane girders
Next we will add crane girders to the framing.
Create girder
1.
2.
Load the BEAM properties.
3.
Enter IPE450 for the profile size.

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38
Copy girders
4.
In the GRID 1 view, pick the grid intersection C-15500.
5.
Use the cursor to snap (do not pick!)! i n the y direction.
6.
With the keyboard type 930 for the numeric location and press Enter.
1.
Copy the girder that you created to the other columns on gridline C.
2.
Use the Copy mirror command to copy the girders from gridline C to gridline F.

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The BasicModel2 model is now complete.

Save the model
Save the model.
Save the model

with a new name
1.
Click File > Save as
2.
Check the path C:\TeklaStructuresModels, in the Save in field and type Model name
BasicModelCombined.
3.
Press the OK button. The model has now been saved with the new name.

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40
5.5 Combine Models 1 and 2

Next we will combine BasicModel1 and BasicModelCombined by copying the objects in
phase 1 from BasicModel1. To copy the objects from another model we will use the
command; Copy from model. This command copies objects from specified phase(s) from
another model.
To be able to manage the objects from the two models after we have combined them we will
first transfer the model 2 parts to a different phase.
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Settings > Phases
Change the phase of BasicModel2 members, preparation

Check objects by
phases
1.
Click Properties > Phase number... to open the Phase manager dialog box.
By default only Phase 1 appears in the dialog box.

2.
Select Phase 1.
3.
Click Objects by phases.
All the parts in the model become highlighted, indicating that they belong to Phase 1.
Add a new phase
Model2
4.
Click on the Add button to add a new phase.
5.
Edit the name of the new phase to Model 2.

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41
6.
Also edit the name of the Phase 1 to Model 1.
7.
See that all of the parts are still highlighted in the Model 2 phase.
8.
Click Modify phase.
9.
Now all of the parts in the model have changed to Phase number 2.
In BasicModel1 the column footings on gridline B were dimensioned both for steel columns
on gridline B and concrete columns on gridline C. After combining the models the footings
on gridline C will no longer be needed and you can delete them.
Remove pad
footings
Delete the pad footings on gridline C.
Edit > Copy from model

Since we did not edit the phases in BasicModel1 they all belong to phase number 1.
Copy from model
1.
Click Edit > Copy special > From model...
2.
Select BasicModel1 as the model to copy from in the Model directories list.
3.
Enter 1 as the phase number from which to copy the objects.
4.
Click Copy.
The model 1 parts are now in the combined model.


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42
With the Copy special > From model command you are not able to import
drawings with the model.
Change the Model 1 part properties and numbering series

The Model 1 parts were created without paying attention to part properties and they are not
consistent with the Model 2 parts (color, name, numbering series, and material).
The different numbering series and material would result in otherwise equal parts getting
different numbers when numbering.
In this combined model we want all of the parts to be numbered according to the numbering
series shown in the table in the beginning of the lesson. To achieve this we will need to
modify the Model 1 part properties so that they are consistent with the Model 2 parts.
The properties of the connection parts to be created in the new model will be consistent with
the existing ones since we used the same default Preferences in both models.
Change pad
footing properties
1.
Select the Model 1 pad footings.
You can try the available select filters for selecting the footings.
2.
Load the FOOTING properties.
3.
Remove the modify switches and check only Name, Material, Class and Numbering
series switches.

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43
4.
Change other
parts properties
Click Modify.
By following the procedure above change the properties for:

x
Beams
Concrete beams
Columns
Concrete columns
Slabs
Hollow-core slabs
Horizontal bracing
Vertical bracing
Silos.

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5.6 Define Your Own Select Filters

To make the selecting of parts easier in the future we will now define select filters for each
part type. We will use the names of the part as filtering criteria.
For steel/concrete beams and columns we will use the materials as additional filtering criteria
to be able to filter them separately.
Define select filter
for footing
1.
Click on the Display select filter dialog icon to open the Select filter dialog box.
2.
Load the standard filter to turn out all the possible filtering.
3.
Enter the name FOOTING in the Name field of the Parts tab.
4.
Enter the name FOOTING in the Save as field and click Save as.
You can now select the new filter on the drop-down list.
By following the procedure above, define select filters for:

x
Slabs
Hollow-core slabs
Horizontal bracing
Vertical bracing
Silos
Rafters

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45
x
for plates
Purlins.
To define select filters for plates created both manually and by the connections:
1.
Enter the name *PLATE* in the Name field of the Parts tab.
(*PLATE* matches every part whose name includes the word PLATE)
2.
for steel beams
Enter the name PLATE in the Save as field and click Save as.
To define select filters for steel beams:

1.
Enter the name BEAM in the Name field of the Parts tab.
2.
Enter S* in the Material field of the Parts tab.

(S* matches every material whose material name begins with the character S)
3.
Enter the name BEAM_STEEL in the Save as field and click Save as.
By following the procedure above define select filters for:

x
Concrete beams
Steel columns
Concrete columns.
Create your own select filters to use both for modeling and for automating
drawing creation with the help of wizards.
The Copy from model command only copies the objects from another model (not e.g.
attributes from the model folder). We will now bring the attributes created in BasicModel 1
to BasicModelCombined.
Bring the
BasicModel1
attributes
1.
Tools > Open model folder.
2.
Browse to model BasicModel1 > Attributes.
3.
Copy the files.

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46
Save the model
4.
Browse to BasicModelCombined > Attributes.
5.
Paste.
Finally save the model.

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47
Profiles and Materials

March 17, 2005
Contents
Profiles and Materials ..................................................................................................3

6.1
6.2
6.3
Create Your Own Parametric Profile .........................................................................................4

Manage Library Profiles...........................................................................................................17
Add a New Material .................................................................................................................21

Contents
In this lesson
This lesson explains how to view and modify the catalogs. You will learn how to
create a new parametric profile with the sketching tool, how to add a profile to the
library profiles and how to group library profiles with rules.
After updating the profile catalog we will use the new profile in the model to create
the crane beams.
In this lesson you will also learn how to add a new material type and a new grade to
the material catalog. We will use this new defined material for the silos in the
model.
Introduction
Catalogs are databases containing detailed information about profiles, materials and
bolts, which are available for use in your project. For example, the bolt catalog
contains a library of standard bolts and bolt assemblies used in structural steelwork.
Catalogs can also contain project or company-specific information. Catalogs can
also be imported and exported.
See more in Tekla Structures Help: System > Catalogs > Things you should know
See more for profile import and export in Tekla Structures Help: System > Catalogs >
The profile catalog > Merging profile catalogs.
See more about material catalogs in Tekla Structures Help: System > Catalogs > The
material catalog.

6.1 Create Your Own Parametric Profile

In this exercise we will define a new cross section to be used for a crane beam.
We will create the crane beam as a parametric profile using the Tekla Structures
cross section sketch editor.
Sketch a cross section

We are going to open the Cross section sketch editor and then sketch a rough outline
of the shape shown above. It doesnt matter if the lines are exactly horizontal or
vertical, or if they touch at the ends. Neither the dimensions are important at this
stage. We will connect the ends of the poly-line and force the lines to be horizontal
or vertical later.
Open sketch
editor
1. Select Sketch parametric cross section from File > Catalog > Profiles >
Sketch parametric cross section to open the sketch editor.
The sketch editor opens showing the sketch editor view with toolbar, Variables
dialog box and Sketch browser.

Sketch a cross
section
1. Click on the Sketch polyline icon.
2. Sketch the profile shown below and click the middle mouse button.
The yellow circles represent "chamfers" in the sketch editor.

3. Click on the Coincident constraint icon.
4. Pick the ends of the lines one by to connect the ends
Force the lines to

horizontal /
vertical
1. Click on the Horizontal constraint icon.
2. Select all the lines you want to be horizontal.

3. Click on the Vertical constraint icon.
4. Select all the lines you want to be vertical.

Add dimension constraints to the cross section

We will now add the needed dimension parameters to the cross section.
Some of the dimension parameters in the parametric profile (the red ones in the
figure below) will be user definable and some (the black ones) will be tied to the
user definable parameters with equations.
Add horizontal
dimensions
1. Click on the Sketch horizontal distance icon.
2. Select 2 points (shown in red) and then the dimension line position.
A dimension is then added and a variable is added to the variables table.
3. Repeat adding dimensions for the edge fold thicknesses (b2, b3) and the web
thickness (b4).

4. In the variables table, change parameter b3 to be = b2. B3 is then automatically

hidden.
5. Add a dimension b5 as shown.
Take care not to add too many dimensions to the profile or the
constraints will work against each other.
6. In the variables table, change parameter b5 to be9

7.
This will result the upper flange to be horizontally symmetrical

8. Add a dimension to the lower flange width and to the left cantilever.
9. Add the equation =(b6-b4)/2 to the cantilever.

This will result in the left and right cantilevers being symmetrical.

Add vertical
dimensions:
1. Click on the Sketch vertical distance icon.
2. Add a dimension for the profile height.
3. Add dimensions for edge fold heights.

10
4. Add the equation h3 =h2.
5. Add dimensions for the upper flange thicknesses.
6. Add the equation h5 =h4
7. Add dimensions for the lower flange thicknesses.

11
8. Add equation h8=h7

Now the profile is symmetric.
Edit the labels
1. Select Show for Visibility for the variables that can be user defined. Edit the
labels of the shown parameters.

12
2. Save the profile.
3. Type the prefix "CRANE" into the User profile cross section dialog box.
4. Click OK.
5. Close the profile.
6. Reply No to the question about saving the sketch.

The parametric profile is now ready to be used in the profile catalog.
Modify the parametric profile edit chamfers

We will next complete the cross section shape by modifying two inner corners of the
crane beam profile, which require a radius.

13
Reopen the profile

for editing
1. Open the component catalog (Ctrl + f) and select the category Sketches or select
File > Catalog > Profiles > Modify sketched parametric cross section to access the
profile you created in the catalog.
2. Double-click on the sketch CRANE that you just created.

Add rounding to
the contour plate
corners
3. Add chamfers to the profile: double-click on a circle highlighted in red, select

curved chamfer type, and enter radius values as shown, Modify.
See more about chamfers in Tekla Structures Help: Modeling > Detailing >
Detailing commands > Chamfer.
4. Repeat editing the chamfer in the other highlighted corner.

5. Close and save the sketch.

14
6. Click Yes to update the existing profiles in the model.
Test the
parametric profile
1. Double-click on the Create beam icon. Tekla Structures opens the Beam
properties dialog.
2. Click on the Select button on the right side of the Profile field. The Select
profile dialog opens.
3. Select Parametric profile as the category and User-defined, parametric as the
profile type.
4. On the Profile subtype list, select the CRANE profile that you just created.
5. Create a beam to the model and test the profile with different parameters.

15

16
6.2 Manage Library Profiles

Add an instance of a parametric profile to the profile library
In case you often need to use specific size parametric profiles, it might be a good
idea to add them as standard (fixed) profiles to the profile catalog. The dimensions
of a library profile are fixed and can be changed only in the Modify profile catalog
dialog box.
This makes it faster and easier to select the necessary profile and also reduces the
risk of incorrect user-defined parameters.
See more information about the profile catalog in Tekla Structures help System >
Catalogs > The profile catalog.
Add profile
1. Select File > Catalog > Profiles > Modify on the menu to open the Modify profile
catalog dialog box.
2. Right-click in the tree structure and select Add profile.
A new profile will be created with the name PROFILE (number).
Set profile
properties
3. Change the profile name to CRANE400.

4. Choose the Profile type, User defined, parametric from pull-down list and the
Profile subtype CRANE.
5. Enter dimensions for the profile as shown below.

17
6. Click Update to insert the values to the profile.
You could now easily continue adding crane profiles of any other sizes
(Crane 500, Crane 600, etc.) to the library.
7. Click OK to save the values.

8. Click OK to Confirm the save of the profile to the model folder
The profile can now be found among the library profiles and is ready for use.
Add a rule to the profile catalog

In the profile catalog, the library profiles are grouped according to rules such as
profile type (e.g. I profiles) and profile sub-type (e.g. HEA).
We will now add a rule for the CRANE profiles in the profile catalog. See more
about rules in Tekla Structures Help: System > Catalogs > The profile catalog >
Working with rules.
Add a rule
1. Select File > Catalog > Profiles > Modify on the menu.
2. Right-click on the profile tree dialog and select Add rule.

18
3. Type in the Rule name: CRANE profiles.

4. As the Profile type, to which the rule will be applied, select All profiles.
5. As the Name filter string, type "CRANE*".
See more about filters in Tekla Structures System > Catalogs > Things you should
know > The filter.
As a default, the wildcard symbol (*) is entered, meaning "all entries".

To group all catalog entries with names beginning with A, enter A* as
the Name filter string. To group all catalog entries with names
containing 100, enter *100*. 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[*1] 0 in the filter field.
6. Click OK to save the rule and close the dialog.
7. Confirm to save the profile to the model folder.

19
Use the profile in the model

Create the beams
1. Double-click on the Create beam icon and select the profile CRANE400.
2. Create one crane beam from gridline 1 to 4. Start at the outer edge of the
supporting beam on gridline 1, and end at the middle of the supporting beam on
gridline 4.
3. Set the position in plane and position in depth fields to position the beam as
shown.
To get the right offset for the "on plane position", use the measuring
tool!
4. Select the crane beam and make a copy of it to go from gridline 4 to gridline 7.
5. Select both crane beams and copy them to the other side of the building on
gridline C.

20
We now have crane beams on both sides of the building.
6.3 Add a New Material

We will next add a new material to the Material catalog.
See more about the material catalog in Tekla Structures help System > Catalogs >
The material catalog.
Add a new material type

We will first create a new material type under which the new material will be
created.
Open the material
catalog
Select File > Catalog > Materials > Modify on the menu to open the Modify material
catalog dialog.

21
Create a new
material type
If the material type you need is missing from the tree, you can create a new one.
1. Right-click on a material branch in the tree and select Add miscellaneous branch.
Add a new material

We will next add a zero-weight material under the miscellaneous branch and use it
for the silos in the model.
Create a new
material grade
2. Right-click on the Miscellaneous branch in the tree and select Add grade.
3. Type Zero_weight for the material name in the tree.

22
4. Add the material's density 0.00 for profiles and plates.

5. Save the new material type and grade by clicking OK.
We will next use the new zero-weight material for the silos in order to exclude the
silos from the total weight of the model.
Change material
of the silos
Select the two silos in the model and double-click on one of them while holding the
Shift button down to open the properties dialog.
1. Select Zero_weight material from Select material list.
2. Close Select material dialog by clicking OK.
3. Click on the Modify button in the Column properties dialog to change the
material of the silos.

23

24
Applied Precast Concrete

Detailing
Tekla Structures 11.0

August 30, 2005
Applied Precast Concrete Detailing


ii
Contents
Concrete Detailing....................................................................................................... 2
8.1
8.2
8.3
Connecting Concrete Members Using Connections and Macros...............................................3

Creating Stairwell ....................................................................................................................12
Using Pre-cast Concrete Custom Components .......................................................................23


7 Applied Precast Concrete

Detailing
In this lesson
This lesson explains how to modify and finalize concrete members in Tekla Structures. You
will also learn how to use custom components to create concrete members and to connect
them.
Introduction
Concrete detailing can be done manually or by using system connections or custom

components, which help you to automate the detailing. See more about concrete detailing in
Tekla Structures Help: Detailing > Reinforcement > Concrete detailing and about
connections in Help: Detailing > Getting Started > Basics > Connection concepts.
For fully automatic connection creation, you can use the AutoConnection functionality to
select and apply connections with predefined properties to selected parts. Use
AutoConnection to have Tekla Structures automatically create similar connections for
similar framing conditions. See more about AutoConnections in Tekla Structures Help:
Detailing > Getting Started > AutoConnection > Using AutoConnection.

7.1 Connecting Concrete Members Using

Connections and Macros
In this exercise we will use system connections to connect the concrete beams and columns
and to fit the hollow-core slabs to the steel beams. You can create connection macros either
by using AutoConnections or manually. See more about connections in Tekla Structures
Help: Detailing > Getting Started > Basics > Connection concepts and about
AutoConnections in Help: Detailing > Getting Started > AutoConnection > Using
AutoConnection.
AutoConnections is the recommended way to create connections. Use AutoConnections to
automatically select and apply connections with predefined properties to selected parts.
Create corbels using AutoConnections and AutoDefaults

With AutoConnection you can define groups of rules which Tekla Structures automatically
applies when you use AutoConnection to create connections in a model.
Define conditions
for
AutoConnections
There are six basic cases for AutoConnections:
For each of these it is possible to define several framing conditions. We will now define two
different conditions, which check the material and number of secondaries for corbel
connections. The first condition will use the Corbel connection (14), if only one beam is to
be connected. For two beams we will use the Two sided seating with dowel (76)
connection.
1.
Open the AutoConnection setup dialog by selecting AutoConnection from

Setup pull down menu.
2.
Right-click on the Beam to column web rule group and select Create
additional rule sets. Tekla Structures creates a New rule set under the Beam
to column web rule group.
3.
Open the Beam to column web rule group and right-click on the New rule set
and select Edit rule set from the popup list.
4.
Change the Rule set name to describe the use (Concrete Column).
5.
Select Primary material name and Secondary 1 material name from the
Available rules list and move them to the right by clicking the arrow in the
middle of the dialog.

6.
Write K* in the Exact value field for both rules.
7.
Add a new rule Number of secondaries by selecting it from the Available

rules list and clicking the arrow.
8.
Set the Exact value to 1.
9.
Click OK to close the dialog and save the rule settings.
10. We will next define which connection this rule will use. Open the Concrete
Column rule set and right-click on the No connection icon to select the Corbel
connection (14). Now pick Select connection type, which opens the Select
component dialog.
11. In the Select component dialog select Corbel connection (14). Close the
dialog by clicking OK.

12. You have now completed one rule definition. Next, copy the rule set to apply
also for the Beam to column flange condition by right-clicking on the
Concrete Column rule set and selecting Copy rule set from the popup menu.
13. Open the Beam to column flange rule group and right-click on any rule set
and select Paste rule set from the popup menu.
You have now defined the beam to column connection for concrete members always to be
Corbel connection (14) if the number of secondaries is 1.
14. Next, create another rule set for the Two sided seating with dowel (76)
connection in case there are two beams to be connected to a column. Repeat
steps 2 8. Rule name is: Concrete column (2 sec)
15. Set the Exact value of "Number of secondaries" to 2.
16. Add a new rule Secondary 2 material name by selecting it from the Available
rules list and clicking the arrow.
17. Write K* to Exact value field.

18. Click OK to close the dialog and save the rule settings.
19. Move the rule set above the Concrete column rule set using right button
command Move up. The rules are read from the list in appearance order and the
first valid rule will be used.
20. Open the Concrete column (2 sec) rule set and right-click on the No
connection icon to select the Two sided seating with dowel (76). Now pick
Select connection type, which opens Select component dialog.
21. In Select component dialog select Two sided seating with dowel (76). Close
the dialog by clicking OK.
22. Next copy the rule set to apply also in Beam to column flange condition by
right-clicking on Concrete column (2 sec) rule set and selecting Copy rule set
from popup menu.
23. Open the Beam to column flange rule group and right-click on any rule set
and select Paste rule set from popup menu.
24. Click OK to close the dialog and save the rule settings.

Define
AutoDefaults
With AutoDefaults you can create rules defining when to use different pre-defined
connection properties. When the connections need to be modified (for example changing the
beam size), Tekla Structures automatically redefines the connection properties using the
AutoDefaults rules defined by you. See more in Help: System > AutoConnection >
AutoDefaults setup > AutoDefaults setup.
We will now create a new AutoDefaults rule group named Industrial building rules. This
rule group could include all the rules needed to define when to use certain pre-defined
connection properties for the entire project.
Create new rule

group: Industrial
building rules
Create new rule

sets for Two sided
seating with dowel
(76)
1.
Click Setup > AutoDefaults to open the AutoDefaults setup dialog box.
2.
Right-click in the dialog and select New rule group, and a rule group named New
appears.
3.
Select the New rule group, press the F2 key and type: Industrial building rules.
4.
Press OK to save the settings.
We will now create an AutoDefault rule for Two sided seating with dowel (76) and use it in
the Industrial building rule group.
1.
Open the AutoDefaults setup dialog from Setup > AutoDefaults pull down menu.
2.
Browse to Two sided seating with dowel (76) under Industrial building rules group.
3.
Right-click to create an additional rule set.
4.
Select the New rule set under Two sided seating with dowel (76) and select Edit rule
set from the right-click popup menu.

5.
Write a new name for the rule set: Corbels400-800.
6.
Select Primary depth from Available rules list and move it to the right using arrow
button in the middle of the dialog.
7.
Set Minimum value to 400 and Maximum value to 800.
8.
Click OK to save the settings and close the dialog.
9.
Select connection parameters Standard.j30000076 under the Corbels400-800 rule set and
right-click > Additional connection parameters...
10. Select the new connection parameters and right-click > Edit connection parameters.
The connection properties dialog opens.
11. On the General tab, select the Industrial building rules for the AutoDefault rule group;
it can also be None.
12. On all the tabs, set the fields that you want AutoDefaults to override to Default by
selecting the options marked with the arrow symbol. Set all needed options, values and
dimensions on all tab pages as shown below:

13. Save the settings using Save as field, define the name Corbels400-800.
14. Close the dialog with OK.
15. Right-click on the connection parameters and pick Select connection parameters

16. Select Corbels400-800.j30000076 from Attribute File List.
17. Close the Attribute File List with OK.

18. Close the AutoDefaults setup dialog with OK.
Create
connections
We will now use the AutoConnections and apply the AutoDefault rules which we just
defined.
1.
Select all concrete beams and columns between grid lines C and F.
2.
From the Detailing pull down menu select AutoConnection
3.
Select the Industrial building rules group for connection parameters.

10
4.
Click the Create connections button. Tekla Structures creates connections between
concrete beams and columns using Corbel connection (14), which creates corbels and
connects beams to columns if only one beam is to be connected. For two beams, Tekla
Structures uses the Two sided seating with dowel (76) connection.

11
7.2 Create a Stairwell

In this exercise we will create a stairwell and footings for it using a system macro and a
custom component.
Create stairwell footings with the help of a custom component

Import the custom
component
Create the
footings
First, we need to import the needed custom component into the model.
1.
Open the Component catalog by pressing Ctrl + F or from the Tools > Find a
component drop down menu.
2.
Right-click > Import
3.
Select CastInPlaceCustomComponents300605.uel file in the browser.
4.
Click OK. The custom components are imported into the model and are ready for use.
The custom component will create a footing and supporting walls for the stairwell. Define
first the values for the footing and the walls, then place them in the model.
1.
In the Component catalog, double-click on the CIP_FO_002 custom component to open

the dialog.
2.
On the Footing tab, insert the values as shown below.

12
3.
Set the values on the Walls tab. Note that the 2.2 walls will not be created and therefore
the profile size is set to zero.

13
4.
On the Position tab, set the Rotation to Back and the On plane and At depth fields to
Middle position.
5.
6.
In the PLAN +0 view, zoom in to gridline A between lines 5 and 6.

14
7.
Delete the 1800*1800 size footings below the columns on grid lines 5 and 6.
8.
Select the CIP_FO_002 custom component in the Component catalog.
9.
Pick the middle point between grid lines 5 and 6 on the line A.
The footing and the walls are created.

15
Insert additional
walls
We will next insert supporting wall panels on gridlines 5 and 6 between the columns and the
side walls.
1.
Double-click on the Create concrete panel icon to open the dialog.
2.
Fill in the values as shown below:
3.
Close the dialog by clicking the OK button.
4.
Pick the start and end points for each wall and close them with the middle mouse button.

16
Insert a slab
Before creating the stairwell, we will insert a slab above the walls we just created.
1.
Double-click on the Create concrete slab icon to open the dialog.
2.
Set the slab height to be 300 mm, select K30-2 as the material and position it to be Front
in depth with value 700.
3.
Close the dialog with the OK button.
4.
In the PLAN +0 view, pick the polygon position by clicking at the corner points.
5.
Close the polygon with the middle mouse button.

17
Create the stairwell using a macro

Define the
stairwell settings
We will create the stairwell using the Stairwells and elevator shafts (90) component. First
we need to find the needed component.
2.
3.
Type "stair" in the search field.
4.
Click the Search button. All components having a word "stair" are listed.
5.
Double click the Stairwells and elevator shafts (90) component.
6.
Fill in the tab pages as shown below:

18
On the Plan View tab, define the levels and wall dimensions for 1st, typical and top floors.

19
On the Openings tab, set the dimensions for doors.

20
On the Stairs and landings tab, define the placement and dimensions for stairs.
7.
8.
In the PLAN +0 view, pick, first, the intersection of gridline A and the column inner
side on line 5, then the intersection of line A and the column inner side on line 6. The
stairwell is created.

21

22
7.3 Using Pre-cast Concrete Custom

Components
In this exercise we will use pre-cast custom components for creating and connecting concrete
members.
Insert a column shoe connection

Import the custom
component
First, we need to import the needed custom component into the model.
1.
2.
Right-click > Import
3.
Select the file PrecastCustomComponents310505.uel in the browser.
4.
Click OK. The custom components are imported into the model and are ready for use.
5.
Double-click on the CO_CO_GR_02 custom component to open the dialog.
6.
Use the default the values as shown below.
7.
8.
Pick the footing of the stairwell.


23
9.
Pick the column on gridline 5. The column shoes and anchor bolts are created.
10. Repeat for the column on line 6.
Create plinth walls and wall panels

Non-bearing
plinth walls
For the plinth wall insulation we need first create a new material named "Stonewool"
1.
Open the Modify material catalog from File > Catalog > Materials > Modify
2.
Right-click over the Miscellaneous branch and select Add grade.
3.
Select the new material and press F2, then type Stonewool
4.
Set the profile and plate density values to be 250 kg/m3
5.
6.
Close also the Save confirmation dialog with OK.
We will now create non-bearing plinth walls on gridline A. First, we need to find the needed
custom component in the component catalog. The component was imported together with the
column footing connection (CO_CO_GR_02).
1.
2.
Open the "Custom" folder
3.
Double-click on the EW_003 custom component to open the dialog.
4.
Fill in the fields on each tab page as shown below.

24
On the Main part tab set the dimensions and materials.
Define the dimensions and spacing of the insulation boxes.

25
Set the position to be Left on plane, Rotation to Top and Middle at depth.
Bearing plinth
walls
5.
Click OK to close the dialog and apply the settings.
6.
Pick the start point at the columns outer side mid point at line 7.
7.
Pick the end point at the columns outer side mid point at line 6. A plinth wall is created.
8.
Create similar plinth walls between gridlines 5 and 1 on gridline A, one wall between
each column.
9.
Create similar plinth walls on gridline F, one wall between each column.
Next, we will create bearing plinth walls on gridlines 1 and 7.

1.
2.
In the Custom folder, double-click on the EW_004 custom component to open the
dialog.
3.

26
On the Main part tab set the dimensions and materials.

27
Define the dimensions and spacing of the insulation boxes.
Panels around the

stairwell
4.
5.
Pick the start point on gridline C at the 900*600 column's long side mid point.
6.
Pick the end point on gridline A, perpendicular to the start point.
7.
Create similar plinth walls between gridlines C and F.
8.
Repeat with reverse picking order at gridline 1. Note that you need to use reference pick
with Ctrl button on grid line C at the 900*600 column's long side mid point, then pick
the actual start point on gridline A, perpendicular to it.
Next, we will create outer panel with insulation around the outer part of the stairwell.
1.
2.
In the Custom folder, double-click on the EW_002 custom component.
3.

28
On the Picture tab, define the dimensions and materials. Note that the thickness of the inner
panel is zero.
4.
5.
Pick the start and end points at the corners around the stairwell's bearing walls.
We should now have plinth walls and wall panels around the whole building. Next, we will
connect the walls to each other.

29
Connect the walls using custom components

Outer corners
We will now create corner connections between the walls on the outer corners.
1.
2.
3.
Double-click on the EW_EW_GR_04 custom component to open the dialog.
4.
Fill in the fields as shown below.
5.
Close the dialog by clicking the OK button.
6.
oZo m into the intersection of gridlines F and 7.
7.
Pick the parts of the walls as shown on the dialog's Picture tab. End with the middle
mouse button.

30
The connection is created.
8.
Use the component EW_EW_GR_06 for the corner at the intersection of gridlines 1 and
F.
9.
Set the values on the Picture tab as in previous connection and put the up direction to z.
10. Repeat for gridline A outer corners. Use EW_EW_GR_04 at grid line 1 and
EW_EW_GR_06 at grid line 7.
Corners around
the stairwell
Next we will connect the walls around the stairwell.

31
1.
2.
3.
Double click the EW_EW_GR_11 custom component to open the dialog.
4.
5.
6.
Z
o om in to stairwell's inner corner on gridline 5 and pick the parts in order shown on the
dialog, end with the middle mouse button.

32
A connection is created.
7.
Then go to the stairwell's inner corner on grid line 6 and make the connection using
EW_EW_GR_12 custom component with Picture tab page values shown below. Use z
up direction on General tab. Picking order is the same as in previous connection.
8.
Use the manual fitting tool to adjust the stairwell's outer corners on gridlines 5 and 6.
Before fitting, switch the "Select objects in components" on.
a.
Select the "Create fitting" icon.
b.
Pick the panel to be fitted between grid lines 5 and 6.
c.
Point the fitting line with two points along joining parts' sides as shown in the
first picture below.

33
Connections
straight sides
on
d.
Repeat for the insulation.
e.
Continue with the panel on grid line 5 by picking it, then make a reference pick
with Ctrl button down at the corner of the panel we just fitted. Point direction at
the selected panel's corner and give a numerical value 15, then press Enter to
get the start point for fitting line 15 mms from the panel's side.
f.
Pick the fitting line end point at the side of the insulation, perpendicular to the
start point.
g.
Repeat for the opposite corner at grid line 6.
Now we will connect the parallel walls to each other.

1.
2.
3.
Double click the EW_EW_GR_15 custom component to open the dialog.
4.

34
5.
6.
oZo m in to column in the intersection of gridlines A and 2.
7.
Pick, first, the panels in the order shown on the dialog, then the column, and end with
the middle mouse button.
The connection is created between the walls and the column.

8.
Repeat to all similar cases around the building at concrete columns.
9.
On gridline F, use the component EW_EW_GR_14 for connecting the walls beside the
steel columns with settings shown below.

35
Connect double-T slabs using custom components

We will now connect the double-T slabs to each other using a seam-type custom component.
1.
2.
3.
Double-click on the DT_DT_GR_01 custom component to open the dialog.
4.

36
5.
Click OK to close the dialog and apply the settings.
6.
In the PLAN +7175 view, zoom in to the top right corner at gridline F between lines 5
and 7.
7.
Select the 50 mm thick slabs and hide them using right-click > Shift + hide.
8.
Pick the top most DT-slab (main part) then the next slab aside it (sec. part).
9.
Pick start and end points as shown below.
The connection is created.

37
10. Select the connection in the model and copy it 8 times to y direction -2400 mm.
11. Then select all the double-T slab seam connections and copy them 2 times to x direction
-12000 mms.
Now all the double-T slabs should be connected to each other.

38
Create seam ring reinforcements using custom components

Next we will create seam ring reinforcements around the hollow core-slabs using custom
components.
1.
2.
Open the "Custom" folder.
3.
Double-click on the BE_D_004_SeamRing custom component to open the dialog.
4.
Set the dimensions of the in-situ concrete and the placing of the rebars.

39
Define the seam ring reinforcement properties and placing.

5.
6.
Pick the beam on gridline 7 at level +3850.
7.
Pick the intersection point of gridlines B and 7 at the end of the beam.
The reinforcements and the in-situ beam are created.

8.
Select the component and copy it to the upper levels (3500 and 95500 mms up).
9.
Create similar reinforcement to grid line 4 at two lowest levels putting the first seam
rebar at 800 mms from the start.

40
Applied Steel Detailing

February 10, 2005
Contents
Contents..................................................................................................................................i
Applied Steel Detailing ................................................................................................3

1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
AutoConnections .......................................................................................................................4
General about the Criteria for Creating Connections.................................................................6
Study the Connections Created.................................................................................................9
Create a New AutoConnection Rule Group.............................................................................13
Run AutoConnection ...............................................................................................................25
Create Steel Stairs ..................................................................................................................26
Create Stanchions ...................................................................................................................40
Create Railings........................................................................................................................43

Contents
In this lesson
In this chapter we will first create connections by using default AutoConnection /

AutoDefault rules. We will get acquainted with the logic that defines how certain
connections are created to certain positions according to the AutoConnection rules.
We will then create new AutoConnection rules for this project, remove the existing
connections and replace them using a new AutoConnection rule group.
We will also study how AutoConnections react to changes in the model.
We will then create steel stairs.
TEKLA STRUCTURES BAISC TRAINING

1.1 AutoConnections
You can create connections either manually (as we did in lesson 2) or by using
AutoConnections.
Help: Getting started > Using components > Creating components
Help: Getting started > AutoConnection > Using AutoConnection
We recommend you to use AutoConnections for creating connections. When you use
AutoConnection, Tekla Structures automatically creates connections using a predefined set
of rules, or rule group.
With AutoConnection, Tekla Structures automatically creates similar connections for similar
framing conditions.
When you are creating AutoConnections you can also choose which connection properties
you want to use (AutoDefaults).
Run default AutoConnections

Delete
connections
1.
Create or open a pre-defined view where only steel members are visible.
2.
Select all the connections and delete them.
Create autoconnections
1.
Select all the visible parts in the model.
2.
Select Detailing > AutoConnection... to display the AutoConnection dialog box.
3.
Select a default rule group Basic for AutoConnection.
4.
Select a default rule group Factory defaults for AutoDefaults.
5.
Click the Create connections button.

The connections are created.

1.2 General about the Criteria for Creating

Connections
The AutoConnection setup is a tree structure containing rules.
To apply a particular connection, the conditions within the model have to match all the rules
in the branch containing the connection.
The order of the rules in the tree is important. Tekla Structures uses the first rule that
matches the conditions within the model.
Rule group
The first level in the tree is the rule group: a user-defined group of rules for different
standards, projects, manufacturers or models.
You can create connections using the predefined rule group in the AutoConnection setup
dialog box (as we did above). The dialog opens when you select Setup > AutoConnection
on the menu.
Framing conditions
The second level shows the six different predefined framing conditions in AutoConnection
setup which you cannot change.

Rule sets
Under each framing condition you can create rule sets to specify which connection to use for
specific conditions within the model.
Each rule set can include several single rules to filter the cases.

The name of the rule set is just a descriptive name that is displayed in the tree
structure. The actual filtering is done according to criteria set in the rules.
Connections
Under each rule set you can select the connection to apply if the rule set criteria is met. It is
also possible to define that in a certain case no connection is to be created.
The order of the rules in the tree is important. Tekla Structures uses the first
rule that matches the conditions within the model, so you should place the most
limiting rule highest in the tree, and the most generic, lowest.
You can change the priority of a rule set by right-clicking on the rule set and
selecting Move Up or Move Down.

1.3 Study the Connections Created

We will now study two "beam to beam web" connections created by the default rule group
Basic.
End plate
Check rule set
used
1.
Double-click on one of the straight beam to beam web connections around the silos.
It appears to be End plate (144).
2.
From the Beam to beam web framing condition in the AutoConnection setup, check
the names of the rule sets.
No other rule set name (Round tube, RHS, CHS, Bracing) seems to match with the
conditions in the model but the Default.

3.
Right-click on the Default rule set and select Edit rule set... to open the
AutoConnection Rules dialog box.
You can see that there are no rules defined in the right pane under Rules in rule set.
Since the Default rule set does not have any rules defined, all the Beam to beam web
framing conditions that don't match with any other rule sets will match with the Default rule
set.
This is also the case with our example.
Tube gusset
Check rule set
used
1.
Double-click on one of the horizontal brazing connections on the gridline 1.
It appears to be a Tube gusset (20) connection.

2.
From the Beam to beam web framing condition in the AutoConnection setup, check
the names of the rule sets.
In the tree we can see that the first rule set name that matches our example conditions is
RHS.

10
3.
Right-click on the RHS rule set and Select Edit rule set....
The only rule it contains is Secondary 1 profile type = 8 (square pipe, see the table
below). So the rules match and the connection Tube gusset (20) is created.

11
4.
Close the AutoConnection Rules dialog box.

We will also study the next rule set that could have matched the conditions.
5.
Right-click on the Bracing rule set and select Edit rule set....
We can see that the only rule is Secondary 1 Part name = BRAC*. So also the Bracing rule
set matches the conditions in our example. However, since the RHS rule set comes before the
Bracing rule set, RHS is used and connection 20 is created instead of connection 11.
Study other
connections
Study some more connections in the model.
Delete the
connections
Finally, delete all the connections from the model.

12
1.4 Create a New AutoConnection Rule Group

We will now create a new AutoConnection rule group for this project.
We will create a rule group that automatically creates the connections created manually in
Lesson 2, and, in addition, some connections needed for the Model2.
In this exercise we will create the following rules for framing conditions:
Framing
condition
Rule set
name
Rules in rule set
Connection
Beam to
beam web
Purlin
Secondary1 part name =

PURLIN
Cold rolled overlap (1)
Bracing
Secondary1 profile type = 8
Tube gusset (20)
Default
No rule
Shear plate simple (146)
Two sided
Number of secondaries = 2
Secondary1 part name = BEAM
Secondary2 part name = BEAM
Two sided end plate (142)
Bracing
Secondary1 profile type = 8
Tube gusset (20)
Default
No rule
End plate (144)
Crane
support
Secondary1 profile = IPE450
Welded Column with

stiffeners (128)
Default
No rule
End plate (144)
Beam to
column web
Beam to
column flange
We will define rule sets for the following framing conditions:

x
Beam to beam flange
Beam splices
Column splices
since we do not have those connections in our model.
Create rule group "Industrial building connections"

Create new rule
group
1.
Click Setup >AutoConnection to open the AutoConnection setup dialog box.
2.
Right-click on the Basic rule group and select New rule group.

13
A new rule group named New appears.

3.
Select the New rule group, press the F2 key and edit the name to Industrial building
connections.
Beam to beam web

We will start creating rule sets for the Beam to beam web framing condition. By default, the
framing conditions do not have any rule sets defined, only the connection type No
connection.
Create Default
connection
Right-click on a connection No connection in the AutoConnection setup tree.

2.
Select connection type... to open the Connection Browser dialog box.

14
3.
Select Shear plate simple (146) and click OK to update the tree.
The tree is updated.

15
Rule for "Purlin"

connections
We will now create additional rule sets to the Beam to beam web framing.
1.
Right-click on Beam to beam web framing condition and select Create additional rule
sets.
Two rule sets, New and Default, appear. The connection we chose now appears under
both rule sets New and Default.
2.
Right-click on the rule set New and select Edit rule set...

16
The AutoConnection Rules dialog box opens.

3.
Select a rule Secondary 1 part name from the Available rules list.
4.
Click on the right arrow button to move the selected rule into the list Rules in rule set.
5.
Write PURLIN as the Exact value for the rule.
6.
Define Purlin as the name for the rule set.
7.
Click OK and the tree is updated.
8.
Select the Cold rolled overlap connection for the Purlin rule set.

17
Rule for "Bracing"

connections
1.
Create an additional rule set to the Beam to beam web framing.
2.
Right-click on the New rule set created and select Edit rule set
3.
Add 8 as the value for the rule Secondary 1 profile type and name the rule Bracing,
click OK.

18
Test the rules
4.
Select the connection Tube gusset (20) for the Bracing rule.
5.
Click Apply in the AutoConnection setup dialog box to save the editing so far.
We will now do a simple test to make sure our new rule group works.
1.
Select the parts of each conditions we have defined rules for (by using Ctrl).

19
2.
Select Detailing > AutoConnection
3.
Select the Industrial building connections rule group.
4.
Select Industrial building rules for connection parameters (the AutoDefaults file we
created in lesson 2).
5.
Click Create connections.
6.
Check that a correct connection was created to each condition.


20
Beam to column web

Default
connection
Set End plate (144) as the default connection for the Beam to column web framing
condition.
Two-sided end
plate
1.
Right-click on the Beam to column web framing condition and select Create
additional rule sets.
2.
Right-click on the New Rule set and select Edit rule set...
3.
Edit the rule set to have the following rules:
4.
Number of secondaries: 2
5.
Secondary 1 part name: BEAM
6.
Secondary 2 part name: BEAM
7.
Name the rule set Two-sided and click OK.

21
8.
Bracing
Select Two sided end plate (142) as the connection for the rule Two-sided.
Instead of creating a new rule for bracing, we will now copy the existing Bracing rule from
the Beam to beam web framing condition.
1.
Copy the rule Bracing from the Beam to beam web framing.

22
2.
Right-click on the first rule (Two-sided) in the Beam to column web framing condition
and select Paste rule set.
Beam to column flange

Default
connection
Set End plate (144) as the default connection for the Beam to column flange framing
condition.

23
Crane support
1.
Create additional rule sets.
2.
Right-click on the New rule set and select Edit rule set.
3.
Edit the rule set to have the rules Secondary 1 profile = IPE450.
4.
Select Welded column with stiffener (128) as the connection for the rule Crane girder.
5.
Click OK in the AutoConnection setup dialog box.

24
1.5 Run AutoConnection

Create
connections
1.
Select the whole model.
2.
Select Detailing > AutoConnection
3.
Select the Industrial building connections rule group.
4.
Select Industrial building rules for connection parameters (the AutoDefaults file we
created in lesson 2).
5.
Click Create connections.
6.
Check that a correct connection was created to each condition.

25
1.6 Create Steel Stairs

We will now create steel stairs from level 3850 to level 7350 in the location where we left
out the hollow-core slabs in lesson 1. We will create the stairs by using the U pan (S71)
component.
You can also create steel stairs with component Stairs (S82). The advantage of
U Pan (S71) is the ability to use library profiles, parametric profiles and
custom parts to create steps. Also the positioning of bolts is easier.
Create stairs with

default properties
Hide or filter out unnecessary parts to make the view easier to work in. You will need to see
only the level 3850 beam on gridline 5 and the level 7350 beam on gridline 6.
1.
Double-click on the U Pan (S71) component.
2.
Pick the first point on the reference axis of the gridline 5 beam 1050 mm from the end
point.

26
3.
Pick the second point (using ortho snap) on the reference axis of the gridline 6 beam.
The stairs appear, with default properties.

27
4.
Create component basic views of the stairs.
Position the stairs
On the Parameters tab page, change the Position in plane to Middle.
Define the stringers and the steps

1.
On the U pan tab page, choose the custom option shown in the figure. This enables the
options to use any step profiles you want on the Parts tab page.

28
2.
On the Parts tab page, find the parametric profile shown below for the steps and edit the
parameters as shown.
3.
Edit U200 for the stringer profiles.

29
The U Pan (S71) component can create steps from library profiles, parametric
profiles or custom parts.
Set steps rotation
On the Parameters tab page, change the Steps rotation to Back.

30
Position stairs according to steps and define landings
The definition points of the stairs refer to treads instead of stringers.

We will now move the definition points of the stairs to position the steps according to the
drawing details above.
Position the stairs
according to first
and last steps
1.
Select the stairs and then its lower handle.

31
2.
Move the handle according to the detail shown above.
You can either create the stairs directly in the correct position or create them
between two points and then adjust these definition points of the stairs later.
3.
Check the dimensions by using the measure tool in the front view.
4.
Move the upper handle according to the drawing detail in the same way.
1.
In the component front view, measure the nosing distance.
2.
On the Picture tab page, edit the Nosing distance as shown to set the nosing to zero.
Set nosing to zero

32
Now the steps are positioned the way we wanted.

Define the
landings
1.
Select the bottom landing type shown in the figure below.
2.
Edit the bottom flooring thickness to 200 according the detail drawing above.
3.
Edit the bottom landing length to 650 (the nosing distance 150 taken into account)
according to the detail drawing above.

33
4.
Check the dimensions in the model with the measure tool.
5.
Edit, in the same way, the top flooring thickness and top landing length.
The result should be as shown below.

34
Remove brackets, create and position the bolts

The U Pan (S71) component, by default, creates and connects supporting L profile brackets
underneath the treads.
We will now remove the L-profile brackets and position the bolts straight to the step profile.
Remove brackets
and position the
bolts
1.
On the Bracket tab page, select the option No Brackets.
2.
Edit the horizontal bolt size to 12.
3.
Edit the bolt distances to position the bolts according to the drawing detail above.

35
4.
Check the dimension with the measure tool in the model.
5.
Save the properties used.

36
Connect landings
We will now use the Seating (30) component to connect the landings to the beams with a
plate welded to the landing and bolted to the beam.
Create seating
connection
1.
Double-click on the component Seating (30) in the component catalog.
2.
Pick a beam and then a landing to create a connection with default properties.
3.
Edit the cut distance to 0.

37
4.
Edit the plate dimensions (width changes the value parallel to the main part).
5.
Write zero (0) in the stiffeners thickness fields to delete the stiffeners.
6.
Edit the bolt positions.

38
Check the dimensions with the measure tool.


39
1.7 Create Stanchions

We are now going to create railings to our stairs. We will create stanchions separately on one
stringer and the upper landing with the component Stanchions (S76) and then rails to the
stanchions with the component Railings (S77).
Create stanchions
1.
Double-click on the component Stanchions (S76) in the component catalog.
2.
Pick the first position at the lower end of the stringer as shown.
3.
Pick the second position at the end of the upper landing.
4.
Pick the stringer (1) and then the upper landing (2) as objects.
5.
Click the middle mouse button to end the command.
The stanchions are now created.

40
Adjust position
and height of
stanchions
1.
Edit the stanchion height to 1100.
2.
Edit the distance from the start point to the first stanchion to 100.
3.
Edit the distance from the end point to the last stanchion to 100.
Define stanchion
profiles

41
1.
On the Parts tab page, edit all stanchion profiles to PD40*4.
2.

42
1.8 Create Railings

We will now create railings to the stanchions that we just created. For this, we will use the
Railings (S77) component.
We will remove the closures that the component creates and instead simply weld the rail
ends to the first and last stanchions.
Create the railings
1.
Double-click on the component Railings (S77) in the component catalog.
2.
Select the stanchion option Use first and last.

This option allows you to select only one stanchion (instead of selecting each one by
one).

43
3.
Select one of the stanchions.
4.
Click the middle mouse button to create the railings.
Remove closures
On the Picture tab page, edit the distances from the closures to the nearest stanchion to 0.
Define rail profiles


44
Define middle rail

distances
1.
Edit profile 1 to PD40*3 and profile 2 to PD20*3.
2.
Edit the top and bottom rail profile to 1 (number 1 refers to the profile defined in field 1).
3.
Edit the bottom rail profile to 0 in order not create it at all.
4.
Edit the middle rail profiles 2 2 2 in order to create three rails of profile 2.
1.
On the Picture tab page, edit the middle railing offset to -30.

45
Create railings to
the other side
2.
On the Middle Rails tab page, edit the distances between the rails according to the above
drawing.
3.
Select the option to end the middle railings at the stanchion outer edge level.
4.
Check the dimensions with the measure tool.
5.
Using the saved properties, repeat the creation of the railings to the stringer and upper
landing on the other side.
1.
Create stanchions.
2.
Create railings.
3.
Edit the offset of the middle railings from -30 to 30.

46

47
Numbering and Reports

August 18, 2005
Contents
Numbering and Reports.............................................................................................. 3

8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.5
8.6
8.7
Numbering Basics .....................................................................................................................3

Number the Model .....................................................................................................................5
Check the Numbering, Create Reports......................................................................................7
Change Numbering Settings....................................................................................................13
Change Numbering Series ......................................................................................................15
Start Numbering from Scratch .................................................................................................18
Create Reports and Check Part Marks ....................................................................................20

In this lesson
This lesson introduces the principles of numbering the model in Tekla Structures.
You will learn:
x
The options available for numbering your model
How marks are assigned in numbering
How to check part marks
To use report templates.
8.1 Numbering Basics

Defining numbers to be used for parts
You use numbering series to divide part, assembly and cast unit numbers into
groups.
For example, you can allocate separate numbering series to different part types
(BEAM, COLUMN, BRACING, etc.) or according to which floor the part is located
in (1st floor, 2nd floor, etc.).
You can name the numbering series to which a part, an assembly or a cast unit
belongs, using the part properties dialog box. The numbering series name consists of
a prefix and a starting number.
Part Position and Assembly Position numbers are material
specific and apply only to steel by default. Concrete members
have part prefix "Concrete", and the starting number is 1 and
they have a Cast Unit Position number instead of an
Assembly Position number. See more in Help: Modeling >
Parts > Numbering parts > Defining numbers to be used for
parts.

Running the numbering

When you initiate the numbering process, Tekla Structures assigns marks to parts,
assemblies and cast units.
You run the numbering by selecting Tools > Numbering > Modified or Tools >
Numbering > Full. The Full option will check all parts in the model even if they have
not been modified. The Modified option only checks the new and modified parts and
is much faster.
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Settings and tools reference >
Tools>Numbering>Modified
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Settings and tools reference >
Tools>Numbering>Full
How marks are assigned in numbering

In numbering, parts with the same Part prefix and Start number will be compared
with each other. All identical parts within such a group will be given the same
number. The prefix and start number together define what numbers the part will be
given. E.g. if the prefix is PC and the starting number is 1 (steel columns in our
model), the numbering result will be PC1, PC2, PC3, etc.
Help: Modeling > Parts > Numbering parts > What affects numbering
Numbering settings
Numbering is carried out according to the settings in the Numbering setup dialog
box. In the Numbering setup dialog you can define how new or modified parts are
handled in numbering. For example, you decide whether a profile name affects the
part number, and define the degree of tolerance in comparing the parts in
numbering.
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Numbering > Numbering settings

8.2 Number the Model

In lesson 5 (Basic Modeling 2) we defined the numbering series for the members in
our model. Thus, the members already have the numbering series information but
not the actual marks. If we try to create a report or a drawing, there will be a
warning about the numbering not being up to date.
We will use Inquire object to see the current state of the numbering of parts and then
we will number the model.
Inquire a part
1. Select Inquire > Object

2. Select any steel column.
The Inquire object dialog box opens. The Part position and Assembly
position marks are shown as PC/0 and AC/0 so the numbers shown are 1 less
than the starting numbers defined for the column (PC/1 and AC/1). This
indicates that the part and assembly have not been numbered yet.
Tekla Structures uses numbers to identify parts, assemblies

and cast units when producing drawings and reports. You
must have Tekla Structures number the model parts before
you can create drawings or reports.

Run full
numbering
Select Tools > Numbering > Full from the pull-down menu.
Now all the parts, assemblies and cast units in our model have up to date position
numbers.

8.3 Check the Numbering, Create Reports

We will now check the marks assigned to parts, assemblies and cast units.
Inquire part

2. Select any column.
The Inquire object dialog box opens. Now the steel columns have Part position
and Assembly position numbers and the concrete columns have cast unit
numbers (the position numbers may differ in your model).
The numbering is now up to date and we can create reports. We will next create an
assembly part list and a cast unit list of the whole model.
Help: Drawing > Printing > Printing reports > Producing reports on entire model
You can create reports already at an early stage of the project

to check the model and get pre-bill of material lists at
quotation stage, cut lists, bolt lists, weld lists etc.
Create assembly
part list and cast
unit list
1. Click on the Report icon to display the Report dialog box.
2. Select Assembly_part_list report template from the list.

3. On the Options tab, check the options as shown below.

4. Click Create from all to run a report of the entire model.

The report is now automatically displayed in a dialog. Also the text file is
created in the model folder.

5. Check the numbering range of the assemblies and parts.

6. Repeat the procedure above to create a cast unit list of the entire model.
We will next create a cast unit list of all concrete columns in our model. We will
name the report with a specific name in order to keep the information on the stage of
the project.
To keep the report files you have created, give them a
specific name. If you try to create a report with the existing
name, Tekla Structures asks before it overwrites the existing
report.
Create cast unit

list of concrete
columns
1. Use select filter COLUMN_CONCRETE to select all concrete columns.

2. In the Report dialog box, edit report file name to read:
cast_unit_list_COLUMN_02_02_04.xsr.
(Next time you create the cast unit list of columns just change the date)

10
3. Click Create from selected.

4. The report is now displayed in a dialog box.
5. Select Tools > Open model folder to check that the actual text file appears in
the model folder.
Tekla Structures stores a full numbering history in the file: numbering.history.
The file contains the following model numbering details:
Study the
numbering history
log
User who carried out the numbering and the date
Numbering Full / Modified
Numbering settings used
A list of defined numbering series
Information on the parts, assemblies and cast units numbered
1. Select Tools > Display log file > Numbering history log
This displays the numbering history in a dialog box.
2. For more information on the log file, see help file Help: System > Files and
folders > Log files > Numbering history log.

11
When you select a list entry that contains the ID numbers of

the parts or the assembly, Tekla Structures highlights them in
the model.

12
8.4 Change Numbering Settings

You may come across a situation in the middle of the project when you need to
change the numbering settings. For example, if some parts have already been
ordered from the workshop, you may need to have different part marks for
additional parts even if they are the same as the existing ones.
We will now choose the numbering setup option Take new number for new parts. As
an example, we create some new parts to demonstrate the new numbering setup.
Changing the numbering settings in the middle of the project
can be dangerous. In a case where you absolutely need to
change the settings in the middle of the project, make sure
you understand how the changes will affect the part marks.
Copy beams and
columns
1. Select the Model 1 beams and columns on gridline 7.

2. Copy them twice 6000 mm in the x direction.
Change
numbering
settings
3. On the menu, select: Setup > Numbering

4. In the New: field, choose the option Take new number, and click Apply.

13
Number the model
On the menu, select: Tools > Numbering > Full.

Always carry out a full numbering on the model after you
have changed the numbering settings.
Inquire the result
1. Use the Inquire object command to compare the marks of corresponding old
and new parts.
2. Study the changes in the numbering history log (the position numbers in your
model may differ from the example below).

14
8.5 Change Numbering Series

By defining a numbering series (numbering prefixes and start numbers) we can
group parts, assemblies and cast units the way we want. This way we can allocate
parts in a certain area of a building to a particular numbering series.
We will now change the numbering series of the outermost frame that we copied by
changing the start numbers from 1 to 1000. We will then change the numbering
series of the end plates in the frame to 2001 by using the connection dialog box
(which will overwrite the position number defined in the preferences dialog box).
Change the
numbering series
1. Select the columns on the outermost frame.

2. Modify the numbering series (and only the numbering series) of the columns as
shown.
3. Select the beams on the outermost frame.

4. Modify the numbering series of the beams as shown.

15
When planning numbering, ensure that you reserve enough

numbers for each series. If one series overflows into another,
Tekla Structures might allocate the same number to different
parts. Tekla Structures will warn you about series overlaps.
View the numbering history log to check which numbers
overlap.
Change
numbering series
of the connection
members
Number the model
1. Open the End plate 144 dialog box.

2. On the Plates tab, edit the End plate position number to 2001.
3. Modify all the end plate connections of the frame with only the Pos. No field
checked.
On the menu, select Tools > Numbering > Full.

Always carry out full numbering on the model after you have
changed numbering series.
Inquire the
numbers
1. Use the Inquire object command to compare the marks of corresponding old
and new parts

16
2. Study the changes in the numbering history log.

We will now delete the parts created in this lesson.
Delete the frames
Delete the two frames created in this lesson.

17
8.6 Start Numbering from Scratch

After trying different numbering options (changing numbering settings and
numbering series) there is a possibility that some earlier unwanted position numbers
will remain. There may also be gaps in position numbers.
Before you start creating drawings to issue, it is reasonable to start the numbering
from scratch.
This method will ensure that each part in the model will really get the position
numbers according to the updated numbering series defined for them and no
previous, unwanted numbers will be left.
Clear numbers of
all parts
1. Select all the parts in the model.

2. On the menu, select: Tools > Numbering > Clear selected.
Renumber all
3. Check-mark the option Renumber all in the Numbering setup dialog box.
4. Select Tools > Numbering > Full.

By using the Unnumber selected command or Renumber all
setting you will loose all information about previous
numbers. These settings can be safely used only at the
beginning of a project.
Set the numbering
settings for the
project
5. Finally, set the numbering setup the way you want the numbering to be carried
out in the project.

18
6. Click OK.
7. On the menu, select: Setup > Save defaults.
You must save the Numbering setup for the model with the
command Setup > Save Defaults to restore the options by
default when you open the model.
Use Setup > Load defaults command to see the saved

Numbering setup options.
It is recommended that you normally use Modified
numbering.
In these cases, Full numbering should be run instead of
Modified numbering:
x
when performing the first numbering after the numbering

settings have been changed
when Standard part option is used
when Pop-marks are used in DSTV files.

19
8.7 Create Reports and Check Part Marks

Tekla Structures can produce many different reports from the information contained
in the model. Study the available reports. You can also print the report with the
Print option.
Check reports
Create the following reports and check the model:
x
Part_list Check the plate thicknesses f or abnormalities
Part_list Check the numbering range
Part_list Check zero lengths of m aterial
Part_list Check the steel grades
Assembly_list Check the num bering range for steel assemblies
Assembly_part_list Check the main item profile (plates or flats may indicate
incorrect welding)
Cast_Sequence_list Check the num bering range
Cast_list Check the mai n item profile


20
Material_list Check that the grades that are used are correct
Rebar_schedule_FIN Check the numbers and t ypes of rebars
Other checks
Here are some other ways to check your model:
x
Clash-check the entire model
Check the erectability of precast members
Use the view or select filter to ensure that beams are called BEAM, columns are
called COLUMN etc.
Check the existence of marks on a marking plan and check that the updating of
marks is done
Check that the Title block information on each drawing is correct.

21
Template Editor

March 16, 2005
Contents
Contents ................................................................................................................................. i
Template Editor ........................................................................................................... 3

1.1
1.2
1.3
Create a New Template from Scratch........................................................................................3

Define template properties.........................................................................................................4
Insert template components and objects ...................................................................................5
Edit component properties.......................................................................................................14
Convert old Templates to new Format.....................................................................................16
Convert assembly_part_list.tpl template ..................................................................................16
Edit the template components .................................................................................................18
Edit template objects ...............................................................................................................19
Fit template components by the objects ..................................................................................22
Convert assembly_bolt_list.tpl template ..................................................................................22
Convert an AutoCAD File Into a Template...............................................................................25
Create a drawing title and revision templates ..........................................................................25
Insert the AutoCAD file and edit its contents ...........................................................................25
Break the template into two separate templates......................................................................29
Create a "bill of materials" template.........................................................................................31

Template Editor
Template Editor
In this lesson
You will learn how to work with Template Editor. You will create a new textual template
from scratch. You will also create two graphical ones one by converting an old template
and one by converting an AutoCAD block into a new template. There are links to help files
in the text. It is recommended to read the help file for more detailed descriptions.
What are
templates?
Templates are descriptions of forms and tables which can be included in Tekla Structures.
The forms can be graphical to be included in drawings as tables, text blocks, drawing
headers, or ASCII text form to be used as reports. The contents of the template fields are
filled in by Tekla Structures using the templates at run time. Templates are created and
edited with Template Editor, which is a separate application in Tekla Structures and can be
run also standalone.
1.1 Create a New Template from Scratch

Start the Template
Editor
Template Editor can be opened in Tekla Structures Tools > Templates drop-down menu
both in modeling and drawing editors or, in the drawing editor, by clicking on the
corresponding icon "Run template editor".
Create a new
template
1.
We will first create a textual template to be used in report creation, which will list bolts,
washers and nuts belonging to parts in an assembly. Create a new template by clicking
on the New icon, or by selecting New from the File menu, or by typing Ctrl + N.
2.
Select "Textual template" as the template type.

Template Editor
3.
Click OK. A new empty template is created.
Define template properties

Template properties define the size, margins and column usage of the output template. Read
more about template page settings in TempEd Help: Template Editor > Working with
templates > Editing template properties > Edit page and margin settings
1.
Double-click in an empty area in the template window to open the Template Page
Properties dialog.
2.
Set the Width to be 80 characters and the Height to be 40 characters.
3.
Define View height to be 30 characters.
4.
Click OK.
5.
Select Options > Preferences from drop-down menu. Read more about preferences
settings in TempEd Help: Template Editor > Menu Reference > Options menu
commands > Preferences
6.
Select Millimeters as graphical units.

Template Editor
7.
Click OK.
Now, let's save the template.

Save the template
1.
Select File > Save as .
2.
Browse to the Template folder and save the template file with the name
Assembly_part_bolt_list.rpt.
Insert template components and objects

The template layout is designed with template components. Template objects are then placed
inside template components to add either graphical or textual data. The properties of
components, objects and the template itself determine the final appearance. Read more about
template components in TempEd Help: Template Editor > Working with template
components .
In this example template we need the components header, page header, 5 rows, page
footer and footer to form an assembly part bolt washer nut list.
Insert template
components
1.
Insert the template header and page header components by clicking on the "Header" and
"Page header" icons on the Component toolbar.
2.
Insert the row components. For each row, after clicking on the "Row" icon in the
Component toolbar, select the content type (assembly, part, bolt, ) from the dropdown list and click OK.
Each row usually represents an object from the Tekla Structures database. The
content type defines what kind of data can be read into the row. Only the object
specific attributes are available for each content type.

Template Editor
3.
Insert the template page footer and footer components by clicking on the Page footer
and Footer icons on the Component toolbar.
The components appear in the template work area and are listed in the content browser on
the left.
Edit the template

components
1.
Next, give a descriptive name for the rows - Steel_assembly, Part, Bolt, Washer, Nut by selecting the row in the content browser and typing the name.

Template Editor
2.
Then, define the hierarchy for the rows according to the actual hierarchy in the model. In
the model, the bolts, washers and nuts are attached to parts, which in turn form an
assembly. Read more about the hierarchy of template components in TempEd Help:
Template Editor > Working with template components > Working with rows > Use row
hierarchy .
Select the Part row and click on the Shift row down a level button in the content
browser.
3.
Then shift the Bolt, Washer and Nut rows below the Part row by selecting the row and
clicking twice on the shift button.

Template Editor
The whole hierarchical structure is needed for collecting the data from the
model. For example, bolt data cannot be collected directly under assembly a
part row is needed in between. Each row has an option "Hide in output" in
case you do not want the row contents to be visible in the final printout.
Insert objects into

header
Next, insert the template objects inside the components. In textual templates you can only
use text strings and value fields. Read more about template objects in TempEd Help:
Template Editor > Working with template objects
1.
First, insert text into the header by selecting Text in the Insert drop-down menu or by
clicking on the corresponding A icon and typing the text in the Enter text dialog.
2.
Click OK and place the text in the header.
3.
Next put a value field next to the text by selecting Value Field in the Insert drop-down
menu or by clicking on the corresponding Value Field icon and then point the position.
Read more about value fields in TempEd Help: Template Editor > Working with
template objects > Value fields.
The Select Attribute dialog opens.

4.
5.
Select the NAME attribute under the Project branch and click OK. Click on the + boxes
on the left in the tree structure to open the sub-rows.
Double-click on the value field and type a descriptive name for the value field in the
Value Field Properties dialog's Name field.

Template Editor
6.
Add DATE and TIME value fields and corresponding texts to the right end of the header.
The objects also appear in the content browser.
You can open several templates simultaneously and copy-paste objects from
one template to another. The Value Field Properties dialog can be opened also
by double-clicking on the field name inside the content browser.
7.
Insert objects into

page header
Select the DATE and TIME value fields and align them using the right mouse button
command Align > Rights.
Insert texts into the Page Header according to the example below.

Template Editor
Insert objects into

rows
Insert and align texts and value fields into the rows as shown below. In the Value Field
Properties dialog, click on the Attribute button to open the Select attribute dialog and
then pick the attributes and give descriptive names to the value fields that appear in the
content browser. Read more about attribute descriptions in Tekla Structures Help: System >
Appendix D: Template fields.
Note: the Value Field names must be unique in every row. For example, if
you use the attribute NUMBER in different rows you should give a different
name in the Value Field Properties dialog for each value field:
NUMBER_of_assemblies, NUMBER_of_parts, etc.
Insert objects into

page footer
Insert texts and a value field "PAGE" into the Page Footer according to the example below.
Insert objects into

footer
1.
Insert texts into the Footer according to the example below.
Between the texts, add a value field which counts the total number of assemblies. Copy (Ctrl
+ C) the name of the value field to be counted from the content browser and open the Value
Field Properties dialog.

Template Editor
10
2.
Type the name for the value field and set the data type to be "Number".
3.
Click on the Formula button to open the Formula Contents dialog.
4.
Select Total from the Value Field Function drop-down menu.
5.
Paste the name of the value field "NUMBER_of_assemblies" inside the quotation marks
(you can also select it from a list which opens by clicking on the Select button), then
click the Check button to verify the syntax.
6.
Click OK in the Check dialog.
7.
Click OK in the Formula Contents dialog.
8.
Click OK in the Value Field Properties dialog.
Sorting
When the value fields are placed inside the template components, the next step is to define
the sorting of the fields and rows. The sorting is done at three levels:
x
Inside the value field alpha-numerically ascending or descending (A to Zor Zto A).
Sorting of value field distinguishes all different values of the field and a new row will be
written to each different value.
Between the value fields according to the appearance order in the Content Browser
by sort order priority. The sort priority determines how several value fields affect the
sorting of a row. Read more about value field sorting in TempEd Help: Template Editor
> Working with template objects > Value fields > Set sort priority of value fields.

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11
The sort type of a row by sorting type values Combine and Distinct which separate or
combine identical row contents. Read more about row sorting in TempEd Help:
Template Editor > Working with template components > Editing component properties
> Edit sort type of row.
Note: When you want to sum value field values, make sure that the sort type of
the row containing the value field is Combine. This ensures that your will be
outputting only summary lines instead of repeating lines with information on

individual database objects. Read more about summing field values in TempEd
Help: Template Editor > Working with template objects > Value fields > Sum
field values automatically.
Define sort order

inside value fields
Define sort order

between value
fields
Define first the sorting inside the value fields.

1.
Double-click on the "Assembly_position" value field in the content browser or inside

the template component and set the order to be "Ascending". The field values are sorted
alphabetically from A to ,Zwhich can be seen in the content browser as an arrow.
2.
Repeat for the "Part_position", "Bolt_diameter", "Bolt_standard", "Bolt_length",

"Washer_diameter", "Washer_standard", "Nut_diameter" and "Nut_standard" value
fields in all rows.
Next, set the sorting between the value fields by giving the sort order priority in the content
browser.
1.
Select the Assembly_position value field in the Content Browser and click on the
Move item up button. You can also drag and drop the value field into a new location.
The assemblies become sorted first by assembly position number, then by amount of
assemblies.
2.
Repeat for all value fields in the following rows as shown in the example below:

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12
Define sort order

between rows
If all the rows have identical values in all value fields that are used in sorting, the rows are
called "Duplicate lines". If you want to output only one line instead of outputting a line for
each duplicate object, set the row sort type to be COMBINE. Then, for example, 5 pieces of
assembly A/1 is listed in one row instead of 5 rows.
1.
Double-click on the "Steel_assembly" row in the content browser or the corresponding

component border to open the Row Properties dialog.
2.
Set the Sort type to Combine.
3.
Click OK.
4.
Repeat for all other rows.
Summing
When the row's sort type is set to "Combine", the value field can be summed. Value field
summing has three options:
"Don't sum values" gives the value of an individual field.
"Sum values across all rows" gives a total sum of all identical value fields in the
whole template, independent of the hierarchical structure of the rows.

x
"Sum values within one row" gives a sum of identical value fields inside the
hierarchical structure.
Define summing
of NUMBER value
fields
First, define the summing of the number of assemblies.

1.
Open the "NUMBER_of_assemblies" value field properties dialog.
2.
Set the summing option to Sum values across all rows.
3.
Close the dialog by clicking OK.

Template Editor
13
4.
Next, set the summing of the number of parts inside one assembly. Because the part row
is hierarchically under the assembly row in the Content Browser, you must use the
summing option Sum values within one row to get the number of identical parts inside
one assembly. (If the option Sum values across all rows were used, the number of
identical parts would be multiplied with the number of identical assemblies.)
5.
Define the summing of the number of bolts, washers and nuts using the Sum values
within one row summing option.
Edit component properties

Rules
The row rule is used if a row is to be output only under some special conditions. Read more
about rules in TempEd Help: Template Editor > Working with formulas and rules.
In this example template, we want to list only workshop bolts and leave site bolts out.
Therefore, a rule is needed to separate them and output only the shop bolts.
1.
Double-click on the Bolt row in the content browser or the corresponding component
border to open the Row Properties dialog.
2.
Click on the Wizard button to open the Rule Wizard.
3.
First, select the attribute by clicking on the None button, which opens the Select
Attribute or Value Field dialog.
4.
Select the attribute "SITE_WORKSHOP".
5.
Click OK.
6.
Set the Condition to be "Equals".
7.
Set the Value to be "Workshop"

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14
8.
Click OK in the Rule Wizard dialog.
The rule is generated into the Rule box. Read more about the Wizard in TempEd Help:
Template Editor > Working with formulas and rules > Row rules > Rule Wizard dialog.
9.
Click OK in the Row Properties dialog.
10. Repeat for the Washer and Nut rows.
Height
Next, edit the template component heights to fit the contents by selecting the component
handle in the middle and dragging them.
The final template rows should look like this:

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15
1.2 Convert Old Templates to New Format

When you open an old template file, the Template Editor automatically converts it to the new
format. In the converted template, you need to do some editing: define the hierarchy, rules
and sorting of the rows and fields. Read more about Template conversion in TempEd Help:
Template Editor > Template Conversion.
Convert assembly_part_list.tpl template

1.
The converting process starts with opening the file to be converted. Select File > Open
or click on the corresponding icon.
2.
Select the file assembly_part_list.tpl from the browser. It should be located in the
Template folder of your environment folder of the Tekla Structures program folders.
Template Editor automatically recognizes an old file and prompts you to convert it to the
new format.
3.
Click Yes.

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16
4.
Define the conversion options.
Always back-up the original file for later usage.
5.
Click OK. The converted template is opened with an info dialog about the grid spacing
and a list of warnings is displayed. Read more about warnings in TempEd Help:
Template Editor > Template conversion > Template conversion warnings.

Template Editor
17
Edit the template components

1.
Rename the template components using descriptive names. See previous section for the
naming procedure.
2.
Define the hierarchy of the rows by shifting the part row down a level. See the previous
section and Appendix I on how to define the hierarchy.
3.
Edit component rules. As the content type of the row is now defined in the Row
Properties dialog, rules are no longer needed to define it. Therefore, the unnecessary
rules can be removed. Open the Row Properties dialog and click on the Advanced
button.
4.
Select the rule and delete it.

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18
5.
Click OK in the Rule Wizard dialog.
6.
Click OK in the Row Properties dialog.
Edit template objects

Value fields
Check all value field contents: some of the attribute names are different from those in the
Template Editor version 2.2, and the formula structure has changed as well. Read more about
attribute names in TempEd Help: Template Editor > Template conversion > Troubleshooting
conversion > Mapping attribute names and properties in template conversion.
1.
Open the value field properties dialog for each value field and check the attribute name.
A warning is displayed if the attribute is unknown.
2.
Open the list of attributes by clicking on the Attribute button.
3.
Select the correct attribute from the list and click OK.
4.
It is advisable to load the default settings for the attribute as prompted on the dialog.
5.
Define the sorting of the value fields after conversion, where needed. See the previous
section for detailed sorting instructions. The same sorting rules apply to converted value
fields as to those created by the user:
Check the alphabetical sorting of the value fields in the content browser and change the
ascending / descending values if needed.
See the appearance order of value fields in the content browser and shift them to the
correct location. The current order is converted according to the sorting order in the old
template.
Also check whether similar rows need to be displayed.

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19
6.
Rename the value fields to more descriptive ones. After conversion, the names appear
in the format field_ATTRIBUTE_NAME. Keep in mind that the value field names must
be unique.
You can rename the objects directly in the content browser, without opening
the properties dialog.
7.
Align the value fields with text objects. First, select the objects and then right-click and
Align > Lefts.
8.
Go through the summing value fields in the footer. Change the formulas to have the
correct value field names inside the brackets and quotation marks. See the previous
section for more information.

Template Editor
20
9.
Next, change the color of the value fields. Select all value fields by picking them while
holding down the Shift key.
10. Right-click and select Properties .

11. Click on the Font button.
12. Change the color to red.
13. Click OK in the Select Font dialog.

14. Click OK in the Value Field Properties dialog.
Graphical objects
Next, edit the colors of all border lines in the template.

1.
Select all lines by picking them while holding down the Shift key.
2.
Right-click and select Properties .
3.
Change the color to yellow.

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21
4.
Text objects
Click OK.
Next, edit the colors of all text strings.

1.
Select all text strings of the same font size by picking them while holding down the Shift
key.
2.
Right-click and select Properties .
3.
Click on the Font button.
4.
Change the color to green.
5.
Click OK in the Select Font dialog.
6.
Click OK in the Text Properties dialog.
Fit template components by the objects

The right side of template components can be fitted by the contents. Select the menu
command Edit > Crop > Template Right Side. Empty spaces are cut off from the right side.
The finalized template should now look like the example below:
Convert assembly_bolt_list.tpl template

The second example of file conversion has an additional hierarchy definition for a missing
object branch.
1.
The converting process starts again with the opening command.
2.
and selecting the file to be converted: this time the file assembly_bolt_list.tpl.

Template Editor
22
Hierarchy
3.
Define the conversion options and
4.
edit the template components and objects like in the previous example but leave the
hierarchy definition for the next task.
The whole hierarchy of the objects must be defined in the template (see appendix I) in order
to get the data of sub-rows. In this example bolts are attached to some part, not to the
assembly directly. Therefore, an additional row is needed between the assembly and bolt
rows.
1.
In the components toolbar select "Row".
2.
Select "PART" as the content type
A new row is created.

3.
Double-click on the new row in the content browser or on the row border in the editor to
open the Row Properties dialog.
4.
Enter a descriptive name for the row in the Content Browser.
5.
Move the row up between the Assembly and Bolt rows by selecting the row and clicking
on the Move item up button.
6.
Shift the Part row hierarchically down a level under the Assembly row by clicking on
the Shift row down a level button.

Template Editor
23
7.
Visibility
Select the Bolt row and shift it under the part row by clicking on the Shift row down a
level button twice.
The Part row can now be hidden in the final output.

1.
Open the Part row's properties dialog.
2.
Tick the Hide in output field. The row is run, but not printed into final output.
3.
Click OK.
The hidden row is displayed as a dashed line.
New objects
The Part row needs some contents. Add a value field PART_POS with ascending sorting into
the row in order to have all different parts listed. It will not be visible, because the row has
the option "Hide in output".
The final template should look like this:
The hidden objects (row and value field) are displayed as dashed lines.

Template Editor
24
1.3 Convert an AutoCAD File into a Template

You can use AutoCAD (DXF or DWG AutoCAD 2000 and older) files and MicroStation
(DGN MicroStation DGN 7) files in graphical templates. Template editor imports the files
and converts their contents to a group of drawing objects. If you have designed a template
with AutoCAD you can use free attributes in AutoCAD to mark value fields. Template
Editor automatically converts them to value field objects as the file is imported. Read more
about warnings in TempEd Help: Template Editor > Working with template objects >
AutoCAD and MicroStation files > limitations in AutoCAD and MicroStation file imports.
Create a drawing title and revision templates

Create a new
template
Insert a row and

define its
properties
1.
Create a new graphical template by clicking on the New icon or by selecting New on the
File drop-down menu or by typing Ctrl + N.
2.
Select Graphical template as the template type.
3.
Click OK. A new template is created.
1.
Insert a single row by clicking on the Row button on the Component toolbar.
2.
Select the content type to be "DRAWING", because we are inserting a drawing title
block.
The available attributes depend on the content type. If the file which will be
imported has attribute fields, it is essential to set the row's content type so that
the corresponding attributes are available in the template.
3.
Open the Row Properties dialog and give a descriptive name for the row.
4.
Set the row height to 100 mm.
5.
Click OK.
Insert the AutoCAD file and edit its contents

Now you can insert the AutoCAD file inside the row.
1.
Select Insert > File.
2.
Pick the file you want to insert.
3.
Double-click on the spot where you want to position the lower left corner of the title
block.

Template Editor
25
Template Editor opens a dialog for size and scale definition.
4.
Select the Scale radio button and set the scale to 1 the AutoCAD block will be in scale
1:1 in the work area.
If you want to define the size, select the Dimensions radio button and enter
horizontal and vertical values.
The title block is inserted as a group of objects inside the row borders.
and it appears in the content browser as a group.
Ungroup the
inserted block
In order to edit the contents of the inserted block, you need to ungroup it first by selecting the
group and right-click > Ungroup. Read more about groups in TempEd Help: Template
Editor > Working with template objects > Editing template objects > Group or ungroup
objects.
The individual objects inside the block become editable and visible in the content browser.

Template Editor
26
Group the lines of

the company logo
Objects, such as lines, are now separate and in some cases it is advisable to regroup them.
Next, we will form a group of the lines, which form the company logo.
1.
oZom in to the logo with the middle mouse roll button.
2.
Using area select, select all the lines which form the logo.
3.
Right-click > Group. A group is created.
You can resize the group by dragging the corner handles. Group properties,
like color, can be edited on the Group Properties dialog (select the group and
right-click > Properties).
Define fonts for

the texts
The fonts used in text objects are mapped to Tekla fonts. This may slightly distort the font
alignment within the text object as the original font geometry is not available in Template
Editor. You need to edit the text properties.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Select the text you want to edit.

Right-click > Properties.
Click on the Font button.
Select either a TrueType font or a Tekla font on the list.
Select the font size.
Select Ratio (h/w) in the Effects section and change it to "0.6".
Click OK in the Select Font dialog.
Click OK in the Text Properties dialog.

Template Editor
27
Define the value

fields
1.
The attribute fields in the AutoCAD file have been converted into value fields, but the
attributes need to be defined. Go through all value fields and set the attributes into the
Formula field in the Value Field Properties dialog using the list under the Attribute
button. Read more about attribute descriptions in Tekla Structures Help: System >
2.
Open the Value Field Properties dialog by double clicking the "PROJECTNO" value
field in the content browser or in the work area. A warning of missing attribute is
displayed and it can be ignored and closed by clicking the OK button.
3.
Push the Attribute button to open the Select attribute dialog.
4.
Select the corresponding attribute from the list and accept with OK.
5.
Load the default settings for the attribute by clicking the Yes button.

Template Editor
28
6.
7.
Repeat for the rest of the value fields.
8.
Finally, save the template.
Break the template into two separate templates

You can open several templates simultaneously. Read more about working with multiple
templates in TempEd Help: Template Editor > Working with templates > Creating, opening
&
saving templates > Work with multiple templates .
Each template is displayed in its own window inside the work area and as a folder in the
content browser. You can cut or copy template objects from one template and paste them
into another template easily when multiple templates are open. We will next separate the
revision lines from the drawing title and create a new template for them.
1.
Area select the objects lines and value fi elds which are to be cut from the drawing
title template (deselect the row by holding the Ctrl key down and picking the border).
2.
Cut the objects using Ctrl + x or right-click > Cut.
3.
Create a new graphical template.
4.
Insert a row.
5.
Set the row content type to be REVISION.
6.
Because the area needed for pasting must be large enough, edit the template page width
to be 215 mm. Double-click on an empty area to open the Page Properties dialog.
7.
Paste the objects inside the row using Ctrl + v or right-click > Paste.
The value fields and drawing lines are inserted into the new template. Now, save both
templates.

Template Editor
29
Edit the new

template
The new template needs some editing. We will create a header and a footer and move the
texts and the some of the lines into them leaving only the value fields into the row.
1.
Create the header by clicking on the Header icon.
2.
Create the footer by clicking on the Footer icon.
3.
Select the lines, which form the upper row above the Value fields.
4.
Cut and paste them to the header.
5.
Select the texts and the lines which form the lower row below the value fields.
6.
Cut and paste them to the footer.

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30
7.
Select the row and resize the template components to fit the objects inside them using
the Edit > Crop > Template right side and Edit > Crop > Component height functions.
8.
Save the template.
Create a "bill of materials" template

Using the same procedure of AutoCAD file insertion, we will next create a bill of materials
template to be used in multi-drawings.
Create a new
template
Insert a row and

define its
properties
1.
Create a new graphical template by clicking on the New icon or by selecting New from
the File drop-down menu or by typing Ctrl + N.
2.
Select Graphical template as the template type.
3.
Click OK. A new template is created.
1.
Insert a single row by clicking on the Row button on the Component toolbar.
2.
Select the content type to be "ASSEMBLY", because we are inserting an assembly

related file block.
3.
Check the dimensions of the AutoCAD block and edit the template page properties
accordingly. Double-click on an empty space to open the page properties dialog.
It is essential to have the same dimensions in the template and in the AutoCAD
file in order for the scale to be the same.
Insert the AutoCAD file

Now you can insert the AutoCAD file inside the row.
1.
Select Insert > File on the drop-down menu.

Template Editor
31
2.
Pick the file which you want to insert in the browser.
3.
Double-click on the spot where you want to position the lower left corner of the block
and set the scale to be 1:1. A group of objects is inserted inside the row borders.
Design the template contents and break the block

Next examine the file contents and design your template contents:
x
What template components do you need?A header, some rows
What content types do you need for the rows?Assembly, part, bolt
Do you need hierarchy between the components?Assembly part bolt relations
What kinds of objects do you need?Value fields what attributes should you use?
How do you divide the contents of the block?What object goes where?
When you design your template structure, always keep in mind that the
attributes collect data directly from objects in the Tekla Structures model and
the content type of the rows determine what attributes are available. Also note
the hierarchical structure of the objects in the model and how it affects the
template.
Create template
components and
define content
types
Next, insert the needed template components: header, which will have the labels, rows for
assembly, part and bolt data and some rows for empty space. Click on the "Header" and
"Row" button on the Component toolbar and define the content types for the rows:
assembly, part and bolt leave tw o row's content type undefined.

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32
Define the
hierarchy
Because we would like to list all parts under the assemblies which they form, we need to set
an assemblypart hierarchy for the rows. Bolts will be listed separately, so no hierarchy is
needed there. In the Content Browser, select the part row and shift it down a level under the
assembly row using the Shift row down a level button.
Divide AutoCAD
block contents
into template
components
Now, we can start putting the template objects into the components. Start by ungrouping the
AutoCAD block.
1.
Select the block.
2.
Right-click > Ungroup.
Cut the objects from the block and paste them into the components which you have created.

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33
1.
Select the texts and lines which will go into the header and cut and paste them.
2.
Then cut and paste the texts and lines which belong to the assembly row.
3.
Continue with part row objects.
4.
Then move the bolt "header" information into the empty content type row.
5.
Followed by the bolt row contents.
6.
And finally contents of one single, empty row just the lines, without any texts.
Then copy and paste the last empty row with the contents into the template and lift the new
row up under the assembly row using the Move item up button in the Content Browser.

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34
We now have all the needed template components and more, so we can clean the template
by deleting the first row with the remains of the block, which are no longer needed.
Select the components and resize them to fit the objects inside them using the Edit > Crop >
Template right side and Edit > Crop > Component height commands.
Insert value fields
When the template components are filled with the correct objects from the AutoCAD block,
we will replace the texts inside the rows with value fields, which will collect data
automatically from the Tekla Structures model. When deciding what attributes should be
used, note the content type of the row and the label in the header, which refers to the contents
of the value field. Read more about attribute descriptions in Tekla Structures Help: System >
1.
Start with the assembly row and select the number under Q
TY.
2.
Delete it.
3.
Pick the value field icon and point the location inside the Assembly row. A list of
assembly related attributes opens in a separate dialog.
4.
Select the NUMBER attribute.
5.
Continue with the "Ship mark" by deleting the text and inserting a value field which has
the ASSEMBLY_POS attribute.
6.
Complete the row by replacing the texts with the corresponding value fields.

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35
7.
Set rules for rows

using Wizard
Insert value fields also into the part and bolt rows the same way.
After component objects are in place, you can define the rules for rows. We will next use the
rule wizard for creating an "if
then
else" stat ement for the bolt title row to place the row into
the 23rd row of the page.
1.
Open the Row Properties dialog of the row having the bolt title information.
2.
Click on the Wizard button.
3.
Click on the None button under the attributes.
4.
Select the ROW_IN_PAGE attribute from the list. The attribute name appears in the
button.
5.
Then set the value to be equal to "23".
6.
Click OK. The rule is generated automatically:

if (GetValue("ROW_IN_PAGE") == "23") then
Output()
else
StepOver()
endif
7.
Close the properties dialog with OK and save the template.

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36
APPENDIX I
Hierarchy of objects in a cast unit in a Tekla Structures model
CAST UNIT
PART
SURFACING
REBAR
MESH
BOLT
WASHER
NUT
STUD
HOLE
ASSEMBLY
PART
SURFACING
REBAR
MESH
BOLT
WASHER
NUT
STUD
HOLE
WELD
DRAWING
REVISION
DRAWING
REVISION
DRAWING
REVISION

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37
Principles of Drawings

March 16, 2005
Contents
10
Principles of Working with Drawings ........................................................................ 3

10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5
10.6
10.7
10.8
Integration between Drawings and the Model............................................................................4

Creating Drawings .....................................................................................................................6
Drawing List.............................................................................................................................12
Drawing Levels ........................................................................................................................16
Drawing Objects ......................................................................................................................22
Drawing Layouts......................................................................................................................26
Plotting Drawings.....................................................................................................................38
Controlling Drawing Revisions.................................................................................................41

10
In this lesson
Principles of Working with

Drawings
This chapter introduces the principles of working with drawings in Tekla Structures.
We will first explain the integration between drawings and the model. Then we will
introduce general arrangement (GA) drawings and create an example drawing from
the Basic Model 1 model (see the picture below presenting the steel frame). GA
drawings will be used as examples throughout this lesson.
We will also:
x
Introduce other drawing types available in Tekla Structures
Introduce the drawing list
Introduce the various levels of editing the drawings
Study the drawing objects and layout
Plot drawings
Introduce revision control

10.1 Integration between Drawings and the Model

Tekla Structures stores all the important project information in one place, i.e. the
model. Drawings and other printouts such as reports, nc data files etc. are output
produced directly from the model.
Tekla Structures model

The model contains all the important project information:
x
Parts' geometrical and structural information
Part marking
Bolts
Bolt marking
etc.
All the modifications must be done directly in the model. The model is always
modified in the Tekla Structures Model Editor.
Drawings
The drawings are current views of the members contained in the model with added
definitions for:
x
the sheet size to be used
the way titles and tables are placed on the sheets
what is dimensioned and how
which marks are displayed

etc.
You can create drawings at any stage of a project.

Some of the drawing commands are located in the Model Editor and some are in the
Drawing Editor. You will find all the commands for creating and managing
drawings in the Model Editor. To view and edit drawings, you will use the Drawing
Editor.
Help: Drawing > Introduction to Drawings
Changes in the model members

Changes in the model members can result in the drawings no longer being up-todate. The following are examples of changes that affect the drawings:
x
A part's profile or geometry changes
Parts have been added or deleted
The number of identical parts has changed
Tekla Structures updates the related drawings the next time you number the model.
Numbering does not have to be up-to-date to create or open general arrangement
drawings.

10.2 Creating Drawings

We will now introduce general arrangement (GA) drawings and create an example
drawing of the Basic model 1 model.
General Arrangement (GA) drawings

The Tekla Structures can be used to create general arrangement (GA) drawings.
GA drawings can contain several views, which can include the whole model or any
part of it. With the GA drawings you can create erection, foundation and other plans,
as well as details from views in the model.
You can create general arrangement drawings from one or several named model
view(s) with the following options:
x
Create one drawing for each selected view
Add all selected views to one drawing
Create an empty drawing
You can create an empty drawing and add named model views to the drawing in the
Drawing Editor. The views must exist but they do not necessarily have to be open.
You cannot modify the appearance, such as the viewing
angle, of model views in the Drawing Editor. Therefore,
check and modify the appearance of model views in the
Model Editor before creating GA drawings. For example,
check that the plan views are really 2D views, and rotate the
rendered 3D views the way you want them to be shown in the
drawing.
See Lesson 12 for more information about creating GA drawings.
In the example below, we will create a general arrangement drawing from Basic
Model 1 by including several named model views in the drawing.
You do not need to number the model, or update numbering
to create or open general arrangement drawings.
Start GA drawing
creation
To create a GA drawing that contains selected views, e.g. 3d, GRID 3 and GRID A,
from Basic Model 1:
1. Open Basic Model 1.
2. Select Drawing > General arrangement drawing... from the menu.
3. Select the 3d, GRID 3 and GRID A views in the Create general arrangement
drawing dialog box. Then select the option All selected views to one drawing.

You can select multiple views (or toggle the selection) in the
dialog box above by holding down the Ctrl key and picking
each view separately.
GA drawing views are automatically labeled with the current
view name.
With the One drawing per view option you can select all the
plan views in the dialog box, and create separate drawings
with predefined drawing properties all at once.
Define drawing
properties
To define the properties of the GA drawing:

1. Click the Drawing properties... button to open the General arrangement drawing
properties dialog box.
2. Select A1-BLANK settings from the option menu and click Load.
3. Give the drawing a distinctive name in the Name field, e.g. STEEL FRAME (or
CONCRETE FRAME if your model was made of precast concrete beams and
columns).
4. Click the View... button to open the General - view properties dialog box.

5. On the Attributes tab, change the drawing scale to 100 and click OK to apply the
scale and close the dialog box.
If you have a steel frame
If you have a concrete frame
6. Click the Weld button to open

the General - welding properties
dialog box.
6. Click the Reinforcement button to open

the General reinforcing bar properties
dialog box.
7. On the Content tab, set the

Visibility of site and workshop welds
to None and click OK.
7. On the Bar content tab, set the Visibility

of all reinforcing bars to Not visible and
click OK.

8. Click the Filter... button to open

the General - filter properties dialog
box.
8. Click the Filter... button to open the

General - filter properties dialog box.
9. On the Parts tab, use the Filter by

Material field to filter drawing
objects so that no concrete parts are
shown. Enter K* as the filter string,
tick the Not option on and click OK.
9. On the Parts tab, use the Filter by Name

field to filter drawing objects so that
only beams and columns are shown.
Click OK.
10. In the General arrangement drawing properties dialog box, save the selected
drawing properties with a unique file name, e.g. steelframe (or concreteframe),

by typing the file name and then clicking the Save as button. Drawing property
files steelframe.gd and steelframe.gd.more are created in the ..\Basic Model
1\attributes folder.
11. Click OK to apply the selected GA drawing settings and to close the General
arrangement drawing properties dialog box.
For more information on drawing properties, see Help: Drawing > Drawing
properties.
Create and open
the GA drawing
To create and open the GA drawing:

1. Select the Open drawing checkbox in the Create general arrangement drawing
dialog box to have Tekla Structures automatically open the drawing.
2. Click Create.
3. Check that the created GA drawing is as shown below.

10
All of the views in the GA drawing will be created according

to the same GA drawing properties you applied. If some
views need different properties, you have to modify the view
properties afterwards in the Drawing Editor.
You can first define the GA drawing properties by selecting

Properties > General arrangement drawing... from the menu,
and then load and apply the desired properties. After that
open the Create general arrangement drawing dialog box to
create the GA drawing with the selected views.
Other drawing types

In addition to general arrangement drawings, four other types of drawings can be
created in Tekla Structures. These will be presented in greater detail in Lessons 11
and 13.
Single-part drawings are workshop drawings of individual steel parts. Drawings can
be produced for any steel part in the model. The single-part drawings can contain
holes but welded parts cannot be included. This drawing type is available in Steel
Detailing module.
Assembly drawings are typically workshop drawings where details of an assembly
consisting of steel parts are presented for fabrication. In most cases, an assembly
consists of single steel parts that are either bolted or welded to the main steel part.
This drawing type is available in Steel Detailing module.
Cast unit (CU) drawings are formwork or reinforcement drawings of reinforced
concrete structures such as foundations. This drawing type is available in the Precast
Concrete Detailing module.
Multi-drawings are workshop drawings which gather together several single-part or
assembly drawings on one sheet. This drawing type is available in Steel Detailing
module.
Lesson 11 Assembly and single-part drawings / Cast unit drawings

Lesson 13 Multi-drawings and multinumbering

11
10.3 Drawing List

We will briefly cover the Tekla Structures drawing list.
You can use the drawing list to:
x
Select and open your drawings for viewing and editing in the Drawing Editor
Update, clone and delete drawings
Update GA drawing marks
Display and filter drawings shown in the list
Choose drawings to select parts in the model, or show only the drawings of the
selected parts in the list (not available for GA drawings)
Lock, freeze and issue drawings
Add revisions to drawings
Modify properties of several drawings at a time.
The drawing list also displays the creation and modification dates of the drawings,
drawing size and type, etc.
See Lesson 13 for updating GA drawings.
Opening and closing drawings

You can only have one drawing open at a time. If you already have a drawing open,
Tekla Structures prompts you to save that drawing before opening the next one.
Open drawing list
and a GA drawing
To open the drawing list and a drawing in Tekla Structures:

1. Select Drawing > List from the menu or click the Open drawing list icon on the
Standard toolbar.
2. In the drawing list select the previously created G [1]drawing.

3. Click Open, or double-click on the drawing to open it in the Drawing Editor.
See also Help: Drawing > Getting started with drawings > Opening drawings.
When selecting GA drawings in the drawing list, the activated buttons at the bottom
of the Drawings dialog box are Open, Update marks, Delete and Cancel. The table
below describes their functionality.
Button
Description
Open
Opens the selected drawing in the Drawing Editor. You can only
select one drawing from the list at a time. If the Open button is
grayed, you have more than one drawing selected.
You can also double-click a drawing on the list to open it. See also

12
Button
Description
Opening drawings.
Close a drawing
Open
next/previous
Opens the previous or next drawing in the list.
Update
Updates frozen drawings, and recreates unfrozen drawings. Locked

drawings are not updated.
Update marks
Updates marks in selected drawings.
Clone
Clones the selected drawing for a similar part.
Delete
Deletes selected drawings. You cannot delete locked drawings.
Cancel
Closes the dialog box.
To close the drawing in the Drawing Editor:

1. Select File > Close drawing from the menu or click the cross in the upper right
corner of the drawing window.
2. Tekla Structures asks: Do you want to save the current drawing?
3. Select Save or Save and Freeze to keep the changes that you have made to the
drawing, or close the drawing without saving by clicking No.
Drawing list contents

All of your existing drawings are shown in the drawing list. The example below
shows the header line information that is available in the drawing list.
See also Help: Drawings > Getting started with drawings > Drawing list.
The table below explains the header line items of the drawing list.
Item
Explanation
Flags
Flags are characters (I, L, F, n, *, etc.) at the beginning of each

row. They indicate the drawing status.

13
Item
Explanation
Dates
The creation and modification dates of the drawing.
Revision
The revision number or mark of the drawing.
Size
Paper size, which is shown automatically.
Type
The drawing types are identified by the following letters:

x
W for single-part drawings.
A for assembly drawings.
C for cast-unit drawings.
G for general arrangement drawings.
M for multi-drawings.
Mark
The drawing mark is the number of the part from which the
drawing was created. You cannot change drawing marks.
Name
You can add a drawing title using the Name field in the drawing
Title 1, Title 2,
Title 3
Add extra drawing title fields to the drawing properties dialog

box.
User-defined
attributes
Include up to 20 user-defined attributes in drawing lists.
You can sort the order of the drawings by clicking the desired
header line button in the drawing list.
You can adjust the column widths of the drawing list and
Tekla Structures will keep the changes.
Drawing status flags

The status of drawings is represented by flags, which are shown on the left hand side
of the drawing list.
For more information about drawing status flags, see Help: Drawing > Getting
started with drawings > Drawing status flags.
Lock and Issue flags can be manually added to the selected drawings. The M flag
appears automatically on issued GA drawings that have been modified.
Lock GA and other drawings from being accidentially

deleted or changed.

14
Use the buttons on the right hand side of the drawing list to change the status of a
drawing. Alternatively, select the drawing in the list, right-click to open the pop-up
menu and change the drawing status.
Lock a GA
drawing
To lock and unlock a GA drawing:

1. Select the G 1[ ]drawing in the drawing list.
2. Click the Lock - On button and the L flag will appear.
3. Try to delete the drawing by clicking Delete.
4. Try to open the drawing by clicking Open.
5. Click the Lock - Off button to reset the lock.
6. Click Open. The drawing opens in the Drawing Editor.
You cannot open or delete a locked drawing without unlocking it.
Issue a GA
drawing
To issue a GA drawing:
1. Select the G 1[ ]drawing in the drawing list.
2. Click the Issue - On button and the I flag will appear.
3. Open the drawing to view the GA drawing title.
4. Check that the issue date is shown correctly in the drawing title.

15
10.4 Drawing Levels

You can edit drawings in the Drawing Editor on three levels:
x
Drawing properties
View properties
Object properties
For more information about the drawing properties and different drawing levels, see
the following help files:
Help: Drawing > Introduction to drawings > Three levels of editing drawings
Help: Drawing > Drawing properties
Lesson 12 GA drawings
Modify drawing properties

On the highest level you can change the drawing properties, which affect all of the
objects in the drawing.
Modify part's
color on drawing
level
To change the GA drawing properties, e.g. the color of parts, in the Drawing Editor:
1. Select Properties > Drawing... on the menu or double-click on the drawing to
open the General arrangement drawing properties dialog box.
2. Click the Part... button to open the General - part properties dialog box.
3. Select the Appearance tab.
4. Change the Color of Visible lines, e.g., to green. Check and see that the checkbox
is marked with a tick.

16
5. Click Modify and OK.

Create another GA drawing by following the steps described in Chapter 10.2
Creating drawings. Select different views, e.g. the PLAN +0 and PLAN +13400
views, to be included in the drawing.
Change grid
visibility of many
GA drawings
To simultaneously change the drawing properties, e.g. grid visibility, of more than
one GA drawing:
1. Open the drawing list in the Model Editor.
2. Select two GA drawings in the drawing list by holding down the Ctrl key.
3. Right-click to open the pop-up menu.
4. Select Properties... or press Alt+Enter as shortcut to open the General
arrangement drawing properties dialog box.
5. Click the Grid... button to open the General - grid properties dialog box.
6. Click the On/Off button to clear the checkboxes.
7. Change the grid visibility to Not visible.

17

9. Click OK to close the General arrangement drawing properties dialog box.
10. Open the modified drawings one at a time to check that the changes were carried
out correctly.
Whenever possible, you should modify drawings by changing
the drawing properties. These modifications also remain
when the drawing is recreated due to a model change.
Modify view properties

The second level is to edit the view level, where you modify the selected drawing's
view.
Modify properties
of selected view
To present hidden lines of adjacent parts and to add part marks to the GRID A view
of the G 1[ ]drawing:
1. Double-click on the border around the GRID A drawing view to open the View
Show hidden lines

of parts
2. Click the Part button to open the View part properties dialog box.
3. Select the Content tab.
4. Click the On/Off button to clear the checkboxes.
5. Turn the Hidden lines option on. Check that the checkbox is marked with a tick.

18

Change part mark
content
7. Click the Part mark button to open the View part mark properties dialog box.
8. On the Content tab, remove the <<Assembly position>> from the Elements in
mark list for the main parts, and add Profile to the list.

19
9. On the General tab, change Visibility in view to always and click Modify and OK.
The GRID A view should now show the hidden lines of adjacent parts and part
marks representing the main part profiles.
Dashed line type in part mark frames and leader lines indicate
that the object is behind another object in the drawing.

20
Modify object properties

The third and lowest level is to edit at the object level, where you change individual
objects in the drawing.
Modify frame and
leader line of a
single part mark
To change the properties of a single part mark:

1. In the GRID A view, double-click on the part mark of the RHS profile (diagonal
brace) to open the Part mark properties dialog box.
2. On the General tab, change the frame and leader line types as shown below.
3. Click Modify and OK. The part mark should now look like the following.

21
10.5 Drawing Objects

In Tekla Structures, the term drawing object refers to lines, rectangles, arcs, circles,
poly-lines, polygons, clouds, symbols, text, DWG/DXF files, marks and dimensions.
General arrangement drawings are not automatically dimensioned in Tekla
Structures. Therefore you need to dimension GA drawings manually. In addition,
you may want to include additional drawing objects for temporary and/or revisionrelated information, e.g. clouds and text.
For more information, see Help: Drawing > Editing drawings.
Create Drawing Objects

In the G 1[ ]drawing, we will manually dimension the location of the diagonal
bracing connection and add a cloud and a note text to the connection.
Create manual
dimensions
To add manual Y-dimensions to the diagonal bracing connection (on gridline 3) in

the GRID A view:
1. Set the snap settings on the Drawings: Snap settings toolbar as shown below.
2. To enable the tentative snap, which helps with the selecting of points, check that
the Xsnap is set on in the Setup menu.
3. Click the Create y dimension icon on the Drawings: Dimension toolbar.
4. Snap, first, to the center point of the connection created between the four
diagonal braces, and then to the intersection of GRID 3 and GRID +0. Move the
cursor to the left side of GRID 3 to select the location of the dimension line. End
the command with the middle mouse button.
5. Snap again to the center point of the connection and then to the intersection of
GRID 3 and GRID +13400, select the dimension line location and click the
middle mouse button.
6. Select both dimensions (by holding down the Ctrl key), right-click and select
Combine dimension lines on the pop-up menu. The separate dimension lines are
now combined to one dimension line. Select the dimension line and move it to
the correct location by dragging with the mouse.

22
You should now have the vertical location of the diagonal brace connection shown
in the GRID A view (see the figure below).
Create a cloud
To add a cloud and a note text to the GRID A view:

1. Click the Snap to any position icon on the Drawings: Snap settings toolbar.

23
2. Click the Draw cloud icon on the Drawings: Drawing toolbar.
3. Pick points for the cloud position around the diagonal bracing connection on
gridline 3. End the selection with the middle mouse button.
Create a note text

for the cloud
1. Select Properties > Text to open the Text properties dialog box.
2. Select the standard settings from the option menu and click Load.
3. Change the text properties and frame as shown below and click Apply and OK.

24
4. Click the Create text with leader line icon in the Drawings: Drawing toolbar.
5. First, pick an edge of the cloud as the origin of the leader line and then another
point to place the text.
The GRID A view should now look like the figure shown below:
6. Select File > Close drawing and click Save in the Question dialog box.

25
10.6 Drawing Layouts

Now we will have a brief introduction on how the Tekla Structures drawing layouts
function.
A drawing consists of the layout and drawing views, e.g. plans, side views, and
section views. A layout connects a set of table layouts and a set of drawing sizes.
Before you create a drawing, you must select a layout.
The example below illustrates the relationship between the table layout and drawing
views. The drawing views are blue, and the elements of table layout are red.
See the following links for more information about drawing layouts:
Lesson 12 GA drawing
Help: Drawing > Drawing layout
View contents of a drawing layout

An example of a GA drawing layout for the A3 drawing sheet size is shown below.
The drawing title and revision table included in this layout are also shown separately
and enlarged.

26
Revision table:
Drawing title for GA drawings:
View GA drawing
table layout
To view the contents of the GA drawing table layout in the Model Editor:
1. Select Properties > Layout from the menu to open the Layout dialog box.
2. Select ga in the list of Layouts and click the Table layout button to open the
Table layouts dialog box.

27
3. Select ga in the list of Table layouts and click the Tables button to open the
Tables dialog box.
4. The content of the ga table layout is presented in the Chosen tables list.

28
5. Select the drawing_title_ga and revision table one at a time to view their location
in the table layout. The former, for example, is bound by its lower right corner to
the lower right corner of the drawing frame (that is the reference object).

29
6. Click Cancel to close the dialog box.
Create a new layout

We will use the existing ga layout as basis for creating a new layout for GA
drawings.
Create a new GA
drawing layout
To create a new layout:

1. Open the Layout dialog box from the Properties menu.
2. Select ga from the list of Layouts and type a name for the new layout (as shown
below) and click Add.
3. Select the newly created ga_new layout in the list and click Table layout to
open the Table layouts dialog box.
4. Select ga in the list of Table layouts and type a name for the new table layout (as
shown below) and click Add.

30
5. Select the newly created ga_new table layout in the list and click Tables to
open the Tables dialog box.
6. Select drawing_title_ga, revision and tender_document one at a time in the
Available tables list and add them (using the arrow button) to the Chosen tables
list.
7. Set the location and click Update for each table separately (as shown below).

31
8. Click OK to apply and close the Tables dialog box.

9. Click Update in the Table layouts dialog box to update the ga_new table layout
and click OK to close the dialog box.
10. Click OK to close the Layout dialog box.
The new layout settings were saved with the file name ga_new.lay to the ..\Basic
Model 1\attributes folder.
Define drawing
sizes for the new
layout
Before using the new layout, we need to define drawing size where it will be used.
In Tekla Structures, you have two options how to set the drawing size. You can
either:
x
Specify exact sizes for drawings.
Let Tekla Structures find appropriate drawing sizes (according to the layout,
tables in it, and the drawing view scales).
To define fixed drawing sizes:

1. Reopen the Layout dialog box from the Properties menu.
2. Select ga_new from the list of Layouts and click Fixed sizes

32
3. In the Fixed sizes dialog, type name ga_new_A3 for new size, define width and
height for A3 size drawing (410 x 287), and click Add.
4. Select ga_new from Table layout pull-down menu and click Update. You have
now defined ga_new_A3 size to use ga_new layout.

33
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for ga_new_A4, drawing size A4 (287x200).

6. Click OK to close the Fixed sizes dialog box.
To define calculated drawing sizes:
1. Reopen the Layout dialog box from the Properties menu.
2. Select ga_new from the list of Layouts and click Calculated sizes
3. Connect all sizes to ga_new layout by selecting ga_new from pull-down menu.
4. Click OK to close the Calculated sizes dialog box.

Use the new GA
drawing layout
To use the newly created GA drawing layout:

1. Open the drawing list and double-click on the G 1[ ]drawing to open it.
2. Open the General arrangement drawing properties dialog box and click on the
Layout button.
3. In the General layout properties dialog box, click on the On/Off button to clear
the checkboxes.

34
4. Select the ga_new in the Layout and Table layout fields and click Modify.
5. Check that the drawing layout is changed correctly. The drawing title should be
present in lower right corner of the drawing, the revision table and the note
TENDER DOCUMENT is as shown below.
When the drawing is modified so that the whole drawing needs to be recreated, the
drawing views are rearranged. As a result the views are placed differently thane they
were before (see picture below). We will now rearrange them manually.

35
Move drawing
views
To move drawing views:

1. Select the view frame of GRID 3.
2. Hold down the Shift key and drag the view with the mouse to the right side of
the 3D view.
3. Move the GRID A view correspondingly
Your G 1[ ]drawing should now look like the one shown below.

36
You can place drawing views more accurately by aligning

them horizontally or vertically. For instructions, see Help:
Drawing > Editing drawings > Working with drawing views >
Aligning drawing views.

37
10.7 Plotting Drawings

Tekla Structures plots drawings both to selected print devices and to files. Single
drawings can be plotted from the Drawing Editor, and single or multiple drawings,
which have been selected in the drawing list, can be plotted from the Model Editor.
Plotting
Plot a single GA
drawing
To plot a single GA drawing from the Drawing Editor:

1. Open the G 1[ ]drawing in the Drawing Editor.
2. Select File > Plot current to open the Plot dialog box, or click the Plot icon on
the Drawings: Standard toolbar.
3. Select the print device (plotter) to be used and click Print.
For more information about available plot options, see Help: Drawing > Printing >
Plot options.
Plot multiple GA
drawings
To plot multiple GA drawings from the Model Editor:

1. Open the drawing list.
2. Select at least two GA drawings in the drawing list.
3. Click on the Plot icon on the Standard toolbar.

38
4. Select the print device to be used and click Print.

If you select several print devices, Tekla Structures sends
each drawing to the device with the smallest paper size, on
which the drawing will fit.
For more information about printing to print device, see Help: Drawing > Printing >
Printing drawings.
Plotting to a file
Plot a GA drawing
as a dwg file
To plot the G 1[ ]drawing to a file:

2. Select the G 1[ ]drawing in the list.
3. Click on the Plot icon to open the Plot dialog box.
4. Select DWG as the plotting format in the Plotter list. Check that the Plot to file
option is marked with a tick.
5. Type .\drawings in the plot file name field below the Plot to file option. This will
define the ..\Basic Model 1\drawings folder as the destination folder of the plot
files.
6. Click Print to plot the drawing to DWG.

7. Give a particular plot file name by typing, e.g., ..\drawings\SteelFrame.dwg in the
plot file name field, and click Print.

39
8. Check that the drawings were successfully plotted to the ..\Basic Model
1\drawings folder. This folder should contain the saved *.dwg drawings.
If you do not enter a file name for the destination plot file, or
you have chosen several drawings, Tekla Structures uses the
drawing name(s) as file name(s). If you do not enter a folder
name, Tekla Structures creates the file(s) in the current model
folder.
You can also print a drawing to DWG using the Drawing
Editor. Open the selected drawing and follow the above
steps, starting at step 3.
Tekla Structures does not distinguish between upper and
lower case letters. For example, a drawing named A.1
overwrites a drawing named a.1.
For more information about plotting to file, see:
Help: Drawing > Printing > Printing drawings > Printing to DWG/DXF
Help: Drawing > Printing > Printing drawings to file
For more information about defining drawing plot file names and plot directories,
see:
Help: Drawing > Printing > Printing drawings to file > Switches for naming plotfiles

40
10.8 Controlling Drawing Revisions

Now we will cover the revision handling features of Tekla Structures.
When the model changes:
x
You have to update or revise drawings
Attach revision information to the drawings.
Tekla Structures displays the revision information alongside the revision number or
the mark in the drawing list and in the revision table within the drawings. The
revision table also shows the revision date. You can create a list of revisions in a
report.
For more information about drawing revisions and creating reports, see the
following links:
Help: Drawing > Getting started with drawings > Working with drawings > Defining
drawing revisions
Lesson 8 Numbering and reports
Create, modify and delete revision marks

Create revision
mark
To add a revision mark to the G 1[ ]drawing:

1. Modify the model by changing the profile of the columns on gridline 1 from
HEA300 to HEA320.
3. Select the drawing to revise, right-click and select Revision to open the
Revision handling dialog box.
4. Enter the revision mark, revision date and description text of the revision in the
dialog box as shown below, and click Create.

41
Once the revision is created, a revision number is automatically assigned to the

drawing. The revision number is shown in the dialog box.
5. Check that the revision number is shown in the drawing list.
6. Open the drawing to check that the drawing title and revision table display the
revision information correctly.
Several drawings can share the same revision mark, date,

and information. To attach the same revision information to
several drawings simultaneously, select multiple drawings
from the drawing list.
You can choose whether Tekla Structures shows the revision

numbers or the revision marks in the drawing list. By default,
revision numbers are shown. For more information, see the
following links:
Help: Drawing > Getting started with drawings > Defining
drawing revisions
Help: System > Files and folders > Startup batch file.

42
Modify revision
information
To modify the revision information of an existing revision mark:

1. First create a new revision to the G 1[ ]drawing by following steps 2-5 presented
above:
x
Change the model
Use B as the revision mark
Type revision date and description
Click Create
Leave the Revision handling dialog box open
2. Select the revision number 2 in the drop-down box next to the Mark field. The
corresponding revision information is shown in the dialog box.
3. Change the revision mark to C, modify the description text, and click Modify.
4. Open the drawing to check that the modification is shown correctly in the
revision table.
Delete revision
mark
To delete a revision mark:

1. Select the revision number 2 in the Revision handling dialog box.
2. Click Delete.
3. The updated revision number of the drawing is now 1. Check that the revision
number is shown correctly in the drawing list. Open the drawing to check that
the revision table is also updated.
When you delete a revision, Tekla Structures automatically
adjusts the remaining revision numbers for that drawing.
Show revision mark in plot file names

When you plot drawings to files such as DWG, DXF or PDF, you can include the
latest revision number or mark in the plot file name. In the Plot dialog box, select the
checkbox of the Include revision mark to file name option as shown below.
Show revision information in a report

The report drawing_issue_rev shows the revision dates and revision information of
drawings. For more information about reports see Lesson 9 Numbering and Reports.

43
Show revision
information in
report
To create a report containing the revision information:

1. Click on the Report icon on the Standard toolbar to open the Report dialog box.
2. Select the drawing_issue_rev from the report list and click the Create from all
button.
3. Click on the Show button to open the report.

4. Check that the revisions are shown correctly in the report drawing_issue_rev.xsr
(Tekla Structures creates the report in the model folder).
See the picture below as an example of the drawing_issue_rev report. Revisions
made to the G 3[ ]drawing are marked with a red rectangle.

44
Create revision marks in drawings

We will create revision marks in the drawings to help locate the changes made to the
model.
For more information about creating revision marks in drawings, see Help: Drawing
> Editing drawings > Editing drawings reference > Create>Revision mark.
Define revision
mark appearance
To create a revision mark in the G [1]drawing:

1. Select the G 1[ ]drawing in the drawing list and click on the Update marks
button to update all marks.
2. Open the selected drawing and check that the part mark of the column on
gridline 1 in the GRID A view has changed.

45
3. Select Properties > Revision mark from the menu to open the Revision mark
4. Select the revision number 1 in the drop-down box next to the Mark field to
obtain the corresponding revision information.
5. On the Appearance tab, select the Arrow type as shown below, change the Frame
color of the revision mark to red and click OK.

46
Create revision
mark in GA
drawing
1. Select Create > Revision mark > Arrow on right from the menu and pick a point to
place the mark. For example, pick close to the column and its part mark on
gridline 1 in the GRID A view.
2. Double-click on the revision mark to obtain its properties. Check that the
contents of the revision mark is correct, and its appearance corresponds to the
properties set in step5.

47
Assembly and Single Part

Drawings

May 18, 2005
Contents
11
Assembly and Single Part Drawings ......................................................................... 3

11.1
11.2
11.3
11.4
11.5
11.6
11.7
Integration between Drawings and the Model............................................................................4

Create Drawings Using Drawing Wizards..................................................................................5
Edit Drawing Properties ...........................................................................................................13
Create a New Drawing Wizard ................................................................................................27
Edit Drawings Manually ...........................................................................................................33
Update Drawings .....................................................................................................................37
Create Drawings Manually.......................................................................................................41

Assembly and Single Part Drawings
11
Assembly and Single Part

Drawings
In this lesson
We will introduce the creation of assembly and single-part drawings in Tekla

Structures.
We will first create single-part and assembly drawings by using predefined drawing
wizards (drawing wizards are an automatic way of creating single, assembly and
multi-drawings).
We will then edit the drawing properties and create a new drawing wizard. The
Drawing Wizard will use the edited drawing properties and the select filters that we
defined in an earlier lesson. Then we will show how the same drawings can be
created manually. We will also demonstrate how updating effects the drawings.
Revision control of all drawing types is presented in Lesson 10 Principles of
working with drawings.

11.1 Integration between Drawings and the Model

Assembly and single-part drawings
Single-part drawings are workshop drawings of each of the individual steel parts in
the model. Assembly drawings are workshop drawings, in which details of an
assembly consisting of the steel parts are presented for fabrication.
All of the views in single-part or assembly drawings are current views of the
members as they are in the model.
When the model contains any identical members, the drawing is a view of one of
these members. The drawing, however, contains information about the quantity of
all of the identical members. If the "host" member of the drawing is modified or
deleted, it will get a new position mark at the next numbering. Tekla Structures will
then automatically assign the original drawing to another member with the original
position mark.
Tekla Structures integrates the drawings and reports with the model. This means
that, for example, dimensions and marks in the drawings are always correct.
Because the information in the drawings and reports comes directly from the model,
you cannot delete any of the parts or bolts from the drawings. You can, however,
filter out parts and bolts in the drawings, or make them invisible.
You can create drawings and reports at any stage of the project. If you change the
model, Tekla Structures updates the related drawings the next time you perform
numbering.
For more information, see Help: Drawing > Introduction to drawings > Basics.

11.2
Create Drawings Using Drawing Wizards

Once you have numbered the model, you can create assembly and single-part
drawings from the model. Drawing wizards are the most effective way to create
drawings in Tekla Structures.
Wizards automatically produce different types of drawings of different parts, such as
beams, columns, and braces. You can use wizards to create single-part, assembly, or
multi-drawings using the settings defined in the wizard files.
You can use the predefined wizard files, edit them, or create your own drawing
wizards. The Wizard dialog box lists the available wizard files.
For more information on drawing wizards, see:

Help: Drawing > Getting started with drawings > Creating drawings > Using drawing
wizards
Help: Drawing > Getting started with drawings > Drawing reference > File>Wizard
Drawing wizards cannot be used to create General

Arrangement (GA) drawings or cast unit (CU) drawings of
concrete structures.
Functionality of drawing wizards

For each member type in the model, drawing wizards automatically perform the
following steps:
1. Define the drawing type to be created (single, assembly or multi)
2. Select the predefined drawing properties to be used
3. With the given select filter, select the parts from which to create drawings
4. Create drawings

When you apply a wizard, you can choose whether the wizard creates drawings from
all parts of the model, or just from the selected parts.
By creating wizards that match the select filters and drawing
properties in the project you can automatically create all
single and assembly drawings of the parts using suitable
predefined properties.
Preconditions of using a drawing wizard:

x
Numbering of the model must be up to date
The appropriate wizard file must exist
The saved drawing properties listed in the wizard file

must exist
The saved select filters listed in the wizard file must exist
Model members which will be selected by the select filter

must exist
Create single-part drawings of selected parts

We will now use a drawing wizard to create single-part drawings of selected steel
beams and plates.
Create single-part
drawings of steel
beams
1. Open the BasicModelCombined model.

2. Select the BEAM_STEEL filter from the drop-down list of available Select
filters
3. Select the whole model with an area selection

4. To see the creation of the drawings, open the drawing list by clicking the Open
drawing list icon.
5. Select File > Wizard from the menu or click on the Wizard icon on the Standard
toolbar to open the Wizard dialog box.
6. Select Single Drawings on the Wizards tab.

7. Click the Create from selected button.

8. In the drawing list check that single-part drawings with the title BEAM were
created.
9. Open a few single-part drawings for viewing
You can view the next drawing on the list by clicking

Next or using the shortcut Ctrl + Page Down

Create single-part
drawings from
plates
Following the procedure above, now create single part drawings of all plates.
1. Select the PLATE select filter.
2. Select the whole model with an area selection.
3. Select Single Drawings on the Wizards tab in the wizard dialog box.
4. Click on the Create from selected button.
5. In the drawings list check that single-part drawings with the title PLATE were
created.
6. Open a few single-part drawings for viewing

Using the procedure outlined above, you could create single-part drawings from any
other selected steel parts in the model (columns, braces, angles, etc.).
It is advisable to create all the single and assembly drawings
with the wizard, even for a single part.
Tekla Structures displays a Cancel dialog box during the
creation of drawings. Click OK in the dialog box to stop
creating the drawings.
Create assembly drawings of all steel parts

Next, we will create assembly drawings of all the steel parts by using another
drawing wizard.
To create all assembly drawings at once:
Create assembly
drawings
1. Define a select filter to filter away the concrete parts, click OK.
2. Drag an area through the whole model to select all the steel parts
3. Click on the Wizard icon to open the Wizard dialog box
4. Select Assembly Drawings on the Wizards tab


5. Click Create from selected
Use the Create from all button to create drawings from the
whole model at once.
6. In the drawings list check that the assembly drawings were created correctly
(sort the drawing list by Title).
7. Open a few assembly drawings (which are not named STANDARD) for viewing

10
For parts that don't match with the drawing properties or

filters listed in the wizard file, the predefined wizards create
drawings using STANDARD properties.
Select parts with
drawing title
STANDARD
1. Select drawings with the title STANDARD in the drawing list.

2. Click the Filter - Select parts button
The parts associated with the selected drawings are now highlighted in the model.
You will find, e.g., that objects that don't have a request in the default wizard are
highlighted in the model.
Open brace
drawing
1. Select one vertical brace on gridline A.

2. Click the Display - All button to ensure that all drawings are shown in the list.
3. Click the Filter - By parts button.

11
The drawing list shows now only the assembly drawing created from the brace
selected in the model. The brace drawing was created with bracing properties.
4. Open the drawing
A drawing wizard will not create a duplicate drawing for any

member already having, e.g., a single-part or assembly
drawing.

12
11.3
Edit Drawing Properties

We will now define specific drawing properties for both horizontal and vertical
bracing and save the properties to be used later in the drawing wizard.
As an example we will open one vertical brace drawing for editing. Using this
drawing we will save the properties for the horizontal bracing. We will then edit
some more properties and save them for the vertical bracing.
The editing actions we will do are just examples of using the drawing properties.
The final drawing you get depends on the environment you are using and may not be
identical to this example.
Study the Online help for information on each of the separate fields available in the
drawing properties.
Help: Drawing > Dimensioning
Help: Drawing > Drawing Properties
The drawings are created with the applied drawing properties

(wizard applies the correct predefined properties
automatically to parts).
The quality of the automatically created drawings depends on
the drawing properties used
Whenever there is a need to edit the drawings, you should
check if the result can be achieved by editing the drawing
properties.
As long as you can manage to create complete drawings by
using predefined drawing properties the creation / updating of
drawings will be automatic
Properties for horizontal bracing

Load properties
no_dimension
1. Right-click on the drawing and select Properties to open the Assembly

drawing properties
2. Load the predefined properties no_dimensions
3. Click Modify

13
The drawing was regenerated with no_dimension properties. It appears now without
any dimensions and only the main view is visible.
By default, Tekla Structures creates the additional views only if it is
necessary in order to show the dimensions in the drawing.
For our purposes, we want to have both the front and top views in the brace
drawings regardless of the dimensions that may be needed.
Display both front
and top views
1. In the Assembly drawing properties dialog box click the View button.
2. Choose the option on for the Front and Top views.
3. Click Modify and then OK

14
Main part overall

dimension
The first dimension we will add is the main part overall dimension.
1. In the Assembly drawing properties dialog box click Dimensioning > Part
dimensions.
2. Select Once for Main part overall dimensions.
3. Click Modify and then Apply

15
The main part overall dimension appears.

We will next add the dimension between the extreme bolts.
Extreme bolts
1. On the Bolt dimensions tab select Assembly for Extreme bolts.


16
The distance between the extreme bolts appears.

We then continue by dimensioning the main part cuts.
Main part shape
To dimension the cuts in the main part:

1. On the Part dimensions tab turn Main part shape: to On

17
The dimensions of the cuts appear in absolute dimensions. This is due to the
dimension type defined in the Assembly Dimension properties tab.
We will next change the dimension type to relative.
Change
dimension type
from absolute to
relative
1. In the Assembly drawing properties dialog box, click Dimension

2. Change the Dimension types / In X direction to relative (see fig below).

18
3. Click Modify and then OK
The dimensions of main part cuts now appear as relative dimensions.
By commenting environment variable,

XS_NO_RELATIVE_SHAPE_DIMENSIONS, out the shape
dimensions would always be relative despite the option
chosen in the Dimension properties dialog box.

19
By editing dimension planes table You can define how Tekla Structures
dimensions different profiles in drawings. For example, you can have
Tekla Structures always dimension rectangular hollow sections to the
middle of the profile or to the top.
See Help: Drawing > Dimensioning > Dimension planes
An example of dimensioning according the prof. type 8 (=rectangular

hollow sections) is set in dimension plane table by default so that Tekla
Structures dimension sections to the middle of the profile
8,
-1.0, TRUE*, TRUE, TRUE,
TRUE*, TRUE, TRUE
To change Tekla Structures to dimension rectangular hollow sections to

the left / top of the profile, set the dimensioning of prof. type 8 as shown
below:
8,
-1.0, FALSE, TRUE*, TRUE,
FALSE, TRUE, TRUE*
Protection
You can protect areas in drawings to prevent text or dimensions being placed there.
This way you can e.g. prevent the part mark (1014 in the fig. above) overlapping
with the part.
In cases where Tekla Structures can not find a free place for
an object the objects will overlap with each others despite the
switches in the protection dialog box.
1. In the Assembly drawing properties dialog box click Protection.
2. Select the checkboxes shown below. These options define that dimension lines
may not overlap parts.

20
We will now save the properties that we have applied so far for horizontal bracing.
We will then continue to edit the drawing a little and save the properties for vertical
bracing.
Save as
properties for
bracing_H
1. Type bracing_H in the Name: field of Assembly drawing properties dialog box
2. Type bracing_H_TR in the Save as field, click the Save as button

21
Properties for vertical bracing

For vertical bracing we want to see the secondary part bolt internal dimensions and
change the part mark frame a little as well as include the single part views of the
plates.
We will first add bolt dimensions to the vertical bracing.
Secondary part
bolt internal
1. On the Assembly - Dimensioning properties dialog, on the Bolt dimensions tab,

select Internal for Secondary part bolt internal dimensions.

22
The bolt distance dimensions of the gusset plates appear.
Change the frame

of part marks
We will next change the part mark frame to be rectangular.

On the Assembly - part mark properties / General tab:
1. Change the Frame around mark to rectangular.

23
The frames of part marks change to rectangular.

Include single
parts to the
brace_V drawings
We will now include single-part views of the individual part components that form
the assembly.
1. In the Assembly drawing properties dialog box, click Layout > Other.
2. Set Include single parts to Yes. This activates also the Single part attributes field
allowing you to choose any predefined single part attributes.

24
The single part views for plates appear.

Tekla Structures has several environment variables to customize the single part
presentation in assembly drawings. For example, you can choose to exclude some
single-part views from assembly drawings.
Help: System > Appendix A: Variables > List of variables > S >
XS_SINGLE_EXCLUDE
Or you can, for example, set the scale of single-part views included in assembly
drawings.
Help: System > Appendix A: Variables > List of variables > S >
XS_SINGLE_SCALE

25
Save as
properties for
bracing_V
We will now save the properties for vertical bracing

1. Type bracing_V in the Name: field of the Assembly drawing properties dialog
box.
2. Type bracing_V_TR in the Save as field, click the Save as button

26
11.4
Create a New Drawing Wizard

We will next create a new assembly drawing wizard that matches the part properties
and select filters defined in lesson 5. We will use the available drawing properties
added with the bracing_H_TR and bracing_V_TR properties defined in this lesson.
We start by creating properties for the parts not matching with the wizard requests
We will then edit existing drawing requests to suit horizontal and vertical braces and
use the new properties defined for them. We will delete all those requests that are
not needed and finally edit a request for those parts that don't match our wizard to be
shown as INCOMPLETE in the drawing list.
Create properties
INCOMPLETE
1. Load standard drawing properties

2. Edit the Name: field to INCOMPLETE
3. Save the properties with the name INCOMPLETE
We will now use an existing wizard as the basis for constructing our own wizard.
To create a new drawing wizard, we will perform the following steps:
1. Open an existing wizard file.
2. Save it with another name.
3. Modify the new file.
4. Test the functionality of the new wizard

27
The following links present more information on customizing the wizard settings
and the contents of a wizard file.
Help: System > Files and folders > Customizing Tekla Structures > Creating wizard
files
Help: System > Files and folders > Log files > Wizard log
To create the new wizard file:

Open existing
wizard file
1. Click the Wizard icon to open the Wizard dialog box.
2. Select Assembly Drawings on the Wizards tab.

3. Click Edit to open the wizard file in a text editor
Save wizard file

with another
name
1. Select Save as from the File menu of the text editor to save the wizard file with
another name.
2. Browse to the attributes folder under your model folder, enter
ASSEMBLY_TR.dproc as the file name and click Save. Note that the file
extension has to be dproc.

28
3. Check that the ASSEMBLY_TR.dproc file was created in the attributes

subfolder by selecting Open model folder from the Tools menu
The predefined wizard files are located in the folder
..\countries\*environment*\system. In the system folder, the wizard files
are available for use in all models. Modified and saved wizard files are
saved in the same folder, unless you define another destination folder
(such as the model folder).
Edit the wizard file
1.
Save and Reopen the model.

To have the new wizard file shown in the Wizard dialog box,
you need to close and reopen the model.
2. Open the Wizard dialog box.

3. Select ASSEMBLY_TR on the Wizards tab and click Edit.
4. Find the requests for chs bracings and shs bracings.
5. Edit the requests to match the criteria for vertical and horizontal bracing shown
highlighted in yellow below.

29
Delete the extra

requests
6. Delete all extra requests. Only keep the following:

x
Beams
Vertical braces
Horizontal braces
Rafters
Purlins
Columns

30
Change the remaining requests to use the select filters that we defined earlier, for
this project.
Change the select
filters
7. Change the select filters defined for steel parts in this project:
x
column_filter to COLUMN_STEEL
beam_filter to BEAM_STEEL
purlin_filter to PURLIN
etc.

31
Request for the

rest of the
assembly
drawings
8. Edit the last request to be as shown:

/* Create rest of assembly drawings */
set_drawing_type(assembly)
set_drawing_attributes(INCOMPLETE)
set_filter(standard)
create_drawings()
Save the wizard

file
9. Click Save to save the changes and to close the text editor
A wizard file is comprised of several sets of drawing

requests. The order of these requests is important, since Tekla
Structures creates only one drawing for each selected object.
The first request that matches the criteria of select filters is
applied.
Now we want to ensure that the new wizard file functions correctly.
Apply own wizard
file
1. Delete all of the assembly drawings in the drawing list.

2. Open the Wizard dialog box, select the ASSEMBLY_TR wizard and click
Create from all.
3. Check the drawing list to see that correct drawing properties were used:
x
The titles of the created assembly drawings
INCOMPLETE
bracing_V, bracing_H

32
11.5
Edit Drawings Manually

It is easy to manually add, delete and edit drawing objects (i.e. dimensions, lines,
text, symbols, graphics and marks) in Tekla Structures drawings.
Most drawing objects (both automatically and manually created) are

associative and automatically update if the model changes. However
some manually created drawing objects such as lines, polygons, and
circles are yet not associative.
We will now edit one brace_H drawing manually to include the same editing that we
defined for the vertical brace_V drawing properties (the bolt distance dimensions the
rectangular part mark frame, and single part views).
Add bolt distance
dimensions
1. Open the first bracing_H drawing in the drawing list

2. Click on the Create Y dimension icon
3. Pick the center points of bolts to be dimensioned

4. Move the cursor to where you want the dimension to appear and click on the
middle mouse button
The associative symbols indicates which drawing objects are associated

to the model and will be updated if the model is changed
Click SHIFT+A in the keyboard to display/hide the associative symbols

33
To move the dimension: select it and drag it to the desired position
Add the bolt dimension to the other end in the same way.
Change the frame
of part marks
1. Double-click one of the part marks to open the Part mark properties dialog box.
2. On the General tab, change the Frame around mark to rectangular and tick only
this check box.
3. Select all the part marks in the drawing.
(You can use the Select part mark select switch.)
4. Modify
Now all the part marks in the drawing have rectangular frames.
Include single
part views
1. Using the CTRL key select each plate part in the drawing.
2. Right-click and select Create single part views from the popup menu.

34
3. Close the drawing, click Save and Freeze in the confirmation dialog box
When you close a drawing that has been changed, Tekla Structures
prompts you to save the drawing.
Whenever you have manually edited the drawing it is recommended to
select Save and Freeze. This way you will systematically freeze edited
drawings and only them.
An F appears in the drawing list to show this drawing is frozen.
Now this one horizontal brace drawing has roughly the same editing as all the
vertical brace drawings. The difference is that part of this horizontal brace drawing
editing was done manually.
If we wanted the rest of the horizontal brace drawings to have the same editing, we
could repeat the manual editing to them one by one. However, changing the
bracing_H_TR drawing properties is a better solution.
To get the creation of drawings as automatic as possible, you

should find good enough predefined drawing properties to
create the drawings with, instead of editing them manually.
Whenever there is a need to edit the drawings, you should

35
first check if the result can be achieved by changing the

drawing properties.
As long as you can manage to create complete drawings by
using predefined drawing properties the creation and
updating off the drawings will be more automatic.

36
11.6 Update Drawings

We will now modify our model by changing the bolt spacing of all of the gusset
plate connections. Changes in the model will result in some of the drawings no
longer be up-to-date. To be able to open the drawings you will need to run
numbering and update them.
We will study how updating effects the edited drawings.
Updating will:
x
Switch the P flag on a frozen drawing to an *. This indicates that the drawing
has been updated (also manual editing, such as extra marks or dimensions).
Regenerate any drawings with a P flag that are unfrozen, with the originally
used drawing properties. The updating deletes all the manual editing (added
dimensions, texts etc.).
Update the quantities on a drawing with an N flag.
Change the model

Change gusset
plate bolt spacing
1. Select all the connections in the model.

2. Find the Tube gusset (20) connection (Ctrl+F), and double-click on it to open it.
3. Check that Ignore other types is selected in the connection dialog box.
4. On the Bracebolts1, Bracebolts2 and Bracebolts3 tab pages, edit the vertical bolt
spacing to 80 as shown below.

37
5. Click Modify
Now the model has changed and some of the drawings are no longer up to date. To
be able to open the drawings you need to run numbering and update them.
It is not possible to open earlier revisions of the drawings. Due to the

integration between drawings and the model a drawing that is not up-todate cannot be opened.
Run numbering
Select Tools > Numbering > Modified.

Once the numbering is carried out, the flags in the Drawing list show all those
affected drawings that need to be updated.
Help: Drawing > Getting started with drawings > Drawing status flags
You can filter up-to-date drawings with Filter > Up to date button. To get
non up to date drawings listed press Display > Invert button after Filter >
Up to date.
Update vertical
brace drawings
The vertical brace drawings were created with only the predefined drawing
attributes. They will be complete right after updating, since they are simply
recreated using their own attributes.
To update drawings:
1. Select all the bracing_V drawings from the list.
2. Click Update.
3. Open the drawings to see that they are ok

38
Update horizontal
brace drawing
We will next update all the horizontal brace drawings including the manually edited
one.
Before updating drawings Make sure that all the drawings having
manual editing are Frozen.
Updating will regenerate any drawings with a P flag that are unfrozen,
the updating deletes all the manual editing (added dimensions, texts
etc.).
There is no Undo for the updating the drawings command.
1. Select all the bracing_H drawing from the list except the frozen one.
2. Click Update.
Because a lot of time can be spent editing drawings, it is

advisable to always freeze manually edited drawings. If
major modifications in the model create problems with a
drawing you can always regenerate the drawing with the
predefined drawing properties.
To consciously override manual modifications in a drawing
and regenerate the drawing with predefined drawing
properties, you can:
3. Unfreeze the drawing.
4. Update the drawing
Or in case the drawing is already up to date:
1. Unfreeze the drawing.
2. Modify it first, using other drawing properties (e.g.
No_dimensions)
3. Modify it with the original properties (e.g. bracing_H)
Since the drawing is not frozen, the updating regenerates the drawing but deletes all
the manual editing (in this case the added bolt dimensions and part mark frame
change).

39
Update frozen
horizontal brace
drawing
To update frozen drawings:

1. Select the frozen bracing_H drawing from the list.
2. Click Update.
3. The P gets replaced by an *
Check and save

the drawing
1. Open the drawing with an *.

The dimensions should be correct.
2. Save the drawing, and the * flag is removed

40
11.7 Create Drawings Manually

In Tekla Structures, you can create single-part and assembly drawings by loading
and applying predefined drawing properties for layout, dimensions, marks, etc. for
selected parts. This process is called the manual creation of drawings, in contrast to
the drawing creation with wizards.
The steps for the manual creation of drawings are basically the same as the steps
automatically dine by the drawing wizard:
1. Select the model objects.
2. Load and Apply the predefined drawing properties.
3. Click Drawing > Assembly drawing to create assembly drawings or Drawing >
Single-part drawing to create single-part drawingsCreate
assembly
drawings
As an example, we will create assembly drawings of the columns.
To manually create assembly drawings of all columns:
1. Open the drawing list and delete all assembly drawings with the title
COLUMN.
Create assembly
drawings from
columns
2. Select the column_filter on the Select switches toolbar and select the whole
model.
3. Select Properties > Assembly drawing in the menu to open the Assembly
drawing properties dialog box.
4. Select column properties in the drop-down box next to the Load button.

41
5. Click Load and OK.

6. Select Drawing > Assembly drawing in the menu to create the assembly drawings.
7. Open the drawing list and check that the correct drawings were created.
You can also use the view filters in the View filter dialog box
(opened from the View properties dialog box) to help
selecting members in the model for drawing creation.

42
Cast Unit Drawings

August 25, 2005
Contents
11
Cast Unit Drawings...................................................................................................... 3

11.1 Create Cast Unit Drawings ........................................................................................................4
Define cast unit drawing properties for beams...........................................................................4
Create a cast unit drawing for a beam .....................................................................................10
Drawing Classifier in beam cast unit drawings ........................................................................11
Define Cast Unit Drawing Properties for Columns...................................................................15
Create Cast Unit Drawings for Columns ..................................................................................15
Create Additional Cast Unit Drawings......................................................................................17
Cloning Drawings ....................................................................................................................20

Cast Unit Drawings
11
In this lesson
Cast Unit Drawings
In this lesson we will learn how to create cast unit drawings of the concrete
members of the model. We will then modify the drawings and use the finished
drawings for cloning.
x
Use your own select filters
Define cast unit drawing properties
Define Drawing Classifier settings
Use the Drawing Classifier
Use different drawings of the same cast unit
Use cloning
Use the drawing list.
T
Cast Unit Drawings
11.1
Create Cast Unit Drawings

Cast unit drawings are
workshop (or in-situ) drawings, in which details of a cast unit,

consisting of the concrete parts, reinforcement and components, are presented for
fabrication.
All of the views in the drawings are current views of the members as they are in the
model. When the model contains any identical members, the drawing is a view of
one of these members. The drawing, however, contains information about the
quantity of all of the identical members. If the "host" member of the drawing is
modified or deleted, it will get a new position mark at the next numbering. Tekla
Structures will then automatically assign the original drawing to another member
with the original position mark.
Tekla Structures integrates the drawings and reports with the model. This means
that, for example, dimensions and marks in the drawings are always correct.
Because the information in the drawings and reports comes directly from the model,
you cannot delete any of the parts or bolts from the drawings. You are able to filter
out parts and other objects in the drawings, or make them invisible.
You can create drawings and reports at any stage of the project. If you change the
model, Tekla Structures updates the related drawings when you next carry out
numbering.
Once the model is numbered it is possible to create cast unit drawings of selected
parts in the model. Selecting Cast Unit drawings from the Drawing pull-down menu
will generate drawings of the selected parts. However, to get the drawings appear as
complete as possible, it is a good idea to create drawings of certain cast units with
suitable properties predefined for them.
There are two options for cast unit drawing specification. The
possible options to select are By cast unit position or By cast
unit ID. See more in Tekla Structures Help: Drawing > Getting
Started with Drawings > Creating drawings > Creating castunit drawings.
Define cast unit drawing properties for beams

We will now define cast unit drawing properties for a beam, which has
reinforcements included.
Set the common
drawing
properties
1. From the pull-down menu select Properties > Cast unit drawing...
2. Select By cast unit position as the cast unit definition method.
T
Cast Unit Drawings
3. Type BEAM REINFORCEMENT into the Name field. This text will appear in
the drawing list.
Set the layout
properties
We will next define drawings size, layout and view projection. See more in Tekla
Structures Help: Drawing > Drawing Layout > Drawing size and Drawing > Drawing
Layout > Scale and location of drawing views > Location of views in drawings. Look
also at lesson 10 for layouts.
4. Click on the Layout button.
5. Select Size definition mode to be Autosize.
6. Select Calculated/fixed sizes in Autosize > Use option menu.
7. Select the Scale tab page.

8. Set Autoscale to No.
9. Select the Other tab page.
10. Select Projection type to be First angle (also referred to as European projection).
11. Set Yes to Side views beside main.
12. Enter the name Beam in the text box next to the Save as button, then click Save
as to save the settings.
13. Close the dialog by clicking OK.
Set the view
properties
Next we will define which views will be created to the drawing. See more in Tekla
Structures Help: Drawing > Drawing Properties > Drawing view properties.
1. Click on the View button.
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Cast Unit Drawings
2. Turn back and bottom views off, all other views to on or auto.
3. Select the Attributes tab. Set Scale to 1:20. All views of a view type share the
same scale.
5. Set Coordinate system to local.
6. Set rotation to 0 in all directions.
Set the part
properties
Next we will define how the parts will be presented in the drawing. See more in
Tekla Structures Help: Drawing > Drawing Properties > Drawing view properties.
1. Click on the Part button.
2. Set Part representation to Exact.
3. Set Hidden lines on and Center line and Reference lines off.
4. Select the Appearance tab.
5. For Visible lines, select color, which is weighted 0.3 mm. For all other lines,
select line weight 0.1 mm.
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Color weight is defined in plotter catalog: File > Catalog >

Plotters > Modify > Color table... See more in Tekla
Structures Help: Drawing > Printing > The plotter catalog
> Color.
Set the
dimensioning
properties
Next we will define how the parts will be dimensioned in the drawing. See more in
Tekla Structures Help: Drawing > Dimensioning.
1. Click on the Dimensioning button.
2. Set Number of views > Minimize and Combine dimensions > Options to No.
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3. Select the Part dimensions tab page.

4. Set part dimensions as below:
5. Select the Position dimensions tab page.

6. Set Position to: to Main part.
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Set the
reinforcing
properties
Next we will define how the reinforcements will be represented in the drawing. See
more in Tekla Structures Help: Drawing > Drawing Properties > Reinforcement in
drawings.
1. Click on the Reinforcement button.

2. Set the Visibility of all reinforcing bars to Visible.
3. Set the Representation to single line.
4. Set the Visibility of reinforcing bars in group to all.
5. Select the Bar appearance tab page.

6. Select color, which is weighted 0.3 mm. Color weight is defined in plotter
catalog: File > Catalog > Plotters >Modify> Color table... See more in Tekla
Structures Help: Drawing > Printing > The plotter catalog > Color. We will first
present all reinforcements with the same color and modify it later.
9. All other object can use standard settings. Now save these settings. Enter the
name Beam-Reinforcement in the text box next to the Save as button, then click
Save as to save the settings. Apply all settings and close the dialog by clicking
OK.
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Create a cast unit drawing for a beam

We will first create one cast unit drawing for a beam, which contains
reinforcements, using the predefined attribute values. Then we will edit the settings
and use them in new drawings for other beams with the help of Drawing Classifier.
Create a cast unit
drawing
1. Select a beam on gridline 7, between lines A and C.
2. Select Drawing > Cast unit drawing from the drop-down menu. A cast unit
drawing is created of the selected beam using the predefined attribute values and
it appears in the drawing list, which can be opened from Drawing > List See
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10
more about the drawing list in Tekla Structures Help: Drawing > Getting Started
with Drawings > Opening drawings > Drawing list and Lesson 10.
Open the cast unit

drawing for
editing
Select the drawing from the list and click on the Open button. Tekla Structures opens
the Beam reinforcement drawing for editing. You can edit drawings in the Drawing
Editor on three levels:
x
Drawing properties
View properties
Object properties
For more information about the drawing properties and different drawing levels, see
Tekla Structures help:
Help: Drawing > Introduction to drawings > Three levels of editing drawings
Help: Drawing > Drawing Properties and Lesson 10.
Drawing Classifier in beam cast unit drawings

Define Drawing Classifier settings
We will use Drawing Classifier to represent the different reinforcements with
different line settings. By default, all reinforcements use the same line settings and
for clearer representation it is good to show different reinforcement with different
line styles and weights.
The Classifier makes use of the Drawing and View Filter, the Drawing and View
Properties and Property Attribute sub-dialogs. See more in Tekla Structures Help:
Drawing > Drawing Properties > The Drawing Classifier > Using the classifier.
To change properties of a single view of a multiple view drawing, edit and save View
properties rather than Drawing properties. Once the properties have been set up and
saved they can be applied in automatic drawing creation in normal ways.
Create view filters
We will first define the filter settings for different reinforcements. Tekla Structures
uses filters for selecting objects in drawing views with certain criteria.
1. Double-click on any view border to open the View properties dialog.
2. Click the Filter... button to open the View filter properties dialog box.
3. Select the Reinforcing bars tab page.
4. Type BOTTOM_BAR TOP_BAR in the Reinforcing bar Name field. Note that there
is an empty space between the names to separate them.
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11
5. Save the filter settings with name Main_Bars in the Save as field.
6. Write then PNL to the Reinforcing bar Name field.
7. Enter the name Lifting_Hooks in the text box next to the Save as button, then
click Save as to save the settings.
8. Next write STIRRUP to the Reinforcing bar Name field.
9. Enter the name Stirrups in the text box next to the Save as button, then click
Save as to save the settings.
10. Click Cancel to close the dialog box. Do not click Apply or OK, as this will apply
the current filter to the entire drawing and the Classifier will not work.
We have now defined three different filters for different kind of reinforcements.
Define
reinforcement
appearance
Next, we will define the appearance settings for the reinforcements.

1. Click on the Reinforcement... button to open the View reinforcing bar properties
dialog box.
2. Select the Bar appearance tab page.
3. Select color, which is weighted 0.5 mm (blue color).
4. Enter the name filter_Beam-Reinforcement_Main_Bars in the text box next to the
Save as button, then click Save as to save the property file for main bars.
The name consists of three sections. First there must be the
text "filter". Then the drawing or view attribute file name in
this case "Beam-Reinforcement" (the saved settings of
drawing or view main dialog). The last section is the name of
the filter attribute file in this case "Main_Bars". The
sections are combined with underscores.
5. Next select the Bar content tab page.
6. Select filled line as the Representation type.
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7. Select straight line as symbol at reinforcement ends.

8. Enter the name filter_Beam-Reinforcement_Lifting_Hooks in the text box next to
the Save as button, then click Save as to save the property file for main bars.
We now have drawing classifier settings for main reinforcements and lifting hooks,
stirrups can use Beam-Reinforcement settings.
Define
reinforcement
mark content
Before modifying the drawing, we will add drawing classifier settings for pullout
pictures of stirrup reinforcement marks.
1. Click on the Reinforcement marks button to open the View reinforcing bar mark
2. Select the Pullout picture from Available elements list on Single mark tab page.
3. Click on the Add> button. Pullout picture dialog opens.

4. Tick the Dimensions and Bending angle, then click OK.
5. Then, select Group above the Elements in mark list.
6. Repeat steps 2 4 to add the Pullout picture for reinforcement group mark.
7. Enter the name filter_Beam-Reinforcement_Stirrups in the text box next to the
Save as button, then click Save as to save the property file for stirrup
reinforcements.
8. Then remove all elements from Elements in mark list.
9. Select Name from Available elements list and click on the Add> button.
10. Select Diameter from Available elements list and click on the Add> button.
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11. Enter the name filter_Beam-Reinforcement_Lifting_Hooks in the text box next to

the Save as button, then click Save as to save the property file for lifting hooks.
Use Drawing Classifier to Edit the Drawing

Now, all drawing classifier settings are ready for use. We will first modify the
drawing which is already open.
Modify the
drawing
1. Close all view dialogs by clicking Cancel.

2. Double-click on any empty space to open the Cast unit drawing properties
dialog.
3. Click Modify. Tekla Structures edits the picture using drawing classifier settings.
Main reinforcement bars are now represented with line weighted 0.5 mm, lifting
hooks with filled line having name + diameter in the mark, and stirrups have a
pullout picture in the mark.
4. Now, close the drawing saving it.
Use the Drawing Classifier to Create New Drawings

Next we will create new drawings of rest of the concrete beams with the same
Drawing Classifier settings.
1. Select Properties > Cast unit drawing to open the Cast unit drawing properties
dialog.
2. Select Beam_Reinforcement drawing settings from pull-down menu list.
3. Click on the Load button.
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4. Click OK to apply the settings and to close the dialog.

5. Select BEAM_CONCRETE select filter.
6. Make an area select of the whole model. All concrete beams will be selected.
7. Select Drawing > Cast unit drawing. Tekla Structures generates cast unit drawings
of the selected beams using drawing classifier settings for reinforced beams and
they appear in the drawing list with title BEAM REINFORCEMENT.
Define Cast Unit Drawing Properties for Columns

Using the settings for beam cast unit drawing as basis, we will next define drawing
settings for columns and generate cast unit drawings of them.
1. Select Properties > Cast unit drawing from drop-down menu to open the Cast
unit drawing properties dialog.
2. Select the Beam-Reinforcement from saved attributes list and click Load.
3. Change the name field to COLUMN REINFORCEMENT.
4. Enter the name Column-Reinforcement in the text box next to the Save as button,
then click Save as to save the settings.
Set the
dimensioning
attributes
Next we add elevation dimensioning to the dimensioning settings. See more in Tekla
Structures Help: Drawing > Dimensioning.
1. Click on the Dimensioning button.
2. Select the Beam from saved attributes list and click Load.
3. Select the Position dimensions tab page.
4. Set the Elevation dimensions to On.
5. Enter the name Column-Reinforcement in the text box next to the Save as button,
7. All other objects can use standard or Beam-reinforcement settings. Now save
these settings by clicking Save as in the main dialog. Apply all setting and close
the dialog by clicking OK.
Create Cast Unit Drawings for Columns

We will first create one cast unit drawing for a column which has reinforcements,
using the predefined attribute values. Then we will modify the settings and use them
in new drawings for other columns with help of the drawing classifier.
1. Select the column on grid intersection A7.
2. Select Drawing > Cast unit drawing from drop-down menu. A cast unit drawing is
created of the selected column.
Modify the
Drawing Classifier
settings
We will next modify the Drawing Classifier settings for columns:

1. Open the column cast unit drawing.
2. Double-click on any view border to open the View properties dialog box.
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15
3. Open the Reinforcement properties dialog by clicking Reinforcement

4. Select filter_Beam-Reinforcement_Main_Bars from pull-down list and click on the
Load button.
5. Enter the name filter_Column-Reinforcement_Main_Bars in the text box next to
the Save as button, then click Save as to save the settings.
6. Then load the settings of filter_Beam-Reinforcement_Lifting_Hooks.
7. Enter the name filter_Column-Reinforcement_ Lifting_Hooks in the text box next
to the Save as button, then click Save as to save the settings.
We will next add part mark settings for column shoes. First we need to define the
filter for components.
1. In View properties dialog, click Filter
2. As all parts inside the components have class number 100, we can use that for
filtering. Enter 100 into Class field on Parts tab page.
3. Enter the name component in the text box next to the Save as button, then click
Save as to save the settings.
Next we will define part mark settings for Drawing Classifier, using the component
filter.
1. In the View properties dialog, click Part mark
2. Remove all elements from Elements in mark list, both for main part and
secondary part.
3. Enter the name filter_Column-Reinforcement_component in the text box next to
the Save as button, then click Save as to save the settings.
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5. Double-click on any empty space to open the Cast unit drawing properties
dialog.
6. Click Modify. Tekla Structures edits the picture using drawing classifier settings.
7. Close the drawing and save it.
Use Drawing
Classifier to
create new
drawings
We will now create cast unit drawings for all concrete columns with the drawing
classifier settings.
1. Select COLUMN_CONCRETE select filter.
2. Make an area select of the whole model. All concrete columns will be selected.
3. Select Drawing > Cast unit drawing. Tekla Structures generates cast unit drawings
of the selected beams using drawing classifier settings for reinforced beams and
they appear in the drawing list with title COLUMN REINFORCEMENT.
Create Additional Cast Unit Drawings

You can create two or more cast unit drawings from the same cast unit. Drawing
might be produced as three separate smaller size drawings i.e. One including main
geometry + embeddings + dimension lines, one having Reinforcement, another
Surface finishing (tiles etc.).
Alternatively, you can add several new views from the same
cast unit to an existing drawing using Create > View > Basic >
Front, Up, Back or Down commands.
Set the drawing
attributes
First, we need to define the drawing settings.

1. Select Properties > Cast unit drawing from drop-down menu to open the Cast
unit drawing properties dialog.
2. Select the Column-Reinforcement from saved attributes list and click Load.
3. Change the name field to COLUMN DIMENSIONS.
4. Enter number 2 to the Sheet number field.

Every additional cast unit drawing of the same cast unit must
have a different sheet number.
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5. Enter the name Column-Dimensions in the text box next to the Save as button,
6. Click on the Reinforcement button.
7. Set the visibility of reinforcing bars to Not visible.
8. Enter the name Column-Dimensions in the text box next to the Save as button,
10. Now save these settings by clicking Save as in the main dialog. Apply all setting
and close the dialog by clicking OK.
Generate an
additional cast
unit drawing
We will now create a dimensioning drawing of one column.

1. Select a column on gridlines 1 and C intersection.
2. Select Drawing > Cast unit drawing from drop-down menu. A cast unit drawing is
created of the selected column. The drawing appears in the drawing list with
title COLUMN DIMENSIONS. The drawing name has a new sheet number.
Edit the additional

cast unit drawing
We will next edit the dimensioning drawing and add there also details for
connecting parts. For this create basic views of them by selecting part and right-click
> Create view > Part basic views.
1. Open the cast unit drawing.
2. We will first add running dimensions for corbel. Double-click on the Create x
dimension icon to open the dialog.
3. Select straight dimensioning to option, which has running dimensions.
4. On the Appearance tab select arrow shape to be filled arrow.
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5. Click OK.
6. Click the corner points of the column and the corbel, end with middle button.
Next add part mark for bearing pad.

1. Select the bearing pad.
2. Right-click > Part mark.
3. Double-click on the part mark to open the Part mark properties dialog.
4. Remove all elements from Elements in mark list.
5. Add Name and Material to Elements in mark list.
6. Select the elements and click <Add frame.
7. Click Modify.
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We will now add part basic views to the drawing to show the connecting structures.
1. In Create pulldown menu select View > From model > View.
2. Select the Part end view of the pad footing. Tekla Structures generates a new
view to the drawing.
3. Right-click at any empty space and select Place views command. The views are
rearranged in the drawing.
4. Remove unnecessary part marks from the view by selecting them and by
clicking on the Delete button.
5. Double-click on the view border and select Part.
6. Set hidden lines visible and click Modify.
7. Add needed dimensions using dimensioning tools.

8. Close the drawing saving it.
Cloning Drawings
We will next clone the additional cast unit drawing for columns on gridline F. You
can clone drawings to produce cast unit drawings of same or similar cast units.
You should consider cloning drawings when:
1. There are several almost similar parts or cast units in the model.
2. You need to produce several cast unit drawings of same cast unit.
3. The drawings need a lot of manual editing.
See more about cloning in Tekla Structures Help: Drawing > Getting started with
drawings > Drawing reference > Drawing>Clone drawing.
Steps to clone drawings:
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20
1. Finalize, save, and close the drawing you want to clone.

2. In the model, select cast units to include in the drawing.
3. Click Drawing > List... to open the drawing list.
4. Select the finalized drawing on the drawing list.
5. Click Clone...
6. In the Drawing cloning dialog box, select the drawing objects in the finalized
drawing that you want to copy into the new drawing. If you want Tekla
Structures to red circle the dimensions for which it cannot find a reference point
on a part, select the Indicate dimension points that need checking checkbox.
7. Click Clone selected.
Always check dimensions and drawing view sizes in cloned
drawings.
You can have Tekla Structures to indicate the dimension points that need to be
checked. Select the checkbox Indicate dimension points that need checking in the
Drawing cloning dialog box. Tekla Structures circles in red the dimensions for which
it cannot find a reference point on a part. To remove the red circles in cloned
drawings, do one of the following:
x
To remove one circle, in the Drawing Editor, click Edit > Remove dimension point
select the circle to remove.
circle > Single circle and
To remove all circles, click Edit > Remove dimension point circle > All.
Create a new dimension point (Edit > Add dimension point) at the correct position
and delete the existing dimension point (Edit > Remove dimension point).
When you delete incorrect dimensions the red circles will also disappear. You can
then recreate the dimensions.
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In order to add and remove dimension points and to remove

dimension point circles, you may have to adjust the drawing
view size so that the dimension points are inside the view.
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General Arrangement
Drawings

March 18, 2005
Contents
12
General Arrangement (GA) Drawings........................................................................ 3

12.1 Creating GA Drawings ...............................................................................................................3
12.2 Editing GA Drawings................................................................................................................22
12.3 Updating GA Drawings ............................................................................................................27

General Arrangement Drawings
12 General Arrangement (GA)

Drawings
In this lesson
We will look more closely at the features of general arrangement (GA) drawings in
Tekla Structures. We will create GA drawings, modify and update them. We will
also introduce tools for adding details and section views to the drawings.
A general introduction to GA drawings and an example of creating GA drawings is
presented in the Lesson 10 Principles of working with drawings. Also see the help
file for more information Help: Drawing > Getting Started with Drawings > General
arrangement drawings...
12.1 Creating GA Drawings

We will now create general arrangement drawings from the following Basic Model
1-2 views:
x
3D view
Elevation views from grids A, F, 1, 4, 7
Foundation plan
We will also add a few details to the GA drawing.
Adjust model views for GA drawings

Before we start linking model views to the GA drawing, we need to review the
views and, if necessary, modify or create new model views.
Modify 3d view
1. Open the 3D view.

2. Double-click in the view background and click the Filter button in the View
properties dialog.

3. Filter out profiles D64*, P18*, 175* -> click Modify. (If you have a concrete
frame, also set the display not to show reinforcements in the View setup dialog,
which opens by clicking Display in the View properties dialog.)
4. Rotate the 3D view to you liking (Ctrl + middle mouse button).
The 3D view will appear in the GA drawing in the same

rotation angle as it is in the model view.
5. Close the view.

6. Check that other model views (grid A, F, 1, 4, 7 and plan 0) are displaying the
necessary information:
x
Filter unnecessary parts out.

Restrict work area to show only the part of the model you want visible (fit
work area / pick work area).
Rotate 3D views to your liking.
Make sure that the plan and elevation views are in 2D mode.
E.g. Foundation plane (view Plan 0).
E.g. Elevation at gridline 4.
Create detail model views

Create connection
basic views
We can add any existing view to a GA drawing. We will now create detail views of
two steel connections, or, in case you have modeled a concrete frame, of two
concrete connections. Follow the corresponding instructions.

Detail views of steel connections:
Detail views of concrete

connections:
1. Highlight the connection symbols at grid

intersection A4 at the +13400 elevation.
1. Highlight the connection symbol at

grid intersection A7 at the +7350
elevation.
2. Right-click and select: Create view >

Component basic view.
2. Right-click and select: Create view >

Component basic view.
3. Filter out all concrete parts from the

view.
3. Filter out or hide the slabs. Use

Shift+2 to show the connection in
shaded wireframe, but the rest in
rendered view.

4. Rotate the 3D view so that you get the

best view of the connections.
4. Rotate the 3D view so that you get

the best view of the connection.
5. Double-click on the background of the

basic view and change the name of the
view to (e.g. gridline location)
Connection A/4 @ Roof level.
5. Double-click on the background of

the basic view and change the name of
the view to (e.g. gridline location)
Connection A/7 @ level +7350.
6. Click Modify.
6. Click Modify.
7. The view title bar is changed according

to the name (Connection A/4 @ Roof
level). You should also see this view in
the Open named view list.
7. The view title bar is changed

according to the name (Connection A/7
@ level +7350). You should also see
this view in the Open named view list.
Create a similar detail view from the

connection at grid intersection B4 at the Roof
level.
Create a similar detail view from the

connection at grid intersection B7 at the
same level.

Setup GA drawing properties

Set drawing
properties
Before we can start creating GA drawings we need to setup the drawing properties.
See the online help files for more details.
Help: Drawing > Getting started with Drawings > Drawing reference > General
arrangement drawing...
1. Select Drawing > General arrangement drawing
2. In the Create general arrangement drawing dialog box click Drawing properties

3. Change the following attributes for the 3D GA drawing:

x
Change name to 3D (Name field)
View scale to 1:100 (View button)
Turn off gridlines (Grid button)
Turn off center lines (Part button)
Turn off welds (Weld button). If you have modeled a concrete frame,
instead, turn off reinforcing bars (Reinforcement button).

4. Click OK in each child dialog box to lock the settings. And then click OK to in
the main GA drawing properties dialog to lock all the settings.
Create a GA drawing from one model view

We will create a general arrangement drawing from the 3D model view using the
drawing properties set in a previous chapter.
Create drawing
out of 3D view
1. Select 3d view from the Create general arrangement drawing dialog.
2. Check-mark Open Drawing.

3. Click Create.
In a few moments Tekla Structures opens a drawing created from the 3D view.

10
Create a GA drawing using more than one model view

Now we will create another GA drawing using more than one model view and
automatically bring those views into the GA drawing.
Adjust drawing
properties
1. Click the Drawing properties button in the Create general arrangement drawing
dialog, and change the following:
x
Change the name to Elevation @ Grid 4 (Name field)
Change drawing size to 830*287 (Layout dialog)
2. Click on OK for each of the dialogs to lock the settings.

Create drawing
out of Grid view
and detail
To create GA drawing using more than one model view:

1. Highlight view GRID 4 and one of the two connection views you created earlier.
2. Select All selected views to one drawing.
3. Check mark Open drawing.
4. Click Create.
In a few moments Tekla Structures opens the GA drawing with the selected model
views.

11
5. Double-click on the blue border of the main view. In the View properties dialog
box, change the following:
x
Turn on the gridlines (Grid button)
Set the part marks visibility to distributed (Part mark > General)
Turn off the part marks out of the view plane (Part mark -> General)
6. Double-click on the blue border of the detail and change the following:
x
Change the scale to 1:20 (Scale field)
Change the bolt mark visibility to distributed (Bolt part -> General)
7. Close the drawing.

If part or bolt mark visibility properties are set to something
other than None and another view is added to drawing, all the
deleted part marks will reappear.
Add another model view to an existing GA drawing

We will now create another detail for the Grid 4 drawing using the same view
properties as the existing detail.
Link another
model view to GA
drawing
1. Open a model view at the second connection you created a view of (for steel
frame connection at B/4 @ Roof level, for concrete frame B/7 @ level +7350).
2. Open GA drawing Elevation @ Grid 4.
3. Double-click on the Create view from model view icon to open the view
properties.
4. Click Interrupt (right mouse click > Interrupt).

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5. Highlight the border of existing detail.

6. Click Get on View properties dialog.
7. Click OK.
8. Activate the Create view from model view command again by clicking the icon.
9. Minimize the drawing.
10. Pick the connection view.
11. Maximize the drawing and the detail will have appeared at the bottom left hand
corner of the drawing.
12. Move the view from bottom left hand corner to a better location.
Create a detail from the drawing view

Now we will create one more detail for the Grid 4 drawing, so keep the drawing
open.
Create another
detail
1. Double-click on the Create view from view icon.
2. In the View properties dialog, change the scale to 1/20.

3. Click OK.
4. Select an area near the footing at gridline A as shown below.
5. The detail should now appear on the drawing.

6. Right-click and select Place views, or place the view manually.

13

If the existing drawing view is in a 3D view, it is difficult to
pick the area. Usually, it is easier to create another view in
the model and link that model view to a drawing as explained
earlier.
Create multiple GA drawings automatically

Now we will create multiple general arrangement drawings automatically using grid
views A, F, 1 and 4.
Change drawing
properties
1. Click the Drawing properties button in the Create general arrangement drawing
dialog and change the following:
x
Change the name to Elevation @ Grid (Name field)
Turn on gridlines (Grid button)
2. Click OK for each of the dialogs to lock the settings.

Create GA
drawings out of
grid views
To create multiple GA drawings out of multiple model views:

1. Highlight views GRID A, GRID F, GRID 1 and GRID 7.
2. From the list box, select One drawing per view.
3. Click Create.
You will get 4 GA drawings.


14
We still need to modify the GA drawing names.

1. Open the first drawing on the list.
2. Check the view title to see which gridline it represents.

3. Double-click on the background of the drawing to open the drawing properties.
4. Change the name to, e.g., Elevation @ Grid F.
5. Click Modify and the name changes on the list.

6. Repeat for the rest of the drawings.

15
Create an empty GA drawing and add model views interactively

In certain situations (multi-user for example) it is necessary to first create empty GA
drawings and later link the model views interactively. By using this method each
user can have GA drawings reserved for their use.
Change drawing
properties
1. Click the Drawing properties button on the Create general arrangement drawing
dialog, and change the following:
x
Change the name to Foundation (Name field)
Change the drawing size to 830*584 (Layout dialog)
Set the part marks visibility to none (Part mark -> General)
Set the part marks out of view plane not visible(Part mark -> General)
2. Click the OK button for each of the dialogs to lock the settings.
Create empty GA
drawing
To create an empty GA drawing and add the model view interactively:

1. Open the model view, Plan +0.
2. Open the GA drawing creation dialog, Drawing > Create general arrangement
drawing.
3. Select Empty drawing from the drop down menu.
4. Check-mark Open drawing.
5. Click Create.

16
Link model view

to drawing
1. Open the drawing.

2. Minimize the drawing.
3. Double-click on the Create view from model view icon.
4. Change the scale to 1/100.

5. Click OK.

17
6. Pick the model view.

7. Maximize the drawing and the model view has been placed on the drawing.
8. Right-click and select Place views.
Create a detail using area select

We will now create detail from the footing at A/1.

18
Create detail
1. Minimize the drawing again.

2. Double-click on the icon Create view from model by area.
3. Change scale to 1/20.

4. Click OK.
5. Pick area around the footing at grid intersection A/1.
6. Maximize the drawing and the view will have been placed on the drawing.
7. Right-click and select Place views.
Create a section view out of a detail

Now we will create section view from the footing detail that we created earlier.
Create section
view
1. Double-click on the icon Create section view.

19
2. Change scale to 1/20 in the view properties dialog.

3. Click OK.
4. Pick the section view area as shown below:
x
x
With points 1 and 2 you will show the location and direction of the cut line.
Then with points 3 and 4 you will show the depth and width of the section view, so
a pick box which is big enough that all of the necessary parts fit inside.
The section view and cut symbols will appear.
The section view height is same as model height.

20
1. Double-click on the section view blue border.

2. Change the height by changing the y max: value from 13400 to 500.
3. Click Modify.
4. Left-click the background of the drawing once and then right-click and select Place
views.

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12.2 Editing GA Drawings

Next we will do some editing to the GA drawings. Most of the editing is done
exactly like it is done in other types of drawings see: Help: Drawing > Editing
Drawings.
Interactive dimensioning
For more information about the different dimensioning tools, see: Help: Drawing >
Dimensioning > Dimension basics > Manual dimensioning.
Automatic grid dimensions

Grids can be dimensioned with just a couple of clicks:
Dimension grids
1. Open the Foundation GA drawing.

2. Go to Create > Dimension > Grid.
3. Pick the main drawing view.

4. Grid dimensions will appear.
5. You can pick and move dimension lines anywhere you want them.

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Semi-automatic GA dimensioning
See the online help file for more information about setting up dimensioning
properties Help: Drawings > Dimensioning > Dimension reference > Setup>GA
dimensioning.
Dimension silos
1. From the menu, select Setup > GA dimensioning

2. Set the properties as shown below:
3. Select the silos.
4. Right-click and select Dimension Parts XY.

23
5. Dimension lines from the silos to gridlines appear.
In the same fashion we can also dimension the anchor bolts:

Dimension anchor
bolt detail
1. Highlight the parts in the anchor bolt detail.


24
And in the section view:

Dimension anchor
bolt cut view
3. Double-click on the blue border to open the view properties.

4. Click on the Part button, check-mark Hidden lines: to on and click Modify.
5. Highlight just the anchor bolts and the footing.
Create a level mark

A level mark can be inserted at any picked point in the drawing and it will
automatically give you the elevation of that point.
Create level mark
1. Click the Create level mark icon.

25
2. Right-click and use the Near snap override to pick a point at the top of the
foundation.
3. Freely pick another point to set the direction of the level mark.
4. The level mark will appear at the selected location.

26
12.3 Updating GA Drawings

GA drawings are automatically updated when you make changes to the model.
However, GA drawing marks are not automatically updated. You need to update
these by pressing the Update marks button in the drawing list before opening the
drawing.

27
Project Manager

August 16, 2005
Contents
Contents..................................................................................................................................i
Project Manager ...........................................................................................................3

1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
About Tekla Structures Project Manager...................................................................................4

Working with Views ...................................................................................................................5
Open the model.........................................................................................................................5
Open the view list ......................................................................................................................6
Create plane views along gridlines ............................................................................................7
Create a true plan view..............................................................................................................9
Examine the Model..................................................................................................................12
Zooming and rotating...............................................................................................................12
Displaying and hiding objects in the view ................................................................................13
Using and defining select filters...............................................................................................14
Check objects by phases.........................................................................................................17
Lotting and Sequencer ............................................................................................................19
Lotting......................................................................................................................................19
Sequencer ...............................................................................................................................22
Attributes and Attribute Import.................................................................................................24
4D Tool....................................................................................................................................28
Select parts from model using reports .....................................................................................29
Export updated dates ..............................................................................................................31
The 4D dialog ..........................................................................................................................31
How to Show your Model to Others.........................................................................................33
Taking snapshots ....................................................................................................................33
Publishing the model as a web page .......................................................................................36
Reports....................................................................................................................................38
Study different reports and check part marks ..........................................................................41
Create reports .........................................................................................................................42
Other checks ...........................................................................................................................42
Drawings .................................................................................................................................43

Project Manager
In this lesson
Project Manager
In this lesson we will go through the basic functionalities of Tekla Structures Project
Manager. We will open a model and examine it in different ways. We will also learn
how to use the 4D tool in different ways. Then we will import attributes, learn to use
the 4D tool and learn to make some reports.
In the first section, we will briefly discuss some of the ways to utilize Tekla
Structures Project Manager to give you an idea of the possibilities there are.
In this lesson, you will learn how to:
x
Create views
Examine the model
Create lots and sequences
Import attributes
Use the 4D tool
Create your own reports
Check drawings.

Project Manager
1.1 About Tekla Structures Project Manager

What is Project
Manager?
What is Project Manager? For whom is it intended? What are the benefits?
Tekla Structures Project Manager is add-on software of Tekla Structures to followup the status of the project and review changes that have occurred during a project.
It is a means to ensure that the information flow is efficient, both if your company is
alone on the project or if there are multiple companies involved.
In Tekla Structures Project Manager, you can contain the follow-up information for
the total structural engineering project from conceptual design to fabrication and
erection.
In case there is one company involved, it might be the drawing office manager, the
fabrication manager, and the account manager who use the program. In case there
are several companies involved, it could be the owners, the customers, the
fabrication managers, the chief engineers, the project managers, and the drawing
office managers who use the program.
What do you use

Project Manager
for?
What do you use Project Manager for? How do you manage your project with
Project Manager?
x
The project manager can assign parts of the project to different persons or to
other organizations and then follow-up and update the status.
You can add project data to the structural objects or groups of objects.
You can follow-up your project visually: you can view different parts in your
model by highlighting according to certain criteria or status.
You can make reports based on the project status, parties involved, dates, etc.
You can publish your project model on the Web to other parties.
You can share your model by collaboration: multi-user, share your model.
You can do status tracking, scheduling, task assignments, visualization,

reporting of structure.
You can view and check drawings.

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1.2 Working with Views

In Tekla Structures, you work in views. Each view has properties which define its
appearance. In this section, we will learn to open the model to use the view list and
to create some new views.
Open the model

Open the model Lesson_PM.
Open a model
1. Select File > Open from the pull-down menu or click the Open icon in the
Standard toolbar to open the Open model dialog box.
2. In the Model directories list, select Lesson_PM.
3. Click the OK button to open the model.

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Open the view list

You look at the model in different views. If there are already views created in your
model, you can find them by clicking the Open named view list icon:
Open the view list
1. Click on the Open named view list icon.
The Views dialog box opens.
This list contains all the created views. All invisible named views are listed on the
left, and all visible views on the right.

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If the list is empty, you must create your own elevation and plan views.
Create plane views along gridlines

We will now learn to create Elevation and Plan views along the grid lines created in
the previous section.
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. Each view has a
view plane on which the grids are visible and points are represented as yellow
crosses. Points outside the view plane appear as red dots.
For more information, see: Help: Modeling > Getting started > Views.
Create grid views
To create views along grid lines,

1. Select one gridline.
2. Right-click and select Create view > Grid views from the pop-up menu to open
the Creation of views along grid lines dialog box.
3. Click the Show button of the XY view plane to open the View properties dialog
box.
4. Change the Angle and View depth values as shown below and click OK to close
the dialog box.

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5. Select the number of views as All and click Create in the Creation of views along
grid lines dialog box.
The Views dialog box appears presenting all the created views. All invisible named
views are listed on the left, and all visible views on the right.
For more information on view properties, see:

Help: Modeling > Getting started > Views > View properties
Display or hide
views
To display or hide views:

1. Click the Open named view list icon to open the Views dialog box (which is now
already open).

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2. Select one or several views you want to display or hide. To select several views,
use Ctrl and Shift keys.
3. Use the arrows to move views from left to right (visible) or vice versa
(invisible).
Do not keep too many views open at the same time. Nine is the
maximum number of open views. You can open or close named views
by clicking the Open named view list icon. Delete unnecessary views
from the view list.
To switch between views, press Ctrl+Tab.
Create a true plan view

Often, we need to create other views than grid views. In addition to creating grid
views, we can create
x
views with two points or with three points,
part or component basic views, or
views to part planes: either top, front, back or bottom.
Let's create a view that is parallel to the roof slope by creating a view to the top or
the rafter on gridline 1.
1. Select View > Create view > To part plane > Top.
2. Select the rafter on gridline 1.

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The new view appears.
3. Double-click on the background.

4. Define the name TRUE PLAN_ROOF for the new view, change the view depth
and click Modify.

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The new view appears on the view list.

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1.3 Examine the Model

Zooming and rotating
You can zoom in and out in several ways. You can click the Page Up or Page Down
keys or, if you have a wheel mouse, scroll the mouse wheel forward to zoom in, and
backward to zoom out.
Practice zooming
1. Press the Page Up and Page Down keys to see how the zooming works.
2. If you have a wheel mouse: Scroll the mouse wheel forward to zoom in. Scroll
the mouse wheel backward to zoom out.
Rotate the model
You can rotate the model in a 3D view with rendered view type.
1. Hold down the Ctrl key, and click and drag with the middle mouse button.
2. To change the center of rotation, press the key v.
3. In the view, pick a center of rotation.
4. Again, hold down the Ctrl key, and click and drag with the middle mouse button.
Change between
3D / Plane
With the shortcut Ctrl+P you can change the view angle between 3D and Plane,
which is very useful.

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Displaying and hiding objects in the view

Object
representation
To define which objects are visible and how they are displayed in a view:
1. Double-click on the view.
2. In the View properties dialog box, click Display... . The View setup dialog box
appears.
3. Set the visibility and representation for different objects and for components.
Try, for example, to hide cuts, fittings and component symbols.
4. Click Modify.
Filtering objects
To more precisely define which objects are displayed in a view, use the view filter.
In the View filter dialog box you can define the visible objects in the view according
to their properties.
To filter out all concrete parts from the view:
1. Double-click the view.
2. In the View properties dialog box, click Filter... .
3. In the View filter dialog box, select the Parts tab, check Material, also the not box,
and write K* in the Filter string field.

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4. Click Modify.
Using and defining select filters

Tekla Structures includes some select filters, such as beam filter, column filter and
plate filter. You can, however, easily create your own select filters, too (see below).
Use select filter to
hide parts
1. Select the select filter called beam_filter on the select filter list.
2. Make an area selection by dragging the mouse, selecting the whole model. The
beams become highlighted.
3. Right-click and select hide. All beams are hidden.
To display hidden objects again, select the view (the view is selected
when it is blue), right-click anywhere on the blue background and select
Redraw window!

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Define your own select filters

To make the selecting of parts easier, we will define select filters for each part type.
We will use the name of the part as the filtering criteria. This name is the one that is
defined in the Properties dialogs of the parts, see below.
To view the Properties dialog of an object, select the object, right-click

and select Properties .
For steel/concrete beams and columns we will add also the material as the filtering
criteria to be able to filter them separately.
for footing
1. Click the Display select filter dialog icon to open the Select filter dialog box.
2. Load the standard filter to turn out all the possible filtering.
3. Enter name FOOTING in the Name field of Parts tab.
4. Enter name FOOTING in the Save as field and click Save as.
You can now choose the new filter from the drop down list.

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15
Define Select filter

for plates
Slabs
Hollowcore slabs
Silos
To define select filters for plates created both manually and by the connections:
1. Enter name *PLATE* in the Name field of Parts tab.
(*PLATE* matches all parts of which name includes word PLATE)
2. Enter name PLATE in the Save as field and click Save as

Define Select filter
for steel beams
To define select filters for Steel Beams:

3. Enter the name BEAM in the Name field of Parts tab.
4. Enter S* in the Material field of Parts tab.
(S* matches all materials with a material name that begins with the characters S)
5. Enter name BEAM_STEEL in the Save as field and click Save as.
x
Concrete beams
Steel columns
Concrete columns

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Save the model
Finally save the model.
Check objects by phases

In Tekla Structures, phases are used 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.
Check objects by
phases
1. Select Setup > Phase manager... to open the Phase manager dialog box.
In our model, there are two different phases. We have named the phases Model1 and
Model2.
2. Select Model1.
3. Click Objects by phases.

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The objects that belong to the selected phase become highlighted.

Check phases by
objects
1. Select any part in the model.

2. Click Phases by objects.
The phase to which the selected part belongs becomes active on the Phase manager
dialog.
3.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 several times selecting different parts, and by dragging an
area selection containing several parts.
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Settings > Phases

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1.4 Lotting and Sequencer

Lotting
With lots you can group assemblies e.g. for transporting to site. The lotting tool can
be used as a help when planning loading schemes. The lotting function keeps track
of the weight and the number of assemblies of each lot, but not the physical size of
the assemblies, such as the length of a beam.
We will create some lots according to the following loading capacities:
Create lots
Lot 1
17000 kg
Lot 2
20000 kg
Lot 3
20000 kg
Lot 4
20000 kg
Lot 5
18000 kg
1. Click Tools > Lotting . The Lotting dialog box opens.
2. Click Properties . The Lot properties dialog box opens.

3. Give the lot you are to create the name "First lot", the number "1" and the
maximum weight 17000, and click Add.

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4. Create the rest of the lots by repeating step 3 for each lot with the information in
the table above. Then click OK.
5. On the Lotting dialog box, select "1 First lot" on the list. In the model, select the
columns on gridlines A and B holding down the Ctrl key. Then click Apply
selected.
6. Assign the hollow-core slabs on the first floor between gridlines 4 and 5 to the
second lot in the same way.
7. While selecting the slabs, check the Weight and Weight left values in the dialog.
If they exceed the maximum weight of the lot, unselect the last slab.

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8. Then, select the third lot on the list. In the model, continue selecting the hollowcore slabs on the first floor until the lot is full, click Apply selected.
9. Repeat for the fourth lot.
10. For the fifth lot, select as many concrete beams as the lot allows.
If you do assign too much weight to a lot, Tekla Structures gives the
following message:
You can either choose to continue, or correct the situation, by selecting

Cancel.
Now, when you select different lots in the Lotting dialog box, the parts belonging to
each lot are highlighted in the model. Click OK.

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21
Sequencer
The sequencer is used, for example, for naming sequences and defining the order in
which to erect members. For example, the columns of a steel frame can have a
certain sequence. One part can belong to several sequences.
Create sequences
1. Click Tools > Sequencer . The Sequencer properties dialog box opens.
2. Type "Steel columns" as the sequence name.
3. Click Apply.
4. In the model, pick the steel columns on gridline A, one by one, starting from
gridline 1, continuing with those on gridline B. (Tip: Apply the select filter for
steel columns to make picking the right parts easier.) End the picking with
Interrupt or the Esc key.
In the dialog, the number 14 now appears in the Max number field.
5. Type a new name "Concrete columns" in the Sequence name field.
6. Click Apply.
7. In the model, pick the concrete columns on gridlines C, D, E and F, one by one,
starting from gridline 1. (Tip: Use the select filter for concrete columns.) Again,
end the picking with Interrupt or the Esc key.
8. In the same way, define a sequence called "Hollow-core slabs floor 1" for the
hollow-core slabs on level +3850.
You can't add a new part to a sequence, unless the new part is at the end
of the sequence. If the sequence changes, you must redefine that whole
sequence.
Check the
sequence number
You can check the name and number of a sequence using the Inquire object
command.

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22
To check the name and number of a sequence using the Inquire object
command, the sequence name must appear as a user-defined attribute in
the objects.inp file. Objects.inp can be edited.
(Example?)

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1.5 Attributes and Attribute Import

You can see the attributes of any part by double-clicking it.
Check the
attributes of a part
1. Double-click on one of the concrete columns in the model. A dialog called Tekla
Structures Concrete column (1) opens.
2. Select the Status tab. You can see that there is no information here.
3. Close the dialog with OK.
Now, let's input some information about the status of parts.
Define attributes
via dialog
1. Activate the select filter COLUMN_CONCRETE.
2. Select all concrete columns in the model.

3. Holding down the Ctrl key, double-click on one of the highlighted columns to
open the attributes dialog.
4. Select the Status tab. Fill in some information about the columns, see an
example below.
5. Click Modify.

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24
However, there is a more efficient way of getting the attributes into your model. We
can import the data as a file. This way, the persons at the building site, for example,
can write such information as actual erection dates in an Excel sheet, which can be
imported into the model in text file format.
We will first need a csv format (= comma separated value) report file. In this
example, we will use the report template Erection_planned_actual.csv.rpt.
Import attributes
with txt file
1. Open the Report list and run the report Erection_planned_actual.csv from the
whole model.
2. Open your model folder (Tools > Open model folder), and double-click on the
csv file (Erection_planned_actual.csv) to open it in Microsoft Excel. It is located
in the Reports folder.
3. Input actual erection dates for all parts of the model. Also write some text in the
erection comment fields.
4. Save the file as a tab-delimited text file - Text (Tab delimited (*.txt)), and
shorten the name to Erection_plan_act.csv.
5. Close the file.

6. Select File > Import > Attributes .
7. In the Import Attribute dialog, browse with the () button to select the input file
(Erection_plan_act.txt).
8. Select the alternatives shown below, click Create.

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The file path of the input text file can contain a maximum of 79
characters, which is why we shortened the file name of the text file. If
the import doesn't work, try to shorten folder names or file names.
The attributes that you added in the Excel spreadsheet are now imported into your
model.
To see the Erection comment field on the attributes dialog, we need to
edit objects.inp file a little (we added the text INSTALL_COMMENT).
Also, the file import_macro_data_types.dat must be edited. In the
examples, the edited objects.inp and import_macro_data_types.dat files
are assumed to be in use.
Check the
attributes
Now, let's check that the attributes were imported correctly!

1. Double-click on any part.
2. Select the Status tab.
3.
Check the Actual Erection Date and Erection comment fields.

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(More on this?)

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1.6 4D Tool
With the 4D tool (Tools > 4D ), we can visualize different attributes of our model
objects on the time scale. Among other things, we can visualize the progress of the
erection of a building. Let's do this, using the actual erection dates that we have just
imported into our model.
Visualize the
actual erection
1. Select Tools > 4D to open the 4D dialog.

2. Select the attribute you want to look at in the Action list, in this case Actual
Erection Date.
3. Set the current date, it can be the first day of the period you want to look at.
4. Set the step to One day forward. (If the actual erection dates you defined in the
import file span over months instead of days, select One week forward or 30 days
forward!)
5. Set start and end dates for the period during which the actual erection takes
place.
6. Select Coloring in the Visualisation drop-down menu.
Part in the model that have the current date that is shown on the dialog, are shown in
green color, others in red.
7. Click Step.
For each step, the parts with the current actual erection date become green.

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Select parts from model using reports

We will first create a report of all parts that are visible in the 4D tool window to be
able to select parts based on it.
Create a report
1. Set Reporting to Full.

2. In the Template list, select the report template 4D_ID_SELECT_steel.rpt.
3. Click the Refresh button to show the report.
A list of the parts in the 4D view is displayed. The list updates automatically if you
change the date by clicking the Step button.
Now, let's select some parts and change their actual erection dates with the help of
the report.
Change dates of
parts
1. Select a line in the report.

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29
2. The corresponding part is selected in the model.

3. Right-click and click User-defined attributes .
The attributes dialog opens.
4. Select the Status tab.
5. Select a date from the calendar.
6. Click Modify to assign the date to the selected part.

7. Select other parts that you want to assign the same date to, and click Modify
again.
8. In the 4D dialog, click the Refresh button to update the report.

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Export updated dates

Now, we will export the changed data using the Erection_planned_actual.csv.rpt
report.
1. Select those lines that you changed the erection date for in the
4D_ID_SELECT_steel list.
Now, all the objects that you changed the erection date for are selected.
2. Click the Report icon to open the list of reports.
3. Select Erection_planned_actual.csv on the list.

4. Edit the name of the report file to something else, otherwise Tekla Structures
will replace the previous file with the new one.
5. Click on the Create from selected button on the Report dialog.
The report file is created into the model folder and can be opened in Microsoft
Excel, to be edited further, if you wish, and imported back to the model.
The 4D dialog
On the 4D dialog, we can select different actions, which are attributes of the objects,
as well as different steps and different ways to visualize.

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31
Action
The above date attributes are included by default. If an attribute on the list has input
on the attribute dialogs, it can be selected as a 4D action.
Step
For the step pace, there are also several alternatives: one day, one week, or 30 days,
and forward or backward.
Visualization
There are several different possibilities for visualization.
If you select Coloring Incremental, in our case, the parts erected at the current date
will be shown in green color, the parts not yet erected will be shown in red color,
and the parts erected before the current date will be shown in grey color.
If you want to check which parts do not yet have an actual erection date, you can use
the Show objects that do not have a date alternative.
You can also choose to show objects that have a date earlier, or later, than the
current date.

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1.7 How to Show your Model to Others

Taking snapshots
Tekla Structures has a tool for taking snapshots of your model view: Window >
Snapshot. You can also use the PrintScreen key on your keyboard, or any separate
snapshot program, such as HyperSnap.
Let's take a snapshot.
Take a snapshot
1. Select Window > Snapshot > Snapshot (view without borders). A message
"Snapshot taken (<filename and location>)" is shown on the status bar at the
bottom of the Tekla Structures window.
2. Select Tools > Open model folder.
3. Find the file snap_001.bmp, double-click on the filename to view the picture.
Let's send a picture of a footing baseplate to the site. This time we want our picture
to have a white background. We will also highlight a detail in the picture.
Take a snapshot
with white
background
1. Select the footing connection at the footing on gridline intersection C-7.

2. Right-click and select Create view > Component basic view.
3. Change the component view to shaded wireframe (use the shortcut Ctrl + 2).
4. Select Window > Snapshot > Snapshot.
5. In the Snapshot dialog, click Options .

6. In the Snapshot options dialog, select White background, and click OK.

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7. In the Snapshot dialog, tick the alternative Print to file and click Browse .
8. Define a file name, for example Footing_whitebackground, and click OK.
9. Click Capture.
10. Select Tools > Open model folder.
11. Find the file Footing_whitebackground, and open it to check it.
Edit the picture
12. Close the file, and reopen it in a picture editor by right-clicking on it and
selecting Open With > Paint (or another picture editor).
13. Add a red circle to emphasize a detail in the picture and a text, for example as
below!
14. Close the picture editor and save the picture.

15. Select the picture filename, right-click on it and select Send To > Mail recipient.
16. Type the e-mail address of the recipient in the To field, add a message and
send the
picture.

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Publishing the model as a web page

Any model created with Tekla Structures can be published for the Internet. Other
persons can watch the model using any standard web browser (so Tekla Structures is
not needed). This is an easy and effective way to show e.g. the current status of a
model.
Publish model as
a web page
1. Select File > Publish as Web page

2. Define a name for your web page file.
3. Click the Publish button. A separate Tekla Web Viewer window appears.

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4. Test the functions Pan, Rotate and Fly in Tekla WebViewer.

See Help: System > Import and export > Tekla WebViewer.
See Help: System > Import and export > Tekla WebViewer -> How to move
and zoom?
To e-mail a published model, zip the entire PublicWeb folder.
Remember to use the folder structure. Then, attach the .zip file to an email message and send it to the recipient. The recipient can then unzip
the files and save the contents.
When you receive a zipped WebViewer model, ensure you keep the
folder names when you unzip it. To open the model, double-click the
index.html file.

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37
1.8 Reports
We will now check the marks assigned to parts, assemblies and cast units.
Inquire part

2. Select any column.
The Inquire object dialog box opens. Now the steel columns have Part position and
Assembly position numbers and concrete columns cast unit numbers (the position
numbers may differ in your model).
We will next create assembly part list and cast unit list of the whole model.
Help: Drawing > Printing > Printing reports > Producing reports on entire
model
Create assembly
part list and cast
unit list
1. Click on the Report icon to display the Report dialog box.
2. Select Assembly_part_list report template from the list.

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38
3. On the Options tab, select the options as shown below.
4. Click Create from all to run a report on the entire model.

The report is now automatically displayed in a dialog. Also the text file is created in
the model folder.

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39
5. Repeat the procedure above to create a cast unit list of the entire model.
We will next create a cast unit list of all the concrete columns in our model. We will
name the report with a specific name in order to keep the information on the stage of
the project.
To keep the report files you have created give them a specific
name. If you try to create a report with the existing name,
Tekla Structures asks before it overwrites the existing report.
Create cast unit

list of concrete
columns
1. Use the select filter COLUMN_CONCRETE to select all the concrete columns.
2. In the Report dialog box, edit report file name to read:
cast_unit_list_COLUMN_<insert_today's_date>.xsr. (See picture below.)
3. (Next time you create the cast unit list of columns just change the date)

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40
4. Click Create from selected.

5. The report is now displayed in a dialog box.
6. Select Tools > Open model folder to check that the actual text file appears in the
model folder.
When you select a list entry that contains the ID numbers of

the parts or assembly, Tekla Structures highlights them in the
model.
Study different reports and check part marks

Tekla Structures can produce many different reports from the information contained
in the model. Study the available reports. You can also print the report with the Print
option.

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41
Create reports
Create the following reports and check the model:
x
Part_list - Check the plate thicknesses for abnormalities
Part_list - Check zero lengths of material
Part_list - Check the steel grades
Assembly_part_list - Check the main item profile (plates or flats may indicate
incorrect welding)
Cast_list - Check the main item profile
Material_list Check the grades used are correct
Rebar_schedule_FIN - Check the number and types of rebars
Other checks
Here are some other ways to check your model:
x
Clash check the entire model: Select parts (or entire model), Tools > Clash
Highlight the clashing parts in the model by selecting lines in the clash
list.
check.
Check the erect ability of precast members.

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42
1.9 Drawings
In Project Manager, you can open drawings from the drawing list, and check them.
You can use the drawing list to:

x
select and open the drawings for viewing
display and filter drawings shown in the list
choose drawings to select parts in the model, or show only the drawings of the
selected parts in the list (not available for GA drawings)
modify user-defined attributes of one or several drawings at a time.
The drawing list also displays the creation and modification dates of the drawings,
drawing size and type, etc.
In some cases, the drawings of the project are not on the drawing list,
and the functionalities described above are not available to you. This
depends on whether the company who has done the design wants to
make the drawings available via Tekla Structures or not.
Let's check some drawings.
Check drawings
1. Open the first drawing on the list.

2. View the drawing.
3. Right-click on the drawing and select Properties .
4. On the Drawing properties dialog, click User-defined attributes .
5.
Mark your initials and the date of checking.

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43

7. Press Ctrl + Page Down to open the next drawing on the list.
8. Repeat the checking (steps 2-6).
9. In the drawing list, scroll to the right to see the user-defined attributes.
You can also just view a number of drawings one by one (with Ctrl +
Page Down or Page Up), then close the last one, and with Ctrl or Shift
select all the viewed drawings on the list, right-click and change their
attributes all at once.

Project Manager
44

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REPRESENTATION FOR PARTS

Select all select switch

Tekla Structures 12.0 Basic Training

Start Tekla Structures

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

1.1 Start Tekla Structures

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

1.2 Create a New Model BasicModel1

Replace the name "New Model" by BasicModel1.

Click the OK button (or Enter) to create the new model.

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

To save the model:

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

There are several ways to execute commands in Tekla Structures:

Commands in main pull-down menu

Commands in pop-up menu

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

1.3 Create Grids

To modify the existing grid:

Double-click on the gridline.

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

Click Modify to apply the new grid values.

For more information on grids and dialog box buttons, see:

To fit the work area according to the modified grid:

Click the view to activate it.

The view should now look as shown below:

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

1.4 Create Plane Views along Gridlines

To create views along gridlines,

Select one gridline.

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

For more information on view properties, see:

To display or hide views:

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

Select the view(s) you want to display or hide.

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

Rotate the model

Press the key v.

In the view, pick a center of rotation.

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

1.5 Create Foundations

To create footings for columns:

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

While still in the command,

Create the footings at intersections of the gridline B.

Right click and select Interrupt to end the command.

Copyright 2006 Tekla Corporation

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING