TS Training ENG Drawings 170 Enu

Tekla StructuresEngineering

Drawings

Training ManualProduct version 17.0January 2011

© 2011 Tekla Corporation

© 2011 Tekla Corporation and its licensors. All rights reserved.

This Software Manual has been developed for use with the referenced Software. Use of the Software, and use of this Software Manual are governed by a License Agreement. Among other provisions, the License Agreement sets certain warranties for the Software and this Manual, disclaims other warranties, limits recoverable damages, defines permitted uses of the Software, and determines whether you are an authorized user of the Software. All information set forth in this manual is provided with the warranty set forth in the License Agreement. Please refer to the License Agreement for important obligations and applicable limitations and restrictions on your rights. Tekla does not guarantee that the text is free of technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Tekla reserves the right to make changes and additions to this manual due to changes in the software or otherwise.

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Portions of this software:

D-Cubed 2D DCM © 2008 Siemens Industry Software Limited. All rights reserved.

EPM toolkit © 1995-2004 EPM Technology a.s., Oslo, Norway. All rights reserved.

XML parser © 1999 The Apache Software Foundation. All rights reserved.

Project Data Control Library © 2006 - 2007 DlhSoft. All rights reserved.

DWGdirect, DGNdirect and OpenDWG Toolkit/Viewkit libraries © 1998-2005 Open Design Alliance. All rights reserved.

FlexNet Copyright © 2010 Flexera Software, Inc. and/or InstallShield Co. Inc. All Rights Reserved. This product contains proprietary and confidential technology, information and creative works owned by Flexera Software, Inc. and/or InstallShield Co. Inc. and their respective licensors, if any. Any use, copying, publication, distribution, display, modification, or transmission of such technology in whole or in part in any form or by any means without the prior express written permission of Flexera Software, Inc. and/or InstallShield Co. Inc. is strictly prohibited. Except where expressly provided by Flexera Software, Inc. and/or InstallShield Co. Inc. in writing, possession of this technology shall not be construed to confer any license or rights under any Flexera Software, Inc. and/or InstallShield Co. Inc. intellectual property rights, whether by estoppel, implication, or otherwise.

The software is protected by U.S. Patent Nos. 7,302,368 and 7,617,076. Also elements of the software described in this Manual may be the subject of pending patent applications in the European Union and/or other countries including U.S. patent applications 2004267695, 2005285881, 20060004841, 20060136398, 20080189084, and 20090189887.

TEKLA STRUCTURES 17 1

Introduction 1

LESSON 1 3

1 Drawing types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

1.1 Configurations ......................................................................................................................................... 4

2 Drawing list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2.1 Entering drawing status ........................................................................................................................... 6

2.2 Searching drawings ................................................................................................................................. 7

Saving the search results.................................................................................................................... 7

2.3 Status symbols ........................................................................................................................................ 7

3 Master Drawing Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3.1 Saved settings ....................................................................................................................................... 11

Adding saved settings to Master Drawing Catalog ........................................................................... 12

Modifying master drawing properties of saved settings .................................................................... 12

Creating general arrangement drawings using saved settings ......................................................... 13

3.2 Managing Master Drawing Catalog ....................................................................................................... 14

Creating and adding preview images................................................................................................ 14

Displaying master drawing descriptions............................................................................................ 14

Working with folders.......................................................................................................................... 15

Using search ..................................................................................................................................... 16

Removing master drawings .............................................................................................................. 17

LESSON 2 19

4 General arrangement drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

4.1 Three levels of modifying drawings ....................................................................................................... 20

4.2 Creating GA drawings ........................................................................................................................... 20

4.3 Creating a view of entire model view..................................................................................................... 21

4.4 Cloning general arrangement drawings................................................................................................. 22

Example ............................................................................................................................................ 23

4.5 Modifying view label .............................................................................................................................. 24

4.6 Moving views ......................................................................................................................................... 26

Moving views in a drawing ................................................................................................................ 26

Moving views from one drawing to another ...................................................................................... 27

4.7 Representing bolts in GA drawings ....................................................................................................... 28

4.8 Adding part marks ................................................................................................................................. 29

4.9 Adding associative notes....................................................................................................................... 30

2 TEKLA STRUCTURES 17

4.10 Modifying part and neighbor part representation .................................................................................. 32

Part and neighbor part representation options ................................................................................. 32

Part representation examples .......................................................................................................... 33

4.11 Leader lines........................................................................................................................................... 35

5 Associativity in drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

5.1 Associativity symbols ............................................................................................................................ 36

5.2 Change symbols ................................................................................................................................... 37

Selecting change symbol color......................................................................................................... 37

Removing change symbols .............................................................................................................. 38

5.3 Associativity examples .......................................................................................................................... 38

General Arrangement drawing ......................................................................................................... 38

6 Freezing and unfreezing general arrangement drawings . . . . . . 397 Grids in drawings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

7.1 Modifying grid visibility .......................................................................................................................... 41

7.2 Moving grid labels ................................................................................................................................. 42

7.3 Defining grid label frame size................................................................................................................ 43

8 Layouts and table layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

8.1 Modifying a table layout ........................................................................................................................ 45

8.2 Key plans .............................................................................................................................................. 48

Adding a key plan to a drawing layout.............................................................................................. 48

8.3 Using a specific drawing size ................................................................................................................ 48

8.4 Sizing drawings automatically ............................................................................................................... 49

LESSON 3 51

9 Detail views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

9.1 Creating a detail view............................................................................................................................ 52

9.2 Modifying a detail label.......................................................................................................................... 52

10 Anchor bolt plans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

10.1 Creating an anchor bolt plan with one scale ......................................................................................... 54

10.2 Creating an anchor bolt plan with two combined scales ....................................................................... 55

Automatic adjustment of dimensions................................................................................................ 58

10.3 Adjusting anchor bolt plan views........................................................................................................... 59

10.4 Displaying additional parts in an anchor bolt plan................................................................................. 61

10.5 Labeling and modifying detail views in anchor bolt plans ..................................................................... 61

11 Adding objects in drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

11.1 Adding a rectangle on a selected location ............................................................................................ 62


11.2 Adding a rectangle using fixed coordinates........................................................................................... 63

11.3 Adding single or multiple lines of text .................................................................................................... 64

Modifying text properties................................................................................................................... 64

11.4 Adding links to text files ......................................................................................................................... 64

11.5 Using symbols in the text field ............................................................................................................... 65

11.6 Adding links to DWG or DXF files.......................................................................................................... 65

12 Dragging drawing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6613 Trimming, splitting, and dividing shapes added in drawings. . . . 66

13.1 Trimming................................................................................................................................................ 66

13.2 Splitting.................................................................................................................................................. 67

13.3 Dividing.................................................................................................................................................. 67

14 Using cover-up tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6715 Dimensioning a general arrangement drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

15.1 Dimensioning grid lines ......................................................................................................................... 69

15.2 Dimensioning anchor bars..................................................................................................................... 69

15.3 Dimensioning profiles and holes............................................................................................................ 70

15.4 Dimensioning curved beams ................................................................................................................. 71

Adding a radial dimension................................................................................................................. 72

15.5 Fixing dimension locations .................................................................................................................... 72

15.6 Adding dimension tags .......................................................................................................................... 73

Example: Removing dimension tag content...................................................................................... 74

16 Level marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7617 Displaying surface treatments in drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

LESSON 4 79

18 Saving drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

18.1 Saving drawings manually..................................................................................................................... 80

18.2 Using autosave...................................................................................................................................... 80

19 Drawing revisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

19.1 Creating revisions.................................................................................................................................. 81

19.2 Changing revisions ................................................................................................................................ 82

19.3 Deleting revisions .................................................................................................................................. 82

19.4 Creating revision marks on drawings .................................................................................................... 83

20 Hatching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

20.1 Hatching automatically .......................................................................................................................... 83

20.2 Hatching drawing objects ...................................................................................................................... 84


20.3 Hatching part faces and sections .......................................................................................................... 85

20.4 Insulation............................................................................................................................................... 86

20.5 Advanced hatching................................................................................................................................ 87

21 Symbols in drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

21.1 Symbol Files browser............................................................................................................................ 87

21.2 Symbol Editor........................................................................................................................................ 88

21.3 Inserting a symbol ................................................................................................................................. 89

LESSON 5 91

22 Applying object level settings on drawing and view level . . . . . . 92

22.1 Creating a drawing filter ........................................................................................................................ 92

22.2 Creating drawing object property files................................................................................................... 93

22.3 Creating detailed object level settings on drawing level........................................................................ 93

22.4 Applying object level settings on drawing level ..................................................................................... 93

22.5 Example ................................................................................................................................................ 94

23 Template Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

23.1 Opening templates ................................................................................................................................ 97

24 Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

24.1 Creating reports .................................................................................................................................... 97

24.2 Printing reports...................................................................................................................................... 98

25 Printing drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

25.1 Adding a printer instance ...................................................................................................................... 99

Defining line thicknesses................................................................................................................ 100

25.2 Printing single drawings ...................................................................................................................... 101

25.3 Printing multiple drawings ................................................................................................................... 101

26 Problem in opening a drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

LESSON 6 103

27 Using Tekla Structures Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

27.1 Opening Tekla Structures Help ........................................................................................................... 104

27.2 Browsing Help topics by subject ......................................................................................................... 104

27.3 Finding Help topics using the index .................................................................................................... 105

27.4 Searching for Help topics .................................................................................................................... 105

Viewing the search results ............................................................................................................. 105

Using search filters......................................................................................................................... 106


27.5 Saving favorite Help topics .................................................................................................................. 106



IntroductionTekla Structures is Building Information Modeling (BIM) software that enables the creation and management of accurately detailed and highly constructable 3D structural models regardless of material or structural complexity. Tekla models can be used to cover the entire building process from conceptual design to fabrication, erection, and construction management.

The 3D structural model includes the geometry and design of the structure, and all the information about profiles and cross sections, connection types, materials, structural analysis, etc. Tekla Structures drawings and reports are integrated with the models. Consequently, dimensions and marks are always correct. Drawings and reports can be created at any stage of the project and updated according to the changes in the model.

Tekla helps all new Tekla Structures users to get started and to maintain their development. Our well-defined training course is a jump start to Tekla Structures software and helps to maximize using Tekla Structures to its full potential. During the basic training course, you will be taught the basic principles of Tekla Structures. Each training day contains several exercises so you will learn to apply what you have learned in theory. The instructor will show the correct solution to each exercise. You can freely ask the the instructor questions to make sure you have understood each point correctly.

This training manual is intended to be used during a basic Tekla Structures training course, but you can also use it on your own after the training course. In addition, Tekla provides online learning material so the users can learn how to benefit from version improvements and adapt to using the new features.

The following learning and support material is available on the Tekla Extranet (https://extranet.tekla.com) for all our customers with a valid maintenance agreement. When the material is available also in the Tekla Structures software via the help menu, it is separately indicated.

Type Material Language Location

Training manuals Steel Detailing, Modeling

English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Chinese

Extranet:

Self-learning > Manuals & instructionsSteel Detailing,

Drawings

Precast Concrete Detailing, Modeling

Precast Concrete Detailing, Drawings

Engineering, Modeling

Engineering, Drawings

Construction Management

Cast-in-place Concrete Detailing, Modeling

Cast-in-place Concrete Detailing, Drawings


Product documentation

Help file English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Chinese

Help > Tekla Structures Help

Manuals in PDF format

Extranet:

Self-learning > Manuals & instructions

Release Notes Help > Release Notes

Quick reference guide to Tekla Structures

Extranet:


Keyboard shortcuts Extranet:


Videos and tutorials

First Steps with Tekla Structures - Interactive Tutorial

English, Finnish, Swedish, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese

Help > Learning Center > First Steps with Tekla Structures

Extranet:

Self-learning > Interactive tutorials & videos

http://www.tekla.com/firststepsTop New Features Videos

English, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese

Help > Learning Center > Top New Features

Extranet:


http://www.tekla.com/topnewfeatures

First steps with BIM - interactive tutorials

English http://www.tekla.com/bimlessons

More videos and tutorials

English Extranet:


Other support material

Frequently Asked Questions

English Extranet:

Self-learning > Questions & answers

Tekla Structures Glossary

Extranet:

Self-learning > Tekla Structures Glossary

Start-up checklist Extranet:

Self-learning > Start-up checklist

Discussion Forum Extranet:

Discussion Forum

Product Information English, French, German, Japanese, Chinese

Extranet:

Product

Type Material Language Location

>


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LESSON 1In this lesson, you will learn the following things:

• what drawing types Tekla Structures has

• how to use the Drawing List

• how to use Master Drawing Catalog


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1 Drawing types

Five different drawing types can be generated in Tekla Structures:

• single-part drawings

• assembly drawings

• cast unit drawings

• general arrangement (GA) drawings

• multidrawings

The configuration you use determines which drawing types you can create. You can see the different drawing types in the Drawing list.

1.1 ConfigurationsThe configuration you use determines which drawing types you can create:

• Steel detailing (STD)

• Engineering (ENG)

• Precast concrete detailing (PCD)

• Full detailing (FUD)

• Reinforced concrete detailing (RCD)

STD ENG PCD FUD RCD

single part drawing

X X

assembly drawing

X X

GA drawing X X X X X

multidrawing X X X

cast unit drawing X X X

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2 Drawing list

All drawings in a Tekla Structures model are displayed in the Drawing List dialog box. You can search, sort, select, and display drawings according to different criteria, and open the drawings displayed in the list. You can also use the Drawing List to locate the drawing parts in the model, and to find out if a part is included in any of the drawings.

The buttons on the right of the Drawing List dialog box are used to control the drawings in the dialog box.

The Drawing List dialog box can be opened in the model by selecting Drawings & Reports > Drawing List (Ctrl + L) or, when a drawing is open, by clicking Drawing File > Open (Ctrl + O).

• you can select one drawing by clicking it

• you can select all drawings displayed in the drawing list at once by pressing Ctrl + A• you can select several drawings by holding down the Ctrl key while you pick the drawings

• you can select several adjacent drawings by clicking the first drawing and then holding down the Shift key while you click the last drawing


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2.1 Entering drawing statusYou can use the variable DRAWING.USERDEFINED.DR_STATUS to indicate which drawings, for example, have been sent to an architect. You can enter any text. The status information is displayed in the column Drawing status in the Drawing List dialog box. You need to add filters to the drawing list. By default, the filters Final, For checking, and For approval are added to the drawing list to display and select drawings.

To enter drawing status:

1. Select one or more drawings.2. Right-click the drawing and select User-defined Attributes....

3. Switch off all check boxes by clicking the .4. Enter a status in the Drawing status box.5. Click OK.

The status information is not case sensitive. The following criteria is used:

• The selection filter For checking must contain at least the word check.

• The selection filter Final must contain at least the word final.

• The selection filter For approval must contain at least the word approval.

6. Click OK to close the properties dialog box.The status information will be displayed in the Drawing status column of the Drawing List dialog box.

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2.2 Searching drawings1. Click Drawings & Reports > Drawing List....

The Drawing List dialog box opens. You can quickly find the drawings by using the text-based search by entering the desired criteria in the Enter search criteria box.

2. Enter search criteria.You can limit the search:

• by selecting an option from the Search in list

• by selecting the Search within the currently visible drawings check box.

Saving the search results

You need to have made a search using the Drawing List dialog box before you can save the search results.

To save the search results:

1. Click Store.The Store Result dialog box opens.

2. Enter a name for the search result in the Store Search Result dialog box.The search results are saved in the DrawingListSearches folder that is created in the model folder. The saved search results are visible also in the drawing sets list.

2.3 Status symbolsTekla Structures uses certain symbols to indicate the status of the drawings. Symbols appear at the beginning of each row in the Drawing List dialog box. If a drawing does not have any symbol, it is up to date.

Symbol ColumnInformation in the Changes column Description

Up to date Parts modified The parts in the drawing have changed, for example parts have been added or deleted, or part properties have changed.

Up to date Quantity increased

Quantity decreased

The actual drawing is up to date, but the number of identical parts has changed

Up to date All parts deleted All the parts related to the drawing have been deleted.

Lock The drawing is locked.


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3 Master Drawing Catalog

In Master Drawing Catalog, all drawing creation commands are available in one centralized location.

A master drawing is a Tekla Structures drawing or a set of drawing properties that is used for creating new drawings that look the same as the master drawing. There are several types of master drawings:

• Cloning templates: Cloning templates are Tekla Structures drawings that you have added to Master Drawing Catalog from the Drawing List. You can also use cloning templates from other models.

• Saved settings: By saved settings we mean drawing property files. There are several predefined property files, and you can also create your own in the drawing properties dialog box.

• Rule sets: Sets of rules on how to create new drawings for different object types. By rule set we mean a combination of object groups (selection filters) and master drawing settings (cloning template, saved settings) that define which objects to include in the drawing, and which drawing settings to use. You can use the existing AutoDrawings wizard files or create your own rule sets.

Opening Master Drawing Catalog

Click Drawings & Reports > Create Drawings... to open the Master Drawing Catalog.

The figure below shows the search view of the Master Drawing Catalog. The toolbar commands and view areas pointed out in the figure are shortly described.

Freeze The drawing is frozen. Changes made to the model objects that have drawing objects associated with them are no longer available in the drawing.

Master The drawing has been added as a master drawing in the Master Drawing Catalog.

Up to date Linked drawing changed

A linked drawing has been modified.

Up to date Copied view changed

A copied drawing has been modified.

Up to date Drawing updated A frozen drawing has been updated.

Up to date Cloned The drawing is a cloned drawing.

The flag disappears when you save and close the drawing.

Issue The drawing has been issued. For example, you might re-issue drawings that have been sent to site.

Issue Issued drawing changed

The issued drawing has been modified or otherwise changed.

Symbol ColumnInformation in the Changes column Description

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Click this button to create drawings, on the basis of the master drawing you have selected from the catalog. When you click the arrow at the end of the Create drawings button, Create drawings for all parts command is displayed.

Switch to search view.

Switch to folder view.

Display the master drawings in a detail list or thumbnail list. The thumbnail list shows the master drawings as thumbnails, which are smaller versions of the saved preview images, whereas the detail list shows textual information about the master drawings. You can display a preview image of the master drawing by selecting the master drawing, right-clicking and selecting Preview.


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The figure below shows the search view of the Master Drawing Catalog as a detail list. Here you can see the name of the drawing, the master drawing type, and the drawing type to be created.

Display the master drawing description at the bottom of the dialog box.

Select the models from which you want to show cloning templates.

Define rule sets for creating drawings.

Display Drawing List.

Enter search conditions here and then click the Search button.

Click the Store button to save your search results.

Select the category of master drawings that you want to see in the catalog list. All shows all the master drawings you have in the models you have selected.

List of master drawings. The character after the name of the master drawing indicates its type. When you point to a master drawing, Tekla Structures displays a tooltip that tells the master drawing category, the type of the drawing to be created, and the path and name of the model.

If you double-click a master drawing, Tekla Structures displays the catalog properties of the drawing.

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The figure below shows an example of the folder view of the Master Drawing Catalog. In this view, you can organize your master drawings into folders you create. By doing so you can limit the number of drawings shown in the list and find the desired master drawings more easily. The toolbar commands are the same as in the search view.

3.1 Saved settingsThe Saved settings in the Master Drawing Catalog are drawing property files that have been created and saved in the drawing properties dialog boxes for different drawing types. There are many predefined drawing property files and you can create new ones.


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Adding saved settings to Master Drawing Catalog

1. Modify the drawing properties in the drawing properties dialog box.2. Give a name to the property file and click Save as.

The new property file is automatically added to Master Drawing Catalog. If it is not displayed in the list, press F5 to refresh the view

3. Modify master drawing properties: give the master drawing a name, add a preview image, and enter a description and keywords.

Modifying master drawing properties of saved settings

Each saved setting type of master drawing in Master Drawing Catalog has its own catalog properties. You can search for master drawings on the basis of the master drawing name, description and keywords entered in the Master Drawing Properties dialog box. Through the catalog properties you also have access to drawing properties.

To modify the catalog properties of saved settings:

1. Double-click a master drawing of the desired type, or select the master drawing, right-click and select Edit Properties. The type of the master drawing and the type of the drawing to be created are shown in the dialog box

Make sure to always add all important information for each master drawing in the Master Drawing Properties dialog box. This makes it a lot easier to find the master drawings you are looking for.

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2. Modify the name of the drawing in the Name box.3. Enter or modify the description of the master drawing. You can search master drawings

on the basis of data that you enter here.4. Enter or modify keywords for the master drawing. Use spaces between words. You can

search master drawings on the basis of data that you enter here.5. To add or change the preview image, click Change image and select the image. You can

use .bmp, .jpg, .jpeg, or .png images. We recommend that you use .png images.6. If you want to modify the drawing properties of the master drawing, click Edit drawing

properties to display the drawing properties dialog box. Modify the properties and save them. Ensure that you have the correct drawing property file name at the top.

7. Click OK to save your changes.

Creating general arrangement drawings using saved settings

To create general arrangement drawings using saved settings type of master drawings:

1. In the model, click Drawings & Reports > Create Drawings.2. Select the desired set of saved settings (drawing property file) from the list. 3. Click Create drawings (Alt + C).4. In the Create General Arrangement Drawing dialog box, select the views that you

want the drawing to be produced from and select the desired option from the Options list. You also have a chance to modify the drawing properties here by clicking the Drawing properties button. The settings that you loaded by selecting the property file are in use.

5. Click Create to create the drawing(s).

Tekla Structures creates the drawings and adds them in the Drawing List. Click in the Master Drawing Catalog toolbar to open the Drawing List.


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3.2 Managing Master Drawing CatalogThis section contains instructions on managing Master Drawing Catalog.

Creating and adding preview images

You can create preview images in Tekla Structures and use them as preview images of master drawings in Master Drawing Catalog.

To create and add the preview image:

1. Create a drawing using the desired master drawing.2. Open the drawing. Delete all unnecessary objects from the drawing.3. Click Tools > Create Preview Image.

The image is saved in the \drawings folder under the model folder.

4. Close the drawing to go to the model.5. To open the Master Drawing Catalog, click Drawings & Reports > Create Drawings....6. Locate the desired master drawing and double-click it to open the Master Drawing

Properties dialog box.7. Add the image you created.

• For master drawings of type saved settings, cloning templates, and wizard files, click Change image and browse for the image you just created. Click OK to save the image as a preview image

• For rule sets created in Master Drawing Catalog, click Next until you get to the page where you can add the preview image. Click Browse and browse for the image you just created. Click Save to save the image as a preview image. Now you can display the preview image by selecting the master drawing on the catalog list, right-clicking and selecting Preview.

Displaying master drawing descriptions

You can display a master drawing description in the folder view and in the search view. To

display the master drawing description, click .

The description entered in the Master Drawing Properties dialog box is displayed at the bottom of the view.

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Working with folders

In the folder view of the Master Drawing Catalog you can do the following:

• Add new, rename, and delete folders

• Copy master drawings to another folder

• Delete master drawings from folders

• Change the folder location in the tree

Example In the following example, we will create a new folder and two subfolders, change the order of the subfolders, rename a folder and add master drawings to a subfolder. Then we will copy master drawings to another folder and delete them from the original folder.

1. Open the Master Drawing Catalog by clicking Drawings & Reports > Create Drawings....

2. Click the folder view button to go to the folder view.3. Right-click the tree area of the folder view and select Create new folder and type a

name for the folder. In this example, we use the name Master Drawings for PROJECT2010.

Deleting master drawings from a folder or copying them to another folder does not affect the catalog contents in any way. The folder view is just another way to help you to keep you master drawings well organized.


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4. To create a subfolder, select the folder, in this case Master Drawings for PROJECT2010, right-click and select Create new subfolder. Type a name for the folder. In this example, we use the name Site12. Create another subfolder (Site10) in the same way.

5. We notice that the name of the subfolder Site10 is not correct, it should be Site11. To rename a folder, select the folder, right-click and select Rename or press F2, and type a new name.

6. Next, we want to move a folder upwards in the folder list. To move a folder upwards, select the folder, in this case Site11, right-click, and select Move up to move the folder one step upwards.

7. Next we will copy drawings to the created folders. Open the folder containing the master drawings that you want to copy. Select the drawings that you want to copy. You can use Ctrl or Shift to select several drawings.

8. To copy the selected master drawings, right-click and select Add to and then select the desired folder, in this case Site11. The master drawings are copied.

9. We notice after copying that some of the drawings we just copied should be in the Site12 folder. Copy the drawings there in the same way as above.

10. Now you can delete the copied drawings from the original folder, in this case Site11 subfolder. To delete, select the copied drawings, right-click and select Delete or press Del. The drawings are deleted from the subfolder.

Using search

In the Master Drawing Catalog search view, you can search for master drawings on the basis of the text that has been entered in the name, description and keyword boxes in the Master Drawing Properties dialog box and save your search results. In the folder view, you can copy master drawings from a search results folder to another folder to make it easier for you to locate the master drawings you need.

To search for master drawings and save the search results:

1. Enter the search criteria in the box next to the Search button.Tekla Structures remembers search strings. When you start typing a string, it suggests previous strings starting with the same characters.

2. Click Search. The results are listed.3. To save the search results, click Store, type a name for the search, and click OK.

The search results are added in the category list in the search view.

The search results are also displayed as a folder in the folder view. There you can rename the saved search results, and copy the found drawings to the folders of your choice.

Make sure to always add all important information for each master drawing in the Master Drawing Properties dialog box. This makes it a lot easier to find the master drawings you are looking for.

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Removing master drawings

You can remove master drawings from Master Drawing Catalog both in folder view and in search view.

To remove master drawings:

1. In the Master Drawing Catalog, select the master drawings you want to remove.2. Right-click and select Remove from Catalog.3. Confirm the removal.

Tekla Structures removes the master drawing(s) from the catalog. Any created drawings that are based on removed master drawings remain in the Drawing List. The catalog properties that you have entered for the master drawing are not deleted. They are still available for the master drawing if you decide to add the master drawing back to the catalog.

In the folder view, you cannot remove master drawings from the Master Drawing Catalog through the folders that you have created yourself. Use the Saved searches folders to display the desired master drawings and then remove the extra ones.

If you want to remove the search results, right-click the results in the folder list and select Delete.


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• how to create general arrangement drawings

• how to clone GA drawings

• how to copy and move drawing views

• how to define part marks and part representation

• what are leader lines

• what associativity in drawings means

• how to freeze and unfreeze drawings

• how to use grids in drawings

• how to use layouts and table layouts


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4 General arrangement drawings

General arrangement drawings (GA drawing) are used for displaying model views, including foundation and anchor bolt plans, and details of models.

The G letter in the Type column in the drawing list denotes a GA drawing.

Many of the functions explained in this section concern other drawing types as well.

4.1 Three levels of modifying drawingsIn Tekla Structures, you can modify drawings on three levels, depending on how permanent and extensive modifications are needed.

• On the highest level, you can change the drawing properties on the drawing level. This way you can change the properties of all building objects, marks, dimensions, and views in the drawing. For example, you can define that all parts are displayed in blue color in a drawing. When you save the drawing property settings in drawing property files, you can use the same settings later for other drawings of the same type. You can modify the drawing properties of the selected drawing type in the model before you create the drawing. You can also change the drawing properties in an existing drawing that you have opened. Settings propagate to all views and objects in that drawing, except new views that you create after the drawing is created.

• The second level is to modify the properties on the view level. The modifications apply only to the view that you have selected in an open drawing. Settings propagate to all objects in that one view.

• The third and lowest level is to modify the properties on the object level, where you change the properties of the selected objects in an open drawing. Settings are for that one object only; however, you can select and modify many objects at a time. The properties modified on the object level are no longer affected by property changes on view or drawing level.

• By saving the object property settings and combining them with drawing or view filters and drawing object types into detailed object level settings, you can also apply the object properties on the drawing and view level. When doing so, the object level settings override the property settings made in the drawing property dialog boxes on the view and drawing level. Object level settings applied on the drawing level are inherited to the view level settings if there are no object level settings defined on the view level. If you apply object level settings on the view level, they override the drawing level settings.

• The recommended way of working is to work from the top down, from drawing level to object level. Once you change properties on the view level you should not go to the drawing level properties and modify drawing properties there, otherwise you modifications on the view level will be lost. The modifications made on the drawing level also remain when the drawing is recreated due to a model change, for example.

4.2 Creating GA drawingsYou can GA drawings through the Master Drawing Catalog or using menu, toolbar or pop-up menu commands. In the following, the general arrangement drawing is created using a menu command.

Before you create GA drawings, create the model views from which you want to create the drawings.

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To create a

1. Click Drawings & Reports > Create General Arrangement Drawing... to open the Create General Arrangement Drawing dialog box.

2. Select the views from which you want to create drawings.You can use the Ctrl and Shift buttons for selecting several views.

3. Select from the list in the Options area, whether you want to

• create one drawing that contains all the selected views

• create one drawing per selected view

• create an empty drawing.

4. Click Drawing Properties... if you need to modify the GA drawing properties.5. Select the Open drawing check box, the GA drawing opens automatically.6. Click Create to create the GA drawings.

4.3 Creating a view of entire model viewYou can create a drawing view of an entire model view and add it in the drawing.

1. Open a GA drawing and a model view.2. Click View > Create Drawing View > Of Entire Model View.3. Click the model view.

Tekla Structures creates the drawing view using the current properties in the View Properties dialog box. It calculates the boundaries of the view to fit the entire model view into the drawing view, and places the view in the lower left corner of the drawing.


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4.4 Cloning general arrangement drawingsYou can clone general arrangement drawings one plane view at a time. You can clone drawings in the Master Drawing Catalog or through the Drawing List.

Before cloning, finalize, save, and close the drawing you want to use as a cloning template.

To clone a general arrangement drawing through the Drawing List:

1. Select the model view you want to include in the drawing.2. Click Drawings & Reports > Drawing List... to open the drawing list.3. Select the general arrangement drawing you want to use as a cloning template.4. Click Clone... in the drawing list.5. In the Clone Drawing dialog box, select the drawing object types that you want to clone

into the new drawing, and the actions for each object type:

• For Dimensions and Other marks (all marks for building objects), select whether you want to Clone them, recreate them automatically when you clone a drawing (Create) or Ignore them in cloning. Selecting Create in the Dimensions and Other marks box is useful if cloning the dimensions or other marks does not produce satisfactory results. Using this option does not create any new views.

• For other objects, select to Clone or Ignore them.

6. Click Clone selected.The cloned drawing appears in the Drawing List.

• You can also first create an empty GA drawing and place the model view there.

• Change the view scale, if the view is too big.

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Example

In this example, we first created a general arrangement drawing of the first floor of a building, then edited the drawing and the cloned the general arrangement drawing of the second floor.

The first floor and second floor have some differences:

We edited the general arrangement drawing of the first floor slightly.

We selected the model view that represents the second floor and then cloned the drawing using the general arrangement drawing of the first floor as a template.

Section and detail views are not cloned when cloning general arrangement drawings.


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In the cloned drawing:

• The drawing view plane has been moved to match the model view PLAN 2nd Floor plane.

• If there are parts in matching places, the marks have been cloned to the new location and the content has been updated.

• Dimensions are cloned.

• Other marks and notes are cloned.

4.5 Modifying view labelWhen you create a drawing, the view label contains the elements selected in the drawing properties. You can modify the view label in the view properties.

To modify the view label:

1. Double-click the drawing to open the drawing properties dialog box.2. Click View... to open the view properties dialog box.3. Go to the Label tab.

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4. Click the ... button to open the Mark Contents dialog box.


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5. Modify the view label as required.For example, you can define the content of the view label, the font and frame type of the label mark elements, and the position of the mark in the label.

6. Click Modify to apply the changes on the drawing.

4.6 Moving viewsYou have two options for moving views:

• Move views inside a drawing. See Moving views in a drawing (p. 26).

• Move views from one drawing to another. See Moving views from one drawing to another (p. 27).

Moving views in a drawing

1. Select the view frame.

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2. Drag the view frame to move the view in the drawing.

Moving views from one drawing to another

When you move the section views (or detail views) to another drawing, the source drawing and the target drawing will contain references to each other.

1. Open a drawing.2. Select the view you want to move.3. Right-click the view and select Move to drawing from the pop-up menu.4. Select the target drawing from the Drawing List dialog box.5. Click Move in the Move view to Drawing dialog box.6. Save and close the source drawing

Tekla Structures moves the view to the target drawing and creates references between the source and target drawings.

Example In this example, we have two drawings in the Drawing List: G[1] AXIS and G[2] DETAILS.

We move the detail view DETAIL A from drawing G[1] AXIS to G[2] DETAILS.

Below is the moved detail view in the target drawing G[2] DETAILS. The view label name contains reference to the source drawing G[1] AXIS.

In the source drawing G[1] AXIS, the detail mark of the moved detail view contains a reference to the target drawing G[2] DETAILS.

Dragging from the frame handle resizes the view.


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4.7 Representing bolts in GA drawings1. Click Drawings & Reports > Drawing Settings > General Arrangement Drawing... to

open the General Arrangement Drawing Properties dialog box.2. Click Bolt... to open the General - Bolt Properties dialog box.

3. To define how the bolts are displayed in drawings, select an option from the Solid/Symbol list.

4. To hide the bolts in main parts, select Not visible from the In main parts list.5. Click OK.

If you use a small scale (for example, 1:100), hide the bolts in drawings. The drawings will open faster.

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4.8 Adding part marksIn an open drawing, you can add part marks for all parts, bolts, reinforcing bars, surface treatments and connections or for selected ones only. For each view, Tekla Structures creates the marks according to the mark properties in the view mark properties dialog box.

To add part marks, do one of the following:

Below is an example of the part mark properties dialog box. By default, the assembly position and profile are displayed for main parts. For secondary parts, part marks are not displayed.

To Do this

Add part marks for all parts Click Annotating > Add Part Marks > For All Parts.

If you have deleted marks manually from the drawing, this command will not create the marks, and you will have to create them manually part by part.

Add part marks for selected parts

1. Select the parts.2. Click Annotating > Add Part Marks > For

Selected Parts

3. If the part mark does not contain any elements in the drawing view properties, the Part Mark Properties dialog box is displayed, and you can select the elements to be included in the part mark.

Add elements and click Modify.

You can also right-click the parts and select the appropriate mark creation command from the pop-up menu.


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Below is an example of a part mark.

4.9 Adding associative notesAn associative note is an extra mark that can include any additional information. You can add associative notes to parts, bolts, reinforcing bars, surface treatments, and edge chamfers. You can add multiple notes to one object, and place the notes anywhere.

To add an associative note:

1. Open the drawing.2. Hold down Shift and click Annotating > Associative Note and select With Leader

Line, Without Leader Line, or Along Line.For more information on each command, see the corresponding menu tooltip.

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3. Enter or modify the content and the appearance of the note.Associative notes may contain the same elements as part, bolt, reinforcing bar, and surface treatment marks. Notes connected to edge chamfers may contain name, length, DX and DY.

Associative note appearance properties are the same as the ones for part marks. Additionally, you can adjust the leader line arrow height and length.

4. Click Apply or OK to save the properties.5. Select the object.See below for some examples of leader lines. The one on the left is With Leader Line, the one in the middle Without Leader Line and the one on the right Along Line.

Below is an example of the associative note properties dialog box.

To place the note exactly in the position you pick and keep it there, click the Place... button and select fixed in the Placing list.

For edge chamfers and other hard-to-see items, it is easier to use the pop-up menu command Add Associative Note, as you do not have to select the object again after selecting the command from the pop-up.


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4.10 Modifying part and neighbor part representationYou can define what is shown in a part or neighbor part and how the part or neighbor part is shown.

To set the part contents and appearance before creating a drawing:

1. Click Drawings & Reports > Drawing Settings and select the drawing type.2. Click Part... or Neighbor part....3. On the Contents tab, select the part representation, select whether to show hidden lines,

center lines and reference lines, and which additional markings to show. A reference line is a line between the points from which a part is created.

4. On the Appearance tab, select the color and type of the lines. 5. On the Fill tab, set the part and section fill options. Neighbor parts do not have a Fill tab.6. Click OK.7. Create the drawing.

Part and neighbor part representation options

Use the options on the Contents tab of the Part Properties or Neighbor Part Properties dialog box to view and modify the part or neighbor part properties.

All part properties dialog boxes do not contain all of the settings listed below.

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Part representation examples

Here are some examples of what parts look like with different settings defined in the Part Properties dialog box.

The Outline option:

Option Description

Part representation Outline shows parts as solid objects.

Exact shows parts as solid objects. This choice also draws the chamfers in the profile cross sections.

Symbol draws parts as lines.

Symbol with partial profile shows a partial profile of the part. The length of the partial profile is fixed to 1000 mm.

Workshop form draws round tube profiles as wrap-around templates.

Bounding box draws parts as boxes surrounding the actual profiles.

Base box shows parts as boxes and uses the h and b values from the profile catalog as box dimensions.

Symbol offset Defines the distance of the end points of reference lines and center lines from the end points of the object.

Inner contours Shows the inner contours of a tube.

Hidden lines If the Hidden lines check box is selected, Tekla Structures shows hidden lines in secondary and neighbor parts.

If the Own hidden lines check box is selected, Tekla Structures shows hidden lines in main parts.

Center line Select the Main part > Beam, Plate or Polygon check box to show center lines in main parts.

Select the Secondary part > Beam, Plate or Polygon check box to show center lines in secondary parts.

Reference lines Select the Main part > Beam, Plate or Polygon check box to show reference lines in main parts.

Select the Secondary part > Beam, Plate or Polygon check box to show reference lines in secondary parts.

Additional marks Select the following check boxes to show additional marks in drawings:

• Orientation marks

• Connecting side marks

• Pop-marks

• Edge chamfers


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The Symbol option:

The Symbol with partial profile option:

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In the following example, the Hidden lines check box is not selected.

In the following example, the following hidden line settings are used:

• The Hidden lines check box is selected.

• The Own hidden lines check box is selected.

Hidden lines for other parts are shown

Hidden lines for the main part are shown.

4.11 Leader linesYou can use leader lines in text, symbols, associative notes and marks to make it clearer to which item the text, symbol, note, or mark is related to.

Modifying leader lines

You can modify the shape of the leader line by first dragging from the middle point of the line, and then dragging further from the created handle points and new middle points.


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5 Associativity in drawings

All the Tekla Structures drawings are associative. This means that drawing objects are linked to model objects, so that most drawing objects automatically update if the model changes, but you do not lose manual changes made to drawings. This applies to all drawing types.

Tekla Structures updates the following drawing objects to reflect changes in the model:

• parts

• marks

• dimensions

• welds

• views

• section marks

• detail marks

• associative notes

• lines and other shapes

• tables

Tekla Structures retains the following manual changes made to drawings:

• Base points of objects; for example, if you drag an object to a new location

• Object properties; for example, color, font, and line type

5.1 Associativity symbolsIn drawings, the associativity symbol indicates which drawing objects are associative and automatically updated. Associativity symbols are shown only when you select a drawing object, for example, a dimension.

Objects that do not have valid association get a ghost associativity symbol and a question mark. These symbols are shown constantly, even though the dimension is not selected. This makes it easier to find objects that need attention.

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The associativity symbols are not shown in printed drawings.

5.2 Change symbolsTekla Structures highlights the marks and dimension marks that have been changed, and the dimension points that have been moved. Tekla Structures highlights also the changes in angle dimensions, level marks, and associative notes.

Tekla Structures highlights the changes in the following ways:

• A change symbol (by default a cloud) is drawn around the old point, the new point and the dimension values, or around the changed mark content or note.

• An arrow is drawn from the old point to the new point.

Selecting change symbol color

You can include the automatic change symbols in printed drawings and select the color of the change symbol.

To change the color of the change symbol:

1. Click Tools > Options > Advanced Options... > Drawing Properties.

To hide associativity symbols in drawing views, click Tools > Options > Associative Symbol (Shift + A).

Change symbols only appear in associative drawings. They do not appear in frozen drawings.


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2. Enter the name of the color in the advanced option XS_DRAWING_CHANGE_HIGHLIGHT_COLOR.

3. Click OK.

Removing change symbols

Removing dimension change symbols

Click Dimensioning > Review Dimensions > Remove Dimension Change Symbol and select Single or All depending on how many change symbols you want to remove.

Removing mark change symbols

Click Annotating > Review Marks > Remove Mark Change Symbol and select Single or All depending on how many change symbols you want to remove.

Removing associative note change symbols

Click Annotating > Review Marks > Remove Associative Note Change Symbol and select Single or All depending on how many change symbols you want to remove.

5.3 Associativity examplesThe following examples demonstrate how associativity affects drawings. Frozen drawings are not updated, when the model is modified. Drawings that are not frozen are automatically updated.

General Arrangement drawing

Drawing is not frozen

If you use the default color (magenta), the symbols are displayed on the screen but they will not appear in the printed drawings.

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Drawing is frozen

6 Freezing and unfreezing general arrangement drawings

You can select whether to allow or not allow the drawing to update all associative objects on top of the drawing views. The geometry of the model always updates, but this switch is used to stop the drawing intelligence (associativity) of drawing objects on top of the model views, and prevents them from being updated. For example, parts are updated, but dimensions, associative notes, text, marks, views, additional drawing objects are not.

To freeze a general arrangement drawing if something has not gone the way you want:

1. If you have the drawing open, close it without saving it. 2. In the Drawing List, select the drawing you want to freeze. 3. Click Freeze > On.4. When freezing is no longer necessary, select the frozen drawings and click Freeze > Off.

Before modifications

After modifications

Before modifications

After modifications


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7 Grids in drawings

You can modify grid properties on the drawing and view levels, and modify individual grids or grid lines in a drawing view.

Use the Select grids in drawings and Select grid lines in drawings in the Drawings: Select toolbar to select grids and grid lines in drawings and views.

To modify grids, do one of the following:

• Click Grid... in the drawing properties dialog box to modify grids on the drawing level.

• Double-click the border of the drawing view, and click Grid... in the View Properties dialog box to modify grids on the view level.

• Double-click grid in a drawing to modify the individual grid.

You can modify the following grid properties:

• grid visibility

• label text placement

• grid line color and type

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• label text color, size, font, and frame style

7.1 Modifying grid visibilityYou can hide grids, display grids and show only grid labels. The visibility of the grids in a drawing depends on the drawing properties used in drawing creation.

Hiding grids To hide a grid on the view level:

1. Double-click the view frame to open the View Properties dialog box.2. Click Grid... to open the View Grid Properties dialog box.3. Select Not visible from the Grid list.

4. Click Modify to hide the grid.

Showing only grid labels

To show only grid labels of an individual grid:

1. Double-click the grid in an open drawing to open the Grid properties dialog box.2. Select Only grid labels visible from the Grid list.3. Click Modify to show only the grid labels and hide the grid lines.


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7.2 Moving grid labelsGrid labels may overlap. You can move the grid labels to make them distinct.

Moving grid line When you move a grid line, the label also moves. To move a grid line:

1. Activate the Select grid lines in drawings switch in the Drawings: Select toolbar.2. Double-click a grid line to open the Grid line properties dialog box.3. Enter a value in a box in the Text placing area.4. Click Modify to move the grid line.

Moving grid label You can move individual grid labels. To move a label:

Grid label

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1. Activate the Select grid lines in drawings switch in the Drawings: Select toolbar.2. Select a grid line.

The grid line and its handles are highlighted.

3. Drag the handle to move the grid label.

7.3 Defining grid label frame sizeYou can define a fixed size for the grid label frames. This is useful, for example, when you want all the grid label frames to be the same size no matter whether there are one or two digits in the frame.

Handle


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To define the grid label frame size:

1. Click Tools > Options > Advanced Options... > Drawing Properties.2. Enter a value in millimeters for the XS_DRAWING_GRID_LABEL_FRAME_FIXED_WIDTH

option.The default value is zero, which indicates that the width of the grid label frame depends on the width of the grid label.

3. Click OK.

8 Layouts and table layouts

To produce finalized drawings, you usually need to include a lot of other information, such as lists and tables. You also need to specify paper size, scale, and perhaps the types of frames you want to use. This is what the layout is all about.

Layout A layout connects a set of table layouts and a set of drawing sizes. Before you create a drawing, you must select a layout. Tekla Structures then selects the smallest defined drawing size which will fit the drawing views and the connected table layout. This tells Tekla Structures which elements to automatically include in your drawings.

Table layout A table layout is a group of tables which appear together in a drawing of certain type and size. Table layouts define:

• Which tables appear in drawings

• Where the tables are located

• How much space Tekla Structures leaves between the drawing frame and views

Table In Tekla Structures, the term tables refers to various elements of the drawing layout, such as:

• tables (e.g. revision table)

• title blocks

• lists (e.g. part lists)

• general notes

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Tables include information on drawing objects. If you change the model, Tekla Structures updates the contents of the affected drawings and tables.

8.1 Modifying a table layout1. In the model, click Drawings & Reports > Drawing Settings > Drawing Layout....

The Layout dialog box opens.

2. Select a layout from the Layouts list.3. Click Table layout... to open the Table Layouts dialog box.4. Select the table layout you want to modify from the Table layouts list.5. Click Tables... to open the Tables dialog box.


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The Chosen tables list shows the tables that are positioned in drawings when the layout is used.

6. To add a table to the table layout, select the table from the Available tables list and click the arrow to move the table to Chosen tables list.

7. To define the position of a table, select the table from the Chosen tables list.The table appears in the Current table area.

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a Choose one of the table corners as its reference point, and select the check box in that corner.

b In the Reference list, select the reference object (another table or the drawing frame).

c Choose the reference point of the reference object, and select the check box in the appropriate corner.

d In the Vector between corners boxes, define the horizontal and vertical distances of the table from the reference object.

e Set the scale for the table.f Select the Transparent check box if the table needs to be transparent.g Click Update.

8. When the table layouts are modified properly, close all the dialog boxes by clicking OK.The settings are saved in a *.lay file, which is stored in the attributes folder in the model folder.

You can also position a table to the midpoint of a frame or table boundary by selecting two reference points, for example, the lower left and right corners.


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8.2 Key plansA key plan is a small map is a small “map” in a drawing that indicates the location of an assembly, a cast unit, or a part in the model. The key plan contains the model grid and the assembly, cast unit, or part shown in the included drawing view.

Adding a key plan to a drawing layout

1. In the model, click Drawings & Reports > Drawing Settings > Drawing Layout....The Layout dialog box opens.

2. Select the layout you want to modify and click Table layout....The Table Layouts dialog box opens.

3. Select the table layout you want to modify. Click Tables....The Tables dialog box opens.

4. In the Available tables list, double-click Key plan.The Drawing List is displayed.

5. Select the drawing that you want to use as a key plan click OK.6. From the Chosen tables list, select Key plan and set the key plan properties.

7. Click Update.8. Close the dialog boxes by clicking OK.

The key plan is added to the drawing layout.

8.3 Using a specific drawing sizeIf you prefer to use a specific drawing size rather than specific drawing view scales, do the following before creating the drawings:

1. In the drawing properties dialog box, click Layout....The layout properties dialog box opens.

2. Select Specified size from the Size definition mode list.3. Enter the specified size.4. Select the table layout.5. To let Tekla Structures automatically scale the drawing views, go to the Scale tab.

a Select Yes from the Autoscale list.b Enter the main and section view scales.c Select the scale change mode.

You cannot scale the key plan in the Tables dialog box. The properties of the key plan view define the key plan scale and size.

The Scale tab only relates to single-part, assembly, and cast unit drawings.

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d Enter the preferred drawing size.6. Click OK or Apply.7. In the drawing properties dialog box, click View > Attributes and enter the preferred

scale. 8. Click OK or Apply. Tekla Structures creates the drawing using the specified size. It first tries to use the preferred scale for the drawing views, then the alternative scales, and selects the largest possible scale.

8.4 Sizing drawings automaticallyYou can let Tekla Structures find appropriate sizes and table layouts for drawings. This is very useful if, for example, the number, size, or location of drawing views might change. Tekla Structures automatically updates drawings to adapt to these changes by using different drawing sizes and table layouts.

If you prefer to use specific drawing view scales rather than a specific drawing size, do the following before creating the drawings:

1. In the drawing properties dialog box, click Layout....The layout properties dialog box opens.

2. Select Autosize from the Size definition mode list.3. Select the set of drawing sizes in the Autosize area.

You have three options:

• Calculated sizes. Use this when you want to define the rules that Tekla Structures follows when it tries to adjust the drawing size.

• Fixed sizes. Use this when you want Tekla Structures to use fixed drawing sizes A2, A3, A4, etc.

• Calculated/fixed sizes. Use this when you want Tekla Structures to select the smallest of the suitable sizes.

4. To fix the scales of drawing views, go to the Scale tab and select No from the Autoscale list.Tekla Structures will use the preferred scales of the main and section views.

5. Click OK or Apply.6. Click View..., go to the Attributes tab and set the desired Scale.7. Click OK or Apply.When you create the drawing, Tekla Structures creates the views using the selected scale and selects the smallest drawing size where the views fit in the drawing. Tekla Structures may also need to change the table layout to adapt to the new drawing size. It will then use another appropriate table layout within the same layout specified in drawing properties.

The Scale tab only relate to single-part, assembly, and cast unit drawings.


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• how to create and modify detail views

• how to create anchor bolt plans

• how to add objects in drawings

• how to drag drawing objects

• how to trim, split and divide shapes

• how to use cover-up tools

• how to dimension general arrangement drawings

• how to use level marks

• how to display surface treatments in drawings


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9 Detail views

A detail view is a detailed area of an existing view in another scaled-up view. Tekla Structures creates a detail view using the active properties in the View Properties and Detail Symbol Properties dialog boxes. The direction of the detail view is the same as that of the original view. A detail view can be either in the same drawing as the origina view or you can move it to another drawing.

9.1 Creating a detail viewTo create a detail view:

1. Open a drawing.2. Click Annotating > Properties > Detail Mark. 3. Enter a name for the detail, and modify the detail mark, detail boundary and detail view

label properties in the Detail Symbol Properties dialog box.The shape of the detail boundary you select affects the way you select the area for your detail.

4. Click OK or Apply.5. Click View > Create Drawing View > Detail View.6. Depending on the selected detail boundary shape, do one of the following:

• If the shape is Circle, pick the center point of the circle and then pick a point on the circle.

• If the shape is Rectangle, pick corner points for the rectangle.

7. Pick a position for the detail mark.8. Pick a position for the detail view.The detail view is created and a detail mark is added in the original view.

9.2 Modifying a detail label1. Double-click the detail label.

The Detail symbol properties dialog box opens.

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2. Modify the properties as required.For example, you can change the name and appearance of the label.

3. Click Modify and OK.

10 Anchor bolt plans

There are two ways of generating anchor bolt plans:

• An anchor bolt plan with only one scale and broken gridlines


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• An anchor bolt plan with two combined scales and no broken gridlines, where you can set a separate scale for detail views

10.1 Creating an anchor bolt plan with one scale1. Create a model view of a base plate level.

Set values for view depth Up and Down, 10 mm and 100 respectively.

2. Click Drawings & Reports > Create a General Arrangement Drawing....The Create General Arrangement Drawing dialog box opens.

3. Select the base plate level view from Views list.4. Click the Drawing properties button.

The General arrangement drawing properties dialog box opens.

5. Select anchor_bolt_plan from the list and click the Load button.This property file contains settings needed to create an anchor bolt plan. It does not create detail views.

6. Click OK to close the General arrangement drawing properties dialog box.7. If you want to view the drawing immediatelly after creating, select the Open drawing

check box.8. Click Create.

The anchor bolt plan is created.

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10.2 Creating an anchor bolt plan with two combined scales

1. Create a model view on base plate level. Set the values for the view depth Up and Down (10 mm and 100 mm respectively).

2. Click Drawings & Reports > Create General Arrangement Drawing....The Create General Arrangement Drawing dialog box opens.

3. Select the foundation plan view that you created.4. Click the Drawing properties... button.

The General arrangement drawing properties dialog box opens.

5. Select the setting achor_bolt_plan and click Load.The setting is loaded and appears in the Name box.

6. Click the View button.The General - View Properties dialog box opens.

7. Go to the Anchor bolt plan tab.8. Ensure that the option Show as anchor bolt planis set to Yes.

9. To create separate detail views, set the option Create detail views to Yes.If you select No, Tekla Structures dimensions the anchor bolts in the main drawing view.

If you create the detail views, you can set a view scale separately for detail views.

10. Create and open the drawing.


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In the model, the yellow and magenta colored points on the column are used as a reference.

In the drawing, the view that represents the enlarged part is positioned to the original view.

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In the model, the column is positioned correctly to the grid, because the yellow and the magenta colored points are in the center of the column.

In the drawing, the position is indicated by the yellow and purple colored points of the column.

The view which represents the enlarged part is positioned to the original view. The position of the view that includes the enlarged parts is not correct.

The parts in the original view are hidden.

The final display of the view that includes the enlarged parts.


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Automatic adjustment of dimensions

In case you create an anchor bolt plan with two combined scales in which the column reference point does not fall on the grid line, Tekla Structures adjusts the dimensions relative to the reference point automatically to the grid lines. If the column is rotated relative to the drawing, the rotation is automatically dimensioned as well.

The parts in the original view are hidden.

The final display of the view which includes the enlarged parts.

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10.3 Adjusting anchor bolt plan viewsIf the foundation plan view does not fit properly in the drawing, or for some reason does not look the way you want, you can make some adjustments.


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To Do this

Increase the drawing size if the drawing is too small

1. In an open anchor bolt plan, double-click the drawing to open the General Arrangement Drawing Properties dialog box.

2. Click Layout....3. Adjust the drawing size.4. Click Modify.

Shorten the line extension for the grid lines, if it is too long.

• Select the view and drag the view boundary handles (handles on the dashed lines) along the x and y axis of the view.

• You can also double-click the view frame to open View Properties dialog box and change the values for X min, X max, Y min and Y max.

Cut the grid lines at the point of the sloped profiles (windbracings)

1. In the open anchor bolt plan, click View > Drawing View Properties.2. Go to the Attributes 2 tab.3. Set the option Cut skew parts to Yes.

Hide the windbracings using a view filter.

The windbracings are (partially) displayed, therefore you have uneven cuts. To hide the windbracings:

1. In open anchor bolt plan, click View > Drawing View Properties to open the View Properties dialog box.

2. Click Filter....3. Click Add row.4. Set Category: Parts, Property: Name and Condition: Does not

equal, and enter W* as the Value. 5. Click Modify and OK.

All the windbracings are hidden from the view.

Display grid lines To show grid lines if they are hidden, do one of the following:

• Select the anchor bolt plan view and drag the handles of the dashed view border.

• In the View Properties dialog box, change the values for X min, X max,Y min and Y max.

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10.4 Displaying additional parts in an anchor bolt plan

You can use a drawing filter to add to an anchor bolt plan parts that are not usually a part of a column. You need to define the name of the filter as the value for the advanced option XS_ANCHOR_BOLT_PLAN_ADDITIONAL_PARTS_FILTER. In the following example, we will make anchor rods and leveling plates visible in an anchor bolt plan.

1. Click Tools > Options > Advanced Options > Drawing Properties and enter the name of the general arrangement drawing filter in XS_ANCHOR_BOLT_PLAN_ADDITIONAL_PARTS_FILTER.In this example, we will use the name SHOW_IN_ANCHORBOLTPLAN.

2. In the General Arrangement Drawing Properties dialog box, click Filter... .3. Click Add row.4. Select Part as the Category, Name as the Property, Equals as the Condition and enter

*ANCHOR*LEVEL in the Value box.5. Enter the name SHOW_IN_ANCHORBOLTPLAN in the Save as box and click Save as. 6. Click Cancel to exit the dialog box.

10.5 Labeling and modifying detail views in anchor bolt plans

You can set the appearance of the views that include the enlarged parts and detail views before you create the drawings.


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1. Click Drawings & Reports > Create General Arrangement Drawing....The Create General Arrangement Drawing dialog box opens.

2. Click the Drawing properties... button.The General arrangement drawing properties dialog box opens.

3. Click the Detail view... button.The General - detail label dialog box opens.

4. Modify the label contents in the View label tab.5. In the Detail boundary and Detail mark tabs, you can set the appearance of the views

that include the enlarged parts.

11 Adding objects in drawings

In Tekla Structures, it is possible to add drawing objects in the created drawing that you have opened. You can add objects such as graphical objects (lines, rectangles, clouds), AutoCAD drawings (DWG/DXF), symbols, text fields, and dimension lines to drawings. Objects can be placed by snapping on locations or by using fixed coordinates.

11.1 Adding a rectangle on a selected locationCheck that all switches in the Snapping toolbar are active so that the rectangle can be created in any position.

To add a rectangle on a selected location:

1. Open a drawing.

2. Double-click the Draw rectangle button .The Rectangle Properties dialog box opens.

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3. Enter or modify the properties as required.4. Click OK to close the Rectangle Properties dialog box.5. Pick the first corner of the rectangle.6. Pick the diagonally opposite corner.

To resize the rectangle, select the rectangle and drag a handle. By holding down the Shift key, the rectangle can be moved.

11.2 Adding a rectangle using fixed coordinates1. Open a drawing.2. Click Shapes > Draw Rectangle.3. Enter the coordinates of the first point relative to the origin of the work place.

4. Enter the coordinates of the second point.The coordinates can be relative to the first point.

The coordinates can also be relative to the origin.


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11.3 Adding single or multiple lines of textYou can add a single line or multiple lines of text.

All the switches in the Snapping toolbar must be enabled so that the text string can be placed in any position.

To add text with a line which has an arrow:

1. Open a drawing.2. Click Annotating > Add Text > Along Line, Arrow at End Point.3. Pick the starting point in the drawing.4. Pick the end point.

This is where the arrow is created.

5. Pick the insertion point for the text.Tekla Structures creates the line and positions the text to the right of the insertion point.

6. Repeat steps 2-4 if you need to add the same text elsewhere in the drawing.

Modifying text properties

1. Open a drawing.2. Hold down the Shift key down while you click Annotating > Add Text > Along Line,

Arrow at End Point.The Text Properties dialog box opens.

3. Type your text in the Text box.4. Select the arrow type from the Arrow Type list.5. Modify the other properties as required.

You can, for example, modify the color.

6. Click OK.Now you can add text using the new properties.

11.4 Adding links to text filesYou can insert a text file inside a frame in a drawing.Tekla Structures creates a link to the text file. If you change the text in the file, it will change in all drawings containing a link to that particular text file.

Before you start, check that all the switches in the Snapping toolbar are enabled so that the text file can be placed in any position in the drawing.

1. Click Annotating > Add Text > From Text File....The Text File Properties dialog box opens.

2. Define the text file properties in Text Style, Frame, and Scaling areas.

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3. Click Browse to select the text file.4. Click OK.5. Pick one or two points in the drawing to indicate the corners of the text file frame.

The scaling type you picked in step 2 determines how many points you have to pick.

6. Click OK to close the Text File Properties dialog box.

11.5 Using symbols in the text fieldWhen you add text in drawings, you can include symbols in the text. You can add, for example, weld symbols.

To add symbols in the text:

1. Add text to a drawing.

2. Double-click the symbol icon .The Symbol Properties dialog box opens.

3. Click Select next to the File box and select the symbol file you want to use.Several symbol files are available by default. These files are stored in the ..\Tekla Structures\<version>\environments\common\symbols\ folder.

4. Click Select next to the Number box and click the symbol you want to add.When you click a symbol, its number is displayed in the Number box in the Symbol Properties dialog box.

5. Double-click the text you added.6. In the Text box in the Text Properties dialog box, enter the symbol file name, @ sign,

and the number of the symbol, for example [email protected]. Click Modify in the Text Properties dialog box.

11.6 Adding links to DWG or DXF filesYou can insert a DWG or DXF file inside a frame in a drawing. Tekla Structures adds the DWG or DXF file using the properties in the DWG/DXF Properties dialog box. Tekla Structures creates a link to the selected DWG or DXF file. When you modify the file, Tekla Structures also modifies all the links in the drawing.

To add a link to a DWG or DXF:

1. Open the drawing where you want to insert a link to a DWG/DXF file.2. Click View > Add DWG / DXF File..., and then locate the DWG/DXF file you want to

add.3. Click OK.4. Pick one or two points to place the frame.5. Click OK or Apply to add the link.


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12 Dragging drawing objects

You can drag drawing objects such as associative annotation objects, independent annotation objects, additional drawing objects, and dimension lines to a new location in an open drawing.

To drag the objects to another location:

1. Click the drawing object or object frame to activate it.2. Point the object or object frame, hold down the left mouse button and drag the object to

a new location. The object follows the cursor while you drag the object, and you can at all times see what the end result will be. There is a cross in the middle of the cursor indicating the object that you are dragging.The magenta lines in the cursor make it easier to place the object in line with other objects.

13 Trimming, splitting, and dividing shapes added in drawings

You can trim, split and divide drawing objects added in the drawing. What you can do depends on the shape type.

13.1 TrimmingYou can shorten or extend a line relative to the boundary you select. The boundary can be:

• line

• part

• arc

• rectangle

To trim graphical objects:

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1. Open a drawing.2. Click Edit > Trim.3. Select the boundary.4. Click the middle mouse button.5. Click end of the line if you want to extend it to the selected boundary, or click the line at

the end from which you want to shorten it.

13.2 SplittingYou can split an object into two pieces at a selected point. You can split the following objects:

• lines

• polylines

• rectangles

• circles

• arcs

To split graphical objects:

1. Open a drawing.2. Select the object you want to split.3. Click Edit > Split.4. Pick a point to indicate the cutting location.

The object is split into two pieces.

13.3 DividingObjects can be divided into segments that you specify. You can divide both lines and arcs.

To divide objects:

1. Open a drawing.2. Select the line or arc.3. Click Edit > Divide.

The Segments dialog box opens.

4. Enter the number of segments in the Number box.5. Click OK.

The line or arc is divided to as many segments as you selected in the Number box.

14 Using cover-up tools

Use cover-up line and cover-up area tools for quickly hiding part outlines in drawings.

Cover-up line To use a cover-up line:

1. Click Shapes > Draw Cover-up Line.


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2. Draw a non-transparent line over the part outline that you want to hide. You can drag the cover-up line to another location, and resize the line by dragging the handles.

Cover-up area To use a cover-up area:

1. Click Shapes > Draw Cover-up Area.2. Draw a non-transparent area over the part outline that you want to hide.

You can drag the cover-up area to another location, and resize the area by dragging the handles.

Part outline visible

Part outline hidden with cover-up line

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15 Dimensioning a general arrangement drawing

You can create automatic part, grid and overall dimensions, and control the way they are created. You can also create dimensions manually after you have created a drawing. You can experiment with different combinations of options to achieve different kinds of dimensioning effects.

Additionally, you can use semi-automatic dimensioning, which is a special dimensioning type that you can only use when dimensioning GA drawings. It contains several options:

• which points and parts are dimensioned

• how to combine the dimensions

• whether to use the reference line of the part or the center line as a dimension point

15.1 Dimensioning grid lines1. Open a general arrangement (GA) drawing.2. Double-click the GA drawing to open the General Arrangement Drawing Properties

dialog box.3. Click the Dimensioning... button.

The General - Dimensioning Properties dialog box opens.

4. On the Grid tab, select whether to create grid line dimensions and overall dimensions.You can use the Dimension positioning options to control where Tekla Structures positions horizontal and vertical grid line dimensions in the horizontal and vertical directions.

15.2 Dimensioning anchor barsIf you use anchor bars while modeling, you have the option to create dimensions in general arrangement (GA) drawings by using semi-automatic GA dimensioning. This is a special dimensioning type you can only use with GA drawings. This way of dimensioning can be used for anchor bars, because they are created as profiles.

To dimension anchor bars:

1. Open a GA drawing (an anchor bolt plan).2. Click Dimensioning > Dimension Properties.3. Load the settings you want to use.4. Click OK.5. Click Edit > Selection Filter....

The Selection Filter dialog box opens.

6. Load the anchorbar_filter filter.7. Click OK.

8. Select the Select parts in drawings switch .9. Select the anchor bars in the drawing you want to dimension.10. Click Dimensioning > GA Dimensioning Settings....


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The Semi automatic GA dimensioning dialog box opens.

11. Set the dimensioning properties.

• Dimension defines which points are used for dimensioning. Intersection points only creates dimensions for points where two parts intersect. Intersection and reference points creates dimensions for points where two parts intersect, and to the reference points of the selected parts.

• Part defines whether to dimension all the selectedparts or only main parts.

• Combine defines how the dimensions are combined.

• Use defines whether to use the reference line or the center line as a dimension point.

12. Click OK.13. Create dimensions using the commands in the Dimensioning menu.14. The anchor bars will be dimensioned automatically.

15.3 Dimensioning profiles and holesYou can dimension profiles and holes with the commands on the Drawing Objects toolbar. In addition to the dimensioning commands, the toolbar contains commands for adding and removing dimension points, and for combining, unlinking and linking dimension lines.

It is very important to use correct snap switches to get the dimensions correct. Change the switch by right-clicking and selecting the switch that suits the best for your purpose. You can also select the snap switch from the toolbar.

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15.4 Dimensioning curved beamsTo create a correct radius and/or radial dimensions, you need to use center lines and certain snap settings:

1. Double-click a curved beam in a drawing.The Drawing Part Properties dialog box opens.

Button Description

Add horizontal dimension

Add vertical dimension

Add orthogonal dimension

Add free dimension

Add parallel dimension

Add perpendicular dimension

Add curved dimension with radial reference lines

Add radial dimension

Add angular dimension

Dimension center of gravity

Add or remove dimension points

Remove a dimension point from the selected dimension set

Combine dimension lines

Unlink dimension lines

Link dimension lines


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2. Select the Center line > on/off.3. Click Modify and OK.4. Activate the Snap to points and grid intersections, Snap to end points, and Snap to

center points switches.

Adding a radial dimension

1. Click Dimensioning > Add Radial Dimension.2. Pick three points on the center line to define the arc.

The second picked point is the coordinate where both center lines of two segments intersect. It determines the exact radius.

3. Pick a point to place the dimension.

15.5 Fixing dimension locationsIt is recommended to fix the dimension locations in general arrangement drawings. This is useful, for example, when you add another view, because fixed dimensions will not jump accidentally to any new position. This also applies to marks.

To fix the dimension locations:

1. Create all the necessary dimensions in the drawing.2. Activate the Select dimensions selection switch only.

3. Select all dimensions.4. Hold down the Shift key and double-click any dimension.5. In the Dimension Properties dialog box, click Place at the bottom.6. In the Dimension Placing dialox box, set Placing to fixed.7. Click Modify.

All dimensions are now fixed.

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15.6 Adding dimension tagsYou can add dimension tags to dimensions. The dimension tags are fully associated to the objects that the dimension points to. Using tags, you can add additional information in the drawings about the building objects in the model, and have that information automatically updated with any changes made in the building objects.

To add dimension tags to a dimension:

1. Double-click the dimension.2. Go to the Tags tab and select the locations where you want to add dimension tags.

You can add dimension tags above and below the dimension line to the left and right end of the line, to the dimension line ends, and in the middle of the dimension line below the line.

3. Click the ... buttons to go to the Tag Mark Properties dialog box.You can also enter text directly in the A - G boxes.

4. Select the tag rotation. Each tag has an independent rotation setting, so you can rotate some tags and leave others unrotated.

• Parallel to dimension line does not rotate the tag. This is the default value.

• Perpendicular to dimension line rotates the tag.

5. Include the elements that you want in the dimension tag.The available elements are the same as those of the part, bolt, reinforcement and surface treatment marks.

6. Select the element frame type and color and the text color, font, and height. 7. Click OK.8. If you want to show the part count in the tag, set Include part count in the tag to Yes.9. Use Exclude parts according to filter and select a predefined filter to remove some of

the automatically created tag content.In addition to the user-selectable elements, some of the dimension tag content is automatically created based on the dimension end point locations. If you want to exclude unnecessary tag content for parts that are located in the same location as the dimensioning point, create suitable drawing view filter.

10. Click Modify.

Example Below is an example of dimension tags.

Below is an example of an unrotated and rotated dimension tags.


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Limitations • Rotation is not available for the middle dimension tags.

• The dimension tags are automatically updated according to model changes, when you update the drawing. If you want to disable the automatic update, you can freeze the drawing or set the advanced option XS_INTELLIGENT_DRAWING_ALLOWED to FALSE. This advanced option affects all drawings.

See also Example: Removing dimension tag content (p. 74)

Example: Removing dimension tag content

Here you will remove some of the tag content that is automatically created based on the dimension end point location. The example below shows a tag that automatically contains the text "CORBEL". You will remove this text. First you need to create a drawing view filter.

You can move the end of the dimension line orthogonal to itself outside the part by dragging it from the handle. The dimension tags are moved together with the end of the line. This is useful when the tags would otherwise overlap part geometry or other objects, such as dimensions or marks.

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1. Open a drawing.2. Double-click the view frame to open the View Properties dialog box.3. Double-click Filter... to open the View Filter Properties dialog box.4. Click Add row and create a filter according to the example below.

5. Enter concrete as the name of the filter in the box next to the Save as button and click the button to save the filter.

6. Click Cancel to close the dialog box.7. In the drawing, double-click the dimension that contains the content that you want to

remove.The Dimension Properties dialog box is displayed.

8. Go to the Tags page.9. In Exclude parts according to filter, select the concrete filter.10. Click Modify.

Tekla Structures removes the text "CORBEL" from the dimension tag. The material type of corbel is concrete, and the concrete filter removes all concrete parts from the tag.


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16 Level marks

There are several options for level marks, for example, prefixes, postfixes, and units.

To create level marks:

1. Double click the Add Level Mark button .2. Type your text in the required boxes.3. Select the Prefix for the positive level check box.4. Modify the other Level mark properties as required.5. Click OK.6. In the drawing, pick the starting point for the leader line.

This is the point that will be dimensioned.

7. Pick a point to indicate the side on which Tekla Structures creates the mark.8. Repeat steps 6-7 to add level marks elsewhere in the drawing.

17 Displaying surface treatments in drawings

1. In the drawing properties dialog box, click Surface treatment....The surface treatment properties dialog box opens.

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2. Select Visible from the Visibility list to display surface treatment in drawings.3. Select appearance of the surface treatment from the Representation list.4. To display the surface pattern, select the Show pattern check box.5. To display hidden lines in secondary and neighboring parts, select the Hidden lines

check box.6. To display hidden lines in main parts, select the Own hidden lines check box.7. To define the line type and color of visible and hidden lines, use the Appearance tab.8. Click OK.


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• how to save drawings

• how to make drawing revisions

• how to use hatching

• how to use symbols in drawings


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18 Saving drawings

You can save drawings either manually or automatically.

18.1 Saving drawings manuallyYou can save drawings manually. Click Drawing File > Save.... Both the drawing *.dg and the model *.db1 and *db2 are saved.

18.2 Using autosaveYou can define an autosave interval for drawings. Tekla Structures saves your work automatically after you have created the specified number of drawings.

1. Click Tools > Options > Options....The Options dialog box opens.

2. Select General from the list.3. Set the autosave value to the Autosave after creating every x drawings.

4. Click OK.

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19 Drawing revisions

When you revise drawings, you can attach change information in them. Tekla Structures drawings display the revision number, the revision mark, and the description.

You can choose whether the revision number or the revision mark is displayed in the Drawing List dialog box. By default, the revision number is displayed.

The drawing_revision_list and drawing_last_revision_list reports show the drawings revision date.

19.1 Creating revisions1. Click Drawings & Reports > Drawing List....

The Drawing List dialog box opens.

2. Click the Revision button in the Drawing List dialog box.The Revision Handling dialog box opens.

3. Enter a mark and a date for the revision.You can also add three lines of text about the revision.


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4. Click Create.

19.2 Changing revisions1. Click Drawings & Reports > Drawing List....

The Drawing List dialog box opens.


3. Select the revision number in the Mark list.4. Change the revision information.5. Click Modify.

19.3 Deleting revisionsWhen you delete a revision, Tekla Structures automatically adjusts the remaining revision numbers for that drawing. The revision marks do not change.

1. Click Drawings & Reports > Drawing List....The Drawing List dialog box opens.


3. Select the revision number in the Mark list.4. Click Delete.

The revision you selected is deleted.

To show the revision mark instead of the revision number in the Drawing List, set the advanced option XS_SHOW_REVISION_MARK_ON_DRAWING_LIST to TRUE through Tools > Options > Advanced Options... > Drawing Properties.

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19.4 Creating revision marks on drawings1. Open a drawing.2. Click Annotating > Properties > Revision Mark....

The Revision Mark Properties dialog box opens.

3. Select the number of the revision from the list next to the Mark box, or type the revision information in the box.

4. Modify the other revision mark properties as required.5. Click OK.6. Click Annotating > Add Revision Mark and select the style of mark.7. Pick the point where you want the mark to appear.

Tekla Structures creates the mark.

20 Hatching

You can use hatching to fill part faces, parts in section views and closed drawing objects such as rectangles, circles, and polygons with a pattern. It is also possible to color the fill.

Tekla Structures has several hatch types. You can modify the hatch types on the Fill tab of the part or object properties dialog box. It is possible to modify the current hatching, to switch it off, or to add one hatching per part.

The default hatch type is the one defined in the hatch schema file. The default schema files are located in the ..\Tekla Structures\<version>\environments\common\system folder. You can define the hatch patterns for material types and names in a hatch schema file (*.htc). Different drawing types (GA, assembly, single-part, and cast unit) have their own schema files.

20.1 Hatching automaticallyProfile sections can be hatched automatically with a specific hatch type. You can also determine the scale and hatch color. By default, this feature is disabled and profile sections will not be hatched.

S235JR TIMBER C20/25


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20.2 Hatching drawing objectsYou can use manual hatching to fill closed drawing objects, for example, rectangles, circles, and clouds.

1. Double-click a drawing object to open the object properties dialog box.2. Click Select... in the Fill area.

A list of hatch patterns opens.

3. Click a pattern to view its name in the Type box.4. Double-click the pattern you want to use.5. If you want to use a gray scale, select the option hardware_SOLID as the hatch pattern

and Special as the color in the object properties dialog box.The color will be printed in gray scale, depending on the selected printer settings. The hatch color is defined using RGB (Red, Green, Blue) values in a scale of 0 to 255.

6. Click Modify and OK.

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20.3 Hatching part faces and sectionsYou can use hatching on part faces and sections to show different materials. It is possible to define the hatching properties on drawing, view, and part levels.

To hatch part faces and sections:

1. Double-click an object in a drawing.The Drawing Part Properties dialog box opens.

2. Go to the Fill tab.

3. Select the hatch pattern type.If you select Automatic, Tekla Structures uses the hatch patterns defined in the hatch pattern schema file (.htc).

4. Select the color for the hatch pattern.5. Define a background color for the hatch in the Background box. You can define the

background color only after selecting a hatch pattern first. The background color does not have any effect if there is an automatic hatch available. The background color can only be changed if automatic hatch is not defined for the material type.

6. Select either Automatic or Custom from the Scale list.

• If you select Automatic, Tekla Structures automatically scales the hatch pattern to suit the profile size and you do not need to modify each drawing manually.

• If you select Custom, use the Scaling in direction x and Scaling in direction y options for defining the scales in x and y direction. To rotate a fill type, enter the angle of rotation in the Angle box. Angle 0.0 is for horizontal and 90.0 for vertical.

7. Click OK.


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20.4 InsulationAutomatic scaling and rotation for hatches can be applied, for example, to material that is used as insulation. You can use the following fill types to represent insulation:

To modify the thickness, use the option Scaling in direction x of the insulation. The scale 1.0 corresponds to 10 mm, 0.5 to 5 mm, etc.

Hatch name Pattern

HARD_INS1

SOFT_INS

SOFT_INS2

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20.5 Advanced hatchingCast unit shapes in cross-sections can be accentuated on drawings. In order to do this, the advanced option XS_SECTION_LINE_COLOR is set to PURPLE (value 7). If the purple color is set as a thicker line type in the printer catalog, the cross-section shapes on the drawings are automatically printed thicker. The purple color is visible on the drawing only when you hold down the middle mouse button and drag the cursor on the drawing.

In case you want to use another color, set the advanced option XS_SECTION_LINE_COLOR in Tools > Options > Advanced options > Hatching.

21 Symbols in drawings

You can add symbols in drawings, reports and templates.

To create and modify symbols in symbol files and create new symbol files, you need the Symbol Editor (SymEd). With Symbol Editor, you can introduce your own customized symbols without having to make changes in the Tekla Structures application.

You can add symbols inside all kinds of drawing marks as elements, in drawings as separate objects, and also inside text objects.

There are three types of symbols you can add in drawings: symbols without leader lines, symbols with leader lines and symbols along lines.Tekla Structures adds the symbol using the properties in the Symbol properties dialog box.

Using the Symbol Files browser you can easily change the symbol file in use.

21.1 Symbol Files browserThe Symbol Files browser allows you to change the symbol file in use. It also provides access to Symbol Editor where you can create and edit symbol files.

To open the Symbol Files browser to view or change the symbol file in use:

• If you want to view or change the symbol file in marks, double-click Symbol in the available Available elements list in the mark properties dialog box, and then click Select....

• If you want to view or change the symbol file in symbols added in drawings, select Annotating > Properties > Symbol, or double-click a symbol in a drawing, and then click Select....


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21.2 Symbol EditorYou can use the Symbol Editor (SymEd) for creating and modifying symbols that are used in drawings, reports, and templates. The Symbol Editor can be opened by clicking Tools > Symbol Editor....

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Tekla Structures has some symbol files by default. The symbol files have the extension *.sym. If a local symbols folder exists then the symbols in that folder are used by default. If a local symbols folder does not exist, then the symbols in ..\Tekla Structures\<version>\environments\common\symbols folder are used.

The left part of the dialog box contains the current symbols in the user symbol file. A symbol file can contain 16 x 16 = 256 symbols. A symbol can be opened by double-clicking it on the work area. The symbol will appear on the right side and can be modified. An existing symbol can be copied to an empty box, so that it can serve as a template for a new symbol.

21.3 Inserting a symbol1. Open a drawing.2. Click Annotating > Properties > Symbol....

The Symbol Properties dialog box opens.

3. Enter the name of the symbol file in the File box or click Select... to browse for the file.The name must match the file name in the local symbols folder, or if you do not have a local symbols folder, then the file name in ..\TeklaStructures\<version>\environments\common\symbols. Do not enter the *sym extension.

4. Enter the number of the symbol in the Number box. You can also click Select... to open the Symbols dialog box and click the symbol you want to insert.


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5. Modify the symbol and frame properties on the Appearance tab if necessary.6. Click OK.7. Click Annotating > Add symbol > Symbol.8. Click the drawing where you want to insert the symbol.

The symbol properties can be changed by double-clicking the frame around the symbol or a line in the symbol. You can also drag and drop the symbol to a new location.

Click this to select another symbol file.

Click this to select the symbol.

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• how to apply object level settings on drawing and view level

• what is Template Editor

• how to create and print reports

• how to print drawings


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22 Applying object level settings on drawing and view level

You can control the drawing object settings (saved properties of parts, reinforcing bars, neighbor parts, marks, bolts, welds, and dimensions) directly on the drawing and view level. This makes setting up special representation for objects in drawings or views very easy. You can simply set up a drawing filter or a view filter that selects the objects you want a special representation for, then create and save the object property settings to be used for the objects specified by the filter, and then combine these two into object level settings. For example, you may want to define that all columns and beams in a drawing or drawing view are shown in a specific color.You also have the option of turning the object level settings on or off for the drawings or views you choose.

The drawing object settings that you apply on the drawing or view level drawing properties dialog box override all the other drawing object settings defined in the drawing properties dialog boxes. Object level settings defined on the drawing level are inherited to the view level settings if there are no object level settings defined on view level. If you define view level object settings, they override the drawing level settings.

Before you can apply drawing object level settings, first create and save the necessary drawing or view filters and drawing object property files.

22.1 Creating a drawing filterDrawing filters select objects in the whole drawing by criteria that you define.

To create a drawing filter to be used in a general arrangement drawing:

1. Click Drawings & Reports > Drawing Settings > General Arrangement Drawing....2. Click Filter....3. Modify the filter settings:

• Click Add row.

• Select options from the Category, Property, and Condition list boxes. For example, to create a drawing filter for parts, select Parts as the Category.

• In the Value box, enter a value or select from the model or drawing.

• Add more rows, and use the And/Or options or parentheses to create more complex rules.

4. Select the check boxes next to all filter rows that you want to enable. The check boxes define which rows of the filter are enabled and effective.

5. Enter a unique name for the filter in the box next to the Save as button.6. Click Save as.7. Click Cancel to close the filter properties dialog box.

If you want to filter objects on view level, you need to open a drawing, double-click a drawing view frame and create a view filter using the View Filter Properties subdialog box of the View Properties dialog box.

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22.2 Creating drawing object property filesYou can modify the drawing properties on the object level. This means that you change the individual properties of the objects in the drawings (parts, dimensions, marks, bolts, and welds), and save the object property files for later use.

To modify and save object properties in a general arrangement drawing:

1. Click Drawings & Reports > Drawing Settings > General Arrangement Drawing Properties.

2. Click the button for the object you want to change. For example, click Part.

3. Change the desired settings in the property dialog box.For example, go to the Appearance tab and change the part color.

4. In the box next to the Save as button, enter the name for the property file and click Save as.

5. Click Cancel to close the object properties dialog box. Now you have a new object property file. You can apply the settings in this file in an open drawing. You can also use the object property files with the drawing or view filters to apply the object level settings on the drawing or view level through the drawing properties or drawing view properties dialog box.

22.3 Creating detailed object level settings on draw-ing level

To be able to apply object level settings on drawing or view level, you need to create an object level settings file. You must create object level settings separately for the drawing level and view level.

To create an object level settings file to be used on drawing level:

1. Create the necessary drawing filter that selects the objects you want a special representation for.

2. Create and save the object properties to be used for the objects specified by the filter.3. In the drawing property dialog box, click Edit settings.4. In the Object level settings for drawing dialog box, click Add row and select the filters

to be used, the drawing object types and the drawing object settings to be used. You can add as many rows in the object level settings as you need.

5. Give the object level settings a name and save using Save as.6. Click Cancel.

22.4 Applying object level settings on drawing levelTo apply the saved model object settings in a drawing:

1. Open a general arrangement drawing. 2. Double-click the drawing to open the drawing properties dialog box.3. Click Edit settings.4. In the Object level settings for drawing dialog box, load the desired object level

settings or create new ones and click OK. 5. Click Modify.


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22.5 ExampleIn this example, we will define different object level settings for various types of building objects, such as beams, columns and braces. Then we will make a drawing filter, save object level settings in a file, and apply the new object level settings on drawing level.

Setting up the drawing filter

Parts are classified using new drawing filters. This example is using part names defined in the model, similarly as modeling filters. Do the following to set up the filters:

1. Click Drawings & Reports > Drawing Settings > General Arrangement Drawing.2. Click Filter... in the drawing properties dialog box.3. Create filters by part name for column, beam, and brace and save the settings using Save

as with different names, such as ts_column, ts_beam and ts_brace.

4. Click Cancel. Now you have created the required filters needed for selecting the desired parts.

Setting part representation

Set up the required property settings for beam, column and brace:

1. In the General Arrangement Drawing Properties dialog box, click Part:

• For columns, set Part representation to Exact on the Contents tab, set Visible lines to magenta on the Appearance tab, and save the settings with the name column using Save as.

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• Save setting in the similar way for beams: Select Part representation > Outline on the Contents tab, set Visible lines to green on the Appearance tab and save the settings with the name beam using Save as.

• For braces, set Part representation to Symbol with partial profile on the Contents tab, set Visible lines to blue on the Appearance tab and save the settings with the name brace using Save as.

2. Click Cancel. Now you have the required object property settings to be used when applying object level setting.

Creating detailed object level settings on drawing level

Here we will set up the object level settings using the saved filters and saved object property settings.

1. In the General Arrangement Drawing Properties dialog box, click Edit settings.

2. In the Object level settings for drawing dialog box, select the filters to be used, the drawing object types and the drawing object settings to be used:a Click Add row and select ts_column as Model object (Drawing filter), Part as

Drawing object type and column as Settings used.b Click Add row and select ts_beam as Model object (Drawing filter), Part as

Drawing object type and beam as Settings used.c Click Add row and select ts_brace as Model object (Drawing filter), Part as

Drawing object type and brace as Settings used.3. Save the object level settings as gatype1 using Save as.


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Using the saved object level settings

By default when you create a general arrangement drawing of a 3D view using a default or preset drawing properties, object level setting are not applied, and Use detailed object level settings is set to No.

To apply the detailed object level settings on drawing level:

1. Create a general arrangement drawing.2. Open the created general arrangement drawing and double-click the drawing to open the

drawing properties.3. Click Edit settings. 4. Load object level settings, in this example gatype1, and click Load.5. Click OK.6. Click Modify to apply the changes in the drawing. 7. Confirm the object level changes by clicking Yes in the on Object level settings

changed! confirmation box.

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23 Template Editor

Template Editor (TplEd) is a tool for creating, modifying, and managing templates.

Tekla Structures includes a large number of standard report templates. With Template Editor you can modify existing report templates, or create new ones to suit your needs.

Templates are used for different purposes, for example, to print a list of parts used in an assembly. Templates are either textual or graphical, depending on their contents. Graphical template definitions have the file extension .tpl. Textual template definitions have the file extension .rpt. Both textual and graphical templates can get data from Tekla Structures.

To start Template Editor, click Drawings & Reports > Template Editor....

23.1 Opening templates1. In Template Editor, click File > Open....

The Load File dialog box opens.

2. Browse to the folder containing templates.The ..\environments\<your_environment>\template folder contains the default templates.

3. Select a template and click OK.The template opens in Template Editor.

24 Reports

You create reports of the information included in models. These can be, for example, lists of drawings, bolts, and parts. Reports can contain information from selected parts or the entire model.

Tekla Structures has a large number of standard report templates. Use the Template Editor to modify the existing report templates and to create new ones. For more information, see the Template Editor user documentation.

You can print reports to paper and to file.

24.1 Creating reports1. Open the model2. Optional: To create reports of selected parts only, select the parts you want to include in

the report.3. Click Drawings & Reports > Create Report....

The Report dialog box opens.


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4. Select a report template from the list.5. Enter the report title(s).

You can enter up to three user-defined titles. Every title is not used in every standard report. Title1, for example, is used to show phase information in the material_list report. Check the report you want to use in the Template Editor to see which title(s) it uses.

6. Enter a name for the report file.7. Click the Browse... button to locate the destination folder where the report will be

created. If you do not indicate a destination folder, the report is created in the current model directory.Reports have the file extension .xsr.

8. Set the report options in the Options tab.9. Click Create from all to create a report of all the parts, or click Create from selected to

create a report of the selected parts.10. Click Show to display the report, or Print... to print the report.

24.2 Printing reports1. Click Print... in the Report dialog box, or click File > Print > Print Reports... to open

the Print dialog box.

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2. Click Browse... to browse for the report file.3. Click Select... to select the font.4. Click Printer Setup... to select the printer and set printer-specific options such as paper

size and orientation.5. Click Print to print the report.

25 Printing drawings

Tekla Structures prints drawings to selected printers, to print files, and to PDF. Printing can be started from the Drawing List or from an open drawing.

25.1 Adding a printer instanceTekla Structures uses Windows drivers to write the print data directly to the Windows printer interface.

There are two stages to setting up a printer in Tekla Structures. First, you need to add printer instances to the printer catalog. By default several printer instances are already defined. Next, you need connect these printer instances to a printer driver.

To add a printer instance:

1. In the model, click File > Print > Printer Catalog.... 2. In the Printer Catalog dialog box, click an existing printer instance that has similar

settings to the one you want to add. 3. Enter a name for the new printer instance in the box under the Printer instances list.4. Click Add.5. Click Browse... to access the Select Printer dialog box, which shows a list of Microsoft

Windows printer drivers currently configured in your system. 6. Click a printer driver and then OK.7. Select the paper size.8. Enter the print area in Print area h*b (height and width).9. If necessary, use Offset for print origin to move the drawing print origin.10. Select Black/white or Color. If you select Color, Tekla Structures prints lines with the

colors defined in the drawing properties. 11. Click Color table to map pen size to the on-screen line color. The background color is

not printed.


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12. Click Update.13. Click OK.14. Confirm that you want to save changes to the model folder.

Defining line thicknesses

You can define line thicknesses of colors for individual printers.

To define line thickness:

1. Click File > Print > Printer Catalog... to open the Printer Catalog dialog box.2. Select a printer from the Printer Instances list.3. Click Color table....

The Color Table dialog box opens. The color table maps different screen colors to different line thicknesses. Note that the color you use for the drawing background is not printed in drawings.

4. Enter the values of line thickness for the colors.By default, the entered number corresponds to the line thickness in tenths of millimeters. For example, Pen number = 4 equals line thickness = 0.4 mm.

5. Click OK.

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25.2 Printing single drawings1. In the model, click Drawings & Reports > Drawing List... to open the Drawing List

dialog box.2. Open the drawing you want to print.3. Click Drawing File > Print Drawings... to open the Print Drawings dialog box.4. Select the printer instance you want to use.5. Click Print to print the drawing.

25.3 Printing multiple drawingsYou can print multiple drawings from the Drawing List. You can print drawings of different sizes at the same time.

To print multiple drawings:

1. In the Drawing List, select the drawings you want to print.

2. Click the Print drawings icon .3. In the Print Drawings dialog box, indicate the printers you want to use.

To select several printers, hold down Ctrl and select the printers.

If you select drawings of several sizes and several printers, Tekla Structures sends each drawing to the printer that is using the smallest paper size on which the drawing will fit. For example, if you have two printers selected, one A4 and one A3, Tekla Structures will send A4 drawings to the A4 printer and A3 to the A3 printer.

4. If you selected several printers, set Scale to 1.5. If necessary, modify other printing settings and add frames and foldmarks in the

printout. 6. Click Print.

26 Problem in opening a drawing

If you cannot open a drawing, the problem may be one of the following:

• A *.dg file in the Drawings folder is deleted.

• Tekla Structures is opened twice with the same model.


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• how to use Tekla Structures Help

• how to save your favorite Help topics


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27 Using Tekla Structures Help

Tekla Structures Help is a detailed guide to Tekla Structures concepts, tools, commands, and features, with plenty of examples.

27.1 Opening Tekla Structures HelpTo open Help, do one of the following:

• Click Help > Tekla Structures Help.

• Press F1.

If you have a dialog box open, pressing F1 takes you straight to the related topic.

If you want to quickly learn how to use Help and its seach functionalities efficiently, watch the Using Help video tutorial on the Help homepage.

27.2 Browsing Help topics by subjectUse the Contents tab to browse through Help topics using a hierarchical list of topics.

To browse Help topics by subject:

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1. Go to the Contents tab.2. Click a Help topic to open it, or double-click a closed book icon to display the subtopics.

3. Use the red arrow buttons to move to the next or previous topic.

27.3 Finding Help topics using the indexUse the Index tab to search for Help topics using an alphabetical list of keywords.

To find a Help topic using the index:

1. Go to the Index tab.2. Enter a keyword, or scroll through the list of keywords.3. Double-click a title to display that topic, or click a topic title and then click Display.

If a keyword is associated with more than one topic, a list of topics appears and you are prompted to select one of them.

27.4 Searching for Help topicsUse the Search tab to find Help topics based on search terms. You can refine your search using wildcard characters, search operators, nested search terms, and search filters.

To search for a Help topic:

1. Go to the Search tab.2. Enter the words to search for.3. Click List Topics to start the search.

A list of results appears.

4. Double-click a title to display that topic, or click a topic title and then click Display.

Viewing the search results

To view and sort the search results, do any of the following:

To open or close all books on the Contents tab, right-click one of the topics and select Open all or Close all from the pop-up menu.

If you want to find an exact phrase, or if the search term contains special characters, enclose the phrase in double quotation marks. For example, "bolt catalog" or "objects.inp".


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Using search filters

Use any of the following search filters to narrow or broaden your search results:

To enable or disable a search filter, select or clear the corresponding check box on the Search tab.

27.5 Saving favorite Help topicsUse the Favorites tab to save Help topics that you might want to visit again.

To add a topic to your list of favorites:

1. Display the topic you want to save.2. Go to the Favorites tab.3. Optional: If you want to save the topic under a different name, enter a new name in the

Current topic box, and then press Enter.4. Click Add.

To Do this

Display the search results in alphabetical order

Click the Title column heading.

Display the location of a topic in the hierarchical list of topics

Click Locate on the Help toolbar.

Find a specific word or phrase in the open topic

Click the topic and press Ctrl + F.

Move forward and backward through previously viewed topics

Click Forward or Back on the Help toolbar.

Show or hide the navigation pane Click Show or Hide on the Help toolbar.

Disable the highlighting of search terms in the search results

Click Options > Search Highlight Off.

Return to the Help cover page Click Home on the Help toolbar.

Search filter Description

Search previous results Narrows down the search results. The next search will be performed within the topics that were found in the previous search.

Match similar words Includes topics that contain words similar to your search term. For example, also the plural form of the word is included in the search.

Search titles only Searches for words only in topic titles. If the search term appears only in the body of a topic, it is not included in the search results.

Documents

TS Training ENG Drawings 170 Enu