tekla structures modeling manual v contents

Chapter 2: Getting Started Explains the basic skills you need to create a new model, grids, views, and points in Tekla Structures.. 8 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL3D model Using Tek

Tekla Structures

Modeling Manual

Product version 10.0

December 2003

"Copyright© 1992-2003 Tekla Corporation 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 Man-ual, disclaims other warranties, limits recoverable damages, defines permitted uses of the Soft-ware, and determines whether you are an authorized user of the Software Please refer to the License Agreement for important obligations and applicable limitations and restrictions on your rights

In addition, this Software Manual is protected by copyright law and by international treaties Unauthorized reproduction, display, modification, or distribution of this Manual, or any portion

of it, may result in severe civil and criminal penalties, and will be prosecuted to the full extent permitted by law

Tekla, Tekla Structures, Xcity, Xengineer, Xpipe, Xpower, Xsteel, and Xstreet are either tered trademarks or trademarks of Tekla Corporation in the European Union, the United States, and/or other countries Other product and company names mentioned in this Manual are or may be trademarks of their respective owners By referring to a third-party product or brand, Tekla does not intend to suggest an affiliation with or endorsement by such third party and dis-claims any such affiliation or endorsement, except where otherwise expressly stated

regis-Elements of the software described in this Manual may be the subject of pending patent tions in the European Union and/or other countries

Preface 1

1 Introduction 7

1.1 General information 7

1.2 Screen layout 12

1.3 Toolbars 15

1.4 Inputting information 20

1.5 Specifying points 25

1.6 Selecting model objects 28

1.7 Using commands 31

2 Getting Started 35

2.1 Basics 35

2.2 Grids 41

2.3 Views 43

2.4 Points 51

2.5 Construction lines and circles 53

3 Parts 55

3.1 Part properties 56

3.2 Cast units and assemblies 65

3.3 Numbering parts 66

3.4 Part location 69

3.5 Steel part commands 76

3.6 Concrete part commands 76

4 Detailing 79

4.1 Bolts 79

4.2 Welds 86

4.3 Fine-tuning part shape 93

4.4 Detailing commands 98

5 Settings and Tools 99

5.1 Examining the model 99

5.2 Querying objects 106

5.3 Copying and moving objects 109

5.4 Filter 112

5.5 Settings 116

5.6 Numbering 125

5.7 Tools 128

5.8 Settings and tools reference 139

Appendix A : Parametric Profiles 141

Glossary 149

Index 165

Introduction

This is the Tekla Structures Modeling Manual, a comprehensive guide to

Tekla Structures modeling, analysis, and design software The following graphs explain how this guide is organized, suggest different paths for different types of user, describe the other guides provided in the package, and tell you how

para-to report any problems you have with the software or guides

Audience

This guide is aimed at structural engineers, detailers and designers who model, analyze, and design concrete and steel structures

We assume that you are familiar with the processes of structural engineering

How to use this guide

If you are new to Tekla Structures, you should start with Chapter 1,

Introduc-tion If you are already familiar with Tekla Xsteel, you could start with

Chapter 3, Parts, and read about materials other than steel

Additional help resources

The following resources also provide information about Tekla Structures:

Web site

http://www.tekla.com

2 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

Email

Contact your local helpdesk via email:

If you believe you have discovered a problem with this software, please report it

to your Tekla Structures Reseller using the maintenance request form provided at

Help > Tekla on the Web > Maintenance request .Please send any comments or suggestions about Tekla Structures documentation

to BetC_Documentation@tekla.com

Conventions used in this guide

Typefaces We use different typefaces for different items in this guide In most cases the

meaning is obvious from the context If you are not sure what a certain typeface represents, you can check it here

• Any text that you see in the user interface appears in bold Items such

as window and dialog box titles, field and button names, combo box options, and list box items are displayed in this typeface

• New terms are in italic bold when they appear in the current context

for the first time

• All the text you enter yourself appears in "quotation marks"

• We use italics for emphasis.

• Extracts of Tekla Structures’s program code, HTML, or other rial that you would normally edit in a text editor, appears in mono-spaced Courier font

mate-• Program names, such as functions, environment variables, and

parameters, appear in Courier bold.

Area office Email address

China TeklaStructures.Support.CHI@Tekla.comFinland TeklaStructures.Support.FI@Tekla.comFrance TeklaStructures.Support.FR@Tekla.comGermany TeklaStructures.Support.GER@Tekla.comJapan TeklaStructures.Support.JPN@Tekla.comMalaysia TeklaStructures.Support.MY@Tekla.comMiddle East TeklaStructures.Support.ME@Tekla.comSweden TeklaStructures.Support.SWE@Tekla.com

UK TeklaStructures.Support.UK@Tekla.com

US TeklaStructures.Support.US@Tekla.com

• Filenames and folder paths appear in Arial.

Noteboxes We use several types of noteboxes, marked by different icons Their functions are

shown below:

A tip might introduce a shortcut, or suggest alternative ways of

doing things A tip never contains information that is absolutely necessary

A note draws attention to details that you might easily overlook

It can also point you to other information in this guide that you might find useful

You should always read very important notes and warnings,

like this one They will help you avoid making serious mistakes,

or wasting your time

This symbol indicates advanced or highly technical

informa-tion that is usually of interest only to advanced or technically-

oriented readers You are never required to understand this kind

of information

4 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

environ-• TplEd User’s Guide

How to create and edit report and drawing templates

• SymEd User’s Guide

How to use the SymEd graphical interface to manipulate symbols

Introduces you to Tekla Structures and its user interface This is the best chapter

to start with to gain a basic understanding of Tekla Structures

Chapter 2: Getting Started

Explains the basic skills you need to create a new model, grids, views, and points

in Tekla Structures If you are new to Tekla Structures, you should read Chapter

1 before this chapter

Chapter 3: Parts

Explains how to create and modify parts using different materials and profiles You should read Chapters 1 and 2, and have already created grids and views to use this chapter

Chapter 4: Detailing

Explains how to create bolts, welds, chamfers, cuts, and fittings

Chapter 5: Settings and Tools

Explains how to manipulate a model and change program settings It also describes how to use many of the tools in Tekla Structures

Appendix A: Parametric Profiles

Describes the parametric profiles available in Tekla Structures

Glossary

Provides concise definitions of the central terms and concepts we use in these guides

6 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

1 Introduction

In this chapter This chapter provides an overview of the Tekla Structures user interface, and its

basic features It also explains how to use common commands

Audience This chapter has been written for beginners This is the best chapter to start with

to gain a basic understanding of Tekla Structures If you are already familiar with Tekla Xsteel, you can move on to Chapter 3, Parts, to read about materials other than steel

Contents This chapter is divided into the following sections:

Tekla Structures is a tool for structural engineers, detailers, and fabricators It is

an integrated model-based 3D solution for managing multi-material databases (steel, concrete, timber, etc.) Tekla Structures features interactive modeling, structural analysis and design, and automatic drawing creation

8 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

3D model Using Tekla Structures, you can create a real-life model of any structure,

includ-ing information necessary for manufacture and construction The 3D product model includes the structure’s geometry and dimensions, and all the information about profiles and cross sections, connection types, materials, structural analysis, etc

Sharing models Tekla Structures supports multiple users working on the same project You and

your partners can work together on the same model, at the same time, even in ferent locations This increases accuracy and quality, because you always use the most up-to-date information

dif-Main features Tekla Structures includes:

• Useful modeling tools, such as 3D grids, adjustable work area, and clash checking

• Catalogs of available material grades, profiles, and bolts

• Macros to create complex structures, such as staircases and trusses

• Intelligent connections, such as end plates and clip angles, to matically connect main members

auto-• Integrated analysis and design with STAAD.Pro.

• Links to transfer data between Tekla Structures and other software, such as AutoCAD, STAAD, and MicroStation

• Drawing wizards to create several drawings with one click.

• Data output for CNC machines

Easy to use If you need assistance when working with Tekla Structures, use the F1 key to

quickly access the context-sensitive online help The online help is a sive source of information, with full-text search and easy navigation

comprehen-Tekla Structures also supports undo and redo, so you can test solutions, and revert to the original, if needed

Global but

localized

Tekla Structures is used worldwide It is available in a wide range of languages, and adapted to local requirements

Languages and environments

When you install Tekla Structures, you can choose the language(s) and the ronment(s) you want to use

envi-Language Tekla Structures 10.0 software and manuals are available in the following

Environment The environment means region-specific settings and information It defines

which profiles, material names, default values, connections, wizards, ment variables, reports, and templates you use

environ-10 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

The environments available in Tekla Structures 10.0 are:

• United States (Imperial)

• United States (Metric)

Single-user mode vs multiuser mode

Tekla Structures can be used in either single-user or multiuser mode During the installation you are asked whether you want to install the multiuser facility

Single-user mode When one user at a time is to work with a model, Tekla Structures should be run

in single-user mode In single-user mode, only one user can work with each model at any time

Multiuser mode If several users will work with a model simultaneously, you can choose to run

Tekla Structures in multiuser mode We recommend that you only run Tekla Structures in multiuser mode if the users will make use of the additional features

of multiuser mode

To run Tekla Structures in multiuser mode, one machine in the network has to be set up as a server running the Tekla Structures server program For more infor-mation, see Multiuser mode in the online help

Tekla Structures editors

Tekla Structures includes the following editors: Model, Drawing, Symbol, plate, Custom Component

Tem-Model The Model Editor is the main and starting mode of Tekla Structures You create

and analyze models, and initiate drawing and report creation using the Model Editor

Drawing In the Drawing Editor, you work with drawings Tekla Structures opens the

Drawing Editor when you open any drawing

Symbol In the Symbol Editor (SymEd), you can create and modify symbols for use in

drawings, reports, and templates To open the Symbol Editor, click

Tools>Symbols in the Model or Drawing Editor

Template Use the Template Editor (TplEd) to create and modify templates used in

draw-ings and reports To open the Template Editor, click Tools>Templates in the Model or Drawing Editor

Custom

Component

In the Custom Component Editor, you can create your own connections, details, and parts, and define their properties You can build in dependencies between objects to make custom components parametric and have them adapt to changes

in the model To open the Custom Component Editor, select a component and click Detailing>Edit custom component

12 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

1.2 Screen layout

When you start Tekla Structures, a new window appears on the screen The lowing illustration identifies the various areas of the Tekla Structures Model Edi-tor window:

fol-Initially, most of the menu options and all the icons are gray indicating that they are inactive When you open or create a model, the icons and available menu options will become active

Screen components

This section briefly describes several important screen components For tional definitions of terms, see the Glossary (p 149)

addi-Menu bar The menu bar located under the blue title bar has pull-down menus containing all

the Tekla Structures commands To select a command, click a menu title and then select the command

Pull-down menus contain all commands

Snap settings control which points you can snap to and pick

Select switches determine select-able objects

Status bar displays the prompt and the status

of some settings

Concrete footings,

beams, columns

Toolbars The toolbars are located under the menu bar They contain icons which give easy

access to the most frequently-used commands When you move the mouse

pointer over an icon, a tooltip displays the name of the icon To execute a

mand, click the appropriate icon Use the icon as an alternative to selecting mands from a pull-down menu For more information, see Toolbars (p 15)

com-Dialog boxes Tekla Structures displays a dialog box if you select a command whose name has

three dots after it, e.g Select You can also double-click an object or icon For more information, see Inputting information (p 20)

Switches Select switches and Snap settings are special toolbars containing switches which

control the selection of objects, and snapping to points

Use select switches to define which object types can be selected With them you can limit selection For example, if only the Select welds switch is active, Tekla Structures only selects welds, even if you select the entire model area For more information, see Selecting model objects (p 28)

The two circled switches control whether you can select model objects and/or objects created by components Either or both of these switches must be active for the other switches to work

You need to activate snap switches to pick different positions and points, e.g line ends and intersections For more information, see Specifying points (p 25)

The two circled switches define whether you can pick reference points or any other points on objects, e.g part corners Either or both of these switches must be active for the other switches to work

To display the current properties of an object type, double-click the corresponding icon Tekla Structures displays a properties dialog box, and you can change the properties before applying the command

To display the properties dialog box of an individual object, double-click the object

14 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

The status bar also displays the following information:

• The status of Xsnap (T), SmartSelect (S), and Drag and drop (D)

• The middle mouse button mode (Pan or Scroll)

• The current phase

• The number of the selected objectsFor more information, see Settings (p 116)

Using windows

A typical Windows workspace can contain many windows You can stack dows on the workspace, just like sheets of paper on a desk Windows may par-tially or completely hide other windows Only one window is active at a time, but Tekla Structures may also produce information in the inactive windows

win-Use the commands on the Window menu to control the windows

You can control the representation of a model in the windows using the mands on the View menu See Representation (p 45) and Views (p 43)

Cascade window Shows all open windows in a cascaded

Close all Closes all the windows on the screen

You cannot use the Cascade window, Tile horizontally, and Tile vertically commands for windows that you can move outside the Tekla Structures window For more information on moving part and component basic views and zoom windows across the entire Windows desktop, see the environment variables

XS_MDIVIEWPARENT, XS_MDIZOOMPARENT, and

XS_MDIBASICVIEWPARENT in the online help

1.3 Toolbars

The toolbars contain icons which give easy access to some of the most quently-used commands

fre-Using icons Most of the Tekla Structures icons work as follows:

• A single-click executes the command

• A double-click displays the properties dialog box of the object type,

and executes the command.

To display or hide a toolbar, click Window>Toolbars and click the toolbar name Visible toolbars have a check mark against their name

For more information on menus and toolbars, and how to customize them, see

Customizing the user interface in the online help

16 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

Basic toolbars

This section describes the most important toolbars and their icons in the Tekla Structures Model Editor

Standard The Standard toolbar is visible by default It contains basic commands for

creat-ing, opencreat-ing, and saving a model, printcreat-ing, creating reports, etc

The commands on the Standard toolbar are:

• Create a new model

• Open an existing model

• Save the current model

• Plot

• Create a report

• Open the drawing list

• Wizard

• Publish as Web page

Edit The Edit toolbar contains commands for copying and moving

• Copy and translate

• Copy and rotate

• Copy and mirror

• Move and translate

• Move and rotate

• Move and mirror

View The View toolbar contains commands for creating views and setting the work

area and work plane

The following commands can be initiated from the View toolbar:

• Create a new basic view

• Create a view with three points

• Create a view with two point

• Open the list of named views

• Pick work area

• Fit work area by parts in selected views

• Fit work area in selected views

• Set work plane to view plane

• Set work plane by three points

• Set work plane to part top

• Set work plane to part front plane

18 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

Points The Points toolbar contains commands for creating points and construction

objects you can use to place structural objects in a model

• Create a grid

• Create a point array

• Create an extension point

• Create a line-line intersection point

• Create a projection point

• Create parallel points

• Divide a line

• Create arc points

• Create an arc by three points

• Create a tangent point

• Create a plane-line intersection point

• Create part-line intersection points

• Create circle-line intersection points

• Create an axis intersection point

• Create a point to any position

• Create a user-defined plane

• Create a construction line

• Create a construction circle

• Create a construction circle by three points

Steel parts The Steel toolbar contains commands for creating steel beams, columns, and

• Create an orthogonal beam

• Create a twin profile

• Create a contour plate

• Create bolts

• Create a weld

• Create a reference object

rein-• Create a pad footing

• Create a strip footing

• Create a concrete column

• Create a concrete beam

• Create a concrete slab

• Create a concrete panel

• Create a reinforcing bar

• Create a reinforcing bar group

• Create a reinforcement mesh

Detailing The Detailing toolbar contains commands for trimming parts

• Create a fitting

• Create a line cut

• Create a part cut

• Create a polygon cut

Loads The Loads toolbar contains commands for creating loads in the model

• Create a point load

• Create a line load

• Create an area load

• Create an uniform load

• Create wind load

• Create temperature load

20 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

Tools The commands on the Tools toolbar help you model

• Create an x measure

• Create a y measure

• Create a free measure

• Create an angle measure

• Create a bolt measure

• Open the model folder

• Inquire an object

Components All the Tekla Structures connections, details, and macros are presented by icons

on the Components toolbars Use the arrow icons to move from toolbar to bar

tool-• Create the current connection

• Display the AutoConnection dialog box

• Open the component catalog

This section describes the components of dialog boxes The following illustration also identifies the most common components:

ButtonsFields

Retains the

proper-ties and closes the

dialog box

Retains the

proper-ties without closing

the dialog box

Modifies the selected object(s) without retaining the properties

Fills the dialog box with the properties of the selected object

Toggles all the modify filter check-boxes on and off

Closes the dialog box without retaining the properties or modifying objects

22 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

Components in dialog boxes

Dialog boxes may have following components for described purposes:

Field

Display, enter, and modify information To select the field, point to it and click An I-shaped blinking cursor appears at the begin-ning of the field and marks your typing position

Radio buttons

Group related settings that allow only one selection at a time To select an option, click the appropriate button

Checkboxes

Group settings that can be set in any nation, and are usually displayed as small square buttons

combi-List box

Present a collection of options in a list To select an option, point to the list you want to display, click, drag the pointer to highlight the desired option, and then single-click

Button

Run a command immediately

Multiple selection list

Select options from a list A list can have both horizontal and vertical scrollbars for scrolling the visible portion of the list items When you select a list item, it is highlighted There are two ways to select an item on the list:

• Point to the item you want to select and click

• Use the Down and Up arrow keys to move the highlight to the item you want

to select, and press Enter

Information in some Tekla Structures dialog boxes has been divided up on eral tabs This makes the dialog boxes easier to use Moving from tab to tab does not affect the information they contain

sev-The common buttons located at the top and bottom of a dialog box affect all the tabs in the dialog box For example, when you click Save before closing the dia-log box, Tekla Structures saves all information on all tabs See also Common buttons (p 23) and Save, Load, Save as, Help (p 24)

Retains the properties in the dialog box without closing the dialog box Tekla Structures uses these properties the next time you create an object of this type

Closes the dialog box without retaining the properties in the dialog box or modifying objects

Modifies the selected object(s) using the properties in the log box, but does not retain the properties in the dialog box See also Modify filter checkboxes (p 24)

dia-Fills the dialog box with the properties of the selected object When you select several objects, Tekla Structures takes the properties at random from one of the selected objects

Creates a new object using the properties in the dialog box.Toggles all the modify filter checkboxes in the dialog box on and off See also Modify filter checkboxes (p 24)

24 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

Save, Load, Save as, Help

Many Tekla Structures dialog boxes have the Save, Load, Save as, and Help tons You can use these buttons to save the information from the dialog box to a file, and reload it later from the file

but-Modify filter checkboxes

The checkboxes located in front of the dialog box fields are modify filter boxes They indicate the properties Tekla Structures modifies when you click the

check-Modify button When a checkbox is selected, Tekla Structures changes only the corresponding value

This means you can modify a single property common to several objects For example, to change the material of all parts in the model:

• Select all the parts

• Open a part properties dialog box, e.g Beam properties

• Check only the Material field

Save as Stores the dialog box properties with the name given in the

field Tekla Structures stores the properties files in the model folder The files also include the properties in subdialog boxes The file extensions are different for different dialog boxes See Appendix D, File extensions, in the online help

Load Loads all previously stored properties to the dialog box Tekla

Structures also loads the properties of subdialog boxes, even if they are not open You can select the name of the file you want

to use from the list box

Save Stores the modifications of properties Tekla Structures saves

the properties in the file shown in the list box

Help Displays the help topics for the dialog box

See also Appendix E, Reserved shortcuts, in the online help.

1.5 Specifying points

Most Tekla Structures commands ask you to pick points to position objects in a model Snap priority, snap switches, and snap settings all affect picking

Snap zone Each object has a snap zone It defines how close you need to pick to hit a

posi-tion When you pick within the snap zone of an object, Tekla Structures ically snaps to the closest pickable point on that object

automat-Snap priority If you pick and hit several positions simultaneously, Tekla Structures snaps to the

position with the highest snap priority To control which positions you can pick, use snap switches They also define the snap priority of positions See Snap switches (p 25)

Snap switches

Snap switches specify exact locations on objects, for example, end points, points, and intersections Snap switches help you to pick points to position objects precisely without having to know the coordinates or create additional lines or points You can use snap switches any time Tekla Structures prompts you

mid-to specify a point, for example, if you are creating a beam

Arrow keys Move the pointer within fields

Tab Moves the pointer to the next field or button in the

dia-log box You can also scroll through lists using Tab.Del, Backspace Delete characters

You can set the snap zone using the environment variable

XS_PIXEL_TOLERANCE Enter the snap zone dimension in pixels

26 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

Main snap

switches

The two main snap switches illustrated in the following table define whether you can pick reference points or any other points on objects, e.g part corners These switches have the highest priority If both these switches are off, you cannot pick any positions, even if all the other switches are on

Other snap

switches

The following table lists the remaining snap switches You can have Tekla tures display the snap symbols in the model when you move the mouse pointer over objects See Snap settings (p 28).The snap symbol is green for objects inside components, and yellow for model objects

Struc-Icon Positions to

pick

Reference points You can pick the object

refer-ence points, i.e., the points that have handles See Part loca- tion (p 69)

End points Snaps to end points of lines,

polyline segments, and arcs

Centers Snaps to centers of circles and

arcs

Midpoints Snaps to midpoints of lines,

polyline segments, and arcs

Intersections Snaps to intersections of lines,

polyline segments, arcs, and circles

Overriding snap

switches

To temporarily override current snap switch settings, do one of the following:

• Right-click and select the appropriate snap option from the pop-up menu

• Click an icon on the Snap override toolbar

This will only override the snap settings for the next point you pick

Numeric snap

locations

You can also key in position coordinates to snap to using the Enter a numeric tion toolbar For more information, see Snapping (p 128)

loca-Perpendicular Snaps to points on objects that

form a perpendicular ment with another object

align-Nearest point Snaps to the nearest points on

objects, e.g any point on part edges or lines

Free Snaps to any position

If there is more than one point available to snap to, use the Tab key to cycle forward through the snap points, and Shift+Tab to cycle backwards through them Click the left mouse button to select the appropriate point

Icon Positions to

pick

28 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

non-perspec-Snap switch settings

Click Setup>Snap settings to open the Snap dialog box Use it to:

• Set Tekla Structures to display snap symbols and tooltips for the available snap points when you move the mouse pointer over objects

• Define a snap grid and switch it on

1.6 Selecting model objects

To use Tekla Structures effectively, you need to know how to select objects and use select switches Select filter settings also affect which objects you can select See Select filter (p 114)

How to select objects

You need to select objects to carry out many Tekla Structures commands You can select objects as a sequence of single selections and/or area selections Tekla Structures highlights the selected objects

You can use the following techniques to modify the current selection:

Single objects When you select objects using the mouse button,

with-out pressing any other keys, every pick or drag selects objects All previously selected objects are deselected.Enclosing win-

dow selection

Drag the mouse from left to right to select all objects

totally within that rectangular area

Crossing window

selection

Drag the mouse from right to left to select all objects

totally or partly within that rectangular area

Assembly or cast

unit

Press the Alt key while clicking a part to select the

entire cast unit or assembly containing that part.Adding Press the Shift key and select objects, to add to the cur-

rent selection

Modifying To toggle the current selection on and off, press the

Ctrl key during selection Tekla Structures deselects

the objects, which are already selected and selects those, which are not previously selected

1

2

1 2

30 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

Controlling the selection

Main select

switches

The main select switches shown in the following table set whether you can pick model objects and/or objects created by components These switches have the highest priority If all these switches are off, you cannot select any objects, even

if all the other switches are on

Other select

switches

The following table lists the remaining select switches Use these switches to set which object types you want to select For example, you can decide to select only welds and bolts, but no parts

Icon Selectable objects Description

Model objects Objects created by the user can be selected

Component objects Objects created automatically by a

compo-nent can be selected

Components When you click any object belonging to a

component, Tekla Structures selects the component symbol and highlights (does not select) all component objects

Icon Selectable objects Description

Any objects Turns all switches on You can select all

object types, except for single bolts

Components You can select component symbols

Parts You can select parts, i.e columns, beams,

plates, etc

Points You can select points

Welds You can select welds

Cuts and fitting You can select line, part, and polygon cuts,

and fittings

Views You can select model views

Select filter In addition to the select switches, select filter settings control which objects can

be selected To set the select filter, click the Display select filter dialog box icon on the Select switches toolbar There are also predefined filters available in the list box on the Select switches toolbar

For more information, see Select filter (p 114)

1.7 Using commands

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

Executing commands

There are several ways to execute commands in Tekla Structures

Icon You can use icons:

• Single-click an icon just to execute the command

Bolt group You can select entire bolt groups by

select-ing one bolt in the group

Single bolts You can select single bolts

User components You can select cast-in fittings, e.g lifting

hooks, fitting plates, etc

Reinforcing bars You can select reinforcing bars and bar

32 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

Pull-down menu You can execute commands using pull-down menus Tekla Structures contains

two types of menus for basic objects:

• The commands on the Properties menu set the properties of different object types

• The commands on the Points, Parts, and Create menus, for example, create objects using the properties of each object type

Pop-up menu A pop-up menu appears when you click the right mouse button If you have an

object selected, the commands on the pop-up menu relate to that object

Repeating commands

To repeat the last command, do one of the following:

• Click Edit>Repeat last command

prop-• Place the object(s) in the model

You can carry out these steps in any order

For example To create objects:

1 Double-click the icon of the object type you want to create Tekla Structures displays the properties dialog box

2 Enter or modify the object properties

3 Click Apply or OK See also Common buttons (p 23)

4 Pick points to place the object(s)

To position objects without defining their properties:

1 Single-click an icon, or a menu command

2 Pick points to place the object(s) Tekla Structures creates the object using the current properties of the object type See also Modifying objects (p 33)

Modifying objects

To modify the properties of an object, or multiple objects:

• Select the object(s) to modify

• Open the properties dialog box and modify the object properties

You can carry out these steps in any order

For example To modify objects:

1 Double-click one of the objects you want to modify to open the object erties dialog box

prop-2 Modify the properties See also Modify filter checkboxes (p 24)

3 Select the remaining object(s) to modify See also How to select objects

(p 28)

4 Click Modify

See also For information on how to resize and move objects, see Handles (p 70) and

Copying and moving objects (p 109)

Using commands simultaneously

Transparency You can use some Tekla Structures commands transparently This means that you

can execute these commands while another command is still running For ple, the commands on the Points, Window, and Setup menus are transparent

exam-Ending commands

To cancel or end commands, do one of the following:

• Click the Interrupt icon (next to the Undo and Redo icons)

• Right-click and select Interrupt from the pop-up menu

To create several objects with the same properties, pick multiple points The object commands in Tekla Structures run until you end them or use another command See also Ending com- mands (p 33)

34 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

2 Getting Started

Introduction When you start a new Tekla Structures model, the first objects you create are

grids, views, and points

This chapter explains the basic skills you need to create a new model, grids, views, and points in Tekla Structures We will begin with the basic concepts, fol-lowed by general descriptions of the grid, view, and point properties Finally we will show you how to create and manage these modeling aids in practice

Assumed

background

If you are new to Tekla Structures, we recommend that you first read Chapter 1,

Introduction, to gain a basic understanding of Tekla Structures

Contents This chapter is divided into the following sections:

• Basics (p 35)

• Grids (p 41)

• Views (p 43)

• Points (p 51)

• Construction lines and circles (p 53)

How to use this

chapter

You can start by creating either Views (p 43) or Grids (p 41)

2.1 Basics

In this section This section presents basic Tekla Structures vocabulary and concepts so that you

can start modeling For additional definitions of terms, see the Glossary (p 149)

36 TEKLA STRUCTURES - MODELING MANUAL

View To see your Tekla Structures model from virtually any angle, you can move and

rotate the model See Examining the model (p 99) You can also create views

A view is a representation of a model from a specific location Each view is played in its own window inside the Tekla Structures window

dis-Coordinate

system

The green cube in a model view represents the global coordinate system and lies

at the global point of origin In Tekla Structures, both the global and local nate systems are cartesian, with three axes (x, y, and z) perpendicular to each other

coordi-Work plane The red coordinate arrow symbol indicates the work plane, which is the current

local coordinate system of the model The arrow symbol shows the xy plane The

z direction follows the right-hand rule You can reset the work plane so as to ease modeling and placing objects Most of the commands, which are dependent on the coordinate system, use work plane coordinates; e.g creating points, part posi-tioning, and copying always comply with the work plane coordinate system The work plane is the same in all views

Work area Tekla Structures indicates the work area of a view using green, dashed lines

Defining the work area makes it faster and easier to work with the model Objects outside the work area still exist, but they are not visible So you can con-fine to a substructure, for example, and the views to the model are simpler and quickly updated

Green cube is in the global origin Arrow symbol indicates the

work plane

Cyan grid is on the view plane

Green dashed lines outline the work area Points are red out-

side the view plane

Points are yellow

on the view plane