Tekla Structures – Grids

So that you can easily locate objects in your model, we strongly advise that you create a modular grid. The Tekla Structures grid is shown on the view plane by dash-and-dot lines. You can have more than one grid in a model. You may want to create a large-scale grid for the entire , and smaller grids for some detailed sections. Grids are rectangular. You can also create single grid lines and attach them to an existing grid.

 

To position objects in a radial or circular pattern:

•      Create one grid line and use the Edit > Copy Special > Rotate command to copy it.

•      Use lines and circles

You can pick grid lines and grid line intersections.
Grid properties
To access the Grid dialog box, do one of the following: • Click Modeling > Create Grid….
Use the Select grid switch and double-click an existing grid.
Grid coordinates The x and y coordinates of a grid are relative. This means that the entries for x and y are always relative to the previous entry. The z coordinates are absolute meaning that entries for z are absolute distances from the work plane origin.

There are two ways to enter the x or y coordinates of grid lines:

•     individually, e.g. 0 4000 4000, or

•     several grid lines with equal spacing, e.g. 0 2*4000. Both create three lines with the spacing of 4000.

Use a zero at the start to represent a grid on the 0,0 coordinate and spaces as separators for coordinates. You can have a maximum of 1024 grid characters in the co-ordinates field.
Labels Labels are the names of the grid lines shown in views. The names in the X field are associated with the grid lines parallel to the y axis and vice versa. The Z field is for the names of levels parallel to the work plane. If you wish, you can leave the label fields empty.
T When working with very large grids, having the grid labels always visible might slow down Tekla Structures. To hide the grid labels when you zoom in, use the variable XS_ADJUST_GRID_LABELS.
Line extensions You can also define the Line extensions over the given grid coordinates and the Origin of the grid.
Getting Started
m) Line extensions f2j Work plane origin f3J Grid labels
Magnetism You can make grids and grid lines act magnetically so that the objects on the grid lines follow if you move the grid line.

To bind objects to grid lines, select the Magnetic grid plane checkbox.

In the Extension for magnetic area field, enter a distance from the grid line to extend the area within which the objects are bound to the grid lines.

Grid line properties
You can also create and modify single grid lines. To access the Grid Line Properties dialog box:
Use the Select grid lines switch \Wi and double-click an existing grid line.
Working with grids
Automatic grid When you create a new model, Tekla Structures automatically creates a grid and a view according to the saved standard properties.
See also
Getting Started
Creating grids

To manually create a grid:

*
1.    Select Modeling > Create Grid… or click

2.    Fill in the properties described in Grid properties .

3.     To create the grid, click the Create button.

Tekla Structures prompts you to pick the origin when you create the grid. Pick a point in a view, and the coordinates of the picked point appear in the Grid dialog box as X0, Y0, and Z0. If you do not pick, Tekla Structures positions the origin according to the values you entered for X0, Y0, and Z0.

Creating grid lines

To manually create a grid line:

1.    Click Modeling > Add Grid Line.

2.    Select an existing grid to which to attach the grid line.

3.    Pick the starting point of the grid line.

4.    Pick the end point of the grid line.

Using select on grids

Tekla Structures includes separate select switches for entire grids and single grid lines. The active select switch affects the objects you can select, modify, and delete.

(T) Select grids t2j Select grid lines

Modifying grids

To modify a grid:

1.     Ensure that the Select grids switch is selected.

2.     Double-click any of the grid lines. The Grid dialog box appears, and you can modify the properties.

TEKLA STRUCTURES 14.0        53

Getting Started

If you modify a grid and have the checkboxes against the coordinate fields selected in the Grid dialog box, Tekla Structures deletes all single grid lines attached to the grid.
3. Click the Modify button to save the changes. See also                      XS_ADJUST_GRID_LABELS

Modifying grid lines

To modify a grid line:

1.     Ensure that the Select grid lines switch is selected.

2.     Double-click the grid line. The Grid Line Properties dialog box appears, and you can modify the properties.

3.     Click the Modify button to save the changes.

Moving grid lines using handles Single grid lines have handles. When you select a grid line, the handles appear magenta. You can use handles to move the grid lines.
T If you want to move the grid lines using the handles to make a skewed grid, you can do this on the local XY plane of the grid only.
Changing grid color

Use the variable XS_GRID_COLOR to change the color of the grid in rendered views.

1.        Click Tools > Options > Advanced Options > Model View.

2.         Set the RGB value for the variable XS_GRID_COLOR.

Define the color using RGB values on a scale of 0 to 1. For example, to change the color to red, set the value to 1.0 0.0 0.0.
3.        Close and reopen the view for the change to take effect.

To find RGB values for :

1.

Log on to Tekla Extranet.

2.

Select Tekla Structures – Hints &

– General and go to the How

to find perfect background

color for your needs page.

3.

Download the application.

Getting Started
Deleting grids and grid lines

To delete a grid:

1.     Ensure that the Select grids switch is selected.

2.     Click any grid line, then right-click and select Delete from the pop-up menu.

When you delete a grid, ensure that you do not have any other object(s) selected. If you have also other objects selected, Tekla Structures only deletes the objects, not the grid.
To delete a grid line:

1.     Ensure that the he Select grid lines switch is selected.

2.    Click the grid line you want to delete.

3.      Right-click and select Delete from the pop-up menu.

2.3 Views

Introduction               There are several ways to create views in Tekla Structures. For example, you can create views:

•     of the entire structure

•     of selected part(s) and component(s)

•     along the grid lines

Each view has properties which define its appearance. You can change the appearance of a view after you create it so choose the creation method that suits you. This section describes the view-specific properties. You can open the view properties dialog box for each view, to view or modify the properties.

T Unnamed views disappear when you close them.

You can have up to nine views on the screen at the same time. If you try to open more than nine views, Tekla Structures displays a warning. If the view does not appear, check how many views you have open.

To switch between views, press Ctrl+Tab.

V
Getting Started
View plane
Basic view plane Each view has a view plane on which the grids are visible and points are represented as yellow crosses.

Basic views are those parallel to the global basic planes, i.e. xy, xz, and zy. In basic views two axes always define the view plane and they appear in the plane name. The third axis is perpendicular to the view plane. It does not appear in the plane name. In the basic plane view, the model is shown from the direction of that third axis.

The view plane options for basic views are:

View plane coordinate

Other views

For basic views, you also define at which distance from the global origin the view plane is in direction of the third axis. The view plane coordinate equals this distance.

For view types other than basic views, you define the view plane and coordinate by picking points, e.g. With three points, or they are defined automatically according to the chosen creation method/command, e.g. To work plane.

You can change the view plane by moving it like any other object. Click anywhere on the plain background, right-click and select Move Special > Linear… from the pop-up menu..

Moving the view plane
■s Moving a view plane may result in a situation such that view and work area do not intersect and thus nothing can be seen in the window.
View properties
Naming views            Tekla Structures numbers views in order of creation, so you do not have to give each view a

specific name.

You should give a view a unique name if you need to open it in later sessions. When you exit the model, Tekla Structures only saves named views. Tekla Structures does not save unnamed views when you close them.

J? In multi-user mode, it is very important to give views unique names. If several users have different views with the same name, the view settings of one user may randomly override the settings of another user.
Getting Started
View type

The view type defines the appearance of the view. It also affects what methods you can use to rotate the model. The view type options are:

•     Wire frame

Objects are transparent and their outlines are displayed. As the wire frame views use line graphics technique, redrawing views is quick.

•     Rendered

Objects look more realistic because they are non-transparent and their surfaces are displayed as shown in the illustrations below. However, you can also choose the Wireframe or Shaded Wireframe option in the rendered views. Rotating the model in the rendered views is very convenient with the mouse.

Representation

In rendered views, you can define how Tekla Structures displays parts and component objects separately. The following options are available:

•     Wireframe

Part outlines are displayed, surfaces are not, i.e. parts are transparent.

(In this example, component objects are displayed as Rendered.)

•     Shaded Wireframe

Part outlines are displayed. Parts are transparent, and their surfaces are shaded.

(In this example, component objects are displayed as Rendered.)

Hidden Lines

Parts are not transparent, i.e. underlying parts are not visible. Part surfaces are not displayed.


Rendered

Part surfaces are displayed, i.e. parts are not transparent.

Rendered (Dark Colors)

Parts are not transparent. Part outlines are displayed with brighter color, and part surfaces with darker color than in the Rendered option.

•7 In rendered views, use the shortcuts Ctrl+1…5 and Shift+1…5 to set the desired representation for parts in the model and components.
View angle Projection

If you choose the rendered view type, the projection can be:

•      Orthogonal

All objects are of equal size (no perspective). When you zoom, text and point size remains the same. In addition, the zoom remains on part surfaces.

•      Perspective

Distant objects appear smaller than close ones, as do text and points. You can zoom, rotate the model, or fly through it.

Views can be:

•      Plane

•     

Use the shortcut Ctrl+P or click View > Switch to 3D / Plane to switch between 3D and plane view.
Rotation Rotation is view-specific. You can rotate the model in 3D views using the mouse and keyboard, or by defining the rotation angle in the View properties dialog box. You can specify rotation angles around the z axis and around the x axis.
View depth Every view has depth, which is the thickness of the displayed slice of model. You can define the depth separately upwards and downwards from the view plane. The objects within the displayed depth and the work area are visible in the model. However, objects created after the view are visible also outside the view depth
Defining grid view properties
Number of views

Grid views are views along the grid lines. Before creating grid views, you can define how many views Tekla Structures will create, how it will name the views, and which view properties it will use.

There are four options for the number of views:

•      None Tekla Structures does not create any views.

•      One (First) Tekla Structures only creates the view closest to the grid origin.

•      One (Last) Tekla Structures only creates the view furthest from the grid origin.

•      All Tekla Structures creates all views in grid planes in the relevant direction.

View names consist of a prefix and a grid label, e.g. +3000. If the View name prefix field is left empty, no prefix is used. Tekla Structures adds a dash and a running number to the view name if view names are otherwise identical.

Each view plane has its own view properties. You can load the properties from the current view properties with the option or from saved view properties. The Show… button displays the view properties.

View name prefix
View properties
Creating and modifying views
Creating

When you create a new model, you can select the Create default view and grid checkbox to have Tekla Structures automatically create a grid and a view according to the saved standard properties.

To create views, use the commands on the View menu. The following table lists the commands for creating views and gives a short description of each one:

Command Icon Description
Create View of Model > 3D View… Displays the Create 3D View dialog box and creates a 3D view.
Create View of Model > Using Two Points

Create View of Model > Using Three Points

Creates a view using two picked points.

Creates a view using three picked points.

Create View of Model > On Work Plane Creates a view of the current work plane.
Command Icon Description
Create View of Model > Along Grid Lines…

■&

Displays the Creation of Views Along Grid Lines dialog box and creates views along the grid lines of a selected grid.
Create View of Model > On Part Plane Creates a view on the front, top, back or bottom plane of the selected part.
Create View of Part > 3D View

‘-

Creates a 3D view of the selected part.
Create View of Part > Default Views

y

Creates four basic views of the part.

Create View of Part > Undeformed View Creates a view that shows a deformed part in undeformed form.
Create View of Component > 3D View

Creates a 3D view of the component.

Create View of Component > Default Views

»

Creates four basic views of the component.
Modifying To modify a view, double-click anywhere on the plain background. The View Properties dialog box appears and you can modify the properties.
Opening, closing, and deleting named views
To view and open the existing named views, do one of the following:

•      Click 1-= .

•      Click View > View List… to display the Views dialog box.

Tekla Structures lists all invisible named views on the left, and all visible views on the right.

To display or hide views, select the view(s) and use the arrows between the lists. You can also double-click a view in the Views dialog box to open or close it.

To select multiple views on lists, use the Shift and Ctrl keys when you select views. To deselect views, hold down the Ctrl key.

To delete a named view, select the view and click Delete.

Refreshing the screen display
Active window           To update and display the contents of an active window, do one of the following:

•     Press Ctrl+U.

•      Right-click, then select Update Window.

•      Click View > Zoom > Active Window > Update.

All windows                To update the contents of all windows, click View > Update All. You can also use View >

Redraw All to recalculate and redraw the contents of all the windows.

Click Window > Close All to close all the windows on the screen at the same time.

Getting Started
2.4 Points
Introduction To place an object in a model you may need to pick points. To place an object where no lines or objects intersect, you have the following options to place objects:

•     Use snapping commands.

•     Use construction planes, lines and circles

•     Create points.

There are many ways to create points in Tekla Structures. Which method is the most convenient at each time, depends on what you have already created in the model and which locations you can easily pick.

When you create points, Tekla Structures always places them according to the work plane coordinate system. Points located in the view plane are yellow and points outside the view plane are red.

Point properties
To view the properties of a point, double-click the point or click Tools > Inquire > Object and select the point.

Phase and ID              Just like any other object, each point has an ID number which is used in log files. Points and

parts have phase numbers. You can filter objects by their phase and ID numbers.

Coordinates               The point information you are most probably interested in is the local (work plane) and global

x, y, and z coordinates of a point. Checking them convinces you of the correct location of the point or some other object related to it.

Creating points

To create points, use the icons on the Points toolbar, or select a command from Modeling > Add Points. The following table lists the commands for creating points and gives a short description of each one:

Command Icon Description
Along Extension of Two Points Creates points as an extension of a line between two picked points.
Parallel to Two Points

:^

Creates two offset points, parallel to a line, between two picked points. This command also creates construction lines showing offset distances.
On Line

‘S

Creates points which divide a line.
Command Icon Description
On Plane… Displays the Point Array dialog box and creates a point array relative to the current work plane.
Projected Points on Line Projects a picked point onto a picked line.
Using Center and Arc Points V. Creates points along an arc.
Using Three Arc Points Creates points as an extension of an arc defined by three picked points.
Tangent to Circle Creates a point where a circle and a line meet tangentially.
At Intersection > Of Two Lines Creates a point at the intersection of two lines.
At Intersection > Of Plane and Line •£. Creates a point where a line intersects with a plane.
At Intersection > Of Part and Line Creates points where a line intersects with a part surface.
At Intersection > Of Circle and Line \d Creates points where a circle and a line intersect.
At Intersection > Of Two Part Axes 4

Creates a point where the axes of two parts intersect, and projects the point onto the view plane.

At Any Position Creates a point to any position you pick.
Bolt Points ■B= Creates points at the bolt center points of the picked bolt groups.
Grid Points !# Creates points at the intersections of grid lines on the view plane.

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