38572761-TeklaStructureStart-upGuide

Tekla Structures Start-up Guide Tekla Structures 16.0

Tekla Corporation Headquarters Metsänpojankuja 1 P.O.Box 1 FI-02131 Espoo FINLAND

Tel. +358 30 661 10 Fax +358 30 661 1500

Trade Reg. 183.128 Business Identity Code 0196634-1 Domicile: Espoo

Table of Contents

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Table of Contents 1.

Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Tekla Structures Help ............................................................................................................ 4 1.2 Extranet ................................................................................................................................. 4 1.3 Release Notes & Administrator’s Guide ................................................................................. 4 2. For the IT-administrator ................................................................................................................ 5 2.1 Installation requirements ........................................................................................................ 5 2.2 Installing Tekla Structures ...................................................................................................... 6 2.2.1 Centralized installation of Tekla Structures ..................................................................... 7 2.3 Installing license server .......................................................................................................... 7 2.3.1 Monitoring license usage ................................................................................................ 9 2.4 Installing multi-user server ................................................................................................... 10 2.5 Upgrading ............................................................................................................................ 11 2.6 Folder structure.................................................................................................................... 11 3. For the Tekla Structures Administrator ........................................................................................ 13 3.1 Customizing Tekla Structures .............................................................................................. 13 3.1.1 Overview of environments, roles and licenses .............................................................. 13 3.1.2 Before starting customizing ........................................................................................... 14 3.1.3 Folder structure............................................................................................................. 14 3.1.4 Project and firm folder ................................................................................................... 19 3.1.5 Search order ................................................................................................................. 20 3.1.6 Initialization files............................................................................................................ 20 3.1.7 Setting advanced options in ini files .............................................................................. 22 3.1.8 Creating shortcuts......................................................................................................... 23 3.1.9 Bypassing login screen ................................................................................................. 24 3.1.10 User-defined attributes.................................................................................................. 25 3.2 Tekla environment settings .................................................................................................. 26 3.2.1 Common settings .......................................................................................................... 26 3.2.2 Country-specific settings ............................................................................................... 26 3.3 Company settings ................................................................................................................ 26 3.3.1 Model templates ........................................................................................................... 26 3.3.2 Customizing reports and drawings ................................................................................ 27 3.3.3 Cloning templates drawings .......................................................................................... 27 3.4 Project settings .................................................................................................................... 28 3.5 Multi-user settings................................................................................................................ 30 4. Where to find more information? ................................................................................................. 32

Recommended additional reading that can be found on extranet.tekla.com      

Tekla Structures Installation Guide 16.0 (Under Product > Version downloads > 16.0) FLEXnet Licensing User Guide (Under Product > Licensing) TeklaStructures Hardware recommendation 16.0 (Under Product > Hardware info) How to Run xs_server as a Service (Under Self learning > Questions & Answers > “Is it possible to run the multi-user server as a service”) Administrator’s Upgrade Guide from 15.0 to 16.0 ((Under Product > Version downloads > 16.0) Centralized distribution of Tekla Structures (Under Self learning > Questions & Answers > “Centralized distribution (administrative installation) of Tekla Structures”)

[Document type] © Tekla Corporation [Date]

Tekla Structures

Start-up Guide [Subject]

Table of Contents


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Tekla Structures


1 Introduction

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1. Introduction This guide describes how to take Tekla Structures into use and how to customize it to meet the needs of your company and projects. The guide is divided into two main parts; the first part is aimed for the IT-administrator who takes care of the installation and the second part is aimed for the Tekla Structures administrator. Tekla provides documentation on how Tekla Structures works and how it can be customized, see Tekla Structures Help and Tekla Extranet > Self learning > Manuals & instructions.

1.1 Tekla Structures Help Tekla Structures includes complete documentation in an accessible help system. The online help is a detailed guide to Tekla Structures concepts, tools, commands, and features, with plenty of examples. Use the F1 key to access the online help. If you have a dialog box open, Tekla Structures takes you straight to the related topic. The help is also available when Tekla Structures is not running. Go to Windows Start Menu > Tekla Structures > Documentation to open Tekla Structures Help. We strongly recommend that you use the online help when localizing Tekla Structures. Note that when you have found something useful in the online help, you can add the topic to your favorites by going to the Favorites tab and clicking the Add button.

The README pdf in Windows Start Menu > Tekla Structures > Documentation is a one page document containing very useful information.

1.2 Extranet Tekla Extranet is a support platform for all our customers who have purchased software maintenance. The latest versions of Tekla Structures, support material, training materials, extensions, applications, components, discussion forum, etc can be found in the Tekla Extranet: http://extranet.tekla.com

1.3 Release Notes & Administrator’s Guide Release Notes and Administrator’s Guide are released for each new version of Tekla Structures. These documents contain very useful information when upgrading to a newer version of Tekla Structures. Release Notes contains all the information about changes, new features and fixed features. From version 13.1 onwards to version 15.0, Administrator’s Guide are attached to the Release Notes. From version 16.0 onwards, Administrator’s Guide is a separate document that can be found from the Tekla Extranet. Administrator’s Guide contains useful information on how to localize the new features.


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2 For the IT-administrator

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2. For the IT-administrator There are 3 main ways to install Tekla Structures on a workstation; from the DVD, download from the Extranet, or centralized installation through MSI installation. In addition to installing Tekla Structures on the local workstation, you also need to install a license server. If you only use one license of Tekla Structures, you can install the license server on the same computer as Tekla Structures. If your company has more than one Tekla Structures license, you are recommended to install the multiuser server. The multiuser server enables many users to work at the same model simultaneously.

2.1 Installation requirements Operating system The installation requires that the operating system of the target computer is one of the following: o

Windows 7

o

Windows Vista

o

Windows XP

If the operating system is none of these, the installation is cancelled. The installation also requires that Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 is installed on the target computer. Installation of .NET Framework 2.0 is included in the Tekla Structures installation package and executed if needed. Tekla Structures 64-bit 64-bit Tekla Structures is able to utilize all the memory provided by the hardware and the operating system while the 32-bit technology has the limitation of 3 GB in memory usage. 64-bit Tekla Structures can handle considerably bigger models than before. 32-bit Tekla Structures can be run on a 64-bit operating system in the 32-bit mode. If you want to fully utilize the improved capability of handling considerably bigger models, you need to have: 

64-bit Tekla Structures 15.0 or 16.0



64-bit Windows operating system



Drivers and hardware that have 64-bit support



As much RAM as your hardware and operating system is able to support

With the 64-bit version of Tekla Structures 15/16 we recommend using 64-bit Windows Vista or Windows 7 operating system instead of 64-bit Windows XP due to better driver support.


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Hardware recommendations For information on hardware, see Tekla Structures 16.0 Hardware recommendations document that is located on the Extranet under Product > Hardware info.

2.2 Installing Tekla Structures When installing Tekla Structures we recommend you go to the Tekla Extranet and download the latest Service Release of Tekla Structures. There are two kinds of version updates: o

Service Releases (SR), which include fixes to errors found in the latest Final version or previous versions. Usually Service Releases do not contain new functionality. SRs are available for all users with a valid maintenance contract. We recommend all users to install the latest SR.

o

Progress versions, e.g. 15.0.1, which include some features or fixes for specific user groups, for example offshore structures detailers. Progress versions always include the fixes of the previous SR (if SR is released). Progress versions can be installed on top of SR/Final. Note that after installing a progress version, you cannot install an SR on top of it. When a new SR is released, a new progress version is also released to offer the fixes in the SR to progress version users. Progress versions are available for specific user groups that test the features or fixes before they are released to all users in the next main version. Progress versions are only meant for a small specific user group. Do not use them unless you really need the fixes or features. It is not possible to install a Service Release on top of a Progress version.

Tekla Structures installation must be done with administrative privileges. When installation is done in a centralized way to the client computers, end users do not necessary need administrator rights.

For more information on installing Tekla Structures 16.0, see the Tekla Structures Installation 16.0 Guide, located on Extranet under Product > Download versions > 16.0.


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2.2.1 Centralized installation of Tekla Structures Installing Tekla Structures software and environments one by one on each user’s computer might be a time consuming task in large companies. Therefore, Tekla Structures is often installed in a centralized manner across company workstations by using MSI packages. Detailed information on how centralized installation of Tekla Structures is carried out in practice can be found in Tekla Extranet under Self learning > Questions & answers > “Centralized distribution (administrative installation) of Tekla Structures” 2.3 Installing license server The FLEXnet licensing system Tekla Structures uses a licensing system called FLEXnet Publisher License Management (FLEXnet), a system provided by Acresso Software. This means that neither hardware locks nor passwords are required. Instead, a floating license system is used where the license is stored on a license server. When the user starts up Tekla Structures, the program checks for an available license from the server and uses that. When the user exits Tekla Structures, the license becomes available for other users. If the user works offline, he can borrow a license from the server and then return it later. In an activation-based licensing system you need to: 

Install and set up a license server on a computer.



Activate your licenses.



Point each client computer with Tekla Structures to the license server.

Operating system The FLEXnet licensing system for Tekla Structures is designed to work in Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Servers, and VMware ESX Server. Linux or UNIXbased servers are not supported. More detailed information on how to set up the license server, and other useful information on the FLEXnet system can be found in the documents provided with the installation or in the Tekla Extranet. The following documents are available: 

Tekla Structures FLEXnet Licensing User Guide contains specific instructions on how to install and manage the Tekla Structures license server.



FLEXnet License Administration Guide by Acresso Software is a general guide that contains, for example, instructions on how to create user groups and manage access rights.

Remember to take a back up of your license entitlements!


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Using multiple license servers in one company You may want to spread your license pool on several servers in your company. You may have offices in different cities, each office with its own license server, or you may simply want to divide the license pool in case there is server downtime.

You can divide your total license entitlement on several servers simply by activating, for example, half of your licenses on one server and half of the licenses on another server. This way, if there is a maintenance break on one of the servers, you can advise your users to obtain the license from the other server. You can also configure Tekla Structures to check licenses from several servers: 1. In Tekla Structures go to Tools > Change License Server…. 2. In the Server address field, give the port@host addresses of the license servers separated with a semicolon. 3. Click OK. The updates will take place the next time you start Tekla Structures.

Defining several license servers may slow down the starting of Tekla Structures. Therefore, we do not recommend defining more than two servers in the Connect to License Server dialog box.


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2.3.1 Monitoring license usage You can monitor the usage of Tekla Structures in your company based on the licensing information. A tool for monitoring license usage is called LMTOOLS, and it is delivered with Tekla Structures License Server. To view which licenses are currently in use, you need to have administrator rights and take the following steps on your license server. 1. Run LMTOOLS from Start > All Programs > Tekla Structures Licensing > LMTOOLS. 2. On the Utilities tab, define which license server you want to monitor. Type tekla in the Vendor Name field and your license server port@host definition in the Path field. 3. Click Override Path. 4. On the Server Status tab, click Perform Status Enquiry. You will now receive a listing of how many licenses and which configurations are activated on the server, and how many of the licenses are in use at the moment of enquiry.

The Status Enquiry functionality uses abbreviations of Tekla Structures configurations. You can find the description of the abbreviations in your entitlement certificate or in Tekla Structures License Administration Tool. You can find a comprehensive description of the Status Enquiry syntax in Tekla Structures FLEXnet Licensing User Guide, chapter 8.5, Server Status tab.

Tekla Structures users with no administrator rights can also check how many licenses of which configuration are available on the server by using the LMTOOLS included in the installation. Start the program by double-clicking on the Imtools.exe in …\Tekla Structures\16.0\nt\License and


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follow the steps above.

2.4 Installing multi-user server When more than one user is working in a project, you should install the multi-user server to enable this. The multi-user model consists of a single master model. Each user can access this model and open a local view of the model. This local view is called a working model. The image below shows one possible configuration of the multi-user system. Any changes a user makes to the working model are local and not visible to other users until the working model is saved to the master model. The multi-user system can contain several client computers, where users work on their working models. The master model can be located anywhere in the network, including any of the client computers.

The multi-user server is a separate installation that is available in the Tekla Extranet and on the installation DVD. A Tekla Structures multi-user system runs on a TCP/IP network and consists of: 

A server computer running xs_server.exe



A file server computer containing the master model



Client computers running Tekla Structures

For instructions on how to install the multi-user server see the Tekla Extranet and: 

Installation Troubleshooting Guide, Tekla Structures 15.0



Installation Guide, Tekla Structures 16.0


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For information on how to run the multi-user server as a service, see the How to Run xs_server as a Service guide in the Extranet See also Tekla Structures Help, System > Multi-user mode for information on the multiuser server.

2.5 Upgrading If you already have an older version of Tekla Structures installed on the computer, you can use the Migration Wizard to copy the personal settings to the new version. With the Migration Wizard you can choose to copy any of the following settings and values: •

user.ini file

•

Registry values, such as: 

Toolbars



Dialog boxes



General options

When you customize Tekla Structures (that is, add or change drawing or report templates, catalog entries, etc.), we recommend that you create project and firm folders for customized files. This is a useful technique if you want to store the files for future use, or want to retain them when you install a new release. Tekla Structures does not replace files in the project and firm folders when you install a new release, so you retain your customized files without having to copy and paste, or export and import from previous versions. If you have not set up project and firm folders yet, this is a good time to do so as it makes upgrading faster and easier. If you have customized previous versions without using firm or project folders, you will need to transfer the customized information to Tekla Structures 15.0. We strongly recommend that you now use firm or project folders. Working through the following questions will help you transfer all the information you need. Always test that the old company settings work before taking a new version of Tekla Structures into use. You can also run the Migration Wizard later by running the MigrationWizard.exe that is located in C:\TeklaStructures\15.0\nt\bin\applications\tekla\Migrations\

2.6 Folder structure Folder structure on local computer See chapter 3.1.3 for information on how the folder structure on the local computer is set up.


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Company folder structure We recommend using a central file folder for storing the models and setup files for the company-specific settings and the project-specific settings. Tekla Structures then reads the settings from the central file server. When then upgrading to a new Tekla Structures version or updating for example the company logo, files only need to be replaced in one place. This way taking backups and upgrading is easier. See chapter 3.1.4 for information on how the firm and project folders are used. See Tekla Structures Help, System > Files and Folders > Folders for more information. Backup Like all valuable information and work your company is storing, it is also important to take backups of the model folders, firm and project settings. If your company has a system for taking automatic scheduled backups, schedule your system to take the backups at night time, outside working hours to prevent any possible conflicts in the model. Do not forget to also have a backup of the license entitlements! Virus protection Virus protection software has sometimes caused problems with saving models and drawings to the model folder. These problems may occur especially if you have your model saved on a network drive. We strongly recommend you to add Tekla Structures into the “safe list” of your antivirus system, and to set up your virus protection in a way that actions in your model folder are not blocked or scanned.


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3 For the Tekla Structures Administrator

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3. For the Tekla Structures Administrator Tekla Structures administrator is the person responsible for seeing to that the company standards are used and set up in Tekla Structures. The following sections explain how you can customize Tekla Structures.

3.1 Customizing Tekla Structures Each new version of Tekla Structures introduces new features and functionalities to improve the overall process used to complete a project. Tekla Structures has different environments to suit the needs and requirements of specific markets. Many features are localized in each Tekla Structures version. Most of the changes in versions are focused on making the default saved attributes more consistent, organized, simplified, and practical. Your local technical team is dedicated to improving your knowledge and experience of each new version. The team aims at enhancing your user experience of Tekla Structures by performing tasks that have been identified as essential by existing users (through the Helpdesk), new users (through our training class) and potential users (through demonstrations). The overall localization of Tekla Structures can be divided into four different layers: 

Tekla environment



Company-level settings



Project-level settings



Multi-user settings

The three last ones are managed inside the company. Setting up the standards the company uses and the standards that a specific project needs will make the designing process much more efficient as the end user can concentrate on the design process.

3.1.1 Overview of environments, roles and licenses Tekla Structures is one product that has many different configurations. The licenses you have determine which configurations you can use. The environment is set up to use the material, grades, profiles, drawing settings, component settings, ini settings etc that are used in a specific market. By choosing a specific environment when starting Tekla Structures you get the settings for that market. When installing Tekla Structures you can select the environments you want to use, environment can also be added later. There are 30 different environments in Tekla Structures.


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Some environments also give you the opportunity to choose a role when logging in. The role is independent from the licenses that are used. The purpose of the roles is to make the user interface and settings clearer, easier and faster for the type of work the user is performing. In practice this means that settings, filters, reports and the user interface is set up for the role the user has. For example, preloaded settings in a property dialog box not relevant for the role are not shown making the list of options shorter and clearer. Role selection is primarily meant to be configured by Tekla and reseller localization personnel, and be part of Tekla Structures installation package. However, advanced users and Tekla Structures system administrators can also create their own roles inside their company organization.

3.1.2 Before starting customizing Before you start customizing Tekla Structures to suit the needs of your company and your projects, collect the needed information, such as drawing standards, used profiles, grades and materials, company logos, naming conventions etc.

3.1.3 Folder structure Local folder structure up to version 15.0 Tekla Structures creates two new folders on the local hard drive; C:\TeklaStructures and C:\TeklaStructuresModels. The first one is the location for the program files for all versions of Tekla Structures that you have installed. The folder TeklaStructuresModels is the default folder for storing your models.


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In the program folder TeklaStructures there is a separate folder for each of the versions you have installed. All the environments that are installed can be found in the environments folder. In addition to the environments that you have installed, there is one folder named common and another folder named default in the environments folder. The default environment is a general environment that is not tied to any specific country. The folder common stores files that are used by almost all environments. All the settings used by one environment are located in the folder of that environment or in the common folder if the settings are more or less the same in all environments. The structure of the content of the environments can vary between different environments, but they all contain more or less the same things: profiles, templates, setup files, macros, custom components etc. Local folder structure from version 16.0 onwards From Tekla Structures 16.0 onwards the software and environments are separated into different locations due to the requirements for Windows certification. Depending on the operating system the NEW default folder structure is now:


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For Windows XP



Software is installed under the .../Program files/TeklaStructures folder.



Environments are installed under the …/Documents and Settings/All users/Application data/TeklaStructures folder.



User settings are in the …/Documents and Settings/username//Application data/TeklaStructures folder.


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Windows Vista






Environments are installed under the …/ProgramData /TeklaStructures folder.



User settings are in the …/Users/username/AppData/Local/TeklaStructures folder.


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Windows 7






Environments are installed under the …/ProgramData /TeklaStructures folder.



User settings are in the …/Users/username/AppData/Local/TeklaStructures folder. If you have an earlier version of Tekla Structures installed on your computer before installing version 16.0, the installation will by default be done according to the old existing structure.


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3.1.4 Project and firm folder Project and firm folders are for customized files. For any company with more than a few users of Tekla Structures we strongly recommend setting up project and/or firm folders on a shared file server accessible to all users. Having the hierarchy of project and firm folders will make updating company settings, seeing to that everyone use the same settings in a project, and upgrading to a newer version of Tekla Structures much easier. All the settings that are used on the company level (for example, company logo, drawing standards) should be stored in a firm folder and all the settings used on a specific project should be stored in the corresponding project folder. Property files are always saved in the attributes folder under the current model folder, for example, ..\TeklaStructuresModels\my_building\attributes. These files should then be copied to the project or the firm folder.

To use the saved settings in a firm and a project folder, set the path to the folder by using the advanced options XS_PROJECT and XS_FIRM. These advanced options should be put in the initialization files (see chapter 3.1.6). You can have several different .ini files. You can define in the shortcut to Tekla Structures which .ini files to run and which settings to apply. Tekla Structures does not replace files in the project and firm folders when you install a new release, so you retain your customized files without having to cut and paste, or export and import from previous versions. This makes upgrading to a newer version of Tekla Structures easier. By storing files in just one place it is also easier to update the settings and see to that everyone in a project is using the same settings.

Example: In the current project, 123_project_ABC, you have set up the properties for the concrete column and saved them as column_ABC. To make these saved settings available for everyone working in project 123_project_ABC, copy the column_ABC.ccl from the attributes folder in the model folder to the project folder 123_project_ABC on your file server. Make sure that everyone in the project has the correct path for their XS_PROJECT advanced option in the .ini file. For more information, see Tekla Structures Help, System > Files and Folders > Folders > Project and firm folders. For information on file extensions, see Tekla Structures Help, System > Files and Folders > File types and functions > File extensions.


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3.1.5 Search order When you open a model, Tekla Structures searches for the associated files in specific folders in a set order. It is important that you locate files in the correct folders. Once Tekla Structures finds the associated files, it stops searching. This means that files that have the same name but are located lower down the search order are ignored. The folder search order is:

Folder

Defined by

Current model Open model Project

XS_PROJECT

Firm

XS_FIRM

System

XS_SYSTEM

You can define more than one system folder. To do this, enter the file paths of the folders separated by semicolons as the value for the advanced option (for example, C:\ProgramData\Tekla Structures\\usimp\system_steel; C:\ProgramData\Tekla Structures\\usimp\system_common). There are some exceptions from this search order. The exceptions are listed in Tekla Structures Help, System -> Files and Folders -> Folders-> Folders search order. For information about the search order for binary files (material catalog, profile catalog, bolt catalog and bolt assembly catalog) see Tekla Structures Help, System > Files and Folders > File types and functions > Profiles > Binary files.

Do not store customized files in the system folder. Tekla Structures may replace these files when you install a new release.

3.1.6 Initialization files Initialization files Initialization files are used to launch Tekla Structures. They can contain many variables that you can use to configure Tekla Structures for different standards and your own style of working. Tekla Structures automatically creates the necessary initialization files during installation. The number of initialization files it creates depends on how many countryspecific environments you choose to install. Why are .ini files needed? There are numerous of settings to be made when Tekla Structures starts. Advanced options are used to determine the appearance and the behavior of Tekla Structures, for example, the language used, behavior of part marks on drawings, and the location of your


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model folder. The advanced options are set through the initialization files. The different .ini files and what they do, and how they are related to each other are described below. Different types of initialization files The file teklastructures.ini in the bin folder starts Tekla Structures. We recommend that you do not make any changes to this file. env_.ini is located in the environments subfolder and it contains all the environment-specific settings. These files are set by your area office or reseller. role_.ini is located in the environments subfolder and it contains the specific settings for a chosen role. For example the role_Engineer.ini in /environments/uk/ folder contains all the settings for the Engineering role for the UK environment. lang_enu.ini is the initialization file for the settings for the English language and it is located with the other installed languages in the nt/bin/ folder. user.ini is the file where your personal settings are saved. The advanced options in user.ini override those in other ini files. For example, if you have set the same advanced option in an .ini file in a file in the environments subfolder and the user.ini file, Tekla Structures uses the value in the user.ini file. The user.ini is located in the /nt folder.

Initialization file reading order The default reading order for the initialization files is as shown in the image above: 1. teklastructures.ini Initializes the settings needed for Tekla Structures to run. 2. env_global_default.ini Sets the global default settings. 3. environment.ini Sets the environment-specific settings.


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4. role.ini Sets the settings specified for the selected role. 5. user.ini Sets the settings specified by the user. 6. options.ini Sets the settings specified for the company/project/model. If there are settings for the same advanced option, the later setting overrules the previous one. This means that settings in user.ini overrule the settings in env_global_default.ini, which then can be overruled by options.ini. We recommend that you make all your customizations in the user.ini file, which is located in the ..\TeklaStructures\ 15.0\nt\bin folder. This way the customizations are kept when you install the next version of Tekla Structures.

For useful information on the initialization files see Tekla Structures Help, System > Files and Folders > Initialization files.

3.1.7 Setting advanced options in ini files About advanced options Tekla Structures contains two kinds of advanced options, user-specific advanced options and system-specific advanced options. User-specific advanced options set your personal preferences, for example the appearance of the Tekla Structures window. Tekla Structures saves user-specific advanced option settings in the options_.ini file, located in the TeklaStructures\*version\nt\bin folder. options.ini contains the settings for system-specific advanced options. It is located in the current model folder. To share your settings with other people, copy options.ini to the system, project or firm folder. Setting advanced options The .ini files are plain text files that can be edited with a text editor, for example Notepad. You can also use Tools > Options > Advanced Options in Tekla Structures. The settings will then be saved in the options.ini in the model folder for the model that you have open. The settings can then easily be copy-pasted into another .ini file. We recommend that you only use one of these methods to set advanced options. The settings in the Advanced Options dialog box override those in the initialization files. To set an advanced option in the user.ini file: 1. Locate the advanced option in the ..\TeklaStructures\*version*\nt\bin\user.ini file. Check that it is set and has the value you want to use. 2. If it is has, you can stop here. 3. To change or add the advanced option, continue to step 4.


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4. Right-click the ..\TeklaStructures\*version*\nt\bin\user.ini file in Windows Explorer and click Open with.... Select a standard text editor from the list of available programs. 5. On a new line, type set, then the name of the advanced option followed by its value in a single line. 6. Tekla Structures only reads lines in the initialization file that start with set, for example, set XS_DIR=C:\TeklaStructures\15.0. 7. Save user.ini. Restart Tekla Structures to activate the advanced option.

3.1.8 Creating shortcuts To use the correct .ini files for a specific project the easiest way is to create a shortcut for the project on the desktop. Shortcuts are used to start teklastructures.exe with defined initializations. Tekla Structures installation automatically creates shortcuts for the selected environments. To create a project-specific shortcut: 1. Make a copy of the default shortcut. In the Windows Start menu, go to All Programs > Tekla Structures > Tekla Structures and right-click. 2. Select Copy from the pop-up menu. 3. Paste the shortcut to your desktop. 4. Select the shortcut and right-click. 5. Select Properties... from the pop-up menu. 6. Modify the Target of the shortcut by adding the required project initializations to it.


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You can use the following parameters in shortcuts:  

-i InitializationFile: Initialization file to be read during startup, for example: -i \\MyServer\MyProject\Project1.ini. You can repeat this parameter as many times as you need. ModelToBeOpened: Full path to the model to be opened automatically.

Ini files tell where things can be found and in which order, depending on the folder structure that the company has set up. For more information on the topic, see Tekla Structures Help, System > Files and Folders > Initialization files > Structure > Creating shortcuts.

3.1.9 Bypassing login screen If you want to bypass the login dialog box, use a separate .ini file, where you set the following three new advanced options: 

 

XS_DEFAULT_LICENSE The advanced option has the following options: o o o o o o o o o o o o

STEEL_DETAILING PRECAST_CONCRETE_DETAILING FULL PROJECT_MANAGEMENT CONSTRUCTION_MANAGEMENT VIEWER DRAFTER ENGINEERING REINFORCED_CONCRETE_DETAILING STEEL_DETAILING_LIMITED EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPER

XS_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT This advanced option points to the environment specific .ini file, for example C:\TeklaStructures\15.0\environments\usimp\env_usimp.ini XS_DEFAULT_ROLE This advanced option points to the role specific .ini file, for example C:\TeklaStructures\15.0\environments\ usimp\ role_Steel_Detailer.ini

To be able to set these advanced options, you can use the new parameter for the shortcut: -I (capital i). This points to an additional initialization file to be read BEFORE reading the environment ini. For example.: -I C:\TeklaStructures\Bypass.ini Example content of such an .ini file: set XS_DEFAULT_LICENSE=FULL set XS_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT=C:\TeklaStructures\15.0\environments\usimp\ env_US_imperial.ini set XS_DEFAULT_ROLE=C:\TeklaStructures\15.0\environments\usimp\role_Steel_ Detailer.ini


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3.1.10 User-defined attributes User-defined attributes are attributes set to an object in a model or a drawing. These userdefined attributes can be used for many purposes; they can be used in filters, drawings, reports, export, import, fabrication, erection, revision handling etc.

You can create your own user-defined attributes that you need in your company or for a specific project. The user-defined attributes can be numbers, text, lists, or dates. They can be set to be unique for an object or allowed to be copied; they can also be ignored by numbering or affect numbering. The user-defined attributes are defined by objects.inp files. These files are located in different folders (following the Tekla Structure folder setup) and they are merged together during startup. The objects.inp file reads attributes in order from the folders listed in the table below starting with the model folder: Folder defined by advanced option Model Project Firm System inp

XS_PROJECT XS_FIRM XS_SYSTEM XS_INP

(current model folder) (your defined project folder) (your defined firm folder) (your defined …) (your defined …)

The files are merged so that if there are user-defined attributes in any of the files, they are displayed in the user interface. Tekla Structures merges the files in a way that eliminates duplicate attributes. If Tekla Structures encounters the same attribute name in different objects.inp files, the attribute from the first read objects.inp file will be used. There is an application in the Tekla Extranet, Part User Attribute Setup, that will help you create your own UDAs. The application can be found in the Tekla Extranet under Product > Extension downloads. A user manual is provided with the application. For more information about adding your own UDAs, see the Tekla Structures Help, System > Files and Folders > Customizing Tekla Structures > Adding properties.


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3.2 Tekla environment settings 3.2.1 Common settings In the folder C:/TeklaStructures/VersionNumber/environments (see chapter 3.1.3 for the location for version 16.0) there is a folder named common. All settings and files that are the same in all environments are located in this folder. Specific settings and files for an environment are then located in a separate environment folder. The env_global_default.ini file is also located in the common folder. This initialization file is the first one to be read and it determines the standard settings. Other initialization files are read after this file and if the same settings are made there, they will override the previous settings. For more information about initialization files see chapter 3.1.6.

3.2.2 Country-specific settings The country-specific settings are in the environments folder and they are localized by your local Tekla office/reseller. The folder structure of the different environments can vary but the same kind of settings exist. The settings that are localized are profile database, material database, reports, selection filters, view filters, components and custom components, macros, user-defined attributes, drawings settings etc. 3.3 Company settings Company-level settings are mainly settings that are used throughout the company for all projects. These settings are set using XS_SYSTEM and XS_FIRM. For a larger company with subsidiary offices the settings can be used as follows: XS_SYSTEM (can have more than one path) points to general settings inside the company. These can be company logo, reports, printer settings, drawing settings, templates. These are settings that very seldom change and that are stored on a server available for all. For example, if the company logo is updated it only has to be replaced in one place. XS_FIRM points to the firm folder set up by the company (or subsidiary office). The folder contains all the company settings used at that office. These can be logos, drawing settings, templates reports, printer settings, etc. XS_PROJECT points to the project folder. The folder contains project settings, such as logos for contractor & fabricator, drawing settings, etc. See chapter 3.1.5 for information on search order and Tekla Structures Help, System > Files and Folders > Folders.

3.3.1 Model templates You can save the desired settings in a model and use that model as a template when you create new models. This can be very useful if your company has projects of different kinds;


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parking garages, office buildings, bridges, industrial. These model templates can then be accessed when creating a new model.

When you create a model template, always start by creating a new empty model. This is because old models cannot be completely cleaned and they might contain quite a lot of information even if you delete all objects from the model. To create a model template: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Create a new model and give it a unique name. For example, Steel framework. Add the desired profiles, custom components, and so on, in the model. Save and close the model. Move the whole model folder in the location pointed by the advanced option XS_MODEL_TEMPLATE_DIRECTORY. By default, the advance option points to the folder ..\TeklaStructures\\environments\default\model_templ ates\ 5. In the new template model folder, open the TeklaStructuresModel.xml file using any standard text editor. 6. Set the element to TRUE. The default value is FALSE. 7. Save the file. 3.3.2 Customizing reports and drawings If your company already has graphical templates in DXF, DWG, or DGN format, you can convert these into Tekla Structures templates. For detailed instructions on how to do this see section 2 in the Tekla Structures Template Editor training manual. The manual can be found in the Tekla Extranet under Self learning > Manuals and instructions. The Tekla Structures Template Editor training manual also gives instructions on how to create your own templates.

3.3.3 Cloning templates drawings You should consider cloning drawings when: 

There are several similar parts, assemblies, or cast units in the model.



You need to produce single-part, assembly, or cast-unit drawings of similar parts, assemblies, or cast units.


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The drawings need a lot of manual editing.

For example, you can create a drawing for one truss, edit the drawing, and then clone it for similar trusses. Then you only need to modify the cloned drawings where the trusses differ. The cloned drawing may contain more parts than the original drawing. Part properties, marks, associative notes and related text objects are cloned from a similar part in the original drawing. Cloning template drawings With the new Master Drawing Catalog that was introduced in Tekla Structure 15.0 you can use a drawing as a cloning template. When a drawing is set as a cloning template in the Master Drawing Catalog it can also be used in other models. This can be used in projects that have same kind of drawings. To create cloning templates: 1. Select a drawing from the Drawing List. 2. Right-click and select Add to Master Drawing Catalog and then fill in the required properties. The cloning template can now be found under Cloning templates in the Master Drawing Catalog. The cloning templates can also be used in other models. To do this, open the Master Drawing Catalog in the model, click on the Select models where Cloning templates are collected icon and add the model where the templates are saved. For more information on the Master Drawing Catalog and cloning templates see Tekla Structures Help, Drawings > Introduction to Drawings > Creating Drawings > Creating drawings in Master Drawing Catalog or in the Tekla Structures Drawing Training Manual that can be found on Extranet under Self learning > Manuals and instructions.

3.4 Project settings Create your own component folder Normally only a few different connections and components are used in a project. To make sure that everyone in the project uses the same components and finds the components faster, we recommend you to create your own component folder. 1. Go to Detailing > Component > Component Catalog in the Tekla Structures menu bar. 2. Set the view to Folder (second icon from the left). 3. Right-click in the folder view and select Create New Folder. 4. Name the folder with e.g. the project name. You can also create subfolders in your project folder for different kinds of components. 5. Browse for the components you need in the project, right-click them, and select Copy. 6. Go to your project folder, right-click and select Paste. Do this to all the components you need. 7. The settings are now stored in the attributes folder in the current model folder with the name ComponentCatalogTreeView.txt. You can copy this file to your Project folder (see chapter 3.1.4) to be used by everyone in the project.


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For more information see Tekla Structures Help, Detailing > Getting Started > Component catalog > Using the component catalog.

Project properties At the beginning of a project you need to define project properties. This information is automatically used by reports and drawings. You can also update the project properties during the project. 1. Select File > Project Properties from the menu to open the Project Properties dialog box. 2. Fill in the project properties and click OK. Modifying reports and templates You can modify existing reports and templates or create your own templates by using the Template Editor in Tekla Structures. Go to Drawings & Reports > Template Editor… to open the tool. For more information on the Template Editor see the Tekla Structures Training Manual, Template Editor in the Extranet under Self learning > Manuals and instructions and Tekla Structures Help, Templates and Reports.

Setting up the printers The selection of drivers may be more limited within the 64-bit system than within the 32- bit system. Tekla Structures uses Windows drivers to write the print data directly to the Windows print device interface. There are two stages for setting up a print device in Tekla Structures. First, you need to add printer instances to the printer catalog. By default several printer instances are already defined. Second, you need point these printer instances to a specific Windows printer, either attached directly to your system, or available via a network. You will define the majority of print settings when you set up the print device. 1. Click File > Print > Printer Catalog... to open the Printer Catalog dialog box. 2. Click an existing printer instance that has similar settings to the one you want to create. We will use this as a template. 3. Type in a new printer instance (name) for the print device. 4. Click Add. 5. Click Browse... to access the Select Printer dialog box, which shows a list of the Windows printer drivers currently configured on your PC. Click a print device and then OK. 6. Choose a paper size. 7. Input the print area. 8. Use the Offset for print origin fields to move the drawing print origin, if necessary. 9. Use the Color list box to indicate a color or mono print device. 10. Click Color table to map pen size to the on screen line color. [Document type] © Tekla Corporation [Date]

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11. Click Update and then OK to exit the Printer Catalog dialog box. 12. Check Save changes to model folder in the Save Confirmation dialog box.

When saved, a file called plotdev.bin is saved to the current model folder. Move this file to the firm or project folder. Tekla Structures will find the file if the XS_FIRM or XS_PROJECT is correctly set. For more information see Tekla Structures Help, System > Drawings and printers. If you are using Windows 7, check that your printer drivers are compatible with Windows 7.

3.5 Multi-user settings You can work on Tekla Structures models in either single-user or multi-user mode. Multiuser mode allows several users to access the same model at the same time. Several users can work on the same project and be aware of the others’ progress. This eliminates the need for copying and merging models. How multi-user works The multi-user model consists of a single master model. Each user can access this model and open the user’s own local view of the model. This local view is called a working model. Any changes a user makes to the working model are local and not visible to other users until the working model is saved to the master model. The multi-user system can contain several client computers, where users work on their working models. The master model can be located anywhere in the network, including any of the client computers. When you open a multi-user model on a client computer, Tekla Structures makes a copy of the master model and saves it locally on the client computer (a working model).


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When you click Save to save your working model back to the master model, Tekla Structures: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Takes a new copy of the master model and compares your working model with it. Saves the changes in your working model to the copy of the master model (locally). Saves this copy back to the master model. (Other users can now see your changes.) Takes a new copy of the master model and saves it locally as your working model. (You can see your own changes and those uploaded by other users.)

The multi-user model is locked during opening, saving, and numbering. When one of the users performs any of these operations, other users cannot perform them during that time. All users should use the same settings (See chapter 3.1.4) and use the same version and service release of Tekla Structures.

Setting access rights to a model You can protect user-defined attributes using privileges. You can also protect your model and drawings from accidental changes using a lock attribute. Using the lock attribute and privileges together you can even restrict some users or organizations from modifying your model. For example, you can limit access to the model so that a checker can only change status attributes. Or you can prevent certain users from changing the user-defined attributes used for approval or manufacturing and erection status. To protect objects from being accidentally changed, you can use a user-defined attribute called a lock attribute. You can use it for parts (separately for beams, columns etc.), bolts, welds, specific drawing types, project properties, and phase properties. The lock attribute has two values, Yes and No. When set to Yes, the object is locked and you cannot modify its properties. You can only change the object’s user-defined attributes that do not affect numbering. If you try to modify a locked object, Tekla Structures shows the message There are locked objects, see report. The operation could not be performed. and a report on access rights. To add the lock attribute to the user interface, you need to add the following line in the object’s section in the objects.inp: attribute("OBJECT_LOCKED", "Locked:", option,"%s", none, none, "0.0", "0.0") { value("No", 1) value("Yes", 0) }

For more information see Tekla Structures Help, System > Multi-user mode.


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4. Where to find more information? Tekla Structures Help Tekla Structures Help contains information on how Tekla Structures works and instructions for using and setting up the program. We recommend you to always check the Help first – that will save you a lot of time. Extranet Tekla Extranet contains more in depth manuals, instructions and guides on different topics. There are also tools, extensions, Q&A, videos etc. that will expand your Tekla Structures experience. Release Notes and Administrator’s Guide In Administrator’s Guide that is published with each version of Tekla Structures there is a lot of information about how to customize and take the newest features in Tekla Structures into use. Release Notes describes what is new in each release of Tekla Structures. By reading Release Notes you can make sure that you are on the leading edge. Discussion forum Tekla Structures discussion forum in the Extranet is a useful way to share experiences, ask questions, and take part in advanced user’s knowledge. Attend training To use Tekla Structures to its full potential we strongly recommend users to attend training courses held by your local Tekla office/reseller. Your local help desk If you are on maintenance, you can e-mail or phone your local help desk for help. If you are running Tekla Structures, go to Help > Online Support > Mail to support…


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