View properties in drawings

In drawing view properties, you can check and modify the view properties.

All drawing view properties are described here. The view properties shown in the drawing property pane differ to some extent from the view properties that you open through the drawing properties dialog boxes or drawing ribbon, and the properties may be named differently.

View properties in property pane

You can use the view properties in the property pane to quickly modify the properties for the views you have selected in an open drawing or for the views that you are going to create using the commands on the Views tab, or to load predefined view properties, for example.

To open drawing view properties in the drawing property pane:

In an open drawing, click a drawing view frame. If the drawing property pane is not open, double-click the view frame. Double-clicking the frame also opens the view properties dialog box, which has more properties available.
In the drawing property pane object list, select View.

All the view properties that are available in the drawing property pane are described below.

For more information about drawing properties on different levels, see Different levels of setting up and modifying drawing properties.


Setting	Description
Save, load and search properties in property pane	To load existing properties, select the properties from the list. To save the modified properties, click . You can also save the properties with another name. To search for a property, start typing the property name.
Size and placing
Scale	Set the view scale.
Size	Fit by parts: Tekla Structures fits the view contents in the drawing view frame without leaving any unnecessary space. Define as distances: Depth down/Depth up defines the view size along the x and y axes of the view. X min / X max and Y min / Y max define the depth of the view relative to and perpendicular to the view plane.
View extension for neighbor parts	Enter a value by which to extend the view so that neighbor parts are shown. For more information, see Show neighbor parts in drawings.
Reflected view	Display load bearing structures, such as columns and beams on a lower floor. If you select this option, structures are displayed with a continuous line, and if you do not select this option, structures are displayed with a dashed line.
Rotation around X or Y	Modify the view angle of 3D views. Enter the values for the angles in Y and X directions. Rotation in a drawing view is around the local axis. Value 0.0 for both equals the front view.
Place	Set the placing for the drawing view to be fixed or free: Fixed: Maintain the views in the same location during updates. Free: Let Tekla Structures find a suitable place for the view during updates. For more information, see "Define automatic free or fixed placement for drawing views".
Part representation
Cut parts	If parts are very long and do not include any details, you can shorten them. Yes activates shortening. You can also select to cut Only in x direction or Only in y direction. For more information, see "Shorten parts in drawing views".
Cut skew parts	When selected, Tekla Structures cuts skewed parts.
Minimum cut part length	Define how long the part must at least be to get shortened. The length of the part must be at least twice the entered value.
Space between cut parts	Define the distance between cut parts.
Unfold parts	This setting is only shown for single-part drawings. Yes shows and dimensions the bend lines in the drawing. For more information, see Unfold polybeams in drawings
Undeform parts	Select this option to undeform deformed parts and show the developed (undeformed) shape of the deformed parts in drawings. For more information, see "Undeform deformed parts in drawings".
Show openings/recess symbol	When selected, Tekla Structures shows symbols in openings and recesses. For more information, see "Show part openings or recesses in drawings".
Base points and dimensions
Location by	Select model origin, project base point, or any base-point-defined coordinate system. Location by uses the project base point as the default value. Base point data can be used to set the coordinate system for the view. The base point can be used instead of datum offset. When the base point is set, level attributes and template attributes in marks provide values in the specific base-point-defined coordinate system. If you change the project base point Z or the elevation value, the level value will change accordingly when a drawing is opened. This setting affects level marks and attributes that end with `_BASEPOINT`.
Datum points for elevations	Define the reference point for elevations. Specified uses the value that you enter. View plane measures reference points relative to the view plane.
Dimension creation	Creates the dimensions separately for the selected view only. This option affects the creation of the dimensions during cloning and redimensioning of existing drawings. The options are: Automatically Do not create Clone For more information, see Clone dimensions in selected views only.
View label
View label editor	(1) Property file allows you to load and save view label contents. To activate the setting, click a label container in the editor. (2) Click the Properties or Values button to show either the property name or the property value in the editor. These buttons are only available when you have selected an existing view in a drawing. (3) A new, empty label container added by using the New container button. Use the new element button to add elements in the container. Use the handle to drag the container to another location. (4) Label containers around the view label line. Click a label container to select it. Use the New element button to add new elements. Use the red delete button in the upper-right corner to remove the contents. To check the label container position number, point the label container handle. (5) Use the New element button to open the element list and select the element to add. The element list opens automatically when you click an empty label container. You can also search for elements. View labels do not accept any user-defined attributes, template attributes, or custom properties. Use the New container button to add new containers. You may add up to five containers. You can drag elements and containers to new locations. (6) The % button shows the current zoom level. You can zoom in or out with the middle mouse button. Click the % button to zoom to the best fit. (7) Label properties
Font
Font color, Font, Font height	Define the font color, type, and height used in the label. Clicking ... gives more font choices. You can use a standard color or a custom RGB color.
Frame
Frame, Frame color	Define the frame type and color for one or several elements, or for the label container. These properties become available when you select an element or a label container. You can use a standard color or a custom RGB color. You can also add the frame from the element list.
Text placement
Alignment	Define the label mark alignment: Left, Center, or Right. This setting is enabled when you have selected a label mark in the label editor.
Text position	Define the text position in the label. This setting is enabled when you have selected a label mark in the label editor.
X offset for text, Y offset for text	Define the text offset in the X or Y direction. This setting is enabled when you have selected a label mark in the label editor.
Symbol and line
Symbol, Color Size, Line length	Define the symbol to be used in the view label, the color and size of the symbol, and the label line length. The symbol options are: None Empty circle Crossed circle Custom You can use a standard color or a custom RGB color. For more information about using custom symbols, see the support article "How to add two custom symbols in a view label".
Label placement
Vertical position	Define the vertical position of the view label: Above places the view label at the top of the view. Below places the view label at the bottom of the view.
Horizontal position	Define the horizontal position of the view label: Left aligned to frame Center aligned to frame Right aligned to frame Left aligned to restriction box Center aligned to restriction box Right aligned to restriction box
Direction marks
Mark type, Height	Show view direction marks. You can define view direction marks for section views and end views only. The options are None, Symbol, Label, and Symbol and label. The label means the view label. You can also define a height for the mark. If you try to use 0, you will get an error message.
More
View	View settings opens the view properties dialog box with more settings.
Object groups	Object group settings opens the Object level settings for view dialog box for you to define detailed object level settings for object groups.
Object group settings	Enable the defined object group settings.

View properties in view properties dialog boxes

There are some view properties that are displayed in the view properties dialog boxes only, not in the property pane. These properties can be used for setting up the views and view properties before you create drawings, or when you want to change some of the view properties for all views in a drawing, for example.

To open the view properties dialog box, depending on where you are:

In the drawing property pane Drawing view properties, go to the More section and click View settings.
In an open drawing, double-click a view frame. This displays the view properties for the current view.
In the drawing ribbon, on the Drawing tab, click Properties > View.
On the Drawings & reports tab, click Drawing properties and select the drawing type. Then select View creation and a drawing view from the list, and click View properties on the right.
For GA drawings, on the Drawings & reports tab, click Drawing properties and select GA drawing. Then click the View... button.

All of the settings in all view properties dialog boxes are described below.


Setting	Description
View creation in the options tree	When View creation is selected in the options tree in single-part, assembly, and cast unit drawings, you can define the drawing views that you want to create. From here you can move on to modifying the view properties for each view separately by clicking the View properties button.
Views tab
View type and on/off columns	Define the main views, section views, end views, and 3D views that you want to create. Use the Delete row and Add row buttons to delete views from or add views to the list. In View type, select the type of the view that you want to create. If you select Off, Tekla Structures does not create the view, but dimensions the parts in the available views. If you set all four main views off, Tekla Structures will still create a front view. If you select On, Tekla Structures always creates the view, even if it is not necessary in order to show the dimensions. For section views, Tekla Structures creates one additional section view that shows the middle of the main part. For end views, Tekla Structures creates an end view from one end of the main part. If you select Auto, Tekla Structures creates the view if it is necessary in order to show the dimensions. For section views, Tekla Structures creates the necessary number of views to show all the dimensions. For end views, Tekla Structures also creates another end view from the other end of the main part, if there are dimensions at that end. For more information, see "Define the views to create".
View label column	Set the view name. To show the view name in the view label automatically, you need to define it here.
View properties column	Shows the current view properties for the selected view. You can select another view properties file from the list, or check and modify the view properties by clicking View properties. Note that if you have selected Auto in the on/off column as the creation method, Tekla Structures will use the standard properties even if you define another property file here.
Common settings for all views	Define some common settings for all views: Ignore bolt size filters standard-sized bolts out of drawings, which means that Tekla Structures does not display the bolt marks of the defined bolt size in drawings. This setting is available in single-part and assembly drawings. Weld size limit filters welds and weld marks of the defined weld size and smaller out of the drawing. This setting is available in single-part and assembly drawings. Weld marks visible controls the visibility of model weld marks in assembly drawings. The options are: In one view: Tekla Structures automatically finds the most relevant view for showing the model weld marks. Every weld mark is shown in a drawing in one view only. In all views: Tekla Structures adds the model weld marks in all drawing views that contain the part with the weld.
Recreate the drawing	Yes recreates the drawing.
Attributes tab
Coordinate system	Set the coordinate system of the drawing views. The options are: local, model, oriented, horizontal brace, vertical brace, and fixed. For more information, see "Change the coordinate system".
Rotate coordinate system Around X, Around Y, Around Z	Rotates the view around the x, y, or z axis of the parts using the entered values. For more information, see "Rotate parts in drawing views".
Unfolded	This setting is only shown for single-part drawings. Yes shows and dimensions the bend lines in the drawing. For more information, see "Unfold polybeams in drawings".
Undeformed	Yes undeforms deformed parts and shows the developed (undeformed) shape of the deformed parts in drawings. For more information, see "Undeform deformed parts in drawings".
Attributes 1 and Attributes 2 tabs in view properties dialog box, Attributes and Shortening tabs in the General - View Properties dialog box:
Scale	Set the view scale.
Reflected view	Displays the load bearing structures, such as columns and beams on a lower floor. Yes displays the structures with a continuous line, and No displays them with a dashed line.
Rotation around (in 3D views)	Modify the view angle of 3D views. Enter the values for the angles in the Y and X directions. Rotation in a drawing view is around the local axis. Value 0.0 for both equals the front view.
Size	Fit by parts: Tekla Structures fits the view contents in the drawing view frame without leaving any unnecessary space. Define as distances: Depth down and Depth up define the view size along the x and y axes of the view. X min / X max and Y min / Y max define the depth of the view relative to and perpendicular to the view plane.
View extension for neighbor parts	Enter a value by which to extend the view so that neighbor parts are shown. For more information, see "Show neighbor parts in drawings".
Place	Set the placing for the drawing view to be fixed or free: Fixed: Maintain the views in the same location during updates. Free: Let Tekla Structures find a suitable place for the view during updates. For more information, see "Define automatic free or fixed placement for drawing views".
Use detailed object level settings	Set to Yes to apply the detailed object level settings that you have defined for the selected object groups.
Unfolded	Yes shows and dimensions the bend lines in the drawing. This setting is only shown for single-part drawings. For more information, see "Unfold polybeams in drawings".
Undeformed	Yes undeforms deformed parts and shows the developed (undeformed) shape of the deformed parts in drawing views. For more information, see "Undeform deformed parts in drawings".
Shortening	If parts are very long and do not include any details, you can shorten them: Cut parts: Yes activates shortening. You can also select to cut Only in x direction or Only in y direction. Cut skew parts: Yes cuts skewed parts. Note that setting Cut skew parts to No cuts secondary parts that are skewed less than 5.7 degrees in relation to the main part. Minimum cut part length defines how long the part must at least be to get shortened. The length of the part must be at least twice the entered value. Space between cut parts defines the distance between cut parts on paper. For more information, see "Shorten or lengthen parts".
Show openings/recess symbol	Yes shows symbols in openings and recesses. For more information, see "Show part openings and recesses in drawings".
Location by	Select the model origin, project base point or any base-point-defined coordinate system. Location by uses the project base point as the default value. Base point data can be used to set the coordinate system for the view. The base point can be used instead of datum offset. When the base point is set, level attributes and template attributes in marks provide values in the specific base-point-defined coordinate system. If you change the project base point Z or the elevation value, the level value will change accordingly when a drawing is opened. This setting affects level marks and attributes that end with `BASEPOINT`.
Datum point for elevations	Define the reference point for elevations. Specified uses the value that you enter in Datum level. For example, if the elevation is 5000 mm, and you set the reference point to 200, the elevation changes to 4800 mm. View plane measures reference points relative to the view plane.
Show pours in drawing	This setting is only available in the view properties of general arrangement drawings. Yes shows pours in drawings. To enable pours in drawings, see "Show pour objects, pour marks, and pour breaks in drawings".
Dimension creation method in this view	Clones the dimensions separately for the selected view only. This option affects the creation of the dimensions during cloning and re-dimensioning of existing drawings. The options are: Automatically Do not create Clone For more information, see Clone dimensions in selected views only.
Labels tab:
Text	Defines the view label text. Enter text in fields A1-A5, or click the ... buttons and select the label mark elements and appearance. For more information about view labels, see "Define view labels and view label marks".
Symbol	Define the symbol to be used in the view label, the Color and Size of the symbol, and label Line length. The symbol options are: None Empty circle Crossed circle Custom You can use a standard color or a custom RGB color. For more information about using custom symbols, see the support article "How to add two custom symbols in a view label".
Label position	Defines the vertical and horizontal position of the view label. For Vertical: Above places the view label at the top of the view. Below places the view label at the bottom of the view. For Horizontal: Left aligned to view frame Center aligned to view frame Right aligned to view frame Left aligned to view restriction box Center aligned to view restriction box Right aligned to view restriction box
View direction marks	Show view direction marks. You can define view direction marks for section views and end views only. Select an option from the Show marks list. The options for are None, Symbol only, Label only, and Symbol and label. The label means the view label. You can also define a Height for the mark. If you try to use 0, you will get an error message. The following example shows the view direction marks together with the view label.
Other options in the view properties options tree:
Dimensioning	Define view-level dimension settings for each view separately. For more information on dimensioning settings, see "Dimensioning rule properties" and "Add automatic view-level dimensions".
Filter	Define drawing view filters. For more information, see "Create filters".
Neighbor part filter	Define drawing view filters for neighbor parts. For more information, see "Create filters".
Protection	Define protected areas to prevent text, marks or dimensions from being placed there. For more information, see "Protect areas in drawings".
Marks	Define view-level mark properties. For more information, see "Mark properties".
Objects	Define view-level properties for the following objects: Parts and neighbor parts Bolts Surface treatment Welds Reinforcement and neighbor reinforcement Reference objects Grid Pour object and pour breaks
Anchor bolt plan tab (General - View Properties)
Show as anchor bolt plan	Yes shows the general arrangement drawing as an anchor bolt plan. For more information, see "Create anchor bolt plans using saved settings".
Enlarged part view scale	Define the scale used in the enlarged part views.
Create detail views	Yes creates separate detail views. If you select No, Tekla Structures dimensions the anchor bolts in the enlarged view. Tekla Structures groups similar detail views so that similar details are drawn only once.
Detail view scale	Defines the scale used in the anchor bolt plan detail views.