Import files to Tekla PowerFab

You can import various types of files to Tekla PowerFab. You can import jobs, requisitions, purchase orders, companies or contacts to the address book, inventory or inventory history information, assemblies, material dimensions, labor, and pricing information.

You can import the following file types:

ASCII files
BIF files
IFC files
ifcZIP files
KISS files
KSTK files
Microsoft Excel worksheets
SSC files
txt files
XML files

Note: The file types that you can import depend on the location and module into which you are importing the files.

Importing files

Go to File > Import.

The Import dialog box opens.
In the navigation tree on the left, select the location where you want to import a file.
Below the location, select the file type that you want to import.

If a file type is not available below the selected location, you cannot import that type of a file to the selected location.

For additional help on some import options, you can click the Help button in the Import dialog box.
Click the ... button.
In the Open dialog box, browse to find the file that you want to import, and select it.
Double-click the file, or click Open.
To import the file, click Import.

Some import locations have a Test Import button. By clicking Test Import, you can preview the effects of the import.

What happens next depends on the imported file and the information within it. You may need to translate shapes and grades, modify the job information, or select if the new information replaces the information in an existing job.

If any import errors occur, you can see the error details at the bottom of the Import dialog box.

Example: Import a new production control job

For information on change management, see Manage changes to a production control job.

In the File ribbon tab, open the Import dialog box.
In the navigation tree, select Production Control and the file type that you want to import.
Click Import.
In the Production Control Job Edit, type the job number and define other necessary job information.

If you want to import drawings along with the production control job, you can either select an existing job in the Project Management Job list, or create a new project management job in step 6.

Tip:
When you first import a job, type a release number in the Release # field. This way, if you import new items into the job later, Tekla PowerFab will increase the initial release number.
Click Save
If you want to create a related project management job with the same job number, click Yes in the confirmation dialog box.

If you do not want to create a related project management job, click No.

If you do not create or link a related project management job to the imported production control job, you will not be able to import any related drawings.

If you have selected the Prompt to confirm import fields option in the Company Standards dialog box in the Production Control module, a dialog box opens, allowing you to select the information that is imported.
Click the arrow buttons to move the information that you want to import to the production control job to the Included list.
Click OK
In the Import dialog box, click ... to select the drawing folder and CNC file folder, and define the drawing file prefix and suffix, and the CNC file extension.

Note:
If you do not define a drawing file prefix or suffix, Tekla PowerFab expects that the drawing file names match the Tekla PowerFab drawing numbers exactly. If you use some text in the drawing file name before or after the drawing number, you should write this text as the drawing file prefix or the drawing file suffix.

For example, if you use the job number before the drawing number in job C23487, you should define the drawing name prefix as C23847-. This way, Tekla PowerFab can recognize the drawing by matching the remaining part of the file name. For example, the file name of drawing 100 would be C23847-100.pdf.

You can also use the wildcard character (*) if the prefix or suffix is not exactly the same for every file. For example, when importing drawing revisions, the revision number changes. The first revision of a file might be C23847-100-r1.pdf, but later revisions of the drawing could also be imported at the same time. In this case, it could be useful to define the drawing file suffix as r*.

Note that if you did not create or link a related project management job to the imported production control job, drawings cannot be imported.
Click OK.

The import begins. Tekla PowerFab alerts you if any files, such as drawings, are missing.

Note that CNC files are not stores as individual files, but in a table within the Tekla PowerFab database. If you export CNC files with nesting results or nesting requests, the CNC files are recreated from the database.

You can see the number of the successfully and unsuccessfully imported items in the Import dialog box.