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Import a TrimBIM model

Tekla Structural Designer
Modified: 5 Mar 2026
2026
Tekla Structural Designer

Import a TrimBIM model

TrimBIM Import, which is performed and managed from the Import Models window, allows you to automatically generate a connected, solvable model in Tekla Structural Designer directly from a Tekla Structures model.

Benefits of TrimBIM Model Import

  • When modeling in Tekla Structures, analytical model connectivity is typically not a major consideration. Consequently when a model is imported to Tekla Structural Designer using a Structural BIM Import file there are often a number of connectivity issues for the Engineer to resolve.
  • By using a TrimBIM import instead, analytical model connectivity is resolved automatically (as much as possible) during the import, saving a significant amount of time.
  • Steel members, concrete members, walls and slabs can all be imported.
  • Structural member profiles and grades are mapped automatically.
  • The TrimBIM model is overlaid by a reference model which will look exactly the same as the Tekla Structures model. You can hide the reference model, (or delete it, if it is not required), in order to only see the TrimBIM model.
  • Tekla Structural Designer and Tekla Structures do not need to be on the same PC
  • The model can either be imported from the cloud, or from Trimble Connect, or from a TrimBIM file saved to a local drive.

Import options

When a TrimBIM (.trb) file is created from the Publish to Tekla Structural Designer dialog in Tekla Structures, you are given options to either publish locally or to the cloud. Tekla Structural Designer can import the TrimBIM model from either of these locations.

Once it has been published you also have a third option which is to manually upload the file to a Trimble Connect project. If you adopt this latter route you would need to link to the project using the Trimble Connect window before importing.

Perform and manage TrimBIM import

Publish to Tekla Structural Designer from Tekla Structures (Preview)

Note: In Tekla Structures 2026, Publish to Tekla Structural Designer is currently a Preview feature.

  1. Open the model in Tekla Structures.
  2. Click File > Export > Publish to Tekla Structural Designer (Preview)
Note:

You cannot use the File>Export>TrimBIM command in Tekla Structures because it only creates the .trb, but not the .seb file. Both files are required to perform a Semantic TrimBIM Import.

In the Publish to Tekla Structural Designer dialog, to publish locally:

  1. Under Local export settings enter the File name, revision and folder details.

  2. When the required data has been entered, click Export local file
  3. Once the export has completed successfully you can then close the dialog.

  4. A <File name>.trb and a <File name>.seb file are created within the specified folder.

Alternatively, to publish to the cloud:

  1. Under Cloud publishing settings select the model data storage location.

  2. Enter the Model name, revision, and add descriptions to suit.

  3. When the required data has been entered, click Export to cloud and publish to Tekla Structural Designer
  4. Once the export has completed successfully you can then close the dialog.

Import a model a from the cloud (Preview)

Note: Import from the cloud is currently a Preview feature.

  1. Start a new model in Tekla Structural Designer.

  2. Open the Import Models window and click Import.

  3. In the Import Model dialog, select the source as Cloud.

  4. Click the button to select the model to import.

  5. A Select Model to Import dialog is displayed. Use this to specify the region, then select the required model folder and model revision and click OK.

  6. When the selected model is shown in the Import Model dialog click OK.

  7. An Edit Model dialog is displayed. Use this to specify the location of the imported semantic model and the reference model that overlays it, the reference model layers to be imported, and to choose if the reference model should also be displayed as a shadow layer in 2D views. Then click OK

  8. The Import Semantic Model dialog is displayed.

  9. Make selections from the four pages of this dialog as required, then click OK

    Note: If you click Cancel on the Import Semantic Model dialog, the reference model overlay will still be created, but the semantic model will not be created.

  10. The semantic model is created and overlaid by the reference model.

  12. To only see the semantic model and hide the reference model overlay click the ‘Display’ button

  13. Once the model has been imported, you can switch to a Solver View in order to review the model connectivity.

  14. Lastly, validate the model to check for any connectivity issues.

Import a model from a local file

The following instructions assume the .trb and .seb files have been provided by the Tekla Structures user.

  1. Start a new model in Tekla Structural Designer.

  2. Open the Import Models window and click Import

  3. An Import Model dialog is displayed. Select the source as Local file.

  4. Click the button then choose the model to import by selecting the required .trb file, then click OK.

  5. An Edit Model dialog is displayed. Use this to specify the location of the imported semantic model and the reference model that overlays it, the reference model layers to be imported, and to choose if the reference model should also be displayed as a shadow layer in 2D views. Then click OK

  6. The Import Semantic Model dialog is displayed.

  7. Make selections from the four pages of this dialog as required, then click OK

    Note: If you click Cancel on the Import Semantic Model dialog, the reference model overlay will still be created, but the semantic model will not be created.

  8. The semantic model is created and overlaid by the reference model.

  9. To only see the semantic model and hide the reference model overlay click the ‘Display’ button

  10. Once the model has been imported, you can switch to a Solver View in order to review the model connectivity.

  11. Lastly, validate the model to check for any connectivity issues.

Import a model from Trimble Connect

Note:

Importing a TrimBIM model from Trimble Connect is only possible if the .trb and .seb files have been manually uploaded to a Trimble Connect project by the Tekla Structures user.

  1. Start a new model in Tekla Structural Designer.

  2. Open the Trimble Connect window and link to the Project containing the uploaded .trb and .seb files.

  3. Open the Import Models window and click Import

  4. An Import Model dialog is displayed. Select the source as Trimble Connect.

  5. Click the button then navigate to the folder containing the .trb and .seb files.

  6. Select the .trb file, then click OK.

  7. When the .trb file is displayed in the Import Model dialog, click OK once more.

  8. An Edit Model dialog is displayed. Use this to specify the location of the imported semantic model and the reference model that overlays it, the reference model layers to be imported, and to choose if the reference model should also be displayed as a shadow layer in 2D views. Then click OK

  9. The Import Semantic Model dialog is displayed.

  10. Make selections from the four pages of this dialog as required, then click OK

    Note: If you click Cancel on the Import Semantic Model dialog, the reference model overlay will still be created, but the semantic model will not be created.

  11. The semantic model is created and overlaid by the reference model.

  12. To only see the semantic model and hide the reference model overlay click the ‘Display’ button

  13. Once the model has been imported, you can switch to a Solver View in order to review the model connectivity.

  14. Lastly, validate the model to check for any connectivity issues.

Update a model from the cloud (Preview)

Note: Import from the cloud is currently a Preview feature.

If you imported a model from the cloud which has subsequently been revised, in order to see the revisions in your Tekla Structural Designer model you would need to update it as follows:

  1. Right click on the model name in the Import Models window and select Update Model from the context menu.

  2. In the Update Model dialog, select the required revision, the click OK.

    The model is updated to include the selected revision.

  3. Validate the model to check for any connectivity issues.

Import the semantic model from the context menu

CAUTION: When you import a semantic model, existing Tekla Structural Designer members are not deleted before the new ones are imported. Hence, if you re-import an existing semantic model without deleting the original members first, each newly imported member will be a duplicate.

After the TrimBIM model has been imported you can delete the reference model overlay if required as follows:

  1. Right click on the model name in the Import Models window and select Import Semantic Model from the context menu.

  2. The Import Semantic Model dialog is displayed.

  3. Make selections from the four pages of this dialog as required, then click OK

Edit the reference model

Note: If you edit the reference model this does not affect the semantic model.

After the TrimBIM model has been imported you can edit the reference model if required as follows:

  1. Right click on the model name in the Import Models window and select Edit from the context menu.

  2. The Edit Model dialog is displayed. Use this to edit the reference model location, layers and shadow layer settings as required.

  3. Click OK

    The reference model is updated accordingly, the semantic model is unaffected.

Delete the reference model

Note: If you delete the reference model this does not affect the semantic model.

After the TrimBIM model has been imported you can delete the reference model if required as follows:

  1. Right click on the model name in the Import Models window and select Delete from the context menu.

  2. In the dialog that is displayed, click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the reference model.

    The reference model is deleted and the reference model name is removed from the Import Models window.

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