Some key rules to consider when integrating models:

• Communication between both parties is crucial to ensure the sharing of data is as expected during model synchronization. It is particularly important that both parties are aware of significant changes and can verify them on completion of the integration process.

• Before exporting/ importing models, always save the models with names that make it clear as to which step they represent. This permits the users of both Tekla Structural Designer and Autodesk Revit to return to a given point should the need arise.

• If necessary, changes in the level of a floor are best made manually in Tekla Structural Designer before merging a model from Autodesk Revit. The benefit of doing this is that only changes with the moved floor will be identified in the process. If the floor was not moved in Tekla Structural Designer, then the merge process would move the floor and identify all members in the floor and columns supporting the floor as having changed. This is far less informative than the alternative.

• Items are linked between the two products by using identification tags. Obviously if something is deleted and replaced, the new member cannot retain the tag and hence any relationship with what was there previously is lost.

• Should the same members be added to both the Tekla Structural Designer and Revit models independently and then models merged, these members will be duplicated as the new member from one will be added on top of the new member in the other.

• Items which are not usually required in Tekla Structural Designer (such as concrete works or ancillary items like ladders, handrails, rails etc.) should be excluded from the generated Analytical Model.

  This can be performed for all framing members and structural columns by creating the Analytical Model from the selected part of the structural model. The use of visibility filters or selection sets can help with isolating the required structural instances for the purpose of generating the Analytical Model.