1. On the File menu, click Export > NC files.
2. If you have some predefined settings that you want to use, select the settings from the settings file list at the top and click Load.
3. In the NC files dialog box, select the check box in the Create column next to DSTV for plates and/or DSTV for profiles.
4. To modify the NC file settings, select an NC file settings row, and click Edit...

   In the NC file settings dialog box, modify the settings on the Files and part selection, Holes and cuts, Hard stamp and Advanced Options tabs. Click OK to save your NC file settings and to close the NC file settings dialog box.

   Hard stamps can be created for both the main part and the secondary parts. By default, Tekla Structures creates hard stamps only for the main part. Set the advanced option XS_​SECONDARY_​PART_​HARDSTAMP to TRUE to also create hard stamps for secondary parts.

   You can select to create only DSTV files, MIS files, both, or DSTV files embedded in MIS files.

   If you want to add new NC file settings, click Add... This will add a new row in the NC file settings list, and the NC file settings dialog box is displayed, where you can give the settings a new name.

   You can enter a unique name for the settings using Save as. Tekla Structures saves the settings in the ..\attributes folder under the current model folder.

   For more information about the NC file settings, see the "NC file settings" section below.

5. You can customize the order in which information is displayed in an NC file, and add additional information on individual parts in the NC file header. To select the information to be included in the NC file header, click Header..., modify the information, and click OK:
   • In the NC File Header Information dialog box, include in the Selected elements list the header information options that you want, and arrange the options in the desired order by selecting the option and using the Move up and Move down buttons.

   • If needed, add additional information on individual parts.

     You can enter text in the Text info on piece 1 - Text info on piece 4 boxes, and enter desired template attributes in double angle brackets, for example <<WEIGHT>> to display the weight of the part

     

   • If you want to restore the default file header information, click the Default button in the NC File Header Information dialog box.

6. To create pop-marks and modify the pop-mark settings, click Pop-marks...

   For more information about creating pop-marks and about the pop-mark settings, see the section "Create pop-marks in NC files" below.

7. To create contour marks, and modify contour mark settings, click Contour marking.

   For more information about creating contour marking and about the contour marking settings, see the section "Create contour marking in NC files" below.

   For more information on contour marking, see the support article How to create contour marking for steel beams.

8. To save the settings that you have modified with another name for later use, click enter a new name next to Save as and click Save as.
9. In the NC files dialog box, use the All parts or Selected parts options to select whether to create the NC files for all parts or only for the selected parts.

   If you use the Selected parts option, you need to select the parts in the model.

10. Click Create.

    Tekla Structures creates .nc1 files for the parts using the defined NC file settings. By default, the NC files are created in the current model folder. The filename consists of a position number and the extension .nc1.

11. Click Show NC log to create and show the log file dstv_nc.log that lists the exported parts and the parts that were not exported.

    If all expected parts are not exported, check that the parts which were not exported pass all the profile type, size, hole and other limits set in the NC file settings.

Pop-marks are small holes that help the shop assemble individual parts to form an assembly. Tekla Structures is able to write the pop-mark information in NC files to help position parts that will be manually welded to the assembly main part. Pop-marks are usually made using a drilling machine that drills a small hole in the surface of the material.

1. In the NC files dialog box, select the parts for which you want to create the pop-marks by selecting the corresponding check boxes in the Pop-marks column.
2. Click the Pop-marks... button.
3. In the Pop-Mark Settings, click Add to add a new row.
4. To define which parts are pop-marked and where the pop-marks are created, enter or select information for each item on a row.

   The order of the rows in the Pop-Mark Settings dialog box is important. Enter the most limiting definition first, and the most generic one last.

   First define the pop-mark settings on the Parts to pop-mark tab:

   Option	Description
   Main part profile type	Select the main part profile type that is pop-marked. The list contains profiles according to the DSTV standard.
   Main part name	Enter the names of the main part profiles. You can enter several part names separated by commas, for example, COLUMN, BEAM. You can use wildcards (* ? [ ] ). For example, HE* matches all parts with a profile name that begins with the characters "HE". Part name can contain more names separated by comma.
   Sec part profile type	Select the secondary part profile type.
   Secondary part name	Enter the names of the secondary part profiles. You can enter several part names separated by commas. You can use wildcards (* ? [ ] ). Part name can contain more names separated by comma
   Pop-mark location	Select how the secondary part is projected onto the main part. Left side: The left side of the secondary part is marked on the main part. The left side is the side of the secondary part that is closest to the start point of the main part. Right side: The right side of the secondary part is marked on the main part. Both sides: Combines Left side and Right side. Center: Center of the secondary part. Left side holes: Marks the main part with the position of holes in the secondary part, on the left side of the secondary part. Right side holes: Marks the main part with the position of holes in the secondary part, on the right side of the secondary part. Both side holes: Combines Left side holes and Right side holes. Middle line: Marks two points on the middle line of the secondary part x axis.
   Move to flange	Select to which part of the main part flange the pop-marks are moved. The options are None, Both flanges, Top flange, and Bottom flange.
   Edge distance	Enter the minimum distance from a pop-mark to the edge of the main part. Tekla Structures does not create pop-marks inside this distance. If a pop-mark is inside the defined edge distance, Tekla Structures moves it, unless you have set Pop-mark location to Center.
   Secondary pop-marks	Select whether pop-marks are created to the secondary parts.
   Add pop-mark to parts welded on site	Select whether pop-marks are created for parts that are welded on site.

   Then define the pop-mark settings on the Pop-marking options tab:

   Option	Description
   Rotate part if pop-marks or other items only on the back	First select the Pop-marks on the back check box and then one of the options. Also set the Hole diameter.
   Rotate part and drill through pop-marks on the back if other items or more pop-marks only on the back
   Drill through pop-marks on the back if no other items on the back
   No pop-marks on overlapping holes	Select if you do not want to have pop-marks on overlapping holes.
   Add pop-marks to centers of studs	Select to have pop-marks in the stud centers.
   Show pop-marks in the model	Select to show pop-marks in the model.
   Consider zero diameter holes as pop-marks	Write zero diameter bolt holes as a pop-marks.

5. Click OK.
6. Select the parts in the model and create the NC files.

Tekla Structures is able to generate contour marking in NC files. This means that information on the layout and the parts that are welded or bolted together can be added to the NC files and passed on to the machine tool.

1. In the NC files dialog box, select the parts for which you want to create the contour marks by selecting the corresponding check boxes in the Contour marking column.
2. Click the Contour marking... button in the NC files dialog box.
3. In the Contour marking settings dialog box, click Add to add a new row.
4. To define which parts are contour marked and how they are contour marked, enter or select information for each item on a row:

   Option	Description
   Main part profile type	Select the main part profile type that is contour marked. The list contains profiles according to the DSTV standard.
   Main part name	Enter the name for the main part profiles. You can enter several part names separated by commas, for example, COLUMN, BEAM. You can use wildcards (* ? [ ] ). For example, HE* matches all parts with a profile name that begins with the characters "HE". Part name can contain more names separated by comma.
   Sec part profile type	Select the secondary part profile type. The list contains profiles according to the DSTV standard.
   Secondary part name	Enter the name for the secondary part profiles. You can enter several part names separated by commas. You can use wildcards (* ? [ ] ). Part name can contain more names separated by comma.
   Secondary contour marking	Select whether the secondary parts are contour marked.
   Punch or powder	In the list, select how the part is contour marked: Punch: The part is punched. Powder: The part is marked with powder. Both: Both techniques are used.
   Hard stamp	Select whether hard stamps are created.
   Mark parts welded on site	Select whether you want to mark parts that are welded on site.
   Edge distance	Define the minimum distance from a contour mark to the edge of the main part. Tekla Structures not create contour marks inside this distance.

5. Click OK and create the NC files.

You can convert the created NC files in DXF format by using the Convert DSTV files to DXF macro

1. Create the NC files in the DSTV format.
2. Click the Applications & components button in the side pane to open the Applications & components catalog.
3. Click the arrow next to Applications to open the applications list.
4. If Convert DSTV files to DXF is not visible in the Applications list, select the Show hidden items check box at the bottom of the Applications & components catalog.
5. Double-click Convert DSTV files to DXF to open the Convert DSTV files to DXF dialog box.
6. Browse for the folder that contains the NC files you want to convert to DXF files.
7. Select the NC files and click Open.

   Tekla Structures automatically creates an NC_dxf folder in the model folder and the DXF files are created there.

You can use a separate Tekla Structures program tekla_dstv2dxf.exe to convert the DSTV files to DXF format. Only one side of a part (front, top, back or bottom) is written to the file, and therefore this export format is most suited to plates.

1. Create a folder for the NC files, for example c:\dstv2dxf.

   Do not use spaces is the folder path. You should not save the files, for example, in the Tekla Structures folder under the \Program Files folder, because the folder path contains spaces.

2. Copy all files from C:\Program Files\Tekla Structures\<version>\nt\dstv2dxf to the folder you created (C:\dstv2dxf).
3. Create DSTV files and save the files in the in the folder you created (C:\dstv2dxf).
4. Double-click a suitable dstv2dxf_conversion.bat file.

   The program converts the files to DXF format in the same folder.

   If you need to adjust the conversion settings, modify the settings in an appropriate tekla_dstv2dxf_<env>.def file and restart the conversion. For more information, see the tekla_dstv2dxf_<env>.def file description below.

   The conversion file description PDF files can be found in the same folder as the tekla_dstv2dxf.exe program.

You can create NC files for tubular hollow sections. You first need to use specific tube components to create the connections.

1. On the File menu, click Export > Tube NC files.
2. In the Create Tube NC Files dialog box, enter a name for the export file, and browse for the location where you want to save the file.

   By default, the file is saved in the model folder.

3. Select whether you want to create the file for selected parts or for all parts.
4. Click Create.

   Tekla Structures creates an XML file and a log file in the location you defined.