Save a model

You should save your model regularly to avoid losing any work. Tekla Structures also automatically saves your work at regular intervals.

Note:

Tekla Structures versions are not backwards compatible. When you save a model, you cannot open it in older versions of Tekla Structures due to database differences.

Save the current model

To save changes to the current model file, do one of the following:

On the top left corner of the screen, click Save .
On the File menu, click Save as > Save.
Press Ctrl+S.

Save a copy with different name or location

You can create a copy of the model with a different name or in a different folder. The original version of the model remains intact.

Note:

When you save the model with a different name, all the GUIDs (globally unique identifiers) of the saved model will change and be different than in the original model. This means that the saved model has no relation to the original model, and the saved model cannot be used as backup.

On the File menu, click Save as > Save as.
In the Model name box, enter a new name.
To save in a different location, click Browse and define where you want to save the model.
Click OK.

Tekla Structures creates a new copy with a different name, but the original version of the model remains intact.

Save a backup copy

You can create a backup copy of the model with the same GUIDs (globally unique identifiers) as the original model.

On the File menu, click Save as > Save and create backup copy.

Tekla Structures saves a copy of the model in the ..\TeklaStructuresModels\backup\<model_name>\<date-time> folder.
If you need to take the backup copy into use in place of the current model, move the backup copy from the chosen date to your model folder.

You can either replace all contents of the current model folder with the content of the chosen backup folder, or you can rename the backup folder (<date-time>) to match the original model name.
If you want to change the location of the backup folder, use the advanced option XS_MODEL_BACKUP_DIRECTORY.

Note:

To save disk space, you can compress the XS_MODEL_BACKUP_DIRECTORY folder.

Save as a model template

You can save a model with the desired settings and use the model as a template when you create new models.

Define autosave settings

Use Autosave to automatically back up and save your work at set intervals. You can set the autosave interval separately for the model and drawings. Autosave files have the extension .db1_<user>.

You can use the autosaved model if there are errors when trying to open a model. When you open a model, Tekla Structures automatically checks if the previous session ended normally. If it did not, Tekla Structures asks whether you want to continue by using the autosaved model or the original model.

If Tekla Structures displays the warning Fatal: Model memory corrupted by read, it means that hardware problems have damaged the model database. Your hard disk may be damaged. Use autosave or system backup files to restore the model.

On the File menu, click Settings > Options, and go to the General settings.
Under Autosave, set the autosave interval.
1. In the first box, define how often Tekla Structures saves the model or drawing.
  
  This number represents the number of commands you will have to run before Tekla Structures saves the model or drawing. For example, if you create many steel beams without interrupting the Create steel beam command, it only counts as one command.
2. In the second box, enter the number of drawings after which Tekla Structures saves your work.
Note:
The smallest accepted value for the autosave interval is 2, both for modeling and for drawings.

If you try to enter a value smaller than 2, Tekla Structures automatically changes the value to 2.
Click OK.
Define where to store the Autosave files.

By default, Tekla Structures stores the autosave files in the ..\TeklaStructuresModels\autosave folder. To change the folder, use the advanced option XS_AUTOSAVE_DIRECTORY.
Define whether to keep old autosave files.

By default, Tekla Structures deletes the autosave files when you close a model, to save disk space. To keep autosave files even if you exit Tekla Structures without saving the model, use the advanced option XS_KEEP_AUTOSAVE_FILES_ON_EXIT_WHEN_NOT_SAVING.