Easy creation of curved shapes: improvements in lofted plates and lofted slabs

Tekla Structures
2020
Tekla Structures

Easy creation of curved shapes: improvements in lofted plates and lofted slabs

In Tekla Structures 2020, the creation of lofted plates and lofted slabs has been further enhanced. You can now model even more complex curved shapes by using polycurve construction objects. Previously, in Tekla Structures 2019i, you could only use construction lines, arcs, or circles to create the lofted parts. Additionally, you can now unfold lofted plates in single-part drawings.

Examples of polycurve lofted parts:

Create a lofted plate or a lofted slab by using construction polycurves

  1. Create the needed construction polycurves that pass through the points you pick and that can have straight and curved segments. The shape of the lofted part is based on the construction polycurve shape.

    To create lofted parts with tangential shape, use the Create arc by tangent or Create tangent line options on the construction polycurve toolbar.

    To create lofted parts only with straight segments, use the Create line option .

  2. Start creating a lofted plate or lofted slab using the polycurve construction objects:

    • To create a lofted plate, click Steel > Plate > Create lofted plate.

    • To create a lofted slab, click Concrete > Slab > Create lofted slab.

  3. On the toolbar that appears, click a button to specify whether to create the part by using two construction polycurves, or by using a construction polycurve and a point.

    • Use two construction polycurves to create the lofted part:

      1. Select the first construction polycurve.

      2. Select the second construction polycurve.

      3. Tekla Structures creates the lofted part between the selected construction polycurves.

        Note that the construction polycurves do not need to have the same number of segments, as long as both of them are tangential.

    • Use one construction polycurve and a point to create the lofted part:

      1. Select the construction polycurve.

        Tekla Structures shows a preview of the part geometry. Use the preview to set the direction and the height of the lofted part.

      2. Pick a point.

        Tekla Structures creates the lofted part based on the preview.

  4. If you want to modify the shape of the lofted part, use the direct modification dimension handles and dimension values.

Unfold lofted plates

You can now unfold lofted plates in single-part drawings.

The unfolding works for lofted plates which have been created from single geometry to single geometry, and for tangential polycurve lofted plates.

Examples of unfolded lofted plates created from single geometry to single geometry:

Examples of tangential polycurve unfolded lofted plates:

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