View and modify model object properties by using the property pane

Tekla Structures
2021
Tekla Structures

View and modify model object properties by using the property pane

Tekla Structures shows the properties of different model objects in the property pane, which is a side pane window.

Which model objects to modify with the property pane

Use the property pane to view and modify the properties of

Note that you can have only one property pane window open at a time. This means that you can view the properties of only one object type at a time.

You can customize the property pane. You can select separately for each object type which properties you wish to see in the property pane. For example, you can organize the settings as you wish, or remove the settings you do not need.

Open the property pane

To open the properties in the property pane:

  • If the property pane is closed: double-click a model object, or click the Properties button in the side pane.

  • If the property pane is open: select a model object.

    Alternatively, hold down Shift and click a command on the ribbon to open the properties in the property pane.

Modify the properties of a model object

  1. To start modifying the properties, double-click a model object.

    The property pane opens and shows the current properties of the object.

  2. Modify the properties as needed.

    Tekla Structures highlights the modified properties in yellow in the property pane.

  3. If you want to discard some of the changes, click the check marks next to each setting to remove them.

    You can clear the check marks one by one, or select a whole section and all its properties.

    You can use the Select All and Select None switches at the bottom of the property pane to select all the changes or to clear all the changes.

  4. When you are ready with the modifications, click Modify to apply the changes.
  5. If you want to create an object using the standard values instead of the values you just applied, load the standard file first.

Note that if you use contextual toolbar or direct modification to modify a model object, the current properties do not change and are not automatically applied when you create the next object of the same type.

Modify the properties of multiple model objects

You can select several model objects in the model, and change their properties at one go. The selected model objects can be of the same object type, such as steel columns, or they can be of different object types.

The property pane shows only the properties that are common for all the selected objects.

  1. Select the objects in the model.

    Property pane shows the properties for the selected objects.

    The settings which have several options have the text Varies, and the values or options are shown in a list. If there are no common properties, the property pane is empty.

  2. Modify the properties as needed.

    You can select a value from a list or enter a new value for a property, in the same way when only one model object is selected.

    Tekla Structures highlights the modified properties in yellow.

  3. Click Modify.

    The selected properties are modified.

Tip:

To check which objects you have selected in the model, click the Object type list button to open the list of the selected objects.

To modify the object selection, hold down Ctrl, and in the list click the object types that you want to exclude or include in the selection.

The content of the property pane can change according to your selection.

If you want to select all the objects, click the Select all button.

Switch between automatic and manual applying of properties

When you modify object properties in the property pane, you can switch between automatic and manual applying of properties. This means that you can select whether only the selected object is modified, or if also the next objects of the same type that you create use the current values.

You can switch between manual and automatic applying of properties at any time in the Property pane settings by selecting the Set default values automatically option. The option is not dependent on the selected object type.

Note:

When you are using dialog boxes to view and modify the properties of various objects, the OK, Apply and Modify buttons control whether the current values are used for the next objects of the same type.

Enable manual applying of properties

  1. Select an object in the model.

  2. Click the Property pane settings button in the property pane to open a drop-down menu.

  3. Ensure that the Set default values automatically option is not selected.

    A Set as default button appears at the bottom of the property pane.

    Note that if you have selected multiple objects in the model, the Set as default button does not appear.

  4. Change the property values as needed.

  5. Select how to proceed.

    • To modify only the selected object, click Modify.

    • To modify the selected object and to use the current values for the next objects of the same type, click the Set as default button and then click Modify.

    • To use the current values for the next objects of the same type, but not to modify the selected object, click the Set as default button.

    Depending on your actions, Tekla Structures either modifies the selected object or creates the next object of the same type using the current values.

Enable automatic applying of properties

This is the default option.

  1. Select an object in the model.

  2. Click the Property pane settings button in the property pane to open a drop-down menu.

  3. Ensure that the Set default values automatically option is selected.

    When the Set default values automatically option is selected, Tekla Structures automatically uses the current values for the next objects of the same type.

  4. Change the property values as needed.

  5. Click Modify.

    Tekla Structures modifies the object and creates the next object of the same type using the current values.

Control the visibility of properties in the property pane

You can control which properties are shown in the property pane without customizing the property pane layout by using the Property pane settings .

  1. Click the Property pane settings button to open a drop-down menu.
  2. If you want to expand or collapse all the property groups, click Expand all or Collapse all.
  3. Select whether you want the property pane to show only those properties that have a value, or properties with defined visibility settings.
    • Show properties that have a value: property pane shows all the properties and user-defined attributes (UDAs) for which you or someone else has entered a value. Properties and UDAs which do not have a value are hidden.

      UDAs with a value are listed in the Additional matches property group.

      The Show properties that have a value option is common for all object types. For example, if you select a steel beam in the model and use the Show properties that have a value option, and then select a concrete beam in the model, only properties that have a value are shown for the concrete beam.

    • Show properties based on visibility settings: property pane shows all the property groups which are marked to be visible. Property groups with the icon are visible. Property groups with the icon are hidden. Click the property group names to change the visibility. You can show and hide only the main level property groups, not nested groups.

      The Show properties based on visibility settings option is common for all object types. If different object types have property groups of the same name, the visibility of a property group is adjusted for all the object types. For example, if you select a steel beam and hide the Position property group, and then select a concrete beam, the Position property group is hidden for the concrete beam as well.

    To easily define the default visibility of property groups, use the Property pane editor. Note that the changes in the visibility settings in the property pane override the default settings done in the Property pane editor.

  4. If you need to customize the property pane, click Customize... to open the Property pane editor.

Search in the property pane

Use the search to find the needed properties or the user-defined attributes (UDAs). Enter the search term in the search box in the property pane.

If you have several different object types selected in the model, the search finds properties that are common to the all selected object types. UDAs that match to the search criteria are shown even if they have not been added to the property pane layout.

If you enter a single asterisk * in the search box, all properties and UDAs available for the selected object type are shown. You can then easily enter a value for a property or for an UDA, even if the property or the UDA is not visible in the property pane by default.

Property pane settings

When you modify the property pane settings by clicking the Property pane settings button and selecting an option, the current settings are saved to the PropertyPaneSettings.xml file in the ..\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\UI\PropertyPane\ folder. If you do not change the settings, the PropertyPaneSettings.xml file is not created.

The settings in the PropertyPaneSettings.xml file are:

  • FilterMode: ByData for Show properties that have a value

  • FilterMode: ByGroup for Show properties based on visibility settings

  • AutoApply: True when Set default values automatically is selected

  • AutoApply: False when Set default values automatically is not selected

The PropertyPaneSettings.xml file is read when Tekla Structures is started and a model is opened.

If the settings in the PropertyPaneSettings.xml file are customized, the company administrators can distribute the customized property pane settings to other users in the company. The PropertyPaneSettings.xml file needs to be placed in the \PropertyPane\ subfolder in a model, project (XS_PROJECT), firm (XS_FIRM) or environment (XS_SYSTEM) folder. The property pane settings in the ..\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\UI\PropertyPane\ folder has the highest priority, and after that Tekla Structures uses the default search order.

If the PropertyPaneSettings.xml file is placed in several different folder locations, Tekla Structures reads the settings from different folders and merges them.

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