Edit and save custom components

Use the custom component editor to fine-tune existing custom components, and to make the components parametric. When you edit a custom component, Tekla Structures updates all instances of that component throughout the model with the changes you have made.

Edit a custom component

In the model, select the custom component by clicking the green component symbol .

Note:
Custom parts do not have a component symbol in the model. To select custom parts, ensure that the Select components selection switch is active.
Right-click and select Edit Custom Component.

The custom component editor opens. It consists of the following parts:
- The Custom component browser
- The Custom component editor toolbar
- Four different views of the custom component
Modify the custom component in one of the four custom component views. You can, for example:
- Add or remove component objects
  
  For example, add extra bolts or stiffeners to the component. Only component objects, not the main or secondary parts, can be modified in the custom component editor.
- Bind component objects to a plane
- Add a distance between component objects
- Set object properties by using parametric variables
Save the custom component.

Click Yes when prompted to replace all occurrences of the custom component in the model. All instances of the custom component are now updated with the changes you made.

Custom component browser

Custom component browser shows the contents of a custom component in a hierarchical, tree-like structure. Custom component browser lists the model objects, to which custom component is attached, and the objects the custom component creates. You can create links between custom component variables and component object properties.

The Custom component browser works with the views. When you select a part in the view, Tekla Structures highlights it in the Custom component browser, and vice versa.

You can copy names, values, and references from main and secondary parts in the component in the Custom component browser, and then use them in the Variables dialog box to define the properties of custom components.

Custom component editor toolbar

Use the tools on the Custom component editor toolbar, for example, to create distances, select planes, and to save the component.


Icon	Description
	Creates a distance. Select the plane first and then the handle or chamfer where to bind.
	Creates a reference distance.
	Creates distances automatically. Tekla Structures binds the selected part to their handles’ contact planes. Tekla Structures selects planes in the following order: construction planes planes of the main and the secondary parts
	Creates a construction plane.
	Creates a construction line.
Plane types	Shows plane types you can use when defining distance variables.
	Edits the type or the position of a custom component, or add notes after you have created the component.
	Shows all created variables.
	Opens Custom component browser.
	Saves the custom component with another name.
	Saves and update the existing components in the model.
	Closes the editor.

Save a custom component

After modifying a custom component, save the changes.

Tekla Structures saves the custom component in the current model folder, in the xslib.db1 file, which is a library file containing custom components and sketches.


To	Do this
Save changes to all copies of the custom component	In the custom component editor, click the Save component button. In the Save confirmation dialog box, click Yes. Tekla Structures saves the changes and applies them to all copies of the custom component in the model.
Save the component with a new name	In the custom component editor, click the Save with new name button. Enter a new name for the component.
Save and close the component	In the custom component editor, click the Close button. In the Close custom component editor message, click Yes. If you click No, the custom component editor closes without saving the changes.

Protect a custom component with a password

You can set a password to prevent others from modifying a custom component. Password-protected custom components can still be added to models as usual.

In the model, select a custom component.
Right-click the custom component symbol and select Edit Custom Component.
On the Custom component editor toolbar, click the Display variables button.

The Variables dialog box opens.
Click Add to create a new parametric variable.
In the Name box, enter Password.
In the Formula box, enter the desired password.
Save the custom component.

The next time someone tries to edit this custom component, they will be asked for the password.

Note:

If you have a password protected custom component and you explode the custom component in the Custom component editor, you can either use the Explode Component or Explode component with parameters command.

The Explode Component command explodes the custom component without creating the component parameters and mappings.

The Explode component with parameters command will ask you to enter the password. Only after entering the correct password will the component be exploded, and the component parameters and mappings created.