Add links in drawings

Tekla Structures
2022
Tekla Structures

Add links in drawings

You can add the following kinds of links in drawings:

  • Links to text files
  • Links to other drawings
  • Hyperlinks to internet (url) addresses
  • Links to DWG/DXF files
  • Links to images

Add links to rich text files in drawings

You can insert a link to a text inside a frame in a drawing. First you create a .txt or .rtf file in WordPad, and then add a link to it in a Tekla Structures drawing. Tekla Structures adds the text using some basic formatting settings you can set in the file itself, and some of the properties in Text File Properties.

Note:

If you change the text in the text file, it will change in all drawings containing a link to the text file.

Limitation: The .rtf texts need to be created with WordPad.

  1. Create the text file.

    You can add basic formatting to the file, such as bold, italics, underline, strikethrough, subscript, and superscript, use indent and tabs, and set a specific font. You can add bulleted lists with hyphens and circular bullets, and numbered lists, and nest the lists. Simple tables are also supported.

    When you add the text link, Tekla Structures preserves the formatting settings.

    Note that the text links do not support hyperlinks or images.

    Tekla Structures colors will always be shown correctly. If you use in the .rtf file a color that is not supported in Tekla Structures, then the closest Tekla Structures color will be used.

  2. Open the drawing where you want to add the text file.
  3. On the Annotations tab, click Rich text.
  4. Browse for the file.
  5. For .txt files, you can set the text color, height and font.
  6. For .rtf files, set the desired scale.

    The Scale tells how much the .rtf content should be scaled. If you define 1 as the scale, the letters will keep the same size as the letters in the original .rtf file.

    Color, height and font settings are not adjustable.

  7. Set the frame line type and color.
  8. Select if you want to adjust how the text is placed:
    • Scale to fit : You only need to pick the upper left corner of the frame when placing the text. Tekla Structures inserts the object in its original size. In this case, when you change the text frame size by dragging from the handles, the text does not wrap, and the font scales automatically.
    • No scaling: You only need to pick the upper left corner of the frame when placing the text. Tekla Structures adjusts the object size to fit the frame. The text wraps when you change the size of the frame by dragging the handles. The minimum width of the box is defined by the longest word.
  9. Click OK or Apply.
  10. Pick a location for the upper left corner of the text frame in the drawing.

    Tekla Structures adds the link to the text file.

  11. You can edit the text and modify the text file properties:
    • To edit the text file, double-click the text inside the frame. Tekla Structures opens the original text file.

    • To modify the text file properties, double-click the frame around the text. For .rtf files, you cannot modify the text color or font here, you need to changes these in the .rft file itself. For plain text files, you can also change the font color.

      You can also open the text file properties from Quick Launch: start typing text file properties, and select Text File Properties from the list.

Examples

In the following example you can see that the text file may contain bulleted lists, numbered lists, colors, italics, and bold, and you can change the font of the desired text parts.

In the following example, the scaling type is No scaling. The text wraps when you change the size of the frame by dragging the handles, so that the text always fits the frame. The font size does not change.

In the following example, the scaling type is Scale to fit. If you change the text frame size by dragging from the handles, the text does not wrap, and the font size changes automatically so that the text fits the frame.

Add links to other drawings

You can insert a link to another drawing in a frame in a drawing. Tekla Structures adds the link to the drawing using the properties in Drawing Link Properties.

  1. Open the drawing.
  2. On the Drawing tab, click Link > To another drawing.
  3. Modify the text color, height, font and effect.
  4. Modify the frame line type and color.
  5. Select if you want to scale the link. If you select No scaling, Tekla Structures inserts the link in its original size.

    If you select Scale to fit, Tekla Structures adjusts the object size to fit the frame.

  6. In the Drawing list, select the drawing to link to.

    The drawings on the list are the drawings in the current model.

  7. If you want to display text for the link instead of the drawing name, enter the text in the Text box.
  8. Pick two points to define the frame and add the link.
  9. Click OK or Apply.

You can open the linked drawing by double-clicking the link.

Note that you can also open drawing link properties from Quick Launch: start typing drawing link and select Drawing Link Properties from the displayed list.

Example

In the example below, Scale to fit has been selected, and the link contains the name of the drawing.

Add hyperlinks in drawings

You can add hyperlinks to internet addresses (URLs) or files within a frame in a drawing.

  1. Open a drawing where you want to add a hyperlink.
  2. On the Drawing tab, click Link > Hyperlink.
  3. Modify the text color, height, font and effect.
  4. Modify the frame line type and color.
  5. Select if you want to scale the link.

    If you select No scaling, you only need pick the upper left corner of the frame when you insert the link. Tekla Structures inserts the link in its original size. If you select Scale to fit, you need to pick two points to define the frame. Tekla Structures adjusts the link size to fit the frame.

  6. In the File or URL text box, type or paste an internet address or a file name and path.

    To locate the file, click Browse.... Tekla Structures inserts an active hyperlink to the location you specify.

  7. If you want to display text for the hyperlink instead of the hyperlink, type the text in the Text box.
  8. Click OK or Apply.
  9. Pick one or two points in the drawing to indicate the corners of the hyperlink frame.
Double-click the hyperlink text in the drawing to go to the internet address in a browser.

Note that you can also open hyperlink properties through Quick Launch: start typing hyperlink properties, and select Drawing hyperlink properties from the displayed list.

Example

In the example below, Scale to fit has been selected. The internet address for the hyperlink is shown.

Add links to DWG and DXF files in drawings

You can insert a DWG or DXF file inside a frame in a drawing as a link. Tekla Structures adds the DWG or DXF file link using the properties in DWG/DXF Properties. When you modify the original file, Tekla Structures also modifies all the linked instances in drawings.

Tekla Structures supports AutoCAD version 2010 and earlier in DWG/DXF links. The added dwg/dxf files also support AutoCAD control codes, such as %%u for underscore, or %%c for a circle diameter dimensioning symbol ΓΈ.

  1. Open the drawing where you want to insert a link to a DWG/DXF file.
  2. On the Drawing tab, click DWG/DXF.
  3. Select the scaling options:
    • Scaling:

      • X: When you use this setting, you need to pick the left upper corner of the frame to insert the file. You can only set the drawing scale in the X direction.

      • XY: When you use this setting, you need to pick the left upper corner of the frame to insert the file. You can set the drawing scale in both the X and Y direction.

      • Scale to fit: When you use this setting, you need to pick the left upper and bottom right corners of the frame to size and create the frame. Tekla Structures scales the file to fit the frame.

      • Best fit: When you use this setting, you need to pick the left upper and bottom right corners of the frame to size and create the frame. Tekla Structures scales the file to fit, maintaining its original aspect ratio.

    • Scale in X

      • Scales the file in the X direction. Enter a coefficient to indicate the scale, for example, 1.0 for 100%, 1.5 for 150%, etc. The scaling type must be set to X or XY.

    • Scale in Y

      • Scales the file in the Y direction. Enter a coefficient to indicate the scale, for example, 1.0 for 100%, 1.5 for 150%, etc. The scaling type must be set to XY.

  4. Select the link frame line type and color.
  5. In Name, browse for the DWG or DXF file you want to use.
  6. Pick one or two points in the drawing to place the frame.
  7. Click OK or Apply.

    Tekla Structures adds a link to the DWG or DXF file inside a frame in the drawing.

    Note that you can also open DWG/DXF properties through Quick Launch: start typing DWG/DXF, and select Drawing DWG/DXF properties from the displayed list.

Tip:

If you want to insert DWG files as reference models in your model, see Insert a reference model.

Add links to image files in drawings

You can insert a images inside a frame in a drawing. Tekla Structures adds the image link using the properties in Image properties. When you modify the original file, Tekla Structures also modifies all the linked instances in drawings.

  1. Open the drawing where you want to insert a link to an image.
  2. On the Drawing tab, click Image .
  3. Select the scaling options:
    • Type

      • X: When you use this setting, you need to pick the left upper corner of the frame to insert the image. You can only set the drawing scale in the X direction.

      • XY: When you use this setting, you need to pick the left upper corner of the frame to insert the image. You can set the scale in both the X and Y directions.

      • Scale to fit: When you use this setting, you need to pick the left upper and bottom right corners of the frame to size and create the frame. Tekla Structures scales the image to fit the frame.

      • Best fit: When you use this setting, you need to pick the left upper and bottom right corners of the frame to size and create the frame. Tekla Structures scales the image to fit, maintaining its original aspect ratio.

    • Scale in X

      • Scales the file in the X direction. Enter a coefficient to indicate the scale, for example, 1.0 for 100%, 1.5 for 150%, etc. The scaling type must be set to X or XY.

    • Scale in Y

      • Scales the file in the Y direction. Enter a coefficient to indicate the scale, for example, 1.0 for 100%, 1.5 for 150%, etc. The scaling type must be set to XY.

  4. Select the link frame line type and color.
  5. In Name, browse for the image file you want to use.
  6. Pick the points in the drawing to place the frame.
  7. Click OK or Apply.

    Tekla Structures adds a link to the image file inside a frame in the drawing.

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