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Create new filters

Tekla Structures
2022
Tekla Structures

Create new filters

You can create custom filters to define which objects are visible and selectable in the model and drawings. Add new filter rules, one on each row, to define which objects should be included or excluded.

Create a view filter

You can create your own custom filters to define which objects are visible in a model.

  1. Double-click the view to open the View Properties dialog box.
  2. Click Object group.

    The Object Group - View Filter dialog box opens, showing the currently active filter.

  3. Click New filter to create a new filter from scratch.
  4. Click Add row to add a new filter rule.
  5. In the Category list, select an object category.

    You have the following options:

    • Part
    • Component
    • Bolt
    • Weld
    • Reinforcing bar
    • Surface
    • Assembly
    • Construction object
    • Load
    • Template
    • Reference assembly
    • Reference object
    • Location breakdown structure
    • Pour object
    • Pour break
    • Pour unit
    • Task
    • Object
  6. In the Property list, select a suitable object property.

    The options vary depending on the object category you chose in step 5.

  7. In the Condition list, select a suitable condition.
  8. In the Value list, type a value.

    Alternatively, to use the current value of an existing object, click Select from model... and select the desired object from the model. To use the values of multiple objects, click Multi-select from model, select the objects from the model, and then click the middle mouse button. For date values, also the Select date... option is available.

    The values can be complete strings, such as the profile name UC310*97. You can also use incomplete strings together with wildcards. For example, the value UC* will match with all parts whose profile name begins with the characters UC*. Empty values are matched to empty object properties.

    If you use multiple values, separate the strings with blank spaces (for example, 12 5). If a value consists of multiple strings, enclose the entire value in quotation marks (for example, "custom panel"), or use a question mark (for example, custom?panel) to replace the space.

  9. Repeat steps 4–8 to create as many filter rules as needed.

    You can apply several filter rules at the same time.

  10. Use the And/Or options and brackets to define how multiple rows work together.
  11. Select the check boxes next to all filter rules that you want to enable.

    If the check box is selected, the filter rule is enabled and effective. For example:

    By default, each new rule is disabled.

  12. Define the filter type.
    1. Click to display more settings.
    2. Select or clear the check boxes to define where the filter will be used.

      For example, the same filter may be used both as a view filter and as a selection filter.

  13. Enter a unique name in the box next to the Save as button.
    Note:
    • Filters are case sensitive.
    • Do not use spaces in filter names.
    • We recommend that you use _ (underscores) in your naming convention.
    • To have the filter appear at the top of the list, right after the standard filter, use capital letters in the filter name.
  14. Click Save as to save the filter.
  15. To apply the filter to the current view, click Modify.

Create a selection filter

You can create your own custom filters to help you select objects in a model.

  1. On the Selecting toolbar, click to open the Object Group - Selection Filter dialog box.

  2. Follow the instructions above on how to create a view filter.

    The same instructions apply to selection filters.

Create a drawing filter

For general arrangement drawings, you can create drawing filters that affect the whole drawing, not just a specific view. Drawing filters select objects in the whole drawing.

You can use drawing filters together with saved object property files when you create and apply object level settings in the whole drawing. For example, you might create a filter that selects all beams, then save an object property file that defines that the part color is blue, and then create and apply an object level settings file that changes all beams to blue in the whole drawing.

  1. In a GA drawing, on the Drawing tab, click Properties > Drawing.
  2. Click Filter.
  3. Click New filter to create a new filter from scratch.
  4. Click Add row to add a new filter rule.
  5. In the Category list, select an object category.

    You have the following options:

    • Part
    • Component
    • Bolt
    • Weld
    • Reinforcing bar
    • Surface
    • Assembly
    • Construction object
    • Template
    • Reference assembly
    • Reference object
    • Location breakdown structure
    • Pour object
    • Pour break
    • Pour unit
    • Task
    • Object
  6. In the Property list, select a suitable object property.

    The options vary depending on the object category you chose in step 5.

  7. In the Condition list, select a suitable condition.
  8. In the Value list, type a value.

    Alternatively, to use the current value of an existing object, click Select from drawing and select the desired object from the drawing. To use the values of multiple objects, click Multi-select from drawing, select the objects from the drawing, and then click the middle mouse button. For date values, also the Select date... option is available.

    The values can be complete strings, such as the profile name UC310*97. You can also use incomplete strings together with wildcards. For example, the value UC* will match with all parts whose profile name begins with the characters UC*. Empty values are matched to empty object properties.

    If you use multiple values, separate the strings with blank spaces (for example, 12 5). If a value consists of multiple strings, enclose the entire value in quotation marks (for example, "custom panel"), or use a question mark (for example, custom?panel) to replace the space.

  9. Repeat steps 4–8 to create as many filter rules as needed.

    You can apply several filter rules at the same time.

  10. Use the And/Or options and brackets to define how multiple rows work together.
  11. Select the check boxes next to all filter rules that you want to enable.

    If the check box is selected, the filter rule is enabled and effective. For example:

    By default, each new rule is disabled.

  12. Define the filter type.
    1. Click to display more settings.
    2. Select or clear the check boxes to define where the filter will be used.

      For example, the same drawing filter may be used both as a model view filter and as a model selection filter, and also as an Organizer filter.

  13. Enter a unique name in the box next to the Save as button.
    Note:
    • Filters are case sensitive.
    • Do not use spaces in filter names.
    • We recommend that you use _ (underscores) in your naming convention.
    • To have the filter appear at the top of the list, right after the standard filter, use capital letters in the filter name.
  14. Click Save as to save the filter.
  15. When you are done, click Cancel to close the filter properties dialog box.

Create a drawing view filter

You can create your own custom view filters to help you select a specific group of view objects in a drawing view.

You can use drawing view filters for changing the appearance of a certain object group, or for selecting which objects are hidden in a drawing view.

You can also use drawing view filters together with saved object property files when you create and apply object level settings in the selected view. For example, you might create a view filter that selects all columns in a view, then save an object property file that defines that the part color is red, and then create and apply an object level settings file that changes all columns to red in the selected view.

  1. Open a drawing.
  2. Double-click a drawing view frame.
  3. Click Filter.
  4. Click New filter to create a new filter from scratch.
  5. Click Add row to add a new filter rule.
  6. In the Category list, select an object category.

    You have the following options:

    • Part
    • Component
    • Bolt
    • Weld
    • Reinforcing bar
    • Surface
    • Assembly
    • Construction object
    • Template
    • Reference assembly
    • Reference object
    • Location breakdown structure
    • Pour object
    • Pour break
    • Pour unit
    • Task
    • Object
  7. In the Property list, select a suitable object property.

    The options vary depending on the object category you chose in step 5.

  8. In the Condition list, select a suitable condition.
  9. In the Value list, type a value.

    Alternatively, to use the current value of an existing object, click Select from drawing and select the desired object from the drawing. To use the values of multiple objects, click Multi-select from drawing, select the objects from the drawing, and then click the middle mouse button. For date values, also the Select date... option is available.

    The values can be complete strings, such as the profile name UC310*97. You can also use incomplete strings together with wildcards. For example, the value UC* will match with all parts whose profile name begins with the characters UC*. Empty values are matched to empty object properties.

    If you use multiple values, separate the strings with blank spaces (for example, 12 5). If a value consists of multiple strings, enclose the entire value in quotation marks (for example, "custom panel"), or use a question mark (for example, custom?panel) to replace the space.

  10. Repeat steps 4–8 to create as many filter rules as needed.

    You can apply several filter rules at the same time.

  11. Use the And/Or options and brackets to define how multiple rows work together.
  12. Select the check boxes next to all filter rules that you want to enable.

    If the check box is selected, the filter rule is enabled and effective. For example:

    By default, each new rule is disabled.

  13. Define the filter type.
    1. Click to display more settings.
    2. Select or clear the check boxes to define where the filter will be used.

      For example, the same drawing view filter may be used both as a model view filter and as a model selection filter, and also as an Organizer filter.

  14. Enter a unique name in the box next to the Save as button.
    Note:
    • Filters are case sensitive.
    • Do not use spaces in filter names.
    • We recommend that you use _ (underscores) in your naming convention.
    • To have the filter appear at the top of the list, right after the standard filter, use capital letters in the filter name.
  15. When you are done, click Cancel to close the filter properties dialog box.

Create a drawing selection filter

You can create your own custom filters to help you select objects in a drawing.

You can use selection filters in drawings if you want to hide certain parts from drawings or drawing views, or change the part color or representation for certain parts.

Also, if you have some different looking part marks for different types of parts, you can select the specific parts using a selection filter and then only modify part marks for those parts.

  1. In an open drawing, on the Selecting toolbar, click (Ctrl+G).

    The Selection filter dialog box opens.

  2. Follow the instructions above on how to create a drawing or drawing view filter.

    The same instructions apply to drawing selection filters.

  3. Click Apply or OK to select the parts according to the filter.
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