Tekla PowerFab

You can export your Tekla Structures model data to Tekla PowerFab as a compressed package in the .pfxt or .zip format. The package contains an XML file with drawing revisions, bills of materials, and user-defined attributes, as well as directories with CNC files and drawing files.

This export is specific to importing to Tekla PowerFab Production Control.

You can use the Tekla Structures IFC export to produce IFC files for combining and estimating in Tekla PowerFab. For more information about the IFC export, see Export in IFC format.

Export model to Tekla PowerFab

In the File menu, select Export > Tekla PowerFab.
The Export to Tekla PowerFab dialog box is displayed.
On the Export to Tekla PowerFab tab, to load predefined export settings, select the export settings from the list, and select Load.
On the Export to Tekla PowerFab tab, either select Auto-generate file name, or type the path and the name of the export file in the Tekla PowerFab file name box. Select the export file formet .pfxt or .zip. The .pfxt file is a Tekla PowerFab Exchange File format file.
In the Export settings section, select which information you want to include in the export file.
In the Drawing files section, select which drawing files are exported, and where different types of drawings are stored.
In the CNC files section, select if and how you want to export CNC files.
Click Export Tekla PowerFab.
You can now save the modified export settings for future use by selecting Save, or save the modified export settings with another name by defining a new name and selecting Save as.
If any files are out of date or not found in the export, you get warning messages that notify you of these files.
Do any of the following in the message box:
- To continue despite the missing files, click Yes.
- To cancel the export, click No.

Any warnings and error messages are shown in the white text box at the bottom of the Export to Tekla PowerFab dialog box. When the export is complete, the path to the exported file is shown in this text box.

Next, the export file can be imported into Tekla PowerFab. For more information, see instructions in the Tekla PowerFab product guide.

For details about importing Tekla PowerFab files into Tekla Structures, see section "Import Tekla EPM XML into Tekla Structures" in Tekla PowerFab exchange.

For more information on the export settings, see the following table.

Export settings for Tekla PowerFab


Setting	Description
Tekla PowerFab file name	When the Auto-generate file name option is not selected, you can type a file name, select .pfxt or .zip, and click ... to browse to and select the folder where the file is saved.
Auto-generate file name	When the Auto-generate file name option is selected, the export file is saved in the Tekla PowerFab folder under the model folder. You can select the file extension .pfxt or .zip. The file name format is `<project number>_<number of the export>`. For example, if a model has the project number `PROJ-NUM`, the first export is saved to `TeklaStructuresModels\PowerFab-01\Tekla PowerFab\PROJ-NUM_1.pfxt.` The next export will have the same path except for the number, which will be 2.
Export assembly drawings	Select which assembly drawing information you want to include in the export: All exports information of all assembly drawings in the model. Selected from Drawing list only exports information of the assembly drawings that are currently selected in Document manager. Selected from model only exports information for assembly drawings currently selected in the model. Drawing files are not included if you have selected the Do not export drawing files option.
Include BOM	When this option is selected, BOM information is included in the export.
Include single-part drawings	When this option is selected, single-part drawing information is included in the export. Drawing files are also included if you have not selected the Do not export drawing files option.
Include general arrangement drawings	When this option is selected, general arrangement drawing information is included in the export. Drawing files are also included if you have not selected the Do not export drawing files option.
Include multidrawings	When this option is selected, multi-drawing information is included in the export. Drawing files are also included if you have not selected the Do not export drawing files option.
Include drawing UDAs	When this option is selected, user-defined attributes for drawings are included in the export. In the list on the right, select which information is included: From report includes information from your 450 TeklaPowerFab_Drawing_UserDefined_v1.rpt report. By default, the Drawn by, Checked by, and Checked date values are included. From drawing (slow) includes all user-defined attributes in drawings. Note that this might take some time. From both (slow) includes information from both the 450 TeklaPowerFab_Part_UserDefined_v1.rpt report and the drawing. Note that this might take some time. To customize the user-defined attributes in the export file, see the Customize user-defined export information instructions.
Include part UDAs	When this option is selected, user-defined attributes for parts are included in the export. In the list on the right, select which information is included: From report includes information from your 450 TeklaPowerFab_Part_UserDefined_v1.rpt report. By default, user-defined fields 1-4 and comment are included. From model generates part information directly from the model. From both includes information from both the 450 TeklaPowerFab_Part_UserDefined_v1.rpt report and the model. To customize the user-defined attributes in the export file, see the Customize user-defined export information instructions.
Include bolts-nuts-washers	When this option is selected, bolt, nut, and washer information is included in the export.
Include bolt-nut-washer UDAs	When this option is selected, user-defined attributes for bolts, nuts, and washers are included in the export. In the list on the right, select which information is included: From report includes information from your 450 TeklaPowerFab_BoltNutWasher_UserDefined_v1.rpt report. By default, the GUID, IsBoltNutWasher value, and comment are included. From model generates nut, bolt, and washer information directly from the model. From both includes information from both the 450 TeklaPowerFab_BoltNutWasher_UserDefined_v1.rpt report and the model. To customize the user-defined attributes in the export file, see the Customize user-defined export information instructions.
Include studs	When this option is selected, stud information is included in the export.
Include stud UDAs	When this option is selected, user-defined attributes for studs are included in the export. In the list on the right, select which information is included: From report includes information from your 450 TeklaPowerFab_Stud_UserDefined_v1.rpt report. By default, the stud GUID and comment are included. From model generates stud information directly from the model. From both includes stud information both from the 450 TeklaPowerFab_Stud_UserDefined_v1.rpt report and the model. To customize the user-defined attributes in the export file, see the Customize user-defined export information instructions.
Do not export drawing files	When this option is selected, no drawing files are included in the export.
Use drawing files from folder	When this option is selected, drawing files from the folder defined below are included in the export. To change the folder, click ... next to the text box. Then, browse to and select the folder. Note that the drawing file names must match the drawing number, excluding the file extension. For example, the right file name for drawing 200 would be `200`.
Assembly drawing sub-folder Single-part drawing sub-folder GA drawing sub-folder Multidrawing sub-folder	Saving drawing types in different folders is optional. We recommend that you do so if you have drawings of different types with the same name. Having different drawing types in different folders also makes it easy for Tekla PowerFab to place the drawings in the right drawing logs. To select the folders, click ... next to each text box. Then, browse to and select the folder where the current drawing type should be saved.
Do not export CNC files	When this option is selected, CNC files will not be included in the export.
Generate CNC files - settings	When this option is selected, Tekla Structures generates CNC files from the current model. The exported CNC files are UTF-8 encoded. In the list below, select the CNC export settings file that you want to use.
Use CNC files from folder	When this option is selected, CNC files from the folder set below are included in the export. To change the folder, click ... and browse to and select the folder. Note that the file names need to match the piece mark, excluding the file extension. For example, the right CNC file name for piece mark w104 would be w104.

Customize user-defined attributes for export

The user-defined attributes for the export comes from the following reports, which you can customize to adjust which information is included in the export:

450 TeklaPowerFab_Drawing_UserDefined_v1.rpt
450 TeklaPowerFab_Part_UserDefined_v1.rpt
450 TeklaPowerFab_Stud_UserDefined_v1.rpt
450 TeklaPowerFab_BoltNutWasher_UserDefined_v1.rpt

Note:

Do not customize any of the other reports related to the Tekla PowerFab Plug-in.
Always keep extra copies of the customized reports in a separate folder.

Open the environment folder where the reports are stored.

For example, C:\ProgramData\Trimble\Tekla Structures\2021.0 Daily\Environments\Steel\reports.
Create a copy of the desired report and move it to another folder.
Open the copy in a text editor, such as Microsoft Notepad.
Customize the copy according to your needs.
Note that:
- Each field must be separated by a tab character.
- The report needs to have a single-line header containing the name of each field. These field names are included in the export file, so that the user can decide to which Tekla PowerFab fields the information should be mapped.
- Each field name can be used only once.
- Each field in the report needs to consist of a single line.
- In the 450 TeklaPowerFab_Part_UserDefined_v1.rpt report, the first field needs to be the part GUID, and the name in the report header for the first field needs to be GUID.
- In the 450 TeklaPowerFab_Drawing_UserDefined_v1.rpt report, the first field needs to be the drawing ID, and the name in the report header for the first field needs to be ID.
Save the copy.
Move the copy to the right folder, and overwrite the existing report.