Create a contour plate

When you create a contour plate, the profile you select defines the thickness of the plate and the points you pick define the shape. The corners of the contour plate can be chamfered.

On the Steel tab, click .
Pick the corner points of the contour plate.
Click the middle mouse button.

Tekla Structures creates the plate using the Contour plate properties in the property pane.

Alternatively, you can start the command in the property pane.

Ensure that you have nothing selected in the model.
In the property pane, click the Object type list button and select Contour plate from the list.

Tekla Structures starts the command and shows the properties in the property pane.

Create a round contour plate

Create a square contour plate with four equal sides.
Select the plate.
Double-click a handle.

To make it easier to select the handles of the contour plate corners, ensure that the Direct modification switch is not active.

The Corner chamfer properties open in the property pane.
In the Type list, select Rounding .
In the Radius box, enter the chamfer radius.

The radius must be equal to half of the side of the square.
Click Modify.
Repeat the above steps for each corner you want to chamfer.

Alternative way of creating a round plate

Create a diamond-shaped plate with four equal sides.
To round the corners, use the Arc point chamfer type.

Modify contour plate properties

If the property pane is not open, double-click the plate to open the Contour plate properties.
Change the properties as needed.
Click Modify.

Contour plate properties

Use the Contour plate properties in the property pane to view and modify the properties of a contour plate. To open the properties, double-click the contour plate. The file name extension of a contour plate property file is *.cpl.

If you have customized the property pane layout, the list of properties may be different.


Setting	Description
General
Name	User-definable name of the contour plate. The name can contain a maximum of 61 characters. Tekla Structures uses part names in reports and in Document manager, and to identify parts of the same type.
Profile	Profile of the contour plate.
Material	Material of the contour plate.
Finish	Type of finish. Finish is user definable. It describes how the part surface has been treated, for example, with anti-corrosive paint, hot galvanized, fire retardant coating, and so on.
Class	Use to group contour plates. For example, you can display parts of different classes in different colors.
Numbering series
Part numbering	Part prefix and start number for the part position number.
Assembly numbering	Assembly prefix and start number the assembly position number.
Position
At depth	Position depth of the contour plate. The position is always perpendicular to the work plane.
IFC export
IFC entity	For IFC export, select the IFC entity type and subtype of the part. The available subtypes depend on the selected IFC entity. You can select the IFC4 subtype among the predefined options, or you can select USERDEFINED and then enter any text in User-defined type (IFC4).
Subtype (IFC4)
User-defined type (IFC4)
More
UDAs	Click the User-defined attributes button to open the user-defined attributes (UDAs) of the part. UDAs provide additional information about the part.