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Work with system components

Tekla Structures
Modified: 7 Mar 2025
2025
Tekla Structures

Work with system components

Use system components to connect parts in the model and to automate tasks.

System components adapt to changes in the model, which means that Tekla Structures automatically modifies the component if you modify the parts it connects. When you copy or move objects, Tekla Structures automatically copies or moves all the associated components with the objects.

All system components are stored in the Applications & components catalog. Click the Applications & components button in the side pane to open the Applications & components catalog.

Define component properties

Each component has a dialog where you can define the properties of the component. You can open the dialog by double-clicking the component in the Applications & components catalog.

The image below shows a typical example of a steel connection, the Two sided clip angle (143) connection. Concrete and reinforcement component dialogs may have different options.

Description

1

In the upper part of the dialog, you can save and load predefined settings. Some components have buttons for accessing bolts, welds, and DSTV properties.

When modifying connections and details, you can select whether Tekla Structures ignores other types of connections and details, or modifies all selected connections and details irrespective of their type. With the modify option, the type of the selected components is changed to match the type of the component you are currently modifying.

For more information, see Save and load object properties in the property pane or in the dialogs and Model folder files and file name extensions.

2

On the tabs, you can define the properties of the parts and bolts that the component creates. You can enter values manually, use system default values, AutoDefaults values, automatic values, or for some steel connections, the values in the joints.def file.

Manually entered values, AutoDefaults, automatic values and the properties defined in the joints.def file all override the system defaults. System default values are used if you do not manually enter a value or select any other type of property value. You cannot change the system default values.

For more information on joints.def, see Define connection properties in the joints.def file.

3

For information on the dialog buttons, see View and modify object properties by using dialog boxes.

4

If you select an AutoDefaults option, Tekla Structures uses the property defined in the AutoDefaults rules.

The image in the AutoDefaults option is an example and does not necessarily match the outcome in the model.

For more information on AutoDefaults, see AutoDefaults.

5

If you select an automatic option, Tekla Structures automatically determines which option to use for a property.

For example, when you use the automatic option for the stiffener in End plate (144), the connection automatically adds the stiffener to a beam-to-column connection, but does not add it to a beam-to-beam connection.

For more information on AutoConnection, see AutoConnection.

6

The parts that are yellow in the component dialog are created by the component.

7

The parts that are blue in the component dialog should already exist in the model before you create the component.

8

Up direction indicates how the connection is rotated around the secondary part, relative to the current work plane. The symbol on the Picture tab of the component dialog indicates the correct up direction.

If there are no secondary parts, Tekla Structures rotates the connection around the main part. The options are: +x, -x, +y, -y, +z, -z.

You can change the default up direction on the General tab in the component dialog. Try changing the positive directions first.

9

Click the Create button to to start creating a new component in the model using the settings applied in the component dialog. Then follow the instructions on the status bar.

Add a component to a model

When you add a component to a model, you either attach the component to existing parts in the model, or pick positions to indicate the location or length of the component.

Connections and details have a main part that you select first. Connections also have one or more secondary parts that you select after you have selected the main part. Detailing components do not always have a main part and secondary parts. Instead, they automatically create and assemble the parts to build a structure when you pick a position in the model.

If you use a component you are unfamiliar with, use the default properties of the component. Then check what needs to be modified, and modify only few properties at a time to see how the modifications affect the component. This is quicker than trying to set all the component properties before seeing what the component actually creates.

You can get information about adding and modifying the component in the model in a command prompt window. This information can be useful in problem situations. Set the XS_DISPLAY_RPC_COMPONENT_CONSOLE_WINDOW advanced option to TRUE to display the window. By default, the value is FALSE and the window is not displayed.

  1. Click the Applications & components button in the side pane to open the Applications & components catalog.

    You can also press Ctrl + F.

  2. Select a component and do one of the following:
    To Do this

    Add a connection

    1. Select the main part.

    2. Select the secondary part or parts.

    • If there is one secondary part, the connection is automatically created when you select the secondary part.
    • If there are several secondary parts, click the middle mouse button to finish selecting the parts and to create the connection.

    In the example image below, the numbers from 1 to 4 show the selection order of parts. The blue parts should already exist in the model before you create the component.

    Add a detail

    1. Select the main part.

    2. Pick a position in the main part to determine the location of the detail.

    Add a detailing component

    		Pick one to three positions to determine the location of the objects that the detailing component creates.

    Add a new a component using the Create new command

    Select a component in the model, right-click and select Create new. Then follow the instructions on the status bar.

    If you have a component dialog open, you can also use the Create button in the dialog to create a new component.
  3. Check the status of the component.

    When you have added the component, Tekla Structures shows the component status using the symbols shown in the table below.

    Color Status

    The green symbol shows that the component was created successfully.

    The detailing component symbol in the model is .

    The yellow symbol shows that the component was created, but it has problems.

    This often occurs when bolts or holes have an edge distance that is less than the default value.

    The red symbol shows that the component was not created.

    Common reasons are that the properties are incorrect or that the up direction is not appropriate.

  4. If the component is not created correctly or not added at all, you can check the following, for example:

    • If the component is not added to the model, check the status bar. For example, you may need to click the middle mouse button to stop selecting parts before Tekla Structures creates the component.

    • Some components work with certain profiles only. If a component is not created successfully, try entering a valid profile.

    • If a component does not by default create the parts that you need, look for options to create them. If there are no options, try entering a thickness value for the parts.

      If a component creates parts that you do not need, look for options to remove them. If there are no options, enter zero (0) as the thickness of the parts.

    • If you are using a connection that only allows one secondary part, you may see the message Many parts found on the status bar. This means that Tekla Structures cannot determine which parts to connect. You may have several parts in the same location, or the view may be set too deep.

Modify a component in a model

You can modify the properties of a component after you have added the component in the model, for example, if you need to change the number of bolts or plate dimensions.

  1. Double-click the component symbol in the model to open the component dialog.
  2. Modify the properties.
  3. If needed, define which connections and details are modified:

    • Ignore other types: Tekla Structures only modifies the connections and details that are of the same type as the connection or detail you are modifying.

    • Modify connection type: If you have selected several connections and details, click Modify to modify all the selected connections and details irrespective of their type. If the connection type of a selected connection is not the same as in the connection dialog, Tekla Structures changes the connection type.

  4. Click Modify.

When you have added components to the model, you can use the property pane to list the components:

  • If you select one component in the model, the property pane shows the name and number of that component. You can open the component properties dialog by clicking the Component properties button in the property pane.
  • If you select several different components in the model, the property pane shows lists that have the text Varies. Open the lists to show the names and numbers of the selected components.
  • If you select components and other model objects, click the Object type list button in the property pane to open a list of the selected object types, and select Component to list the components.

View a component in a model

You can create several views of a component to view it from different viewpoints.

  1. Click the component symbol in the model to select the component.
  2. Right-click and select Create view > Default views of component.

    Tekla Structures creates four views: front, end, top, and perspective.

    You can check the dimensions, such as bolt locations and edge distances, using the Measure tool in the Component front view.

    The example image shows the default views of the End plate (144) connection.

Tip:

You can display the contents of selected components, such as parts, bolts, welds and other details, even if Visibility in components is not selected in the View Properties > Display dialog. To display the contents, go to the View tab on the ribbon, then click Rendering > Content and select the components. You can also type content in the Quick Launch box to start the Show component content command.

When you click View > Redraw > Redraw all views, the contents are no longer visible.

Convert components to conceptual or detailing components

Depending on the Tekla Structures configuration you are using, you can create either detailing or conceptual components.
  • Detailing components include all the information needed for fabrication, such as assemblies, cast units, and reinforcing bars.

    Detailing components have a round symbol in the model: or .

  • Conceptual components look similar to detailing components but do not include the option to change part numbering or assembly numbering settings. Conceptual components are meant to be used as reference information for further fabrication detailing.

    Conceptual components have a rectangular symbol in the model: or .

You can create conceptual components in the Tekla Structures Graphite configuration, and in the Engineering, Rebar Detailing, and Construction Modeling legacy configurations.

You can edit conceptual components and convert them to detailing components in the Tekla Structures Diamond configuration, and in the Full, Primary, Steel Detailing, and Precast Concrete Detailing legacy configurations.

Modifying part properties, such as the size of the component main part, does not automatically convert a detailing component to a conceptual component, or vice versa. For example, if you use the Tekla Structures Graphite configuration and modify the model, detailing components are not converted to conceptual components. However, detailing components will adapt to the changes done in the model, but you cannot modify any properties using the component dialog. Detailing components will also remain as detailing components unless you convert them one by one.

You can convert components in the Applications & components catalog. Click the Applications & components button in the side pane to open the Applications & components catalog.

Do one of the following:

To Do this Configuration
Convert a conceptual component to a detailing component
  1. Click > Convert to detailing component.
  2. Select the component symbol.

Tekla Structures Diamond

Full, Primary, Steel Detailing, Precast Concrete Detailing
Convert a detailing component to a conceptual component
  1. Click >Convert to conceptual component.
  2. Select the component symbol.

Tekla Structures Graphite

Engineering, Construction Modeling, Rebar Detailing
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