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Add dimensions to plates

Tekla Structures
Modified: 9 Dec 2022
2025
Tekla Structures

Add dimensions to plates

You can dimension plates using some advanced options in File menu > Settings > Advanced options > Dimensioning - parts.

Note:

The settings in the dim_planes_table.txt tell Tekla Structures which dimensioning planes are possible for certain profile types, and with the advanced options, you can fine-tune the dimension position. The settings in the dim_planes_table.txt file are available for use only when you have set the path to dim_planes_table.txt as a value for the XS_PART_DIMENSION_PLANES_TABLE advanced option.

When you modify dim_planes_table.txt in environment folders, after changing the file, you need to:

  1. Restart Tekla Structures.
  2. Re-create the drawings.

Otherwise, the changes will have no impact on the drawings.

To dimension plates using the advanced options:

To

Do this

Dimension the plates to the edge that is nearest to the neighbor part

Set the advanced option XS_PART_POSITION_TO_EDGE_NEAREST_TO_NEIGHBOUR to TRUE.

Dimension the plates to the leading edge of the beams

  1. Set the advanced option XS_USE_PLATE_SIDE_POSITIONING to FALSE.

  2. Set the advanced option XS_PART_POSITION_TO_EDGE_NEAREST_TO_NEIGHBOUR to FALSE.

  3. Set the advanced option XS_PART_POSITION_TO_LEADING_EDGE to TRUE.

Dimension the plates to the leading edge of the columns

  1. Set the advanced option XS_USE_PLATE_SIDE_POSITIONING to FALSE.

  2. Set the advanced option XS_PART_POSITION_TO_EDGE_NEAREST_TO_NEIGHBOUR to FALSE.

  3. Set the advanced option XS_PART_POSITION_TO_LEADING_EDGE_IN_COLUMNS_ALSO to TRUE.

Dimension the plates to the trailing edge

  1. Set the advanced option XS_USE_PLATE_SIDE_POSITIONING to FALSE.

  2. Set the advanced option XS_PART_POSITION_TO_EDGE_NEAREST_TO_NEIGHBOUR to FALSE.

  3. Set the advanced option XS_PART_POSITION_TO_LEADING_EDGE to FALSE.

  4. Set the advanced option XS_PART_POSITION_TO_LEADING_EDGE_IN_COLUMNS_ALSO to FALSE.

Dimension the plates using their original reference points in the model

  1. Set the advanced option XS_PART_POSITION_TO_EDGE_NEAREST_TO_NEIGHBOUR to FALSE.

  2. Set the advance option XS_USE_PLATE_SIDE_POSITIONING to TRUE.

Note: If you have created one plate from left to right and another from right to left, Tekla Structures dimensions the plates differently.

How dim_planes_table.txt and XS_PART_POSITION_TO_LEADING_EDGE work together

  • If you set all plate options (beam plates and contour plates) to FALSE in dim_planes_table.txt as follows:

    5, -1.0, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE

    51, -1.0, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE

    In this case, the dim_planes_table.txt file does not affect the plate dimensioning at all, but the XS_PART_POSITION_TO_LEADING_EDGE advanced option defines the location to be either right or left (but not middle).

  • If you enable both left and right & bottom and top options in dim_planes_table.txt as follows:

    5, -1.0, FALSE, TRUE, TRUE, FALSE, TRUE, TRUE

    51, -1.0, FALSE, TRUE, TRUE, FALSE, TRUE, TRUE

    In this case, you can still adjust which one is selected by using the XS_PART_POSITION_TO_LEADING_EDGE advanced option.

  • If you set the dimensioning to the middle of the plates as follows:

    5, -1.0, TRUE, FALSE, FALSE, TRUE, FALSE, FALSE

    51, -1.0, TRUE, FALSE, FALSE, TRUE, FALSE, FALSE

    In this case, the XS_PART_POSITION_TO_LEADING_EDGE advanced option does not have an impact.

Examples

Below is an example of dimensioning plates to the leading edge.

Below is an example of dimensioning plates to the trailing edge.

In the following two examples, neighbor parts are blue, and the plate creation points are shown.

In the first example, the following values are used:

XS_PART_DIMENSION_PLANES_TABLE= (no value given, dim_planes_table.txt not used)

XS_PART_POSITION_TO_EDGE_NEAREST_TO_NEIGHBOR=TRUE

XS_PART_POSITION_TO_LEADING_EDGE=FALSE

XS_PART_POSITION_TO_LEADING_EDGE_IN_COLUMNS_ALSO=FALSE

XS_USE_PLATE_SIDE_POSITIONING=FALSE

In the second example, the following values are used:

XS_PART_DIMENSION_PLANES_TABLE= (no value given, dim_planes_table.txt not used)

XS_PART_POSITION_TO_EDGE_NEAREST_TO_NEIGHBOR=FALSE

XS_PART_POSITION_TO_LEADING_EDGE=FALSE

XS_PART_POSITION_TO_LEADING_EDGE_IN_COLUMNS_ALSO=FALSE

XS_USE_PLATE_SIDE_POSITIONING=TRUE

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