Company settings for administrators

Company-level settings are mainly settings that are used throughout the company for all projects. These settings are set using XS_SYSTEM and XS_FIRM.

For a larger company with subsidiaries, the settings could be used as follows:

XS_SYSTEM might contain multiple paths, and it points to general settings inside the company. These can be company logo, reports, printer settings, drawing settings, templates, for example. These are settings that seldom change, and are stored on a server available for all. For example, if the company logo is updated, it only has to be replaced in one place.
XS_FIRM points to the firm folder set up by the company, or a subsidiary. The folder contains all the company settings used at the particular office. These can be logos, drawing settings, templates, reports, or printer settings, for example. The firm folder can also have user-defined sub-folders for storing property files.
XS_PROJECT points to the project folder. The folder contains project settings, such as logos for contractors and fabricators, or drawing settings, for example. The project folder can also have user-defined sub-folders for storing project-specific property files.

For more information about the folder search order, see Folder search order.

You can also use company-specific collections in Tekla Warehouse online or offline in your own network. For more information, see Getting started with Tekla Warehouse.

Access to offline collections is managed with folder rights in your network, and on the collection level in the collections.json file on each user's computer.

 "collections" 
"\\\\server-A\\company\\Tekla Structures collection"

The collections.json file can be shared with selected users by copying it to the C:\Users\Public\Documents\Tekla\Tekla Warehouse\ folder.

Customization of model templates

You can save a model with customized settings and use the model as a template when you create new models. Using model templates can be useful if your company has different kinds of projects, such as, parking garages, office buildings, bridges, and industrial.

To create a model template, see Create model templates.

By default, the model template folder is located in your environment folder, under ..ProgramData\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\environments\<your environment>\. The exact folder location might vary depending on your environment and role. Use the advanced option XS_MODEL_TEMPLATE_DIRECTORY to define a different location.

You can download, share, and store model templates in Tekla Warehouse. This image shows an example of a model template in Tekla Warehouse.

The Insert into model button in Tekla Warehouse installs the model template directly in the folder defined by XS_MODEL_TEMPLATE_DIRECTORY. You can immediately use the template when creating a new model.

Update model templates

When you upgrade Tekla Structures, we strongly recommend that you update your model templates.

Create a new model using an existing model template.
Give the model the same name as in the previous Tekla Structures version.
Open a 3D view.
On the File menu, click Diagnose and repair > Diagnose model.
On the View tab, click Screenshot > Project thumbnail to create a project thumbnail, or add a custom image named thumbnail.png in the model folder.

The preferred size of the image is 120 x 74 pixels.
On the File menu, click Save as > Save.

If you do not do this, a message might appear warning about the model being created with a previous version.
On the File menu, click Save as > Save as model template.
Update the content of the model template.
1. Select which catalogs, drawing templates, report templates, and model sub-folders you want to include in the model template.
2. Manually remove all *.db files (environment database, options database files) from the model folder.
  
  Do not remove the db.idrm and xslib.idrm files. They are part of the model.
3. Click OK.
The *.bak, *.log and xs_user files are automatically removed from the model folder.

The model template is saved in the location defined by XS_MODEL_TEMPLATE_DIRECTORY.

You now have a sample image for your model template. The Applications & components catalog is now also in order and easy to use.

Customization of reports and drawings

If your company already has graphical templates in the DXF, DWG, or DGN format, you can convert these templates to Tekla Structures templates.

For detailed instructions, see the information about AutoCAD and Microstation files in the Template Editor User's Guide.

For information about how to create your own templates and reports, see the Template Editor User's Guide, Reports, and Templates.

Create cloning templates for drawings

Creating cloning templates for drawings allows you to use existing drawings as the basis for creating new drawings of similar parts, assemblies, or cast units. You only need to modify the parts of the cloned drawing that differ from the original drawing.

Consider cloning drawings when:

There are several similar parts, assemblies, or cast units in the model.
You need to produce single-part, assembly, or cast-unit drawings of similar parts, assemblies, or cast units.
The drawings need a lot of manual editing.

For example, you can create a drawing for one truss, edit the drawing, then clone it for similar trusses. You only need to modify the cloned drawings where the trusses differ.

The cloned drawing might contain more parts than the original drawing. Part properties, marks, associative notes, and related text objects are cloned from a similar part in the original drawing.

You can clone drawings by using Master Drawing Catalog templates. A cloning template in the Master Drawing Catalog can also be used in other models. You can use cloning templates in projects that have the same kind of drawings.

In the Document manager, select a drawing.
Right-click, select Add to Master Drawing Catalog, then fill in the required properties.

The cloning template can be found under Cloning templates in the Master Drawing Catalog. To use cloning templates in other models, open the Master Drawing Catalog in the model, click the button on the toolbar, and add the model where the templates are saved.

For more information about the Master Drawing Catalog and cloning templates, see Create drawings in Master Drawing Catalog.