When you import from Tekla Structural Designer, you can control which changes will be made in the Tekla Structures model. If none of the objects in the import file have been previously imported in Tekla Structures, the import will complete after Tekla Structures has created the required objects. If objects already exist, then the new objects will be listed as new, but if no objects exist, then the import will just take place.

1. Follow the steps in Import from Tekla Structural Designer. In addition, do the following in the Tekla Structural Designer Import dialog box:
   1. If updating the positions of objects is not required, select the Only consider profile and material changes check box.

      This will only update the object profiles and materials, and ignore other changes.

   2. Select the Show model comparison tool check box at the bottom of the dialog box.

      This will display the Model Comparison Tool dialog box after you have clicked Import.

2. In Model Comparison Tool, go to an appropriate tab: Added, Updated, Deleted, or Unchanged.
3. To display the properties of an object, select the object from the list on the left.

   If the selected object has been updated or deleted, or has not been changed, the object is also highlighted in the model.

4. To append the Tekla Structures object ID to the object name in the comparison tool list, select the Display part IDs check box.
5. To import objects that do not exist in the Tekla Structures model:
   1. On the Added tab, ensure that the check box after the object name is selected for each object (or object type) that you want to import.
   2. At the bottom of the Model Comparison Tool dialog box, select the Add new objects check box.

      If you clear this check box, the objects that did not previously exist in the Tekla Structures model but that are in the import file are excluded from the import.

6. To update the properties of the previously imported objects, go to the Updated tab and do the following:
   1. Ensure that the check box after the object name is selected for each object (or object type) that you want to update.
   2. To reduce the amount of information displayed about the objects that have been updated, select the Only display changed fields check box.

      Only the values that have been changed are displayed instead of all the object properties.

   3. For each object to update, select the object from the list on the left, and then in the list of properties, select the Apply updates check box for each object property whose value you want to update.
7. To delete objects that currently exist in the Tekla Structures model but that are not in the import file:
   1. On the Deleted tab, ensure that the check box after the object name is selected for each object (or object type) that you want to delete.
   2. At the bottom of the Model Comparison Tool dialog box, select the Delete current objects check box.

      If you clear this check box, no objects will be deleted.

8. Click Accept changes to use the current settings and complete the import.