Create and edit drawing layouts
Use Drawing layout editor to create new drawing layouts and edit existing ones. Working on the layout, you can add, modify, move, and remove tables, add and modify drawing sizes, and select if you want to see table names or hidden tables in the drawing layout. Frames and fold marks are also added to drawings in Drawing layout editor.
Open Drawing layout editor
To access Drawing layout editor |
Do this |
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Through the File menu |
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Through a drawing properties dialog box |
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Through the ribbon in the modeling mode |
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In an open drawing |
Do any of the following:
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Through Quick Launch |
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The layout editing mode opens.
Create a new drawing layout
The drawing layout is saved in the \attributes folder under the model folder as a .lay file. Note that the .lay files are not compatible with the Drawing layout tool or the Layout editor that were available in previous versions of Tekla Structures. This means that you cannot use the new layout with older versions of Tekla Structures.
You can now continue working with drawing layouts or close the layout editing mode by clicking Close Layout editor.
Add new tables to a drawing layout
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Template files (.tpl)
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DWG/DXF files
For example, you might have some details in a DWG or DXF file that you want to show in certain types of drawings and therefore add the file in the drawing layout.
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Key plans
Tekla Structures automatically includes the correct object in the key plan. You can use drawings that contain only one view of the correct scale as a key plan. Tekla Structures only uses the view from the original drawing. The view position, drawing size, and templates of the original drawing are not relevant to the key plan.
The combination of tables in the drawing layout is called a table set.
To add new tables to the drawing layout:
Move tables in the drawing layout
The tables are moved to the new position.
Remove tables from the drawing layout
- In the drawing layout, right-click a table and select Delete.
- In the drawing layout, right-click a table and press Delete on the keyboard.
- Select a table in the Tables in use list and press Delete on the keyboard.
Adjust drawing sizes, frames, and fold marks
Frames and fold marks can be customized individually for each drawing layout, or .lay file. However, the frame properties are initially read from the standard.fms file with global frame and fold mark properties. If you do not want to use the global frame and fold mark properties in a drawing layout, adjust the appropriate properties in the Drawing size settings dialog box.
Adjust the position of drawing views
To adjust the position of drawing views, you need to have a drawing open.
Note that the Drawing views settings work together with the XS_DISABLE_VIEW_CENTERING_[drawing type] advanced options. By setting the values of these advanced options to VER, HOR, or both, you can disable automatically centering drawing views in horizontal, vertical, or both directions.
You can enable or disable centering of drawing views manually for all drawing types except for cast unit drawings. In cast unit drawings, centering of drawing views is always enabled.
Adjust the visibility of tables in the drawing layout
The drawing layout contains some information that you may not always need to see, because some tables are not relevant in all drawings that use the same drawing layout. These tables are called hidden tables. If the content of a drawing changes, these tables may appear again. For example, a table may become visible if you add a revision.
By default, hidden tables are shown as simple boxes that have a known width and a default height. In the image below, the upper table is a regular table, while the lower table is a hidden table.
If necessary, you can choose to hide hidden tables from the drawing layout completely.
To | Do this |
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Hide or show hidden tables |
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Hide or show table names |
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Edit a drawing layout
You can remove or rename drawing layouts in the file folder. Go to the \attributes sub-folder under the model folder, find the right .lay file, and remove or rename the file.
The changes that you made are saved to the drawing layout (.lay) file. All drawings that use the edited layout are automatically updated to match the changes.
You can now continue working with drawing layouts or close the layout editing mode by clicking Close Layout editor.