Create AutoDrawings

The AutoDrawings wizard combines a series of actions so that you can create drawings using a single command. You can use AutoDrawings to create single-part drawings, assembly drawings, cast-unit drawings and multi-drawings.

AutoDrawings wizards contain instructions telling Tekla Structures which drawing type, selection filter, and drawing properties to use. You can edit AutoDrawings wizard files or create your own ones. The AutoDrawings dialog box lists the available wizard files.

Create AutoDrawings

Before you can create AutoDrawings, the appropriate wizard files must exist and numbering must be up to date.

In the model, select the parts from which to create drawings.
You can also select the entire model and use filters to fine-tune your selection. You can also use selection filters in the wizard file. If you do, your selection can include parts that will not be included in the drawings.
Type AutoDrawing in the Quick Launch box.
In the AutoDrawings dialog box, select a wizard file.
- To view the file, click Show.
- To edit the file, click Edit.
On the Advanced tab, select whether to create a log file, what information it should include and name the log file.
Click Create from selected.

AutoDrawings wizard files

You can create your own AutoDrawings wizard files using any standard text editor. Use the existing wizard files as examples to construct your own.

A typical AutoDrawings wizard file contains several sets of drawing requests containing drawing, attribute and part settings to apply to selected objects, as well as a selection filter. The order of sets is important, as Tekla Structures only creates one drawing for each object.

Place the newly created drawing wizard files in the attributes sub-folder in the model folder.

Example

The AutoDrawings wizard file set in this example creates an assembly drawing for an object that fulfills the selection filter criteria in the set. Tekla Structures will not create another assembly drawing for that object, even if it matches the criteria of the selection filter in later sets in the same wizard file.

The wizard file consist of the lines below. Note the use of parentheses.

set_drawing_type(assembly)

set_drawing_attributes(column)

set_filter(column_filter)

create_drawings()


Line	Description
`set_drawing_type(assembly)`	This line defines the type of drawing the wizard creates. The drawing type appears in parentheses. The options are: `single`: workshop drawings `assembly`: assembly drawings `multi_single`: workshop multi-drawings `multi_single_with_layout`: workshop multi-drawings with layout `multi_assembly`: assembly multi-drawings `multi_assembly_with_layout`: assembly multi-drawings with layout `cast_unit`: cast-unit drawings
`set_drawing_attributes(column)`	This line tells Tekla Structures which drawing properties to use when creating the drawings. The name of the saved drawing properties file appears in parentheses.
`set_filter(column_filter)`	This line tells Tekla Structures which selection filter to use to select the parts from which to create drawings. The filter name appears in parentheses.
`create_drawings()`	This line starts the drawing creation. This line should always appear immediately after the lines `set_drawing_type`, set_drawing_attributes and `set_filter`.

Wizard log

Tekla Structures writes a log file when you run an AutoDrawings wizard. The log file contains information about errors, number of drawings created, commands used etc.

You can configure whether or not Tekla Structures creates a log file and how it is displayed using the Advanced tab in the AutoDrawings dialog box.

Create log options:

No: Tekla Structures does not create a log file.
Create: Tekla Structures creates a new log file and deletes the old one.
Append: Tekla Structures adds a new entry to the existing log file.

Display log options:

No: Tekla Structures does not display the log,
With associated viewer: Tekla Structures displays the log file in an associated viewer (e.g. Notepad) when you run the wizard. You can edit the log file.
On dialog: Tekla Structures displays the log file in a dialog box when you run the wizard. You can not edit the log file.