Upload the Tekla Structures model to Trimble Connect

You can upload the current Tekla Structures model to a Trimble Connect project folder as a read-only .tekla file. The .tekla file can then be used as a lightweight reference model with Tekla Structures or any Trimble Connect product. The .tekla reference models list and visualize model objects, parts, rebars, bolts, assemblies, and grids.

Before you upload your model to Trimble Connect, note that:

Welds and surface treatments are not included in the .tekla reference model.
Profiles are exported with normal solid accuracy, so corner roundings are not included.
Layers are available in .tekla models. Tekla Structures objects are grouped to different layers according to a template attribute or UDA. You can include layers in .tekla upload.
Object colors in the .tekla reference model might be different than in the Tekla Structures model.
To include pours and pour units in the .tekla reference model instead of cast units and cast unit parts, you need to enable pour management.

To disable pours and include cast units and cast unit parts:
1. Go to ...\Environments\common\system\UploadToConnect\.
2. Copy the conf.json file to the \attributes sub- folder under the model folder.
3. Open the conf.json file in a text editor.
4. Change "pours" : "model" to "pours" : "false".
5. Save the conf.json file.

In the following image, the connection on the right has been exported as an IFC reference model using Trimble Connector. The connection looks the same as in the Tekla Structures model.

The connection on the left has been uploaded to Trimble Connect as a .tekla reference model. The colors are different, and the radiuses of profiles and welds are missing.

To upload the Tekla Structures model to Trimble Connect:

On the File menu, go to Settings > Advanced options.
In the Advanced options dialog box, find the XS_CONNECT_UPLOAD_MODEL_FOLDER option.
Type or paste a file path to the Trimble Connect folder where you want to upload the Tekla Structures model.

The default file path is Structural\Tekla models.
Click OK to save the folder path.
If necessary, define which template attributes and user-defined attributes are uploaded with the model:
1. Copy the part.epr file from the \TeklaStructures\<version>\Environments\common\system\UploadToConnect folder to the \attributes folder under the current model folder.
2. Open the part.epr file in a text editor, such as Microsoft Notepad.
3. For each supported object type, define the template and user-defined attributes using the following syntax. Note that to include layers, you need to add a line for the layers in the following format: "layer": ["TEMPLATE_FIELD"].
```
{
"part": ["PART_POS", "NAME", "USERDEFINED.USER_FIELD_1" ],
"assembly": ["ASSEMBLY_POS", "USERDEFINED.PRELIM_ASSEM_MARK" ],
"bolt":
        ["NAME","BOLT_STANDARD", "DIAMETER" ],
"rebar": ["REBAR_POS", "NAME",
        "GRADE", "SIZE", "LENGTH", "WEIGHT" ]
"layer": ["ASSEMBLY_POS"] 
}
```
  Note that you cannot change the units that are used for attributes.
4. Save the part.epr file.
Go to the Trimble Connect ribbon tab, and click Upload model.
To confirm saving the model and uploading the entire model folder to the attached Trimble Connect project, click Save and upload.

The Tekla Structures model is uploaded as a .tekla file to the Trimble Connect project folder that you defined.

An error message is displayed if the model upload to Trimble Connect fails. In case of upload errors, see the PublishToTrimbleConnect.log file, which you can find in the /logs sub-folder under the model folder.

If needed, you can later attach the .tekla file to your model as a Connect overlay model.

Note that if you want to move the model to another folder after uploading it, you need to do so manually in Trimble Connect.

Note:

The Upload model button does not upload shared models to Trimble Connect. Instead, you can use the XS_UPLOAD_SHARED_MODEL_TO_CONNECT advanced option to select if and when a shared model is uploaded to a Trimble Connect project folder.

In the Advanced options dialog box, set the value of XS_UPLOAD_SHARED_MODEL_TO_CONNECT to one of the following:

BASELINE = The shared model is automatically uploaded to the set Trimble Connect project folder each time a user creates a new baseline.
WRITEOUT = The shared model is automatically uploaded to the set Trimble Connect project folder after each successful write out.

If you do not want to upload the model to a Trimble Connect project folder, clear the Value field.