Updates in tools for automated precast fabrication

Tekla Structures
2022
Tekla Structures

Updates in tools for automated precast fabrication

There are many new features and improvements in the Unitechnik, ELiPLAN and BVBS export tools.

Export Unitechnik (79)

Symbols tab

A new tab, Symbols, has been added where you can configure the details of mountpart symbols used in the export. All symbol-related settings have been moved from the Embedstab to the Symbols tab. Also, new options for plotting placing symbols for braced girders have been added on this new tab.

Embeds tab

  • You can now choose if an insulation layer affects the contour using the new options, Layer cut to contour and Extend contour. These options are only available if the insulation is exported as a layer within the concrete element and you have set the Export insulation setting to As concrete panel or As layers and embeds. When Layer cut to contour is used, the shuttering is placed by the determined concrete edge, however any insulation mountpart is allowed to extend outside this contour.

  • You can now export also cut parts using the Opening with corner symbols setting.

  • Two new options have been added to the Export assemblies setting.
    • The first option exports all sub-assembly parts as one object with continuous geometry:

    • The second one exports all sub-assembly parts as one object with distinct geometry of each part.

  • You can now export thermal anchors for thermal walls by specifying names or classes for the Thermal anchors setting. Additionally, a new option, As embed (mounpart) with thermal anchor, has been added to Export insulation. If you select this option, thermal anchors will be exported as a part of the insulation. You need to select this option to activate the thermal anchors function and the Thermal anchors setting.

  • Meshes collected from rebar groups that are set to be exported as embeds now have a rectangular bounding box geometry. Also reinforcement with a cage UDA specified to be exported as embed by name is now exported with a cage bounding box.

Reinforcement tab

Bent reinf. as unfolded has been renamed to Bent mesh and reinforcement. A new option, Mesh forms 0-5 or free, has been added. The Bent mesh and reinforcement options have been renamed as follows:

Freely selectable forms (previously No)

All as unfolded (previously Yes)

Mesh with hook forms 0, 2 and 5 (previously Yes with end hooks)

Mesh with hook forms 0-5 (previously Bent meshes with end hooks)

Mesh as unfolded (previously Only meshes)

Terminal hook types 2 and 3 are now supported with options Mesh with hook forms 0-5 and Mesh forms 0-5 or free.

Reinf. data specification tab

An external definition file can now be used to overwrite type and designation information, which is usually determined automatically from model objects. You can specify the reinforcement definition file in the Definition file box. The definition file is a .csv file, with a fixed structure.

SLABDATE block data specification tab

  • You can now export iron projection data using the new Iron projection setting on the SLABDATE block data specification tab. The values are automatically determined from reinforcement length that extends outside the element.

  • The Item designation setting has a new option, Template (shell main part), which reads data from the respective double wall shell. The Info text 1 - 4 settings also have a new option, Main part template, which reads data from the double wall level 1 main part. The Info text 1 - 4 Template option has been renamed to Template (shell main part).

Line attributes tab

The Special formwork for embed (classes or names) setting has been renamed to Special formwork for object (classes or names), and now this setting also works for reinforcement specified by class or by name.

Mounting part data specification tab

  • You can now specify more precisely how the mountpart name is exported by using the new options in theMountpart name field: UDA, Text[Template]#Counter, Template, and User defined text.

  • With the new Installation type setting you can now specify the installation type of the embed by defining a UDA, class, name or user-defined text. Additionally, you can specify a different mountpart name source for the insulation or cutpart mountparts.

TS configuration tab

  • A new option has been added to the Auto-rotate on pallet list. When the Auto-rotate on pallet option is selected, the element is rotated based on the fixed set of rules defining that the longer edge with no cuts or protruding embeds is at the bottom edge of the pallet. For the Auto-rotate on pallet option, you can also select if the default rotation direction is To long even edge (clockwise) or To long even edge (counterclockwise).

  • The options Rotate geometry and With SLABDATE rotation angle have been removed from the rotation settings on the TS configuration tab. Instead, the related values will be written to the corresponding record in the Unitechnik file automatically, in accordance to the Unitechnik file format specification.

  • You can now automatically recognize certain cut types as mountparts using the new setting Cuts as mountparts. Select the cut type: Designated only, All, Recesses, Within contour, or Recesses within.

Unitechnik UDAs

  • You can now use the new surface object UDA setting Align pallet direction in the surface object user-defined dialog box for controlling the rotation of the individual elements in the export. This setting defines the rotation of the element in XY plane so that the selected face is towards the pallet X axis, and aligns towards the X direction. This setting overrides all other rotation settings.

  • Using the product types Thermo wall (1st stage) and Thermo wall (2nd stage) in the object UDAs will now produce an export file with a separate HEADER block for each of the two stages of the thermal wall, similarly as with double walls.

Other Unitechnik improvements

  • You can now use circle and arc shapes in the special assembly export file. Circle is defined by the special symbol K followed by the circle radius. Arc is defined by the special symbol B followed by the arc radius, start angle and end angle.

  • You can now designate object names that consist of strings with multiple words separated by a blank space by using quotation marks. This can be done in any name list field within the export settings, such as the embed options on the Embeds tab. 

  • The special export assembly file names and reinforcement definition file can now be read from the XS_FIRM and XS_PROJECT folders.

  • Data field and file name options with #Counter logic have been improved to keep the counter series separate from each other when necessary. Now only objects with the same object type and matching data string as a base are put into the same counter series. For data fields other than HEADER block fields, these counter series are also distinct within each export file and data section.

  • Previously, the rodstock article number was incorrectly exported for loose reinforcement. This has now been fixed.

  • Previously, when an embed was split into more parts, it was exported as one polygon. This issue has been fixed, and the embed is exported with the correct number of polygons.

BVBS Export

  • BVBS export now supports rebar assemblies:
    • The Model objects to be exported:Selected reinforcement only option also exports selected rebar assemblies.

    • A new option, Yes, group rebar assemblies, was added for grouping meshes by rebar assembly for the Try to make meshes of rebars setting on the Advanced tab. The existing grouping methods were updated so that they can also handle rebar assemblies.
    • When you use the drawing name source option Assembly template and a rebar assembly exists, the rebar assembly is always read. Otherwise, the cast unit is read.
    • The drawing name source option Assembly template now takes data from the closest assembly hierarchy level and Cast unit template from the top cast unit.
    • Braced girders and automeshes are now recognized with the rebar assembly UDA REBAR_ASSEMBLY_TYPE. Accepted values are cage, mesh, bent mesh, roll mat, embed, and braced girder.
  • All bending and arc angles are now rounded to the nearest 0.5 degree. For example, 89.8 degrees will be rounded to 90 degrees.

  • When you select One file per each cast unit on the Parameters tab and use the Assembly template property, the export will now warn if the export results in duplicate file names. The export will still continue.

  • For 3D bent bars, the bending angle recognition tolerance is now 1.0 degrees. Neighboring leg segments with very small angles in between are exported as combined straight segments. The 3D bars with more than 4 handle points with small bending angles no longer stop the export.

  • Braced girders are now recognized automatically by the GIRDER_TOP_GUID UDA, which is added by the latest versions of the Braced Girder modeling components. Girders can still be designated manually like before. If the Lattice girders (BFGT) option is not enabled on the Parameters, braced girders are exported as normal rebars, unless excluded.

  • The numbering checking method has been improved, and is now more reliable. Now the numbering is checked also for pours and rebar sets.

Export ELiPLAN file (68)

Parameters tab

  • You can now select the type of the export version in Export version type. The options are Eli and EliX. When you select the new type EliX, a package with a special file extension .elix is created. The package contains the export file together with related cast unit drawing PDFs from the folder path that you specify on the new EliX content tab.

    Information about files included in the EliX package are written in the export log file.

    The EliX option is applicable for the release version number 3.0 and newer only.

  • Previously, cast unit main part material was not filtered by the Material quantities setting. The filtering now works correctly.

Data settings tab

  • You can now specify a UDA for the unit conversion by using the new UDA for unit conversion setting. When a valid unit is specified in this UDA, then this unit is used for the unit conversion instead of the default unit, or the unit defined in the conversion file.

  • You can now specify the unit to be used for element dimensions by using the new Unit for element dimensions setting.

Data content tab

  • You can now specify the material code using the new setting, Material code. The options are Name, Assembly prefix, Material, Profile, UDA, Text[TEMPLATE], and Template.

  • The Product code setting has new options Template andCast unit prefix. For Product code, Material code and Accessory code, you can now specify multiple UDAs by separating them with a blank space.

Plotter data tab

You can now export the inner cores of the hollow cores with the new Export of inner cores setting.

Other ELiPLAN improvements

  • Exported files are now written with UTF-8 encoding.

  • Data conversion now supports case insensitive text, which means that it does not distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters when looking for strings to be replaced.

  • You are now notified via log when the net area calculation fails.

  • With a data conversion file, accessories such as steel embeds and insulation blocks can now also be quantified with custom measurement units. Previously, they were always quantified as piece count.

  • Weep holes at the start and at the end of the hollow core element are now always exported aligned in one line. Cuts smaller than 100 mm at the start and at the end are ignored, otherwise the weep holes are offset respectively to the cut size.

  • The data conversion file now supports the wildcard "*" in regular expressions in the first column for finding strings from Tekla Structures objects.

  • The data conversion file can now be read from the XS_FIRM and XS_PROJECT folders.

  • Position in Z is now exported for filled cores.

  • Previously, the sandwich wall elements were exported with weight, volume and area values from the cast unit main part. This has been fixed now, and the values are taken from the cast unit.

  • Previously, net area was exported incorrectly for some elements. This has now been fixed.

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