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Beam End Symbols

Tekla Structures beam end symbol moment
Not version-specific
Tekla Structures
Environment
Not environment-specific

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Purpose and description

Creates symbols to beam graphics in drawings at the start and finish end of beams to denote the types of connections that beam ends use. Adds new tab page to part settings where you can turn on this extension to place symbols automatically to parts. Requires part to have certain uda values set in the model which when found in drawing it will pick certain symbols at each end depending on value of uda's set and user options. The symbols get rotated along the beam's local axis automatically. You can control the position relative to the beam centerline and end using an x and y offset factor in the setup xml file.
Image
beam end sym.png

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System requirements

Tekla Structures 2016.0 and later versions.
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Installing

Download and run the msi installer from the Tekla Warehouse.
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Setup

Copy the BeamEndSymbolOptions.xml from the system folder (common, usimp, or usmet) to your current model attributes sub folder. You can edit this xml file with any xml file editor, Notepad++ is a freeware that can edit this properly. The start and finish end uda's need to be of type Option (number in some dialogs) that stores an integer value corresponding to the picked string in the drop down list (combobox) of the dialog. You need to edit your objects.inp to include two new option type uda's for setting the force/symbol type to use at each end.
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Using

  1. In any drawing, open the Drawing part properties for a beam by double clicking on it.
  2. Press the UnCheck all button to deselect all other part properties.
  3. Click on "Custom presentation" tab page (if you do not see this tab page, then this extensions is not installed).
  4. Choose Beam End Symbols option from drop down list, make sure the box to the left of the drop down list is checked.
  5. Select all the beams in the drawing you want to use beam end symbols, press Modify on the Drawing part properties dialog.
Image
choose end symbols.png

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Settings

  • StartConxUdaName is the uda name for the start end symbol.
  • EndConxUdaName is the uda name for the finish end symbol.
  • SymbolFile is the name of the symbol file to get the symbol graphics from.
  • SymbolIndexing is a comma delimited string to specify the symbol locations corresponding to the value to be used for beam. Syntax needs to follow this format: 84, 31, 68.  E.g. if you set the start end to the 1st option in the uda drop down, it will get the symbol in position 84.  If you set the finish end to the 3rd option in the uda drop down, it will get the symbol in position 68.
  • Width is the width in mm for the symbol to be drawn. E.g. 3.175mm = 1/8" on drawing
  • Height is the height in mm for the symbol to be drawn (recommend same value as width)
  • Slant is the font slant, set this to 0
  • XOffset is the distance in mm to offset the symbol from the ends of the beam along the beam axis. Negative values push the symbol inward from the ends toward the center, positive values go outward from centerline.
  • YOffset is the distance in mm to offset the symbol perpendicular from the x axis of the beam
  • SymbolColor is the integer symbol color to draw the symbol
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Additional information

  • Once xml file is changed you must re-start Tekla Structures for the new settings to be used.
  • To activate for beams, change the Custom presentation tab to use Beam End Symbols, modify parts as you would normally with other dialog settings
  • Description is English only
  • SymbolColors (0=orange, 1=grey, 2=red, 3=green, 4=dark blue, 5=cyan, 6=yellow, 7=magenta, 8=green, 9=invisible, 10=green, 11=orange, 12=turqouise, 13=black, 14=null
  • It is not possible to move or explode the symbol since it is drawn at the part presentation level.
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Example File Contents

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<BeamEndSymbolsOptions xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <StartConxUdaName>StartEndConnx</StartConxUdaName>
  <EndConxUdaName>FinishEndConnx</EndConxUdaName>
  <SymbolFile>xsteel</SymbolFile>
  <SymbolIndexing>84, 31, 68</SymbolIndexing>
  <AngleOffset>0</AngleOffset>
  <Width>3.175</Width>
  <Height>3.175</Height>
  <Slant>0</Slant>
  <XOffset>-3.175</XOffset>
  <YOffset>0</YOffset>
  <SymbolColor>1</SymbolColor>
</BeamEndSymbolsOptions>


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