Beam Marks

Tekla Structures
Not version-specific
Tekla Structures
beam
marks
Environment
United States (Imperial)
United States (Metric)

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Purpose and description

Beam Marks adds associative note to 9 possible locations along the length of a beam. Intended to semi-automate the application of end forces to steel beams.
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System requirements

Environments: US Imperial, US Metric
Languages: English
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Installing Beam Marks

To install the application:
  1. Close Tekla Structures (if running)
  2. Download MSI Installer from Tekla Warehouse
  3. Install and run MSI Installer
  4. Start Tekla Structures
  5. Open an existing drawing
  6. Before version 2016:  A new toolbar icon which will launch the tool should now be visible when a drawing is opened. For 2016 version and newer: a new thumbnail under Ungrouped items in the Applications and components side pane will appear.
Image
BeamMarks_Image_001.gif
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Using Beam Marks

The example below is for adding end forces to steel beams. However, the content in the associative notes can be whatever the user wishes it to be.  To use the application:
  1. Enter end force user-defined attributes to the steel beam End Conditions tab in the model. Properties that will be read are shown below.
  2. Set up associative note Content settings that you wish to use. The leader line type information is ignored here in the settings. Mark information can be template marks which are commonly used by customers for steel beam marks.
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BeamMarks_Image_002.jpg
  1. Launch Beam Marks from the icon/thumbnail.
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BeamMarks_Image_003.jpg
  1. Specify the Position on the beam axis where you wish to place the mark.
  2. Enter values in the Horizontal Offset and Vertical Offset fields. These represent offsets relative to the beam local axis. Positive horizontal values point towards the middle of the beam. Positive vertical values point away from the beam axis.
  3. Load the desired associative note setting.
  4. Load the desired drawing view filter. This filter will be applied in addition to what you select or not select in the model. For example if you fence select all objects on a drawing but you also set a selection filter, only the selected objects that pass that filter will receive the mark.
  5. Save attribute file away. It is given a suffix called *.BeamMarks.UI.DiaMain.xml. The user can place these default settings in their company FIRM folder if they wish.

Create marks by view

1.  Open tool.
2.  Load and set properties in dialog.
3.  Select Create.
4.  Pick any point within the view extrema.

Create marks by selection

1.  Open tool.
2.  Load and set properties in dialog.
3.  Select Create.
4.  Select beams in view. User can select objects in addition to using a Filter (see step 7 above).

Delete marks

1.  Select associative notes and delete like other associative notes.

Updating marks

Once a mark is placed on a location of the beam, it must be removed to replace it at a different location. But if edits need to be done to the mark content, the user can simply edit the associative note properties.

Examples

Image
BeamMarks_Image_004.png

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Additional information

  • There is a bug with associative notes where if the note is dragged using the SHIFT key, then when changes occur in the model, the marks erratically move around. This behavior occurs because the marks are placed in this same fashion as if they were moved by dragging them holding the SHIFT key. Contact Tekla to find out the status of fixing this bug.
  • Sometimes the beam marks do not work when drawing object-level settings are applied. Users might have to temporarily turn off those settings, apply the marks, then reapply the object-level settings.
  • Speed – on a large floor plan, it may take a few minutes to place all these marks in the drawing since they must be placed, then moved into place.
  • Though not a limitation, this tool applies a mark at one location at a time. The purpose of the tool is to provide a simple, low-level applicator of marks that provides a highly flexible, semi-automatic way to annotate plan drawings.
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