Tekla Civil Integration

Not version-specific

Tekla Structures

Environment

Not environment-specific

1. Introduction

This document is a brief user guide for using the interface application to import surface models from Tekla Civil to Tekla Structures and back. The application is implemented using Microsoft .NET Framework.
The main features of the application are:
• Setting the coordinate transformation between Tekla Civil and Tekla Structures
• Importing desired surfaces from Tekla Civil to Tekla Structures as triangle networks
• Inserting beams to defined line geometries
• Exporting defined beam surfaces back to Tekla Civil

For communication with Tekla Structures, the application utilizes Tekla Structures programming interface .NET API. For communication with Tekla Civil, the interface library provided by Tekla Civil is used.

1.1 Connecting the application to Tekla Civil model and surfaces

The first task is to connect the application to the Tekla Civil model folder. Different surfaces are stored in the folders named with the number of the model folder. You can select the model folder from the browser. The available surfaces can be selected from the “Surface name” drop-down menu.

Picture 1. Connecting the application to the Tekla Civil folder

2. Setting the coordinate transformation between Tekla Civil and Tekla Structures

To be able to work in Tekla Structures coordinates, you must define a coordinate transformation between the Tekla Civil model and the Tekla Structures model. The transformation is set based on the corresponding XY plane points in both systems.

The transformation can be set in two ways:

2.1 Quick transformation by selected surface

Quick transformation by selected surface makes an automatic coordinate transformation according to the selected surface so that the surface is imported near to the Tekla Structure’s origo. This coordinate transformation should be used as a preliminary transformation.
Select the surface name from the drop-down menu and click the Quick transformation by selected surface button. The transformation is created and the text “Active transformation by surface“ is displayed. After the quick transformation, you can import the surfaces.

Picture 2. Setting the quick transformation by selected surface

Picture 3. Importing a surface using quick transformation

Picture 4. Imported surface by quick transformation

If wanted, you can create a second coordinate transformation by picked points for more convenient alignment of the surfaces. If you apply a second coordinate transformation, the imported surface using the quick transformation should be as small as possible and it should be imported in native format. For large surfaces, Area selection* should be applied. *See chapter 3.1

2.2 Create transformation by picked points

Create transformation by picked points creates a transformation between the two lines you picked. The first line (= two points) defines the wanted direction of the surface in Tekla Structures coordinates and the second line (=two points) defines the reference line. The reference line is in most cases easiest to pick from the imported surface, for example, along the measurement line of the road (ML). Between the picked lines, an affine transformation is created. This means that the line length and Z coordinates do not have an effect on the transformation, only the XY-location and XY-direction of the lines. This coordinate transformation should be set carefully only once. After this, save the coordination transformation settings and apply the same transformation to all imported and exported surfaces.

Picture 5. Picking the two points that define the location and direction of the surface

Picture 6. Picking the two points that define the location and direction of the reference line

Note that Tekla Civil coordinates are always in global coordinates and they are not affected by the transformation. Only the transformation parameters are recalculated.

Picture 7. Coordinate transformation by picked points

Picture 8. Imported surfaces by quick transformation and by picked points

2.3 Transformation parameters

You can check the transformation parameters using the Show/Hide parameters button. Level coordinates (Z) are in global coordinates both in Tekla Structures and Tekla Civil. Scaling factor and transformation parameters cannot be changed manually.

Picture 9. Coordinate transformation parameters

3. Importing surfaces from Tekla Civil

A surface is imported as a triangle network to Tekla Structures. Triangles can be imported either as native Tekla Structures objects or as an IFC reference model. In IFC format, the programmatically constructed user interface macro is used to produce the IFC reference model.
After you have set the coordinate transformation, all the wanted surfaces can be imported. Select the surface name from drop-down menu, select the object format and the class to help the organization and visualization of the surfaces.

Picture 10. Imported surfaces

3.1 Area selection of the surface

If the surface is large and only a small part of it is needed, define the area for the surface to be imported.

Picture 11. Area selection for the rock surface

Picture 12. Imported surface by area selection

4. Inserting beams along saved line geometries

4.1 Fetching the line geometries

With the insert beam functionality, you can create beams to the line geometries that are defined in the surface. The available lines of the surface are shown in the “Available lines” box. Note that line geometries are predefined in Tekla Civil and not all surfaces have these geometries. This means that the Surface name must be set correctly before fetching the lines.
You can activate the line geometry by clicking the row.

Picture 13. Fetching a line geometry of the surface

4.2 Defining properties of the beam to be inserted

When you have fetched the lines, set the beam properties. Beams can be created as polybeam or as beam segments. Set the beam parameters, profile and beam position. Note that beam segments follow the defined geometry line but the surface information (width, skew) is not automatically recognized.

Picture 14. Defining beam parameters

Picture 15. Inserted beams in the geometry line

5. Exporting surfaces from Tekla Structures to Tekla Civil

5.1 Defining the model folder and surface name

The Export surface function exports the selected beam surfaces from Tekla Structures to Tekla Civil. Similarly as in the import case, set the Tekla Civil model folder and target surface first.
Define a new surface name. The target surface cannot be an existing surface. The application will create a new folder for the surface with next free surface number.

Picture 16. Setting the model folder and surface name

5.2 Determining surface by beam

Pick a reference beam for determining surface and select a polygon to determine the surface. Terminate the picking with the middle mouse button. Then select consecutive beams from which the surface is created.

Picture 17. Selecting beam for cross-section points

Finally, the surfaces of the selected beams are exported. Points are added to the surface set in the Surface name. The surface file surface.dat and .dtm files will be included in the surface model folder.

Picture 18. Selecting beams and exporting surface

5.3 Testing the exported surface

Export can and should be tested with surface import.

Picture 19. Import of the exported surface

Note that the program makes minor adjustments to the surface when it is exported to Tekla Civil. As a result, the surfaces may have some inaccuracy.