Import from Tekla PowerFab

After you have submitted the desired Tekla Structures model data to Tekla PowerFab, and updates have been made in Tekla PowerFab, you can export the production status from Tekla PowerFab as an XML file to be imported back to Tekla Structures.

In Tekla Structures, the Tekla PowerFab import reads the XML data and compares it to the current model data. The comparison is shown in a separate results list. You can then update the model with the product status data from Tekla PowerFab.

For more information about exporting the production status from Tekla PowerFab, see Export the production status to Tekla Structures or Advance Steel.

Starting from Tekla Structures 2025, you can quickly and easily get an up-to-date fabricator catalog and finishes and real-time fabricator statuses from the fabrication management system using Tekla PowerFab Connector.

Import production status from Tekla PowerFab

In Tekla Structures, open a model where you want to update the production status from Tekla PowerFab.
On the File menu, click Import > Tekla PowerFab.
Browse to the Tekla PowerFab XML file that you want to import. The file can have the extension .pfxt or .zip if it is compressed.
In Read Status of, select the option for the types of parts or drawings whose production status you want to import.
In Update fields, select the data to be updated in the import.
Click Import from Tekla PowerFab.
The import progress and any warning or error messages are displayed in the message area at the bottom of the dialog. When the import completes, the Import results list is displayed.

View production status and update model

In the Import results list, the drawings are listed first, followed by the parts that have been imported. The list contains the following data columns by default:

Drawing number

Assembly mark

Part mark

Sequence

Lot number

The rest of the data columns consist of the Update fields options that you have selected in the import settings. The import compares the XML data against the existing data in the Tekla Structures model. When the imported data is different from the model data, the data is highlighted in yellow in the list.

You can do any of the following in the Import results list:


To	Do this
Zoom to selected parts in model	Select parts in the list. Click the Select and zoom button.
List parts currently selected in model	Select parts in the model. Select the Use model selection checkbox. Click the Refresh button.
List only drawings and parts with information that is different than in the model	Select the Modified objects only checkbox. Click the Refresh button.
Colorize parts by production status	You can set up object representations in Tekla Structures to view the Tekla PowerFab production status: Select a representation from the Representation list and click Set. The Representation list shows all object group representations available in your environment and role. To use the desired object representations in Tekla PowerFab import, you first need to create object groups for the desired Tekla PowerFab stations and then define colors for these object groups in Tekla Structures. For Tekla PowerFab -specific instructions, see Tekla PowerFab object representation when importing to Tekla Structures. For more information about creating object groups and defining colors in Tekla Structures, see Create object groups and Change the color and transparency of model objects by using object representation .
Update model with information displayed in the list	Click Update. When the update has completed, the list will reload showing that the values are now the same as in the model (no longer highlighted in yellow). NOTE: Only the drawings and parts currently shown in the list are updated. If you have the Use model selection checkbox selected, all parts and drawings are not necessarily shown, and you need to clear the Use model selection and click Refresh before clicking Update.