Tekla Structures installation for administrators

You can install Tekla Structures on a workstation using the standard installation packages or by creating your own centralized installation using MSI packages. You can also run Tekla Structures in a virtual environment.

If you have on-premises licenses, you must also install a license server on your own hardware.

Installation requirements

Trimble Identity

Tekla Online services, including online licensing, use Trimble Identity for identification. You can use your Trimble Identity with other Trimble services, such as Trimble Connect and SketchUp 3D Warehouse.

Each organization has at least one account administrator, who is responsible for managing the Tekla Onlineorganization (group) used in Tekla Online services. Several people in your company can be administrators. The first user is invited by a Trimble representative, and that person is then responsible for adding other users and administrators as necessary.

As an administrator, you:

Invite or approve employees to your company's Tekla Online organization to allow them unrestricted access in all Tekla Online services.
Add external license users.
Select who has access to your company's Tekla Structures subscriptions.
Remove people from your company's employee group when they no longer belong to your company.

For more information, see Create your Trimble Identity and Manage user accounts for Tekla products.

Tekla Structures installation prerequisites

For information about recommended operating system and hardware specifications, see Tekla Structures 2022 hardware recommendations.

Tekla Structures also requires some Microsoft redistributable packages. If these redistributable packages or newer versions of them are not already installed on your computer, they are automatically installed during the Tekla Structures software installation. For more information, see Additional necessary software components in the Tekla Structures 2022 hardware recommendations.

If you create a customized installation package, make sure that the .NET Framework is installed on the client computers.

In addition, the following installers are automatically installed during the Tekla Structures software installation:

Tsep File Dispatcher Launcher
Tekla Warehouse Service

These installers are needed for Tekla Warehouse to work properly.

Tekla Warehouse offline content is available online. To find this content in Tekla Warehouse, search for Catalogs and under Show, select Collections.

Installing Tekla Structures

You can install Tekla Structures on each workstation running the standard installer separately on each workstation, or via a centralized installation with an MSI package and your preferred software deployment tool.

You can download Tekla Structures software and environments from Tekla Downloads. To have the latest software in use, we recommend that you install the latest service pack of Tekla Structures. Service packs include improvements and fixes to the latest or to a previous main version or service pack of Tekla Structures. Service packs are available for all users with a valid maintenance contract or subscription.

Note:

You must install Tekla Structures with administrator rights.

When you do a centralized installation, the end users do not need administrator rights for the installation.

Installation files

Tekla Structures installers are .msi installers. Environment .msi installers include sets of .tsep installers that contain the actual environment files and settings. When installing a new version of Tekla Structures, install the software first and then the environments. The .msi installers are installed to your computer before opening Tekla Structures.

When you run the environment .msi installer, the installer creates the environment folder and copies the .tsep installers to the..\Tekla Structures\<version>\Extensions\To be installed folder. The installer also creates the RemoveEnv.bat and ToBeRemoved.txt files, and places them to the ..\Environments\<environment> folder. These files are used when uninstalling an environment.

When running the environment .msi installer, you can select in the installation wizard that the .tsep installers are run immediately when running the environment installer. If you do not select to do this, the .tsep installers are run when you open Tekla Structures for the first time after the installation. In this case, Tekla Structures opens a dialog box that shows the installation progress of the .tsep installers.

You can cancel the installation of extension .tsep installers in the dialog box and postpone them to the next Tekla Structures start-up. The queued environment .tsep installers are not canceled, they are installed even if you cancel. The .tsep packages contain information about the product type: environment or extension, which is used to determine which installers can be canceled.

Running the .tsep installers does not require administrator rights. The .tsep installers install the environment files to the ..\Tekla Structures\<version>\Environments\<environment> folder.

If you are installing several environments for the first time, we recommend that you do not select to run the .tsep installers with the .msi installer. Some of the .tsep packages are used in more than one environment and the same version of a .tsep package is only installed once. Note that starting Tekla Structures for the first time after installation can take a long time particularly if you have installed several environments, as all the .tsep installers are run.

Standard installation

Tekla Structures installation wizard has detailed instructions about the installation.

For more information, see Install and license Tekla Structures.

Centralized installation

Installing Tekla Structures centrally across the company network saves time in a large company when there are many Tekla Structures users.

Centralized installation allows you to run the Tekla Structures installation silently in the background so that the users do not see the installation wizard dialog boxes. For detailed information about centralized installation, see Centralized distribution of Tekla Structures 2022.

Installation in a virtual environment

You can also run Tekla Structures in a virtual environment. Application and desktop virtualization allow users to run software from a server on the network without locally-installed Tekla Structures on their workstation. Using Tekla Structures from the server ensures that all users in a project are using the same project environment set-up. For detailed information about installation in a virtual environment, see Using Tekla Structures with application and desktop virtualization.

Folder structure

The default installation location is in Program Files. When Tekla Structures is installed in this folder, configuration files are installed in the hidden Program Data folder. This might be the preferred location for reducing the likelihood of end-user interference with the software installation and configurations.

If you install Tekla Structures in a normal file folder, all files are installed in that folder. Installing Tekla Structures in a normal file folder might be preferred for users who need to easily access all files.

Folder structure on local computer

See Tekla Structures installation folders in Install and license Tekla Structures for information about how the folder structure on the local computer is set up.

Company folder structure

If you use Tekla Model Sharing, you can synchronize the project and firm folders through the Trimble Connect cloud service included in your Tekla Structures subscription. .

If you have single-user or multi-user models, we recommend using a central file folder for storing the models and setup files for the company-specific settings and the project-specific settings. Tekla Structures then reads the settings from the central file server. For example, when upgrading to a new Tekla Structures version or updating the company logo, the files only need to be replaced in one place. This way taking backups and upgrading is easier.

For more information, see Create project and firm folders.

Backup

With all valuable information and work your company stores, it is important to take backups of the model folders, and firm and project settings. If your company has a system for taking automatic scheduled backups, schedule your system to take the backups at night time, outside working hours to prevent any possible conflicts in the model.

If you use on-premises licenses, do not forget to also take a backup of the license entitlements and your active licenses.

Virus protection

Virus protection software has sometimes caused problems in saving models and drawings to the model folder. These problems might occur especially if you have your model saved on a network drive. We strongly recommend that you add Tekla Structures into the safe list of your antivirus system, and set up your virus protection in a way that actions in your model folder are not blocked or scanned.

Tekla Structures settings in the Windows registry

Windows registry is a hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and options in Microsoft Windows operating systems. Registry settings are used during a Tekla Structures session and during a Tekla Structures installation.

Warning:

Do not change the registry settings. Changing the settings can cause the operating system to fail. It is possible to view the registry settings using the Registry Editor.

User settings

Some of the Tekla Structures user settings, for example, general options, and dialog box locations and sizes are stored in the registry. The settings are saved in a registry key named after the Tekla Structures version number in the registry branch HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<VERSION>.

Tekla Structures uses the hardcoded default settings when opened for the first time after the installation. If you change a setting during a Tekla Structures session, Tekla Structures saves the change during the session, or when you exit Tekla Structures. When you open the same version of Tekla Structures again, the changed setting is used.

When upgrading to a newer Tekla Structures version, you can use the Migration Wizard tool to copy the settings you have changed.

Installation settings

The Tekla Structures installation saves information to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<VERSION> registry key.

Installing an on-premises license server

If you have on-premises licenses, you must install the license server on your own hardware. If you only use one license of Tekla Structures, you can install the license server on the same computer as Tekla Structures, making the license available on this one workstation. In an environment with multiple licenses and users, you install the license server in your company network, which allows for more flexible and efficient use of your licenses according to need.

Before users can start using Tekla Structures with on-premises licenses, you must:

Install and set up a license server on a computer.
Save the entitlement certificate and activate the licenses.
Connect each client computer with Tekla Structures to the license server either manually, through a customized installation or by instructing the users.

For more information, see Tekla Structures on-premises licensing for administrators.

If you have Tekla Structures subscriptions, Tekla Structures always connects to Trimble's cloud service and you do not need to install your own license server.

Installing .tsep packages

Tekla Structures extension packages, .tsep packages, are Tekla Structures extensions or additional environment content installers. Extensions are not part of the Tekla Structures product release. .tsep packages are available for download in Tekla Warehouse.

You can install .tsep packages in three different ways:

Direct installation
Installation in Tekla Structures extension manager
Centralized installation

Install .tsep packages directly

Tip:

If the .tsep installer is not set to open with Tekla Structures extension manager by default, you can set it manually. Right-click the .tsep installer and select Properties. In Opens with, select Change and browse to TsepFileDispatcherLauncher.

Double-click the .tsep installer that you have downloaded.

The Tekla Structures extension manager dialog box opens with the name of the extension that is going to be installed.

By default .tsep installers are opened with Tekla Structures extension manager. Some .tsep installers are run directly from Tekla Warehouse with the Insert into model option.
Select the Tekla Structures versions to which you want to import and click the Import button. The next time you start Tekla Structures, the extension is automatically installed, and it is shown in Tekla Structures extension manager.

Install .tsep packages in Tekla Structures extension manager

You can install a .tsep installer from Tekla Structures extension manager in Tekla Structures.

Tip: In Extension manager, you can list the extensions by type: extension or environment. You can also search for content based on name, author, description, and type of extension.

In the Applications & components catalog, click > Manage extensions > Extension manager.
Click Import and browse to the .tsep installer that you want to install.
Click Open.

The imported .tsep is installed the next time you start Tekla Structures. It is shown in Tekla Structures extension manager, and is ready for use in the Applications & components catalog.

Uninstall .tsep packages in Tekla Structures extension manager

In Tekla Structures extension manager, select the .tsep packages that you want to uninstall.

Use Ctrl or Shift to select more than one .tsep package.
Click Remove.

The .tsep packages are removed when you restart Tekla Structures.

Uninstall .tsep packages in Tekla Structures Extension Package (TSEP) builder and test runner

To open the Tekla Structures Extension Package (TSEP) builder and test runner dialog box, browse to ..\Program Files\Tekla Structures\<version\bin\ and double-click TeklaExtensionPackage.Builder.exe.
On the Uninstall TSEP based extensions tab, select the .tsep packages that you want to uninstall, then click Uninstall selected.

Use Ctrl or Shift to select more than one .tsep package.

The selected .tsep are removed. You do not need to restart Tekla Structures.

Installing .tsep packages centrally

You can centrally install a batch of .tsep installers across company workstations. This method is meant for system administrators.

By default, the .tsep installers waiting for installation are stored in \ProgramData\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\Extensions\To be installed. To install centrally, copy the .tsep installers to the %XSDATADIR%\Extensions\To be installed folder. If the folder does not exist yet, create it.

When Tekla Structures starts, it checks the available .tsep installers from the \To be installed folder and installs them automatically. If there is an older version of the same extension package, it is uninstalled before installing the new version. Installation is canceled if the same or newer version has already been installed.

The installed .tsep installers are stored in the %XSDATADIR%\Extensions\Installed folder.
Invalid .tsep installers are uninstalled and moved to the %XSDATADIR%\Extensions\Invalid installations folder.
Canceled .tsep installers are stored in %XSDATADIR%\Extensions\Cancelled installations.

Copying .tsep installers

We recommend that you use ROBOCOPY from the command prompt (cmd.exe) to copy the .tsep installers. You can find more information about ROBOCOPY on the Microsoft website.

The basic syntax for ROBOCOPY is: robocopy <Source> <Destination> [<File>[ ...]] [<Options>]

For example, to copy .tsep installers in Tekla Structures 2022:

robocopy
"\\Server1\prod\TeklaStructures\2022.0\Environments_TSEP"
"C:\ProgramData\Trimble\Tekla Structures\2022.0\Extensions\To be installed"
*.tsep
"C:\Program Files\Tekla Structures\2022.0\bin\TeklaExtensionPackage.TepAutoInstaller.exe"
2022.0 "C:\ProgramData\Trimble\Tekla Structures\2022.0" "2022"

This command copies all .tsep installers from the \Server1 network directory to the local user's \To be installed folder. After copying, TepAutoInstaller.exe installs all .tsep installers from the local user's \To be installed folder. Installing the packages allows users to start Tekla Structures without first waiting for the installations to complete.

Uninstalling .tsep packages centrally

You can uninstall .tsep packages in batches by creating an empty file named RemoveExtensionOnStartup in the folder for each extension that you want to uninstall. For example, \ProgramData\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\Extensions\Installed\[Extension_To_Be_Uninstalled].

The extensions are removed the next time that Tekla Structures is started.

Upgrading Tekla Structures

You can install service packs on top of the existing installation of Tekla Structures. You can update to new service packs without updating the existing on-premises licenses. A new Tekla Structures version installs as a separate instance and can exist on the same workstation with other Tekla Structures versions. An update to a new version requires that you also update your on-premises licenses, as the licenses have a highest allowed version. Tekla Structures subscriptions automatically allow you to use any Tekla Structures version that is released during your subscription period.

If you already have an older version of Tekla Structures installed on your computer, you can use Migration Wizard to copy the personal settings to the new version. With the Migration Wizard you can choose to copy any of the following settings and values:

user.ini file
Registry values, such as:
- Toolbars
- Dialog boxes
- General options

Migration Wizard does not copy the environment .tsep files which are installed by the environment installers.

When you customize Tekla Structures, for example, add or change drawing or report templates and catalog entries, we strongly recommend that you create project and firm folders for the customized files. This is useful if you want to store the files for future use, or if you want to retain them when you install a new release.

Tekla Structures does not replace files in the project and firm folders when you install a new release. You can retain your customized files without having to copy and paste, or export and import from the previous versions. This makes upgrading faster and easier. If you have customized previous Tekla Structures versions without using firm or project folders, you must transfer the customized information to the next Tekla Structures version.

Before you start using a new Tekla Structures version, always test that the old company settings work.

Tip:

If you want to copy the settings later, you can start Migration Wizard manually by double-clicking the MigrationWizard.exe in the \Tekla Structures\<version>\bin\applications\Tekla\Migrations folder. You can select the version from which the settings are copied and the version to which the settings are copied.