
Get started with Tekla Structural Designer
Welcome, let's get you up and running with Tekla Structural Designer! See the sections below for step-by-step instructions and useful links.
1 - Access
Are you a Tekla Structural Designer user?
Before you start, ensure that you have completed the following steps:
- Trimble Identity online account
You need a Trimble Identity to download the software, access your license, and use some online services. Sign in or create a Trimble Identity. You can watch this video for guidance. - Download and Install
If Tekla Structural Designer is not already installed, download and install it. Tekla Structural Designer and Tekla Tedds are both included in the same installation, and as default, both applications will be automatically downloaded and installed at the same time, unless you choose the Custom option during the installation. You can check our Hardware recommendations here. - License Assignment
Your administrator must assign a license to you. You can check to see if you have a license assigned here. Watch this video to see how.
Are you the administrator for your organization?
As the administrator, you might need to:
- Invite users to your organization
Invite colleagues to create their own Trimble Identities and join your organization using the Tekla Online Admin Tool. Watch this video to see how. - Assign licenses
Assign a Tekla Structural Designer license to colleagues after they have joined your organisation. Watch this video to see how. - Download and install software
If you need to, you can download and install Tekla Structural Designer. Tekla Structural Designer and Tekla Tedds are both included in the same installation, and as default, both applications will be automatically downloaded and installed at the same time, unless you choose the Custom option during the installation. Check our Hardware recommendations here. Refer to this product guide for more information on installation and licensing.
2 - Learn
Ready to start learning how to use Tekla Structural Designer?
To get started with using Tekla Structural Designer quickly, visit Trimble Learn, our online training platform. When prompted to sign in to Trimble Learn, use the Trimble ID option, as highlighted below.

- The best place to start learning is with our First Steps with Tekla Structural Designer eLearning course.
- After you have completed the First Steps course, or if you already know the basics, you can develop your skills by completing one of our free Tekla Structural Designer Fundamentals eLearning courses.
- Browse further eLearning and instructor-led training courses in the Tekla course catalog.
- You can also contact your local Tekla reseller for details about any further training requirements that you may have.
3 - Implement
Are you responsible for implementing Tekla Structural Designer in your business?
Although you can start using Tekla Structural Designer straight out of the box, you can also customize it to suit the needs of your business. Here are a few essentials that you will likely need to make Tekla Structural Designer work for you.
- Design Settings
Control every aspect of how your members and models are designed in Tekla Structural Designer. Learn more here. - Drawing Settings
Edit your Drawing Settings so that all of your drawings contain the information you want, formatted the way you want them. Find out more here. - Format Reports
Enter company and project-specific details into your report headers, create new header and footer layouts, and adjust Report Settings. Learn more here. - Manage Settings Sets
Store and share all customised settings using Settings Sets, and use them to create new models or apply to existing ones. Multiple Settings Sets can be created for different company standards, regions or projects. Find out more here.
4 - Support
Do you need some support?
After you have learned the basics of Tekla Structural Designer, it's time to start using it for your own projects! But don't worry, we are here to help!
- If you need assistance, we have a variety of Online Support Services available to help you.
- You have full access to Tekla User Assistance, our online searchable database of product documentation, video tutorials, and FAQ support articles.
- The Tekla Online and Instructor Panes provides you with guidance and assistance from directly within the software.
- Still need some help? You can contact your local Technical Support Team from inside Tekla Structural Designer using the Support Tool, or you can open a support case using the link below.
5 - Your products
As well as having access to Tekla Structural Designer, your named user subscription license also includes access to the following additional products:

Trimble Connect
With your Tekla Structural Designer named user subscription, you also have access to Trimble Connect, our powerful cloud collaboration platform. Trimble Connect allows you to easily share and reference your constructible models, drawings and documents from a variety of sources in one place. This improves productivity and project consistency by giving you access to the information you need, when you need it. Take a look at the resources below to start making the most of Trimble Connect!
- The Tekla User Assistance home page for Trimble Connect gives you access to FAQs, product guides, discussion forums, videos, and more.
- Learn how Trimble Connect works with Tekla Structural Designer in this product guide.
- Although Trimble Connect is primarily accessed through a web browser, you can also download the desktop version for Windows here.

Tekla Tedds
If you have purchased the Tekla Structural Design Suite, then your named user license will also give you access to Tekla Tedds, our other analysis and design tool. Tekla Tedds allows you to automate and reduce repetitive hand calculations, and allows you to design timber and precast members that have been modelled and analysed in Tekla Structural Designer. Tekla Tedds is automatically installed at the same time as Tekla Structural Designer by default, so take a look at the resources below and start using Tekla Tedds straight away!
- The Tekla Tedds Get started page is a great place to begin your journey, providing links to eLearning, online support resources, and more.
- The Tekla User Assistance home page for Tekla Tedds gives you access to FAQs, product guides, discussion forums, videos, and more.
- Learn how to utilize Tekla Tedds to design timber and precast members in your Tekla Structural Designer models using this product guide.
Do you need some support?
Please let us know by completing this form.
Do you want to start a trial of other Tekla products?
Want to start a trial of our powerful structural BIM software, or our 2D analysis and design software? Take a look at Tekla Structures and Tekla Tedds for free!
Additional reading
- You can check the Hardware recommendations for Tekla Structural Designer here.
- See the Get familiar with Tekla Structural Designer page to start getting familiar with the software and its possibilities.
- See the Tekla Structural Designer Configurations page for information about the features included in different configurations.
- See what's new in the latest version of Tekla Structural Designer.