Symbol Editor

You can open Symbol Editor by clicking File menu > Editors > Symbol editor. In Symbol Editor, you can create new symbol files, and create and modify symbols.

The Symbol files dialog box in drawing mode allows you to change the symbol file in use. It also provides access to Symbol Editor.

We recommend that you have a look at the Symbol Editor User's Guide , so that you get familiar with creating new symbols and modifying the existing ones.

We strongly recommend that you do not modify the original symbol files delivered with your Tekla Structures application. If you need to modify any symbols, copy the original symbol file and work on the copy, keeping the original symbol file intact.

If your symbols are located in a protected folder, the symbols are read-only, because you cannot save a modified symbol in a protected folder if you are not an administrator. In this case, run Tekla Structures as administrator.

Symbol file search order

The symbol files ( .sym ) are searched from the following folders in the following order:

1. All DXK_SYMBOLPATH folders

   The advanced option DXK_​SYMBOLPATH is defined in the environment initialization file <your_environment> .ini and in the Tekla Structures initialization file teklastructures.ini.

   Alternatively, you can add your own DXK_​SYMBOLPATH in options.ini under the model folder and define your own symbol folder paths there. Note that also the path settings in the <your_environment> .ini file need to be added there.

   The reading order of the .ini files containing the DXK_SYMBOLPATH definition:

   1. teklastructures.ini

   2. <your_environment> .ini

   3. options.ini

2. Current model folder

   Add here any additional symbol files that you might need.

All symbol files that are found are available to be used in Tekla Structures. If there are duplicate file names, the first one found is used and the rest are discarded. If the model folder contains a symbol file that has the same name as another symbol file in DXK_SYMBOLPATH , the one in the model folder is discarded.

Example of overriding a weld symbol temporarily

If there is no permanent need to add your own symbol paths in the options.ini file in the model folder, you can temporarily override symbols. In this example, you will temporarily override the weld symbol with a customized symbol located in your model folder:

1. Customize the symbol in ts_welds.sym first.
2. Copy the edited ts_welds.sym in your model folder C:\TeklaStructuresModels\ <mymodel>
3. Open the options.ini file located in your model folder, and add the line DXK_SYMBOLPATH=C:\ TeklaStructuresModels\ <mymodel> ; C:\TeklaStructures\2017\Environments\common\symbols; + possible other symbol folders in your local environment.