Project and firm folders

Tekla Structures
2024
Tekla Structures

Project and firm folders

Project and firm folders are meant for storing customized files. Customized files can include custom ribbons, drawing styles, profile and material catalogs, or any other settings that you want to store for future use.

You can use the same files each time you start a new model or install a new version of Tekla Structures.

Folder Typical contents
Firm

Settings that are used on the company level, such as company logo and drawing standard.

Use the firm folder and its sub-folders to store customized files for the entire organization or company. The settings and files in the firm folder are meant to be used in all projects within the company. For example, let's say you regularly work for a company that has specific drawing layout standards it expects you to use. Customize the drawing templates once for the company and save them in the firm folder or in a sub-folder of the firm folder. You can then use the customized drawing templates for all future projects for that company.

Project

Settings that are used on a specific project.

Use the project folder and its sub-folders to store customized files that are only used in a particular project. A project might consist of several models done by separate teams in different locations. You can save project-specific files and settings in the project folder, so that everyone in the project can use them. A project might also consist of one model that is shared by different companies.

Property files are always saved in the \attributes folder under the current model folder, such as \TeklaStructuresModels\<my_building>\attributes. We recommend that you copy these files to the project or firm folder, or to user-defined sub-folders under the project or firm folder.

Benefits of the project and firm folders

Using project and firm folders to store your customized settings makes it easier to update company settings, ensure that everyone uses the same settings in a project, and upgrade to a newer version of Tekla Structures.

Tekla Structures does not replace files in the project and firm folders when you install a new version. You can retain your customized files without having to copy and paste, or export and import from the previous versions. Using project and firm folders makes upgrading faster and easier. When you store files in one place, it is also easier to update the settings and ensure that everyone in a project uses the same settings. Using project and firm folders also allows you to easily revert back to the default settings because your customized settings do not overwrite any of the system files.

Example:

In the current project, 123_project_ABC, you have set up the properties for a concrete column, and saved them as column_ABC. To make these saved settings available for everyone working in the 123_project_ABC project:

  1. Copy column_ABC.ccl from the \attributes folder under the model folder to the \123_project_ABC project folder or on your file server, or to a user-defined sub-folder under the \123_project_ABC project folder.

  2. Ensure that everyone in the project has the correct path for the XS_PROJECT advanced option in the .ini file.

Advanced options for defining the project and firm folders

Project and firm folders are defined by the XS_FIRM and XS_PROJECT advanced options.

To use the saved settings in a firm and a project folder, set the path to the folder by using the XS_PROJECT and XS_FIRM advanced options. These advanced options should be put in the initialization, .ini, files. You can have several different .ini files. You can define in the Tekla Structures shortcut which .ini files to run and which settings to apply.

It might be useful to create a startup shortcut on your desktop that contains all necessary folders for each project.

Warning:

Changing an advanced option value in .ini files located outside the model folder does not affect the existing models. You can only update advanced options in the Advanced Options dialog box or in the options.ini file located in model folder; not from an options.ini file located in folders defined for the advanced options XS_​FIRM or XS_​PROJECT. The .ini files are read also when you open an existing model, but only new advanced options that do not exist in options_model.db or options_drawings.db are inserted, for example, such options that are not yet in the Advanced Options dialog box but have been added in the software.

Create a project or firm folder

The firm and project folders are usually located network folders or on a shared file server that all users at the company can access.

Note:

Alternatively, you can use a Trimble Connect project as the project or the firm folder. You can use the settings stored in a Trimble Connect project for single-user, multi-user, or Tekla Model Sharing models.

  1. Create an empty project or firm folder in a shared location.
  2. In Tekla Structures, go to the File menu and select Settings > Advanced options.
  3. In the File locations category, define the path to the firm or project folder as the value of the XS_FIRM or XS_PROJECT advanced option.
  4. Restart Tekla Structures for the change to take effect.

Example of using a firm folder

This example shows how to set up a firm folder, and set the value of the XS_FIRM advanced option so that Tekla Structures uses the settings in the firm folder.

  1. In a shared location, such as a network drive, create a folder named Firm.

    You can give the folder any name. This example uses the name Firm.

  2. In the firm folder, create an initialization file.

    You can use this file to set advanced options for each model.

    1. In a text editor, create a text file.
    2. Add this advanced option to the file:
      set XS_USE_ASSEMBLY_NUMBER_FOR=MAIN_PART
    3. Save the file as firm.ini in the Firm folder.
  3. Set the value of the XS_FIRM advanced option so that Tekla Structures uses the firm folder.
    1. In Tekla Structures, go to the File menu and select Settings > Advanced options.
    2. In the File locations category, define the path to the firm folder as the value of the XS_FIRM advanced option.
      For example, \\network-drive\TeklaStructures\Company-Settings\Firm\
  4. Restart Tekla Structures for the change to take effect.
  5. To verify that Tekla Structures is using the settings from the firm folder, check the value of the XS_USE_ASSEMBLY_NUMBER_FOR advanced option.
    1. In Tekla Structures, go to the File menu and select Settings > Advanced options.
    2. In the Numbering category, check that the value of the XS_USE_ASSEMBLY_NUMBER_FOR advanced option is MAIN_PART.

Fixed sub-folders in project and firm folders

Some files need to be stored in particular, or fixed, sub-folders under project and firm folders. If the files are not stored in these folders, Tekla Structures cannot read the files. See the files which should be stored in fixed sub-folders in the following table.

XS_FIRM or XS_PROJECT sub-folder

Further sub-folders and necessary files

See also

\AdditionalPSets

Use this folder to store additional property set configuration files for IFC export in the .xml format.

\CustomInquiry

Use this folder to store:

  • report templates for custom inquiries as .it files

  • the InquiryTool.config file for defining which attributes are included by default in the Manage content dialog box for selecting the properties shown in custom inquiries

\Drawing Details

Use this folder to store 2D drawing details as .ddf and .png files.

Note that to see the drawing details stored in the \Drawing Details sub-folder under a firm or project folder in Tekla Structures:
  1. In the Drawing 2D library side pane, click the Folder button.

  2. Select Firm or Project.

\macros

This sub-folder has the following sub-folders:
  • \Drawings

    Use this folder to store macros related to drawings as .bmp, .cs, and .cs.pdb files.

  • \Modeling

    Use this folder to store macros related to modeling as .bmp, .cs, and .cs.pdb files.

Note that macros are primarily read from the folder defined by the XS_​MACRO_​DIRECTORY advanced option. This advanced option can point to any folder, not just the \macros sub-folder of a firm or project folder.

\profil

This sub-folder can have the following sub-folders:
  • \ShapeGeometries

    Use this folder to store shape geometry descriptions as .tez or .xml files.

  • \Shapes

    Use this folder to store shape descriptions as .xml files.

\ProjectOrganizerData

This folder has the following sub-folders:
  • \DefaultCategoryTrees

    Use this folder to store Organizer categories as .category files.

  • \PropertyTemplates

    Use this folder to store property templates from Organizer as .propertytemplate files.

  • \ExcelTemplates

    Use this folder to store customized templates in .xlt format for exporting object property values from Organizer.

\PropertyRepository\Templates

Use this folder to store customized property pane layouts in the PropertyTemplates.xml file.

\Symbols

Use this folder to store:
  • symbols as .sym and .dwg files

  • other images and bitmaps used in drawings

Note that symbols are primarily read from the folder defined by the DXK_SYMBOLPATH advanced option. This advanced option can point to any folder, not just the \Symbols sub-folder of a firm or project folder.

\template

Use this folder to store graphical templates used in drawing layouts as .tpl files.

Note that templates are primarily read from the folder defined by the XS_TEMPLATE_DIRECTORY advanced option.

In the same way, the tpled.ini is primarily read from the folder defined by the XS_​TPLED_​INI advanced option.

These advanced options can point to any folder, not just the \Template sub-folder of a firm or project folder.

This folder also contains the following sub-folders:
  • \mark

    Use this folder to store graphical templates used in drawing marks.

    Note that templates used in drawing marks are primarily read from the folder defined by the XS_​TEMPLATE_​MARK_​SUB_​DIRECTORY folder. This advanced option can point to any folder, not just the \template\mark sub-folder of a firm or project folder.

  • \settings

    Use this folder to store the tpled.ini file, which defines environment-specific template settings, and the user-defined attributes (UDAs) related to Template Editor in the contentattributes_user-defined_YOUR_COMPANY.lst file.

    Note that to read Template Editor files from the template\settings sub-folder within a firm or project folder, the XS_TEMPLATE_DIRECTORY_SYSTEM advanced option needs to point to the \.ini sub-folder in the firm or project folder.

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