Modify master drawing properties

Tekla Structures
2021
Tekla Structures

Modify master drawing properties

Each master drawing in the Master Drawing Catalog has its own properties:

  • You can search for master drawings based on the master drawing name, description and keywords that you add.
  • You can add a sample image for each master drawing (Change image... button).
  • The sample image is also shown as a thumbnail in the thumbnail view of the Master Drawing Catalog.
  • You can access drawing properties (Edit drawing properties... button) and you can, for example, apply object level settings.
Tip:

Make sure to always add all important information for each master drawing in the Master Drawing Properties dialog box. This makes it a lot easier to find the master drawings you are looking for.

Modify saved settings properties

You can modify the name, description and keywords of saved settings in Master Drawing Catalog, and change its sample image.

  1. In the Master Drawing Catalog, double-click a master drawing of the desired type.
  2. Modify the name of the drawing in the Name box.
  3. Enter or modify the description of the master drawing. You can search master drawings on the basis of data that you enter here.
  4. Enter or modify keywords for the master drawing. Use spaces between words. You can search master drawings on the basis of data that you enter here.
  5. To add or change the sample image, click Change image and select the image. You can use.bmp,.jpg,.jpeg, or.png images. We recommend that you use.png images.
  6. If needed, modify the drawing properties of the master drawing by clicking Edit drawing properties... to display the drawing properties dialog box. This also allows you to apply object level settings.

    Save the modified properties. Ensure that you have the correct drawing property file name at the top.

  7. Click OK.

Apply detailed object level settings in saved settings

You can apply drawing object level settings in the drawings that you create in Master Drawing Catalog for the saved settings type of master drawings. This way you can use the same saved settings for many drawings and only apply some specific object level settings at the point when you create the drawing, for example, use different kind of marks or change the reinforcement color.

To apply detailed object level settings in saved settings for a general arrangement drawing:

  1. In the Master Drawing Catalog, double-click the saved setting you want to use for creating drawings.
  2. In the Master Drawing Properties dialog box, click Edit drawing properties...
  3. Click the toggle button at the bottom to empty the check boxes.
  4. In the Drawing Properties dialog box, select only the Use detailed object level settings check box and ensure that the Yes button next to it is selected.
  5. Click Edit settings....
  6. Select the filter to be used, the drawing object type and the drawing object property file to be used.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Click Save on the top of the dialog box to save the changes in the saved settings file (property file).
  9. Click OK in the Master Drawing Properties dialog box.
  10. Create the drawings.

Modify properties and contents of wizard files

You can modify wizard files in the Master Drawing Catalog using a text editor. You can change the name, description, and keywords, and add a sample image.

  1. In the Master Drawing Catalog, double-click a wizard file.
  2. Modify the name of the drawing in the Name box.
  3. Enter or modify the description of the master drawing.

    You can search for master drawings based on the data you enter here.

  4. Enter of modify keywords of the master drawing.

    Use spaces between words. You can search for master drawings based on the data you enter here.

  5. To add or change the sample image, click Change image... and select the image.

    You can use .bmp, .jpg, .jpeg, or .png images. We recommend that you use .png images.

    The sample image will also be used as the thumbnail image of the master drawing in the thumbnail view of the Master Drawing Catalog.

  6. To edit the contents of the wizard file, click Edit drawing properties...

    The wizard file is opened in a text editor. Modify the contents of the file, and save and close it.

  7. Click OK.

Wizard file contents

Wizard files consist of the following entries. Notice the use of parentheses.

set_drawing_type(assembly)

This line defines the type of drawing the wizard creates. The drawing type appears in parentheses. The options are:

Option

Creates

single

single-part drawings

assembly

assembly drawings

multi_single

single-part multidrawings

multi_single_with_layout

single-part multidrawings with layout

multi_assembly

assembly multidrawings

multi_assembly_with_layout

assembly multidrawings with layout

cast_unit

cast unit drawings

set_drawing_attributes(column)

This line tells Tekla Structures which drawing properties to use when creating the drawings. The name of the saved drawing properties appears in parentheses.

set_template_drawing

This line tells Tekla Structures to use the defined drawing as a template when creating a new drawing. This line is used instead of the line set_drawing_attributes. The path and the name of the drawing template are given in parenthesis like in the following example: set_template_drawing("C:\TSModels\AngleModel":"[A.2]")

set_filter(column_filter)

This line tells Tekla Structures which selection filter to use to select the parts from which to create drawings. The filter name appears in parentheses.

create_drawings()

Tekla Structures starts creating the drawings. This line should always appear immediately after the lines set_drawing_type, set_drawing_attributes and set_filter.

Modifying cloning template properties

You can modify the name, description and keywords of cloning templates in Master Drawing Catalog, and change its sample image.

  1. In the Master Drawing Catalog, double-click a master drawing of the desired type.
  2. Modify the name of the drawing in the Name box.
  3. Enter or modify the description of the master drawing.

    You can search for master drawings based on the data you enter here.

  4. Enter of modify keywords of the master drawing.

    Use spaces between words. You can search for master drawings based on the data you enter here.

  5. To add or change the sample image, click Change image... and select the image.

    You can use .bmp, .jpg, .jpeg, or .png images. We recommend that you use .png images.

    The sample image will also be used as the thumbnail image of the master drawing in the thumbnail view of the Master Drawing Catalog.

  6. Go to the Drawing creation tab.
    1. For the Dimensions, Marks, and Marks for welds in model, define whether you want to Clone them, recreate them automatically when you clone a drawing (Create) or Ignore them in cloning.
    2. Select the objects to be cloned from the master drawing: Drawing welds, Level marks, DWG/DXF, Text files, Texts, Symbols, Graphics, and Hyperlinks).
  7. Click OK.

Add sample and thumbnail images to master drawings

You can create sample or preview images of the drawings. You can add sample images for master drawings in Master Drawing Catalog. The same image is used as a thumbnail in the Master Drawing Catalog thumbnail list.

Before you can add a sample image or a preview image to a master drawing, you must have it somewhere ready.

Sample images are just samples, they are not real-time drawings, and they do not update when the drawing changes.

First create the image:

  1. Open the drawing you want to use.
  2. Clean up the drawing from unnecessary objects, for example, associativity symbols.
  3. On the Views tab, click Screenshot > Sample image for Master drawing catalog.

The image is saved in the \drawings folder under the model folder in .png format with the same name as the drawing. You can see the name of the image on the status bar.

Then you can add the sample image in the master drawing properties:

  1. On the Drawings & reports tab, click Create drawings > Master drawing catalog.
  2. In the Master Drawing Catalog, locate the desired master drawing and double-click it to open the Master Drawing Properties dialog box.
  3. Add the image you created:
    • For the master drawings of the type saved settings, cloning templates, and wizard files, click Change image... and browse for the sample image. Click OK to save the image as a sample image.

    • For rule sets, click Next until you get to the page where you can add the sample image. Click Browse and browse for the sample image. Click Save to save the image as a sample image.

    Now you can display the sample image by selecting the master drawing on the catalog list, right-clicking and selecting Preview. The thumbnail image in the Master Drawing Catalog thumbnail list is a smaller version of the same sample image.

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