Customize drawing grid labels

Tekla Structures
2022
Tekla Structures

Customize drawing grid labels

In GA drawings, you can customize drawing grid labels by including extra text and symbols in the labels. You can define the label text, offsets and offset prefixes in the grid user-defined attributes in the model and show the grid label text in drawings. You can also defined the prefixes in an open drawing. You can use a combination of traditional grid labels and custom labels, or only use custom labels.

Before you can customize grid labels, you need to modify the user-defined grid properties in the model, and also other grid properties, depending on your needs. You can also choose to modify the prefix text in the drawing.

Modify grid model properties

  1. In the model, double-click the grid to open grid properties.
  2. Modify the grid properties as required.

    In this example, you will create grid labels for elevations, so you need to modify the Labels for Z direction.

  3. Click User-defined attributes...
  4. Fill in the necessary user-defined attribute information.

    Note that you cannot leave the Offset in Z box empty even if the offset was 0. If the offset is 0, you still need to enter 0.

    In this example, you need to have the Grid label text, Offset in Z and Prefix offset in Z defined. You can also define the prefixes and the label texts in Advanced grid label properties in the drawing.

    Note that the Datum level in the drawing View Properties does not work in the same way as the Offset in Z. Setting Offset in Z in grid UDAs to 1000.00 gives the same result as setting the Datum level to -1000.00. The view Datum level setting moves coordinates, and level marks are relative to the coordinates. The Datum level setting does not move the content of the view, the content just becomes relatively moved in the opposite direction.

  5. Click OK, select the grid and select Modify.
Now you have created the necessary grid label texts and adjusted the needed values. Next, you can customize the drawing grid labels.

Customize drawing grid labels

  1. Open a general arrangement drawing.
  2. On the Annotations tab, hold down Shift and click Grid labels.
  3. Define the properties for the custom grid labels:
    Grid label placing Select which grid labels are displayed by selecting the desired check boxes.
    Use settings from Define where the grid label properties are taken from:
    • Grid inherits the properties from the grid.

      Note that if you have defined settings for text color, height and font in the standard drawing Grid properties, the corresponding settings in Advanced grid label properties will changed accordingly, when you click Modify.

    • The dialog box option uses the settings defined in Advanced grid label properties.

    Frame type

    Select the type of the frame:

    Any symbol, grid label text inside, at the bottom .

    Any symbol, grid label text inside at the top .

    Any symbol with a leader line, grid label text under the leader line outside the symbol .

    Any symbol with a leader line, grid label text above the leader line outside the symbol

    Note that you can define a fixed size for the grid label frame by setting the advanced option XS_DRAWING_GRID_LABEL_FRAME_FIXED_WIDTH to a defined value. If you want to calculate the grid label frame size automatically, leave the value out.

    File Select a symbol file from the list.
    Number Click the ... button and double-click the symbol. For example, the elevation symbol is by default symbol number 35 in the xsteel.sym file.
    Color Select the color and the line type of the grid label frame symbol.
    Height Set the height of the grid label frame symbol:

    Enter height: Enter the height in the Height box.

    Autosize: Adjust the symbol height automatically.

    Enter Autosize minimum height: Set the minimum height for the symbol.

    Align to line

    Select Yes to rotate the labels of vertical and inclined grid lines and align the labels with the grid lines.

    Grid: Number Define the Prefix, Color, Height and Font of the grid numbers. If you define the prefix in the user-defined attributes of the grid, you no longer need to do it here.
    Grid: Text Define the Prefix, Color, Height and Font of the grid label texts. If you define the prefix in the user-defined attributes of the grid, you no longer need to do it here.
    Create axis text Select Yes or No. Yes enables the options below. No is the default value. If you have defined prefixes and grid axis texts in the user-defined attributes of the grid, you not need to define them here.
    Prefix for axis X Define the prefix for the X axis.
    Prefix for axis Y Define the prefix for the Y axis.
    Prefix for axis Z Define the prefix for the Z axis.
    Color Define the color of the grid axis text.
    Height Define the height of the grid axis text.
    Font Define the font used in the grid axis text.
  4. Save the properties for future use by entering a unique name in the Save as box and clicking Save as.
  5. Click OK and pick a grid.

Tekla Structures customizes the grid labels and label texts according to the modifications that you made in the grid UDAs in the model, and in Advanced grid label properties in the drawing.

Note that if you get duplicate grid labels (traditional and custom), double-click the drawing grid and clear the check boxes of double grid labels in grid properties.

In the example below, the following properties were defined in the grid properties and grid user-defined attributes in the model:

Labels: Z = Floor1 Floor2 Floor3

Grid label text = Text

Prefix offset in Z = Prefix Z

Offset in Z = 1000.00

In Advanced grid label properties, was selected as the Frame type.

Customize a grid label on a single grid line

  1. Ensure that you have the Select grid line selection switch active .
  2. In an open drawing, on the Annotations tab, hold down Shift and click Grid labels .
  3. Define the properties for the grid labels (see instructions above).
  4. Click OK, and pick a grid line.
    You can also select several grid lines using area selection.
Tekla Structures customizes the grid labels and label texts on the selected grid line according to the modifications you made.

Modify custom grid labels

You can modify the custom grid labels by selecting the grid labels.

  1. Ensure that you have the Select grid selection switch active .
  2. In an open drawing, on the Annotations tab, hold down Shift and Grid labels .
  3. Only select the check box of the grid label that you want to customize.
  4. Define the properties for the custom grid label.
  5. Click Modify and select the grid label.

Customize grid labels only at one end of a grid line

You can have regular and customized labels at different ends of a grid line.

  1. Ensure that you have the Select grid selection switch active .
  2. In an open general arrangement drawing, on the Annotations tab, hold down Shift and click Grid labels .
  3. Only select the check box of the grid label you want to customize.
  4. Define the properties for the custom grid label.
  5. Click OK and select the grid.
  6. Select the selection switch.
  7. Select the desired grid lines, right-click and select Properties..., and only select the check box at the opposite end of the grid line. Area select is handy in grid line selection.
  8. Click Modify.
    The custom grid label is displayed at the one end of the grid line, and the traditional grid label at the other end.

Add different customized grid labels on horizontal and vertical grid lines

You can use different customized labels in horizontal and vertical grid line labels.

  1. Ensure that you have the Select grid selection switch active .
  2. In an open drawing, on the Annotations tab, hold down Shift and click Grid labels.
  3. In Advanced grid label properties, only select the check box for the right horizontal grid labels.
  4. Define the properties for the horizontal grid labels.
    For example, for elevation grid label, set up an elevation symbol.
  5. Click OK and select the grid.

    Custom grid labels are added on the horizontal grid lines. There are no grid labels on the vertical grid lines.

  6. Hold down Shift and click Grid labels .
  7. In Advanced grid label properties, only select the check box for the upper vertical grid labels.
  8. Define the properties for the vertical grid labels.
    For example, select the desired frame label type.
  9. Click OK and select the grid line.
Custom grid labels are added on the vertical grid lines of the selected grid. The horizontal grid lines have the labels that you added earlier.

Use model grid coordinates and prefix as text on grid axis in a drawing

  1. On the Annotations tab, hold down Shift and click Grid labels.
  2. Do any of the following:
    • Define the following settings to show grid coordinates automatically along grid lines:

    • You can also do this in another way and use different prefixes:
      1. First in the model grid user-defined attributes, add in Prefix offset in X and in Prefix offset in Y values W: and N: in the following way:

      2. Then in the drawing in Advanced grid label properties, set Create axis text to Yes:

        If you want to write prefixes to these values, in Advanced grid label properties, add the Prefix for axis X and Prefix for axis Y information.

      3. To get model grid coordinates shown in the drawing grid labels automatically, in the model, go to user-defined grid attributes, and change the offset values to 0.

        When you do this, go to drawing Advanced grid label properties, and set Create axis text to No.

Limitations

  • The grid lines are not refreshed automatically.

    • If you have hidden grid lines or otherwise modified them, you need to click Modify in Advanced grid label properties to refresh the grid labels.

    • If you drag grid line handles, the custom grid labels are not moved together with the handle, until you click Modify in Advanced grid label properties.

  • Advanced grid labels are not supported in multidrawings, key plans or in cloning, or when moving views to another drawing.

  • Not all frame types are allowed for all axises.

Was this helpful?
Previous
Next