Control dimension tag content

Tekla Structures
2022
Tekla Structures

Control dimension tag content

Tags allow you to display the properties and other related information of the associated building objects in single dimensions and dimension sets. In addition to text or property elements, you can include part count, or select a filter that removes the desired default content from the tag, or control dimension tag content with associativity rules.

You can define the contents of the dimension tags of the building object dimensions on the Tags tab of the dimension properties. During the tag creation process, all building object categories are checked for content availability, and the properties in the first found category that has content are read and displayed in the tag. If you do not want to display tag contents for some building objects, you can create an appropriate exclusion filter for this building object type, or select the desired tag content from the associativity rule list. This means that you can display properties related to any associated object regardless of its type and order in the hierarchy.

The reading order of building object content categories:

  1. Surface treatment

  2. Bolt

  3. Rebar

  4. Part/Pour object
Limitations:
  • Rotation is not available for the middle dimension tags.

  • The dimension tags are automatically updated according to model changes, when you update the drawing. If you want to disable the automatic update, you can freeze the drawing or set the advanced option XS_INTELLIGENT_DRAWING_ALLOWED to FALSE. This advanced option affects all drawings.

Add tags to dimensions

  1. Double-click the dimension.
  2. Go to the Tags tab and select the locations where you want to add dimension tags.

    You can add dimension tags above and below the dimension line to the left and right end of the line, to the dimension line ends, and in the middle of the dimension line below the line.

  3. Click the ... buttons to go to the Tag Mark Properties dialog box.

    You can also enter text directly in the A - G boxes.

  4. Select the tag rotation. Each tag has an independent rotation setting, so you can rotate some tags and leave others unrotated.
    • Parallel to dimension line does not rotate the tag. This is the default value.

    • Perpendicular to dimension line rotates the tag.

  5. Include the elements that you want in the dimension tag.

    The available elements are the same as those of the part, bolt, reinforcement and surface treatment marks.

  6. Select the element frame type and color and the text color, font, and height.
  7. Click OK.
  8. If you want to show the part count in the tag, set Include part count in the tag to Yes.
  9. Use Exclude parts according to filter and select a predefined filter to remove some of the automatically created tag content.

    In addition to the user-selectable elements, some of the dimension tag content is automatically created based on the dimension end point locations. If you want to exclude unnecessary tag content for parts that are located in the same location as the dimensioning point, create suitable drawing view filter.

  10. If you are adding tags to curved dimensions, you can select the tag type in Curved Dimension Tag Type.
  11. Click Modify.

Example

Below is an example of dimension tags.

Below is an example of an unrotated and rotated dimension tags.

Example: How to filter out dimension tag content

In this example, you will remove from a dimension tag some content that is added in the tag automatically based on the dimension end point locations. First you will create a drawing view filter that you will use for removing the content.

The example below shows a tag that automatically contains the text "CORBEL". You will remove this text.

  1. Open a drawing.
  2. Double-click the view frame to open the View Properties dialog box.
  3. Double-click Filter... to open the View Filter Properties dialog box.
  4. Click Add row and create a filter according to the example below.

  5. Enter concrete as the name of the filter in the box next to the Save as button and click the button to save the filter.
  6. Click Cancel to close the dialog box.
  7. In the drawing, double-click the dimension that contains the content that you want to remove.

    The Dimension Properties dialog box is displayed.

  8. Go to the Tags tab.
  9. In Exclude parts according to filter, select the concrete filter.
  10. Click Modify.

    Tekla Structures removes the text "CORBEL" from the dimension tag. The material type of corbel is concrete, and the concrete filter removes all concrete parts from the tag.

Control dimension tag content with associativity rules

Dimension tag content can also be controlled using associativity rules. Selecting the right associativity rules helps you to easily select objects that need to be shown in the tags and set up dimension tags, without having to create complex exclusion filters. Only attributes that correspond to the selected objects will be shown in the tags.

This is especially helpful in conflict situations when dimension points might not be associated with the desired objects, because there are other objects in the same dimension point location.

To adjust dimension tag content:

  1. In an open drawing, right-click a dimension whose tags you want to modify.
  2. In the context menu, select Show dimension associativity rules, and then select the objects that you want to show in the dimension tag.

    The objects that are not selected from the associativity rule list are immediately filtered out from the tag.

    Example:

    Properties that correspond to all dimensioned objects are shown in the tag:

    After selecting the appropriate objects from the associativity rule list, the objects that are not selected are immediately filtered out from the tag.

Limitations

There are some hard-coded filtering rules in the dimension tag code that you should keep in mind:

  • The main part properties are always filtered out if the dimension is associated to the main part and secondary parts.

    Example: You create a dimension that is connected to a number of embeds (secondary parts) and a main part. Then the marks are displayed from the embeds (secondary parts), and the main part is filtered out automatically.

  • The attributes of sub-assembly secondary parts are always filtered out. Instead, the attributes of sub-assembly main parts are shown.

    Example: You create a dimension that is connected to embeds. All embed sub parts need to be filtered out. In addition, if the embed main parts are not in the array, then they are added to this array.

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