Define automatic section view properties

Tekla Structures
2022
Tekla Structures

Define automatic section view properties

You can set some automatic properties for section views before you create a drawing. Properties for automatic section views need to be set in two places in drawing properties: in the Section view pane, and in View creation > View properties. The settings on the Section view pane apply to all section views in the drawing.

For a list and descriptions of section view properties, see Section view properties.

Define automatic section view properties

Note that for general arrangement drawings, you can only modify the Start number or letter of section view and symbol label setting.

  1. On the Drawings & reports tab, click Drawing properties and select the drawing type.
  2. Load drawing properties that are as close to the ones you need as possible.
  3. Click Section view.
  4. On the Attributes tab, set values for either Fit by parts or Section depth and Distance for combining cuts. Remember to select the Size check box first:
    • Fit by parts setting works as an alternative to Section depth and Distance for combining cuts, and it shows the whole part in the sections.

    • Section depth defines the positive and negative depth of the section view when sections are not combined. In an open drawing, you can adjust the section view depth also by dragging the view boundary.
    • Distance for combining cuts defines the distance range for combining cut views.
    • You can additionally control which section views get combined using the advanced option XS_DRAWING_CUT_VIEW_COMPARISON_CRITERIA.
  5. Still on the Attributes tab, set the direction of the Left section, Middle section and Right section to left or right.
  6. Go to the Cutting line tab and set the section mark line length and offset (distance between the section mark and the section).
  7. Go to the Section mark tab and modify the section mark settings:
    1. Click the ... button next to A1 - A5 to open the Mark Contents dialog box.
    2. Select the elements that you want to include in the mark.
    3. If needed, select an element from the list and click < Add frame and select the frame Type and Color.
    4. If needed, select an element from the list and select the text Color, Font and Height.
    5. Go to the Position tab and select the side to show the text, the text position, the horizontal and vertical offset, and the text rotation options.
    6. In Start number or letter of section view and symbol label, select whether you want to start the section view and section symbol labels with a number or a letter:
      • You can enter any number starting from 1, or any letter A - Z or a - z (also shown in uppercase in the label).
      • If you use a letter, and the entered string is longer than one letter, only the first letter is shown. If you use numbers, all entered numbers are shown.
      • The start number in the label changes only when you change it in the drawing properties before creating a drawing, and when you change it in an existing drawing and recreate the drawing, in which case the labels for all automatically included section views and all new section views will change.
    7. Click OK to return to drawing properties.
  8. Click View creation and add the section and end views you want to create.
  9. Still in the View creation panel, select the view and the properties that you want to change and click View properties.
  10. Adjust the view properties as required.
  11. Click Save to save the view properties.
  12. Click Close.
  13. Repeat steps 9 - 12 for all the section and end views you create.
  14. To save the changes, click Save.

Examples of section view and mark settings

Combining section views

  1. Distance for combining cuts = 1’- 4"
  2. Section depth = 4"
  3. Combined sections

Section view direction

The arrow in the section view symbol indicates the direction of the section view, as shown below:

  1. Left section, right direction
  2. Middle section, right direction
  3. Right section, left direction

Section marks

See below for examples of section marks:

Show section and end view direction marks in drawings

You can display view direction marks in section views and end views in drawings.

  1. On the Drawings & reports tab, click Drawing properties and select the drawing type.
  2. Load drawing properties that are as close to the ones you need as possible.
  3. Click View creation in the options tree on the left, select the view and the properties that you want to change, and click View properties.

    In this case, select a section view or an end view.

  4. Go to the Label tab in View Properties.
  5. Select one of the options in View direction marks: Show marks:
    • Symbol only
    • Label only
    • Symbol and label
    • None does not show any marks.
  6. Define the height of the symbol and text label in Height.

    If you try to use 0, you will get an error message.

  7. To save the changes, click Save.
  8. Click Close.
  9. Click Save to save the drawing properties, then click OK and create the drawing.

The view direction mark is shown with a small symbol (optionally with a text label) around the end or section view.

The view orientation mark position follows the label position setting. In the image below, Center by view restriction box has been selected for the label.

Tips

Define the location for end views and section views

You can always place section views and end views next to the main view or in any empty location in a single-part, assembly, and cast unit drawing.

  1. On the Drawings & reports tab, click Drawing properties and select the drawing type.
  2. Load drawing properties that are as close to the ones you need as possible.
  3. Click Layout and go to the Other tab.
  4. Set Align end views with main view to Yes to place the views next to the main view.
  5. Set Align section views with main view to Yes to place the views next to the main view.
  6. To save the changes in a drawing properties file, click Save at the top.
  7. Click OK and create the drawing.

    If you select No, Tekla Structures places the section and end views in any available location.

Example

End and section views in any location (No selected).

End and section views beside the main view (Yes selected).

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