Best practices in Tekla Model Sharing

To keep your shared models in good shape and to share your changes successfully, follow the Tekla Model Sharing best practices below.

Note:

The users of the same shared model need to have the same Tekla Structures version, and use the same latest service pack.

Use GUIDs correctly in shared models

Tekla Structures objects have an identifier that is shown as an object GUID, Globally Unique Identifier, that is also used in Tekla Model Sharing.

This means that features that do not use GUIDs need to be changed to use GUIDs.

Interoperability import/export actions:
- FabTrol XML
- ASCII
All other applications, macros and report processes that rely on static IDs.

Save local versions of shared models on your computer

We recommend that you save the local versions of shared models on your computer instead of a network drive for two main reasons.

The performance of shared models is better when the local models are saved on your own computer. This means that the models open faster, for example.
Saving shared models on your own computer prevents other users from accessing them and accidentally blocking important files.

If you still want to save local models on a network drive, use a private network drive that other users cannot access.

Create baselines regularly

The Owner of a model should create baselines of the model regularly. For example, you can create a baseline once a week.

We recommend creating a new baseline each time a new user has been invited to the model. This way, joining the shared model is faster.

Back up shared models

We recommend you to back up the models used in Tekla Model Sharing. In case there are problems with a shared model, it is possible to select any user's local version of the model, or a model that has been backed up, and continue working using that model. Make sure that you have the complete backed up model in use and that the model folder includes, for example, drawings and different databases. This ensures that the model functions properly and you do not lose any data. If the backed up version of the model is old, reading in all the changes may take some time.

Back up your models according to your company conventions, for example, by using Windows Backup. You can also use the File > Save as > Save and create backup copy command to create a backup copy of the model. The backup copy will have the same GUIDs as the original model.

Note that the Save as command cannot be used for backing up the model. If you use Save as, the model gets new IDs and it has no relation to the original model. If you use the Save as command, the model history is not copied with the saved model.

Number model objects in Tekla Model Sharing

Numbering a shared model has three main phases: reading in the changes made by other users, numbering a series of objects, and writing out the numbering changes. Always use the Number series of selected objects command when you number parts in a shared model. To avoid unnecessary work and conflicts, do not use the Number modified objects command.

Before you start numbering objects in a shared model, you should plan the numbering carefully. We recommend that you divide the model into phases, and each user only numbers objects within the phase they are working on. This way, you can avoid numbering conflicts in your shared models.

To number a phase, do the following:

Finish the changes you are making in the phase that you are working on.
Save the model.
Read in the changes made by other users.
Review the changes and save the model.
Select the parts in a numbering series that have been modified.

You can create selection filters to select objects in a specific numbering series. For example, you can create a selection filter that allows you to select objects with the same assembly start number.
On the Drawings & reports tab, select Perform numbering > Number series of selected objects.

Repeat steps 5 to 6 for different numbering series, if needed.
When numbering has been performed successfully, save the model.
Write out your changes immediately.

Reference model handling in Tekla Model Sharing

If Tekla Model Sharing uses reference models, one user can insert a reference model to the Tekla Structures model. When other users read in, the data related to the reference model is copied to the ..TeklaStructuresModels\<model name>\datastorage\ref folder, and the reference model is displayed in the Reference Models side pane.

If you delete the original reference model from the original location, a copy of the reference model remains in the datastorage folder. When a Tekla Model Sharing user writes out, the content in the datastorage/ref folder is shared.

You cannot exclude reference models from Tekla Model Sharing, and all reference models are public for other Tekla Model Sharing users.

If the reference model needs to be updated

When an existing reference model is updated, a new version of it is copied to the datastorage/ref folder.

If there is an updated version of the reference model in the original file location with the same file name, select the reference model in the Reference Models side pane and click the Refresh button. Otherwise the reference model is not taken to use in the Tekla Structures model.
Alternatively, you can save an updated copy of the reference model with a different name, and then update the new version by using the Change detection functionality.

Do not replace the existing reference model with a totally different reference model. This leads to an error with the following error message:

Warning: no suitable reference sub object found for id xxxxx.

Deleting a reference model and replacing it with a new version of an existing reference model as a totally new reference model changes GUIDs, and the references disappear from drawings, for example.