Tekla Structures – Screen layout

(2J    Snap settings control which points you can snap to and pick

f3J    Select switches determine selectable objects

f4J    Pull-down menus contain all commands

f5J    Steel beams, columns, plates

(6J    Concrete footings, beams, columns

f7J    Commands for creating views

fsj    Toolbars can either be docked or floating

Initially, most of the menu options and all the icons are gray indicating that they are inactive. When you open or create a model, the icons and available menu options will become active.

The menu bar located under the blue title bar has pull-down menus containing all the Tekla Structures commands. To select a command, click a menu title and then select the command.

The toolbars are located under the menu bar. They contain icons which give easy access to the most frequently-used commands. To execute a command, click the appropriate icon. Use the icon as an alternative to selecting commands from a pull-down menu.

When you move the mouse pointer over an icon, a tooltip displays the name of the icon:

To hide or display the enhanced tooltips, click Tools > Options > Enhanced Tooltips.

Menu tooltips             The menu tooltips provide the same functionality as the enhanced tooltips, but for menu

commands. The menu tooltips are displayed in a separate window, which you can drag and drop to any position on the screen:

Dialog boxes              Tekla Structures displays a dialog box if you select a command whose name has three dots after

it, e.g. Select…. You can also double-click an object or icon.

To display the current properties of an object type, double-click the corresponding icon. Tekla Structures displays a properties dialog box, and you can change the properties before applying the command.

To display the properties dialog box of an individual object, double-click the object.

Switches                     Select switches and Snap settings are special toolbars containing switches which control the

selection of objects, and snapping to points.

Use select switches to define which object types can be selected. With them you can limit selection. For example, if only the Select welds switch is active, Tekla Structures only selects welds, even if you select the entire model area.

•      Assemblies or objects in assemblies.

You need to activate snap switches to pick different positions and points, e.g. line ends and intersections.

Status bar                   Tekla Structures displays prompts and messages on the status bar located at the bottom of the

Tekla Structures window.

The status bar also displays the following information:

•      The status of Xsnap (T), SmartSelect (S), and Drag and drop (D)

•      The level in assembly or component hierarchy (0–9)

•      The middle mouse button mode (Pan or Scroll)

•      The current phase

•      The number of selected objects and handles.

Warning                      Tekla Structures displays warning messages when necessary, for example when you are about

messages                   to copy or move objects outside the work area. To prevent Tekla Structures from displaying the

warning messages again, select the Do not show this message again checkbox.

To re-display the warning messages, press Shift when the warning message should appear, for example when you are copying or moving objects outside the work area, and Tekla Structures displays the warning message again.

Using windows

A typical Windows workspace can contain many windows. You can stack windows on the workspace, just like sheets of paper on a desk. Windows may partially or completely hide other windows. Only one window is active at a time, but Tekla Structures may also produce information in the inactive windows.

Introduction