Tekla Structures – Sketching and using cross sections

•       Cross Section Sketch Editor View and Sketching toolbar

•       Variables and Sketch Browser dialog boxes

2.     Use the following tools on the Sketching toolbar to sketch the outline of a crosssection, and holes in the cross section:

•     If necessary, use the Coincident constraint tool to close it.

•     Adding dimensions to cross sections (p. 199)

•     Naming, saving, and closing cross sections (p. 205)

•      Where 2 lines meet

•      Between line segments when you draw them with the Sketchpolyline tool.

•      Between the start of the first line segment and the end of the last line segment in a shape, if they are within a certain distance of each other.

You can choose to create chamfers in your cross section. Then you need to add dimensions, and save your sketch. See:

•     Defining chamfers (p. 199)

•     Adding dimensions to cross sections (p. 199)

•     Naming, saving, and closing cross sections (p. 205)

1.     Click the Sketch Browser icon

2.     Select the constraint in the Sketch Browser dialog box.

3.     Right-click and select Delete from the pop-up menu:

To change the shape or dimensions of a chamfer:

1.     For each chamfer you want to change, double-click the chamfer symbol in the sketch. Tekla Structures opens the Chamfer properties dialog box.

2.     Change the shape and dimensions of the chamfer.

5.     Click the Save sketch icon to save the changes.

Tekla Structures also adds the dimensions you create to the list of variables that you can use in calculations. See Using variables to define cross section properties (p. 201).

For example, you can create part positioning planes that define the Middle optionof an asymmetrical profile:

positioning                 relative to parts. Connection positioning planes appear as green lines in the Cross section

planes                         sketch editor view.

The following image shows the default connection positioning planes and locations where you can place details when the part is a double tee slab created as sketched cross section.

This example shows how to use the Variables dialog box and Sketch Browser. Wecreate a symmetric C-shaped cross section with b1 = b2 and h2 = h3. When you use the profile in the model, you can change the following dimensions:

•      Thickness (P1)

•      Total height (h1)

•      Height (h2)

•      Width (b1)

2.    Use the Sketch polyline command to create a C-shaped cross section.

3.    Use the Sketch horizontal distance and Sketch vertical distance commands to create all distances. All the created distances are automatically displayed in the Variables dialogbox.

•        To change the distance value, click the Formula cell and enter a new value.

•       To make the profile symmetric, type =h2 in the Formula cell of distance h3 and=b1 of distance b2.

2.     Click the Formula cell and enter a thickness value.

3.     In the Visiblity cell, select Show.

4.    Type Thickness in the Label in dialog box cell.

5.     In the Sketch Browser, right-click the Thickness object and select Add equationfrom the pop-up menu. Then type in =P1.

2.    Save the image in the folder..\TeklaStructures\*version*\nt\bitmaps, using the cross section name as the filename, with the file extension .bmp. For example, mysketch.bmp.

To use a Tekla Structures screenshot as a picture:

1.    Open the sketch in the cross section sketch editor view. If necessary, click in the sketch to ensure it is the active view.

2.    Press F12 on your keyboard to take a screenshot of the sketch, without the borders.

3.    In any file manager, e.g. Microsoft Explorer, rename the screenshot file to have the same name as the sketch, with the extension bmp.

4.    Copy the renamed file to the folder..\TeklaStructures\*version*\nt\bitmaps.

5.    Tekla Structures displays a picture of the sketch when you browse for profiles.

•      Change the Value field then click the Modify button. Tekla Structures updates thecross section in the sketch editor.

•     Check that the shape of the profile does not change and that the dimensions adjust correctly. Click the Cancel button to close the dialog box.

2.     Double-click the name of the cross section to open it in the Cross Section Sketch Editor View.

3.    The elements you can edit appear in yellow. For example, you can edit distances and chamfers. Double-click an element to edit its properties:

Copying and moving

You can also copy and move the entire sketch or parts of it with the copy and move commands. For more information, see Copy (p. 138) and Move (p. 140).

1.     In the Variables dialog box, add a new length variable, for example P1, and enter thedefault thickness in the Formula cell.

2.     In the Sketch Browser, set Thickness = P1 (the new variable). If you define thethickness value directly in the Sketch Browser, it means that thickness has a fixedvalue (Thickness = 10).

3.    See also Example: Symmetric C (p. 202).

Once you have created a cross section and saved it in the profile catalog, you are ready to use it in the model. If you have applied constraints correctly, the shape of the profile will not change if you change its dimensions. See Testing your cross section (p. 205) for more information.

To use the profile cross section in a model:

1.    Double-click the part icon to open the part properties dialog box. For example, double-click the Create beam icon to open the Beam Properties dialog box.

2.    To select a profile to use:

•        For steel parts, click the Select… button next to the Profile field.

•        For concrete parts, click the … button next to the Profile field.

3.     The Select Profile dialog box opens.

4.     Select the sketched parametric cross section. They appear under the Others profiletype at the end of the profile tree:

7.     In the part properties dialog box, click Modify to change the part profile in the model.

8.     Click OK to close the part properties dialogbox. Importing and exporting sketches (p. 209)

2.     Select Sketches from the list. Tekla Structures shows all the sketches available inthe current model.

3.    Select the sketches you want to export. If you want to export several sketches, hold down the Ctrl key when selecting sketches.

4.     Right-click and select Export… from the pop-up menu. The Export componentsdialog box appears.

5.    Enter the name for the export file. Tekla Structures writes the exported sketches to a file (.uel).

To import a sketch to another model:

1.    Click Ctrl + F to open the component catalog.

2.     Select Sketches from the list. Tekla Structures shows all the sketches available inthe current model.

3.     Right-click and select Import… from the pop-up menu. The Import componentsdialog box appears.

4.    Browse to find the folder which contains the exported .uel files. Select the file to import and click OK.