Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Editing
Copyright © 2004 Tekla Corporation
Contents
Contents ................................................................................................................................ 2
3 Stiffeners detail.......................................................................................................... 27
3.1 Define custom component .......................................................................................................28
3.2 Create magnetic planes...........................................................................................................28
3.3 Bind magnetic planes to the beam...........................................................................................30
3.4 Use equations to make the plate thickness intelligent .............................................................32
3.5 Close the editor and test the custom component.....................................................................34
Appendix C: FAQ....................................................................................................... 68
1 Lifting bracket detail
3. Select Custom from the drop down menu to show all the custom components available
You can export custom components to *.uel files, and then import the files into
another model. Custom components are stored into xslib.db1 file which you
can copy from one model folder to another. Xslib.db1 file can not be placed for
use of all projects.
Edit Custom
component
Select the component, right click and select Edit custom component to open custom
component editor
Custom component editor opens showing the Custom component editor toolbar, the Model
browser and four views of the custom component
By binding all the chamfers of the gusset plate we ensure the shape of the plate
is kept when end plate thickness or the main profile is modified.
2. move the cursor to highlight the base plate top face and select it
We can now see all the distance variables we have created so far
2. Change the Label in dialog box of first two variables to Show (This will make them
visible in the custom component dialog box)
3. Edit the variable labels of these variables to Dim 1 and Dim 2.
4. Change the Label in dialog box of other variables to Hide
When you select a variable in the list Tekla Structures highlights it in the
model
The prefix D (Distance) in variable shows the variable is created by system and
the prefix P (Parameter) that it is a user defined variable
Define variables
for plate profiles
and materials
We will now add user defined variables to the variables dialog in order to control the gusset
plate profile from the custom component dialog box
Selecting an object in the custom component editor highlights this object in the
model browser
5. browse to profile in the model browser, right click and select Copy value
7. Add the equation =P1 to the profile in the model browser to tie the new variable to the
gusset plate Profile
8. Add the same way a new variable for the gusset plate material and tie it to the material
in the model browser.
9. Create and tie variables for end plate profile and material the same way
Define variables
for bolt size and
grade
5. Tie variables for bolt size and grade back to the model browser.
Parameters to be used
In this example we will input the following parameters:
Once all parameters have been defined the finished result should look something like in
below:
We are going to define the notch first. The values we would like to input are:
The clearance from the flange and the depth from the secondary beam top. We are going to
use Magnetic user planes to control these variables
Create User
defined planes
1. From the Custom component editor toolbar select Create user-defined plane
Only the objects directly on the magnetic plane move with the plane.
Note that the objects must be inside the plane frames to move with the plane
Use the handles in the plane corners to enlarge the planes to cover all the
polygon cut sizes possible needed.
4. Move the user plane handles one by one 200 mm to the directions shown.
The plane is now resized but not placed symmetrically according the cut
7. Repeat the procedure to create 2 vertical user planes on both sides of the notch
The planes will now be magnetic (this means any handles or chamfers on the
plane will become attached to the plane automatically)
1. Select the horizontal user planes one by one and bind them to the top of the main beam
3. Bind the other vertical plane to the web face of the main beam
4. To see these values select the Display variables option from the Custom component
editor toolbar
Before “binding” the plate to any planes we must first take away any values
already set in the plate properties. If not these values will always be added to
the user input values.
2. Move top handle of the plate -30 mm in z direction to the magnetic plane
1. Tie the plate top and bottom handles to the face of the main beam
2. Make these variables to follow the plate thickness by adding the plate thickness as an
equation to the variables
3. Set the visibility of variables to Hide
2. Bind the upper handle of the bolt group to the top of the secondary flange. A new
variable D9 will appear
5. Tie variables for bolt size and grade back to the model browser.
4. Tie the Bolt Pitch variable to Bolt group distance x and Bolt C/C to Bolt group distance
y in the model browser
You can not copy the values of distance lists from the model browser. Edit
them manually to the variables dialog box Formula field.
4. Create six user defined planes to the edges of the plates as shown to control the size of
stiffeners (Pick three points to define the location of the plane and click middle button)
To make it easier to pick the stiffeners corners hide the main part
5. Create one magnetic to the middle of the plates plane to control the plate's position in
depth
The distance variable visibility in the variables list is by default False if the
distance equals to zero. Otherwise it is True
3. Tie the magnetic plane in the middle of the stiffener to the connection plane shown
We will first add a new variable that returns the beam web thickness multiplied by 1.5.
1.5 * Web
thickness
1. Open the custom component editor
2. Add a new parameter and change its Value type to length
3. Add the equation =1.5* to the variable
4. Select the beam in the model
5. Right click the Primary part > Profile properties > Web thickness in the model browser
and select Copy reference
Define the We will now use if-then-else statement to test whether the Variable P1 is bigger than the
condition for the condition and set the value according to the result
plate thickness 1. Add a new variable and change its value type to Number
2. Edit the Formula of the variable P2 to be
=if (P1 < 12 && P1 > 10) then 12 else if (P1 > 12) then 16 else 10 endif endif
Create the
Stringers
1. Start the Create column command
2. Enter the information in the dialog box according the fig. below
Create array of
rungs
1. Use shortcut Ctrl + F to open the Component catalog
2. Search Array of objects macro by using the word array
We can see that 12 new rungs were created so there is now 13 rungs altogether
3. Select all the objects of the ladders( including the Array macro symbol), Click Next
5. Click Finish
1. Add a new variable (P1) to the variables list, change its value to 200 and name it as
Stringer top offset
2. Select top handles of the stringers (one at a time) and bind them to the upper component
plane => Variables D1 and D2 appear
A custom part which has not been edited appears in its predefined size despite
the points picked for creating it.
To adjust custom part length to the points picked you can bind the part end (by
using handles or magnetic plane) to the corresponding component plane (as we
Number and
spacing of rungs
1. Add a new variable (P2) to the variables dialog box and name it as Number of rungs and
edit the Formula to be 13 (This will be the number of all the rungs)
2. Add another variable (P3) and tie it to variable P2 with the formula shown
Variable P3 returns now the number of rungs created by the array macro.
3. Add another variable (P4) and name it to Spacing of rungs
4. Select the Array macro symbol (the component is highlighted in the Model browser) Tie
the variables P3 and P4 to the model browser as shown
Bottom rung
offset
1. Add a new variable (P5) and name it as Bottom rung offset
2. Edit the Formula of P5 to be 285
3. Select handles of the lowest rung and tie them one by one to the bottom component
plane = > Two new variables (D3, D4) will be added
Ladder width
We will now create two magnetic planes in the middle of the stringers to control the ladder
width. We will adjust the magnetic planes to cover also longer stringers by binding the
magnetic planes top handles to upper component plane (This way the magnetic plane is
automatically resized according the picked positions for the custom part)
Since the handles of the rungs are positioned in the middle of the stringers they will move
with the planes as well and adjust with the ladder width.
Create magnetic
planes
1. Create a magnetic planes by picking 3 points in the middle of the stringer as shown and
click middle button
Adjust the
magnetic planes
for longer 1. Bind one upper handle of both magnetic planes to the upper component plane
stringers
Variables D5 and D6 appears
1. Add two new variables (P7 and P8), change their value type to profile and name them as
Stringer profile and Rung profile.
2. Copy the rung and stringer profile values from model browser and paste them to
formula field of variables P7 and P8
1. Add a new variable (P9), change its value type to Component name and name it as
connection.
2. Copy the component name value from model browser and paste it to formula field of
variable P9
3. Bind the variable P9 back to the model browser to the bottom rung)
We can make our Custom components easier to use by customizing their dialog boxes. By
modifying the input file of the custom component we can:
• Add pictures,
• Change the order and location of fields
• Add / rename tab pages.
We will next add a picture to the ladder simple custom part. We will then position the
parameters and group them to two different tab pages: Picture and Parts
To create the picture you can open an existing bmp from the
teklastructures\”version”\nt\bitmaps directory or take a snapshot from an
existing component dialog box and edit it by using any picture editing
program. You can also create the bmp from the scratch
Remember to use the standard Tekla colors in the bitmaps
1. Take a snapshot of the shown region of Ladder macro (S35) dialog box
The first pixel in the top left corner of a bitmap must be the same color (grey)
as the background of the dialog box
1. Open the Ladder simple.inp file in the model folder using a normal text editor (Notepad,
WordPad...)
The number of fields and the coordinates added will effect to the size of the
dialog box. Each tab page can contain 25 fields. If there are more than 25
visible fields, Tekla Structures creates another tab page
Position the
picture and the 1. Remove the parameter names from parameters P1-P6
parameters
2. Add the X,Y coordinates and the length of the field for parameters P1-P6
1. To add a second tab Parts, edit the input file as shown below
2. Save the file
1. First create the objects for the sandwich panel: inner panel, insulation and outer panel.
Then make a cast unit of all the parts by Right clicking > Cast unit > Create cast unit.
Bind the panel objects' definition points to the component planes – then they follow the
component definition points in creation.
1. Set the plane to "Component plane" in the Custom component editor toolbar.
Next bind the insulation panel's definition points to the inner panel's outer side.
Now the insulation panel follows if the inner panel's thickness changes. Next bind the outer
panel's definition points to the outer side of the insulation panel.
1. Modify the outer panel's height so, that the insulation panel can be picked from outer
side.
2. Select the start point of the outer panel and bind it to the outer plane of the insulation
panel.
3. Repeat for the end points of outer panel.
The outer panel now follows the insulation panel. The distances appear in the "Variables"
dialog. Hide all parameters by setting the visibility to "Hide".
We have now defined parameters for all profiles. Next we will map these parameters into the
custom component parts.
1. In the Custom component browser open the outer panel's Part > General properties
and right-click > Add equation over the Profile field.
2. Type the parameter's name into the field.
Next separate the thickness and height into two individual parameters for each panel.
3. Copy the corresponding values from the profile parameters into the "Formula" field
5. Hide the profile parameters and leave the individual dimensions visible.
6. Set =P5 into the D9 and D10 formula fields to make the dimension react to thickness.
7. Set =P6 into the D7 and D8 formula fields to make the dimension react to thickness.
8. Close the editor and save the component.
If they do not have the same name the result will be as follows:
Q8. I want to input 2 separate values for the plate width and
thickness how can I use these values to make a “profile”
name e.g. PLT200*10?
And how to stop the values being input with decimal places
A8. If as in the example below you use P2 for the plate
width & P3 for the thickness use the formula
“=”PLT”+int(P2)+”*”+int(P3)”. All text must be in inverted
commas “”, int() will stop the values being input with extra
decimal places.
Boundary planes