Symbols in drawings

Dragging grid labels
You can move single grid labels. This is useful, for example, if the label is covering an
important area in a drawing.
Ensure, that you have switched Smart Select on in Tools --> Options to drag and drop by
handles without selecting them first.
To move a grid label:
1. Ensure that you have the grid line selection switch selected
.
2. Click a grid.
3. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the label by the handle to a new location.
See also Grids in drawings on page 233
Hiding grids or grid lines
You can hide grids and grid lines.
To hide a grid or a grid line:
1. Ensure that you have the correct selection switch selected.
To hide grids, use the selection switch
and to hide grid lines, use
.
2. Click a grid or a grid line.
3. Right-click the grid or the grid line and select Hide/Show --> Hide from drawing view
from the pop-up menu.
If you want to show the grids or grid lines, press B until the color mode is Color, rightclick the grid or the grid line, and select Hide/Show --> Show in drawing view . You can
see and select the hidden grids and grid lines only in Color mode.
See also Grids in drawings on page 233
4.16 Symbols in drawings
You can use symbols in drawings in various places, for example, as separate objects, in marks,
object representation, arrows etc. We recommended you get familiar with the Symbol Editor,
so that you can create new symbols and modify the existing ones.
With the Symbol Files browser you can easily change the symbol file in use and access
Symbol Editor.
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Symbols in drawings
Tekla Structures searches the symbol files from folders listed in DXK_SYMBOLPATH
(defined in the environment initialization file <your_environment>.ini and in the
Tekla Structures initialization file teklastructures.ini). Alternatively, you can add
your own DXK_SYMBOLPATH in options.ini under the model folder and define your
own symbol folder paths there. Note, that also the path settings in the
<your_environment>.ini file need to be added there. The last read .ini file
settings are used. At startup of Tekla Structures, the reading order of the .ini files
containing DXK_SYMBOLPATH is:
•
teklastructures.ini
•
<your_environment>.ini
•
options.ini
All symbol files that are found are available to be used in Tekla Structures. If there are symbol
files with the same name, the one that is read last is used.
In addition to the symbols mentioned above, there are moment connection symbols that you
can manage with drawing tools.
See also Creating and modifying symbol files on page 236
Adding symbols in drawings on page 238
Modifying symbol properties on page 238
Managing moment connection symbols on page 239
Adding surface treatment symbols in drawings (AddSurfaceSymbols) on page 241
Adding symbols in marks on page 486
DXK_SYMBOLPATH
Defining a firm folder for images and symbols on page 520
Creating and using customized leader line arrows on page 184
Creating and modifying symbol files
The Symbol Files browser allows you to change the symbol file in use. It also provides access
to Symbol Editor, where you can create new symbol files, and create and modify symbols.
We strongly recommend that you do not modify the original symbol files delivered
with your Tekla Structures application. If you need to modify any symbols, copy
the original symbol file and work on the copy, keeping the original symbol file
intact.
See also Viewing and modifying symbol file contents on page 237
Creating a new symbol file on page 237
Editing drawings
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Symbols in drawings
Changing the symbol file in use on page 238
Adding symbols in marks on page 486
Viewing and modifying symbol file contents
You can view and modify the contents of a symbol file.
To view or modify the contents of a symbol file:
1. Open the Mark content - symbol dialog box by selecting Symbol from the available
mark elements list in the mark properties dialog box, or open the Symbol properties
dialog box by selecting Annotating --> Properties --> Symbol .
2. Click Select... next to the File box.
3. Select a file from the Symbol Files list and click Edit.
This opens the selected symbol file in Symbol Editor.
4. If you modify the file in the Symbol Editor, save the file : Click File --> Save or File -->
Save As and give a new name.
5. Click OK.
In Symbol Editor, you can copy symbols between symbol files (*.sym). Press Ctrl + C and
select the symbol you would like to copy, then open the symbol file you want to copy to
(or a new symbol file), select the location for the symbol and press Ctrl + V.
See also Creating and modifying symbol files on page 236
Creating a new symbol file
You can create new symbol files to be used in drawings.
To create a new symbol file:
1. Open the Mark content - symbol dialog box by selecting Symbol from the available
mark elements list in the mark properties dialog box or the Symbol properties dialog box
by selecting Annotating --> Properties --> Symbol .
2. Click Select... next to the File box.
3. In the Symbol Files dialog box, click Create new....
4. Create the symbol in the Symbol Editor.
5. Click File --> Save and save the symbol file in the folder that you use for keeping the
symbols.
6. Click Refresh in the Symbol Files browser.
See also Creating and modifying symbol files on page 236
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Symbols in drawings
Changing the symbol file in use
You can change the currently used symbol file.
To change the symbol file in use:
1. Open the Mark content - symbol dialog box by selecting Symbol from the available
mark elements list in the mark properties dialog box, or the Symbol properties dialog
box by selecting Annotating --> Properties --> Symbol .
2. Click Select... next to the File box.
3. Select a new file from the Symbol Files list and click OK or double-click the file.
See also Symbols in drawings on page 235
Creating and modifying symbol files on page 236
Adding symbols in drawings
Symbols added as separate objects are independent annotation objects. They can be
represented in three different ways: without leader lines, with leader lines and along lines.
Tekla Structures adds symbols using the properties defined in the Symbol Properties dialog
box.
To add a symbol in a drawing:
1. In the drawing, hold down Shift and select Annotating --> Add Symbol and one of the
three symbol commands:
•
Symbol: Add a symbol in the current drawing without a leader line.
•
Symbol along Line: Create a symbol along the line you define by picking two points.
Then pick an insertion point for the symbol.
•
Symbol with Leader Line: Add a symbol with a leader line pointing to the point you
pick first.
2. Modify other symbol properties.
3. Click OK.
4. Pick one to three points in the drawing to place the symbol. The symbol command you
selected affects the number of points to pick.
See also Symbols in drawings on page 235
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Symbols in drawings
Modifying symbol properties
You can modify the properties of symbols in an open drawing.
To modify the symbol properties:
1. Double-click a symbol.
2. Switch all the check boxes off in the dialog box by clicking the on/off switch
at the bottom of the dialog box.
3. Select only the check boxes next to the properties that you want to modify.
4. If necessary, change the symbol file in use and select the symbol to use.
5. To modify symbol placement settings, click Place.
Here you can set the placing to free or fixed, specify the search margin, minimal distance
and select the desired quarter to place the symbol.
6. Go to the Appearance tab and set the symbol color, height and angle, and the frame
type, leader line and color.
7. Click Modify.
See also Symbols in drawings on page 235
Placement properties for annotation objects on page 586
Leader line types on page 553
Managing moment connection symbols
Moment connections show the beams that are connected to columns with rigid connections.
With drawing tools you can manage moment connection symbols: create, update and delete
them.
See also Creating moment connection symbols (Drawing tools) on page 239
Updating moment connection symbols (Drawing tools) on page 241
Deleting moment connection symbols (Drawing tools) on page 241
User-defined attributes
Creating moment connection symbols (Drawing tools)
In general arrangement drawings, you can create moment connection symbols to show the
beams that are connected to columns with rigid connections. The symbols are created
according to part end releases. You can create moment connection symbols automatically for
all parts in a drawing view, or for selected parts.
To create moment connection symbols in a general arrangement drawing:
1. Open the drawing.
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Symbols in drawings
2. Click Tools --> Macros...
3. In the Macros dialog box, select Drawing tools and click Run.
4. Click Create moment connection symbols
in the Drawing tools toolbar.
5. In the Create moment connection symbols dialog box, select the color for the symbols
from the color list.
6. In the Create moment connection symbols dialog box, enter a scale for the symbols in
the box next to the color list.
7. Do one of the following:
a. To create moment connection symbols for all parts in a drawing view, select the view.
b. To create moment connection symbols for selected parts, select the parts.
8. Click Create.
The moment connection symbols are created according to analysis part and connection
release properties:
•
If a connection exists, start and end release information is read from the Start releases
and End releases tabs in the analysis part properties dialog box.
•
If a connection does not exist, release information is read from the End conditions tab in
the user-defined attributes dialog box of the part.
Limitations •
Moment connection symbols are created to reference lines. This means that offsets are
not taken into use.
Example
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Symbols in drawings
See also Managing moment connection symbols on page 239
Updating moment connection symbols (Drawing tools)
To update moment connection symbols:
1. Click Tools --> Macros...
2. In the Macros dialog box, select Drawing tools and click Run.
3. Click Create moment connection symbols
in the Drawing tools toolbar.
4. Do one of the following:
a. To update the moment connection symbols of all parts in the view, select the view.
b. To update the moment connection symbols of selected parts, select the parts.
5. Click Create.
When you do this, Tekla Structures removes all previously created symbols, and creates new
ones that are up-to-date.
See also Managing moment connection symbols on page 239
Deleting moment connection symbols (Drawing tools)
To delete moment connection symbols:
1. Click Tools --> Macros...
2. In the Macros dialog box, select Drawing tools and click Run.
3. Click Create moment connection symbols
in the Drawing tools toolbar.
4. Do one of the following:
a. To delete the moment connection symbols of all parts in the view, select the view.
b. To delete the moment connection symbols of selected parts, select the parts.
5. Click Delete.
See also Managing moment connection symbols on page 239
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Symbols in drawings
Adding surface treatment symbols in drawings (AddSurfaceSymbols)
You can add surface treatment symbols in drawings using the AddSurfaceSymbols
macro.
Before you start, ensure that you have an object that has surface treatment in the model,
and that you have created a drawing of that object.
To add surface treatment symbols in a part in a drawing:
1. Open a drawing that has a part containing surface treatment.
2. Click Tools --> Macros to open the Macros dialog box.
3. Select AddSurfaceSymbols and click Run.
The Create surface symbols dialog box is displayed.
4. Select the texts that you want to include in the surface treatment symbol from the
Available Elements list and add the texts to the Elements in mark by clicking Add.
5. Select All views to include the symbols in all drawing views, or Selected views to include
the symbols only in the views you select.
6. Change the font settings, if necessary.
7. If you selected Selected views, select the views where you wish to have surface
treatment symbols.
8. Click Create.
Tekla Structures creates the surface treatment symbols according to the defined settings. You
can change the symbol properties and the text afterwards in the Text properties dialog box,
which is opened when you double-click the symbol.
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Changing drawing objects