Changing drawing objects

4.17 Changing drawing objects
You can move, copy, reshape, resize, trim, split and divide drawing objects added in the
drawing. For objects that have leader lines, you can modify the shape of the leader line. You
can also use drawing tools and align objects, create chamfers, and create fillets. What you
can do to an object depends on the object type.
See also Editing drawings on page 114
Dragging, reshaping and resizing drawing objects on page 243
Copying with offsets on page 245
Arranging drawing objects on page 246
Hiding and showing objects in drawings and drawing views on page 247
Trimming on page 251
Splitting on page 253
Dividing on page 253
Modifying the shape of leader lines on page 254
Aligning drawing objects on page 255
Creating fillets (Drawing tools) on page 255
Creating chamfers (Drawing tools) on page 256
Managing cut lines (Drawing tools) on page 259
Copying and moving objects
Dragging, reshaping and resizing drawing objects
Many drawing objects, dimension lines and leader lines of many drawing objects have
handles. You use these handles to reshape, and resize objects. You can also drag the objects.
Before you start, click a drawing object or and object frame to activate it and show the
handles. Switch Smart Select on in Tools --> Options to drag by the object handles without
selecting the handle first.
Do any of the following:
To
Drag the object
Do this
•
Point the handle, object or object frame, hold down the left mouse
button and drag the object to a new location.
The object follows the cursor while you drag the object, and you can
all the time see what the end result will be.
With circles, you can also use the middle handle for dragging.
Resize the object
1. Click one of the objects or object frame handles.
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Changing drawing objects
To
Do this
2. Drag the handle to resize the object or object frame.
To enlarge the rectangle in all directions, drag from a corner handle.
Reshape the object
1. Click the middle handle of a line or a handle on the cloud, polyline
or polygon.
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Changing drawing objects
To
Do this
2. Drag the handle to reshape the object.
If you drag an annotation object, its placing setting may be set to fixed depending
what its set for the advanced options
XS_CHANGE_DRAGGED_DIMENSIONS_TO_FIXED,
XS_CHANGE_DRAGGED_MARKS_TO_FIXED,
XS_CHANGE_DRAGGED_NOTES_TO_FIXED, and
XS_CHANGE_DRAGGED_TEXTS_TO_FIXED. This means that the annotation
object stays where it is even though you update the drawing.
See also Changing drawing objects on page 242
Object protection and placement settings in drawings on page 343
XS_CHANGE_DRAGGED_DIMENSIONS_TO_FIXED
XS_CHANGE_DRAGGED_MARKS_TO_FIXED
XS_CHANGE_DRAGGED_NOTES_TO_FIXED
XS_CHANGE_DRAGGED_TEXTS_TO_FIXED
Copying with offsets
You can copy lines and circles with offsets. You can copy lines to a new location in the
direction you point using the offset that you specify. You can also create new circles
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Changing drawing objects
centered in the same location as the original circle and adjust the radius by the offset that
you specify.
To copy with offset:
1. Click Tools --> Macros...
2. In the Macros dialog box, select Drawing tools and click Run.
3. Select the object that you want to copy.
4. Click Copy with Offset
in the Drawing tools toolbar.
5. Enter the offset in the dialog box that is displayed.
6. Click the view in the direction where you want to copy the object. If you are copying a
line, Tekla Structures makes a new copy of the line in the specified location. If you are
copying a circle, Tekla Structures creates a new circle that is centered in the same
location as the original circle, and adjusts the radius by the offset that you specified.
Example Example of a copied line:
Example of a copied circle:
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Changing drawing objects
Arranging drawing objects
You can use the Arrange Drawing Objects (Freeplace) command to position drawing
objects. Tekla Structures positions the objects using the protection properties set for the
drawing and the placing properties of each object type.
To arrange drawing objects:
1. Double-click the open drawing, click Protection..., check the drawing protection
properties and modify them as required.
2. Click Modify.
3. Double-click drawing objects, and then click Place... to check and modify the placing
settings.
If the object is set to Fixed, the Arrange Drawing Objects command has no effect.
4. Click Modify.
5. In the drawing, select the drawing objects you want to arrange.
6. Do one of the following:
•
Click View --> Arrange Drawing Objects (Freeplace) --> Near Current Locations .
Tekla Structures positions the selected drawing objects so that they do not overlap
other objects. Objects located in a free location are not moved, and overlapping
objects are moved as close to the current location as possible.
•
Click View --> Arrange Drawing Objects (Freeplace) --> Ignore Current
Locations .
Tekla Structures positions the selected drawing objects so that they do not overlap
with other objects without checking the current location of the objects.
See also Changing drawing objects on page 242
Object protection and placement settings in drawings on page 343
Hiding and showing objects in drawings and drawing views
You can hide selected drawing objects in drawings and drawing views. When you hide a part,
Tekla Structures will hide all its related objects. Note that if an object is hidden in drawing
views it will not be printed.
To hide drawing objects:
1. Check that the ghost outline selection is the one that you need in Tools --> Options -->
Ghost Outline . In colored drawings, hidden objects are shown as ghost outlines, if this
setting is selected. In grayscale and black and white drawings, hidden objects are not
shown even if Ghost Outline is selected.
2. Select the desired color mode by pressing B.
3. Select the objects you want to hide.
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Changing drawing objects
4. Click View --> Hide/Show Object and one of the following options:
•
Hide from Drawing View. Tekla Structures hides the selected object in the view you
select it.
•
Hide from Drawing. Tekla Structures hides the selected object in all views.
Example Below are some examples of the results with different combinations of selections.
Setting
Example
Color mode is set to Color. No objects are hidden.
Part marks are shown.
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Changing drawing objects
Setting
Example
Color mode is set to Color. Ghost Outline is not
selected. Parts are hidden and related part marks
are not shown.
Color mode is set to Color. Ghost Outline is
selected. Hidden parts are shown as ghost outlines
and related part marks are not shown.
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Setting
Example
Color mode is set to Black and White. Ghost
Outline is selected, but it has no effect on black
and white drawings. Parts are hidden and related
part marks are not shown.
See also Changing drawing objects on page 242
Listing hidden parts in drawings
You can select whether to list the hidden parts in drawings, for example, in the material list.
1. Open a drawing containing hidden parts.
2. Double-click the drawing to open the drawing properties dialog box.
3. Click Layout....
4. On the Drawing size tab, select whether you want to list the hidden parts in List hidden
objects in templates. No removes all information about the hidden parts, also from the
total weight.
5. Click Modify.
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In the example below, the hidden reinforcing bars are listed.
In the example below, the hidden reinforcing bars are not listed.
Limitations Listing hidden objects does not work in all templates. It works in templates containing PART
rows, but not in hierarchical templates. For example, if the template is of type ASSEMBLY PART, and the Assembly is included in the drawing, all of its parts will also be included.
See also Hiding and showing objects in drawings and drawing views on page 247
Trimming
You can shorten or extend a line relative to the boundary you select in an open drawing. The
boundary can be a line, part, arc, or rectangle, for example.
To trim a line:
1. Click Edit --> Trim .
2. Select the object to be used as a boundary.
3. Click the middle mouse button.
4. Do one of the following:
To
Extend the line
Do this
Click the end of the line to extend it to the boundary line.
Original lines:
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To
Do this
The extended line:
Shorten the line from
the left or right end
Click the line at the end from which you want to shorten it.
Original line:
Line clicked at the left end:
Line clicked at the right end:
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Changing drawing objects
To
Do this
See also Shapes on page 194
Changing drawing objects on page 242
Splitting
You can cut an object into two pieces at a point you select in an open drawing. You can split
lines, polylines, circles, and arcs.
To split a line:
1. Select the line.
2. Click Edit --> Split.
3. Pick a point on the line to indicate the location for splitting.
4. Tekla Structures splits the line into two.
See also Shapes on page 194
Changing drawing objects on page 242
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Changing drawing objects
Dividing
You can divide an object into a number of segments that you specify in an open drawing. You
can divide lines and arcs.
To divide a single line into four lines of equal length:
1. Select the line.
2. Click Edit --> Divide .
3. In the displayed Segments dialog box, enter the number of segments, for example 4, and
click OK.
Tekla Structures divides the line into four lines.
See also Shapes on page 194
Changing drawing objects on page 242
Modifying the shape of leader lines
You can modify the shape of the leader line for any independent and associative annotation
objects that have leader lines.
To modify the leader line shape:
1. Select the leader line you want to modify
2. Drag from the middle point of the line.
3. Drag further from the created handle points and new middle points.
See also Additional ways for modifying part mark leader lines on page 466
Dragging the mark and associative note leader line base point on page 184
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Changing drawing objects
Changing drawing objects on page 242
Placing the base point of the reinforcement mark leader line automatically on page 467
Changing drawing objects on page 242
Aligning drawing objects
You can align objects to the bottom, to the vertical center, to the left, to the horizontal
center, to the right, and to the top. You can also position objects horizontally or vertically at
equal distances from each other.
1. Open the Alignment toolbar from Tools --> Toolbars
2. Select the objects that you want to align.
3. Select the aligning command from the toolbar.
4. If you selected one of the two commands that position objects at equal distance, type
the distance in the displayed dialog box.
To create a row of objects, align them first to the top and then position them horizontally
at equal distances from each other. You do not need to reselect the objects between the
two commands.
Example Below is an example where marks have been aligned to left.
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Creating fillets (Drawing tools)
With the Create Fillet command you can connect two intersecting lines by extending the
two selected lines to their intersection point. If no intersection point is found or if it is
outside the drawing, nothing will be done.
To create a fillet:
1. Click Tools --> Macros...
2. In the Macros dialog box, select Drawing tools and click Run.
3. Select two intersecting lines.
4. Click the Create Fillet
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in the Drawing tools toolbar.
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Changing drawing objects
Creating chamfers (Drawing tools)
You can create chamfers between two lines using the distance that you specify. You can
create both straight and round chamfers.
To create a chamfer:
1. Click Tools --> Macros...
2. In the Macros dialog box, select Drawing tools and click Run.
3. Select two intersecting lines.
4. Do one of the following:
a. To create a straight chamfer, click Create Straight Chamfer
tools toolbar.
in the Drawing
Enter the distance that you want to have between the two lines (the length of the
chamfer line) in the displayed dialog box.
b. To create a round chamfer, click Create Round Chamfer
toolbar.
Enter the desired radius in the displayed dialog box.
Example Example of a straight chamfer:
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in the Drawing tools
Example of a round chamfer:
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Managing cut lines (Drawing tools)
Cut lines are lines that are displayed using a zigzag or a dash-and-dot to show that the line
is partially outside the view border. With drawing tools you can manage cut lines: create,
update and delete them.
See also Creating cut lines on page 259
Updating cut lines on page 260
Deleting cut lines on page 261
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Changing drawing objects
Creating cut lines
You can create cut lines to show the lines that are partially outside the view border. You can
create cut lines automatically for all parts in the view, or for selected parts.
To create cut lines:
1. Click Tools --> Macros...
2. In the Macros dialog box, select Drawing tools and click Run.
3. Click Create cut lines
in the Drawing tools toolbar.
4. In the Create cut lines dialog box, select the type (zigzag or dash-and-dot) for the line
from the list of types.
5. In the Create cut lines dialog box, select the color for the line from the color list.
6. In the Create cut lines dialog box, enter a scale for the line in the box next to the list of
types.
7. Do one of the following:
a. To create cut lines for all parts in the view, select the view.
b. To create cut lines for selected parts, select the parts.
8. Click Create.
Limitations •
•
Cut lines cannot be created for polybeams.
View extension for neighbor parts setting is not taken into account.
Example
Updating cut lines
To update cut lines:
1. Click Tools --> Macros...
2. In the Macros dialog box, select Drawing tools and click Run.
3. Click Create cut lines
in the Drawing tools toolbar.
4. Do one of the following:
a. To update the cut lines of all parts in the view, select the view.
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