Tips for adding similar custom parts which use items

Updated: 13 May 2019

Once you have finalized your custom part, which uses item, and you want to add similar custom parts with similar items, here are some tips.

Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix-tips-custom-part-using-items

Start by selecting the custom part you have. Then go to Edit Custom Component. In Custom Component Editor Toolbar, select Copy component to library with new name.

Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix custom component editor

Enter the new name.

Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix enter new name

In Custom Component Editor, select the item and open the Item Properties dialog. Select new shape from the Shape Catalog, then untick all other attribute selections but the Shape and modify.

Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix item selected

All attribute bindings are now already in place and you have the correct item in use. Then update the Name, Product code and Numbering prefix on Variables list.

Next you need to set the placing of the item as the input points may differ from the previous one.

Select both of the item input points and Component planes as binding plane.

Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix component planes

Now right click > Bind to Plane and pick the x-, y- and z-direction planes.

Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix bind to plane     Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix bind to plane     Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix bind to plane 

 

Related dimensioning parameters appear into the Variables dialog:

Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix variables dialog

You can add formulas to the parameters of the same direction:

Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix variables dialog

…and show only one parameter per direction on dialog:

Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix variables dialog

Then exit the Custom Component Editor and save.

 

Now inset the new Custom part and open the properties dialog. The previous x-, y- and z-direction values are shown.

Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix custom part properties

Create Component views to see the offsets.

 Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix component view   Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix component view

 

Measure the additional distance in x-, y, and z-directions

Add the measures to the previous values on dialog and modify to check that they are correct.

Tekla Structures embed creation in practice - appendix add measures

Then you’re ready to do the same operations for next custom part.

 

Finally go back to the Custom Component Editor for each custom part and remove the unnecessary dimension parameters, which were used only for positioning correction.

 

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