Number list of drawings in Tekla Structures Macro.

Sometimes required start-to-end numbering. Clear and consistent list of numbers for each drawing. There are many different ways to solve issue this kind. As for me, I prefer to use a small and useful script.

What we will do is to set for each selected drawing in drawings list a number, one by one these will get a straight list of numbers.

So first we have to get access to a list of selected drawings. Then move through each element, and add a number. Isn’t pretty simple it? Listing of script is also small and useful, so you could rearrange it for your needs.

namespace Tekla.Technology.Akit.UserScript
{
    using TSD = Tekla.Structures.Drawing;
    using System.Windows.Forms; //used for messageBox.show()
    
    public class Script
    {
        public static void Run(Tekla.Technology.Akit.IScript akit)
        {
		MessageBox.Show("Total number of drawings: " + CAD_NumberSelectedDrawings().ToString());
        }


      static int CAD_NumberSelectedDrawings()
        {
        
            int i = 0; //register number counter
            var CurrentDrawingHandler = new TSD.DrawingHandler(); // get current drawing handler
            var drawingsEnum = CurrentDrawingHandler.GetDrawingSelector().GetSelected(); //list of selected drawings
            while(drawingsEnum.MoveNext()) //going through it one by one
            {
                var _drawing = drawingsEnum.Current as TSD.Drawing;  //particular drawing
		i++;
		//and finally set number as "DRAWING.USERDEFINED.Page" UDA property.
		_drawing.SetUserProperty("Page", i.ToString()); //change "Page" to name of your UDA
            }
	return i;
        }
    }
}

Tekla Web View with Bolts by TeklaAPI

Issue – Tekla BIM sight provided all information, but weight of each particular model is actually big (because it’s IFC file actually, see more).

However, Tekla provides also Tekla Web View application which using xml format to show 3d model – it’s 5-10 times smaller and works faster, but there is no way to export presentation of required bolts.

Tekla Web View with Bolts Included

After Playing with TeklaAPI and Tekla Web View xml format push me to update information of web view with related bolts.

Seems that this could be Cheapest and fastest way to share model with colleagues.

As well it could be used to freeze design.

 

Tekla Custom Inquiry macro script

Tekla Structures custom inquire toolOne of the main advantages of Tekla Structure is ability to get full necessary info about any part of model in couple clicks. I really appreciate this thing but all default tools has some disadvantages.

For example default Inquire return complete info about selected Entity, but about only one item per time, and only after user request. Custom Inquire – from Tools menu – is mach more flexible, but also – only one item, and  there is no way to get UDA.

Organizer tool from the same menu – is pretty cool. But at the same time it’s pretty slow, and could freeze model for couple minutes.

Reports, is awesome, but not interactive at all and require special skills and time to get used to with Template Editor.

Let’s make our own custom Inquire, and it’s qute easy with C# and Tekla Open API.

In one of previous articles was provided Tekla API Envents example from Tekla OpenAPI reference. Why not to make macro based on this feature?

All what we have to do is:

  • Make a form
  • Sign this form on Tekla Event
  • Grab data from Tekla each time when event appears
  • Show it to user, in on a form
  • Pack all this thing in Tekla MacroScript

Simple, and this macro could be downloaded under cut: Continue reading “Tekla Custom Inquiry macro script”

Tekla API: How to delete cuts with script

Tekla API, Tekla structures, remove boolean cuts from parts with scriptTekla structures include Tekla API, and we could use it for various cases which could impact engineering process at different stages. Here provided smart solution which allows to delete polygon cuts from plates filter by it’s maximum size.

It’s just an example of how complicated task could be easily solved with Tekla API.

Try to imagine a thousands of plates with various tiny holes spreader through these. These should be drilled by CNC machine tool, but each hole done as a tiny rounded plate, which ruins our plans for automatic drill. Hence we need to remove these, but there is no way to delete it all at once. Cause at the same time major holes also done by plate cuts. Clearing these plates from holes one by one manually – could  take a day. Instead of that  with API list of various issues of such type could be solved in a minutes.

Continue reading “Tekla API: How to delete cuts with script”

How to work with Tekla Structures Macro scripts

Tekla macro script, record scriptTekla Structures allows to record whole user activity to macro script, and then you could play it again and again. This allows to save time on some routine. And if we take in case that Tekla Structures developers loves menus, and submenus, and sub-submenus,  and buttons, and… all this stuff. With bunch of parameters, and applying /modifying… so save some clicks would be great idea, and macros really cool thing for this.

Continue reading “How to work with Tekla Structures Macro scripts”