Custom Components - Getting Started with Formulas in Tekla Structures

[@myk-izhargroupicpl3749]

Thanks for assisting and teaching Tekla learners. Please keep continue with...........

[@GraysonRoland-t7o]

Fantastic series on custom components. How would I specify "Parts with slotted holes" in the custom component browser?

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

It's a binary option for each part in the group. In TS2022 it's defined as "parts with special holes", and each ply has a value. 0 for no, 1 for yes. So for example: No parts with slots, 00000. First part (under head) 10000. Second part would be 01000. Both parts would be 11000.

[@GraysonRoland-t7o]

​@@TrimbleTeklaDave Ah, I get it. I went ahead and created temporary component with slotted holes and then copied the value to the component I was working on. But your description explains how it actually works. Thank you! I can't believe I got a direct response from the Tekla god. 😁

[@kravichandra98]

Hi Please provide a video about the protection custom component

[@porselvanmanoharan4797]

@8:51 how do we round off the plate thickness for non standard flange thickness

[@dinakarsai5756]

=ceil(Parameter/6.35)*6.35 hope this should work

[@carlosh.valdesmederos6236]

Hi! Any clue about getting custom component not rotated after placing It beyond middle horizontal secondary part? The component is a Brace actually. Please help!

[@arnelcequena]

thank you for this another learning experience..

[@MomloveGingle]

Hi. I want to add "-" this sign in my templates..when the output is zero...which formula I can give for this

[@abhay3877]

Thank you for this video. I need help on how to perform bolt numbering (assign position number to bolts)

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

Hello - Tekla does not have any default functionality to apply position number to bolts. There are a number of ways that people have come up with their own solutions, such as custom reports or using UDAs. I recommend you reach out to your local support for assistance. www.tekla.com/contact/offices-and-resellers

[@Cool77Z]

Hi. When opening the custom component for edit, the "Custom component editor" toolbar is missing and i can't go into variables or save my component. Any idea on how to get that toolbar back?

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

I would recommend you reach out to your local support for assistance, I'm not sure what could cause that. In the past, I have had luck resetting the registry to put all dialogs/toolbars to their default locations, but that is something that can cause serious problems with your computer if you are not careful.

[@Cool77Z]

@@TrimbleTeklaDave do you remember which key it was in the registry that caused the problem?

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

@@Cool77Z no, the issue I had experience with was a different dialog, so I'm not sure what the name is for the CC editor. It may be under the Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Trimble\Tekla Structures\2020.0\Dialogs group.

[@sumadulloh3]

how we could use "value type" angle sir? any example? cz in those video all value type is length. thank you

[@TeklaSoftware]

Please reach out to your local Tekla helpdesk support team. www.tekla.com/contact/offices-and-resellers

[@davidneuzil]

Thank you for nice video tutorial. I tried to use one of the profile properties for part mark in drawings, but I couldn't find it in list of properties in template editor. I tried also just write a formula GetValue("property name from catalog list"), but no effect anyway. Could you hel me with this task? Thank you in advance.

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

It would be best to reach out to your local helpdesk with exactly what you are trying to achieve. www.tekla.com/contact/offices-and-resellers Not all values are in the list of properties you see in the template editor - if your local team has not defined them, they will not be listed. That does not mean they cannot be used, however. Here is an alphabetical list of more template attributes you may not see in the editor: teklastructures.support.tekla.com/2019/en/sys_app_template_fields Some values require a prefix, depending on what you are doing. UDA:, TPL:, PROFILE., etc are some examples. The prefix/syntax also depends on the row type and hierarchy if working in the template editor. Without knowing exactly what you are doing, it's hard to say what the syntax may need to be.

[@jomakintash]

Nice video. I want to build a beam with several holes (cut parts) at its length with the fixed distance, so the number of holes changes as the length of the beam changes, but in the custom component environment, I couldn't find any variable that generates holes (cut parts). Is there such a variable or attribute in the custom component environment?

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

Hi Jo. First, cuts are separate "objects" of sorts that have nothing to do with the custom component environment. You can model them in as polygon cuts (or cut parts) while in the editor or before you ever get there. As far as changing the number, there are two ways I've done this. One is to create the 'maximum number' you would ever need. Then you can perform an if/then statement with a little math to enable/disable a certain number of them ("Create" variable) based on the beam length. The second way would be to create one cut, then embed the array component inside your component, and again use a little match to adjust the number of how many should be created. Take a look at the 'Bay filler seam v2' custom component in the US environment as an example of the second option.

[@jomakintash]

@@TrimbleTeklaDave Thank you very much for your detailed answer and of course your time.

[@ruck666]

@@TrimbleTeklaDave I'm trying to make a connection custom component which inserts elements between precast wall panels. How can I get Tekla to prompt me to pick the start and end points for the array component that's embedded in my component when placing my component in the model?

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

@@ruck666 Based on your description I would look at using a "Seam" type custom component. But it might be best to share what you're working on with your local support. Hard to diagnose CC questions through youtube comments.

[@arnelcequena]

Do you know how to set the custom component to adjust the cope base on the 'k' of secondary part but with an incremental value of 1/4? For example, if the 'k' value is 1"5/16, I want the cope to be 1"1/2.. thanks in advance

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

It's easier in metric but it can be done in imperial as well. First you need to pull the K distance from the profile attributes like I did with bolt gauge in the video. Then you need to bump it up a little using the ceil function so that we can reliably get to the nearest 1/4" by using the round function. So, use something like P1=fTpl("PROFILE.K_DISTANCE_I",guidforthebeam) then you can use P2=ceil(P1)+2 to bump up the dimension slightly, and finally P3=round(P2,6.35) to get to the nearest 1/4". There might be another way but that worked for multiple beams in a quick test on my end.

[@arnelcequena]

@@TrimbleTeklaDave I see, that's what I missed yesterday... the ceil function.. Thank you so much. Let me know how can I return the favor. Thanks again!

[@KarlHeinzofWpg]

I'm experimenting with trying to create a vertical brace connection. Binding to planes and extracting profile properties works well, but how do I extract other data like the START_Z of the brace? I'm not sure how to establish reference points in space so I can start using trig. For example, what if I want to create a simple custom component that will cut a brace back so that it clears the bottom flange by 13mm? The only object in this component would be the cut, but I can't figure out how to bind the workpoints of the cut so that they adjust correctly when the angle of the brace changes. Any advice?

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

Bracing components can be tough. To answer the first part of your question, you can get properties by using variables like =fTpl("START_Z","xxxxxx") where xxx is the GUID of the object you are referencing. I've also used reference dimensions on the handles of the overall brace (orange dim icon on the CC toolbar) to help calculate the trig values for end cuts. So rather than binding the cuts to objects I bind them in to the component planes and use X/Y values based on the trig functions. For help with these visit teklastructures.support.tekla.com/2019/en/det_functions_in_variable_formulas

[@KarlHeinzofWpg]

@@TrimbleTeklaDave Thank you for answering! I managed to get it working. I realized that extracting the work points of the brace was not the best approach so I experimented with reference dimensions and trig just like you suggest. Everything worked well. However, my component only seems to work on one end of the brace. When I try to apply it on the other end I run into problems and the gusset/cuts/bolts end up in weird places. So I'll try to think of a solution to that (it probably has to do with the auto-direction of the component). But anyway, if you are looking for video ideas I would suggest a short explanation on the 5 icons to the left of the boundary plane drop down list in the custom component editor. I managed to figure out one of them through trial and error but I don't think I fully understand how to use all of them. Thank you again for your helpful videos!

[@NeilMcginnis]

@@TrimbleTeklaDave all these people are making custom components but nobody is sharing them? At least not that I can see anyway. I saw somebody selling some. Seems like we are all doing extra work rather than collaborating on these connections in different areas of the world.

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

@@NeilMcginnis Sometimes they get shared privately between people, but generally no. I think detailers tend to be very "protective" over their tools and workflows because they consider that they give them an edge over their competition.

[@NeilMcginnis]

seems like the tekla forum would have been useful for sharing resources like that. unfortunately everybody has to start from scratch this way. bad for me because i'm just now learning about using custom components. lol

[@vilivont4436]

Is it possible to use IF statements ? Is Tekla programmed in python because I notice some things are written same like in python?

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

Yes, you can use IF statements here, I will be showing some examples in a future video. You can see a simple example at the website I mention under the 'logical and comparison operators' section: teklastructures.support.tekla.com/2019/en/det_functions_in_variable_formulas

[@MomloveGingle]

Hi, how can we add user define attributes in custom components which is link with grass hopper custom components.

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

I have never used grasshopper, so I would recommend reaching out to your local helpdesk for assistance. In regards to the Tekla Custom Components, UDA's are only visible in the custom component browser properties if they actually have a value - so you need to give them one first while you create the CC. After you link a variable to that UDA, you can clear it afterwards. Once the CC is built, you may have to save an attribute file for it with those UDA's defined so you can open the file in a text editor to see what the 'name' of that value is, so you might be able to map it in grasshopper. Look under the 'component' section here: teklastructures.support.tekla.com/not-version-specific/en/ext_grasshopperteklalink

[@mutthu173]

How to show only thickness of plate in drawing using part mark property ???

[@TeklaSoftware]

Please reach out to your local Tekla support team: www.tekla.com/contact/offices-and-resellers

[@سعيدعلي-ع4ر]

Thanks

[@karthikselvam798]

Need to auto connection setup with custom components

[@TrimbleTeklaDave]

Hi, custom components can be used in Autoconnection, just like regular connections. The help page on the TUA is found here: teklastructures.support.tekla.com/2019/en/sys_autoconnections_ac_setup. Unfortunately it's more than can be covered in a comment. I will see if we can make a tips video at some point for this. You can also reach out to your local support for assistance.