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User’s Guide
Version 3.3
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Preface......................................................................................................... 1
Audience....................................................................................... 1
Using this guide ............................................................................. 1
New in versions 3.0 - 3.2 ................................................................ 2
New in this version - 3.30................................................................ 3
Related documentation................................................................... 4
Style conventions........................................................................... 4
Organization .................................................................................. 5
This is the TplEd User’s Guide, a guide for creating and editing template defini-
tions for Tekla products. In this chapter you will find instructions on how to use
this guide and information on new features in this version of TplEd.
Audience
This guide is for those who want to create or customize template definitions in
their Tekla products. You should be familiar with your specific Tekla product.
Style conventions
Typefaces Different typefaces mark special items in this guide:
• User interface items and instructions to use them are in the following
format:
Select File > New... means that you should open the File menu and select the
New... option.
• User input appears in "quotation marks". This is any text that you
type into the user interface. For example:
Type "romsim" into the Font name field.
• Function names appear in the following format:
Use the GetValue (p. 123) function to get values. You can click the func-
tion name to jump to its definition.
• New terms appear in italic bold, and other information that needs to
be emphasized in italics. Terms and concepts appear also as links, for
example:
Each Value field (p. 189) in the template must contain a formula. You can
click the underlined words to jump to the definition.
All terms are defined in the Glossary (p. 181).
Noteboxes Noteboxes denote information that is important for you to know for one of sev-
eral different reasons:
Organization
This document is divided into the following chapters:
Glossary
The glossary provides definitions for the central terms and concepts used in this
guide. You might find it useful to look through the glossary before consulting
other parts of this document.
Introduction TplEd is the tool for creating, editing and managing template definitions in Tekla
products. This chapter introduces textual and graphical templates and covers how
to use data from your Tekla product in templates. This chapter also presents tem-
plate parts, which you need to be familiar with when you design templates.
Examples of templates appear at the end of the chapter.
Prerequisites You must be familiar with basic Windows applications and your Tekla product.
Textual templates
Textual templates only contain text. They are primarily used for creating reports
or listings of application area specific objects, for example in material lists of
steel construction assemblies in Tekla Structures.
The text can be output like newspaper columns. Even though TplEd lets you use
different font types and settings, they do not appear in the output template.
Textual template definitions have the file extension .rpt.
If you want to use specified font types you have to use a graphi-
cal template even if the template contains only text.
Output options
You create templates with TplEd and output them with your Tekla product. The
output options of templates may vary between different Tekla products. Basically
templates can be output on the screen, to a printer or to a file.
Screen output The screen output of a graphical template, for example a map legend, is handled
in the Tekla product as an imported picture. It can be placed, for example, on top
of a background map or within a drawing. Textual templates appear as text lines,
usually in a separate window.
File output Screen output can also be saved to a file, for example an HTML or RTF file. The
available file formats depend on the Tekla product.
For more information on output options please refer to your Tekla product docu-
mentation.
Tekla Xpower uses templates to make map labels used to display information
about power networks. See also From template file to map label (p. 15).
For more specific information on the use of templates in your Tekla product,
please refer to the product documentation.
Content types
A content type is an object type in the Tekla product database.
The content type definition file contains the list of all available object types. The
listing is available when editing the row components of a template, so you can
filter out unwanted object types from the output.
The definition file is set in TplEd File Location preferences (p. 36).
See also Filter unwanted lines out from output (p. 59)
Global attributes
A global attribute is a property of an object in the Tekla product database. It can
also refer to graphical data such as a symbol or a picture in the Tekla product.
The global attributes definition file contains the list of available properties. Tem-
plates use field objects for getting the data. Value fields get textual data, and
graphical fields are area reservations for Tekla product graphics or texts. Each
field refers to the Tekla product by using one or more global attributes.
TplEd checks attribute names when formulas and rules are cre-
ated. All unknown attributes are reported to the user. If no glo-
bal attribute file is specified, then this check is skipped.
For each value field meaning a set of available units and preci-
sions can be defined. For example the meaning Length might
have units like mm, cm, inch, ft and the unit 'ft' might have pre-
cisions like 1/4, 1/2, 1/8 and 1/12.
The definition file is set in TplEd File Location preferences (p. 36).
Template components
Templates can be made up of five different component types, but not all compo-
nents have to be present to build a template. The components are:
Template objects
The template type determines what kind of objects can appear inside template
components. You can only use graphics in graphical templates.
The following template object types are available:
--------------------------------------
CONTRACT NO:100-2050
CONTRACT:
--------------------------------------
Mark Profile No. Length Weight
--------------------------------------
1 IPE550 2 12840 1350.6
2 IPE450 8 5773 447.8
--------------------------------------
Total for 6283.4
--------------------------------------
Cylinder 1
Part A
Part B
Cylinder 1 Part C
Count 3 parts
A B C -------------------------------------
Cylinder 2
Cylinder 2 Part A
A Count 1 parts
-------------------------------------
Introduction This chapter gives an overview of working with TplEd. It covers installing and
starting TplEd and introduces the TplEd user interface. Program options, prefer-
ences and using a presentation are introduced.
Installation
TplEd is delivered with your Tekla product package. Depending on the product,
TplEd is either embedded in the product or is delivered as a stand-alone program
with the product. In either case no special installation is required.
Tekla Structures TplEd is embedded in Tekla Structures. You can start it in the modeling or in
drawing environment by selecting Tools > Templates....You can also create a sep-
arate icon for starting TplEd and add it to your customized toolbar.
Tekla Xcity TplEd can be open and running without Tekla Xcity. You can start TplEd by dou-
ble-clicking the shortcut icon created for it in the Tekla Xcity program folder.
Tekla Xpipe TplEd can be open and running without Tekla Xpipe. Start TplEd by clicking on
TplEd in the Tekla Xpipe Start menu.
Tekla Xpower TplEd can be open and running without Tekla Xpower. Start TplEd by running
the batch file TplEd.bat.
All arguments are case insensitive, so uppercase letters are equal to lowercase
letters.
Exit TplEd
Do one of the following to exit TplEd:
• Select File > Exit.
• Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Q.
• Click Close in the upper right hand corner of the main window.
If you have open template files that you have not saved, TplEd asks for confir-
mation before exiting:
• If you want to save the changes before exiting, click Yes.
• Click No to exit without saving the changes.
• Click Cancel if you want to continue the current session.
Main window
When you start TplEd the main window opens. It consists of the following parts:
1. Workarea (p. 24) - This is where you add and edit template components
and template objects.
2. Content Browser (p. 24) - Here you can select items for editing and edit the
position and hierarchy of row components.
3. Preview Pane (p. 25) - You can check the properties of the selected tem-
plate, component or object here.
4. Toolbars (p. 25) - Use the icons on the toolbars to quickly access the most
common file and editing operations.
5. Status bar (p. 27) - The status bar shows information on the selected tool or
command.
3
5
Content Browser
In the Content Browser you can see a folder list that describes the contents of
open template(s). Each template appears in it as a top-level folder. Template
components appear as sub folders, each of them containing a list of included
template objects. Template components and objects are identified by their TplEd
names that do not appear in the final template.
Activating If you select a template, a component or an object in the list it is also activated in
templates, the Workarea and vice versa.
components and
objects You can also select multiple template components and objects if you hold down
the Ctrl key at the same time. You can see how many components and objects you
have selected in the Status bar (p. 27).
If you right-click in the Content Browser a pop-up menu opens access to the most
common viewing and editing operations. For details, see Content Browser pop-
up menu commands (p. 179).
Toolbars
You can select the most common file and editing operations easily through the
toolbars of the TplEd main window. For additional information see View menu
commands (p. 165).
File and Edit tool- The File and Edit toolbar contains the following icons:
bar
Rough Stylized Description Menu command
icon icon
Creates a new tem- File > New... (p. 156)
plate.
Opens an existing File > Open... (p. 156)
template.
Saves the selected File > Save (p. 157)
template.
Cuts the selected Edit > Cut (p. 159)
items.
Copies the selected Edit > Copy (p. 159)
items.
Pastes the cut or cop- Edit > Paste (p. 159)
ied items.
Deletes the selected Edit > Delete (p. 160)
items.
Ends the current Edit > End Action (p. 164)
action so you can
select items.
Status bar
The status bar shows information on the selected tool or command and is dis-
played on the bottom left side of the main window.
The Workarea pop-up menu commands (p. 178) contain the most common
editing operations, zooming, panning and setting TplEd drawing options. You
can also open the properties dialog of the selected template, component or object.
Dock the window To dock the browser window again, double-click the title bar of the Content
Browser.
The browser docks to the location where it previously was docked. If you want to
change the docking location, you must maximize the TplEd main window first
and then drag the browser move handle so that the browser window touches
either side of the main window.
This option does not affect the output of a template. Use it for
example, to hide other object types in the hierarchy tree, when
you want to arrange value fields. For details, see Set sort prior-
ity of value fields (p. 90).
Zoom in or out
To zoom on a template window:
1. If you want to magnify the template, select View > Zoom In, or click the
Zoom In icon on the Zoom toolbar.
If you want to reduce the template to see more of it, use the Zoom Out icon
instead.
2. Click to zoom to the next preset percentage. The display centers around the
point you click.
You can also drag to center the display around the selected area.
3. Repeat step 2 to continue zooming. To stop zooming, press Esc.
When you use a wheel mouse just spin the wheel to zoom in and
out quickly.
Set continuous To set the continuous action on for all tools, do one of the following:
action on or off
• Select Options > Continuous Action.
• Right-click in the Workarea to open the pop-up menu and select Con-
tinuous Action.
End drawing
action When the continuous action mode is on, you must end drawing opera-
tions manually in one of the following ways:
• Click the End Action icon.
• Press Esc.
• Select Edit > End Action.
• Right-click and select End Action from the pop-up menu.
If you want to continue drawing with another tool, you do not have to end the
current action. You can just select another drawing tool.
Activate grid You can activate (or deactivate) the grid in one of the following ways:
• Select Options > Grid > Snap.
• Right-click in empty area in the Workarea and select Grid > Snap from
the pop-up menu.
The check mark in front of the option indicates that the grid is already activated.
If you have drawn objects before activating the grid, you can
align them to the active grid later on. See Align object to
grid (p. 100).
Show or hide grid Activating the grid does not automatically make it visible. Note also that the grid
may be visible without being active.
To show (or hide) the grid in one of the following ways:
• Select Options > Grid > Visible.
• Right-click an empty area in the Workarea and select Grid > Visible
from the pop-up menu.
General preferences
General preferences allow you to choose the measurement unit of graphical tem-
plates, show different icons, set message preferences and optionally use True-
Type fonts.
2. Edit the settings to your liking. You can edit the following fields:
Workarea preferences
Workarea preferences allow you to change the appearance of the Workarea to
your liking. These settings do not affect the output template in any way.
2. Edit the color and line width settings. You can edit the following fields:
Field Description
Background Sets the Workarea background color.
Grid Sets the grid color.
Header For each template component you can change:
Page header
Row • color of component frame (if you use a presenta-
Page footer tion, you select from pen names)
Footer • line thickness (in pixels).
2. To set a definition file, click on the line that you want to edit and click the
Select File button. This opens the standard file selection dialog.
You can set the following definition files:
3. To set a directory (*), click in the Location field on the line that you want to
edit, and type in the directory path, for example
"C:\Program Files\Tekla Product\symbols".
You can set the following directories:
Directory Description
Work directory (*) Sets the initial working directory for TplEd.
When opening or saving template files it is auto-
matically active in the file selection dialog.
This setting can be overridden with the com-
mand- line argument -w. See Start TplEd with
advanced command line options (p. 20).
You must exit and restart TplEd for changes to
take effect.
Symbols, pictures (*) Sets the directories where you can insert symbols
and pictures from.
You can define several directories by separating
them with semicolons (;).
Introduction This chapter gives an overview on creating a new template. It also covers work-
ing with template files and describes the template properties that you can edit.
Methods of editing template output are covered in the last section.
See also Save template file with different name or location (p. 44)
You can cut or copy template objects from one template and
paste them into another template easily when multiple tem-
plates are open. See Cut, copy or paste object (p. 97).
The example above shows a template that uses metric units, which only appear in
graphical templates. In addition imperial units are only used in graphical tem-
plates.
Textual templates use character units, which are always integers.
Field Description
Width Sets the width of the page in the output template in
Graphical units (p. 184) or characters.
Height Sets the height of the page in the output template in
Graphical units (p. 184) or characters.
View height Sets the height of the page during template design in
TplEd. This setting does not affect template output.
Margins Sets the top, bottom, left and right margins in Graph-
ical units (p. 184) or characters.
Field Description
Version The version number of the template file format.
Created The date and time of creation of the template.
Modified Last save date and time of the template.
Notes Type in your notes on template usage.
Introduction The five template components were introduced in Template components and
objects (p. 11):
• header
• page header
• row
• page footer
• footer
This chapter describes how to insert template components and edit their proper-
ties such as size and Output policy (p. 187). Not all components have to appear
in a template. For example a drawing label usually only contains only a header
whereas material listings are mainly based on rows.
A template can have only one header and one footer compo-
nent. Other components may be repeated.
Use a row
A template can contain several row components.
TplEd adds the new row right below the header components of the template,
or if there are no headers, on top of the template page.
2. Set the TplEd name, height and output properties of the row. See Edit row
properties (p. 58).
3. Insert template objects inside the component frame. See Working with
Template Objects (p. 71).
Arrange rows
You can arrange rows of the template.
The row below the Select the row you want to move and select
following row Edit > Sort and Draw Order > Down.
You can also use drag and drop to move the row component to another location
in the Content Browser.
You can also drag the row to the new location in the Content
Browser. Note that you can see the changes in the hierarchy lev-
els only in the Content Browser. There is no limit to the number
of hierarchy levels to use, but hierarchies deeper than three lev-
els affect the performance during output and may be difficult to
work with.
To... Do this...
Cut component Select the component and Edit > Cut.
Copy component Select the component and Edit > Copy.
Paste contents of the Select Edit > Paste and click to give the insertion
cut buffer point in the Workarea.
You can also drag and drop template components in the Content
Browser to move them within a template or to copy items across
templates. TplEd does not allow you to drag items from graphi-
cal templates to textual templates though.
Delete a component
Steps To delete template components from the template:
1. Select the item you want to delete.
2. Press the Delete key or select Edit > Delete.
If you deleted items you did not want to delete, immediately select Edit > Undo or
Ctrl + Z to restore the item.
Remember that you can only insert a header and a footer once
in a template.
If you change the component to a row you must define the con-
tent type for the row. See also Content types (p. 10).
Edit name
Steps To edit the TplEd name of the component:
1. Select the component.
2. Open the component property dialog (p. 64)
3. In the Name field, type in a unique and identifying name for the component.
It does not appear during output, but does appear in the Content Browser.
4. Click OK.
Edit height
Steps To edit the height of the component:
1. Select the component.
You can now drag the resize handles to resize the component in the
Workarea.
To give the new size in Graphical units (p. 184), continue to step 2.
2. Open the component property dialog (p. 64)
Field Description
Min. count Sets the minimum number of columns in the output
template. The value cannot exceed Max. count.
Max. count Sets the maximum number of columns in the output
template. The value cannot be smaller than Min.count.
If you want to fix the number of columns, give the
same values to Min. count and Max. count. Then the
template is always output with this number of columns.
Spacing Sets the gap between columns.
Fill direction Sets the fill direction during output:
• Horizontal - fills the columns first over, then down.
• Vertical - fills the columns first down, then over.
Fill policy Sets the fill policy used in the output template:
• Even - makes column heights equal.
• Continuous - fills a column before proceeding to
next column, resulting in unequal column heights.
Introduction Template objects were introduced in Template components and objects (p. 11)
and they include:
• drawing objects such as lines and circles
• symbols from your Tekla product symbol libraries
• pictures from raster files or from AutoCAD or MicroStation files
• text objects
• fields that get data from the Tekla product.
This chapter describes how objects are inserted inside Components (p. 182) and
how you can edit them.
Use number key- A new feature in version 3.30 allows you to define the length and angle of the
pad line with the number pad on your keyboard after you click to define the starting
point. The NumLock must be on for this feature to work. Do the following:
1. Press NumLock to turn it on.
2. Select the Line icon and define the starting point.
3. Using the number pad on your keyboard enter, the first number and a dialog
appears prompting you to enter the length.
At the same time the line angle appears in the Status bar (p. 27).
If the grid is activated, the line will snap to the nearest grid point if you enter
a length that places the end point in between grid points. For example if your
grid points are 5mm apart from each other and you enter a length of 24,
TplEd will snap the line’s end point to the nearest grid point. In other words
TplEd rounds the line length up or down.
4. Click OK to finish drawing the line.
Draw a polyline
Steps To draw a polyline:
Draw an arc
Steps To insert an arc:
1. Select the Arc icon.
2. Click at both ends of the line.
You can also drag. The points where you start and end dragging become the
end points.
3. Move the mouse to specify the curvature.
4. Click to end drawing.
Draw a circle
Steps To draw a circle:
1. Select the Circle icon.
2. Click twice to define the center point and the radius.
You can also drag to define the radius. The point where you start dragging
becomes the center point.
2. In the Directory list, click the directory that contains the file that you want to
use.
5.4 Texts
This section details inserting and editing static text objects in templates. You can
insert texts into both graphical and textual templates.
Insert text
Steps To insert text into a template:
3. Click to define the insertion point of the text. This inserts the text in textual
template. If you are working with a graphical template continue to step 4.
4. Move the mouse to rotate the object. Click to keep the angle and finish
inserting the text.
You can Edit text properties (p. 80) and the font settings.
See also Edit font color, type and dimensions (p. 104)
If you have specified Always ask If you have NOT specified Always
for import method... ask for import method...
Click in the template component to Double-click where you want to posi-
define the insertion point. The Select tion the file. The Select Import Method
Import Method dialog opens. dialog opens.
or
You can click and drag to define the
position and the size of the imported
file.
0 NONE
1 SOLID
2 SINGLEHATCH
2 DOUBLEHATCH
1 ANSI31
The following table lists the available fill type ids and names that you can com-
bine the way you want. Here each row describes the default mapping that TplEd
uses if you do not change the fill settings.
Object type limi- Only the following object types are imported from the original files: ARC, LINE,
tations CIRCLE, CELL, CURVE, SHAPE, SOLID, TEXT, TRACE, INSERT,
POLYLINE, LWPOLYLINE, LINESTRING, HATCH and FREE ATTRIBUTE
(AutoCAD).
See also Set the way TplEd imports fill types (p. 84) and Text limitations and
Free attributes below.
Text limitations The fonts used in text objects are mapped to Tekla fonts. This may slightly dis-
tort the font alignment within the text object as the original font geometry is not
available in TplEd. Text objects that have with only white space characters (i.e
tabs or spaces) are not imported.
Free attributes If an AutoCAD free attribute has no name or value or if it consists of white space
characters only, TplEd does not import it. Free attributes with a valid name and
value are converted to value fields. For details, see Import AutoCAD or
MicroStation file (p. 82).
Other limitations User-defined line styles and world unit line widths from AutoCAD files are not
imported.
5. Click the Formula... button to specify the data you want to get with this field,
See Edit value field formula (p. 92) for more information.
If you want to insert the field without defining an attribute click OK.
Value Field Prop- The Value Field Properties dialog looks like this:
erties dialog
To... Do this...
Get a single piece of infor- 1. Insert a value field inside any component
mation from Tekla product type.
database
2. Edit value field formula (p. 92).
Use GetValue (p. 123),
PreviousValue (p. 123) or
NextValue (p. 123) function in the formula.
Create listing of objects 1. Insert a value field inside a row component.
and / or their properties in
2. Edit value field formula (p. 92).
Tekla product database
Use GetValue (p. 123) function in the formula.
To... Do this...
Calculate and print total or inter- Insert a value field and use
mediate sums Total (p. 124) or Sum (p. 124) in the for-
mula.
If the sort type of the row containing this
field is Combine you can also choose to
output sums automatically. See Sum field
values automatically (p. 91).
Count number of processed Insert a value field and use All (p. 124)
objects of Tekla product database or Count (p. 124) in the formula.
Get the value of a single value Insert a value field and use
field GetFieldFormula (p. 124) in the for-
mula.
Copy the value of a value field in Insert a value field and use
a child row or copy a value field CopyField (p. 124) in the formula.
value to header, page header,
page footer or footer.
Value fields that get summary information can appear inside any kind of compo-
nents. If you insert a summary field inside a row component, you usually need to
control the row output with Rules (p. 188) so the row gets printed only under
some pre-defined conditions.
The data type should match the outcome of the value field for-
mula. See Edit value field formula (p. 92).
You can determine the sort order only if the surrounding row
component has Sort type defined. See Sort output lines (p. 60).
If you want to sort by multiple fields, you must set the sort order
for each one of them and the sort priority for each field. See Set
sort priority of value fields (p. 90).
Steps To set the priority for value fields that affect the sorting:
1. Display the Content Browser if it is not already visible. For instructions, see
View or hide the Content Browser (p. 28).
2. Select the value field to set the priority for. Choose from the fields that have
sort order defined. For details, see Set sort order of a value field (p. 90).
90 TPLED USER’S GUIDE
Working with Template Objects
3. To increase the sort priority of the selected field, click the Move up icon.
To lessen the sort priority, click the Move down icon.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the field positions are correct. The most important
field in sorting should appear in the top-most position.
You can also drag the value fields in the Content Browser to
arrange them in the desired position. The move operations
described here do not affect the physical coordinates of the
value field, only the sorting properties.
Steps 1. Make sure that the Sort type of the row containing the value field is Combine.
This ensures that you will be outputting only summary lines instead of
repeating lines with information on individual database objects. See Edit
sort type of row (p. 66).
2. Select the value field to sum.
3. Open the property dialog (p. 101) of the selected value field.
4. Depending on what kind of summary you want to have, you can do one of
the following:
• Click Don’t sum values if you do not want any summaries made.
• Click Sum values across all rows to sum all of the similar values
of all rows.
• Click Sum values within one row to add up the values of one row.
All other rows are ignored.
5. Click OK.
See also Get data from other value fields (p. 88)
To... Do this...
Assign a meaning to The options in this menu are Tekla product-spe-
the field cific (p. 189). From the Meaning option menu
select an option that best describes the meaning
of the output of the value field.
Format field during In the Format area, select a product-specific value
output field meaning in the Meaning option menu. Select
the unit for the value field value in the Unit
option menu. If decimals are used, set the num-
ber of decimals in the Decimals field or if preci-
sion is used, set it in the Precision option menu.
Align the text in field Select the alignment in the Justify option menu:
during output
• Left - aligns text left
• Center - aligns text in the center of field
• Right - aligns text right
Hide this field in out- Click the Hide in output check box. You can use
put the field in formulas and rules in the same way as
visible fields.
TplEd displays the area that is reserved for the Tekla product
graphics as box. The line color of the box is copied from the
default settings for rectangle objects. This outline does not
appear in the final template.
If the field is placed inside a row component, note that the row
content type may block some attributes from use.
4. Click OK.
If you hold down the Shift key while moving an object, it locks
the movement in the horizontal or vertical depending on which
direction you choose.
To... Do this...
Cut object Select the object and Edit > Cut.
Copy object Select the object and Edit > Copy.
Paste contents of cut Select Edit > Paste and click to give the insertion
buffer point in the Workarea.
Delete an object
Steps To delete a template object:
1. Select the object.
2. Press Delete or select Edit > Delete.
To... Do this...
Group objects 1. Select the objects that you want to group.
2. Select Edit > Group.
Ungroup objects 1. Select the group that you want to ungroup.
2. Select Edit > Ungroup.
Edit properties of a 1. Select the group you want to edit.
group
2. Open the property dialog (p. 101)
If you hold down the Shift key while dragging, the object is
moved only vertically or horizontally, whichever has bigger the
offset at the time.
Move an object
Steps To move a template object:
1. Select the object.
2. Drag object in the Workarea to its final position.
If you want to move the selection a specified distance, use Edit > Move...
instead of dragging. A dialog opens where you can specify the Offset
(p. 186) values.
Corner handle
Bulge handle
Rotate object
Steps You can rotate objects in graphical templates.
1. Select the object so you can see the resize handles.
2. Hold down the Ctrl key and start dragging on a handle.
The handle where you start dragging is the anchor point of the object as you
rotate it.
3. Move the mouse to rotate the object.
4. Release when the object is in its final position.
If you edit the name of a value field after you have used it in
formulas or rules, you must also change the name in those for-
mulas and rules. TplEd does not update formulas or rules with
the new name.
Edit size
Steps To edit the size of the object:
1. Select the object.
You can now drag the resize handles to resize or reshape the object. This is
the only way to resize polylines, polygons or free form areas. See Resize or
reshape an object (p. 100).
To give the new size in Graphical units (p. 184), continue to step 2.
2. Open the property dialog (p. 101)
3. Depending on the object that you are editing, edit the fields that affect the
size.
4. Click OK.
The fill color overrides the line color. This means that the out-
line color of a filled object is always the same as the fill color.
In textual templates the font settings are used only in TplEd, not
in the output template. You can only choose from Tekla fonts or
TrueType fonts that consume a standard width for each charac-
ter.
Field Description
Font type Sets the font type. Choose from the following:
• Tekla fonts. Fonts are loaded from a pre-defined loca-
tion. See File Location preferences (p. 36).
• TrueType fonts (only on the Windows platform).
If there are no TrueType fonts in the font list,
check that TplEd settings support using them.
See General preferences (p. 33).
If you type the name of the font in the Font field, TplEd
auto-selects the font according to the letters you type. If you
start typing "Cour", the list shows Courier New as the first
available font.
Font style Sets the font style for TrueType fonts. You can choose from
regular, bold, italic and bold italic.
Size Sets the height of the font in Graphical units (p. 184).
Ratio (w/h) Sets the width to height ratio of the font.
Slant Determines how the font is sloped. This only applies to
Tekla fonts.
Color Sets the font color, or if you use a Presentation (p. 187), the
pen that sets the color.
See also Open the template page property dialog (p. 47)
Edit free attributes (p. 69)
5. Select the attribute name from the Name option menu to insert a new
attribute.
6. Depending on the attribute type, either select a value from the Value option
menu, or type it into the Value field.
7. Click Add to add a new attribute.
8. Click OK to accept.
Steps To edit the free attributes of a template, a row, a value field or a graphical field:
1. Select the element (template, row, value field or graphical field)
2. Open the template page property dialog (p. 47) for templates,
Open the component property dialog (p. 64) for rows, or
Open the property dialog (p. 101) for value fields and graphical fields.
3. Click the Free attributes... button.
4. Select the User attribute tab or the Application attribute tab.
5. Select an existing attribute from the Properties table.
6. Depending on the attribute type, either select a value from the Value option
menu or type it into the Value field.
7. Click Modify to modify an existing attribute value. Make the needed
changes.
8. Click OK to accept.
Introduction This chapter covers working with value field formulas and row rules. Both kinds
of expressions use data functions to get data from the Tekla product and can con-
tain mathematical and string operations. The last section contains examples of
formulas and rules.
Prerequisites It helps if you are familiar with standard programming language features such as
data typing and conditional expressions. You can also use any ANSI C program-
ming language guide to check the basic concepts.
Field Description
Math Lists mathematical operations that you can apply. See
Mathematical operations (p. 125).
String Lists String operations (p. 129) that you can apply.
Check syntax
You can check the syntax of formulas or rules in the contents dialog when you
click the Check button on the bottom of the dialog.
If there are syntax errors, TplEd displays an error message to help you correct the
error. You also get an error message if you have used attributes that are not avail-
able in the global attributes definition file.
To... Do this...
Select text Drag or hold down the Shift key and click to show
the start and end of the text to select.
Delete text Select text and press Delete or select Delete from the
pop-up menu.
Copy text Select text and press Ctrl + C or select Copy from the
pop-up menu.
Cut text Select text and press Ctrl + X or select Cut from the
pop-up menu.
Paste cut or copied Press Ctrl + V or select Paste from the pop-up menu.
text
Add comments Start one-line comments with / / and it ends at the
next new line.
Start multi-line comments with /* and end with */.
Field Description
Attribute Lists Attribute functions (p. 122) for getting data from
the Tekla product database.
Condition Lists conditional operations that you can apply. See
Conditional structure (p. 119) for more information.
Value Specify the value the attribute is compared to. If the
value is a string, surround it with double quotation
marks " ".
And / or If you want to include a second condition in the rule
select the appropriate value based on whether both rules
must be true or just one of them.
Field Description
Structure Select Condition to add the Conditional structure
(p. 119) for row rule.
Control Lists output Control functions (p. 121) for row rules.
Math Lists Mathematical operations (p. 125) that you can
apply.
String Lists String operations (p. 129) that you can apply.
Attribute Lists Attribute functions (p. 122) for getting data
from the Tekla product database.
1. Select the function from the Function list.
2. Click Select... to get the attribute from the Name
list. Note that the row content type may block
some attributes from appearing.
Value field Lists Value field functions (p. 123) that can calculate
sums or counts of value fields of this template.
1. Select the function from the Function list.
2. Click Select... to get the value field from the
Name list.
Predefined rules You can reuse row rules by storing them as pre-
defined rules. See below for more information.
Rule Functions and parameters appear in this text field.
You can also edit the field:
• Cut, copy and paste text (p. 114)
• Check syntax (p. 113)
Predefined rules A new feature in TplEd 3.30 allows you to save row rules for later use. There are
two types of predefined rules - global rules and user rules.
Global predefined rules are read-only so they cannot be deleted from the menus
in TplEd. Global predefined rules are also stored in a different place than the user
rules.
User rules are stored in a predefined rules file (extension .pdr). The file is speci-
fied in the editor preferences. These rules can be freely added and deleted in the
Rule Contents dialog.
3. Click OK.
You can apply Predefined rules (p. 187) to row output. The names of the rules
you save appear in the option list under Predefined Rules.
Delete rule Click Remove... to delete a predefined rule from the list. Only user rules appear
in the Remove Predefined Rule dialog.
Conditional structure
The conditional structure in TplEd row rules is like the if-else statement in any
programming language. You can access it in the Rule Contents dialog (p. 116).
Structure Add the conditional structure from the Structure option menu in the Operators
area of the dialog.
The structure looks like this (italic text must be replaced):
if (conditions) then
action1
else
action2
endif
A condition is built with Comparison operators (p. 120) such as "equal to" or
"smaller than". For example:
if (IsLast() == 1) then
Note that if the condition ends with "==1" you can leave that out. Thus you can
put the first example in the following format:
if (IsLast()) then
Several conditions are combined with Logical operators (p. 121) such as "and".
For example:
Comparison operators
Comparison operators appear in Conditional structure (p. 119) to evaluate inte-
ger, string and double operands. You can type them in after placing the cursor in
the desired position in the Rule text field.
The following condition tests if the current output line is the last one based on the
currently processed database object. See also Control functions (p. 121).
IsLast()
Logical operators
Logical operators appear in a Conditional structure (p. 119) to combine several
conditions. You can type them in after placing the cursor in the desired position
in the Rule text field.
Examples The following condition evaluates the attribute value on the current line. See also
Attribute functions (p. 122).
Control functions
You use control functions within a Conditional structure (p. 119) to inquire or
define output of a row and / or its subrows.
You can access control functions in the Rule Contents dialog (p. 116). They
have no parameters.
Select functions from the Control option menu in the Operators area of the dialog:
Function Description
IsFirst Returns 1 if this output line is the first one based on the
currently processed object (in the Tekla product database).
Attribute functions
Attribute functions get the values of Global attributes (p. 10) during the Tem-
plate output process (p. 13).
You can access attribute functions in the Formula Contents dialog (p. 112) and
in the Rule Contents dialog (p. 116).
Functions Select the function from the Function option menu in the Attribute area of the dia-
log.
Parameters Click the Select button in the Attribute area of the dialog. It opens the hierarchical
list of Global attributes (p. 10). The parameter must appear inside parenthesis
and double quotation marks (" ").
In addition to this list you can use:
• free attributes from your Tekla product
• a constant parameter CONTENTTYPE that returns the content type of the
current row
Functions Select the function from the Function option menu in the Value Field area of the
dialog:
Parameters Click Select... in the Value Field area of the dialog. It opens the hierarchical list of
value field names. The parameter must appear inside parenthesis and double quo-
tation marks (" ").
Value field functions get values from all processed fields, also
from the duplicate lines that may have been excluded from the
output as well as from invisible value fields.
Arithmetic operators
You can use arithmetic operators by typing them in formulas or rules. The stan-
dard evaluation order is applied when resolving the values.
Trigonometric functions
The unit of angle for trigonometric functions is given with the prefixes:
• d is degree (values 0-360).
• r is radians (this is the default, values 0-2π).
• g is gradient (grad, values 0-400).
For example:
• sin (d180)
• sin (r3.14) or sin (3.14)
• sin (g200)
You can access trigonometric functions in the Formula Contents dialog
(p. 112) and in the Rule Contents dialog (p. 116).
Miscellaneous functions
Miscellaneous functions are a selection of mathematical functions.
You can access them in the Formula Contents dialog (p. 112) and in the Rule
Contents dialog (p. 116).
Select functions from the Math option menu in the Operators area of the dialog:
Statistical functions
Statistical functions can be used to calculate key figures of the data that is pro-
cessed and output with the template.
You can access statistical functions in the Formula Contents dialog (p. 112)
and in the Rule Contents dialog (p. 116).
Select functions from the Math option menu in the Operators area of the dialog:
format(GetValue("LENGTH"), "Length",
"m", 2) OUTPUT: 4.89
Id Weight
1 10.50 kg
3 2 15.00 kg
3 3 13.40 kg
1
1
2
2
Components and The template (see picture below) has two components:
objects
1. The heading that is the basis of the title line. It contains two text objects, one
for "Id" and one for "Weight".
2. A row containing two value fields: field_ID gets the object id, and
field_WEIGHT gets its weight.
Weight values To specify the data to get, add value field formulas in one of the following ways:
GetValue("WEIGHT")
See also Get data from your Tekla product database (p. 88)
Calculate total and intermediate sums (p. 131)
Attribute functions (p. 122)
Id Weight
1 10.50 kg
3 2 15.00 kg
3
1 3 13.40 kg
1
2 Total_38.90 kg
2
Total sum of Calculate the total sum of processed database objects in one of the following
weights ways:
1. Open the Formula Contents dialog (p. 112) for the value field you want to
edit.
2. In the Value Field area, select:
Function > Total
Name > field_WEIGHT - this is the value field getting the weights.
3. Click OK to close the dialog.
The formula for total sum would appear like this:
Total("field_WEIGHT")
Intermediate sum If the field calculates an intermediate sum and is placed inside a row, you most
likely need to control the row’s output with row rules. See Output a row under
a condition (p. 133).
See also Get data from your Tekla product database (p. 88)
Output a row under a condition (p. 133)
Value field functions (p. 123)
Id Weight
4 1 10.50 kg
4
3 2 15.00 kg
3 3 13.40 kg
1
1 Sub 38.90 kg
2 4 13.40 kg
2
Total 52.30 kg
Components and The template (see picture below) consists of four parts:
objects
1. The header, presented in the Create a property listing (p. 130) example.
2. A row, also presented in the Create a property listing (p. 130) example.
3. A summary row containing a text object for "Sub" and a value field that cal-
culates the intermediate sum. By default, this row would be output repeat-
edly just as the other row in this template. You will control the output with a
rule that compares weights of the current object and the next object to pro-
cess, and prints only if the weights are equal.
4. A page footer, presented in the Calculate total and intermediate sums
(p. 131) example.
Add row rule Continue by creating the rule for the new row. You can do this in one of the fol-
lowing ways:
1. Open the Row Properties dialog and select Summary from the list in the Gen-
eral area of the dialog. For more information see Edit row properties
(p. 58).
2. Click the Wizard... button to open the Rule Wizard dialog.
3. Using the wizard, create the rule you want.
4. Click OK to close the dialog.
With the Rule Wizard you can only create and / or edit rules that
test the value of some attribute (or two attributes) and based on
that comparison either output the row or step to the next row
definition.
if () then
else
endif
4. Put the cursor between the brackets to add the following condition:
GetValue("Weight")==NextValue("Weight")
You can type the condition in the Rule text field or you can select functions
and parameters from the Attribute area of the dialog. If you select from the
option menus, you must put the cursor in the correct position before each
selection.
5. Complete the rule with actions as follows:
if (GetValue("Weight")==NextValue("Weight")) then
Output() // output current line
else
StepOut() // jump to first row and next object
endif
You can either type in or select the given functions from the Control option
menu.
6. Click Check to check the syntax and OK to close the dialog.
Introduction This chapter introduces the template conversion process. If you want to convert a
single file you can do it with TplEd. To convert a whole folder of templates, you
can use a separate program called ConvTemplate. This chapter also covers how
to deal with the warning and error messages that you get when there are prob-
lems in the conversion.
Field Description
File Defines the file to be converted. To change the file,
click the button on the right of the field.
Rename original file Select to have TplEd rename the original file with
with the file extension the extension _old. See Backup files (p. 142).
_old
Append messages to Select to preserve the previous conversion mes-
log sages in the log file. If not selected, TplEd will
clear the old messages before adding messages
from this conversion. See Conversion log file
(p. 141).
Align content to grid Select to align all template objects to grid points.
Remove empty text Select to remove empty text objects (i.e. that have
objects no content).
Remove zero length Select to remove lines that have no length defined.
lines This applies only to graphical templates.
Font type Select the fonts to use in the converted template.
The preview field on the right displays font names
in the old template. If you see Tekla fonts (romsim,
etc.) we recommend you choose Tekla. If there are
TrueType fonts (Arial, etc.) in the list, select True-
Type.
2. Click OK to convert the template and open it in TplEd. If you click Cancel,
the file is not converted.
Runtime messages
During the folder conversion ConvTemplate provides the following messages for
each processed file:
File <running number of current template> / <total number of templates>
Info: <current file path and name>
Info: Conversion started <date> at <time>
The <date> format is dd:mm:yyyy and the <time> format hh:mm.
Depending on the success of the conversion, you will also receive a number of
other messages for each file:
• Info messages suggest that the conversion of this file was successful
or that the file was already in the new template format.
• Warning messages suggest that conversion was completed but there
may be problems in the converted template. See Template conver-
sion warnings (p. 143).
Option Function
-h Prints the help information (other options cannot be used
with this one).
-i <file path> Allows you to set ConvTemplate to use the TplEd initializa-
tion file and certain mapping files defined in it, namely for
colors, fonts and attributes.
This is an example of such a command line option:
-i "C:\My Documents\Tekla\Templates\mysettings.ini"
If you use any two of -i, -t and -s simultaneously, separate them with a space
character.
Warnings Warnings do not stop the conversion but report possible problems with the con-
verted template. When you receive conversion warnings, you should ensure that
rules and equations are set up the way you want them before you continue work
with the converted template.
142 TPLED USER’S GUIDE
Template Conversion
Errors You receive error messages when the conversion has failed and there is a prob-
lem with the old template. This can include templates that contain no objects,
templates with syntax errors or templates that are not saved in the old template
format.
Template warnings
Warning: Unknown template type (default: graphical template)
or
Warning: Suspicious textual template (changed type to graphical)
The old template is a textual template that contains graphics or non-integer coor-
dinate values. The template type is changed to graphical in the conversion.
Rules warnings
Warning: Cannot predict content type of the component <row name>.
The old template does not have row content types so the conversion program
tries to reason content types from the row rules. This warning means that the row
content type of the <row name> row could not be predicted from the rule. You
should check this row in the new template and make sure that the row content
type is appropriate. See also Troubleshooting conversions (p. 148).
Warning: Rule broken (missing quotation mark):
Warning: -object name: <row name>
Warning: -old rule: '<old rule>'
Object warnings
Warning: Found multiple objects with same order priority:
Warning: -object name: <object name>
Warning: -parent name: <row name>
Warning: -priority: <order priority>
Multiple value fields on the <row name> row have the same sort order priority.
Conversion will continue but you must check the value fields of the new tem-
plate in the given component to ensure they are in the order that you want them
in. The message contains the name of the row and names of value fields that have
this problem. See also Troubleshooting conversions (p. 148).
Warning: Formula references multiple valuefields in old template:
Warning: - object name: <object name>
Warning: - old formula: ’<old formula>’
Warning: - new formula: ’<new formula>’
A template file exists where there are references to renamed value fields in rules
or formulas. This warning is preceded by one or more "Fixed object name colli-
sion" info messages.
Warning: Orphan object:
Warning: -original id: <original id>
Warning: -object type: <original object type>
A template object was not in the template area. If all objects are outside compo-
nents the conversion fails; see Object errors (p. 148). See also Troubleshooting
conversions (p. 148).
Warning: Check formulas:
Warning: -object name: <object name>
You should check formulas of given objects in the new template. See also Trou-
bleshooting conversions (p. 148).
The warning means that the object cannot be output at full length because it
either overlaps with another object, or is not completely inside the template com-
ponent. You should, for example, reposition the object to correct this and then
save the template.
See also Mapping attribute names and properties in template conversion (p. 151)
Mapping fonts in template conversion (p. 152)
Object errors
Error: No objects
There were no objects in template area. See Troubleshooting conversions
(p. 148).
See also Set default directories for symbols and pictures (p. 76)
NOTE: You must use quotation marks if the font name has
spaces (i.e. "Courier New").
The following example shows font conversion between the old template and the
new one.
Introduction This chapter covers the menu commands in TplEd. Pop-up menus are also intro-
duced.
You can initiate commands in different ways:
• Select command from the menu.
• Select command from the pop-up menu.
• Use a keyboard shortcut.
• Click a toolbar icon. (Stylized icons are shown in the toolbar tables
in Toolbars (p. 25))
New...
Creates a new template. You are prompted to select the type of template (graphi-
cal or textual) before the template is created.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + N
Open...
Opens a file selection dialog prompting you to select the file to open.
If TplEd recognizes the file you are opening as "old", TplEd asks you if you
would like to convert the file to template version 3.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + O
Close
Closes the current file. If there are unsaved changes in the file, TplEd asks if you
want to save before closing.
Save
Saves the current template file with the current name and location.
If the file is being saved for the first time, you must specify a name and location
for the file.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + S
See also Save template file with different name or location (p. 44)
Save As...
Saves the current template with a new name or in a different location.
If you specify an existing file name, TplEd asks you if you want to replace the
existing file.
Save All
Saves all open template files.
If a file is being saved for the first time, you must specify a name and location for
the file.
Recent files
Displays a list of the ten most recent template files that have been opened. You
can open a file by selecting it from the list.
Exit
Exits TplEd. If there are unsaved changes in any of the open files TplEd will ask
if you want to save them.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Q
Undo
Undoes the previous operation so you can correct a mistake you made. You can
undo operations an unlimited number of times in the current session.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Z
Redo
Redoes the previous operation. You can redo operations an unlimited number of
times in the current session.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Y
Cut
Cuts the selected components or objects in the Cut buffer (p. 182). You can add
the cut items to a template with the Paste command.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + X
Copy
Copies the selected components or objects into the Cut buffer (p. 182). You can
add the copied items to a template with the Paste command.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + C
Paste
Pastes the contents of the Cut buffer (p. 182) after you click or drag to give the
location within the template.
Delete
Deletes the selected components or objects, but does not affect the Cut buffer
(p. 182). You must select the item before you can delete it.
Keyboard shortcut: Delete
Group
Groups individual objects into one group so that they are handled as one object.
Objects must be selected before they can be grouped.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + G
Ungroup
Turns the selected group of objects into individual objects. A group must be
selected before it can be ungrouped.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + U
Change Type...
Change the type of a template component without losing any of the information
it contains. A dialog opens prompting you to select the new component type
from the choices that are available.
Move...
Moves the selected objects a specified distance in the template. Enter the dis-
tance in the dialog that TplEd displays:
• Horizontal is a distance relative to the original position in Graph-
ical units (p. 184). Positive values move the selection to the
right and negative values to the left.
• Vertical is a distance relative to the original position in Graphi-
cal units (p. 184). Positive values move the selection up and
negative values down.
You can also preview an object before you complete the move operation.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + M
Align to Grid
Places the selected object on the closest grid point in the template.
End Action
Ends the current drawing action and enables selection of objects.
Keyboard shortcut: Esc
See also Draw several objects running with the same tool (p. 32)
Properties...
Opens the property dialog for the selected item so you can edit its size, line or fill
color and type and output options.
Keyboard shortcut: Alt + Enter
Pan
Sets the center point of the window to the point that you click or moves the tem-
plate around the window as you drag.
Shortcut with wheel mouse: drag while holding down the middle mouse button
(or the wheel on a wheel mouse)
Zoom In
Magnifies the area you select by dragging or magnifies by centering the view
around the point you click.
Shortcut with wheel mouse: scroll up
Zoom Out
Displays more of the template by centering the view around the point you click.
Shortcut with wheel mouse: scroll down
See also Set object visibility in the Content Browser (p. 29)
Edit template through the Content Browser (p. 30)
See also Set object visibility in the Content Browser (p. 29)
Edit template through the Content Browser (p. 30)
See also Set object visibility in the Content Browser (p. 29)
Edit template through the Content Browser (p. 30)
See also Set object visibility in the Content Browser (p. 29)
Edit template through the Content Browser (p. 30)
See also Set object visibility in the Content Browser (p. 29)
Edit template through the Content Browser (p. 30)
Set sort priority of value fields (p. 90)
Line
Draws a straight line.
• Click at both ends of the line.
You can also drag. The points where you start and end dragging become the
end points.
Arc
Steps Draws an arc.
1. Click at both ends of the line.
2. Move the mouse to specify the curvature.
3. Click to end drawing.
Circle
Creates a circle.
• Click twice to define the center point and the radius.
You can also drag to define the radius. The point where you start dragging
becomes the center point.
Text
Steps Creates a text object.
1. A dialog appears prompting you to type in the desired text.
2. Click OK.
You can also insert a text object without inserting any text at all, simply click
OK.
3. Click to define the insertion point of the text. This inserts the text in textual
template. If you are working with a graphical template continue to step 4.
4. Move the mouse to rotate the object. Click to keep the angle and finish
inserting the text.
You can edit texts through the property dialog. You can also edit the font settings.
Symbol...
Opens a dialog for selecting a symbol to add.
Picture...
Opens a dialog for selecting a picture file to add.
File...
Steps Opens a file selection dialog for selecting an AutoCAD or a MicroStation file to
import.
1. Specify the file you want to import.
2. Click OK to continue.
3. If you double-click where you want to position the file a dialog opens pre-
senting you with the following options:
• Import by Scale - TplEd multiplies the dimensions of the original
file and will resize the component if the scale results in an image
that is larger than the component.
• Import by specifying Dimensions - Type the values in the Hori-
zontal and Vertical fields. TplEd inserts the file while maintaining
the aspect ratio.
• Import in the Maximum Size - TplEd inserts the file in the maxi-
mum possible size without resizing the component.
Finally, you have one other option for inserting the file:
• You can click and drag to define the size of the file when it is
inserted, which specifies the position and size.
The file appears in the template as a group of drawing objects.
Value Field
Steps Adds a value field that you can use to get data from your Tekla product database
or from other value fields of the current template.
1. Click to define the insertion point within a component. This inserts the field
in a textual template.
If you are working with a graphical template continue to step 2.
2. Move the mouse to rotate the field. Click to keep the angle and finish insert-
ing the field.
3. A Select Attribute dialog appears prompting you to select an attribute for the
value field.
4. Click the Formula... button to specify the data you want to get with this field,
See Edit value field formula (p. 92) for more information.
If you want to insert the field without defining an attribute click OK.
5. The value field appears inside the template component with a TplEd gener-
ated name.
Graphical Field
Adds a graphical field so you can define a rectangular area that your Tekla prod-
uct will fill during template output.
• Click to define the opposing corners.
You can also drag to draw the graphical field.
Cascade
Arranges templates windows as overlapping tiles.
Tile Horizontally
Arranges template windows as horizontal, non-overlapping tiles.
Tile Vertically
Arranges template windows as vertical, non-overlapping tiles.
Arrange
If you have minimized template windows this command arranges them at the
bottom of the main window. It does not affect other windows.
Continuous Action
Activates or deactivates the continuous drawing mode.
When the continuous action is activated, you can draw several drawing objects
running without reselecting the drawing tool.
See also Draw several objects running with the same tool (p. 32)
End drawing action (p. 32)
Keyboard Input
When you choose to input a line with the number pad you can activate all of the
keys or only the ones you select from the list.
Keyboard > All means that all number pad keys are active when NumLock is on.
Contents
Opens the HTML Help for TplEd.
About TplEd
Displays version and copyright information for TplEd.
A
Arc
A TplEd drawing object that is a curved line. The curvature is defined by the
Bulge factor (p. 181).
Attributes
An attribute can be something like line color, font name or other characteristic
that can define an attribute. See also Global attributes (p. 184).
B
Bulge factor
A fractional number that defines an arc between two points as x/y, where y is the
distance between the points; and x is the distance between the center of the arc
and the center of the imagined straight line between the points. A positive bulge
factor produces an anti-clockwise arc. A negative bulge factor produces a clock-
wise arc. The shape of the arc is always part of a complete circle.
C
Column fill direction
The rows of a template can be output just like newspaper columns. Fill direction
is the order in which the columns are filled during output, and can be horizontal
or vertical. For details, see View and add information (p. 48).
D
Data function
Data functions are used in value field formulas and row rules to create references
to data sources, i.e. to the Tekla product database or to other value fields in the
current template.
Default properties
The color, fill and output options of a template object are defined with object
properties. TplEd maintains the default settings for each object type that are
applied to all new objects that you add. You can edit the default settings for new
objects as well as the current properties of an object. See Editing object proper-
ties (p. 101).
E
No entries beginning with E.
G
Global attributes
Global attributes are properties of objects in the Tekla product database. You can
get information from the Tekla product by using attributes in value fields formu-
las and in row rules. The list of global attributes is Tekla product-specific
(p. 189). For details, see Using data from a Tekla product (p. 10).
Graphical field
A template object that is an area reservation for Tekla product graphics or text.
The field contents are resolved during template output. The reference to Tekla
product data is defined in TplEd with Global attributes (p. 10).
Graphical units
Graphical units are the measurement unit in which all measures are expressed in
TplEd. Graphical templates can use millimeters or inches. In textual templates
the distances are always measured in character units.
H
Hierarchy level
Parts of a template are arranged in a hierarchy, where the template components
are on the first hierarchy level, and the template objects on the second hierarchy
level below a component. A row can also be moved a hierarchy level lower to
create a subrow for a row. You can view and edit the hierarchy in the Content
Browser.
Hierarchy tree
A template can contain one or several row components and the rows can be
arranged into a hierarchy so that a row can have subrows. The subrows of a row
create a branch in the tree that describes the hierarchy of the template. The sub-
rows can be referred to as child components, whereas the row containing them is
a parent component.
I
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J
No entries beginning with J.
K
No entries beginning with K.
M
No entries beginning with M.
N
No entries beginning with N.
O
Object
Objects in the Tekla product database are real world items that the product mod-
els. Objects have properties that are saved in the database. In TplEd you can refer
to objects with the row Content types (p. 10) and to the object properties with
Global attributes (p. 10).
Template objects are anything that appear in the Object toolbar (p. 26) in
TplEd. They include lines, arcs, polylines, circles, rectangles, filled objects,
texts, symbols, pictures, graphical fields and value fields.
Offset
For a graphical object, offset is the distance from the current coordinate point in
Graphical units (p. 184).
For formula string functions offset represents the position of a character within a
string. Character positions are numbered from zero up so that the first character
in a string is set with an offset of 0, the second character with an offset of 1, etc.
Output
Printing the template definition file (.rpt or .tpl) to screen, to file or to printer.
Templates are output in Tekla products.
P
Pen
A pen is a definition that consists of pen id, color, line width and type. Pen defi-
nitions are saved in Presentation (p. 187) files that can be created and edited
with PresEd. If you use a presentation in TplEd, note that TplEd may not be able
to display the pen color, in which case you must choose the pen to use by the pen
name.
Pictures
Raster format files. You can insert pictures in templates with a reference to the
original file.
Polyline
A TplEd drawing object that is made up of a combination of several connected
lines.
Predefined rules
You can save the rules that you apply to rows in a text file for later use. Pre-
defined rules files have the file extension .pdr.
PresEd
PresEd is a tool for creating and editing presentations in Tekla products.
Presentation
A presentation file defines a set of pens that you can use when drawing. The pre-
sentation can use a color map file that defines a set of product-specific colors.
You can use a presentation in TplEd only if your Tekla product uses them. Pre-
sentation files are created and edited with PresEd. A presentation can be used in
TplEd by defining the default presentation file location. For details, see Using a
presentation (p. 40).
R
Rules
Conditional expressions that determine exceptions in the output of a row. See
Row rules (p. 114).
S
Sort order
The sort order determines how items are alphabetized: in ascending or descend-
ing order. In TplEd you can sort the output lines of a row by any of its value
fields. Sort order is a value field-specific property.
Sort priority
If multiple value fields affect row sorting, you must determine their mutual sort
priority. The output lines based on a row are alphabetized first by the field with
the highest sort priority, etc. This is visualized by having the more important
value field above the less important value fields in the hierarchy tree (or sort and
drawing order tree).
Summary row
A summary row type defines that the row summarizes the data from its parent
and has the same content type as the parent row. Summary rows must be child
rows to a parent row, so they do not work if they appear on the main level mean-
ing that they are direct child rows of a template.
SYM
Tekla symbol file format that contains up to 256 symbols, each identified by a
symbol id number.
Symbols
Symbols are objects created with SymEd and used in TplEd and your Tekla
product.
T
Tekla product-specific
TplEd has settings whose outcome depend on the Tekla product that you are
using. Whenever you see a property or definition that is Tekla product-specific,
you should look for details in your Tekla product documentation.
Texts
Tpled text objects are static text strings.
Transparency
Transparency is related to Tekla symbol library files. Each symbol in a file con-
sists of parts that can have fixed line or fill color and type, or they can have trans-
parent properties. Transparency means that you can determine the line and fill
properties in TplEd (or the Tekla product does that, if the symbol is used directly
by it). For details on using and editing transparent symbols, see the SymEd
User’s Guide.
U
No entries beginning with U.
V
Value field
A template object that defines a reference to a Tekla product database. The field
contents are resolved during the template output process. The connection to a
database object or property is defined in the value field formula with Global
attributes (p. 10).
W
Workarea
The right hand side of the TplEd main window where templates can be edited.
See also Workarea preferences (p. 35).
X
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Y
No entries beginning with Y.
Z
No entries beginning with Z.
Components ..................................11, 53
A editing properties ............................64
acos ................................................ 126 inserting ........................................54
Activating Conditional structure ............................119
components .................................. 24 Content Browser ...................................24
grid ............................................. 33 select object & components ...............30
objects ......................................... 24 Content types ......................................10
templates ...................................... 24 definition file ..................................37
All ................................................... 124 setting row content type ....................65
and ................................................. 127 Continuous action .................................32
Arithmetic operators ............................ 125 Control functions.................................121
Arrange rows ....................................... 60 Conversions
asin ................................................. 126 backup files .................................142
atan ................................................. 126 command line options ....................141
atan2 ............................................... 126 convert a folder of templates ............140
Attribute conversion settings ................... 38 corrupted files ..............................148
Attribute functions ............................... 122 general errors ..............................147
Attributes ............................................ 10 log file ........................................141
AutoCAD files .......................... 81, 82, 85 margin setting warnings ..................144
ave.................................................. 127 object errors ................................148
object warnings ............................145
rules warnings ..............................143
B runtime messages .........................140
template warnings .........................143
Backup files ...................................... 142 troubleshooting.............................148
warnings .....................................143
Converting templates ...........................137
C CopyField .........................................124
Copying
ceil .................................................. 127 making a duplicate ..........................98
Change output options ........................... 65 template object to another template .....45
Change template type............................ 49 template objects ...........................159
Check syntax ..................................... 113 cos ..................................................126
Color conversion settings ....................... 38 cosh ................................................126
Colormap settings ................................. 38 Count ...............................................124
Columns Create a formula .................................112
column settings of template ............... 67 Crop template components .....................62
Command line options ........................... 20
Comparison operators ......................... 120
TPLED USER’S GUIDE 191
D Filtering data
introduction to content types ..............10
Data functions ....................................122 ways to filter output lines ...................59
Data type conversion functions ..............127 find ..................................................129
Deactivating Float the Content Browser.......................28
grid ..............................................33 floor .................................................127
templates, components or objects.......46 Font ...................................................85
Definition files Font conversion settings .........................38
content types .................................37 Footers
global attributes ..............................37 editing properties ............................55
predefined rules .............................38 inserting ........................................54
value field meanings ........................37 steps to use footer ...........................55
Directories format ..............................................128
set for symbols and pictures ..............76 Formula syntax ...................................113
Distinct duplicates .................................66 Formulas ..................................111, 112
Dock the Content Browser ......................28 Free attributes ....................................106
double ..............................................128 add ............................................107
Drawing object properties .......................75 delete .........................................108
Drawing options ...................................32 edit ......................................69, 108
Duplicates ...........................................98 Functions
combine duplicate output lines ...........66 common tasks ..............................129
of Tekla product objects .................183 data type conversions ....................127
of TplEd objects .............................98 misc ...........................................126
statistical .....................................127
string ..........................................129
E trigonometric ................................125
U
Using templates......................................7
V
Value field
angle..........................................106
Value field functions ............................123
Value field meanings .............................11
setting definition file .........................37
setting meaning for value field ............93
W
Warnings in template conversion ............142
Window menu commands .....................175
Workarea ............................................24
preferences ...................................35
zooming .......................................31
Z
Zoom operations
zoom toolbar..................................27
zooming in and out ..........................31