In this example you create a precast base connection.
A custom connection creates component objects and connects the secondary part end to the main part. The component symbol is green.
The example consists of the following sections:
Defining a precast base connection (p. 149)
Opening the precast base connection in custom component editor (p. 152) Adding components to the cast unit (p. 154)
Creating distance variables to control the position of the objects (p. 155) Creating a variable to control the component type of the column shoe (p. 158) Creating a variable to control the component type of the anchor bolt (p. 160) Creating variables to control the cut size (p. 161)
Creating a variable to control the anchor bolt height (p. 162) Repeating the creation of variables for remaining corners (p. 162) Testing the precast base connection (p. 163)
Defining a precast base connection
To define a precast base connection:
1. Click Detailing > Component > Define Custom Component... to open the Custom Component Wizard.
2. Select Connection in the Type list.
3. Enter a name for the connection in the Name box.
4. Click Next.
5. Select all the objects that belong to the precast base connection, including fittings and cuts.
Before you start, ensure that you have the example model Precast_Base open.
6. Click Next.
7. Select the pad footing as the main part.
8. Click Next.
9. Select the column as the secondary part.
10. Click Finish.
Tekla Structures displays a component symbol for the new component and the precast base connection is added to the component catalog.
Opening the precast base connection in custom component editor
Use the custom component editor to modify the precast base connection.
To open the precast base connection in the custom component editor:
1. Right-click the custom component in the model.
2. Select Edit Custom Component in the list.
The custom component editor opens showing the custom component editor toolbar, the component browser and four views of the custom component.
Adding components to the cast unit
Add column shoes to the column cast unit.
To add column shoes to the cast unit:
1. Select the four column shoes.
2. Right-click and select Assembly > Add as Sub-Assembly.
Ensure that the Select components switch is active when selecting the objects.
3. Select the column.
Because the column shoe embeds are steel parts, you need to add them to an assembly, not to a cast unit.
You can add only concrete parts to cast units.
4. Add the bolt components to the pad footing in the same way.
Creating distance variables to control the position of the objects
Bind the column shoes, anchor bolts and cuts in position so that they adjust if the profile of the column of pad footing changes.
To create the distance variables:
1. Select the column shoe, anchor bolt and cut at one corner in the custom component editor.
2. Hold down the Alt key and use area selection (left to right) to select the handles.
Before you start, ensure that the part representation is set to rendered.
Part surfaces and available planes can be selected only in rendered views.
3. Right-click and select Bind to Plane in the list.
4. Select Boundary planes in the custom component editor toolbar.
5. Move the pointer over the column face to highlight it.
6. Select the column face to bind the handles.
Six distance variables appear in the Variables dialog box.
7. Bind the handles to the second column face.
8. Bind the handles to the top of the pad footing.
You now have 18 distance variables that control the positioning of the column shoe, anchor bolt and cut at the corner.
9. Click the Display variables button in the custom component editor toolbar to open the Variables dialog box.
10. Change Visibility to Hide for all the 18 distance variables.
The variables are now not shown in the custom component dialog box.
Creating a variable to control the component type of the column shoe
To create the variable:
1. Click Add in the Variables dialog box to create a new variable.
2. Change Value type and Label in dialog box for the new variable.
3. Select the column shoe at the corner for which you created the distance variables.
The column shoe (component) is highlighted in the custom component browser.
The variables created by the user get the prefix P (parameter).
When Value type is changed to Component name, the variable name automatically gets the suffix _name.
4. Right-click Name under Component in the custom component browser and select Copy Value in the list.
5. Paste the value to Formula of variable P1_name.
6. Right-click Name under Component in the custom component browser and select Add Equation in the list.
7. Enter P1_name.
Variable P1_name and the column shoe component are now linked together.
Creating a variable to control the component type of the anchor bolt
To create the varible:
1. Click Add to create a new variable.
2. Change Value type and Label in dialog box for the new variable.
3. Select the anchor bolt at the corner for which you created the distance variables.
The anchor bolt (component) is highlighted in the custom component browser.
4. Right-click Name under Component in the custom component browser and select Copy Value in the list.
5. Paste the value to Formula of variable P2_name.
6. Link variable P2_name to the anchor bolt name in the custom component browser.
Creating variables to control the cut size
The cut size is not adjusted automatically, if you change anchor bolts and column shoes. Create two variables to manually control the cut profile and cut height to suit different situations.
To create the variables:
1. Click Add to create a new variable.
2. Change Formula and Label in dialog box for the new variable.
3. Change Formula to =P3 for the variable with the longer distance between the cut handle and the pad footing.
You have created the variable that controls the height of the cut.
4. Click Add to create a new variable.
5. Change Formula, Value type and Label in dialog box for the new variable.
6. Select the cut at the corner to highlight the cut in the custom component browser.
Select a distance variable in the Variables dialog box to show the related distance in the custom component editor views.
7. Link variable P4 to Profile under Part cut.
Variable P4 now controls the cut profile.
Creating a variable to control the anchor bolt height
To create the variable:
1. Click Add to create a new variable.
2. Change Formula and Label in dialog box for the new variable.
3. Change Formula to =P5 for the two variables that control the distance between the bolt handles and the pad footing.
You have created the variable that controls the anchor bolt height.
Repeating the creation of variables for remaining corners
Repeat the creation process one by one for the three remaining corners to finish the precast base component.
2. Link the column shoe component as instructed in Creating a variable to control the component type of the column shoe (p. 158).
3. Link the anchor bolt component as instructed in Creating a variable to control the component type of the anchor bolt (p. 160).
4. Link the cut profile and height as instructed in Creating variables to control the cut size (p. 161).
5. Link the bolt height as instructed in Creating a variable to control the anchor bolt height (p. 162).
Testing the precast base connection
Test the precast base connection by changing values in the precast base dialog box.
To test the connection:
1. Save the connection in the custom component editor.
2. Exit the custom component editor.
3. Double-click the precast base connection in the model to open the dialog box.
4. Change values in the dialog box and click Modify to see the changes in the precast base connection.
You do not need to create a new variable, just do the linking.
You do not need to create a new variable, just do the linking.
You do not need to create new variables, just do the linking.
You do not need to create a new variable, just do the linking.
4 Frequently asked questions
This section contains answers to frequently asked questions about custom components. The questions and answers are divided to the following categories:
General (p. 165)
Creating distance variables (binding) (p. 166) Editing variables (p. 167)
Custom component browser (p. 169) Editing an input file (p. 170)