When standard libraries do not meet project requirements, you must modify existing structures or create new ones. Modifying an Existing Profile Open the Profile Catalog. Locate the profile you want to alter. Click the or General tab to change values. Click OK and confirm saving changes to the model folder. Creating a New Parametric Profile Right-click any profile type in the catalog tree view. Select Add Profile . Enter a unique name and define the parametric rules. Input the default dimensions and structural properties. Click Update and save the catalog. Defining Cross-Sections Using Plates (Sketching)
To change properties of an existing profile, locate it in the catalog tree, update the dimension fields, and click . Caution is required: changing the dimensions of a profile already used in an active model will alter the physical size of those members upon the next model redraw. 4. Creating Custom and User-Defined Profiles
Poor catalog management leads to modeling errors, inaccurate material take-offs, and drawing generation issues. tekla structures profile catalog
Tracks relationships between rules and profiles. 2. Accessing and Navigating the Interface
For highly complex architectural or manufactured shapes, you can import a CAD file: When standard libraries do not meet project requirements,
Open the catalog directly from the part properties card using the "Select..." button rather than typing it manually. Check for accidental spaces in the profile string. Symptom: Missing Structural Properties in Analysis
Solution: Open the profile properties in the catalog and verify that the calculated properties (Area, Second Moment of Inertia, Weight per Unit Length) are populated. If they are zero, click the "Calculate" button within the profile modification panel to let Tekla compute the exact mechanical properties based on the geometry. Share public link Click the or General tab to change values
The profile catalog is a central database containing information on all available cross-sections, their rules, and their specific analysis and design properties. Standard Profiles
Navigate to a folder similar to your desired shape. For example, if adding a new wide flange, select the I folder.
In recent software updates, the catalog has been renewed to improve usability and consistency with other catalogs in the software, such as the shape catalog. The most significant change is the replacement of "rules" with "groups." In the new version, you organize profiles using a flexible tree structure of folders and groups, making navigation much more intuitive. It also introduces enhanced filtering options and a more robust import/export function.