Tekla Structures Profile Catalog < Limited | Cheat Sheet >
Ultimate Guide to the Tekla Structures Profile Catalog The Tekla Structures Profile Catalog is the central database that defines the cross-sectional shapes and geometric properties of structural elements used in a Building Information Modeling (BIM) project. It contains thousands of standard shapes—such as I-beams, channels, angles, tubes, and plates—organized by country-specific standards. Managing this catalog efficiently ensures accurate structural analysis, precise material take-offs, and seamless fabrication. 1. Anatomy of the Profile Catalog
Crucially, you must click . Tekla needs to compute the area (A) and inertia (Ix/Iy) based on your dimensions. If you skip this, weight calculations will be zero.
The right-hand pane displays critical geometric metadata used by downstream engineering and detailing teams. This includes the cross-sectional area, moments of inertia ( ), section moduli (
Don’t reinvent the wheel! You can import profile catalogs from manufacturers or export your custom library to share with your team. tekla structures profile catalog
: These have set dimensions and cannot be changed during modeling (e.g., standard AISC wide flanges).
In the original system, profiles are displayed in a and are grouped based on user-defined rules. These rules look for patterns like the profile type (e.g., "I profile" or "hollow section") or name filters. The order of these rules in the tree is critical, as Tekla Structures reads them from top to bottom; a profile will always be placed in the highest group where it meets the rule's criteria. This system, while powerful, required careful planning, as a broad "All Profiles" rule at the top of the tree would override all rules beneath it.
Tekla generates a .lis text file containing the profile data. Importing Profiles In the target Tekla model, open the Profile Catalog. Click . Browse to the .lis file. Ultimate Guide to the Tekla Structures Profile Catalog
For shapes that are not standard (e.g., custom extrusions or complex bent plates), you can use or sketched profiles.
Mastering the Tekla Structures Profile Catalog: A Comprehensive Guide
You can add new, specialized shapes or edit existing ones 1.2.1. If you skip this, weight calculations will be zero
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.
Store company-wide custom shapes in a centralized network folder mapped via the XS_FIRM advanced option.
Managing profile catalogs across a large organization requires strict protocols to avoid model corruption or fabrication errors.