Assign Sequential UDAs
Contents
This tool is used to assign sequential numbers to model parts. The numbers are stored as user defined attribute (UDA) values.
Tool can be found from macro catalog (Tools -> Macros).
(From Tekla Structures version 2016 onwards this tool is available from Application and Components Catalog.)
Purpose and description
Using Assign Sequential UDAs
Additional information
Examples
Purpose and description
This tool is used as a helping tool for numbering model objects.The UDAs that are presented in the field “UDA” are read from Tekla Structures catalogs. The tool reads all UDA fields that are of the type INT or STRING. Note that the tool ignores Tekla Structures key fields
After extracting the attributes the tool orders them alphabetically and inserts them in the user interface.
Using Assign Sequential UDAs
To be able to use this tool user has to choose the work plane where he wants to number the selected objects. The numbering is based on sorting the model objects by X and Y coordinates. If you are numbering parts in a wall, set the current work plane into wall plane. After the work plane setting you should select the desired model objects and press the ‘Number Selected’ button.
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The sorting group defines the type of sorting the tool will do. Sort type defines what will be the points to be used by the sorting method:- If you choose ‘By Part Coordinates’ the tool uses the point (start or end point) that has the highest current coordinate system Z value. This numbering option can be used for example for numbering piles, anchor bolts or dowels.
- If you choose ‘By Center of Gravity’ the sorting is based on the center of gravity point. This numbering option can be used for example for numbering wall elements.
The object numbering group information defines the way the numbering will appear in the chosen user defined attribute. Some user interface fields are disabled for integer type attributes as they can only store numbers, not for example prefix or group number.
In the example below user has chosen:
- Sort order: First X, then Y
- X: Ascending
- Y: Ascending
- Numbering, Start number: 1
- Grouping, Start number: 1
Picture: normal sequential numbering without a group number
Picture: group numbering has been used, group 1 on the left and group 2 on the right
The numbering algorithm is the same if ‘Overwrite Existing UDA’ is ticked or not – the number is just not written to such objects that already have a value stored for this UDA.
Additional information
- If you want to add user defined attributes to be loaded by this tool, add the attributes in to the objects.inp.
Examples
Below one can see an example where the user should sort the wall parts using the center of gravity.
In the example below:
- Sort order: First X, then Y
- X: Ascending
- Y: Ascending
- Object Numbering, Start number: 1
- Object Numbering, Prefix: A-
- Object Numbering, Sorting tolerance: 510
In the example below:
- Sort order: First X, then Y
- X: Ascending
- Y: Ascending
- Object Numbering, Start number: 1
- Object Numbering, Prefix: A-
- Object Numbering, Sorting tolerance: 490
The 2 examples showed above show us the usage of the sorting tolerance and its effects on numbering. In this case the smaller numbers have smaller X value. When the X value is the same it checks the Y value. In the example on top when we use a tolerance of 510mm the sorting method assumes that the top right panel and the bottom right panel COG are in the same location and it checks its Y coordinate value.
Below there is another example where it can be seen the importance of the sorting tolerance.
In the example below:
- Sort order: First X, then Y
- X: Ascending
- Y: Ascending
- Object Numbering, Start number: 1
- Object Numbering, Sorting tolerance: 190mm
In the example below:
- Sort order: First X, then Y
- X: Ascending
- Y: Ascending
- Object Numbering, Start number: 1
- Object Numbering, Sorting tolerance: 180mm
In the example below it is shown the effects of the sorting ‘Combine distance’:
Below:
- Sort order: First X, then Y
- X: Ascending
- Y: Ascending
- Object Numbering, Start number: 001
- Object Numbering, Combine distance: 2.4m
Below:
- Sort order: First X, then Y
- X: Ascending
- Y: Ascending
- Object Numbering, Start number: 001
- Object Numbering, Combine distance: 2.2m