When you modify the property pane settings, the current settings are saved to the PropertyPaneSettings.xml file in the ..\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\UI\PropertyPane\ folder. If you do not change the settings, the PropertyPaneSettings.xml file is not created.
The settings in the PropertyPaneSettings.xml file are:
FilterMode : ByData for Show properties that have a value in the property pane settings
FilterMode : ByGroup for Show properties based on visibility settings in the property pane settings
AutoApply : True when Set default values automatically in the property pane settings is selected
AutoApply : False when Set default values automatically in the property pane settings is not selected
The PropertyPaneSettings.xml file is read when Tekla Structures is started and a model is opened.
If the settings in the PropertyPaneSettings.xml file are customized, the company administrators can distribute the customized property pane settings to other users in the company. The PropertyPaneSettings.xml file needs to be placed in the \PropertyPane\ subfolder in a model, project ( XS_PROJECT ), firm ( XS_FIRM ) or environment ( XS_SYSTEM ) folder. The property pane settings in the ..\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\UI\PropertyPane\ folder has the highest priority, and after that Tekla Structures uses the default search order.
If the PropertyPaneSettings.xml file is placed in several different folder locations, Tekla Structures reads the settings from different folders and merges them.