Modify material mappings for Trimble Connect Visualizer

Tekla Structures
2021
Tekla Structures

Modify material mappings for Trimble Connect Visualizer

By default, Trimble Connect Visualizer attempts to map the materials used in Tekla Structures to the material types used in the Trimble Connect Visualizer material catalog. You can also set material type mappings manually to define how you want materials to look in Trimble Connect Visualizer. If necessary, you can override the materials of particular model objects, and use another material instead.

You can currently map the Tekla Structures materials to the following pre-defined material types in Trimble Connect Visualizer:
  • Asphalt
  • Concrete
  • Dark gravel
  • Default: renders objects with white matte material
  • Glass
  • Grass
  • Ground
  • Light Gravel
  • Steel
  • Timber
  • Water

Pre-defined materials and their color and transparency information are read from the MaterialTypes.ini file saved in the ..\nt\bin\TrimbleConnectVisualizer\TrimbleConnectVisualizer_Data\StreamingAssets folder.

You can also map to your own user-defined materials. For more information, see Create and modify user-defined materials.

In Trimble Connect Visualizer, you can currently only render the material type of objects, not their material finish. This means that paints or other finishes are not visible in Trimble Connect Visualizer.

To set the material type mappings used in Trimble Connect Visualizer:

  1. On the View tab in Tekla Structures, click the arrow on the right side of Visualize.
  2. On the menu, select Visualizer material type mapping.
  3. In the lists on the right side of the related Tekla Structures materials, select the Trimble Connect Visualizer material types that you want to map to.

    Selecting the blank option renders the color of the Tekla Structures class as a material that is similar to plastic. The blank option can be useful if you need to show the class colors to communicate an aspect of the structural design.

  4. To override the Tekla Structures material of particular model objects in Trimble Connect Visualizer:
    1. In the model, select the objects.
    2. In the Override Visualizer materials of selected objects list, select the material that you want to use for visualizing the selected objects.
    3. Click Set.

    The selected override material is stored to the model objects' VISUALIZER_MATERIAL user-defined attribute, which you can see by inquiring the object properties.

  5. Click OK to update the material type mapping.
  6. To save the material type mapping as an XML file, do either of the following:

    To

    Do this

    Save the material mapping to the model folder

    • When Tekla Structures asks you if you want to save the material mapping to the model, click Yes.

    The material type mapping is saved in the model folder under the \attributes folder. The file name is VisualizerMaterials.tcv11.

    The material type mapping is saved for all users of the model, including the users that edit the model using Tekla Model Sharing or the multi-user mode.

    Note:

    To avoid issues, do not modify the colors in the VisualizerMaterials.tcv11 file manually.

    Save the material mapping to local application data

    1. When Tekla Structures asks you if you want to save the material mapping to the model, click No.

    The material type mapping is saved in the \Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\Trimble Connect Visualizer folder. The file name is VisualizerMaterials.tcv11.

    The material type mapping now applies to all projects that you are working on.

    Note:

    To avoid issues, do not modify the colors in the VisualizerMaterials.tcv11 file manually.

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