Distinguishing between plates modeled with contour plate properties and beam properties in Template Editor

Tekla Structures
Not version-specific
Tekla Structures
Template Editor
USERDEFINED.USER_FIELD_1
differentiating plates
Environment
Not environment-specific
Question:
Is there a way in Template Editor to distinguish between a plate modeled with contour plate properties versus a plate modeled with beam properties?
 
Answer:
There is not a direct way of differentiating plates in the report template. There are some workarounds available, however:
  1. There is a file called by_number.ail in the messages folder in the ..\Tekla Structures\version folder. This file controls the PROFILE_TYPE string in Tekla Structures. As explained in PROFILE_TYPE, the different profiles have assigned message numbers associated to a PROFILE_TYPE letter. Users can change the letter Tekla Structures gives to each profile type in the by_number.ail file. By default, in Tekla Structures contour plates (message number 598) and beams/polybeams with plate profile (message number 592) share the same profile type letter: B. In the by_number-ail file, you can change this letter for one of the types, and use in templates the value PROFILE_TYPE to read the values, and hence differentiate the plates. NC files are not affected by any changes in the file, but at least the new profile type code can be used in templates for differentiating the plates.
    A part from the by_number.ail file
    string by_number_msg_no_598
    {
        entry = ("chs", "B");
        entry = ("cht", "B");
        entry = ("csy", "B");
        entry = ("deu", "B");
        entry = ("esp", "B");
        entry = ("fra", "B");
        entry = ("hun", "B");
        entry = ("ita", "B");
        entry = ("jpn", "POLY");
        entry = ("nld", "B");
        entry = ("plk", "B");
        entry = ("ptb", "B");
        entry = ("ptg", "B");
        entry = ("rus", "B");
        entry = ("enu", "B");
    };
  2. Another way to differentiate the plates would be to create a new plate profile (or modify an old one) in the Profile Catalog, for example, PTEST. On the User attributes tab, go to Definitions and create your own profile property with its unique property name, for example, PROFILE_TEST. Then, in templates, you can use this property by giving a value field such as GetValue("PROFILE.PROFILE_TEST"). In this way, you can use for beam/polybeam plates the profiles with the special profile property.
  3. Similarly to 2, you can change a field in the user-defined attributes of a part, for example User field 1. Then in the template, look for this attribute, in this case, the value would be GetValue("USERDEFINED.USER_FIELD_1"). Then use, for example, value 1 for contour plates, and value 2 for beam plates for differentiation.
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