Linking documents to Trimble Connect

Install Linking documents to Trimble Connect

1. Download the Linking documents to Trimble Connect installer package from Tekla Warehouse. For more information see Downloading an application from Tekla Warehouse.
2. Install the file package.

Open Linking documents to Trimble Connect

1. Open a Tekla Structures model.
2. Click the Applications & components button in the side pane to open the Applications & components catalog.
3. Search for Linking documents to Trimble Connect and then double-click to open it.
4. Open Linking documents to Trimble Connect and Sign in:

• If you are not signed in on Tekla Structures the Sign in to Linking documents to Trimble Connect dialog window opens. Use your Trimble Connect account credentials to sign in.

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• If you singed in to Tekla Structures with your Trimble Identity for Tekla Online services account. The extension will sign in using the same account and Linking documents to Trimble Connect dialog window opens:

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• You've signed in when "Refresh" button enables and message info changes from "Signing in to Trimble Connect" into "Project list succesfully refreshed".

1. Open Linking documents to Trimble Connect extension
2. Select a project on Trimble Connect projects list
3. Select an IFC file on Project's IFC Files
4. Select NC files and Only for selected buttons . Select Objects in model on Only for selected list.
5. Select NC options on NC file settings. The settings list is defined on Tekla Structures on File menu> Export>NC files.
6. Ensure that
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    Select objects in components ​selection switch is active and select parts in the model
7. Click Play button to upload and link NC files to the IFC of the model

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• Linking documents to Trimble Connect will:
  • Create NC files for selected objects.
  • Upload NC files with DSTV for profiles settings on Trimble Connect project and link the files to the .ifc of the model.
• During the process, a status bar is displayed with message info "Generating data for export" and "Uploading documents".
• You've uploaded and linked the files when message info is "Some events occurred, see the info log".
• Use
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  Select Assemblies​ selection ,then the extension will display "No document was found" message info. If the Advanced Option XS_USE_ASSEMBLY_NUMBER_FOR is set to MAIN_PART, then NC files of the main part of the assembly will link. 

1. Open Linking documents to Trimble Connect extension
2. Select a project on Trimble Connect projects list
3. Select an IFC file on Project's IFC Files.
4. Select Assembly/Cast Unit IFC Files button, IFC tab enables, to filter or load attribute files.
5. Select Only for selected button and choose Objects in model on Only for selected list.
6. Ensure that the
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   Select assemblies selection switch is active. Select assemblies and cast unit in the model.
7. Select Play button to upload and link IFC of selected assembly to the IFC of the model.

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• Linking documents to Trimble Connect will:
  • Create .ifc files of selected objects with settings from IFC tab.
  • Upload the .ifc files of selected assemblies on Trimble Connect project and link the files to the .ifc of the model.
• During the process, a status bar is displayed with message info "Generating data for export" and "Uploading documents".
• You've uploaded and linked the files when message info is "Some events occurred, see the info log".
• If you select nothing or don't use 
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  Select assemblies ,the extension will display "No document was found" message info. 

1. In Tekla Structures, create Single part and Assembly drawings.
2. Open Document manager or Drawing List and print some drawings.
3. Open Linking documents to Trimble Connect extension
4. Select a project on Trimble Connect projects list
5. Select an IFC file on Project's IFC Files
6. Select Assembly drawings, Single Part drawings, Link to main part, Only for selected, Use existing PDFs buttons. Select Drawings on Only for selected list. Select PDF on Format. 
7. On Document manager select desired drawings, then on Linking documents to Trimble Connect click Play button.

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• Linking documents to Trimble Connect will uplaod and link .pdf drawings that match all selected filters in the picture above.
• With the following printed drawings and the selection on Document manager in the picture bellow, only A.8 and P.12 will upload and link. 

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• On the pictures above, the pdfs of the assembly drawing A.8 and single part drawing P.12 are the only ones that meet the conditions to link on Trimble Connect:
  • Their Document types are selected on Linking documents to Trimble Connect
  • Drawings are selected on Document Manager with Only for selected Drawings enabled on Linking documents to Trimble Connect
  • Their Pdf drawings are on the disk at the path that Use existing PDFs points to, on Linking documents to Trimble Connect
• The other drawings won't upload and link because:
  • 1-GA-drawing.pdf - Linking documents to Trimble Connect doesn't have GA drawings selected on Document types
  • A.5 - STANDARD.pdf - Its .pdf isn't at the location pointed on Use existing PDFs
  • P.14 - STANDARD.pdf - It isn't selected on Document manager and on Linking documents to Trimble Connect , Only for selected Drawings is enabled
  • P.15 - STANDARD.pdf - The name of the .pdf on the disk doesn't match with the name Tekla Structures will print the drawing. Please see PDF names on Additional Information chapter.
  • All the other pdfs that you may have on the disk will not upload and link.
• A.5 - STANDARD.pdf will link to the assembly and because Link to main part is selected on the extension, it will link also to the main part of the assembly. 
• Deselect Use existing PDFs and run the extension with the same drawings selected on Document Manager will link the pdfs of  A.5 , A.8 and P.15. The other drawings won't upload and link because:
  • The GA drawing is not a selected on Document type .
  • P.14 is not selected on Document manager.
  • P.12 is locked. Ensure that you can open the drawings before printing with Linking documents to Trimble Connect.

1. Open Linking documents to Trimble Connect extension
2. Select a project on Trimble Connect projects list
3. Select an IFC file on Project's IFC Files.
4. Select GA drawings button, No GA deawings selected message will appear.
5. Select DWG/DXF on Format , and select an attribute file from Export drawings to DWG/DXF.
6. Select Reset on Export mode list.
7. Open Document manager and select GA drawings. On Linking documents to Trimble Connect the number of GA drawings selected will display near GA drawings button.
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8. Select Play button to upload and link selected DWGs of GA drawings to the IFC of the model.

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• To link GA drawings you always have to select drawings on Document Manager. It works independent whether you select Drawings option on Only for selected list or not.
• Linking documents to Trimble Connect will:
  • Deletes IFCs,NC files or drawings already uploaded on selected Trimble Connect project. This happens when using Reset on Export mode list.
  • Exports DWGs of selected GA drawings. The export will take all the settings from the attribute file defined on Export drawings to DWG/DXF.   
  • Uploads the DWGs of selected GA drawings and links them to all assemblies in the GA views.
• During the process, a status bar is displayed with message info "Generating data for export" and "Uploading documents".
• You've uploaded and linked the files when message info is "Some events occurred, see the info log".
• To overlay the DWGs on the IFC of the model:
  • With Trimble Connect Web click on check boxes of both DWG and IFC of the model, to select them. Then click on View in 3d viewer or View in legacy viewer .
  • With Trimble Connect Desktop, select the IFC of the model and click View. On MODELS property pane select Model selection and click on the DWG's check boxes then click on Close button.  Ensure that 
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    Show model button is active to turn on the visbility of the DWG.
  • The position of the DWG in relation to the IFC of the model depends on:
    •  Location by list on Export to IFC.
    • Model space coordinates list on Export drawings to DWG/DXF.
• You can overlay multiple DWGs at once. In the picture, grid 3 and grid D overlay on the IFC of the model. Select the column assembly at the intersection of axes 3 and D. Both GA drawings are linked to the assembly, as the column is part of the two DWGs.

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• If the application encounters errors, these will be displayed in Linking documents to TrimbleConnect ErrorReport .txt file form the model folder, along with a message from the status bar: 'Some errors occurred. Please see the log: C:\Tekla\TeklaStructuresModels\model name\Linking documents to TrimbleConnect ErrorReport .txt
• Pdf naming is following the format from the advanced options settings.
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• Link assembly drawings with the .IFC of the model:
  • When exporting IFC files from Tekla Structures if you want to link assembly related content you should check the following option form Export to IFC -> Advanced tab, as in picture below:
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  • When exporting .ifc files via Trimble Connector default functionality does not support assemblies. Creating IFC file with default settings won't work with the Linking documents to Trimble Connect. Use attribute files with settings that include assimblies in the Trimble Connector when Configuring IFC export.
    • If nothing is selected in Export settings from standard file, the .ifc file will not include assembly information.
       
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      In order to include assembly information:
      • ​Create an attribute file with Export to IFC .
      • Make sure that Assemblies checkbox is selected in Advanced tab.
      • Place it in model folder->attribute.
      • Select attribute file in Export settings from standard file list

• Tekla Structures model has more than one NC file/ drawing with names that match the following case:  C1.nc and c1.nc1 (uppercase / lowercase). The last one will overwrite the first file, because of a Windows limitation for case insensitive names in same folder.
  • As a workaround, change names of the parts that have case sensitive problems, like in following example:
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  • For NC documents the tool tries to avoid the problem by splitting the files in separated folders for different kind of setting in NC file export (eg. DSTV for angles / plates / profiles). This approach reduces the probability of having the issue. The workaround for NC files would be to use separate settings for the parts that have case sensitive problems.
• On Trimble Connect select an object in the ifc of the model and click on Object attachments icon will not display Assembly drawings.
• If you rename the .ifc of the model in Trimble Connect, the .ifc will loose all links to the files.
• Can't link Assembly/Cast unit IFC files with Only for selected Drawings , for this use Objects in model option.
• When uploading PDF drawings, ensure that XS_DRAWING_SNAPSHOT_CREATION is set to TRUE on Advanced Options. If the option is set to FALSE, PDFs will not upload and the log file will give the messages: Dpm file for drawing: PDF name was not found and The pdf file of drawing: PDF name was not created.