Offset generation

Tekla Structures

Not version-specific

Tekla Structures

Environment

Not environment-specific

Purpose and description

Use Offset generation to create offset clearances easily for purposes of avoiding/preventing part clashes and perform weld work.

System requirements

Tekla Structures version: Not version specific
Environments: All

Installing Offset generation

To install the extension:

Download the Offset tools installer package from Tekla Warehouse.
For more information see Downloading an application from Tekla Warehouse.
Install the file package.

Using Offset generation

To use the extension:

Open a Tekla model.
Click the Applications & components button

Image

in the side pane to open the Applications & components catalog.
Search for Offset generation

Image

and then double-click to open it..
The Offset generation dialog window will open and you can enter the desired offset values.
Create three or five beams as showed in Picture tab.

Situation	Description
Image	Offset generation applied on three beams (two vertical – primary beams and one skewed – adjusted beam).
Image	Offset generation applied on five beams (two vertical – primary beams, two horizontal – boundary beams - and one skewed – adjusted beam).

For selection order, please see the table below:

Picture	Description
Image	For three beams: Select the first primary beam. Pick the first boundary point. Select the beam to be adjusted. Select the second primary beam. Pick the second boundary point.
Image	Select the first primary beam. Select (pick) the first boundary beam (point). Select the beam to be adjusted.
Image	For five beams: Select the first primary beam. Select the first boundary beam. Select beam to be adjusted. Select the second primary beam. Select the second boundary beam.

Picture

Use Picture tab to control gap and offset of the part created in the Offset generation component.

Gap/offset dimensions

	Description	Default
Image	Define gap/offset between the adjusted beam and the second primary beam.	0 mm
Image	Define gap/offset between the adjusted beam and the first primary beam.	0 mm
Image	Define the rounding of the offset. The option are: Round off Eg: rounding value = 5 offset is 322,8 mm => rounded offset is 325,0 mm offset is 322,1 mm => rounded offset is 320,0 mm offset is -322,8 mm => rounded offset is -320,0 mm offset is -322,1 mm => rounded offset is -325,0 mm Round up - The value is rounded to the next number that is divided by rounding value. Eg: rounding value = 5 offset is 322,8 mm => rounded offset is 325,0 mm offset is 322,1 mm => rounded offset is 325,0 mm offset is -322,8 mm => rounded offset is -320,0 mm offset is -322,1 mm => rounded offset is -320,0 mm Round down - The value is rounded to the previous number that is divided by rounding value. Eg: rounding value = 5 offset is 322,8 mm => rounded offset is 320,0 mm offset is 322,1 mm => rounded offset is 320,0 mm offset is -322,8 mm => rounded offset is -325,0 mm offset is -322,1 mm => rounded offset is -325,0 mm Do not round - The value is not rounded.	Round off
Image	Define the rounding value.	1 mm 1/16 in
Image	Define whether or not to draw temporary lines (are lines that show you were the gap or offset is measured. They can be cleared with Redraw view command and don’t affect in any way the model.). The options are: Off – no temporary lines are drawn; On – temporary line are drawn.	Off

Creating offset/gap options

Note: Parts will be offset in the current work plane along primary beams; moving the end point relative to a different plane introduces rotation around the axis. So for example, if working on a sloped jacked face, set the work plane to the jacket face in order to keep the rotation of seams relative to the jacket face constant.

Option	Description
Image	Part gap Default
Image	Part gap Default
Image	Part offset
Image	Part offset
Image	Point gap
Image	Point gap
Image	Point offset
Image	Point offset
Image	No offset or gap.
Image	No offset or gap.

Example

Coplanar case: primary, boundary and adjusted beams center lines are in the same plane

Note: All beams can have any profile with any given rotation.

The Gap is measured as the distance between the intersection points of the primary solid center line and the closest boundary and adjusted extrema solid lines projected on the parts center lines plane.

Coplanar gap

The Gap can have negative values.

Coplanar negative gap

The Offset is measured as the distance between the intersection of primary center line with the boundary and adjusted center lines.

Coplanar offset

Top flush case: boundary, adjusted and primary solid top level are in the same plane
and
3D case: primary, boundary and adjusted center lines are in different planes

Note: All beams need to be round profiles. Negative gap is not defined.

The Gap is measured as the minimum distance between the intersection points of the primary beam with boundary and adjusted beams.

Top flush – gap

3D – Gap

The Offset is measured in the plane that intersects the primary center line and is parallel to the boundary center line.

Top flush – rounded offset

Offset points are at the intersection of the adjusted and boundary center lines projections on this plane and primary center line.
If one center line projection is parallel to the primary center line then the offset point is at the intersection of primary center line with secondary center line.

If Point gap or Point offset option is selected, the gap or offset is measured along the primary part up to the normal plane that goes through selected point.

Point gap

Point offset