Packaging Tool

Title
Packaging Tool
1.
Purpose and description
The Packaging Tool automates the process of creating, sending and tracking responses to
packages of drawings, NC files, reports, and other model output files. The tools main
features are as follows:
Wizard-based user interface leads the user step-by-step through the package
creation process
Automatically selects drawings for packaging based on a selection filter, or allows
manual selection of drawings from a Drawing List-style grid
Automatically converts the selected drawings to a portable format, suitable for
packaging (PDF, DXF or DWG)
Automatically generates and packages NC files for the selected drawings, or for the
parts selected in the model
Automatically generates and packages reports for the selected objects, or all objects
Allows any additional files to be manually added to the package (e.g. MIS lists)
Automatically creates a coversheet for the package, detailing the purpose and
optionally the contents of the package
Automatically emails the package (and coversheet) to recipients selected from the
tools built-in contacts database, or allows the package to be sent manually later
Manages sent packages, maintains the transmittal history, and tracks the response
status of each package (response not required / awaiting / overdue / received)
Creates revised packages, automatically identifying the previously packaged files,
and the files modified or deleted since previously packaged
Maintains the revision history and manages old versions of packages
2.
System requirements
Tekla Structures Version:

Environments:
3.
Any supported version

Default
Installation
To install the extension:

1.
Run the installer provided, which will lead you through the steps required to install
the Packaging Tool.
Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation
January 2013
4.
Usage
4.1. Starting the Packaging Tool

The Packaging Tool works in conjunction with the matching version of Tekla Structures. So before starting the Packaging Tool, you need to start
the matching version of Tekla Structures and open the model you want to create packages for.
Once Tekla Structures is running and you have a model open, you can start the Packaging Tool by double-clicking its desktop shortcut.
While the Packaging Tool is in-use, Tekla Structures must be left running, with the relevant model open. Tekla Structures must not be minimised
during drawing conversion (see Converting the Drawings) as drawings are automatically opened and closed by the Packaging Tool during the
conversion process.
January 2013
4.2. The Main Window

The Packaging Tools main window consists of a grid, showing all the packages for the current model, and a toolbar for creating, sending, viewing and
deleting packages, managing contacts, etc. The packages grid will be initially empty, as shown here.
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4.3. Creating a Package

To create a package, click the Create New Package button. This will launch the Package Creation Wizard.
On the first page of the wizard, enter a package title and optionally a package description and then click Next.
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4.4. Choosing a Selection Filter

Before you begin to create your new package, you can choose a selection filter to apply to the model.
The filtered parts can then be used in
drawing selection (see Auto-Selecting
Drawings) and NC file generation
(see Packaging NC Files).
If you prefer, you can also pick <No
Filter>, which then gives you the
option of manually selecting parts in
Tekla Structures, or simply selecting
drawings by-hand via the Drawing
Selection page of the wizard.
If in future you create a new version
of your package, the filter you select
will be automatically re-selected as
the default filter for the package. This
can be a useful aid in identifying
changes that have occurred since the
original package was created.
January 2013
4.5. Selecting the Drawings

The Drawing Selection page allows you to select the drawings you want to include in your package. It will automatically convert the selected drawings to a
portable format, suitable for packaging (PDF, DXF or DWG).
The grid shows all the drawings
available for packaging in the current
model.
You can sort on any column in the
grid by clicking on its header. The
drawings shown here are sorted on
Name.
You can select drawings manually by
placing ticks against drawings in the
Select column
Drawings will be greyed-out and not
selectable if they are locked or out-ofdate. If you need to update certain
drawings before continuing, exit the
wizard by clicking the Cancel button,
perform the required updates in Tekla
Structures, then restart the wizard to
refresh the drawings grid.
The wizard can also automatically
select drawings for the parts you
have selected in the model.
January 2013
4.6. Auto-Selecting Drawings

The Auto-Select Drawings button allows you to automatically select the drawings for the parts currently selected in the model.
Here, the columns have been selected in the

model via the Columns selection filter, and
the assembly and single-part drawings for the
columns have been automatically selected in
the grid.
If necessary, you can also manually select a
few extra drawings, like the GA shown ticked
here.
When youve selected all the drawings you
want to package, choose the format you want
to convert them to (by default PDF), and then
click Next.
January 2013
4.7. Converting the Drawings

As your drawings are converted to PDF (or DXF/DWG) format, you can monitor the conversion process via the Drawing Conversion page. In Tekla
Structures, you will see each drawing being briefly opened, exported in the relevant format and then closed again.
Note that no PDF printer driver needs
to be installed. The Packaging Tool
has built-in PDF creation
functionality.
The Embed fonts in PDFs option (at
the bottom of the Drawing Selection
page) allows you to embed drawing
font information within the PDF files
themselves. Embedding fonts
increases file size somewhat, but
means that the fonts do not have to
be present on the recipients machine
in order to view the PDFs accurately.
Tip: If your drawings only use
common Windows fonts, like Arial or
Times New Roman, you can reduce
your overall package size, by
switching off the Embed fonts in
PDFs option.
The file names of the converted
drawings will be in the following
format:
Mark-Name-Type-Revision.pdf
e.g. C.1-COLUMN-A-1.pdf
January 2013
4.8. Packaging NC Files

The NC File Generation page allows you to automatically generate NC files for the package.
The grid shows all the NC file settings
configured for the current model (any
project, firm or system settings will
also be included).
You can select the settings you want
to use by placing ticks in the Select
column.
If necessary, you can edit the output
folder for any of the selected settings
by double-clicking in the Package
Folder column.
You then have the option to generate
NC files for the drawings packaged in
the previous step, or for the parts you
currently have selected in the model.
If you opt to generate NC files for
your drawings, you can then further
specify whether to use the single-part
drawings, the assembly drawings, or
both of them (and whether to use the
secondary parts in assembly
drawings as well as the main part).
January 2013
4.9. Generating NC Files

You can monitor the NC file generation process via a scrolling progress window.
January 2013
4.10. Packaging Reports

The Report Generation page allows you to automatically generate reports for the package.
All the available reports (in the model,

project, firm or system folders) are
shown in the list.
Select the reports you want to
generate by placing ticks against the
required reports in the list. Click the
Select All or Deselect All buttons to
automatically select or deselect all
reports.
Some reports have user-defined
titles. You can enter the title text for
these reports in the three Title boxes
provided.
You then have the option to generate
reports for the objects currently
selected in the model (Selected
Objects), or for All Objects. The
Selected Objects option will use the
objects selected by your selection
filter (if you chose to apply a selection
filter earlier, via the Selection Filter
page).
January 2013
4.11. Generating Reports

You can monitor the report generation process via a scrolling progress window.
The output files will have the same
names as their respective reports.
Output files for reports which dont
have an extension, will be given a
default extension of .xsr.
For example, the Material_Fittings
report produces an output file named,
Material_Fittings.xsr.
January 2013
4.12. Selecting Additional Files

Once youve packaged all your drawings, NC files and reports, the Select Additional Files page allows you to select any other files you might want to include
in your package.
January 2013
4.13. Adding MIS Lists to the Package

If for example, you want to add some MIS lists to the package, first its a good idea to create a separate folder for them by clicking the Create New Folder
button.
Enter a name for the new folder (e.g. MIS) and then click the Add Files to the Selected Folder button.
January 2013
When the Select Files dialog appears, select the MIS lists you want to add to the package.
The selected files will be added to the package and immediately appear in the packaging list at the bottom of the page. Note that you can remove any
unwanted files from the packaging list, by simply selecting them and pressing the Delete key.
January 2013
4.14. Entering Transmittal Details

The Enter Transmittal Details page allows you to enter information about the packages recipients, its purpose, if and when a response is required, etc.
January 2013
4.15. Selecting Recipients

In the Recipients box, you can manually enter email addresses separated by a semi-colon (;) or you can click the browse button (...) to select addresses from
the Packaging Tools contacts database.
Simply select the required contacts,
and click OK.
If necessary, you can create new
contacts using the buttons at the top
of the Contacts dialog. You can
create both individual contacts and
distribution lists (see Editing Contacts
for details).
Another way to create new contacts
is to manually enter new email
addresses directly into the
Recipients box. These will be
automatically added to the contacts
database and appear in the
Contacts dialog next time you create
a package.
January 2013
4.16. Wizard Input Form History

As packages are created, certain fields in the wizard input forms automatically build up a history of the values you entered for previous packages. These
previously entered values can be instantly retrieved via the drop-down lists provided.
The input form history can be
cleared via the Packaging Tools
Settings dialog (see Editing Settings
for details).
4.17. Requesting a Response

You can let your recipients know if/when a response is required by ticking the Response Required check box and selecting a Response Required By date.
The Packaging Tools main window
allows you to track the Response
Status of your packages (see
Tracking Responses for details).
January 2013
4.18. Reviewing the Coversheet

The Packaging Tool automatically creates a coversheet containing all the details about your package and its contents.
The coversheet is a PDF file, which
accompanies your package, and tells
your recipients all they need to know
about the package, its purpose, its
contents, and if and when a response
is required.
For multi-page coversheets, use the
Next Page and Previous Page
buttons to display the next and
previous pages of the coversheet.
Note that you can set the Sender
Address for the coversheet via the
Packaging Tool Settings dialog
(see Editing Settings for details).
January 2013
4.19. Reviewing the Package Contents

The Generate Contents Table and Generate Drawings Table options (at the bottom of the Transmittal Details page) allow you to add a full table of
contents and/or a table of drawing details to the coversheet.
When youve finished reviewing the coversheet, click Next to create the package.
January 2013
4.20. New Package Created

The wizards final page reports that your package has been created, gives the package size, and provides the option to send the package via your email
application.
The Tekla Structures Package (TSP)
file is a zip file with a file name in the
following format:
ModelName-Date-Time.tsp
Tick the checkbox if you want to send
the package immediately, via your
default email application (e.g.
Microsoft Outlook). You can always
send the package later if you prefer,
via the Send/Resend Package
dialog (see Sending and Resending
Packages for details).
A permanent copy of the package will
be stored in the Packages folder of
your model (as shown in the
Package File and Package Folder
fields). So at any time, you also have
the option to copy it manually to a
DVD, memory stick, shared folder,
etc.
Click Finish to close the Package
Creation Wizard.
When youve finished reviewing the coversheet, click Next to create the
package.
January 2013
4.21. Sending the Package

If you opt to send the package via your default email application, the Packaging Tool will automatically create a new email message, addressed to your
selected recipients, and with both the package and coversheet attached. The example below shows a message created in Microsoft Outlook.
The Package Title appears in the subject line, and the Package Description appears in the body of the message. You can add any additional comments,
just as you would a normal message, before sending it in the normal way.
As noted at the foot of the message, Tekla Structures Package (.tsp) files are in standard zip format and can be opened by your recipients with any third-party
zip file tool.
January 2013
4.22. Tracking Responses

Once youve finished creating your package, it will appear in the packages grid, in the Packaging Tools main window. From here, you can use the last three
columns of the grid to track the responses to this and other packages. By sorting on the Response Status column for example, you can instantly see which
packages are awaiting responses, which responses are overdue, and which responses have been received.
For a new package, the Response Status column will initially be set to Awaiting and the Response Received column will be un-ticked as shown.
If no response is received by the Response Required By date, the Response Status will change to Overdue (and be highlighted in bold).
If you receive a response, click the Response Received checkbox to change the Response Status to Received.
January 2013
4.23. Viewing a Package

To view the contents of a package, select it in the packages grid, and click the View Selected Package button. This will bring up the View Package dialog.
On the left is a list of all the packaged files. Selecting one of the files on the left will display a preview of it on the right. A preview of a PDF file (a GA drawing)
is shown. (Note that PDF previewing requires Adobe Reader to be installed on the host machine).
January 2013
Text files or files in HTML format can also be previewed in the View Package dialog (e.g. reports, NC files, etc). A preview of a material assembly report is
shown.
You can also double-click a file to open it in the application associated with its file type. Double-clicking a .xls file, for example, will typically open it in
Microsoft Excel.
January 2013
You can display additional information about the drawings in your package, by selecting the Show drawing details in grid option.
January 2013
As well as viewing the packaged files, the View Package dialog also allows you to view the packages header details and coversheet, by clicking the View
Header Details and View Coversheet buttons respectively. (Again Adobe Reader needs to be installed on the host machine to view the PDF format
coversheet).
January 2013
4.24. Viewing an External Package

The Packaging Tool also allows you to view external packages, i.e. packages outside the current model, which dont currently appear in the packages grid
(for example, a package that has been emailed to you by another Packaging Tool user).
To view an external package, click the View External Package button on the main toolbar. This will bring up the Open External Package dialog.
Browse to the package file you want to view, and click Open. The View Package dialog will then appear, displaying the contents of the external package,
just as it did the contents of the internal package described earlier.
January 2013
4.25. Creating a Revised Package

The real power of the Packaging Tool starts to be seen in its ability to take an existing package, analyse the changes that have occurred in the model since
the package was created, then create a revised package containing the required mix of old files, new files, and modified/updated files.
To create a revised package, select an existing package in the packages grid, and click the Create Revised Package button. This will launch the Package
Creation Wizard, but this time it will be pre-populated with the contents of the previous package.
On the first page of the
wizard, you can use the same
package title and description
as before, or you can edit
them as required, and click
Next.
January 2013
4.26. Previously Packaged Drawings

In the Drawing Selection page, three new columns will appear in the grid. The Previously Packaged column indicates whether a drawing was included in
the previous package; the Modified Since Previously Packaged and Deleted Since Previously Packaged columns indicate whether the drawing has been
modified or deleted since the previous package was created.
In this example, the Previously Packaged
column is ticked for all five drawings that were
present in the original package.
One of the drawings has a tick in the Modified
Since Previously Packaged column, indicating
that it has been changed since it was originally
packaged. (Note: because Tekla Structures
drawings only have a modified date, not a date
and time, it is not possible to detect more than
one modification per day).
One of the drawings has a tick in the Deleted
Since Previously Packaged column, indicating
that it has been deleted since it was originally
packaged. The deleted drawing has also been
given a grey background to help it stand out.
All the previously packaged drawings, with the
exception of the deleted one, have been
automatically pre-selected for the new package,
and have ticks in the Select column.
January 2013
4.27. Changing the Default Selections

You may decide to accept the drawings pre-selected by the wizard, and repackage updated versions of all the drawings that were previously packaged (with
the exception of any deleted ones) or you can add and remove drawings from the selection set however you see fit, by ticking and un-ticking the checkboxes
in the Select column.
In this example, two previously packaged
column drawings have been removed from the
selection set and one new rafter assembly
drawing has been added.
The greyed-out, deleted drawing, which was unticked by default, has now been ticked to force
its inclusion in the package.
If you decide to include drawings like this, which
have been deleted from the model, a copy of the
deleted drawing will be taken as-is from the
source package.
January 2013
4.28. Repackaging NC Files and Reports

The NC File Generation and Report Generation pages will be automatically initialised with all the settings/selections that were previously used for the
source package. You can opt to accept these default settings/selections, and regenerate updated versions of all the previously packaged files, or you can edit
the NC generation settings, add or remove reports, in whatever way you require.
January 2013
4.29. Additional Previously Packaged Files

The Select Additional Files page will be pre-populated with all the files from the source package, and again the three Previously Packaged columns will
appear in the grid.
In this example, one of the MIS lists has been
modified since it was previously packaged.
Again, you can opt to simply accept the wizards
default selections, and repackage updated
versions of all the previously packaged files, or
you can add and remove files from the
packaging list as required, in the usual way.
January 2013
4.30. Updating the Transmittal Details

In the Enter Transmittal Details page, you can keep the details the same as the original package, or you can modify them in any way you require. Here, two
new recipients have been added, and a new response date has been entered.
January 2013
4.31. Reviewing the Updated Coversheet

All the new transmittal details will appear at the top of the coversheet, and because the package was created from another package, the source package
name will appear in the coversheets Source Package field.
January 2013
4.32. Packaging Status Information

The coversheets Status column indicates the differences between the new package and the original source package.
Identical the file is identical to the version in
the previous package.
Modified the file has been modified since it
was previously packaged.
New the file is new to this package; it wasnt
present in the previous package.
Deleted the file was present in the previous
package, but it has been removed from the
current package.
Repackaged an NC file or report which was
present in the previous package, and has been
regenerated for inclusion in the current package.
January 2013
4.33. Identifying Related Packages

In the Packaging Tools main window, related packages can be grouped and identified in a number of ways.
Related packages all have the same package
ID, so they can be grouped together in the grid
by sorting on ID. The package ID is a unique
identifier (GUID), generated automatically when
a package is created by the Packaging Tool.
If you select a package in the grid, all related
packages will be highlighted in purple, and the
name of the actual source package will be
highlighted in bold.
In this example, Package 1b is selected, which
causes the name of the source package
(Package 1a) to be highlighted in bold, and all
related packages (Package 1a and Package 1)
to be highlighted in purple.
January 2013
4.34. Sending and Resending Packages

When you create a package, you have the option to send it immediately (by ticking the checkbox on the last page of the Package Creation Wizard) or you
may decide to send it later via the Send Package dialog. The Send Package dialog can also be used to resend a previously sent package, to the same or
different recipients.
To send or resend a package, select it in the packages grid, and click the Send/Resend Selected Package button on the main toolbar.
Simply edit any of the transmittal details as required, then click the Send button to send the package via your default email application (e.g. Microsoft
Outlook).
January 2013
Manually Sending Packages

If you prefer to send your package manually, rather than using the Package Creation Wizard or the Send Package dialog to automatically send it for you, or
if you want to copy your package to a DVD, memory stick or shared folder, etc, you can use the Explore Packages Folder option on the main toolbar.
Simply select your package in

the packages grid, and click the
Explore Packages Folder
button.
The Packages folder will then
be opened in Windows
Explorer, with the relevant
package file (.tsp file) already
selected, and ready for copying,
emailing, etc.
January 2013
4.35. Deleting Packages

To delete a package, select it in the packages grid, then click the Delete Selected Package button on the main toolbar. This will bring up the Delete
Package dialog.
Three options are available:
Select the first option if you just want to delete the selected package and nothing else.
The second option allows you to delete the selected package, plus any earlier versions of the package.
Choose option three if you want to delete all versions of the selected package (i.e. all packages with the same ID as the selected package).
January 2013
4.36. Editing Contacts

Click the Edit Contacts button on the main toolbar to bring up the Contacts dialog.
January 2013
4.37. Creating Individual Contacts and Distribution Lists

To create an individual contact, click the Create New Contact button, then enter the required contact name, company and email address into the grid.
To create a distribution list, first select the individual contacts you want to include in the list, then click the Create Distribution List From Selected button,
and enter a name and description for the new distribution list into the grid.
Existing contact details can also be edited by double-clicking the relevant cells in the grid, and unwanted contacts can be deleted by selecting them in the grid
and pressing the Delete key.
January 2013
4.38. Editing Settings

Click the Edit Settings button on the main toolbar to bring up the Packaging Tool Settings dialog.
In the Address For Coversheet section of the dialog,
enter the company name and address details you want
to appear in the Sender Address section of your
coversheets.
As packages are created, certain fields in the wizard
input forms automatically build up a history of the
values you entered for previous packages. This input
form history can be cleared by clicking the Clear
button.
January 2013
5.
Additional information
When drawings are converted for packaging (to PDF, DXF or DWG format) each
drawing will be opened in turn, exported in the relevant format, and closed again. You
will see the drawings flickering in and out of view, as they rapidly open and close in
succession. For this reason, if you have a drawing open, it is important to close it
before starting to create a new package.
It is also important to have Tekla Structures running un-minimised during the
conversion process. If Tekla Structures is minimised then the Packaging Tool will issue
a warning and refuse to convert the drawings until you have un-minimised Tekla
Structures.
The Packaging Tool is dependent on the x86 version of the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008
SP1 ATL Security Update redistributable components. These components are installed
automatically on the target machine by the Packaging Tool installer.
January 2013

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Title

Purpose and description

Tekla Structures Version:

Any supported version

To install the extension:

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.1. Starting the Packaging Tool

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.2. The Main Window

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.3. Creating a Package

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.4. Choosing a Selection Filter

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.5. Selecting the Drawings

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.6. Auto-Selecting Drawings

Here, the columns have been selected in the

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.7. Converting the Drawings

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.8. Packaging NC Files

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.9. Generating NC Files

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.10. Packaging Reports

All the available reports (in the model,

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.11. Generating Reports

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.12. Selecting Additional Files

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.13. Adding MIS Lists to the Package

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.14. Entering Transmittal Details

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.15. Selecting Recipients

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.16. Wizard Input Form History

4.17. Requesting a Response

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.18. Reviewing the Coversheet

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.19. Reviewing the Package Contents

4.20. New Package Created

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.21. Sending the Package

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.22. Tracking Responses

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.23. Viewing a Package

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.24. Viewing an External Package

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.25. Creating a Revised Package

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.26. Previously Packaged Drawings

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.27. Changing the Default Selections

Copyright 2013 Tekla Corporation

4.28. Repackaging NC Files and Reports