Tekla Structures Profile — Catalog
The Tekla Structures Profile Catalog is not merely a dropdown list of steel shapes; it is the DNA of your structural model. Whether you are a junior detailer trying to figure out why your beam weights don't add up, or a BIM manager setting up a multinational standard, mastering the catalog saves hours of rework and prevents costly shop drawing errors.
Action Steps for You Today:
By investing one hour in understanding this tool, you will gain a lifetime of accuracy and efficiency in Tekla Structures. Go ahead—catalog your success today.
Tekla Structures Profile Catalog is the digital backbone of a BIM (Building Information Modeling) model, serving as a comprehensive library of all the cross-sections—like beams, columns, and plates—that make up a project. It’s more than just a list; it’s a dynamic database where standard engineering shapes meet custom architectural designs. What’s Inside the Catalog?
By default, the catalog is packed with industry standards tailored to your specific region (environment), but its real power lies in how you can customize it: Fixed Profiles
: These are static shapes with set dimensions (e.g., a standard W12x26 steel beam). Parametric Profiles
: These are "smart" shapes where you can adjust dimensions—like height, width, or thickness—on the fly to fit specific needs. User-Defined Profiles
: If you can't find what you need, you can build your own using sketches, polygon plates , or even by importing DWG files from AutoCAD. Ways to Expand Your Catalog
When a project demands a unique shape, like a custom gutter or a specialized deck, you can bring it to life in a few ways: DWG Import
: Draw the shape in AutoCAD, clean up any overlapping lines, and import it directly into the Tekla Profile Catalog Sketch Editor
: Sketch a shape directly within Tekla and define its variable dimensions to create a custom parametric profile. Excel & VBA tekla structures profile catalog
: For large-scale data entry, some users use Excel macros to generate
files, which can import hundreds of profile properties at once. Pro Tip: Managing Your Profiles Create Profile from DWG in Tekla Structures
Tekla Structures Profile Catalog is a central database containing the cross-sectional properties (dimensions, analysis properties, and user attributes) of all profiles available for modeling. This guide covers how to access, customize, and manage these profiles. Tekla User Assistance 1. Accessing and Navigating the Catalog To open the catalog, go to the menu and select Catalogs > Profile catalog Tekla User Assistance
: Profiles are organized in a tree structure based on rules (e.g., I-profiles, L-profiles). : Profile data is stored in the profdb.bin file located within your model folder. Tekla User Assistance 2. Creating and Adding Profiles
You can add profiles using several methods depending on the complexity of the shape: Copy & Modify
: Select an existing fixed profile, right-click, and choose to copy or edit it to create a similar shape with different dimensions. DWG Import
: For irregular custom shapes (like specific cladding or cold-rolled sections), you can define a cross-section using a Prepare a clean 2D DWG with a closed polygon.
File > Catalogs > Define profiles > Define cross-section using DWG file
Assign a name and place it in the model to add it to the database. Sketched Profiles Sketch Editor
for parametric profiles that need to change size based on variables. Tekla Warehouse : Download manufacturer-specific profiles and click Insert into model to automatically add them to your profdb.bin Tekla User Assistance 3. Importing and Exporting The Tekla Structures Profile Catalog is not merely
To share profiles between projects or environments, use the import/export functions: Tekla User Assistance
How to Create new Profiles from DWG Files | Tekla Structures
Tekla Structures , the Profile Catalog acts as a central library containing all the cross-sections (like I-beams, L-profiles, and plates) available for your project. This guide covers how to navigate, use, and customize it. 1. Accessing the Catalog
You can open the catalog by navigating to the File menu and selecting Catalogs > Profile catalog. From here, you can view the entire tree of available profiles organized by type. 2. Standard vs. Parametric Profiles Profiles are generally split into two categories:
Standard (Fixed) Profiles: These have predefined dimensions (e.g., HEA120). You cannot change their specific dimensions once selected from the tree.
Parametric Profiles: These allow you to manually input dimensions (e.g., a "B*H" wood profile or a "D" circular section). These are often denoted by a specific prefix (like PL for plate or D for diameter). 3. Assigning a Profile to a Part To change the profile of an existing beam or column: Double-click the part to open its Properties. Click Select… next to the Profile field.
Choose a profile from the tree. You can use the Show details checkbox to see additional properties like weight per meter or cross-section area. Click Apply or OK. 4. Customizing the Catalog
If a standard profile is missing, you can add your own in several ways:
User-Defined Rules: You can create new categories (like "Historical Profiles") by right-clicking the tree and selecting Add Next Level Rule.
DWG Import: For complex shapes, you can import a cross-section from an AutoCAD DWG file by going to File > Catalogs > Define profiles > DWG import. By investing one hour in understanding this tool,
Material Association: You can control which profiles appear for specific materials (e.g., only showing L-profiles for steel parts) by right-clicking a profile type and selecting Material > Steel or Concrete.
Watch this step-by-step tutorial on how to import custom cross-sections from DWG files directly into your Tekla Profile Catalog: Create Profile from DWG in Tekla Structures Tekla Software YouTube• Jan 16, 2018 5. Managing Profiles in IFC Conversions
When importing external models (like IFC files), Tekla uses the Profile Catalog to map incoming names to native profiles. If a name matches perfectly, Tekla uses that profile; if not, it attempts to find a match based on parametric values.
Do you need help defining a new parametric profile using the Sketch Editor, or are you looking to export your catalog to another environment?
Customize the original profile catalog - Tekla User Assistance
Here’s a curated selection of interesting papers, technical resources, and deep-dive articles related to the Tekla Structures profile catalog — ranging from customization and parametric profiles to interoperability and data management.
In the dialog box, enter the dimensions. Use standard naming conventions (e.g., MyWideFlange-400x200).
Core Parameters Map:
To truly master the Tekla Structures Profile Catalog, adopt these habits:
Cause: Your environment (e.g., USA, Metric) loads different catalog subsets.
Fix: Go to File > Settings > Change environment or manually load the profitab.inp file for the US/Imperial library.