Tekla OpenAPI For Beginners

Understand how Tekla Open API allows developers to automate tasks, create custom applications, and extend Tekla’s functionalities using C#.

Get familiar with the essential software tools, including Tekla Structures, Microsoft Visual Studio, and API reference documentation for coding and development.

Explore the available resources, including Tekla’s official documentation, developer forums, and community support to help troubleshoot and enhance your API skills.

Understand which Tekla licenses support Open API development and how to ensure compliance with licensing requirements before building applications.

Discover how automation through Open API reduces manual work, enhances efficiency, and enables the creation of custom workflows for complex detailing and modeling tasks.

A step-by-step roadmap to ensure you have the required programming skills, software setup, and API understanding to begin development.

Application vs. Plugin – Part 1 & 2 – Learn the difference between standalone applications that run externally and plugins that integrate directly within Tekla Structures.

Understand how to design user-friendly interfaces for Tekla applications using Windows Forms and dialog boxes.

Introduction to TSEP – Learn what Tekla Structures Extension Packages (TSEP) are and how they help package and distribute custom Tekla applications.

Plugin TSEP – Understand how TSEP plugins work inside Tekla and how to install, manage, and update them.

Introduction to Application TSEP – Learn how to create full-fledged Tekla applications using TSEP, allowing custom functionalities beyond built-in tools.

Application TSEP – Get hands-on experience in configuring, packaging, and deploying applications using Tekla Structures Extension Packages.

TSEP File Dispatcher Launcher – Learn how the TSEP File Dispatcher helps in managing and launching multiple Tekla applications efficiently.

Creating Beams and Columns – Learn how to create basic and polybeams using predefined or user-selected points.

Creating Contour Plates – Automate the creation of contour plates by using predefined points or interactive selection in Tekla models.

Creating Bolts and Welds – Understand how to programmatically generate bolts and welds between steel members using API methods.

Select From Catalogue – Learn how to create a dropdown list of predefined Tekla components for easy user selection in custom applications.

Chamfer Selection for Contour Plates – Automate the process of selecting and applying chamfers to contour plates using form-based inputs.

Selecting Images and Indexing Values – Learn to develop interactive UI elements that allow users to select and apply images or attributes dynamically.

Reading and Reusing Attribute Values – Retrieve existing object attributes, modify them, and apply them to other components efficiently.

Distance List Implementation – Automate placement distances for Tekla objects by using predefined or calculated spacing values.

Vector Basics – Learn the fundamental vector operations, including addition, subtraction, and magnitude calculation, for precise object placement in Tekla.

Dot and Cross Products – Understand how to use vector mathematics to determine angles, rotations, and transformations in 3D space.

Unit Vectors and Vector Output – Explore how to normalize vectors for consistent direction control when positioning objects through API scripts.

Part Fitting and Straight Cuts – Automate cutting steel profiles using predefined fit conditions to adjust elements for connections.

Angle and Polygon Cuts – Use API functions to define precise cutting angles and polygonal trims for advanced steel detailing.

Logical Code for Column Web Fittings – Implement advanced logic to automatically fit cuts that align with column flanges and web structures.

Changing Workplanes – Learn how to switch between global and part-based workplanes for precise modeling in different orientations.

Saving Workplanes – Automate workplane setups for consistent modeling environments across multiple sessions or projects.

Reading Object Attributes – Extract detailed properties of beams, plates, bolts, and welds using API methods.

Creating Objects Based on Attributes – Use existing object properties to generate new objects with similar characteristics.

Displaying Data in Grids – Develop interactive data tables to show and manipulate Tekla model attributes dynamically.