2.9.3 The “Copy Special - Rotate” tool in Tekla Structures
The tool allows creating new objects taking account of the rotation angle
Option 1
- “Copy Special- Rotate” around a specified point (around
the Z-axis).
Option 2
- “Copy Special- Rotate” around an arbitrary axis determined
by two points.
Tekla Structures v21.1
Tekla Structures v2021
Let’s exercise using this tool by creating a beam of 1000 mm length.
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Make sure all operations are canceled or press the Esc key.
Press the Ctrl+P hotkey combination to go to the view plane.
Select the object to get copied.
Enable the “Copy Special- Rotate” tool.
Indicate the first point, indicating the rotation center .
Write into the “Angle” field of the “Copy Special-Rotate”
dialog window the rotation angle value (in the current case study it equals
30 degrees).
Specify the required number of copies (in the current case study, indicate
the number equal to 11).
Press the “Copy” button.
To disable the “Copy Special - Rotate” tool, press the Esc
key.
Tekla Structures v21.1
Tekla Structures v2021
If you fail on precisely indicating the rotation center, then close
the “Copy Special - Rotate” dialog window and repeat the algorithm
from the start. Note that the current value of the “Around”
field is “Z” thus the very imaginary rotation axis is parallel
to the Z-axis.
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Note that there also is a new “dZ” field in the “Copy
Special-Rotate” dialog window. This field sets the offset value for
each consecutively created copy of the object by the Z-axis.
Specify the dZ value at 300 mm and repeatedly proceed on copying the beam.
Tekla Structures v21.1
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Rotate the view to investigate the result. Thus we can see that the group
of objects has a spiral trajectory, each copy allocated one above another.
This tool is useful for creating circular stairs and many other structures.
Let’s rotate the beam in another plane by creating all the beam’s
Thus select the beam, and in the right-click menu, go to the “Create
Minimize the current view and investigate the newly created ones.
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Four more beam view windows appeared. Go to the “Part Front
view” window. At the right bottom corner of the view, make sure the
Z-axis direction does not coincide with the eye gaze direction.
Reset the axis direction by using the ‘Work plane tool”.
The arrow marking that appeared indicates the updated view plane, where
Tekla Structures v21.1
Tekla Structures v2021
Now, enable the “Copy Special - Rotate” tool and indicate
the new rotation center. Copying will be done around the Z-axis with a
modified direction.
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Switch to another view (“Part end view”) and activate
the “Work plane” tool. Modify the Z-axis direction to be perpendicular
to the eye gaze direction.
Re-Enable the “Copy Special - Rotate” tool and indicate
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Re-enable the “Copy Special- Rotate” tool and set up the dZ
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Restore the initial Z-axis direction. Close all the views of the beam.
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Let’s test the second option for executing the “Copy Special
- Rotate” operation
indicating the rotation axis by two points. In this case, TS ignores
the Z-axis and uses the one, passing through the points indicated.
The algorithm for executing the “Copy Special - Rotate” operation
Make sure all operations are canceled or press the Esc key.
Rotate the view in the way to see the beam endpoint as it is shown in
the below picture.
Select the object (the beam) to get copied.
Enable the “Copy Special- Rotate” tool.
In the “Copy-Rotate” dialog window, set the “Around”
field value to “Line”.
Select the first point of the rotation axis
Select the second point of the rotation axis
Write into the “Angle” field of the “Copy Special-Rotate”
window the angle value (in the current case study use the value equal to
30 degrees).
Specify the number of copies ( in the current case study use the value
equal to 11).
Press the “Copy” button.
To disable the “Copy Special - Rotate” tool, press the Esc
key.
Tekla Structures v21.1
Tekla Structures v2021
Compare your results to those presented below:
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Exercise by your own copying the columns below in a full circle, by picking
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We will try out the “Copy Special - Mirror” tool for