Mapping Behavior

How Mapping Works

Tekla Structures and RISA-3D/RISAConnection have different nomenclatures for how elements are named. To map these names between the two programs a mapping file is generated by the RISA-Tekla Link for each Tekla Structures environment:

This mapping file contains materials, section names, etc., and maps Tekla Structures nomenclature to RISA-3D/RISAConnection and vice-versa. The mapping files are based on the default information in the Tekla Structures environments and the RISA-3D/RISAConnection shape databases. If new sections are added to these databases then they will ALSO need to be added to the mapping file for the RISA-Tekla Link to map these properties between programs.

Mapping File Editor

There is no problem opening the .xml mapping files in a spreadsheet program and making edits. However, the format of this file is somewhat difficult to understand. In lieu of this option there is a Mapping File Editor button, accessible a few different ways.

RISAConnection-Tekla Link Dialog

RISA-3D Tekla Link Export/Import Dialogs

When this button is pressed the Mapping File Editor will open. When it opens the program will read the shape, material and bolt information from the environment you are currently working in. It will also read from the associated RISA shape database. Finally, it will read and populate the dialog with information from the given mapping file.

Note that in the Mapping drop-down list is where the option for profiles (shape), materials or bolts is located.

Each item (profiles, materials, bolts) has a separate view with both "Tekla to RISA" and "RISA to Tekla" tabs. When a change is made to mapping behavior this change will automatically occur on both tabs.

Note:

Only elements that can be edited BOTH in Tekla Structures and RISAConnection will have information on both "Tekla to RISA" and "RISA to Tekla" tabs. W Shape profiles, for example, can only be edited in Tekla Structures. Thus, when viewing the "RISA to Tekla" tab there is no option to view W Shape profiles.

The About dialog will tell you which environment is being used, the mapping file URL and where the editor is looking for the RISA shapes database.

Note:

The RISA-Tekla Link currently supports mapping for the US Imperial and US Metric for BOTH the RISA-3D and RISAConnection links. Additionally, the UK, German, Sweden, Norway, China, India, and Australasia environments are supported for RISAConnection ONLY.. See the Before You Begin topic for more information on different environment behavior.
After a change is made to a mapping file you must go to File - Save. Once you save the file then Tekla Structures will prompt you to read in the mapping file again to account for this change.

Shape/Section Mapping

Member shapes are mapped between Tekla Structures and RISA by way of a mapping file. There is a default mapping file added at install time that has standard shapes mapped. To edit the mapping file you can open in directly. An easier way to edit, however, is via the Mapping File Editor.

Note:

The RISA-Tekla Link does not support parametric profiles. It only supports static profiles. If a connection contains a parametric profile, warning W3200-W3203 will be given and a default section/shape will be used.

Material Mapping

Materials are automatically mapped between Tekla Structures and RISAConnection for wide flanges, tubes, pipes, angles and plates. Tekla Structures has many materials not supported in RISAConnection. If RISAConnection does not support that material a warning will be given and a default material will be used.

Note:

You can use the Mapping File Editor to map your material to something similar that is supported in RISAConnection.

Element GUID's

RISAConnection Link

The link uses two connection identifiers when referring to a specific connection with the link. The connection GUID is what the link maps to. This is a unique value for each connection. This value is a very long string, however, so the link uses the CONNECTION_RUNNING_NUMBER as the displayed name of the connection.

However, you can update this using the button in Tekla Structures. See the Application Interface topic for more information on this.

RISA-3D Link

The link uses the object GUID when referencing an element.

RISAConnection Specific Mapping Considerations

When transferring Tekla Structures connections to RISAConnection properties are mapped over from Tekla Structures to RISAConnection and vice-versa. Tekla Structures and RISAConnection are very different and were built for different applications. However, many properties can be mapped directly between the two programs.

Properties are characterized as one of three different classifications: read-only properties, editable properties and ignored properties. Here we will explore each classification.

Read-Only Properties

Read-only properties are properties brought in from Tekla Structures that can not be updated in RISAConnection. These are properties inherent to the structure itself. These include section properties, material properties and loading. These are items that in most cases the connection designer does not have control of. Thus, these properties must be edited in the Tekla Structures model and is read-only in RISAConnection. There are also some other properties that for mapping purposes are brought over as read-only as well.

Bolt Hole Configuration

In RISAConnection you can have multiple configurations that Tekla Structures does not support. Because of this it is required to set the bolt hole types in Tekla Structures only.

For more information see the Bolt Hole Mapping section.

Editable Properties

Editable properties are properties brought in from Tekla Structures that can be updated in RISAConnection. These are properties specific to connection design that the connection designer would have control over. This includes welds, bolt criteria, plate and clip angle criteria, offsets, etc. These properties, if updated in RISAConnection, will be updated in the Tekla Structures model when the results are exported back from RISAConnection.

Ignored Properties

Ignored properties are properties completely ignored by the RISA-Tekla Link. These are generally elements in Tekla Structures that are not supported in RISAConnection. Some examples of properties ignored by the link:

Haunch plate information
Fill information
Folded plates and fitting plates
Seat angles and seat plates

Mapping Priority

Tekla Structures has the ability to define/edit properties in a variety of ways. The RISA-Tekla Link maps properties between Tekla Structures and RISAConnection in the following priority order:

Using the properties found directly in the connection component.

If the component doesn't have all of the information the RISA-Tekla Link will use the connection's individual object information.

If both the component and the individual objects do not fully define the connection the RISA-Tekla Link will look to the joints.def file for information. See the Tekla Structures help for more information about the usage of this file.

Tekla Structures uses the joints.def in specific folder sequences. The order that it looks in is:

The model directory (C:\TeklaStructuresModels\Tekla Model 1 for example).
The XS_Project directory (Tools>Options>Advanced Options>File Locations) which is blank by default.
The XS_Firm directory (Tools>Options>Advanced Options>File Locations) which is blank by default.
The XS_System (this defaults to C:\ProgramData\Tekla Structures\19.0\Environments\usimp\system or C:\ProgramData\Tekla Structures\19.0\Environments\Common\system depending on whether you are using imperial or metric units)

Below is a table showing the possible values that could be used directly from the joints.def file.

Component 141	Component 144	Component 146	Component 134	Component 182
Beam bolt vert edge dist	Bolt vert edge dist	Plate thickness	Bolt vert edge dist	Plate thickness
Beam bolt horz edge dist	Bolt horz edge dist	Bolt vert edge dist	Bolt horz edge dist	Bolt vert edge dist
Column/girder vert edge dist	Rows of bolts	Bolt horz edge dist	Rows of bolts	Bolt horz edge dist
Column/girder horz edge dist	Row spacing	Rows of bolts	Row spacing	Rows of bolts
Rows of bolts	Columns of bolts	Row spacing	Columns of bolts	Row spacing
Row spacing	Column spacing	Columns of bolts	Column spacing	Columns of bolts
Columns of bolts	Cope width	Column spacing		Column spacing
Column spacing	Cope length	Cope width
Cope width		Cope length
Cope length

Components 58, 59 and 60	Components, 11, 20, and 62	Component 184
Col/Gusset, Beam/Gusset, and Brace/Gusset bolt vert edge dist	Brace/Gusset bolt vert edge dist	Plate thickness
Col/Gusset, Beam/Gusset, and Brace/Gusset horz edge dist	Brace/Gusset horz edge dist	Bolt vert edge dist
Col/Gusset, Beam/Gusset, and Brace/Gusset Rows of bolts	Brace/Gusset Rows of bolts	Bolt horz edge dist
Col/Gusset, Beam/Gusset, and Brace/Gusset Row spacing	Brace/Gusset Row spacing	Rows of bolts
Col/Gusset, Beam/Gusset, and Brace/Gusset Columns of bolts	Brace/Gusset Columns of bolts	Row spacing
Col/Gusset, Beam/Gusset, and Brace/Gusset Column spacing	Brace/Gusset Column spacing	Columns of bolts
Gusset Dimensions	Gusset Dimensions	Column spacing
Diagonal Brace Dimensions	Diagonal Brace Dimensions	Cope width
		Cope length

If we can not find a property in any of the above 3 locations then RISAConnection will use it's own default value.

Other Mapping Considerations

Bolt Mapping

Slip-critical nomenclature is not identical between both programs. Here is how the mapping is defined in both directions for the US Imperial environment. The best way to see this information for other environments is from the Mapping File Editor.

Tekla to RISA Translation			RISA to Tekla Translation
Tekla Bolts	RISA Bolts		RISA Bolts		Tekla Bolts
Bolt Standard	Bolt Material	Slip Critical	Bolt Material	Slip Critical	Bolt Standard
A307	A307-N	No	A307-N	No	A307
A325M	A325M	No	A307-N	Class A	A307
A325MT	A325M	No	A307-N	Class B	A307
A325N	A325-N	No	A307-X	No	A307
A325N-DTI	A325-N	No	A307-X	Class A	A307
A325_TC	A325-N	No	A307-X	Class B	A307
A325_TC-DTI	A325-N	No	A325-N	No	A325N
A325N_TC-DTI	A325-N	No	A325-N	Class A	A325SC
A325SC	A325-N	Class A	A325-N	Class B	A325SC
A325SC_TC	A325-N	Class A	A325-X	No	A325X
A325T	A325-N	No	A325-X	Class A	A325SC
A325X	A325-X	No	A325-X	Class B	A325SC
A325X-DTI	A325-X	No	A490-N	No	A490N
A325X_TC	A325-X	No	A490-N	Class A	A490SC
A325X_TC-DTI	A325-X	No	A490-N	Class B	A490SC
A490M	A490M	No	A490-X	No	A490X
A490N	A490-N	No	A490-X	Class A	A490SC
A490N-DTI	A490-N	No	A490-X	Class B	A490SC
A490N_TC	A490-N	No	A325M	No	A325M
A490N_TC-DTI	A490-N	No	A325M	Class A	A325M
A490SC	A490-N	Class A	A325M	Class B	A325M
A490 SC_TC	A490-N	Class A	A325M	No	A325M
A490X	A490-X	No	A325M	Class A	A325M
A490X-DTI	A490-X	No	A325M	Class B	A325M
A490X_TC	A490-X	No	A490M	No	A490M
A490X_TC-DTI	A490-X	No	A490M	Class A	A490M
			A490M	Class B	A490M
			A490M	No	A490M
			A490M	Class A	A490M
			A490M	Class B	A490M

Note:

For slip-critical call-outs in Tekla Structures they do not give the faying surface. In this instance RISAConnection assumes conservatively a Class A faying surface.
In any cases where the Bolt Standard does not state N or X the program will use the Thread in Mat input to determine this. If the Thread in Mat input is defined as "Default" or "Yes" then the "N" designation will be mapped. If defined as "No" then the "X" designation will be mapped.

The above information is the default mapping behavior. This mapping can be changed by using the Mapping File Editor.

Weld Mapping

In the Tekla Structures components there is a button for welds:

This is the place where the Weld Size and Weld Type is stored.

A couple of notes on this dialog:

By default a large amount of welds are defined. Most likely all of these welds will not be used and a warning message will be created in the RISA-Tekla Link.
For doubler plates in connection 134 it is weld 2 which controls the weld parameters for the weld from the doubler plate to the column. In Tekla Structures there is a single input for the doubler plate weld all the way around. In RISAConnection there is a left/right input and a top/bottom input where these welds can be not. Because of this, any edits to the weld type or weld size must be done in Tekla Structures.

In Tekla Structures the Electrode Classification is almost never stored in the component. You must click on the individual weld object to view this information. The table shows how this information is mapped.

Tekla Electrode Classification	RISA Electrode Type
35	Unsupported (use E70)
42	Unsupported (use E70)
50	Unsupported (use E70)
E60XX	E60
E70XX	E70
E80XX	E80
E90XX	E90
E70XX*	E100
E70XX*	E110

Note:

It is possible in RISAConnection to use E100 or E110 electrode types. However, Tekla Structures does not support these and the link will default to E70XX.
Because the Electrode Classification is not stored in the component (only in the individual weld object), any modifications to the component will overwrite this information from the individual weld object with blank information. This will cause RISAConnection to bring in the default again the next time the model is linked.

Bolt Hole Mapping

In RISAConnection you can have multiple configurations that Tekla Structures does not support. Because of this it is required to set the bolt hole types in Tekla Structures only.

In Tekla it is possible to map the type of bolt holes to RISAConnection.

This is the nomenclature that is used:

Tekla Hole Type	Tekla Rotate Slots	RISA
Default	Odd	SSLH
Default	Even	SSLV
Default	Parallel	SSLH
Default	Default	STD
Slotted	Odd	LSLH
Slotted	Even	LSLV
Slotted	Parallel	LSLH
Slotted	Default	LSLH
Oversized	Any Value	OVS

If the hole dimensions are defined explicitly an warning will be generated and RISAConnection will default to a STD hole. RISAConnection bases the standard hole size (STD) and slotted hole sizes on values taken directly from the AISC steel manual. Again, if you input dimensions directly they will not be used.

Note:

In RISAConnection it is possible to freely control the orientation of bolt holes for both the member and the connector. Tekla Structures is more restrictive. For this reason the bolt hole configurations can only be manipulated in Tekla Structures and RISAConnection will then read this information. You can not edit this information in RISAConnection.