Tekla Structures

Tekla Model Sharing Guide

Product version 21.1

August 2015

©2015 Tekla Corporation

Contents

1 Tekla Model Sharing .........................................................................................3

1.1 Prerequisites for Tekla Model Sharing....................................................................................4
1.2 How Tekla Model Sharing uses the sharing service.............................................................. 5
1.3 Install a cache service for Tekla Model Sharing.................................................................... 7
1.4 User roles in Tekla Model Sharing.......................................................................................... 9

2 Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing........................................... 10

2.1 Join a shared model in Tekla Model Sharing....................................................................... 11
2.2 Share your model changes in Tekla Model Sharing............................................................ 12
2.3 Show changes in Tekla Model Sharing after reading in.....................................................13
2.4 List of shared models in Tekla Model Sharing.....................................................................14
2.5 User information and access rights in Tekla Model Sharing..............................................16
2.6 Create a baseline for a model in Tekla Model Sharing.......................................................17
2.7 Exclude a model from the sharing service in Tekla Model Sharing.................................. 19
2.8 Convert a shared model to a single-user or a multi-user model...................................... 20

3 What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing........................................................ 22

3.1 Tekla Model Sharing settings................................................................................................ 25
3.2 Exclude files and folders from Tekla Model Sharing.......................................................... 27
3.3 Use import and export to share Organizer data in Tekla Model Sharing......................... 29
3.4 Collect model history in Tekla Model Sharing.....................................................................30

4 Conflict handling and limitations in Tekla Model Sharing......................... 32

4.1 Restore a model in Tekla Model Sharing............................................................................. 34

5 Disclaimer.........................................................................................................36

2
1 Tekla Model Sharing

Tekla Model Sharing enables efficient global collaborative modeling within one Tekla
Structures model. Tekla Model Sharing gives users the freedom to work with the same model
at the same time in different locations and time zones.

With Tekla Model Sharing you can work locally and share the model changes globally. For
example, one Tekla Model Sharing team of users can work in New York, one in London and
one in Bangkok. They all contribute to the same model, working around the globe during
their office hours in different time zones while the model keeps building up all the time.
In Tekla Model Sharing each user has a local version of the model on their computer or on a
network drive, and the model data is shared and synchronized over the Internet using a
Microsoft Azure cloud service that is provided by Tekla. When a model is shared, it is
connected to the cloud-based sharing service. You can then easily share your changes by
writing out them to the sharing service. When you want to update your model with the
changes done by other users, you do it by reading in the changes from the sharing service.
Even though the changes are shared over the Internet, you do not need to be connected to
the sharing service all the time. You need to be online only when you want to write out or
read in the changes. This enables the offline work if your Internet connection is not always
available.

Tekla Model Sharing 3

 With Tekla Model Sharing you can
• invite other users to your shared models
• join someone else's shared models
• share model changes

NOTE Tekla Model Sharing requires a single-user model.

A model cannot be simultaneously shared and used in multi-user mode. If you want to use a
shared model in multi-user mode, you need to exclude the model from the sharing service
and convert it to a multi-user model. See Exclude a model from the sharing service in Tekla
Model Sharing on page 19.
After you have excluded a model from the sharing service, you cannot merge the excluded
model back to the original shared model. The excluded model is completely new and it has no
connection to the model in the sharing service. See Can I link excluded model back to model
sharing model?

See also
Prerequisites for Tekla Model Sharing on page 4
How Tekla Model Sharing uses the sharing service on page 5
User roles in Tekla Model Sharing on page 9
Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 10

1.1 Prerequisites for Tekla Model Sharing

Before you can start using Tekla Model Sharing and share your models, the following
prerequisites need to be met:
• Internet connection
You need to establish a connection to the Tekla Model Sharing service to perform any
model sharing actions.
• TCP port 443 (the default HTTPS) outbound must be open.
If an HTTP proxy is used, it must support HTTP 1.1.
• For optimal performance, TCP port 9354 outbound must be open.
• Tekla account
All sharing actions require authentication, and the authentication is done with Tekla
account username, password, and organization. Your Tekla account needs to be
associated with a Tekla validated organization.
If you do not have a Tekla account, contact your organization's Tekla account
administrator.
• License

Tekla Model Sharing 4 Prerequisites for Tekla Model Sharing

 All sharing actions require a valid Tekla Model Sharing license. Tekla Model Sharing
licenses are tied to users' Tekla accounts.
Based on the Tekla account information, the organization administrator can assign and
manage Tekla Model Sharing licenses in the Tekla Account Admin Tool. To obtain a Tekla
Model Sharing license and have your Tekla account added to your company organization,
contact your organization's Tekla account administrator.
For more information, see Tekla account and Managing Tekla accounts and Model
Sharing licenses.

See also
How Tekla Model Sharing uses the sharing service on page 5

1.2 How Tekla Model Sharing uses the sharing service

When you start to share a model using Tekla Model Sharing, the model is connected to the
cloud-based sharing service that is provided by Tekla.

To send model changes to the sharing service and to fetch other users' model changes from
the sharing service, you
• write out
• read in
When you read in other users' changes, the updates to the shared model are delivered to you
as incremental packets. This means that when you read in, the data that is fetched from the
sharing service is merged with the data on your computer. You need to read in all shared
changes before you can write out your own changes to the sharing service.
Note that there is no central model in the sharing service as such, only a model instance that
consists of a model baseline and incremental updates. You cannot open the model in the
sharing service or access any files.

Tekla Model Sharing service setup

The model data is stored to the sharing service. Each user fetches the model data from the
sharing service when they read in. User authentication is done with Tekla account.

Tekla Model Sharing 5 How Tekla Model Sharing uses the sharing service
Sharing service setup with Tekla Model Sharing Cache
If needed, you can install a separate Tekla Model Sharing Cache service to be used with the
Tekla Model Sharing service. With the Tekla Model Sharing Cache service you can benefit
from faster packet download times in regions where the download speed may be limited.
With the cache service, the model data is stored to the sharing service and then cached
inside a LAN. The first user who reads in a packet from the sharing service loads it to the
cache, and the next user gets the data faster from the cache inside the LAN than from the
sharing service through the Internet. Thus, if you have a narrow bandwidth to the Internet,
using the cache service reduces the download effort and enables faster download times.
For more information, see Install a cache service for Tekla Model Sharing on page 7 and
Cache server deployment.

Tekla Model Sharing 6 How Tekla Model Sharing uses the sharing service
 NOTE The cache is not used for packets that are written out.

See also
Prerequisites for Tekla Model Sharing on page 4
Share your model changes in Tekla Model Sharing on page 12

1.3 Install a cache service for Tekla Model Sharing

Tekla Model Sharing Cache service downloads model data from the Tekla Model Sharing
service and stores it in the file system. Using Tekla Model Sharing Cache service with Tekla
Model Sharing you can benefit from faster packet download times in regions where the
download speed may be limited.

Software and system requirements:

• Windows Server 2008 R2, or later
• .NET Framework 4.5.1
1. Download the Tekla Model Sharing Cache service installation file from Tekla Downloads.
2. Run the installation file.
3. Follow the steps in the installation wizard to complete the installation.

Tekla Model Sharing 7 Install a cache service for Tekla Model Sharing
 • The default cache folder is ..\TeklaModelSharingCache. If needed, you can
change the folder destination.
Ensure that the destination folder has enough disk space for the estimated usage of
the service. The required disk space can vary from a few gigabytes to terabytes,
depending on the amount of Tekla Model Sharing users and the size of the models.
• The default TCP port for the cache service is 9998.
Use this port when you configure Tekla Structures client to use the cache. Set the
port number in the Sharing settings dialog box in Tekla Structures.
• The default TCP port for internal communication is 9001.
If the ports cause conflicts or other problems because of other services or a firewall,
you can change the ports to some other ports.

NOTE If you later need to modify the installation, re-run the

TeklaModelSharingCacheService.exe installation file and select
Repair. You can then change the previously set cache folder or port numbers.
Alternatively, you can use the cache service configuration file
TmsConfiguration.xml in ..\ProgramData\Tekla
\ModelSharingCache\ to modify the cache installation. Modify the
TmsConfiguration.xml file using any standard text editor, for example,
Windows Notepad or an XML editor. Open the text editor as administrator by
right-clicking and selecting Run as administrator. This ensures that the file can
be saved in the same location from where it was opened.

4. Check that the Tekla Model Sharing Cache service has started.
• Locate Tekla Model Sharing Cache from the Windows services by using, for
example, the Computer Management console compmgmt.msc or the Services
management console services.msc.
• Use Windows Event Viewer to verify that there are no errors from the service and
there are Information messages showing that the service has started.
Troubleshooting tips
If you cannot connect to the service from Tekla Structures:
• Make sure that the Tekla Model Sharing Cache Windows Service is running.
• Make sure that firewalls do not block ports 9001 or 9998, if you use the default
ports.
If the service does not start:
• Check the Windows Event Viewer's Application Log for possible errors.
See Cache server deployment for installation tips.

See also
How Tekla Model Sharing uses the sharing service on page 5

Tekla Model Sharing 8 Install a cache service for Tekla Model Sharing
1.4 User roles in Tekla Model Sharing
When you start to share your model in Tekla Model Sharing, you become the Owner of the
model. The Owner can invite other users and give them one of the three different roles. The
role defines the user's permission level to the model.
The three different user roles in Tekla Model Sharing are Owner, Editor and Viewer.
• As an Owner you can
• read in other users' changes and write out your own changes to the sharing service
• invite new users
• list other users and change their roles
• remove users from the model
• remove the model instance and all the model related data from the sharing service
• change the model code and description properties
As an Owner you can select the roles when you invite users to a shared model, or any
time during a project. If you change the role of a user, you can send a notification e-mail
to the user. If you include a short message in the e-mail, all the invited users and users
whose role has been changed receive the same message.
There can be several Owners within one model. The Owner who has started to share the
model can give the Owner role to any selected user.
• As an Editor you can
• read in other users' changes and write out your own changes to the sharing service
• list other users
• As a Viewer you can
• read in other users' changes but you cannot write out any changes to the sharing
service

See also
User information and access rights in Tekla Model Sharing on page 16
Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 10
What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing on page 22

Tekla Model Sharing 9 User roles in Tekla Model Sharing

2 Start to share a model in Tekla Model
Sharing

Before you can start sharing your models in Tekla Model Sharing, you need to be logged in
with your Tekla account in Tekla Structures. If you are not logged in, the Tekla account log in
dialog box opens and prompts you to enter your username and password.

To start share a model:

1. Click File --> Sharing --> Start Sharing , or .

The Start Sharing dialog box opens.
2. If needed, enter a Code and Description for the model.
• Code can be, for example, a site number, a project number, or an accounting number.
• Add Description according to your company conventions.
3. Invite other users to share your model by entering their e-mail addresses to the Invite
users box and set their access level either to Editor, Owner, or Viewer.
4. Click the Add button to add the user to the model.
5. Select whether to send a notification e-mail to the invited users. Select the Send e-mail
notification to user check box and write a message to the invited users, if needed.
6. Click Start to start sharing your model.
The model is saved and written out to the sharing service.

See also
User roles in Tekla Model Sharing on page 9
Join a shared model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 11
Share your model changes in Tekla Model Sharing on page 12
Prerequisites for Tekla Model Sharing on page 4

Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing 10 User roles in Tekla Model Sharing
 2.1 Join a shared model in Tekla Model Sharing
When someone using Tekla Model Sharing has invited you to a shared Tekla Structures
model, you will receive an e-mail asking you to join the model.

The e-mail contains information about the model, the used environment and your role. The
role is your level of permission to the model.
You can join model at any stage of sharing, and as many times you need.
To join a shared model:

1. Click File --> Sharing --> Shared Models , or .

The Shared Models dialog box opens.
2. In Save in select the location where to save a local copy of the model on your computer.
3. From the Shared models list, select the model you have been invited to.
You find the name of the model in the e-mail.
4. Click Join.
When you join the model:
• Tekla Structures checks that the local copy of the model does not already exists in
the selected folder. A warning message is displayed if the selected folder already
contains the model. In that case, you need to browse for a different folder where to
save the model.
• Tekla Structures checks the environment you are using and displays a message if you
are using a different environment than the shared model. We recommend that all
users within the same shared model use the same environment.
5. From the list of available updates, select an update or a baseline that you want to join.
You can select any baseline or update to join, not only the latest. By joining an earlier
baseline or update you can go back in the model history, and, for example, check the
model state on a certain date.
Selecting a baseline is beneficial if you join the model when there already are many
changes made. Joining a baseline instead of an update is also faster.
6. Start working with the model.

See also
List of shared models in Tekla Model Sharing on page 14
User roles in Tekla Model Sharing on page 9
User information and access rights in Tekla Model Sharing on page 16
Create a baseline for a model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 17

Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing 11 Join a shared model in Tekla Model Sharing
 2.2 Share your model changes in Tekla Model Sharing
When you want to share your changes with other users who are working with the model,
send your changes to the sharing service by writing them out.
When you want to update your model with the changes done by other users, fetch the
changes from the sharing service by reading them in. You always need to read in the most
current changes to a model before you can write out.

To Do this
Write out
changes 1. Click File --> Sharing --> Write Out , or .
Tekla Structures saves the model, creates a packet of the model
changes, writes out the changes to the sharing service and saves the
model again.
Only new or changed data is written out. If you attempt to write out
your changes, but some other user has shared some changes earlier,
you are asked to read in first. If there is no new data to be read in,
Tekla Structures writes out your changes to the sharing service
immediately.
If one of the users who shares the model has selected the Enable
write out revision comment setting in the Sharing Settings dialog
box, you can enter a code or a comment for the update that you are
writing out.
If you delete objects and share the deletion to the sharing service, the
deletion is shared with other users, and the deleted objects cannot be
recovered.
2. Continue working with the model.

NOTE If several users modify the same objects at the same time, the
model will contain the changes by the user who first wrote the
changes out.

Read in
changes 1. Click File --> Sharing --> Read In , or .
Tekla Structures displays the Show Model Sharing Changes dialog
box. It lists the changes according to how they affect the model. Note
that deleted objects are not listed or visualized.
If there are no shared changes after your last read in, the No new
shared data available status bar message is displayed.
When you read in, the updates to the shared model are delivered as
incremental packets that only include the changed data. You need to
read in all shared changes before you can again write out your own
changes to the sharing service.

Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing 12 Share your model changes in Tekla Model Sharing
 To Do this
2. Continue working with the model.

NOTE If you encounter problems with sharing, you can check the modelsharing.log file,
located in the current model folder. Read the file from bottom to top and try to identify the
source of the problem.

If you want to automate the write out process, you can use the Sharing Automation Tool
from Tekla Warehouse. The tool reads in and then tries to write out until it succeeds. You can
also schedule the read in so that it happens outside the office hours, and in this way have
other users' changes available when you come to the office in the morning.

See also
Show changes in Tekla Model Sharing after reading in on page 13
What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing on page 22
Exclude files and folders from Tekla Model Sharing on page 27
Conflict handling and limitations in Tekla Model Sharing on page 32
Collect model history in Tekla Model Sharing on page 30

2.3 Show changes in Tekla Model Sharing after reading in

After you have updated your model by reading in the changes from the sharing service, the
Show Model Sharing Changes dialog box is displayed.
The Show Model Sharing Changes dialog box lists the changes according to how they affect
the model. You can select which changes you want to view.
• Added objects shows the new objects that have been added to the model.
• Modified objects shows the objects that have been modified in the model.
• Conflicting objects shows the objects that have been modified by the user who reads in
and by another user.
• Assemblies only shows the added or modified assemblies. In most cases, you do not need
to see the individual added or modified objects, but the assembly level information is
enough.
The changes are also visualized with colors in the model. When you select an item in the list,
Tekla Structures highlights and zooms to the object in the model. If you do not want to zoom
to the selected object, clear the Zoom to selected objects check box.
The table below lists the highlight colors used in the visualization.

Modified object Highlight color

Added objects green
Modified objects yellow

Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing 13 Show changes in Tekla Model Sharing after reading in
 Modified object Highlight color
Conflicting objects orange
Existing objects gray

NOTE Deleted objects are not listed or visualized.

To view the changes again, click File --> Sharing --> Show Read In Changes .

See also
Share your model changes in Tekla Model Sharing on page 12
What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing on page 22
Conflict handling and limitations in Tekla Model Sharing on page 32

2.4 List of shared models in Tekla Model Sharing

When you want to join a shared model in Tekla Model Sharing, you select the model to join
in the Shared Models dialog box. You can also check which models you have joined earlier,
and where you have saved the local copies of the shared models.

Option Description
Service Sharing service that is being used.
Save in Location where the model is saved locally on your computer.
If you want to save to another location, click the Browse button.
Shared models List of models that you have shared or have been shared with you.

Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing 14 List of shared models in Tekla Model Sharing
 Option Description
• Show also • If you have hidden some models from the Shared models list,
hidden select the Show also hidden check box to see the full list of
models that have been shared with you, or you have shared.
• Show shared
models on this • Select the Show shared models on this computer check box to
computer see the models that you have locally saved on your computer.
Click to hide the model from the Shared models list.
If you have many models on the list, it can be useful to hide the
models you are not actively working with.
Code Code of the model.
The code can be, for example, a site number, a project number, or an
accounting number.
Name Name of the model.
Description Description of the model.
Environment Environment of the model.
From Person who has invited you to the shared model, or has changed
your role the last.
Date Date when the sharing of the model was started.
Your role Your role and your access level to the model.
The options are Owner, Editor, or Viewer.
Only Owner can change the roles of the other users.
If you are Owner of the model, you can edit the Code and
Description of the model.
If you are Owner of the model, you can invite new users to the
model, or remove existing users.
If you are Editor, you can see which users have been invited or have
joined the shared model.
If you are Owner of the model, you can remove the model from the
sharing service.
This discontinues the sharing, and the users who have been working
with the shared model cannot share changes anymore.
Local copies of When you select a model from the Shared models list, the model
selected model on information is displayed here.
this computer
• The date when the model has been edited.
• Edited
• The location of the model on your computer.
• Model
• Click to open the model.
•
• Click to remove the local model from your computer.
•

Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing 15 List of shared models in Tekla Model Sharing
 See also
Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 10
Join a shared model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 11
User information and access rights in Tekla Model Sharing on page 16

2.5 User information and access rights in Tekla Model Sharing

Use the Users dialog box to check the Tekla Model Sharing user information and the sharing
actions on the model.

Option Description
Name Name of the user.
E-mail E-mail address of the user.
Role Role of the user: Owner, Editor, or Viewer.
When you start to share a model, you become Owner of the model and
you can set other users' roles. The roles can be changed later, if needed.
Use the different roles to control the permission levels to the model.
Note that there can be several Owners within one model.
Joined Indicates whether the invited user has joined the model.
Date Date when the user has joined the model.
By Person who invited the user or changed the user role the last.
Last read in Date when the user last read in.
↓ Number with the arrow down indicates the total number of update
packets available in the sharing service.
The number next to the arrow indicates how many of the packets the
user has read in.
Last write out Date when the user last wrote out.
↑ Number with the arrow up indicates the total number of update packets
available in the sharing service.
The number next to the arrow indicates the number of the last packet
that the user has written out.
Remove the selected user's permission to the model.
Only Owner can remove other users from the sharing service.

Privileges
The person who has created the model, or anyone from the same organization, can control
access rights to the model using privileges. In practice the privileges of the model are
controlled via the privileges.inp file.

Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing 16 User information and access rights in Tekla Model Sharing
 By modifying the privileges.inp file you can control
• access to modify user-defined attributes
• access to modify object properties. This is done by locking and unlocking objects.
• access to modify numbering settings
• access to save standard files
To change the access rights:
1. Close the model.
2. Open the privileges.inp file in any text editor.
3. Change the desired settings and save the file to your model folder.
4. Re-open the model.
See Changing access rights in privileges.inp and Options in privileges.inp.

Locks
If you have created the model, you can also set object locks and drawing locks.
• To protect objects from being accidentally modified, you can use a user-defined attribute
(UDA) called Locked.
Note that the object locking needs to be set for the object before it is shared for the first
time. This ensures that other users cannot modify the locked objects.
• You can also use drawing locks. If a drawing is locked and the lock is shared, the lock
prevents any changes by other users.
To update a locked drawing:
1. Read in.
2. Write out.
3. Open the drawing lock.
4. Update the drawing.
5. Write out.
See Locking objects and Locks for drawings

See also
User roles in Tekla Model Sharing on page 9
Conflict handling and limitations in Tekla Model Sharing on page 32

2.6 Create a baseline for a model in Tekla Model Sharing

If you are Owner of a model in Tekla Model Sharing, and you want to make a record of the
current progress of the model or make the model faster to join for a new user, you can create

Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing 17 Create a baseline for a model in Tekla Model Sharing
 a new starting point for the model in the sharing service. This new starting point is achieved
by creating a baseline. Baseline is a snapshot of the current state of the model. When you
create a baseline, a full model is always written out to the sharing service.

When a user joins the model, the user can select from the list of available updates a baseline
or an update to join. The user can select any baseline or update to join, not only the latest. By
joining an earlier baseline or update the user can go back in the model history, and, for
example, check the model state on a certain date.
Joining a baseline is beneficial for users who join the model when there already are many
changes made. Joining a baseline instead of an update is also faster.
We recommend the Owner to create a new baseline when a new user has been invited to the
model.
To create a baseline:
1. Click File --> Sharing --> Create Baseline .
2. Enter a code or a comment, if entering revision comments has been enabled.
A full model is written out to the sharing service. Files and folders that have been
excluded from the sharing are not included in the baseline.
If you need to read in while you are creating the baseline, you need to repeat the Create
Baseline command after you have read in other users' changes.
3. If needed: Invite someone to join the model.
When the new user joins the model, the Available updates dialog box is displayed.
The user can then select the baseline or an update to join. If the user reads in at any
point after joining, only incremental packets are read in from the sharing service.

Example
Owner writes out the following baselines and updates:

Type Packet
Baseline 1
Update 2
Update 3
Baseline 4
Update 5
Baseline 6
Update 7

• User A joins the model by reading in the Baseline 1. If the user then reads in the Update
7, the user gets all the packets from 2 to 7.
• User B joins the model by reading in the Update 5. Upon joining, the user reads in the
latest full model, which is the Baseline 4, and the following incremental packet, which is

Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing 18 Create a baseline for a model in Tekla Model Sharing
 the Update 5. If the user then reads in the Update 7, the user receives the packets 6 and
7.

See also
Join a shared model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 11
User roles in Tekla Model Sharing on page 9
Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 10

2.7 Exclude a model from the sharing service in Tekla Model

Sharing
If needed, you can exclude yourself and your local version of the model from the sharing
service.
When you exclude a model, your local version of the model is no longer connected to the
sharing service and you cannot share your changes anymore. However, the model instance
still exists in the sharing service and other users can continue working with the model
normally.

NOTE After you have excluded a model from the sharing service, you cannot merge the
excluded model back to the original shared model. The excluded model is completely
new and it has no connection to the model in the sharing service. See Can I link
excluded model back to model sharing model?

All users, regardless of their user role (Owner, Editor, Viewer), can exclude the model from
the sharing service.
To exclude a model from the sharing service:
1. Click File --> Sharing --> Exclude from Sharing .
A confirmation message is displayed.
2. Click Continue.
The model is disconnected from the sharing service, and you cannot write out or read in
changes anymore.
After a model has been excluded
• you can start to use the model in single-user mode.
• you can start to use the model in multi-user mode.
See Convert a shared model to a single-user or a multi-user model on page 20.
• you can continue working with the model in Tekla Model Sharing.
If you want to use Tekla Model Sharing, you can either

Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing 19 Exclude a model from the sharing service in Tekla Model
Sharing
 • join the same model again in the Shared models dialog box.
When you join the model, you can select a baseline or an update that you want to
join.
If you join the model again, you need to save a new local version of the model on
your computer.
• start sharing the model and invite other users to join the model.
If you start to share the model, the model is completely new and it has no connection
to the previous model in the sharing service, even though the model retains its old
name.
If you do not change the name of the model, you may have several models that have
the same name on the Shared models list. All these models need to be saved in
different locations on your computer, because you cannot have two or more models
of the same name in the same folder.

See also
Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 10
Join a shared model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 11

2.8 Convert a shared model to a single-user or a multi-user model

If needed, you can stop working with a shared model in Tekla Model Sharing and convert the
model to a single-user or a multi-user model.

A model cannot be simultaneously shared and used in multi-user mode. If you want to start
using multi-user mode as a means to share your model instead of Tekla Model Sharing, you
need to first exclude the model from the sharing service and then convert it to a multi-user
model. The excluded model has no connection to the original shared model in the sharing
service. This means that if you exclude a model from the sharing service and start to use the
model in multi-user mode, you cannot later merge original shared model and the multi-user
model.
To convert a shared model:
1. Open the shared model that you want to convert.
2. Click File --> Sharing --> Exclude from Sharing .
A confirmation message is displayed.
3. Click Continue.
The model is disconnected from the sharing service, and you cannot write out or read in
changes anymore.
4. Click File --> Open to open the model list.

Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing 20 Convert a shared model to a single-user or a multi-user
model
 5. From the list of models, select the shared model that you want to convert to a single-
user or a multi-user model.

Shared models have the icon.

6. Right-click and select Convert to new single-user model or Convert to new multi-user
model.
The model is converted and you can enter a name for the model in the Model name box.

See also
Exclude a model from the sharing service in Tekla Model Sharing on page 19
Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 10

Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing 21 Convert a shared model to a single-user or a multi-user
model
3 What is shared in Tekla Model
Sharing

By default, everything is shared when you share a model in Tekla Model Sharing.

How data is shared in Tekla Model Sharing depends on the type of the shared data.
• Some data is shared incrementally.
This means that only the new and changed data is shared. When you read in, the data
that is fetched from the sharing service is merged to the data on your computer.
• Some data is shared, but it cannot be updated incrementally.
When you read in, the data that is fetched from the sharing service overwrites the data
on your computer.
• Some data is not shared.
By default, Organizer data is not shared.
However, you can use the Organizer import and export with Tekla Model Sharing to
share the Organizer changes.

NOTE Some of the catalog files that are located in the environment folders are copied to
the model folder when the sharing is started.

Option Description
Model database Model database .db1 is shared incrementally.
Numbering database Numbering database .db2 is shared, but it cannot be updated
incrementally.
If you have modified the family numbering settings and you read
in, you lose the changes if another user has changed the family
numbering settings and has written out.
We recommend that one user updates and shares the numbering
settings with other users by writing them out. In case the user
needs to read in before writing out the numbering updates, it is

What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing 22 Convert a shared model to a single-user or a multi-user
model
 Option Description
important to check that the settings are as they were before
starting to share them.
We recommend you to use the Drawings --> Numbering -->
Numbering Series of Selected Objects command when
numbering.
Create your model output, such as drawings, reports, NC files and
IFC files, after a successful write out.
Model history Model history database history.db is shared incrementally.
database
Plan database Plan databases .db3 are shared, but they cannot be updated
incrementally.
If you have imported a CIS/2 or a SDNF model and you read in,
you lose the plan database changes if another user has imported
the same CIS/2 or SDNF model and has written out.
Analysis model Analysis model database .db6 and analysis results model
database database .db5 are shared, but they cannot be updated
incrementally.
If you have modified an analysis model and you read in, you lose
the analysis model changes if another user has changed the same
analysis model and has written out.
Custom components Custom components and sketched profiles database xslib.db1
and sketched profiles is shared incrementally.
Profile catalog Shared model contains profile catalog file profdb.bin.
When you add and use a new profile definition in the shared
model, the definition is shared the next time you write out. When
another user reads in this new definition, the profdb.bin file
in the user's model folder is updated to include the added
definition.
Reinforcing bar Shared model contains reinforcing bar database
catalog rebar_database.inp.
When you add and use a new reinforcing bar definition in the
shared model, the definition is shared next time you write out.
When another user reads in this new definition, the
rebar_database.inp file in the user's model folder is
updated to include the added definition.
Bolt catalog Shared model contains bolt catalog file screwdb.db and bolt
Bolt assembly catalog assembly catalog file assdb.db.
When you add and use a new bolt or bolt assembly definition in
the shared model, the definition is shared the next time you write
out. When another user reads in this new definition, the
profdb.bin and assdb.db files in the user's model folder
are updated to include the added definition.

What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing 23 Convert a shared model to a single-user or a multi-user
model
 Option Description
Material catalog Shared model contains material catalog file matdb.bin.
When you add and use a new material definition in the shared
model, the definition is shared next time you write out. When
another user reads in this new definition, the matdb.bin file in
the user's model folder is updated to include the added definition.
User-defined attribute When a model is created, the user-defined attribute definitions
(UDA) definitions are read from the objects.inp files and the definitions are
stored to the environment.db database. Modified and added
new attribute definitions are shared incrementally.
New attribute definitions are added to the database automatically
when the model is opened. If the current objects.inp file has
a different definition than the environment.db, it is possible
to take changes to use by clicking Tools --> Diagnose & Repair
Model --> Diagnose & Change Attribute Definitions .
If the objects.inp file is in the model folder, it is shared as a
file and it overrides the local objects.inp file when you read
in.
Options When a model is created, the options are read from the
options.ini files and the model-specific options are stored to
options_model.db and options_drawings.db
databases.
Model-specific options can be modified using Options and
Advanced Options dialog boxes. Model-specific option
modifications are shared incrementally.
• Some of the options are of the type SYSTEM(ROLE). These
options are read from the .ini files and are not shared. It is
possible to change SYSTEM(ROLE) model option to
MODEL(ROLE) option and the drawing option to
DRAWINGS(ROLE) option. The options are then stored to the
options_model.db or options_drawings.db
databases in the model folder, and the value is shared
incrementally.
• Some of the options are of the type USER. These options are
user-specific and they are not shared.
• Some of the options are of the type SYSTEM. These options
are user-specific and they are not shared. It is possible to
change a SYSTEM option to a MODEL(SYSTEM) option. If
you change a SYSTEM option to MODEL(SYSTEM), the
changed value only works for the current model. These options
are not shared.
Other important files The database ID range mapper file db.idrm and the library
in the model folder database ID range mapper file xslib.idrm are related to the

What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing 24 Convert a shared model to a single-user or a multi-user
model
 Option Description
handling of IDs. These files are needed, for example, to open
drawings that have been created in single-user or multi-user
modes.
View sharing By default, views are not shared. Views are shared if they have a
name, and the Share option in the View Properties dialog box is
set to Shared.
Note that when you join a model, you get all the model views but
changes to the views are not shared if the Share option is set to
Not Shared.

See also
Conflict handling and limitations in Tekla Model Sharing on page 32
Use import and export to share Organizer data in Tekla Model Sharing on page 28

3.1 Tekla Model Sharing settings

Use the Sharing Settings dialog box to, for example, enable the writing out of comments.

Option Description
Model folder file sharing Click the Exclude button to define files or folders in the
model folder that you do not want to share.
See Exclude files and folders from Tekla Model Sharing on
page 27.
• Tekla Model Sharing You can set up a separate Tekla Model Sharing Cache
cache service to be used with the Tekla Model Sharing service.
With the Tekla Model Sharing Cache service, the model
• Name and Port
data is stored to the sharing service and then cached inside
a LAN. This set-up is useful especially if you have a narrow
bandwidth to the Internet, because using a cache reduces
the download effort.
See Install a cache service for Tekla Model Sharing on page
7 and Cache server deployment .
The first user who reads in a packet from the sharing
service loads it to the cache, and the next user gets the
data faster from the cache inside the LAN than from the
sharing service through the Internet. The cache is not used
for packets that are written out.

What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing 25 Tekla Model Sharing settings

 Option Description
• Name is the name of the computer on which the cache
is installed.
Click Windows Control Panel --> System and
Security --> System to check the computer name.
• Port is the cache service port number that you have set
when you installed the cache service.
The default value is 9998.
• Click the Set button to connect to the cache.
• Alternatively, you can set the advanced option
XS_CLOUD_SHARING_PROXY to ”name of the
server”;”port” in a .ini file. This advanced
option is user-specific.
• To reset the cache settings in the dialog box to the
ones defined in the .ini file, click the Reset button.
Show available updates when Select the check box to enable a list that shows all the
joining the model available baselines and updates to join. The list is shown
when a user joins a model.
The list makes it possible for the user to select the level of
history to join.
Alternatively, you can set the advanced option
XS_SHARING_JOIN_SHOW_AVAILABLE_UPDATES
to TRUE in a .ini file to enable the showing of updates.
This advanced option is user-specific.
Show available updates when Select the check box to enable a list that shows all the
reading in the changes available baselines and updates. The list is shown when a
user reads in the model changes.
Alternatively, you can set the advanced option
XS_SHARING_READIN_SHOW_AVAILABLE_VERSIO
NS to TRUE in a .ini file to enable the showing of
updates.
This advanced option is user-specific.
Enable write out revision Select the check box to enable the entering of revision
comment comments.
When you write out, you can enter a revision comment and
code in the comment dialog box. If you enable the revision

What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing 26 Tekla Model Sharing settings

 Option Description
comments, the comment dialog box is displayed for all the
model users.
Alternatively, you can set the advanced option
XS_SAVE_WITH_COMMENT to TRUE in .ini files to
enable the revision comment.
This advanced option is model-specific.
• Copy project folder files Select whether the project or the firm folder files are
to model folder copied to the model folder that you are going to share.
Select the check boxes and click the Copy files button.
• Copy firm folder files to
model folder We recommend you to copy the project and firm folder
files.
• Overwrite model folder
files You can also select whether the copied project or firm
folder files replace the existing files of the same name in
the model folder.
Individual files can be copied to a model folder at any time.
The next time you write out, they are shared to all model
users.

See also
Conflict handling and limitations in Tekla Model Sharing on page 32

3.2 Exclude files and folders from Tekla Model Sharing

By default, files and folders in the model folder are shared when you share a model in Tekla
Model Sharing. If you do not want to share all of the model folder files or folders, you can
select to exclude some of them from sharing. Note that some files are excluded
automatically.

To exclude model files or folders from sharing:

1. Click File --> Sharing --> Settings .
The Sharing Settings dialog box opens.
2. Click the Exclude button to see which files and folders in the model folder are excluded
from sharing, and to exclude more files or folders.
Some of the files and folders are excluded automatically from sharing. These files and
folders appear on the Excluded model folder files and directories list, and they cannot
be removed from the list.
The following folders are excluded by default:
• Directory=ModelSharing
• Directory=ModelSynchFiles

What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing 27 Exclude files and folders from Tekla Model Sharing
 • Directory=RefCache
• Directory=RefCacheFolders
• Directory=PublicWeb
• Directory=Reports
• Directory=PlotFiles
• Directory=Logs
• Directory=ProjectOrganizer
• Directory=SessionFileRepository
a. If you want to exclude more folders or files, click the Directory or the File button.
b. Select the folder or the file to be excluded.
The excluded folders and files are added to the Excluded model folder files and
directories list.
If you exclude a folder, all its sub-folders and sub-files are also excluded from Tekla
Model Sharing.
You can exclude files in several ways. For example, if you have a file called
TeklaStructures.bbb, and you use the following settings to exclude the files:

Option Description
(x.x) TeklaStructures.bbb is excluded from sharing.
(x.*) All the files with TeklaStructures. are excluded from sharing.
(*.x) All the files with .bbb are excluded from sharing.
(*.*) All the files from that folder, but not from its sub-folders, are excluded from
sharing.
c. If you want to remove the added folders or files from the list of excluded files, click
Remove.
You cannot remove a folder or a file that has been excluded automatically.
3. Click OK when you have finished selecting the excluded files.

See also
Tekla Model Sharing settings on page 25

What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing 28 Use import and export to share Organizer data in Tekla
Model Sharing
3.3 Use import and export to share Organizer data in Tekla Model
Sharing
By default, Organizer data is not shared. However, you can use the Organizer import and
export with Tekla Model Sharing to share the Organizer changes.
1. Choose a user who is responsible of the Organizer data. This is the User A.
2. User A creates the Organizer data and exports the data to a model subfolder.
Note that the selected folder cannot be the default ProjectOrganizer folder.

3. User A writes out.

4. User B reads in and notices that there is new data available.

5. User B opens Organizer and imports the data that the User A has exported.

What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing 29 Use import and export to share Organizer data in Tekla
Model Sharing
 The data appears as new in Organizer.
6. User B removes the old Organizer data and saves the model.
7. User A updates the Organizer data, exports the update and writes out.
8. User B reads in and imports the updated data to Organizer.
The data appears as new in Organizer. User B removes the old data.

See also
What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing on page 22

3.4 Collect model history in Tekla Model Sharing

Tekla Model Sharing collects model history on the actions in the shared model. Model history
shows when the model has been changed, how the model has changed, and who has made
the changes.

To collect model history:

1. Click Tools --> Options --> Advanced Options .
2. Go to the Speed and Accuracy tab.
3. Ensure that XS_COLLECT_MODEL_HISTORY is set to TRUE.
Tekla Structures automatically sets XS_COLLECT_MODEL_HISTORY to TRUE when
a model is shared.
4. Set XS_CLEAR_MODEL_HISTORY to FALSE.
5. Click OK.
6. To view model history, do one of the following:
• Click Tools --> Inquire --> Object .
The model history is shown in the Inquire Object dialog box.
If the Enable write out revision comments has ben selected in the Sharing settings
dialog box, the revision comments are displayed in the Inquire Object dialog box.
• Create a model history report.
1. Click Drawings & Reports --> Create Report .

What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing 30 Collect model history in Tekla Model Sharing
 2. Select a report template that shows model history from the list.
The name of the report template may vary in different environments. In the
Default environment, the report template is called
Q_Model_History_Report.
3. Click Create from all to create a report on all the objects in a model, or select
one or more objects in the model and click Create from selected to create a
report from the selected objects.

What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing 31 Collect model history in Tekla Model Sharing
 4 Conflict handling and limitations in
Tekla Model Sharing

For general Tekla Model Sharing troubleshooting instructions, see Troubleshooting Tekla
Model Sharing.

Conflict handling
When several users modify the model at the same time in Tekla Model Sharing, conflicts may
occur.
In general, all object types work similarly in Tekla Model Sharing. When you read in, the
changes in the incoming packet override your local changes to the same object. In other
words, if several users modify the same object, the user who first writes out the changes to
the sharing service wins in conflicts.

NOTE Before you start to share models, agree on common ways of working.
For example,
• have users work on different areas of the model.
• check family numbering settings.
Family numbering settings are shared but cannot be incrementally updated. We
recommend that one user updates and shares the settings by writing them out.
If the user needs to read in before writing out, it is important to check that the
settings are as they were before starting to share them.
We recommend you to use the Drawings --> Numbering --> Numbering
Series of Selected Objects command when numbering.
• agree whether pours will be used in the model and set
XS_ENABLE_POUR_MANAGEMENT accordingly for all users.

If users modify different properties of the same object, the end result is a combination of
modifications.

Conflict handling and limitations in Tekla Model Sharing 32 Collect model history in Tekla Model Sharing
 • Model objects
A shared modification to an object property overrides any other object property
modification.
For example, one user modifies a beam profile and writes out. Another user has modified
the material of the same beam and reads in. The user who modified the beam material
loses the changes, because the shared changes override the local changes to the same
object.
• Grids
If there is a conflict in sharing grids, grids are recreated using the original values that
have been set in the grid properties. Any manually added grid lines are lost.
For example, when two users modify a grid by adding extra grid lines and write out, the
added grid lines disappear from the model when they read in.
• User-defined attributes (UDAs)
A shared change to a user-defined attribute (UDA) overrides changes to the same UDA
only.
For example, a change in the Comment UDA overrides a change to the Comment UDA
but not to the Shorten UDA.
A shared change to a part does not override UDA changes and vice versa.
• Part and the related component
A shared change to a part does not override component changes and vice versa.
• Pours
All users in a project must have the same pour settings when sharing a model. If the
pours are enabled in the model, do not disable the pours using
XS_ENABLE_POUR_MANAGEMENT, especially in the middle of the project. The pours
and pour breaks in the model and in the drawings may get invalid, and you may lose all
pour-related modeling work.

WARNING If an object deletion has been written out to the sharing service, the object will
be deleted in your model when you read in. This happens regardless of whether
you have modified the object before reading in. Deleted objects remain deleted
if the deletion has been shared.
Deleted objects are not listed or visualized when you read in. Therefore
deletions must be made with caution.

Object IDs
Tekla Structures objects have an identifier that is shown as the object ID. With Tekla Model
Sharing, Globally Unique Identifiers (GUIDs) are used as object IDs.
This means that features that do not use GUIDs need to be changed to use GUIDs.
• In cast unit drawings, the Cast unit definition method: By cast unit ID.
• Interoperability import/export actions:

Conflict handling and limitations in Tekla Model Sharing 33 Collect model history in Tekla Model Sharing
 • FabTrol XML
• ASCII
• All other applications, macros and report processes that rely on static IDs.
• Excel design that uses connection ID in the file name and that the user may use in
reports and drawings.
• By default, Organizer data is not shared.
However, you can use the Organizer import and export with Tekla Model Sharing to
share the Organizer changes.

See also
What is shared in Tekla Model Sharing on page 22
Show changes in Tekla Model Sharing after reading in on page 13
Use import and export to share Organizer data in Tekla Model Sharing on page 28

4.1 Restore a model in Tekla Model Sharing

Backing up shared models
We recommend you to back up the models used in Tekla Model Sharing. In case there are
problems with a shared model, it is possible to select any user’s model, or a model that has
been backed up, and continue working using that model. Make sure that you have the
complete backed up model in use and that the model folder includes, for example, drawings
and different databases. This ensures that the model functions properly and you do not lose
any data. If the backed up version of the model version is old, reading in all changes may
take some time.
Note that the Save As command cannot be used for backing up the model. If you use Save
As, the model gets new IDs and it has no relation to the original model.
With the Save as command the model history is not copied with the saved model.

Restoring shared models

If you have problems with the shared model, you can restore a previous version of the model,
and start using that model in Tekla Model Sharing.
To take a previous version of the model into use:
1. Join the model again.
2. Read in the packets until you have reached the preferred level in the model history.
3. Exclude from sharing.
4. Start sharing and invite other users again to the model.
Ensure that all the users within the model start to use the restored version of the model.

Conflict handling and limitations in Tekla Model Sharing 34 Restore a model in Tekla Model Sharing
 See also
Join a shared model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 11
Exclude a model from the sharing service in Tekla Model Sharing on page 19
Start to share a model in Tekla Model Sharing on page 10

Conflict handling and limitations in Tekla Model Sharing 35 Restore a model in Tekla Model Sharing
5 Disclaimer

© 2015 Tekla Corporation and its licensors. All rights reserved.

This Software Manual has been developed for use with the referenced Software. Use of the
Software, and use of this Software Manual are governed by a License Agreement. Among
other provisions, the License Agreement sets certain warranties for the Software and this
Manual, disclaims other warranties, limits recoverable damages, defines permitted uses of the
Software, and determines whether you are an authorized user of the Software. All
information set forth in this manual is provided with the warranty set forth in the License
Agreement. Please refer to the License Agreement for important obligations and applicable
limitations and restrictions on your rights. Tekla does not guarantee that the text is free of
technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Tekla reserves the right to make changes and
additions to this manual due to changes in the software or otherwise.
In addition, this Software Manual is protected by copyright law and by international treaties.
Unauthorized reproduction, display, modification, or distribution of this Manual, or any
portion of it, may result in severe civil and criminal penalties, and will be prosecuted to the
full extent permitted by law.
Tekla, Tekla Structures, Tekla BIMsight, BIMsight, Tedds, Solve, Fastrak and Orion are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Tekla Corporation in the European Union, the United
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mentioned in this Manual are or may be trademarks of their respective owners. By referring
to a third-party product or brand, Tekla does not intend to suggest an affiliation with or
endorsement by such third party and disclaims any such affiliation or endorsement, except
where otherwise expressly stated.
Portions of this software:
D-Cubed 2D DCM © 2010 Siemens Industry Software Limited. All rights reserved.
EPM toolkit © 1995-2004 EPM Technology a.s., Oslo, Norway. All rights reserved.
Open CASCADE Technology © 2001-2014 Open CASCADE SA. All rights reserved.
FLY SDK - CAD SDK © 2012 VisualIntegrity™. All rights reserved.
Teigha © 2003-2014 Open Design Alliance. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer 36 Restore a model in Tekla Model Sharing

PolyBoolean C++ Library © 2001-2012 Complex A5 Co. Ltd. All rights reserved.
FlexNet Copyright © 2014 Flexera Software LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This product contains proprietary and confidential technology, information and creative
works owned by Flexera Software LLC and its licensors, if any. Any use, copying, publication,
distribution, display, modification, or transmission of such technology in whole or in part in
any form or by any means without the prior express written permission of Flexera Software
LLC is strictly prohibited. Except where expressly provided by Flexera Software LLC in writing,
possession of this technology shall not be construed to confer any license or rights under any
Flexera Software LLC intellectual property rights, whether by estoppel, implication, or
otherwise.
To see the third party licenses, go to Tekla Structures, click Help --> About and click the
Third party licenses button.
The elements of the software described in this Manual are protected by several patents and
possibly pending patent applications in the European Union and/or other countries. For more
information go to page http://www.tekla.com/tekla-patents.

Disclaimer 37 Restore a model in Tekla Model Sharing

Disclaimer 38 Restore a model in Tekla Model Sharing
Index

T
Tekla Model Sharing
backing up................................................................... 34
baseline........................................................................ 17
cache............................................................................ 5,7
conflicts........................................................................32
excluding files and folders......................................27
excluding model.........................................................19
introduction...................................................................3
joining........................................................................... 11
model history.............................................................. 30
multi-user model....................................................... 20
organizer data............................................................ 28
prerequisites.................................................................. 4
read in...........................................................................12
settings......................................................................... 25
shared models.............................................................14
sharing service.............................................................. 5
showing changes....................................................... 13
single-user model......................................................20
starting......................................................................... 10
user information........................................................ 16
user roles........................................................................ 9
what is shared............................................................ 22
write out...................................................................... 12

39
40