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Column Definitions

Column definitions determine which Tekla object properties appear in the ObChecked grid and how those values are interpreted during auditing.

Every value that can be evaluated by an audit rule must first exist as a column definition.

Because of this, column definitions form the foundation of the ObChecked auditing system.

Column Groups

Column definitions are separated into three groups:

Each group appears as a separate tab in the Column Definition form.

These correspond directly to the object groups shown in the main ObChecked grid.

Each group can define its own set of columns depending on the information required for auditing.

Required Columns

The GUID column is required and cannot be removed.

This column stores the unique identifier of the Tekla object and is used internally by ObChecked to maintain a link between grid rows and objects in the model.

Example configuration:

Column Name: GUID
Source: Direct
Datatype: String
Visible: false

The GUID column should normally remain hidden, as it is not intended for user interaction.

Column Sources

Columns retrieve values from Tekla using different source types.

Report Properties

Most columns retrieve values using Tekla Report Properties.

Any property that can appear in a Tekla template report is usually available as a report property.

Examples used in the default configuration include:

PROFILE
MATERIAL
NAME
LENGTH_NET

These properties are commonly used by audit rules.

User Properties

User properties allow ObChecked to access custom attributes defined in Tekla.

Although not used in the default configuration, they can be added when required.

These are often used for:

Direct Properties

Direct properties read values directly from the Tekla model object.

Examples from the default configuration include:

Property Description
GUID Alternative to ReportProperty, should not be different.
CLASS Not available from ReportProperty.
ROTATION Not available from ReportProperty.
ANGLE Not available from ReportProperty.
ASSY_PREFIX ReportProperty ASSEMBLY_PREFIX returns the resolved value from its welded assembly. Direct ASSY_PREFIX returns the value from the part properties.
RADIUS ReportProperty RADIUS only returns the curved beam Radius field. Direct RADIUS also calculates radius from 3 points of polybeam (if available, and if node is set to Rounding or Arc Point) and returns first non-zero result. Direct RADIUS also returns a token minimum thickness + 1 for BentPlate types (Available from Version 2.2)
PROFILE ReportProperty PROFILE returns the resolved profile using fltprops.inp and may change PL to FL depending on settings. Direct PROFILE returns the value from the part properties.
PHASE.NAME Returned from model object before converting to part, bolt, or component. Cached to optimise speed.
PHASE.NUMBER Returned from model object before converting to part, bolt, or component. Cached to optimise speed.
PHASE.OTHERS Complex algorithm to examine related objects, compare phases, and accumulate differences. Cached to optimise speed.

In some cases, Direct properties may return different values to the ReportProperty equivalent.

Datatypes

Each column must define a datatype.

The datatype determines how the value can be interpreted and which audit operations are available.

Supported datatypes include:

Datatype Usage
String text values such as profile names or materials
Integer whole numbers
Double numeric values with decimal precision
Boolean true / false values, appears as checkbox

Selecting the correct datatype is important.

For example:

Numeric Formatting

If a column datatype is set to Double, an additional Format field becomes available.

The format determines:

Example formats:

0
0.#
0.##

Numeric audits such as NumericBands and NumericCompare use this precision when evaluating values.

This ensures audit behaviour matches what the user sees in the grid.

Column Visibility

Columns can be either:

Hidden columns can still be used by audit rules even if they are not displayed in the grid.

For example, the GUID column is hidden but required internally.

Editing Columns

Columns are edited using the Column Definition form.

Each row in the table represents a single column definition.

Columns can be modified directly by editing the cells.

Cell Selection Mode

In Cell Selection Mode, individual cells can be edited.

This mode allows:

New rows can also be added.

A toggle allows new rows to be either:

Row Selection Mode

Row Selection Mode enables operations on entire rows.

In this mode:

Row operations include:

This mode is useful for reorganising column order.

Applying Changes

Changes must be saved before they can be applied.

Column definitions affect the schema used to retrieve properties from the model.

For this reason, the main grid must be empty before columns can be updated.

Once changes have been applied:

  1. Objects can be fetched again
  2. The grid will display properties using the updated column configuration

Best Practices

When defining columns:

Well-defined columns make audit rules significantly easier to create and maintain.

Related Configuration

See also: