By default, Trimble Visualizer attempts to map the materials used in Tekla Structures to the material types used in the Trimble Visualizer material catalog. You can also set material type mappings manually to define how you want materials to look in Trimble Visualizer. If necessary, you can override the materials of particular model objects, and use another material instead.
Pre-defined materials and their color and transparency information are read from the materials_ifc.xml file saved in the ..\TeklaStructures\<version>\bin\applications\Tekla\Tools\TrimbleConnectVisualizer folder.
In Trimble Visualizer, you can currently only render the material type of objects, not their material finish. This means that paints or other finishes are not visible in Trimble Visualizer.
To set the material type mappings used in Trimble Visualizer:
-
On the View tab, click
Visualize and select 
Visualizer material type mapping.
- In the lists on the right side of the related Tekla Structures materials, select the Trimble Visualizer material types that you want to map to.
Selecting the blank option renders the color of the Tekla Structures class as a material that is similar to plastic. The blank option can be useful if you need to show the class colors to communicate an aspect of the structural design.
- To override the Tekla Structures material of particular model objects in Trimble Visualizer:
- In the model, select the objects.
- In the Override Visualizer materials of selected objects list, select the material that you want to use for visualizing the selected objects.
- Click Set.
-
Click OK to update the material type mapping.
-
To save the material type
mapping as an XML file, do either of the following:
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To
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Do this
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Save the material mapping to the model folder
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- When Tekla Structures asks you if you want to save the material
mapping to the model, click Yes.
The material type mapping is saved in the model
folder under the \attributes folder. The file name is
VisualizerMaterials.tcv11.
The material type mapping is saved for all users
of the model, including the users that edit the
model using Tekla Model Sharing or the multi-user mode.
To
avoid issues, do not modify the colors in the
VisualizerMaterials.tcv11 file
manually.
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Save the material mapping to local application
data
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- When Tekla Structures asks you if you want to save the material
mapping to the model, click No.
The material type mapping is saved in the \Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\TrimbleConnectVisualizer folder. The file name is VisualizerMaterials.tcv11.
The material type mapping now applies to all
projects that you are working on.
To
avoid issues, do not modify the colors in the
VisualizerMaterials.tcv11 file
manually.
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