AI-powered modeling with Tekla Model Assistant (Preview)

2026

Tekla Structures

Tekla Model Assistant is an agentic AI tool integrated into Tekla Structures that uses natural language to perform modeling and drawing tasks. The assistant is context-aware and allows you to create model objects, such as beams and pad footings, modify object properties, and automate drawing operations such as creating GA drawings.

For example, you can ask Tekla Model Assistant to Create a 3x3 grid with pad footings at every intersection, or Set class 5 on all HEA300 beams, or Add part marks to all columns in this drawing.

You can customize Tekla Model Assistant by defining rules and skills, which are loaded from user, model, project, or firm folders. Additionally, you can use Tekla Model Assistant with Trimble Connect to download and import files from a Trimble Connect project.

To answer questions about how to use Tekla Structures, Tekla Model Assistant uses information from Trimble User Assistance. It breaks down complex requests into individual steps and reports the result. Tekla Model Assistant automatically signs you in using your active Tekla Structures session's Trimble Identity.

Note that Tekla Model Assistant is a Preview feature. Preview features are primarily intended for evaluation purposes, offering an alternative approach to your typical workflow. For more information, see Preview features in Tekla Structures.

How Tekla Model Assistant works

The assistant reads your live Tekla Structures context, such as your selected objects and active views. This means you do not need to manually enter data or copy-paste information for the assistant to understand what you are working on.
The assistant can give an instant summary of the open model. The assistant can retrieve the number of parts, components, welds, and reinforcement. You can view the total model weight, number of different material types and profiles, and the overall size of the model in both metric and imperial units. This allows the assistant to answer questions such as What’s in the model, How heavy the model is, How many beams and columns are in the model, What are the used profiles and materials, and How big is the model without needing to process objects individually.
The assistant breaks down complex requests, using the output of one tool as the input for the next to perform a chain of actions. It can autonomously handle workflows involving multiple steps.
The assistant remembers more of your recent chat history instead of a limited number of messages. It keeps your current question and the most recent results ready to use, and only removes the oldest parts of the conversation if it needs to make more space.
While the assistant is agentic, it is not fully independent. It will ask for confirmation before executing risky operations and will only perform actions based on your explicit instructions. For large or complex operations, the assistant will pause and ask your confirmation before proceeding.
If the assistant gets stuck repeating the same actions or making many unsuccessful attempts, it pauses, summarizes what it tried, and asks how you want to proceed.

Before you start using Tekla Model Assistant

Before you start using Tekla Model Assistant, note the following:

Tekla Model Assistant is only available to users with a Tekla Structures Diamond, Tekla Structures Graphite, or Tekla Structures Carbon subscription.
Tekla Model Assistant is delivered as part of the Tekla Structures installation, and available in a side pane window in Tekla Structures. Ensure you have selected the Preview: Install the Tekla Model Assistant side pane checkbox during the Tekla Structures installation process. Alternatively, you can install Tekla Model Assistant from Tekla Warehouse as a Tekla Structures extension package (.tsep package).
You must be signed in with your Trimble Identity. Tekla Model Assistant uses your active Tekla Structures session for automatic authentication, meaning no separate login is needed within the assistant.
Tekla Model Assistant has a token usage limit. If you receive a warning that you have exceeded the token limit, you need to wait for the limit to be reset. The token limit resets every 3 hours.
The tool supports both Metric and US Imperial environments. It automatically detects your environment settings (such as XS_IMPERIAL) to ensure that consistent units are used during modeling and drawing tasks.

Chat with Tekla Model Assistant

In the Tekla Structures side pane, click to open the Tekla Model Assistant - Preview side pane window.
Start typing your requests in the box at the bottom of the window.

Describe what you want to do using natural language. For example: Show the differences in names and materials for the selected parts.

If you are working with specific objects, you can select the objects in the model before typing your request. Because Tekla Model Assistant is context-aware, it prioritizes your current selection. Alternatively, you can describe the objects in your request using natural language, such as all beams or the column at grid intersection C4.

Select the appropriate view before requesting view-related operations.

When working with drawings, ensure you are in drawing mode.

When you are working with drawings, you can ask Tekla Model Assistant to open a drawing that you have selected in Document manager, or a drawing that ask by giving the name of it. If another drawing is already open, the assistant saves it first.
Provide all necessary details and be specific in your requests to minimize misinterpretation.

The more detailed your requests are, the better the results will be.
You can upload images or documents to Tekla Model Assistant.

Click the + button at the bottom of the chat.
- Select an image file. Supported formats are .jpeg, .jpg, or .png. The assistant can analyze drawings, sketches, or written instructions from your images.
- Attach up to five documents. Each file can be up to 20 MB. Supported formats are .pdf,.txt, .csv, .html, .xml,.json, or .md. The assistant reads the file with your message and uses that content in the answer.
You can also ask the assistant Tekla Structures related questions without performing any actions on the model.

For example: What reference model formats are supported?.
To customize your assistant, use custom rules or custom skills.

Tekla Model Assistant keeps your current question and the most recent results, and removes only the oldest parts of the conversation when more space is needed.

To preserve your preferences across different sessions, set your rules and skills to ensure that Tekla Model Assistant works more consistently.

Tekla Model Assistant does not constantly monitor changes in the model or drawings in real time. However, the assistant can retrieve a short history of your recent manual changes in the model if requested.
- Custom rules are strict if-then instructions that the assistant automatically follows in every conversation.
  
  Use rules, for example, to enforce naming conventions, project standards, or team agreements. For example: Always use S275 as the default steel material when creating beams.
  
  Custom rules are saved in the rules.md file.
- Custom skills are step-by-step workflows that teach the assistant how to perform specific tasks.
  
  Use skills for tasks that involve multiple steps, such as creating a steel structure or adding pad footings to columns. For example: Create pad footings for the columns, taking into account their dimensions.
  
  Custom skills are saved in the skills.md file.
Tekla Model Assistant stores each custom skill and rule as its own separate file, one skill or rule per file. Custom rules and skills can be placed in user, model, project, or firm folders.

You can manage the rules.md and skills.md files directly through the Tekla Model Assistant side pane window.
1. Open the Tekla Model Assistant side pane.
2. Use a natural language request to view the files, for example: Show me my custom rules or Open skills.md.
3. You can then ask the assistant to add a new rule or skill, or modify an existing one. For example: Add a rule to always use material S355 for steel beams.
  
  The assistant provides a preview of the file content.
4. You can then approve the changes or refine them further.
Continue chatting with the assistant and try it out in your different workflows.

Always review the results of Tekla Model Assistant before proceeding with critical operations.
To give feedback on Tekla Model Assistant and help to improve the tool, click in the side pane window.

Examples of actions that Tekla Model Assistant can perform


Action	Description
Create and modify objects and their properties	Create model objects such as beams, columns, plates, polybeams, pad footings, slabs, and grids. Modify object properties, such as profile and material. Set user-defined attributes (UDAs) on any object. You can apply the changes to an object or multiple objects simultaneously. Place model objects at grid intersections. Move, rotate, mirror, and copy model objects with different settings in one operation. Each object can have its own values.
Delete objects	Delete objects from your model or drawing. The assistant finds the matching objects, highlights them, and asks you to confirm the action before deleting them. If you decline the request, the objects are not deleted. For very large deletions, the assistant processes the objects in smaller groups and asks for your permission before deleting them.
Insert and manage components in the model	Insert components on selected parts, including connections, details, and reinforcement components. Create connections that require more than one secondary part. Get a complete list of everything inside a component, such as parts, bolts, welds, cuts, and reinforcement. View details for up to five components at one time, including all of their specific settings and properties. Modify properties on existing components, such as plate thickness or step height in the assistant.
Browse catalogs	Browse the profile catalog and material catalog. Search for and list available profiles and materials. You can view the full list or use wildcards, for example: `IPE`, `CHS`, or `B500`. List bolt standards and sizes from your open model's bolt catalog. For example, you can ask `Which bolt standards beginning with A325 are available in this model?` The assistant accesses your local catalogs directly, so it recognizes the exact same items available in your active session.
Find and select objects	Create model views. Show or hide objects. Filter objects and retrieve their properties. You can filter objects by: Bolt properties, such as size, length, and standard, for example, `Select all M16 bolts with length greater than 50mm`. Rebar properties, such as rebar size and other attributes, for example, `How many rebars with size 12 are in the model`. Template hierarchy, such as objects within named assemblies or cast units, for example, `Select parts in assembly B-12`. User-defined attributes, such as custom attributes, for example, `Filter parts where UDA Mark = BT-4560-A`. Elevation, such as objects at specific elevations, for example, `Select all assemblies at elevation 20000`. Child objects of the current selection, such as nested objects like rebars, bolts, or surface treatments inside a selected part or assembly or cast unit. You can also combine multiple criteria in one filter, for example, `Size 12 rebars in assemblies named STAIR`. The assistant finds and lists filters that already exist in your environment instead of creating new ones. For example, you can ask `What filters do I have?`. The assistant then searches your selection, view, and drawing filters. You can narrow the search by object type, by name, or by value.
Run reports	Use ready report templates for common model statistics. Available templates cover: Total weight, net weight, and gross weight of parts Volume, area, and length of parts Number of bolts Summary by profile and material Combined summary: part position, profile, quantity, material, length, area, and weight Ask the assistant questions like `What is the total weight of the currently selected parts?` or `How many bolts are in the model?`. The templates work with both the whole model and selected parts. You can also search for a specific report template by name, for example, `Run the bolt list report`, or ask the assistant to list all available report templates. If you describe what you need, the assistant selects a suitable template from your current Tekla Structures environment. Reports can run on the full model or on your currently selected objects, and the results are displayed in the chat.
Generate macros	To create a macro, ask the assistant, for example, `Create a macro to calculate the weight of all steel beams`. The assistant creates the macro and then runs it. If the macro does not work, the assistant fixes it and asks you to confirm before trying again. The assistant suggests a macro when you ask for one, when you select more than 500 objects, or when no tools are available for your request. You can ask Tekla Model Assistant to show you the source code of a macro it generated, so you can review or edit it. Macros that work are saved locally and can be used again. They are saved in ..\ProgramData\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\Environments\common\macros\ModelingAssistant\Generated Macros. Before creating a new macro, the assistant checks if a saved macro can already do what you need. If a saved macro exists, it is reused instead of creating a new one.
Run clash checks	Run a clash check in your model or on a specific selection of objects. Based on your request, the assistant filters and selects the objects to run the clash check against. The results are displayed in the Clash check manager dialog.
Find user-defined attributes (UDAs)	Find which user-defined attributes (UDAs) are available. Ask the assistant which UDAs are available, or search for specific UDAs by name or object type. For example, `Show me the UDAs for beams`.
Work with reference models	Import reference models. List reference models. Create base points. Download and upload files to and from Trimble Connect. Upload drawings (PDF) to Trimble Connect.
Get a summary of the open model	Get an overview of the model. The assistant can answer questions like `What’s in the model`, `How heavy the model is`, `How many beams and columns are in the model`, `What are the used profiles and materials`, and `How big is the model` without needing to process objects individually. See how many parts, components, welds, reinforcement, reference models, and other uncategorized objects are in the model. Check the number of parts. Parts are grouped by name, such as `BEAM`, `COLUMN`, or `PLATE`. Get the total amount of individual bolts and bolt groups. See how many profiles and materials are used in the project. View the total weight of all parts. View the bounding box dimensions from all parts: min/max in mm, sizes in mm and meters, and imperial measurements when relevant.
Create GA drawings	Apply drawing properties. Search for drawings by creation or modification date. In addition to searching by `Name` or `Mark`, you can specify a custom date range or use everyday terms, such as `today` or `last 7 days`. Add smart dimensioning rules. Modify part mark content, font, color, and height. Filter and select drawing objects. Export drawings to PDF.

Examples of actions that Tekla Model Assistant cannot perform


Action	Description
Actions that Tekla Model Assistant cannot perform in the model	Click buttons, navigate menus or interact with the Tekla Structures user interface. The assistant can undo only the last action performed in the model. Create reinforcement bars fully automatically. Modify bolt groups. Open or interpret IFC or DWG files in the model. Perform structural calculations. Modify Tekla Structures environment settings, role configurations, or license management. Install or update Tekla Structures or its extensions.
Actions that Tekla Model Assistant cannot perform in the drawings	Create single-part, assembly, or cast unit drawings automatically. Modify drawing layout, such as title block or sheet size. Add text annotations or symbols. Control view scales or view placement on the sheet.

Troubleshooting Tekla Model Assistant

If Tekla Model Assistant does not seem to work as expected or gets stuck, try these troubleshooting actions.


Problem	Solution
The assistant is not responding or seems stuck	Wait a moment for large operations to finish. If the assistant remains stuck, right-click in the assistant side pane window to refresh the session, or close and reopen the assistant side pane window. Since the assistant does not remember chats across sessions, you need to restart the conversation and describe your request from the beginning.
The assistant starts to hallucinate or gets confused about previous steps	Start a new chat session. A new session clears all previous data. This ensures that the assistant is not affected by earlier conversations and allows you to start your next actions without any leftover context. Ask the assistant why it behaved in a certain way. This forces the assistant to explain the logic behind its actions. If you are unsure about a request, you can ask the assistant for clarification before it performs the action. For example: `What exactly are you going to do?`. You can then identify any misunderstandings before the assistant modifies your model.
An operation failed or produced the wrong results	Press Ctrl+Z in Tekla Structures before retrying a failed action. This prevents the assistant from building on top of previous errors and ensures that the problem does not become more complex. Tell the assistant what went wrong and try a more specific request. You can also ask the assistant to check recent changes using the GetRecentModelChanges command.
The assistant misunderstands your request	Rephrase your request more clearly or break complex tasks into smaller, individual steps. For example, instead of asking to set up an entire project, ask to create the grid first and then the columns. You can also explicitly say what you do not want to change.
The assistant cannot find specific objects	Select the objects manually in the model first and then tell the assistant to `use the current selection`. Alternatively, provide more specific criteria such as the profile, class, material, or user-defined attributes of the objects.
Tekla Structures appears frozen after an action	Tekla Structures processes one task at a time. Wait for it to finish. Check if a dialog is open or if Tekla Structures is waiting for your input, for example, to pick a point to position a part. You need to close or confirm these prompts before the assistant can continue.
The assistant repeats the same error	Create a custom rule to permanently define how the assistant should behave. For example: `Always ask for confirmation before modifying objects`. You can also create a custom skill to teach the assistant the exact workflow you want it to follow.