Inside the Profile Catalog dialog box, selecting a profile exposes several tabs:
Profile Catalog Interface └── Profile Tree (Left Pane) └── Structural Types (I-profiles, L-profiles, etc.) └── Sub-types (UC, UB, HEA, HEB) └── Specific Sizes (e.g., HEA200) └── Profile Properties (Right Pane) └── General Tab (Name, Type, Weight per unit) └── Analysis Tab (Cross-sectional area, Moments of inertia, Torsional constants)
To maintain consistency across an engineering firm or a specific project team, profiles can be transferred between models using localized ASCII files with the .lis extension. Exporting Profiles: Open the Profile Catalog. Select the profiles or categories you want to share. Right-click and choose .
Use the Export function to create a backup before making major manual edits to the profdb.bin file. 3. Defining Custom Cross-Sections tekla structures profile catalog
Pick points in the model view to draw the exact shape of the cross-section. Define a center point for the profile's insertion axis. Assign a name to the cross-section.
Click Import within the Profile Catalog dialog box. Select a .lis (text-based catalog file) or a .bin file to merge external sections into your current database.
For complex architectural profiles (extruded aluminum or light-gauge steel): Inside the Profile Catalog dialog box, selecting a
Change the specific dimensions (e.g., flange thickness, web height) in the tab. Click Update and save the changes to the model folder. 2. Defining Profiles Using Polygons (Cross-Sections)
With the rise of automation and API scripting (Tekla Open API), the Profile Catalog is becoming a live data source. Advanced users now use or C# scripts to:
Use construction lines or points to draw the exact boundary shape. Go to . Right-click and choose
The new profile catalog is not always enabled by default in all environments. To activate it, a system administrator must modify the relevant environment initialization file by adding the advanced option XS_USE_OLD_PROFILE_CATALOG=false . This setting activates the new catalog across the environment.
The user modified the catalog but forgot to click Save in the confirmation prompt when closing the catalog window, or the profdb.bin file is marked as "Read-Only" in the Windows file system.
Tekla Structures’ Profile Catalog is a central database that defines the cross-sectional shapes, material properties, and fabrication details for structural members used in Tekla models. It enables accurate modeling, clash-free detailing, and efficient fabrication data export across steel, concrete, timber, and cold-formed sections.