Release notes: Upload PDF drawings directly to Trimble Connect

In Tekla Structures 2026, you can now upload PDF drawings directly from Tekla Structures to Trimble Connect with accurate metadata, preventing outdated drawings from being used. When you print drawings, you can automatically upload them with the option to link PDFs directly to the corresponding parts and assemblies in the Trimble Connect model, and store drawings alongside the model objects. The shop and field crews can easily access the latest drawings on a tablet, right next to the actual object they are working on, ensuring that they always have the most up-to-date information. This prevents version control issues where shop or site teams might accidentally use outdated printed drawings. Additionally, API integrators can use the drawing metadata, such as title and revision, to reduce manual data entries and streamline processes. Note that while this metadata is accessible, some effort will be required to integrate it effectively into specific workflows.

As a prerequisite, your Tekla Structures model needs to be linked to a Trimble Connect project.

  1. Start by setting up the drawing upload folders that will be used in Trimble Connect. You can set the folders separately for each drawing type.

    1. Go to File > Trimble Connect > Upload drawing settings.

      The Upload drawing settings dialog opens.

      GUID 58DDDDBE 3F7C 41C5 A5CD 45A5D76B8B18 publishing

    2. Click … to open the Folder browser dialog. Browse for the folder you want to use for the drawing upload, or click GUID 1FB28721 5031 427D B363 C6407FF669B7 publishing to create a new folder.

      Alternatively, you can enter the folder path, and a folder is created automatically.

      You can upload assembly drawings, single-part drawings, cast unit drawings and general arrangement drawings.

    3. Repeat this for all drawing types, if needed. Click OK.

    4. If needed, you can save the set folder locations to an attribute file. The file extension is TCDrawingSettings.xml, and the file is stored in the model folderattributes folder.
    5. When you have set the folders, click OK to close the Upload drawing settings dialog.

  2. To upload the PDF drawings to Trimble Connect, go to Drawings & reports > Document manager.

    1. In the Document manager dialog, select the drawings you want to upload to Trimble Connect.

    2. Right-click and select Print, or click the Print GUID 024AAF94 E3C2 4A36 90B0 6411BA954D5F publishing button. The Print drawings dialog opens.

    3. In the Trimble Connect section, select the Link drawings to model objects checkbox if you want to link the fabrication drawings to related model objects in Trimble Connect, if the model has been uploaded.

      For assembly drawings and cast unit drawings, you can select whether the drawing is linked to the assembly or the main part.

      General arrangement drawings cannot be linked to model objects.

      GUID 3BA0C2A6 E745 4765 A33B D2685BA4F848 publishing

    4. If you have not yet selected the PDF drawing upload folder for each drawing type in Trimble Connect, you can do it by clicking … next to Upload drawing settings. By default, the current settings are used.

    5. Click Print and upload to Trimble Connect to upload the PDF drawing to the set folder in Trimble Connect.

      The upload will take a while. Note that a large model can contain too many objects for the linking, causing performance issues in Trimble Connect.

      For more information on performance settings in Trimble Connect, see Display and Performance in Trimble Connect documentation.

      When the uploading is done, Tekla Structures displays a notification stating if the upload was successful or whether there were warnings or errors.

      For example, you may get the following notifications.

      GUID D836D13F 5BC6 472A AC77 D88C6B4FB154 publishing

      GUID 27205C19 03A2 4EA3 948C 7A9AFAC492B5 publishing

  3. If you are an API integrator, you can use drawing metadata to integrate the information in your processes. Drawing metadata is stored as Trimble Connect property sets.

    If you are uploading the drawings for the first time and have sufficient rights, or you are a Trimble Connect project administrator, a new property set library and definition will be created to store the drawing metadata from Tekla Structures. The metadata is not visible in files in Trimble Connect, only in model objects, but it can be fetched via Trimble Connect API.

    For a reliable workflow, use the API call /psets/{link}/{libId}/{defId}. You need to identify the drawing’s document ID, as well as the ID of the metadata property set library and the definition. If these are unknown, they can be identified via the Trimble Connect API:

    • For library: /forests/{forestId}/trees/{treeId}/nodes/{nodeId}/links
    • For definition: /libs/{libId}/defs

    Metadata library IDs follow a naming convention:

    • <projectId>_MetadataLibrary_<8 character length GUID>
    • <projectId>_MetadataDefinition_<8 character length GUID>

    Metadata contains the following information. All fields are of type Single value.

    Screenshot 2026 04 07 163138s

    TTSD-71062