TCL Script Guide

The scripting language TCL was developed by the University of California at Berkeley. It is a powerful and cross-platform scripting language. The easy extensibility, so that added commands are readable not only for experienced SW developers, but also for civil engineers, convinces us.

Allplan Bridge currently uses version TCL 8.5.

The Allplan Bridge/Civil commands form a language extension of the underlying TCL syntax.

References

TCL-TK About

TCL 8.5.19

TCL 8.5 Tutorial

Meaning and application

Each Allplan Bridge/Civil model includes a TCL script file as a complete representation of the input model. The bridge model can be exported to a TCL file at any time. The exported TCL file can be used as a template for further scripts. This makes it easy to get started with the language.

Importing this file is equivalent to entering the model data in the GUI. The TCL file can be imported via the command line or in the Allplan Bridge/Civil GUI. This makes it easy to script the Allplan Bridge model and enter complex model content programmatically using loops and other language elements.

The TCL files can be easily shared with colleagues and Allplan support. Different exported files are great for backing up different stages of modeling and tracking differences through a simple file comparison. If a problem occurs on the GUI side, a workaround using TCL input can very often help. Every user is free to create his own template library.

The powerful and advanced mathematical interpreter is used to parameterize the Allplan Bridge model.

Summary

• Each exported TCL file is a complete and readable image of the current input model.
• TCL files can be used as a backup or for sharing among project collaborators.
• TCL import can be used to work around errors in the GUI.
• User-defined template libraries can be built.