v2021 & v2021i Enhancements

SDS2 v2021 & v2021i

v2021 Enhancements:

v2021i Enhancements:

Home replaces the Main Menu as the dashboard for SDS2 :

  • The name of your current Job (project) and Fabricator (setup file) is shown in the upper, left corner of Home . You can click the jobname to change to a different Job or create a new one . You can click the fabname to change to a different Fabricator or create a new one .

     jobname
     fabname
     reponame
    		"jobname" stands for your active Job (project). "fabname" stands for your active Fabricator . "reponame" stands for the name of the Job repository in which your active Job ("jobname") is stored. These names are also buttons.

  • Home > Project Settings replaces what was called " Job and Fabricator Setup " on the pre-v2021 Main Menu . To, for example, access the Design Settings window, you can choose Home > Project Settings > Job > Design > Design Settings .

    • A project settings Search is another way to find setup windows. Instead of choosing Home > ... > Design Settings , you can type "design settings" to Search then click the appropriate result that search finds. Since Design Settings was called Design Criteria in earlier SDS2 versions, you can type "design criteria" to Search in order to accomplish the same. You can also accomplish the same by typing "connection design method" or the name of any other options that are found on the Design Settings window.
  • Home > Reports gives you control over the output and, in some cases, the configuration of reports.

    • In this tab and other tabs, the most-powerful or most-used tools are represented with icons at the top of the tab.

      " ABM Report " opens the same ABM Report window.
      " Connection Design Calculations " can output Expanded Calculations or Design Calculations .

      " Generate Report " can output any report created with Report Writer .

      " Create Report Template " starts up Report Writer with a blank, untitled report.
  • Home > Import gives you one-stop control over imports to SDS2.

    • Import Model is the new name for what, in previous versions, was called Design Link .
    • Setup windows for imports such as Drawing Import Settings are opened by clicking the gear ( ) next to Home > Import > 2D > As Reference Drawing or Home > Import > 2D > As Job Standard .
  • Home > Export provides a one-stop location for the export of 2D drawings, 3D models and MRP information.

    • Setup windows such as EJE Setup and FabTrol Setup and Kiss Export Setup and P2 Setup are opened by clicking the gear ( ) next to the "export name" that outputs the export. In other words, report output and setup are at the same location.
  • Home > Utilities provides functions that are, for the most part, for manipulating data files that are maintained in your current Job.

    • Most Home > Utilities > Utility Functions and Shapes Properties can only be accessed only from Home . Shapes Properties is the new name for the Material file editor .
    • Verify and Fix and Shapes Properties are opened with icons at the top of the tab.
    • Member attributes can be input using Update Attributes , which was formerly called Update Status . You can also update members using Member Edit . Both are icons at the top of the Home > Utilities tab.
    • User and Site Options -- unlike other Home > Utilities -- can apply to any Job, not just your current Job. Also, if you make choices to these options from Home , you very often have to restart Modeling or the Drawing Editor to see the changed settings configure the user interface of those programs.
    • " Customize Interface " also can apply to any Job, not just your current Job. It opens a dialog from which you can select a role configuration file to customize. Roles are per-user files that configure keyboard shortcuts, ribbon layout, and context menus.

The new ribbon interface for Modeling and Drawing Editor (lightning) :

  • A ribbon becomes a feature of the Modeling or Drawing Editor user interface when User and Site Options > General > " Modeling layout style " or " Drawing Editor layout style " is set to ' Lightning '. If you change the " layout style " to ' Classic ' then restart Modeling or the Drawing Editor , toolbars and the classic menu system are used in place of the ribbon.

The ribbon is highly customizable. This illustration shows just one page in a multi-page ribbon configuration. The " Layout " page of this ribbon configuration is the active page.

  • The ribbon can have multiple pages. You can change the layout page using the tabs. In the example above, the active layout page is named " Layout ."
  • Each ribbon configuration is stored in a ribbon configuration file, which can be used in one or multiple roles . In the example below, the ribbon configuration file is named my_favorite_tools .

      Ribbon configuration:
    my_favorite_tools
  • To open the Ribbon Editor : 1) Home > Utilities > Customize Interface . 2) Choose a role configuration. 3) Choose a role or create a new role.. 4) Select a " Ribbon configuration " (such as my_favorite_tools as shown above). 5) Press the " Edit " button. 6) The Ribbon Editor opens.
  • How to use the Ribbon Editor to add icons to a non-contextual section is described here .
  • Add icons to a contextual section as described here . An example of a contextual page is the page that becomes active for point location .
  • If you are already in Modeling or Drawing Editor and don't want to go back to Home , Role switcher > " Customize ..." opens Customize Interface and lets you edit roles that that are stored in Modeling's or Drawing Editor's " Lightning Role Configuration ." You can also use Customize Interface to add roles to the active role configuration .
  • The role that is active when you launch Modeling (lightning) is, unless you change the User and Site Options > General > " Lightning Role Configuration " in the meantime, set by the role that you selected on the role switcher the last time that you closed ( ) Modeling . If you change the " Lightning Role Configuration ," your change will affect Modeling or Drawing Editor the next time it opens -- it will not affect your current session.
  • You can change the active role in Modeling or Drawing Editor using the role switcher . Only one role can be active at a time. The roles that are available to be switched to by the role switcher are those roles that are contained in the role configuration file that is entered to User and Site Options > General > " Lightning Role Configuration ." A role configuration can contain many roles.
  • Command search and execute provides an alternative to activating tools from the ribbon when User and Site Options > General > Modeling layout style or " Drawing Editor layout style " is set to ' Lightning '.

Seismic bolted or welded moment connections :

Connections to cruciform columns :

  • Connection design can now design connections when a column " Section size " is a cruciform column and the member framing to that column is a beam, vertical brace or joist.
  • Connection failure messages for members to cruciform columns:

  • Home > Project Settings > Job > Material Grades > Cruciform Grades sets the steel grade for the materials that compose a selected cruciform column's " Section size ."

Split shear through plates :

  • You can now set which shear plates are split when beams with through plates frame perpendicular to other beams with thru plates.
  • Shear connection " Connection specifications " > " Through shear plate " used to be an on/off ( / ) option. Now its choice of settings are ' No ' or ' Through plate ' or ' Split plate '.
  • The following illustrations demonstrate how these settings work:
The top beam is set to ' Split plate '. The left and right beams are each set to ' Through plate '.

The top beam is set to ' Through plate '. The left and right beams are each set to ' Split plate '.

New horizontal brace connection specifications :

New options under " Connection specifications " give you control over whether connection components for a horizontal brace with a clip angle are shipped with the beam or brace. The clip angle only can be shipped with the beam. Or the clip angle and gusset can be shipped with the beam. Or the clip angle and gusset can be shipped with the brace. These new connection specification options are:

Column to user base/cap plate welds :

  • Each line on the User Base/Cap Plate Schedule now has a " Weld ... " button, which opens an instance of the Base / Cap Plate Weld Options window. That instance is for the one line only, and it lets you configure the weld pattern to be applied when the particular column plate from that line on the schedule is used in the model.
  • Different weld patterns can be specified when a particular line in the User Base/Cap Plate Schedule is used as a cap plate opposed to a base plate. To set different patterns for cap plates and base plates, " Use the same options for base and cap plates " needs to be unchecked, and the settings applied under the "' Base Plate Welds " and " Cap Plate Welds " sections need to be different.
  • Settings on Base / Cap Plate Weld Options window will be applied as specified for a particular column in the model when:

    1. The " Input connection type " is ' User base/cap plt ', and the appropriate " Plate schedule number " is entered to one or both ends of that column.
    2. In " Connection specifications " for the appropriate end of that column, " Weld all around " and " Flange welds " and " Web welds " and " Seal welds " are each set to ' Automatic '.
  • The Base / Cap Plate Weld Options window permits the application of " Column flange preps " when " Flange welds " are set to ' Bevel Groove '.
  • When the weld " Type " set on the Base / Cap Plate Weld Options window for flange welds or web welds is ' Square groove ', the column " Material setback " sets the root opening of the weld to be one half the wall thickness of an HSS rectangular column, or one half the flange or web thickness of a wide flange column.
  • Fillet weld sizes applied on the Base / Cap Plate Weld Options window are permitted to be less than the " Minimum for job " and greater than the " Maximum for non strength connections ."
  • Choice made in Base / Cap Plate Weld Options can be overridden using the user base/cap plate " Connection specifications " named Weld all around " and " Flange welds " and " Web welds " and " Seal welds ." However, the welds specified in " Connection specifications " will always be fillet welds whose size is greater than or equal to the " Minimum for job " and less than or equal to the " Maximum for non strength connections ."
  • Not new is the ability to override choices made in " Connection specifications " using " Column Plate Welds " locks.

Flush framed joist connections :

YouTube video: Flush Framed Joists.

New auto bolt setup options :

  • Home > Project Settings > Job > Bolts, Washers, and Holes > Bolt Settings has several new options for setting " Auto " bolt diameters for connections.

    • A default bolt type and diameter can be set -- under " CJ joist bolts " -- for CJ series joists with bearing connections or seated connections. CJ series joists are a type of Vulcraft joist.
    • For any joist series, including CJ series joists, the default auto bolt type and diameter for joist flush framed shear or clip angle connections is set under " Flush framed joist connections ."
    • For vertical brace or horizontal brace HSS welded connections with erection bolts, the default auto type and diameter of those erection bolts is set under " HSS welded brace erector bolts ."

New Utility Functions :

End connection fail messages (in addition to those listed elsewhere on this page) :

Point clouds (v2021i) :

  • The Point Cloud Manager lets you import E57 formatted point cloud files into the 3D model. You can then move, color, delete, or toggle the visibility of the scans within imported point cloud groups.

The Drawing Editor lightning interface (v2021i) :

  • User and Site Options > General > Drawing Editor Layout Style lets you set the Drawing Editor's interface to be ' Lightning ' or ' Classic '.

Ribbon contextual pages are now use-configurable (v2021i) :

  • In the following example of the ' Layout ' contextual page of the Modeling ribbon, some pictorial icons were made into textual icons.

  • You can add icons to a contextual page, but not widgets. Widgets are fixed features of a ribbon contextual page. In the above example, widgets are shown in the ' Tools ' section of the page.

Modes are configurable in the lightning interface (v2021i) :

  • Each mode configuration is stored in a mode configuration file, which can be used in one or multiple roles . In the example below, the mode configuration file is named my_favorite_tools . You can change the mode configuration file using Customize Interface .
  Mode configuration:
my_personal_modes