The "
Repository
" button
tells you the name of the "
Job repository
" (file folder) where your current Job is stored.
About
Shows you the
current version
of SDS2, as well as the program name and its architecture.
click to copy SDS2 version information to the Windows clipboard.
The SDS2 data directory
:
An example of SDS2's
data directory
.
Depending on how SDS2 was installed, the
data directory
for your current version of SDS2 may or may not be shared by other
SDS2 Editions
and other SDS2 versions that use that same data directory.
Be aware that certain files that are distributed with SDS2 are overwritten in the following folders (
) in the SDS2 data directory, and consequently may change each time that you install a new version of SDS2 software:
SDS2 updates archival files in
SDS2
folders so that you can easily replace working files that you accidentally delete or mangle. For example, you might accidentally
Delete
the
aus_mtrl
shape file from the
conf_mtrl
folder in the SDS2 data directory. The
aus_mtrl
shape file maintained in the
conf_mtrl/SDS2 folder
could be copied to the conf_mtrl folder as a replacement for the file you deleted. Best practice is to never edit files in
SDS2
folders -- those folders should be reserved for archival storage.
Recent Projects
The
Recent Projects
table
lists the last five projects that you have made
current
by clicking either the "
Job
" or the "
Activate
" button, in the order in which you previously accessed them. Click a project's label to make it the
current Job
.
×
Click the "x" next to a project's name to remove it from the table.
Click this pin to add this project to the
Pinned Projects
table.
Click this pin next to remove this project from the
Pinned Projects
table
indicates a project that can no longer be found by SDS2.
Pinned Projects
The
Pinned Projects
table
lists the projects that you have pinned. Click a project's label to make it the
current Job
.
×
Click the "x" next to a project's name to remove it from the table.
indicates a project that can no longer be found by SDS2.
View
Choices made here select members and information for display in charts that you can save to a PDF file.
Chart filter:
All Members
or
Sequence
or
Zone
.
Example:
Two sequences selected
This sets the number of members that will be included in the "
Member Count
" reported in the" "
Detailing
" "
Approval
"
Fabricator
" "
Erector
" and "
BIM
" charts. If, as in the example above, two sequences are selected, then the "
Member Count
" and "
Tonnage
" will include all members all members except
existing members
that are in those two sequences. When '
All members
' is selected, all members except existing members that in your current 3D model are included in the "
Member Count
."
Chart set:
Detailing
or
Approval
or
Fabricator
or
Erector
or
BIM
.
'
Detailing
'
reports "
Count
" "
Tons
" and "
%
" of the "
Chart filter
" members. Tons are reported as tons (2,000 lbs) or metric tons (1,000 kg), depending on the primary dimension "
Units
" that are set in
Fabricator Settings > Detailing > Drawing Presentation
> the "
Primary Dimensions
" tab. The percentage (%) that is reported for a category on this tab reflects the number (count) of members in that category that are in the "
Member Count
."
The links at left
point to where you can input the information that this tab tracks. No links are provided for "
Model Checked
" and "
Detail Checked " since these are member custom properties
, which are user-configurable and therefore not documented individually.
'
Approval
'
reports "
Count
" "
Tons
" and "
%
" of the "
Chart filter
" members. Tons are reported as tons (2,000 lbs) or metric tons (1,000 kg), depending on the primary dimension "
Units
" that are set in
Fabricator Settings > Detailing > Drawing Presentation
> "
Primary Dimensions
". The percentage (%) that is reported for a category on this tab reflects the number (count) of members in that category that are in the "
Member Count
."
'
Fabricator
'
reports "
Count
" "
Tons
" and "
%
" of the "
Chart filter
" members. Tons are reported as tons (2,000 lbs) or metric tons (1,000 kg), depending on the primary dimension "
Units
" that are set in
Fabricator Settings > Detailing > Drawing Presentation
> the "
Primary Dimensions
" tab
.
The percentage (%) that is reported for a category on this tab reflects the number (count) of members in that category that are in the "
Member Count
."
The links at left
point to help on
Member Status Review
, which is one location where this information may be input. The "
Total Members
" reported depends on the selection made to "
Information Selection By
."
'
Erector
'
reports "
Count
" "
Tons
" and "
%
" of the "
Chart filter
" members. Tons are reported as tons (2,000 lbs) or metric tons (1,000 kg), depending on the primary dimension "
Units
" that are set in
Fabricator Settings > Detailing > Drawing Presentation
> the "
Primary Dimensions
" tab. The percentage (%) that is reported for a category on this tab reflects the number (count) of members in that category that are in the "
Member Count
."
The links at left
point to help on the
Member Status Review
window, which is one of the windows where this information may be input. "Available to Erect" and "Rejected Steel" are based on member custom properties.
'
BIM
'
reports "
Count
" "
Tons
" and "
%
" of the "
Chart filter
" members. Tons are reported as tons (2,000 lbs) or metric tons (1,000 kg), depending on the primary dimension "
Units
" that are set in
Fabricator Settings > Detailing > Drawing Presentation
> the "
Primary Dimensions
" tab. The percentage (%) that is reported for a category on this tab reflects the number (count) of members in that category that are in the "
Member Count
."
You can input
the information that is tracked on the "BIM" chart to the
Member Status Review
window (which the links at left point to). You can also input this information in
Update Attributes
.
Chart type:
Member Count
or
Tons
.
Selecting
'
Member Count
'
causes the chart to report -- by status -- a count of members.
Selecting
'
Tons
'
causes the chart to report -- by status -- the tonnage of members.
Use Estimates
or
.
If the "
Use Estimates
" box
is checked
(
), you can enter a "
Member Count
" and/or a "
Tonnage
" estimate.
The upper bounds of each chart's
Tons
or
Member Count
axis -- depending on which "
Chart Type
" you selected -- is adjusted to reflect these estimates.
The chart's "Total member count" or "Total tonnage" label becomes a "Total estimated [...]" label.
If the box
is not checked
(
), the upper bounds of each chart's
Tonnage
or
Member Count
axis reflects the actual quantity or weight of members in the 3D model.
Analytics buttons and options:
"
Refresh
"
updates the charts with the member count and tonnage of members in the 3D model, if these quantities have changed since you last opened
Home
.
"
Save as PDF
"
saves the chart currently displayed on the
Analytics
tab and tabular data based on it to a PDF file.
The
Save Report as
window lets you select a name and destination for the PDF file.
Before opening this screen, you need to select a chart by choosing a "
Chart filter
," a "
Chart set
," and a "
Chart type
."
Include per-sequence reports:
or
. This appears when the "
Chart type
" is '
Sequence
'.
Include per-sequence
Include per-sequence
If this box
is checked
(
), an
Overview
table is included in the PDF file.
If the box
is not checked
(
), in addition to an
Overview
table for the current chart, per-sequence tables, broken out by sequence, are generated.
Include per-zone reports:
or
. This appears when the "
Chart type
" is '
Zone
''.
Include per-zone reports
Include per-zone reports
If this box
is checked
(
), an
Overview
table is generated.
If the box
is not checked
(
), in addition to an
Overview
table for the current chart, per-sequence tables, broken out by sequence, are generated.
Project Settings Overview:
To apply certain changes made in
Job Settings
and
Fabricator Settings
to the 3D model, you should
mark for processing
(or
Process Selected
) any members that you want changed, then
Process and/or Create Solids
. To apply to member/submaterial details changes that you have made to
Fabricator Settings
, you only need to
automatically detail
the affected members/submaterials.
"
ABM Report
"
opens the same
ABM Report
window as choosing
Reports > Advanced Bill of Material
will open in
Modeling
or the
Drawing Editor
. ABM reports are system reports and not
Report Writer
reports; however,
Report Writer
reports can mimic the functionality of system reports.
Connection Design Calculations opens a menu from which you can choose these reports:
Expanded Calculations. This is the same report as choosing Reports > Expanded Calculations > Expanded Calculations in Modeling or the Drawing Editor.
"
Generate Report
"
can open any report created with
Report Writer
. Such reports can be found in the
current version
of this program's
data directory
in the
reports
folder. This folder contains subfolders:
The
SDS2_User
folder contains User reports. These are
Report Writer
reports that mimic the functionality of "
System
" reports. Deconstructing these reports is an excellent way to learn the
SDS2 Report Writer
. You can save modified versions of these reports side-by-side with the original reports, or you can modify the original reports.
"
Create Report Template
"
opens the
Report Writer
with a blank, untitled report.
Search box
:
searches
system
report names for terms that you enter into it. Click the "×" to clear the search term(s).
Reports > System Reports
System Reports
are the same reports that can be found on the
Reports
menu in
Modeling
(classic) and the
Drawing Editor.
These are not
Report Writer
reports.
By default, the
Generate Report
button accesses same-named reports which mimic the functionality of these reports and are
Report Writer
reports.
Click items directly
to navigate reports.
To navigate backwards, click the
System Reports
breadcrumb
You will also leave behind a "breadcrumb" of the link that you clicked to open the report category:
Recent Reports
The
Recent Projects
table
lists the last five reports that you have selected.
Pinned Reports
The
Pinned Reports
table
lists reports that you have pinned.
Click this pin next to the current
Job
to add it to the
Pinned Projects
tab.
Click this pin next to the current
Job
to remove it from the
Pinned Projects
tab.
Transmittal
outputs a variety of file types: CNC files, CAD files, IFC models, lists, etc.
CNC:
outputs CNC files for a particular CNC configuration type
. Click
here
for information about the
Computer Numerically Controlled
window, which is the CNC module's main menu. Click
here
to access a contents page for all CNC help topics.
3D
"
Export Model
"
lets you can choose among several file types to export the SD2 model to.
The model export options are as follow:
Export to Load Planning : exports an IFC2x3 model of the current SDS2 project. Using this tool will have the ideal settings used for Load Planning.
Revit to New Model
opens a
Synchronize to Revit
file selection dialog, from which you can export your entire SDS2 model to a Revit Structure project in which no "roundtripping" has yet been done.
Revit to Linked Model
opens a
Synchronize to Revit
file selection dialog, from which you can export a Revit Structure XML file. Choose this tool if you have previously done an
Import Model from Revit
and you now wish to export your changes back to Revit so that the two models can become synchronized.
"
User and Site Options
"
opens the
User and Site Options
window. Options on that window apply to you alone (
user options
) or to your entire site (site options).
"
Member
Edit
"
opens a member selection dialog. The appropriate
Edit
window is opened for the members that you chose.
"
Connection Cube Edit
"
opens a member selection dialog. The appropriate
Edit
window is opened for the connection cube that you chose.
"
Update Attributes
"
directly updates the status of members without your having to open their edit windows.
"
Customize Interface
"
opens a dialog from which you can select a
role configuration
file to customize. These configure keyboard shortcuts, ribbon layout, and context menus.
"
Verify and Fix
"
can be used in the event that data becomes corrupted or files become locked. However,
Verify and Fix
should not
be run if there are other people on your network who are using your current Job.
Search box
:
searches utility functions screen for terms that you enter into it.
Licensing
Current license user
The button : Opens a web browser so that you can log into and view the default user's SDS2 account profile page. The default user name is displayed next to the button.
Log out : Allows you to clear the default user from the computer and re-login to licensing. To log out, you must first close all windows of SDS2.
If Home > Utilities > User & Site Options > General > "Confirm on log out" is checked, a Log out dialog will ask you to confirm your choice. Choosing "Yes, don't ask again" will not only log out the user, it will also uncheck "Confirm on logout" in User and Site Options.
Change Edition : Allows you to switch between Ultimate, Modeling, Drafting and Basic Editions based on your license. Selecting a different edition will close and relaunch SDS2 in the selected edition and remember this selection the next time SDS2 is opened.
Note : All other SDS2 screens must be closed and the user must not have a borrowed or contingency license.
License Expires : A read-only field that reports when the license on the server or a borrowed license expires.
Return borrowed license : Returns a borrowed license before it expires. If a license has not been borrowed this button is disabled (grayed out).
Borrow for offline use
Days to borrow :1 to 28 days. This is the length of time that you can "Borrow" a license for offline use when you click the borrow button.
Borrow : Allows you to use a license from the license pool offline for a requested period of time (maximum of 28 days) for use on a single computer when the computer may not be connected to the internet for an extended period of time. Once you click "Borrow," the "License expires" field will indicate the date the license will be returned, unless you click "Return borrowed license" earlier.
The borrowed license is returned to the license pool either when it expires or when you return it by pressing the "Return borrowed license" button. During this time, it will be reserved in the organization's license pool, even if SDS2 is not being used on that computer.
Note 1: Pressing "Log out" does not return a borrowed license from a computer. If you later sign back into that computer using the same SDS2 licensing account and the same Window user account, SDS2 will still use the borrowed license.
Note 2: "Return borrowed license" applies only to the borrowed license of the currently logged on Windows user. There is no way for you to return another user’s borrowed license unless you are using the borrower’s Windows user account that is logged on to the same computer on which the license was borrowed.
Administration
Organization administration : Opens a web page that allows a license administrator to log in to your organizations license administration page.
Save license log : Opens a Save log as dialog, allowing you name the file and to select the folder that you want to place a log file into. The log is a timestamped list of licensing events such as license check-ins, check-outs, etc
Click items directly
to navigate project settings.
Example 1:
Clicking
Project Settings > Job > Design
in the search results list removes the names of the Job and Fabricator links, and instead only displays the names of design settings
screens:
Design Settings
,
Plate Design Settings
,
Field Clearances
, etc.
Example 2:
Clicking
Project Settings > Fabricator > Piecemarking
link displays the names of piecemarking settings screens:
All-Bolted Clip Angles,Bolted/Welded Clip Angles
,
All Welded Clip Angles
, etc. Clicking
All-Bolted Clip Angles
opens that settings screen.
Breadcrumbs:
If you click topics, they will leave a "breadcrumb" trail; for example:
Navigating backward:
click any topic's breadcrumb to navigate to that screen again. In the example above, clicking "Fabricator" would display Fabricator links on the home screen.
Click the name of a search result to open its screen:
Example 1:
Clicking
Job > Design > Field Clearances
opens the
Field Clearances
screen.
Example 2:
Clicking
Shear Tees
under the
Field Clearances
search result opens the
Field Clearances
screen.
You can minimize categories:
Example:
When searching project settings, your search may return both Job and Fabricator options:
Click the down arrow next to a category to minimize it:
Hide
Fabricator
settings
by clicking the down arrow.
When a category is hidden, a control appears at the bottom of the search results list, like this:
Open
Fabricator
settings
by clicking the up arrow.
The "(number)" indicates the search term entered matches that many Fabricator items, which are hidden from the list until you click the up arrow.
Breadcrumbs in search:
When navigating search results, if you click on a breadcrumb after clicking on a search result, you lose the search results. To preserve your search results, click Cancel on the settings screen that opens.
1
.
This procedure applies to an entirely new Job or to an already developed Job.
At
Home
, click the "
Launch Modeling
" button.
2
.
One of the following happens.
A
AB Plan
B
C
ISO
ROOF PLAN
Possibility 1
:
The
Select One Erection View
selection dialog opens
if
you have
created erection views
in your current Job
and if you have not
previously set an erection view to "
Use as default
."
Possibility 2
:
The create new view window opens when you are in a newly created Project. Since no erection views exist in a new project, you need to use this window to create a plan view before the model will open.
Possibility 3
:
This possibility happens when you have previously designated a default erection view for your current Job. You can designate a default view by checking the box for "
Use as default
" on this same selection dialog, or you can do so by checking the box for "
Make this my default view
" when you add a new view.
3
.
Modeling
opens the perspective view .
Modeling
is where you
construct
,
review
and
modify
a 3D structural model.
2
.
A drawing selection dialog opens.
Select
one (1) of the drawing types shown on the selection dialog, such as
Details
or
Job standard details
or
Global standards
, etc. Changing the drawing type updates the
selection list
on the dialog to show drawings of that type.
Alternative 1
:
Double-click
a drawing name (or select a drawing name, then press "
OK
").
Alternative 2
:
Select a drawing type, then click "
New...
" to create a drawing of the same type. (Exceptions: '
Submaterial
' and 'Erection views' and '
Connection cube details
'.)
) in the SDS2 data directory, and consequently may change each time that you install a new version of SDS2 software:
aus_mtrl shape file from the
Chart filter: All Members or Sequence or Zone .
Chart set: Detailing or Approval or Fabricator or Erector or BIM .
Chart type: Member Count or Tons .
or
.
" Refresh " updates the charts with the member count and tonnage of members in the 3D model, if these quantities have changed since you last opened Home .
" Save as PDF " saves the chart currently displayed on the Analytics tab and tabular data based on it to a PDF file.
button : Opens a web browser so that you can log into and view the default user's SDS2 account profile page. The default user name is displayed next to the button.
Details
or
