At SDS/2 we are continuously learning from our customers and developing new tools and features to help you succeed. The SDS/2 2020 update introduced several new tools to improve your user experience, boost your productivity, and reduce the potential for errors in your workflow.
Have you made the upgrade yet? Here’s a rundown of the top 5 value-added tools you should be taking advantage of in SDS/2 2020.
1. PDF Import
Translating a design drawing into a model is not only tedious, it also opens many opportunities for errors as you look back and forth between paper and screen. With the SDS/2 PDF import, you can easily overlay a reference drawing directly into your modeling space—including the 3D space—adjust it to scale, and trace the components. The easy-to-use integration speeds up your detailing and reduces the potential for errors—not to mention headaches.
2. Split Windows
Speaking of avoiding the headaches of looking back and forth, let’s talk about SDS/2’s tile views. This tool gives you multiple viewpoints—customized to your preferences—within the model space at one time. While you are inputting members in your plan view, for example, the model may come to life in a 3D isometric view right beside it. This is particularly helpful when using measurements and reference points. With SDS/2, there’s no need to click back and forth between views—it’s all right there in front of you.
3. Detail Views
The detail view tool allows you to select an area of your drawing and create a snippet that is linked to the main drawing but can be manipulated separately. Perhaps you want to show a zoomed-in view of a complex connection, highlight certain labels or measurements, or provide an alternate wire, stick, or solid view. SDS/2 detail views allow for high levels of customization, while auto-update options ensure that any revisions to the drawing will be reflected in your detail views. This is another back-and-forth eliminator that saves you time and helps keep your work organized.
4. New ABM Interface
Advanced Bill of Material functionality was upgraded in SDS/2 2020 with a streamlined new interface that gives users more control over ABM generation. The new interface houses all the ABM tools on one easy-to-use screen, and gives you control over which members and materials qualify for inclusion in the ABM. Length rounding and operation additions can now be managed by material or member type. You also have more enhanced filtering and sorting options when it comes to generating your ABM, and a new ID method makes it easier to track revisions while maintaining your preferred sorting order. When finished, the ABM can be exported to an external spreadsheet for easy manipulation and sharing.
5. Unfolded Bent Plates
In the past, bent plates had to be redrawn manually for CNC, adding up to a lot of extra time and potential for error. SDS/2 can unroll bent plates automatically and supply the necessary dimensions on the surface template, while setup options allow users to control how bend lines appear in the submaterial drawings. The results? High quality, accurate drawings and CNC files without the extra manual work and fewer opportunities for errors.