SDS2 2026 has arrived with new features and enhancements that detailers, fabricators, and engineers can all get excited about. With major performance upgrades, fresh automation and batch processing, and more custom design options than ever before, our latest release can help you meet the construction industry’s constant demand for more head-on.
Let’s take a look at some of the most exciting updates in SDS2 2026 and what they mean for you.
Boost your drawing speed and performance
One of the most exciting updates for many of SDS2’s long-time users—and for any detailer worn out by tedious drawing workflows—is the complete redesign of SDS2’s drawing editor. Built from the ground up to maximize performance and streamline user interactions, users will immediately notice faster processing speeds, simplified menus, and slick new features, including:
- Bulk editing revision charts with smart search, filtering, and error protection to cut your editing time in half
- Easy access panels for drawing lists, with enhanced organization and searchability
- Improved navigation, with streamlined mouse and keyboard commands for opening, closing, and navigating drawings and panels.
More materials, more possibilities
SDS2 isn’t just for detailing steel anymore. Our 2026 release supports any custom material, allowing you to easily add and adjust specifications for things like aluminum, stainless steel, fiberglass reinforced plastics (FRP), glulam, wood, and more.
In addition, a new Custom Profile Manager allows you to easily import or create profiles for things like roof decking, cladding, rail caps, and items from custom manufacturers. Build up your own library of custom items, and easily share it between projects, teams, and the detailing community at large.
Together, these new features open doors to new project types and make it easier to tackle unique architectural challenges. Whether you need manufacturer-specific profiles for façade panels on a hospital expansion, aluminum flashing profiles for a stadium roof, or FRP grating for catwalks—you can do it all in SDS2 2026, right alongside your traditional steel components.
Smarter connections and faster reviews
Custom connections—sometimes referred to as forced connections—now get the same constructability checks as auto-standard connections, so you can ensure that all your most complex and EOR-designed connections have sufficient bolt clearances, maintain adequate plate edge distances, and won’t conflict with other elements in the framing situation.
SDS2 2026 also delivers a big upgrade on connection design reviews and approvals with its new smart grouping capabilities. SDS2 now automatically groups connections with the same load calculations, allowing you to put together more concise submittal packages and get back faster approvals. These groups can be named and viewed in the model and on drawings and used in status display settings for easy visual reference.
Targeted improvements for a big impact
While the major updates like the drawing editor overhaul and new connection intelligence get the most attention, sometimes it’s the small, focused upgrades that make the biggest difference in your daily work. SDS2 2026 is packed full of targeted quality of life improvements to help you meet evolving fabrication demands and increase your detailing efficiency.
- Define hole types in the main material rather than in the connection material, so you can refine connections before turning to manual edits. You’ll also notice more fabrication options to align with machine limitations, and intelligent checks for compliant slot/bolt combinations—along with clear feedback on how to correct issues with slip critical bolts or code-compliant options.
- Advanced modeling tools for welds give you perfect precision and control, so you can get your models ready for seamless CNC integrations.
- Track materials through the entire project with unique ABM IDs, aligning with modern fabrication practices and allowing better project management.
- Share more data in real time with BIMPLUS, with a streamlined one-click upload of complete model packages. Accurate drawings, CNC, and bill of material data is all stored directly with each 3D object, creating a single-source of truth for your project, with automatic revision control and version tracking.
And that’s not all. Get an in-depth look at these and all the latest features and enhancements during our What’s New in SDS2 2026 Webinar Series.
From top to bottom, SDS2 2026 helps detailers, fabricators, and engineers work faster, communicate better, and do more, with better performance, expanded detailing options, and everyday productivity improvements right at your fingertips. Ready to experience it for yourself? Download the latest version today to get started.
