Platform on concrete and steel in construction
As steel fabricators face tighter schedules, increasingly complex hybrid structures and persistent labor shortages, automation and interoperability are no longer optional, but essential to remain competitive.
The latest release of SDS2 reflects this shift. By improving automation, expanding material versatility and strengthening integration with cloud platforms such as BIMPLUS, the new version aims to transform the way engineers and manufacturers design steel structures by turning repetitive manual processes into intelligent and dynamic workflows.
In many engineering offices, much time is still wasted on repetitive, manual tasks that underlie every detailing project; Compiling liaison reports, keeping revisions consistent across hundreds of pages and version control are all labor-intensive processes that can slow delivery and also increase the risk of errors.
At the same time, the increasing use of hybrid materials: steel and aluminum structures where wood and steel are combined, makes design more complex, putting more pressure on already overburdened teams. The challenge is no longer just in modeling accuracy, but in efficiently managing data and ensuring that all stakeholders are working with the same, verified information.
SDS2 2026 addresses these challenges by focusing on efficiency where it matters most: automating connection design, drawing control and data exchange between teams and platforms.
Automation is not about replacing detail designers. It's about giving them the tools so they can free up time to focus on buildability, coordination and the decisions that matter most. SDS2 2026 introduces several intelligent workflows designed to reclaim valuable time for engineers and manufacturers.
For example, the new compound grouping feature automatically merges similar compounds, identifies the ‘defining’ example in each group and generates a concise, compliant package for review. Instead of manually compiling hundreds of nearly identical reports, detail designers can now produce documentation for submission within minutes while maintaining accuracy and traceability.
Similarly, the new batch editing feature for revision tables significantly speeds up detail designers' drawing workflows, allowing teams to visualize and edit information on multiple pages simultaneously. This improvement may seem modest, but it addresses one of the most time-consuming administrative tasks in detail design: ensuring consistent updates across large drawing sets without the risk of missing a revision.
Automation does not stop at the modeling stage. With the 2026 release, SDS2 strengthens the bridge between design and manufacturing through enhanced data sharing and cloud integration.
New welding enhancements enrich the data in IFC exports and BIMPLUS uploads, ensuring that every welding point - accurately communicated to fabrication teams. By providing complete welding information directly in the model, manufacturers can take full advantage of robotic assembly and welding machines, significantly reducing setup time and potential errors.
Meanwhile, integration with BIMPLUS, ALLPLAN's open cloud platform, continues to evolve. Detail designers can now upload SDS2 models directly to BIMPLUS for clash detection, problem tracking and model-based coordination. Drawings, CNC data and bill of materials details can be linked directly to 3D objects, providing all stakeholders with a single, traceable source of truth. This interconnected workflow eliminates silos and improves visibility throughout the project lifecycle - from detail design to fabrication and construction.
SDS2 has been known for many years for its intelligent joint design. It generates fully validated connections based on full frame condition, load requirements and fabrication preferences. The 2026 release further expands support for more complex and customized connections. This includes the addition of intelligent manufacturability checks such as compliant slot and bolt combinations and automated validation of welds and holes.
Designers and detail engineers can be confident that each joint meets applicable industry standards and manufacturing requirements. This results in faster verification, fewer manual corrections and greater certainty in detail design.
In addition, to address the growing need for accountability and transparency in digital workflows, SDS2 is introducing verification cases for North America and Europe. These standardized test cases validate the accuracy of connection designs against recognized benchmarks. Engineers can use them to verify software performance with confidence, knowing that calculations have been thoroughly tested for accuracy and compliance.
Together, these improvements show how ALLPLAN leverages automation, reliability and demonstrable performance as the foundation for smarter steel structures. As a result, teams can complete complex projects faster and with greater confidence and are prepared for a future in which automation plays an ever-increasing role.
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Maximize your productivity in precast planning ALLPLAN offers powerful tools for the special requirements of the precast industry. ALLPLAN enables you to easily design walls, floors and structural precast elements such as stairs or columns very efficiently and accurately. You can switch between 2D and 3D working methods at will, because the plans and the [...]
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