How new automation and AI capabilities in SDS2 2027 are helping steel detailing teams spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time moving projects forward.

Steel detailing teams know that even small changes can create significant work. A beam moves late in the project. An erection drawing needs to be revised. A customer requests information from a complex 3D model. Each task may seem manageable on its own, but together they consume valuable time and put pressure on project schedules.

For steel detailers and fabricators, improving productivity involves more than modeling faster. It means reducing manual work, keeping project information accurate, and responding efficiently when requirements change. SDS2 2027 introduces new capabilities designed to address these everyday challenges, from simplifying drawing revisions to reducing repetitive detailing tasks. Feedback from customers who participated in the beta program offers an early look at how these improvements can help teams work more efficiently.

Revisions are a reality of nearly every steel detailing project. Whether they result from design changes, coordination requirements, or customer feedback, even minor adjustments can create additional work across models and drawings. Traditionally, updating erection drawings after model changes could require regenerating views and manually restoring or adjusting previous detailing work. On complex projects, that process can consume hours.

SDS2 2027 introduces Model-Synced Erection Drawings, allowing changes to existing model elements to be reflected in corresponding erection views without requiring the same level of manual rework. For beta tester Luis Torres, the potential time savings were immediately apparent.

“It will save me at least 30 to 50 percent on erection view cleanup.”

— Luis Torres, SDS2 Customer

Other testers reported similar benefits in practical situations. Steven Brumbaugh, Owner, Valley Structural Services, LLC, described revising stair plans following review comments and seeing the plans update successfully, saving considerable time. Jean-Philippe Alain, Drafting Manager, Industrie Canatal, identified another common challenge: relocating beams late in the detailing process following MEP coordination. In both scenarios, keeping models and drawings aligned can reduce the effort required to incorporate changes and help teams prepare accurate deliverables more efficiently.

The beta survey findings reinforce these experiences. Of the 20 respondents, 19 tested Model-Synced Erection Drawings, and seven of those 19 estimated time savings of 40% or more per project when using the feature. While these self-reported estimates reflect a small group of testers and individual results varied, they provide an early indication of the feature's potential impact.

Preparing erection drawings involves more than generating views from a model. Detailers must also arrange annotations, resolve overlapping labels, and make adjustments to ensure drawings are clear and ready for review. These repetitive tasks can require considerable manual effort, particularly when project changes introduce additional cleanup work.

With SDS2 2027, AI Drafter helps automate portions of the annotation arrangement and cleanup process, giving detailers a better starting point for reviewing and finalizing erection drawings.

For projects with more standardized layouts, that automation can translate into substantial time savings. Beta tester Riley Bennett, owner of Bennett Services, LLC, described the potential impact:

“The AI Drafter is going to save anywhere between 80 to 90% on drawing cleanup on some projects: really simple items like the mezzanines, the warehouses, the cookie-cutter projects. It’s going to be a ginormous time save. You will have to do minimal work now.”

— Riley Bennett, Owner, Bennett Services, LLC

Another opportunity for productivity improvement lies in how teams access project information. Steel models contain valuable data, but retrieving specific details can require navigating the model, creating selections, or generating reports. Those steps take time, especially when information is needed quickly for coordination or decision-making.

AI BIM Analyst, introduced in SDS2 2027, allows users to ask questions about their model and retrieve information through natural-language requests. During beta testing, customers identified several practical applications, including locating specific materials, generating customized reports, and checking model information without having to manually configure every selection or report.

Karthikeyan Balasubramani, Deputy Delivery Manager, TRC Worldwide Engineering, described using AI BIM Analyst to quickly identify the heaviest beams and columns in a project to help answer a customer's question about crane capacity. Other testers used the capability to locate specific bolt sizes, select model elements based on defined criteria, and investigate discrepancies between models and drawings. These examples illustrate how teams can retrieve specific project information without relying on the same manual search and reporting steps.

Beyond the major automation and AI capabilities, SDS2 2027 includes targeted enhancements that simplify common detailing activities. Clipped Area Enhancements provide more flexibility when working with erection views, while Handrail Enhancements expand automation for handrail modeling and reduce the need for graphical adjustments in certain situations.

Beta tester Michael Meade highlighted the handrail improvements as particularly valuable because more handrail configurations can be modeled automatically and prepared for detailing with less manual intervention. While these enhancements may appear incremental compared with larger workflow changes, they address tasks that detailers encounter regularly across their projects.

The value of more efficient steel detailing extends beyond individual tasks. When teams spend less time cleaning up drawings, searching for information, or repeating work after revisions, they have more capacity to focus on project quality and delivery. That can translate into faster turnaround on drawing revisions, more efficient use of detailing resources, and greater responsiveness to customer needs.

For SDS2 beta tester Riley Bennett, the potential impact comes down to two essential measures:

“We are measured by our speed and accuracy, and 2027 looks to significantly improve both of those items.”

— Riley Bennett, Owner, Bennett Services, LLC

SDS2 2027 builds on the software's established connection automation, live multiuser modeling, and connected project workflows with new capabilities shaped by customer feedback. Together, these improvements give steel detailers and fabricators more ways to manage demanding project requirements while maintaining the accuracy and coordination their work demands.

Explore the latest capabilities in SDS2 2027 and see how your team can simplify everyday detailing tasks.

Explore SDS2 2027