SDS2 Plugins
Python‑powered add‑in for SDS2 auto‑creates custom BRB members & mass‑applies connections, cutting AmFab Steel’s detailing time
Project Title
Automated BRB Connections Toolkit for SDS2
Industry
Structural & Steel Fabrication / Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Technologies & Tools
Python 2.7, SDS2 Python API
Client
AmFab Steel – a U.S. fabricator specializing in seismic‑resistant structures and large commercial projects.
Challenges
Repetitive manual work: Applying buckling‑restrained brace (BRB) members and their associated connections one node at a time consumed dozens of project hours.
Custom geometry requirements: Standard SDS2 libraries did not include BRB profile and gusset details.
Human‑error risk: Inconsistent bolt patterns and plate thickness selections led to costly RFI cycles.
Solution
Custom BRB Member Definition
Developed in Python using the SDS2 API, the new member type encapsulates core, casing, and fuse‑plate attributes, allowing designers to drag‑and‑drop a fully detailed BRB.Custom Component Library
Twenty‑plus pre‑qualified shear and moment connections tuned to AmFab shop standards auto‑populate bolt sizes, plate thickness, and weld symbols.Mass‑Apply Tool
A SDS2 Tool takes in required members, filters eligible joints, and applies the chosen connection or member in bulk.
Results
AmFab’s detailers now finish BRB‑heavy models up to faster, freeing capacity for higher‑value engineering tasks and accelerating overall fabrication schedules.
"Before this toolkit, detailing buckling-restrained braces was a painstaking, node-by-node process that ate up valuable project hours and introduced too many chances for bolt-pattern mistakes. The Automated BRB Connections Toolkit flipped that script. Now our detailers drag-and-drop a fully engineered BRB member and apply hundreds of identical connections in minutes—with every bolt size, plate thickness, and weld symbol already aligned to our shop standards. The time we save on each seismic project goes straight to schedule float and higher-value engineering work, and the drop in RFIs speaks for itself. Put simply, this solution has become mission-critical to our BRB workflow."
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