JOINT STATEMENT: SUPPORTING THE WORKFLOW BETWEEN SDS/2 AND FABSUITE

As you may know, Trimble recently acquired North America's leading supplier of Management Information Systems for Steel Fabricators: FabSuite.

FabSuite and SDS/2 have enjoyed a good relationship over the years. Many of our common customers take advantage of the integration that has been developed between the two systems for a productive and efficient workflow.

Both SDS/2 and Trimble are committed to supporting open workflows going forward.

Chris Moor, former COO of FabSuite and now responsible for the FabSuite business in Trimble, stated that "both companies believe in open strategies that optimize the customer's processes and both are committed to continuously improve the workflows from engineering and detailing through to steel fabrication management."

Damon Scaggs, President of SDS/2, added, "As a company, we've always strived to further our interoperability with our industry partners to the benefit of our customers. As we maintain that path with FabSuite, we will continue to ensure our customers have the flexibility to work with all MIS software companies."

About the SDS/2-FabSuite Workflow
The data exports used from SDS/2 are standard output files, used by other systems in the supply chain as well as FabSuite. FabSuite is able to extract the data needed to help steel fabricators manage their shop.

In addition, both Trimble and SDS/2 are involved in driving an IFC export specifically for steel fabrication. This is a dedicated format specified and developed by the AISC in conjunction with buildingSMART International. It contains all the data needed from a model to move into fabrication and is already available as an export in both Tekla Structures and SDS/2, meaning that the same data from both systems imports into FabSuite and can be used in the same way.

Contact/Questions
For further information on the above, don't hesitate to contact:
Trimble/FabSuite: Chris Moor, 813.480.7017; chris.moor@trimble.com
SDS/2/Nemetschek: Damon Scaggs, 402.441.4000; damon@sds2.com

THREE-TIME OLYMPIAN TO PROVIDE KEYNOTE SPEECH AT 2018 SDS/2 USERS GROUP CONFERENCE

Curt Tomasevicz — an Olympic gold (2010 in Vancouver) and bronze (2014 in Sochi) medalist as part of the famed "Night Train" four-man bobsled team — will serve as the keynote speaker at the 2018 SDS/2 Users Group Conference, which will be held September 19-21 in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Tomasevicz grew up in Shelby, Nebraska, a small town of nearly 700 people located a few miles southwest of Columbus. While attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Curt played running back and linebacker for the Cornhuskers, earning most of his playing time on special teams.

He holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in electrical engineering with a minor in astrophysics, along with a Ph.D. in biological engineering, all from UNL.

Tomasevicz will share his story of the 10 years he spent competing for the United States National and Olympic bobsled teams. His insights and experiences will inspire attendees to Have No Fear.

To learn more about the SDS/2 Users Group Conference, visit our website. To register, click here.

UPCOMING SDS/2 2018 SEMINARS IN JULY AND AUGUST

SDS/2 is once again hosting live seminars to educate our customers on the latest innovations in the software. The seminars are taking place across the country beginning in May and running through August.

This year's remaining seminars will be held in Nashville, Tennessee (July 10); Columbia, South Carolina (July 12); Detroit, Michigan (July 24); Newark, New Jersey (July 26); and St. Louis, Missouri (August 2).

The seminars take an in-depth look at new features and functionality in SDS/2 2018. This year's highlights include:

• Status Display
• Imports and Exports
• Member Add Options Bar
• New Connections
• Handrail
• User Modified BOM
• Scale Dimensioning Symbols
• Arcs, Circles and Ellipses
• Save As/Rename/Delete
• Field Welds on Erection Views
  

Please note that seating at each of the seminars is limited, and registration for that site will be closed once there are no longer spots available. The cost for the one-day seminars is $25 per person for the first five attendees for each company (there is no charge for additional attendees beyond the first five). Each seminar will start at 9 a.m. and finish at 4 p.m.

To register for any of the seminars, click here.

DEADLINES FOR SOLID STEEL COMPETITION, CONNECTORS CLUB ENTRIES APPROACHING

Submissions deadlines for both the 2018 SDS/2 Solid Steel Competition and the Connectors Club Award are rapidly approaching. Entries for both are due August 10.

Solid Steel Competition
A company can submit one entry each to both the commercial and/or industrial main categories. After all entries are received, the commercial projects will be split into two subcategories based off structural steel tonnage. Entries will be evaluated equally on: aesthetics of the project; complexity (modeling difficulty, connection design); and tonnage (weight).

For each category, a grand prize will be awarded to one entry. Grand Prize is $3,000 off one year of SDS/2 Software Service Fees, a tablet and a trophy. The tablet will go to the person who submits the entry. Based on the number of entries, second place winners may be awarded to specific categories. If awarded, second place winners in those categories will receive $1,000 off one year of service fees and a trophy.

A Customers' Choice award will be given to one entry. The Customers' Choice winner will receive $1,500 off one year of SDS/2 Software Service Fees, a tablet and a trophy. The tablet will go to the person who submits the entry.

The awards will be presented at the 2018 SDS/2 Users Group Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska. To learn more about the competition or to submit your project, click here.

Connectors Club Award
The SDS/2 Connectors Club evolved as a collective way to annually thank a user, new or experienced, who selflessly offers their expertise with the software to others in the industry. Their genuine excitement about SDS/2 is what motivates this individual to keep others connected to the software's capabilities.

SDS/2 users can nominate a standout individual who has demonstrated exemplary dedication and commitment to the development and application of SDS/2. Here are some guidelines to follow when nominating someone for the award:

• A new or an experienced SDS/2 user
• Involved with the SDS/2 community; this may include helping other SDS/2 users through the SDS/2 Forums, direct phone calls or emails
• Actively promotes SDS/2 in the industry by example
• Constructively helps SDS/2 with improving their products

Click here to nominate someone for the Connectors Club award, which will be presented at the 2018 SDS/2 Users Group Conference.