SDS2 certifications

understanding the sds2 knowledge hierarchy

The SDS2 Knowledge Hierarchy organizes learning content and exam topics into clear, coded categories—helping you navigate Learn Now materials and certification exam specifications with ease.

Knowledge Hierarchy

When exploring content on Learn Now, or reviewing Exam Specifications for our certification program, you might notice some alphanumeric codes used to identify individual Units or topic areas within our products. This coding is part of a system for classifying content that we call a “Knowledge Hierarchy”. It’s used both for our internal purposes to keep track of and plan out learning content, and to communicate what to expect from a learning Unit or what kinds of questions you might see on an exam. 

The Knowledge Hierarchy for SDS2 is detailed below. 

  • (S) SDS2
    • (SA) Administration.
      • (SA0) Installation. Instructions, settings, and recommendations for installation.
      • (SA1) Basic Operation. Basic operations such as managing Jobs, project workflow, and user settings.
      • (SA2) Import and Export. Importing data to and exporting data from SDS2 products.
    • (SC) CNC and MRP
      • (SC0) CNC Exports. Generating CNC files for automated fabrication equipment.
      • (SC1) CNC Setup. Configuring CNC settings, formats, and options.
    • (SD) Drawing Editor
      • (SD0) Basic Drawing Editor. Navigating and using basic tools & workflows within the "Drawing Editor" Environment.
      • (SD1) Detailing. Creating and managing primary Member drawings.
      • (SD2) Submaterial Detailing. Creating and managing individual Material drawings.
      • (SD3) Detailing Sheets. Organizing and placing drawings onto Sheets for printing and delivery.
    • (SE) Connection Design
      • (SE0) Connections Basics. Basic topics related to the Connection Design process.
    • (SL) Licensing
      • (SL0) License Portal. Managing Licenses, Users, and Groups using the online license portal.
      • (SL1) License Troubleshooting. Identifying and resolving common issues related to licensing.
    • (SM) Modeling
      • (SM0) Basic Modeling. Navigating and using tools & workflows within the "Modeling" Environment.
      • (SM1) Construction Lines. Creating, editing, and working with Construction Lines.
      • (SM2) Views and Grids. Creating, editing, and working with Views and Grid Lines.
      • (SM3) Primary Members. Creating and editing primary Members (i.e., Beams, Columns, and Vertical Braces, and Horizontal Braces).
      • (SM4) Assemblies and Group Members. Creating and editing Group Members and Assemblies.
      • (SM5) Anchor Rods and Miscellaneous. Creating and editing Anchor Rods and Miscellaneous Members.
      • (SM6) Stairs and Handrails. Creating and editing Stair Members and Handrail Members.
      • (SM7) Embeds. Creating, editing, and managing Embeds for concrete-to-steel connections.
      • (SM8) Material Operations. Editing Materials using Material Operations (e.g., "Cut on Plane" Tool, "Material Fit Exact" Tool, etc.).
    • (SP) Project Settings
      • (SP0) General Project Settings. General usage, purpose, and navigation of Project Settings.
      • (SP1) Fabricator Settings. Configuring Fabricator-specific preferences that control modeling, detailing, and output.
      • (SP2) Job Settings. Configuring Job-specific preferences that control modeling and output.
    • (SR) Reports
      • (SR1) ABM Reports. Configuring and generating Advance Bill of Material (ABM) Reports.
      • (SR2) Connection Design. Configuring and generating Reports related to Connection Design.
      • (SR3) Generate Reports. Configuring and generating system or user Reports.
      • (SR4) Report Templates. Designing, configuring, and managing report templates created using the Report Writer.
    • (SS) Site Planning
      • (SS0) Site Planning. Tools and workflows related to Site Planning functionalities (i.e., placing crane and analyzing lifts).
    • (ST) Toolboxes
      • (ST0) General Information. Basic usage and installation of SDS2 Toolbox tools.
      • (ST1) Tekla PowerFab Toolbox. Working with the "Tekla PowerFab" Toolbox.
    • (SU) Utilities
      • (SU0) Basic Utilities. Basic information and usage of Utility Functions.
      • (SU1) Change Options. Usage of Utility Functions in the "Change Options" Category.
    • (SV) Virtual Workspace
      • (SV0) Virtual Machine Configuration. Configuration of the Virtual Workspace service.
      • (SV1) Virtual Machine Usage. Guidance and recommendations for working day-to-day in the Virtual Workspace service.
    • (SX) Import and Export
      • (SX1) Project Transfer. Transferring SDS2 data between systems or users using JFT files.
      • (SX2) 2D Imports. Importing 2D files for reference, layout, and coordination.
      • (SX3) 3D Imports. Importing 3D models for coordination and model reference.
      • (SX4) Plotting and PDFs. Creating PDFs from Drawings and Sheets.
      • (SX5) 3D Exports. Exporting the model data to 3D formats for coordination or sharing.
      • (SX6) Status Transfer. Transferring Member and Material status information between systems.
      • (SX9) Transmittals. Creating and managing Transmittals for sharing files, drawings, and documents.