Bring the workflow, not only the software name.
- Current application and version
- Representative input and required output
- Units, identifiers, revision rules, and tolerances
- Known exceptions and acceptance criteria
- Who reviews and approves the result
Integration readiness
Start with the handoff that actually exists.
A capability matrix for local QSD tools, user-managed file exchange, and systems that require technical discovery before any integration can be promised.
Supported today
Local tools and documented output.
Quantum Steel Design currently supports practical local workflows for eligible vector PDF recovery, AISC shape reference and export, and repeatable command-line output. These are product capabilities—not claims of a live connection to every application that may consume the resulting files.
Review the Trust Center for processing and approval boundaries and the Proof Center for public evidence.
| Capability | Status | What is available | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vector PDF to DXF | Supported today | PDF Rescue converts recoverable vector paths and semantic text to DXF R12 locally in the browser or desktop application. | Scans, raster content, and source intelligence absent from the PDF are not reconstructed. |
| AISC shape reference and profile output | Supported today | Browser reference and Steel Shape Studio cover 2,299 AISC v16.0 records, nominal profiles, calculations, and documented exports. | Reference geometry is not fabrication-ready NC data and requires competent verification for its intended use. |
| Steel Shape Studio exports | Supported today | DXF, SVG, EPS, HPGL/PLT, PNG, PDF, CSV, XLSX, JSON, XML, YAML, TXT, Markdown, STL, OBJ, 3MF, PLY, OFF, OpenSCAD, and ZIP bundles. | Three-dimensional formats require a member length. The app does not label nominal geometry as NC1 or proprietary DWG. |
| Repeatable local automation | Supported today | Steel Shape Studio and PDF Rescue include documented command-line workflows for local repeatable tasks. | These are local CLIs, not hosted APIs or managed enterprise connectors. |
| CAD and data-file handoff | File workflow | Generated DXF, SVG, CSV, XLSX, JSON, XML, and other documented outputs can be carried into user-controlled downstream workflows. | The receiving application's import behavior, units, tolerance, geometry, and project suitability must be tested by the user. |
| SDS2 project environment | Discovery required | QSD's detailing and jumpSteel discussions can begin around an SDS2-centered workflow. | No native SDS2 connector, plugin, certified interface, or automatic project-data synchronization is represented here as live. |
| Browser project packages | Supported today | The project dashboard saves named tool snapshots with local project notes and checklists. Complete project JSON packages can be exported and imported as new copies. | Packages are user-managed files, not a team account or synchronized server database. Original PDFs and the separate inventory ledger are not bundled as project attachments. |
| Takeoff, pricing, and cutting workflow | Supported today | Material takeoff rows can feed user-priced estimates and compatible section groups in the cutting planner. Finite inventory and offcuts can be maintained locally. | Prices are entered by the user. Cutting uses a heuristic, not a guarantee of an optimal arrangement; inventory is deducted only by an explicit confirmed action. |
| Local PDF search and review | Supported today | Search selected PDFs with embedded text; compare and align pages; export review marks as PNG or save review metadata as JSON. | No OCR, automatic engineering change approval, or original-PDF attachment service is represented. Restoring a review requires the relevant source PDFs and verification of their issues. |
| Offline browser tool packs | Supported today | The offline workbench explicitly downloads and verifies a listed set of public tool files and reference data, with an optional local PDF support pack. | The download stays in that browser and website origin. It is not an automatic backup of local project records, and pages outside the selected pack still require a connection. |
| Tekla, PowerFab, Autodesk, Procore, and other commercial platforms | Discovery required | A pilot may map required documents, data, ownership, and validation at the handoff. | No vendor partnership, endorsement, native connector, or production integration is claimed. |
| IFC, BCF, IDS, DSTV/NC, webhooks, and hosted APIs | Discovery required | These may be evaluated only where a defined business case, source schema, receiving system, and validation plan exist. | They are not currently represented as public QSD integration endpoints or supported product output. |
Product and vendor names identify workflow environments only. Quantum Steel Design does not imply sponsorship, certification, compatibility, or endorsement by the named publishers.
Discovery method
Evaluate an integration against a real handoff.
A logo list is not interoperability. A valid connection needs an identified source, receiving system, controlling version, validation method, and owner.
- Define the decision
Identify the exact repetitive task, error condition, review decision, or transfer that needs improvement.
- Map the source
Document the file, database, application, revision, units, identifiers, and person who controls the information.
- Test the exception
Use a bounded representative sample that includes revisions, incomplete information, and an expected failure condition.
- Verify the result
Record what passed, what failed, who reviewed it, and what prevents unreviewed output from controlling production.
No automatic compatibility promise.
- No universal import guarantee
- No invisible engineering approval
- No vendor certification unless explicitly documented
- No hosted project-data API represented as live
- No production deployment without a defined validation path
A small interoperability check
Test one record through the entire handoff
Use a non-confidential sample with an identifiable section, quantity, length, and units. Export it, open it in the intended receiving application, and compare those fields with the source. Then repeat with a changed revision, a missing optional value, and a filename or mark containing punctuation. Record what is preserved, changed, rejected, or unsupported.
Keep CSV and JSON roles clear: a CSV is convenient for inspecting rows in a spreadsheet, while a supported JSON package can carry the application's structured records and identifiers. A spreadsheet that opens successfully has not necessarily preserved identifiers or interpreted units as intended. Validate the received data before making it the next controlling input.
Start with the project dashboard for QSD project packages, the software guide for choosing a tool, and the contact page for a specific downstream compatibility question.
Map one real workflow
Bring a bounded steel handoff for technical discovery.
Charter participants can help prioritize the highest-value workflow while keeping product claims tied to evidence and qualified human review.