What’s New in PowerPack for Advance Steel 2026.1

Turnbuckle Tensioner – Refined for Efficiency

Introduced in 2026, the Turnbuckle Tensioner macro quickly became a favorite. With 2026.1, it is even better:

• The dialog box is now more compact, making navigation easier.
• Dialog images have been updated and improved, offering clearer visual guidance.
• Tree nodes have been renamed for smoother deployment and consistency.
• Minor bugs were resolved, ensuring reliable design every time.

Joint Macros – Stronger and More Reliable

Connections are at the heart of PowerPack for Advance Steel, and the bar has been raised with targeted improvements:

• Bracing joints: More predictable results with several bug fixes applied.
• Truss sandwich joint: Better handling of shim plates and library recall.
• Header beam: Staggered bolt groups that behave as expected.
• Platform cover: Bolt grouping logic improved for accuracy.

Stairs – Cleaner, Clearer, More Accurate

Stairs are central to many steel projects, and this update ensures smoother outputs and drawings:

Straight Stairs

• Top landing levels and non-90° landings are now handled correctly.
• Folded plate treads were reassigned for clearer, more accurate drawings.
• Additional refinements were made to welds, dialogs, and images for consistency.

Balanced Stairs

• Updated dialog images provide a clearer, more user-friendly experience.

Cage Ladder

• Cage creation corrected for all configurations.
• Strap placements and orientations fixed.
• Bolt locations adjusted for accurate presentation.
• Stile split option corrected to extend exactly as intended.

Railings – Polished Precision

The Railings feature benefits from a series of refinements, ensuring accuracy in placement and consistency in design:

Railings – Standard

• Fixing lugs now cut and set out correctly, even on slopes.

Railings – Key Clamp

• Improved sloped Key Clamp fittings.
• Corrected side base type assignments for better reliability.

Railings – Ball Post

• Kick flats are now placed accurately through straight-to-curved transitions.
• Railing and post placement is corrected for both curved and sloped-to-horizontal cases.

Across All Railings

• Updated texts and dialog images better reflect macro functions, delivering clarity and confidence in every setup.