CAD Freedom and Precision - Views and News from KubotekUSA

The Joy of CAD Comparison

Blogger's note - there are 3 links to blogs about Kubotek's new CAD comparison software KeyCreator Compare, below.

You know what's really fun?

Getting a new CAD model with revisions from your customer when you are already starting to manufacture the tool/mold/die or the product itself.

Yeah, that is really fun.

Especially when it comes on a Friday afternoon, say around 2:45 PM and you need to determine what the changes are and make sure that the evening and weekend shifts are making the right product.

Yeah, that's really a blast!

And if the CAD model is in Step or IGES and yours in is some other format, that makes it even better.

And let's say its in inches and you modeled in millimeters. 

Especially killer.

I love translating files... and then trying to figure out if the translation changed anything...

That's the bomb.

Then once your done figuring all that out...   (Sorry guys I can't go out for a beer after work...eh, I'm trying to get rid of the beer gut anyway.)

And then trying to figure out if they actually told you about all of the changes.  CAD Comparison, manual process...Fun!

Let's color the old CAD file Red (pretty, but Red is dead, they say) and then make the new CAD file Blue! (Blue New! - how poetic!)

Now comes the very most fun part!  All the stuff that is the same is, you know, Purple. But what about the red and blue areas?  Did you catch them all? This is even better than playing Where's Waldo! 

(Guess I'll be late for dinner again- but this is so worth it!)

 And what about Product Manufacturing Instructions?  You know - those kind of important things about how to make the part and the tolerances stuff?   Those aren't going to be purple or blue or red are they?   That's the real challenge...

That's what I live for, that's why I spent all of this time in school, learning to design and manufacture things, to enjoy hours comparing one old CAD file to another, just so we don't screw up and lose money on the job.  Yeah way cool!

OK, by now I am sure you get it. Manually comparing CAD files is about as much fun as taking an ice pick and jabbing it into your eye.

But, you don't have to do that anymore, there is a better way.

Yes, really.

Kubotek just came our with some really cool CAD Comparison technology.  The Kubotek Comparison suite.

And some really smart people (let's call them CAD Guru's) are getting their hands on it and telling you how useful and easy it is.

Don't take my word for it.

Read what these CAD gurus wrote about KeyCreator Compare:

Ralph Grabowski - KeyCreator Compare

John Evans review KeyCreator Compare

Matt Lombard review - KeyCreator Compare CAD software

Just think - no more time wasted making sure that the CAD file revisions were communicated properly and no more getting yelled at for missing a change and no more Friday afternoons missing beers with the guys (well, we can't promise that!)

Thanks for reading.

And we would love to hear from you.

 

 

 

5 reasons NOT to attend the KeyCreator Compare Webinar

 

There will be an encore presentation of our KeyCreator Direct CAD and new KeyCreator Compare demonstration on December 29th at 2 EST. There are so many reasons for why you should attend.  But let's look at all the excuses you may have for NOT attending. 

Here are the top five reasons why YOU shouldn't attend:

1. It's fun looking for changes in two complex CAD files to make sure you make the model correctly.
2. Scrap! - Who cares? - We have plenty of Titanium!
3. My OEM always tells me about all of the changes in the new revision - no need to check.
4. I love working late on Friday nights to fix mistakes that could have been caught!
5. Quoting revisions is much more fun manually!

If any of these excuses sound like you, then by all means, don't attend.  But if you really MUST attend, we'll save you a seat.  All you need to do is register for the KeyCreator & KeyCreator Compare Demonstration

 

 

To tree or NOT to tree... (CAD history Tree)

 

The only tree that will bring you cheer at this time of year is a Christmas tree.

Let's be honest. The parametric feature tree on a history based CAD Modeler doesn't exude the same allure as the voluptuous fir, spruce or cypress varieties that you place in your cozy home each season.

One common denominator between your Christmas tree and a parametric feature tree is sap - A STICKY MESS AND NO FUN TO CLEAN UP.

You may inadvertently touch the stuff as you prune the bottom branches of your tree, or as you adjust the tree skirt, or as you hang your breakable ornaments precariously on those bottom branches that Sir Fido and Madame Fluffy will no doubt knock off... then it takes hours (dare I say days?) to rid yourself of the sticky stuff that seems to have roots.

Allow me to be corny and equate this experience to that of using a feature tree. Those rebuild errors that are a disaster and take hours to clean up after. The red X's beside those inconsolable features and sketches that you are starting to see in your sleep. Can't seem to get out of your rebuild mess, can you? This is something that Goo-Be-Gone cannot solve.

KeyCreator does not impose such sticky complications and restrictions, as it does not use a feature/history tree. KeyCreator does not prevent you from moving forward with your design just because you make a change to something. KeyCreator will not waste your time by making you wait for it to catch up.

In summation - Perhaps try two things this year: KeyCreator's tree-less Direct modeling software.... and one of Martha Stewart's lovely pre-lit faux trees from Home Depot. I have done both in the past 12 months and am better off for it. That being said, I still buy the pine tree spray so my living room smells like 'vague forest'. Small price to pay, my friends.

Happy Holidays from Kubotek...

KeyCreator University - A wealth of training resources

Did you know that there is a free training resource available on the KubotekUSA website?

About midway through last year, Kubotek USA purchased the resources of Doc Walt University, and hired the President of the school itself, none other than the infamous Doc Walt.

We renamed the University KeyCreator University and soon it will be renamed again Kubotek University to reflect the ever expanding set of training materials in the university, covering not only KeyCreator but also KeyMachinist for KeyCreator, Kubotek ECO Manager, Validation Tool and our expanding set of engineering design and PLM tools.

Many sections of the University are completely open and free of charge to anyone with an internet connection. Other portions of the university require a Kubotek Software Maintenance Agreement in order to access the materials.

There are step by step PDFs covering practical how to design instructions as well as video instructions and previously recorded webinars covering a wide variety of topics.

Yesterday we made over a dozen recent additions to the KeyCreator University, including these:

Tips & Tricks: 2 Tools to create hole tables

KeyLessons: Creating a Cast Wishbone Linkage (Maintenance customers can access)

So, for all of you current KeyCreator users and even previous CADKEY users, please take advantage of this extensive 3D direct CAD training resource.

As usual, thank you for reading and your feedback is highly valued.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mold Design Made Easy with XMD-S & KeyCreator CAD

Exciting news for Mold Designers using KeyCreator or CADKEY.

The makers of XMD - Expert Mold Designer - have a new package based in solids!

It's appropriately called XMD-S.

And the mold design software is available now. 

If you have never seen XMD-S Mold design software in action you have got to check it out!  And if you have XMD but haven't upgraded to XMD-S, you will be delighted by all of the new functionality in this new software package.

This add-on to KeyCreator Direct CAD software will simplify you life.  Well, maybe your work life, which might simplify your entire life!

Here is quick overview of XMD-S:

And please click here for a brief descritpion of XMD-S and to get more information.

Thanks for reading!

Making Manufacturing Cool

 

I received this blog article recently from a 24 year old named Derek Singleton that talked about how to make Manufacturing Cool in American schools. Actually, its a prescription for getting manufacturing education back into our schools.

His blog is full of great statistics and echo's our sentiments and commitment to re-invigorating manufacturing in the US.

Check out his blog here:

How Manufacturing Can Attract Young Talent Again

I hope you enjoy his blog.

Thanks for reading.

8 Reasons to Use ECO Manager to Communicate Engineering Design Changes

1. Your engineers are more valuable doing engineering work than looking for changes to designs.

• What would you rather have your engineers doing? Checking stuff or optimizing designs and processes to make more money on your products and services?  ECO Manager frees time for your engineers to work on value-added projects.        

2. You will most likely miss a change or two every once in a while using manual checking processes and that may cause lost profits, increased costs, delayed product launch or all of the above.

• Manual processes increase the likelihood of human error. The old "lay one model on top of another" and check for changes just doesn't cut it anymore.  Maybe it worked in a 2D world, but today's 3D files with built in Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) demands automated tools that fit in with your engineering and manufacturing processes.

3. ECO Manager integrates with your current PLM system - you don't have to add any complexity to your current MIS system to use it.

• Using Enovia SmarTeam, Teamcenter, or another PDM/PLM system - the data can be easily stored and accessed from your system.

4. Its so simple to use.

• Open two versions of the file.  Set your parameters.  Run the comparison.  Changes are shown to you in color on the models.  Easily capture the data and create your reports all within the system.

5. You can use ECO Manager to document changes throughout the supply chain that need to take place as a result to an ECO.

• You can organize the change data using the difference tree for different parts of the organization to use.

6. It standardizes your ECO documentation processes.

• Implementing ECO Manager gives you one standard process and reporting system throughout the organization to manage and communicate Engineering design changes. 

7. It creates reports in PowerPoint with clear pictures of what has changed.

• No more manual word docs with screen shots cut and pasted to create ad-hoc reports that are stored in various places throughout the organization.

8. It works with most CAD formats, including JT, Catia, NX, KeyCreator, Inventor, SolidWorks, and many others...

• You can even compare disparate file formats with ECO Manager: JT to IGES, NX to Catia.  The system is extremely accurate and flexible.

Want to learn more?  Click here ECO Manager

Got a great CAD design - Win a prize!

Do you consider yourself a great designer?

Would you like to prove it to the world?  Would you like to encourage young people to pursue a career in engineering and design?

Here is your chance to shine AND collect some great prizes (Including a KeyCreator license, 3D print of your CAD design and $500).  We are sponsoring the design contest along with others,to encourage the creative spirit to flourish and just for fun.  And it also gets you the recognition you deserve as a great CAD designer. 

The contest is called the SolidSmack Awesome Sauce design contest.  The complete rules (not many rules) can be found here.

It's really easy to enter, and you can enter as many times as you like.  The contest closes on September 9, 11:59 MDT.  Why MDT??? I don't know, we didn't make the rules...

So, show off you design skills and prove to the world that KeyCreator gives designers the freedom and precision of Direct Modeling that allows you to fully express your creativity and awesomeness.

The world needs your inspiration - and so do our young people.  That is actually the theme of the contest...inspiring young people to choose careers in engineering and design.

So check out the contest and may the best design win!

Thanks for reading!

Engineering Matters Blog on Kubotek ECO Manager

Back in May I read a tweet from Chad Jackson, analyst from Lifecycle Insights.  Chad was at the Collaboration and Interoperability Congress watching a presentation featuring Kubotek's ECO Manager software.

As he watched the presentation on managing change and the ECO Manager software, Chad Tweeted something like: "most CAD systems have the ability to do geometric comparison." And, in fact he is correct. It's possible to do geometric comparisons by overlaying geometry and taking screen caps and manually measuring differences, and manually creating reports etc.  And some (many?) CAD programs offer some CAD Comparison tools that may compare two models (of the same file format) and geometrically give you a very detailed report with a lot of data. But it takes a lot of manual (detective) work to make the comparison information usable for documenting change and making decisions. 

Chad's interest was peaked in our differencing technology and the ECO Manager, so we met and reviewed the ECO Manager software and its use cases with him. Chad has written a blog on the ECO Manager titled: Kubotek’s ECO Manager: A Usable Difference Report?

After learning more about the ECO Manager, Chad recognizes the value in using Kubotek's ECO Manager in "a wide variety of scenarios across product development that can help save time and avoid downstream errors."  Chad has some great insights not only regarding the ECO Manager software but also had some revelations about Kubotek!

Please read the engineering-matters Blog on the ECO Manager software.

Click here for more information on ECO Manager or if would like to request a free trial please click below:

We'd love to hear your comments on this software and technology. 

 

What will Alibre CAD become?

Or, What will become of Alibre?

For those of your who don't know - Alibre systems was in the news in 2010 for slashing its entry level history-based parametric CAD package to $99.
Alibre's professional and expert level packages were also dropped considerably to $599 and $1,199.

Two months ago they raised prices back up to $199, $999 and $1,999. (About at the same time that they partnered with 3D Systems.  I imagine this was in preparation of their acquisition, but who knows?  Prices increased previously also.

In an interview with the President of Alibre in Deelip Menezes Blog , who's company SYCODE is now also owned by 3D Systems, Deelip stated that, "Max Freeman tells me that the company has increased its customer base by tens of thousands during this period of slashed prices."

So as Alibre played ping-pong with their already low priced CAD, they found a potential suitor in 3D systems. 

I can fully understand that 3D systems would like a CAD system as part of their ever growing rapid prototyping/additive manufacturing empire. But I wonder why they chose a history-based parametric modeler?

It would seem a direct modeler would be the best choice; easy to use for the DIY/maker market, easy to import and edit any CAD format for the more sophisticated manufacturer.

Maybe they didn't really care about the flavor or CAD technology. They probably were most interested in the tens of thousands of potential new DIY'ers to sell their newly acquired maker-bot hobbyist put-it-together yourself rapid prototyping system. 

And as I read this morning in a blog post by SolidSmack . That this was the case.  When 3DS started bundling their low-end hobbyist 3D printers with Alibre, in May and June, sales of those low end printers, as Josh Mings put it, 3DS "sold the crap" out of those printers.

But where does that leave the professional and expert Alibre users?   Will the focus be on functionality for this low-end base of users who bought $99 CAD?  Or will it be on the $1,999 "expert" users?  This remains to be seen.

Alibre users and others- we welcome your comments...