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Freedom to Do Things History-Based Systems Can't.
You can't please everybody. The last time I reviewed KeyCreator by Kubotek, some people took me to task for not hating it: "It doesn't have parameters." "You can't do sketches." "I thought you were a modern modeler." To all of which I respond, "So?" KeyCreator 5 is not a history-based modeler, which means it doesn't follow the currently popular methodologies. Big deal.
I remember when no one had ever heard of parameters and sketches. We still got work done. We still shipped our products to market. We just became good at using the tools we had. Kubotek offers a refreshing approach to modeling that I think has a place in today's modeling repertoire.
But just because Kubotek hasn't jumped onto the parametric bandwagon doesn't mean it has stagnated. The company continues to advance and improve KeyCreator's powerful functionality (figure 1). KeyCreator 5.2 features tons of cool new stuff, most added in direct response to user requests. With changes in modeling, drafting and assemblies, Kubotek is raising the bar to new heights.
New and Basically New
Not all of the changes we'll be talking about are new to KeyCreator 5.2. Some came along in v4.5 and 5.0, but I haven't written anything about KeyCreator since v4 last year so they're new to me. KeyCreator 4.5 introduced interference checking. KeyCreator examines the selected bodies, and if it detects interference-either overlapping or by containment-it lights up the faces involved so you can see what's happening. It's a handy command that has saved my bacon plenty of times.
Also new to KeyCreator 4.5 was the Unbend All function. When a model describes a sheet-metal part, KeyCreator can unfold it into a flat pattern. The whole part will unfold. If you want only some bends unfolded, you can use the Edit Sheetmetal Bend command to straighten individual bends.
KeyCreator 5.0
KeyCreator 5.0 introduced icons with a newer, more modern look. The tool tips that come up when you hover over an icon now display the keyboard shortcuts for everything. When you open a...