Key Creator Getting Started Guide V6 English

KeyCreator
Getting Started Guide
Copyright 2006 Kubotek Corporation. All Rights Reserved
This documentation may not be reproduced in any form, for any purpose. Kubotek Corporation and the program authors have no liability or responsibility to the purchaser or any other person or entity with respect to liability, loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused either directly or indirectly by this software, including but not limited to, any interruption of service, loss of business or anticipatory profits or consequential damages resulting from the use or operation of this software. KeyCreator is a registered trademark of Kubotek Corporation. KeyCreator is based upon ACIS software. The following products are incorporated into this software, and are registered trademarks of Spatial Corporation: ACIS Kernel, ACIS 3D Toolkit, ACIS Local Operations, ACIS Healing, ACIS Advanced Blending. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Kubotek USA
100 Locke Drive Marlborough, MA 01752 PHONE: (508) 229-2020 FAX: (508) 303-0917 WEB: kubotekusa.com
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS GUIDE ............................................................vii About This Guide.............................................................................................vii
Product ...........................................................................................................vii Audience ........................................................................................................vii Purpose...........................................................................................................vii Content ...........................................................................................................vii Related Documentation and Tip on Help ..................................................... viii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................. 1

What Is KeyCreator? ........................................................................................1 Workspace Anatomy .........................................................................................2 Title Bar ...........................................................................................................3 Menu Bar..........................................................................................................4 Default Toolbar ................................................................................................4 Conversation Bar..............................................................................................4 Part Settings Bar...............................................................................................5 Position Snap Bar .............................................................................................5 Modeling Palette and Advanced Modeling Palette ..........................................6 Viewport...........................................................................................................6 Tree Window....................................................................................................7 Undo/Redo Management Window ...................................................................7 History Bar .......................................................................................................8 Status Bar .........................................................................................................9
CHAPTER 2: CREATING A SIMPLE MODEL .................... 11

To Create a Block ............................................................................................12 To Display Dimensions ....................................................................................13 To Add Notes and Labels ................................................................................15 To Pan the Model.............................................................................................19 To Zoom In and Out ........................................................................................19 To Print.............................................................................................................21 To Print a Region ...........................................................................................23 To Change Size of Region or Whole Model on Printed Page ........................23
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To Manipulate Views Further ........................................................................ 25 To Inspect the Model with Different Views................................................... 29 To Move or Edit Entities................................................................................. 29
CHAPTER 3: CREATING 2D WIREFRAME GEOMETRY ...31

To Determine the Requirements of the Linkage Bracket ............................ 31 To Create the Top View of the Linkage Bracket .......................................... 33 To Set CPlane and Display View of Top View.............................................. 33 To Create All Vertical Lines of Top View..................................................... 35 To Create All Horizontal Lines of Top View................................................. 39 To Trim Lines of Top View ........................................................................... 42 To Create All Fillets of Top View ................................................................. 44 To Create the Right-Side View of the Linkage Bracket ............................... 46 To Set CPlane and Display View of Right-Side View................................... 46 To Create All Vertical Lines of Right-Side View.......................................... 47 To Create All Horizontal and Slanted Lines of Right-Side View .................. 49 To Create Arc, Circle and Tangent Lines of Right-Side View ...................... 51 To Trim Lines of Right-Side View and Add Final Fillet ............................... 54 To Compare Model with Requirements Drawing .......................................... 56
CHAPTER 4: CREATING A SOLID MODEL........................59

To Finish the Linkage Bracket ....................................................................... 61 To Make Levels ............................................................................................. 61 To Extrude the Top View............................................................................... 65 To Extrude the Right-Side View.................................................................... 68 To Use Only the Intersection ......................................................................... 69 To Make the Large Hole ................................................................................ 70 To Create the L-Bracket ................................................................................. 72 To Create the First Leg of the L-Bracket ....................................................... 74 To Extrude by Specifying Length................................................................ 74 To Extrude from a Face to a Face................................................................ 77 To Extrude by Specifying an Offset from a Face ........................................ 79 To Create the Second Leg of the L-Bracket................................................... 82 To Create the Fillets of the L-Bracket............................................................ 85 To Create the Holes in the L-Bracket............................................................. 89 To Create the Large Hole ............................................................................ 89 To Create the Four Smaller Holes ............................................................... 91
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To Import the Linkage Assembly and Retainer Pin .....................................95 To Import the Linkage Assembly...................................................................95 To Import the Retainer Pin.............................................................................98 To Finish the Clamp Assembly and Provide It to Production ...................101 To Add a Nut Fastener and Inspect the Design ............................................101 To Create a Drawing of the Clamp Assembly..............................................103 To Modify the Design Due to a Requirements Change................................108
CHAPTER 5: CUSTOMIZING KEYCREATOR.................. 109

To Load a Workspace during Startup .........................................................110 To Display or Remove Control Bars on the Workspace.............................111 Modeling ......................................................................................................111 Advanced Modeling .....................................................................................111 Machine........................................................................................................112 Status Bar .....................................................................................................112 Tree Window................................................................................................112 Conversation Bar..........................................................................................112 Classic Menu ................................................................................................113 Settings Window ..........................................................................................114 Undo/Redo Management..............................................................................115 Part Splitter...................................................................................................115 Levels Pane ................................................................................................116 Part References Pane..................................................................................116 Features Pane .............................................................................................116 To Customize Toolbars..................................................................................116 To Dock or Float Workspace Elements .......................................................120 To Save Your Customized Workspace.........................................................120 To Create a Template To Customize Display Colors..................................120 To Assign Shortcut Keys and Mouse Buttons .............................................123 To Assign a Shortcut Key to a Command ....................................................124 To Assign a Shortcut Key to a Toolbar ........................................................127 To Assign a Mouse Button to a Command...................................................129 To Save the Assignments in a Keyboard File...............................................130 To Load a Keyboard File during Startup......................................................131
To Autosave a File ......................................................................................... 136 To Become Familiar with Additional Customizations................................ 136
INDEX .................................................................................139
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About This Guide
Product
This guide documents KeyCreator, which is software that provides a computeraided design and manufacturing solution.
Audience
The primary audience of this guide is the mechanical design engineer, who is a first-time user of KeyCreator. There are several secondary audiences: Anyone in the mechanical design industry who has occasion to use the finished KeyCreator files. This could include personnel in a companys Quality Control and Production Departments, for examples. Other audiences are technical trainers and educators in both industry and academia.
Purpose
The purpose of this guide is to show the audience how to use KeyCreator. The guide is task-oriented and a comprehensive beginning for learning KeyCreator.
Content
This guide consists of the following chapters plus an index. . Chapter 1 explains what KeyCreator is and introduces you to the KeyCreator workspace. Chapter 2 shows you how to create a simple model. This chapter takes up to one hour to complete. Chapter 3 progresses beyond Chapter 2 to the more complex task of designing a clamp assembly. It shows you how to design a 2D model, according to a requirements drawing you are given. This 2D is used in Chapter 4. Chapter 3 takes up to two hours to complete. Chapter 4 shows you how to change the 2D into a solid (called extruding), and how to import supplied parts into this to finish the clamp assembly. After you give the design to your Production Department, the chapter assumes they made a change to the requirements. You incorporate the change, completing the project. Although this chapter starts with the 2D file you completed in Chapter 3, it gives you the option of starting with a supplied version of this file instead. Chapter 4 takes up to three hours to complete.
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Chapter 5 explains how you can customize KeyCreator, if desired. It is best to follow the procedures in the chapter sequence provided. As you do so, you build up hands-on experience with a variety of common KeyCreator functions.
Related Documentation and Tip on Help

For information on how to install KeyCreator and about licensing, see the KeyCreator Setup Guide. For details about all KeyCreator functions, use the products Help documentation: With KeyCreator open, click Help and then Help Topics, or press ALT+F1. For additional task-oriented documentation, use the tutorials in the products Help documentation: With KeyCreator open, click Help and then Tutorials. Note that the tutorial there called Quick Start is the same as the first four chapters of this guide. The other tutorials there provide information that is not in this guide. Tip: In KeyCreator Help, you can change the font size of topic text for readability: While in Help, click Options and then Font, and select Small, Normal or Large. The web site is a good source for current product and company information: www.kubotekusa.com.
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INTRODUCTION
What Is KeyCreator?
KeyCreator is software that provides a computer-aided design and manufacturing solution for CAD/CAM professionals. It combines geometry-based design capability and modeling technology with drafting and layout features. With KeyCreator, mechanical design engineers can move seamlessly among 2D, 3D wireframe, surfaces, and solid modeling to produce drawings in a wide variety of formats. The software also provides translation and model-editing capabilities so that you can use it with non-native CAD models. The CAD/CAM capabilities of KeyCreator allow mechanical design engineers to handle a range of modeling challenges, such as Multidimensional design and drafting Cost-effective translation of the most popular CAD/CAM applications NC programming capabilities The unique geometry-based foundation results in Surface, solids and wireframe modeling modification and editing functionality Localized feature editing and sophisticated deformation techniques Full-design functionality for tooling, complex machinery and fixtures, and optional NC capabilities
KeyCreator Getting Started Guide
Workspace Anatomy
When you open KeyCreator, the screen you see is called the workspace, whose default appearance is shown below. (It may be necessary to place the pointer over the right-most edge of the workspace, then click and drag to the right, to reveal all that you see below.)
You can customize the appearance of the workspace so that it looks different than the default. For details, see Chapter 5, Customizing KeyCreator. The term workspace refers to the entire window that you see. The workspace contains menus, buttons and other elements by which you can access KeyCreator commands to design your model. The next figure identifies all of the elements that make up the default workspace.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Title Bar Menu Bar Default Toolbar Conversation Bar
Part Settings Bar
Position Snap Bar
Modeling Palette
Tree Window
Viewport
Advanced Palette
Undo/Redo Management
History Bar
View Toolbar Status Bar
Open KeyCreator and look at the workspace. As you do so, take a few moments to read the following descriptions so that you understand the workspace anatomy and the terms describing it. Several of these terms are used frequently in this guide.
Title Bar
The Title Bar is at the top of the workspace and, from left to right, consists of the Product name and version (for example, Kubotek KeyCreator 6.0.0) Name of the open file, in brackets (for example, [my_model.ckd]) Windows minimize, maximize and close buttons. Clicking the close button (the X) in this bar closes KeyCreator.
Menu Bar
The Menu Bar contains drop-down menus that allow you to select a command. It also contains minimize, maximize and close buttons. Unlike clicking the close button (X) on the Title Bar, clicking the X on this bar closes the open file, not KeyCreator itself. Experiment with the Menu Bar by clicking several menus, like View and Create. Glance at the selections on their drop-down menus. These selections are referred to as commands and also functions. Do not try to understand everything. Notice that several functions have key combinations (hotkeys) associated with them. For example, as shown below, the Display View command on the View menu shows the hotkey combination ALT+V. Using the hotkey is an alternate way of selecting the function, allowing you to use the keyboard instead of the mouse.
Default Toolbar
The Default Toolbar allows you to select common commands by clicking a button rather than by selecting them from a menu on the Menu Bar, for example. Familiar Windows commands are on the toolbar (New, Open, Save, ) plus several frequently used KeyCreator commands (Autoscale, Rotate, Render Wire, ). Move the pointer over several buttons and notice the tooltips that appear.
Conversation Bar
The Conversation Bar is blank or populated. It is blank when you first open KeyCreator. It becomes populated with buttons, fields or prompts when you select certain KeyCreator commands. As you proceed with the procedures, watch for the helpful prompts and other elements that may appear in the Conversation Bar. There are two main menus that can appear in the Conversation Bar, depending on the KeyCreator command you select. These are the Position Menu and the Selection Menu. Actually, each of these is a series of buttons and a text prompt underneath. Once you click a button, other buttons, prompts and fields can appear. An example of the Position Menu is shown below. The Position Menu sometimes is called the Universal Position Menu, abbreviated UPM. It appears when you select a command that requires you to indicate a position or location in 3D space. For example, it appears when you create a line, because you must indicate the start point and end point of the line.
An example of the Selection Menu is shown below. The Selection Menu sometimes is called the Universal Selection Menu, abbreviated USM. It appears whenever you are required to select an entity on which an action is to be performed.
This guide provides opportunities to use several buttons on the Conversation Bar. But for more details, see Position Menu and Selection Menu in the online Help.
Part Settings Bar

The Part Settings Bar allows you to select the following items to apply to your model: Line width Line style Color
Position Snap Bar

The Position Snap Bar allows you to snap or not snap to items (point, end, center, ) as you construct your model.
Modeling Palette and Advanced Modeling Palette
The Modeling Palette and Advanced Modeling Palette allow you to select commands by clicking a button rather than by selecting the commands from a menu on the Menu Bar, for example. These palettes contain many more of the Menu Bar commands than those found on the default toolbar. Click some of the buttons and notice the additional buttons that appear. Click one of these additional buttons that has an arrowhead on it pointing to the right and notice the selections that appear.
Viewport
The Viewport is the working area of the workspace. It is where the geometry that you design is located. (This guide uses the term geometry to refer to the entire design you see in the Viewport. Pieces of the geometry are called entities.)
Tree Window
The Tree Window has three tabs on the bottom: Design, File Explorer and Verify. When Design is selected, the tree window displays all KeyCreator files you have open. When File Explorer is selected, it displays the drives and folders on the computer like Windows Explorer. When Verify is selected, it shows a tree with the result of the recent Verify operations, such as Verify Entity, Verify Position, etc. (Verify operations are KeyCreator commands selected from the Tools>Verify menu that allow you to gather information about the model you create.)
Undo/Redo Management Window
The Undo/Redo Management Window displays and allows you to control all Undo and Redo operations in the current session of KeyCreator for the active part. An Undo or Redo operation is called a state. States are listed in the State Name column. The one that is in bold is the current state and therefore is the one that appears in the Viewport.
The Active Layout column contains the name of the layout that was active at the time the state was created. If there is no name listed, then the part was in model mode at the time. Rolling to a state switches to the model or layout that was active at the time the state was created. (To roll is a generic term that means Undo or Redo without implying chronological direction. Undo is rolling back in time. Redo is rolling forward in time.) There are three buttons of control: Roll, Purge and Set Limit. Roll: Clicking a state in the window and then clicking the Roll button (or doubleclicking the state) makes that state the current state. Purge: Allows you to delete the Undo history or the Redo history relative to the current state. Selecting a state that is chronologically before (in the window, vertically below) the selected state and then clicking the Purge button, deletes all states chronologically before the selected state. Selecting a state that is chronologically after (in the window, vertically above) the selected state and then clicking the Purge button, deletes all states chronologically after the selected state. Set Limit: Allows you to set how many Undo and Redo states are allowed to accumulate. Displays the Undo/Redo History Length dialog box in which you can type the set limit number. If there are currently more states in the system than this number, they are deleted to bring the number of states down to this value. To do this, Undo states (in the window, vertically below the current state) are deleted first, starting with the vertically lowest state. After the Undo states, Redo states are deleted, starting with the vertically highest state.
History Bar
As shown in the example below, the History Bar is located just above the Status Bar. The History Bar displays a unique button for each command that you used. So it can be blank or populated. It displays the most recent command buttons (up to 16) of the current or previous sessions. The most recent button appears rightmost. These buttons allow quick reselection of a command.
History Bar
Status Bar
As shown in the example below, the Status Bar is along the bottom of the workspace. As in the example, some of the fields in the Status Bar can be blank.
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1 2 3 4 5 6
9 10 11
12 13
Lock icon Command currently in use Command over which pointer is located Active level number Current display (S)cale Pointer tracking coordinates
7 Current CPlane setting 8 Current display-view setting 9 Construction units of active part 10 Construction mode indicators 11 Current depth 12 Current snap mode 13 Macro-record indicator
Here is a description of each field in the Status Bar, from left to right: 1: Lock icon appears when the active command is in the middle of an operation that cannot be interrupted. When the icon is displayed, Immediate Mode Commands that modify the part are not allowed. (For a description of an Immediate Mode Command, see the online Help.) The field is blank otherwise. 2: Name of command currently in use. If this is inverse text (text and background colors are reversed), then the current command is an Immediate Mode Command. Exiting the command returns to the command that was active at the time the command was started. 3: Command over which pointer is located (an expanded tooltip) 4: Active level number. That is, in the Level List Window, the Active option is selected for this level. 5: Current display (S)cale 6: Pointer-tracking coordinates when pointer is in viewport 7: Current CPlane setting. Double-click to display CPlane menu 8: Current display-view setting. Double-click to display display-view menu 9: Construction units of active part 10: Construction mode indicators: CPlane (CPL) or world (WLD) coordinates and in next field, 2D or 3D. Double-click to toggle each field
11: Current depth. Double click to enter new depth on Conversation Bar 12: Current snap mode: Pos Snap: Position snap is active; see The Position Snap Bar. Grid Snap: Grid snap is active and position snap is inactive (View>Grid and Snap>Toggle Snap) No Snap: Position snap and grid snap are both inactive
Note: If Grid Snap is off, pressing CTRL toggles between Pos Snap and No Snap. If Grid Snap is on, pressing CTRL toggles between Grid Snap and Pos Snap.
13: Macro-record indicator (REC or PAUSE)
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CREATING A SIMPLE MODEL

This chapter shows you how to Create a Block Display Dimensions Add Notes and Labels Zoom In and Out Print Manipulate Views Further Inspect the Model with Different Views Move or Edit Entities
If you are a first-time user of KeyCreator, this tutorial will take you up to one hour to complete. Note that two modes of KeyCreator operation are model mode and layout mode. Model mode is a 3D, orbital mode where you construct your model. Layout mode shows the model as a drawing. For example, you can show the front view, top view, right-side view, with a border. This mode (layout mode) is appropriate for displaying dimensions. You are in model mode when you start KeyCreator. Where appropriate, this guide instructs you to switch to layout mode. Note also that, as you use KeyCreator, if necessary you can always cancel a function that you selected by pressing ESC on the keyboard. You can always return to a previous state by clicking the active Undo button on the Toolbar. You can always make a dialog box disappear without implementing its selected options by clicking its Cancel button.
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To Create a Block
1. Open KeyCreator. The initial screen appears, called the workspace. (If this is the first time you open KeyCreator after installation, introductory screens appear before the workspace screen. This procedure ignores the introductory screens.) On the Create menu, click Primitive Solid and then Block. (In this guide, the usual way of saying an instruction like this is Click Create>Primitive Solid>Block.) The Create Block dialog appears, similar to that shown below.
2.
Note: For this tutorial, the international version of KeyCreator was installed whose default construction units are in millimeters and the decimal point is a comma. You may have different options selected: File>Properties>Units/Tolerances>Construction Units and Detail>Settings>Settings>Representation>Decimal Point.
3. 4. 5. 6.
Ensure that the Key In check box is selected. In the Width (Dx) field, type 5 to make the width of the block you are going to create 5 millimeters. Ensure that the Length (Dy) and Height (Dz) fields are 10 and 6, respectively. Accept the remaining (default) settings on this dialog and click OK. The workspace appears as shown below. There is a small rectangle (block) in the viewport and the pointer is located at the lower left corner of this block. There is a Position Menu, containing several buttons, located in the Conversation Bar. One of the buttons is Key in. Under the Position Menu, there is text that prompts you to indicate the corner position of the block.
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Chapter 2: Creating a Simple Model
Tip: As you construct a model, it is helpful to look for any prompts in the Conversation Bar.
7.
Click the Key In button. XC, YC and ZC fields appear in the Conversation Bar, as shown below.
Tip: In the next step, you can press ENTER three times instead of typing the zeros. You can move from field-to-field using the TAB key. Note also that, if desired, you can always exit a command altogether (in this case, the Create command) so as to start again by clicking the Esc button on the Conversation Bar.
8. 9.
Type the number 0 in each of the XC, YC and ZC fields. Press ENTER (or, with the pointer in the viewport area, right click and then select Accept). The block appears in the viewport. Next, you put the model in layout mode to display the front, top and right-side views of the block.
To Display Dimensions
Now you switch to layout mode and display dimensions. 1. Click Layout>Layout Toggle. The Layout Control dialog appears, as shown below.
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2.
Ensure that the dialog box is configured as shown above, and click OK. The viewport now shows a bordered, 2D layout. The blocks front, top and right-side views appear, similar to that shown below (without the callouts). Next, you display the dimensions.
Depth
Top View
Front View
Right-Side View
3.
Click Detail>Quick Dimension. The drawing now is in dimension mode.
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4.
In one motion, click the left side of the front view to select it, move the pointer to the left, and release. Then click. The height dimension of 6.0 (millimeters) now appears on the front view, as shown below.
5.
Repeat the previous step for the width of the front view and the depth of the top view. When done, the drawing should look like that shown below. It displays the minimally complete set of dimensions of the block.
Now you add notes and labels.
To Add Notes and Labels

1. Click Detail>Notes>Key In. The Create a New Note dialog box appears, as shown below.
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2. 3.
Type Front View. Click the Format tab. The Format pane appears, as shown below.
4.
In the Font field, select Arial.
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5.
Select the Filled font check box and click OK. The typed text with pointer appears on the viewport, as shown below.
6.
Press and hold the CTRL key and move the text so that it rests on the top of the front view and click. (If you move the text without using the CTRL key, you can only place the text near the top when in snap mode.) The drawing appears as shown below.
7.
Click the Backup button to stay in the Note command mode. The Create a New Note dialog box appears again. 8. This time type Top View. (There is no need to click the Format tab because you are using the same settings as before.) 9. Click OK. 10. Place the text above the top view without pressing the CTRL key and click. The drawing appears as shown below. Now you add a label (note with an arrow). So you need to exit from the Note command mode and enter the Label command mode.
11. Click the Esc button on the Conversation Bar.

CAUTION: When this guide says, Click the Esc button, it refers to the button on the Conversation Bar. When it says, Press ESC, it refers to the Esc key on the keyboard.
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12. Select Detail>Notes>Label. The Create a New Label dialog box appears, as shown below.
13. Type This is the right-side view. 14. Click the Format tab and select Arial in the Font field and select the Filled font check box. 15. Click OK. 16. On the viewport, click near the top of the right-side view and position the text and arrow where desired, and click again. The drawing appears similar to that shown below.
17. Click Accept. The Create a New Label dialog box appears.
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Note: If you did not position the label where you wanted, you can always click Esc then Undo and return to step 12 above.
18. Click Cancel. 19. Click File>Save As. Notice that KeyCreator wants to place the file in the CKD folder. Save the file as mydrawing.ckd in this folder (CKD stands for CADKEY/ KeyCreator drawing).
To Pan the Model

1. 2. Place the pointer near the center of the drawing. Press down on the middle mouse wheel and release. The panning-mode indicator appears near the center of the model on the viewport, as shown below.
3.
Move the mouse slightly as desired to pan the model. The further away from the panning-mode indicator you move the mouse, the faster the panning.
Note: This is sensitive. If the view goes off the screen, press CTRL+A to restore it on the screen.
4.
5.
To disable pan, press down on the middle mouse wheel again and release. The panning-mode indicator disappears from the viewport, indicating you have disabled pan. Move the mouse. No panning occurs.
To Zoom In and Out

There are different ways to activate zoom:
Using the Menu

1. Click View>Zoom. The Zoom menu appears as shown below.
2.
Select Double, for example. The model appears twice as big.
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Using Hotkeys
Notice the Zoom hotkeys on the Zoom menu above. Press CTRL+H twice, for example. The model appears half in view size and then half again. You can use CTRL+D (D for double) and CTRL+H (H for half) repeatedly to decrease or increase the view size quickly.
Using Middle Mouse Button

1. Place the pointer near the center of the model.
Note: While doing the next step, if the panning-mode indicator appears, shown in To Pan the Model, you pressed down on the middle mouse wheel. See Turning Off Pan So You Can Zoom Only, just below.
2.
Move the middle mouse wheel (but do not press down on it). Zoom in or out occurs. If you do not want to enter pan mode when pressing down on the middle mouse wheel (so you can use the middle mouse button only for zooming), click Tools>Customize and then click the Viewport tab. The Viewport pane on the Customize dialog box appears as shown below.
Turning Off Pan So You Can Zoom Only

1.
2.
Clear the Enable middle mouse button viewport dragging (overrides function assignments) check box and click OK. Now you can use the middle mouse button for zoom, whether or not you press down on the middle mouse button.
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To Print
You can print while in model mode or layout mode. This procedure continues in layout mode from the previous procedure. The open model appears in the viewport as shown below.
You have control over several print options. But you can use default settings to do a simple print operation: 1. Click File>Print. The Print dialog box appears, as shown below.
2.
Click the Print button. The Print/Plot Setup dialog box appears, as shown below, with default settings.
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3.
Click OK. Two boxes appear in the viewport, as illustrated in the figure below. In the figure, one of these is labeled Model Box. It does not move and surrounds the geometry. The other box, called Printed-Page Box in the figure, moves with the mouse. A cross-shaped pointer is in the center of the Printed-Page Box.
4.
Using the mouse, and the cross-shaped pointer as a guide, ensure that the Printed-Page Box completely surrounds the model geometry, and then click. All geometry is printed.
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To Print a Region
You can print only a region of the model and control where that region appears on the printed page. You do this by positioning the Printed-Page Box where desired over the Model Box. For example, as illustrated below, you can print only the front view of the model so that it appears in the top-right corner of the printed page.
1. 2. 3. 4.
5.
Click File>Print. The Print dialog box appears. Click Print. The Print/Plot Setup dialog box appears. Accept the defaults and click OK. The two boxes appear in the viewport (the Model Box and the Printed-Page Box). Using the mouse, move the Printed-Page Box so that the front view of the model is located at the top-right of the Printed-Page Box, as shown in the figure above. Click. Print occurs. Only the front view appears on the printed page, and it is located at the top right.
To Change Size of Region or Whole Model on Printed Page

In To Print a Region, you printed only a region of the model geometry. You can also control how small or large the region (or whole model) appears on the printed page: 1. 2. Click File>Print. The Print dialog box appears. Click Print. The Print/Plot Setup dialog box appears.
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3.
4.
Select the Specify region option. The X and Y Size fields become available. Next, you reduce the size of the model in the viewport (that is, in the Model Box). Type 136 in the X mm field and 104 in the Y mm field, as shown below, and click OK. (The X in and Y in fields change to their corresponding values after you click OK.)
The Model Box (and the geometry inside of it) decreases in size. They take up less area in the Printed-Page Box. 5. As you did in To Print a Region, move the Printed-Page Box so that the front view of the model is located at the top-right of the Printed-Page Box. Click. Only the front view appears on the printed page but it takes up less area than it did in To Print a Region, as illustrated below.
6.
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For explanations of additional options on the Print/Plot dialog box, see the online Help.
To Manipulate Views Further

In To Pan and Zoom you manipulated the view of the model. Now you practice several additional ways to manipulate the view: View>Zoom>Autoscale, View>Zoom>Half, View>Display, View>Rotate and View>Render. This procedure also illustrates how to change the color of faces (surfaces) for better view. First, you change from layout mode to model mode. 1. Click Layout>Layout Toggle to switch to model mode. The block appears in the viewport but is too small, as shown below.
2.
Click View>Zoom>Autoscale (or press CTRL+A). The block fills the screen. In the next step, you decide to make it fill about half the screen.
Note: Sometimes view manipulation causes the model to disappear (to go off-screen). In this case, use the desired View>Zoom selection, like View>Zoom>Autoscale (CTRL+A or Autoscale button), to restore the view.
3. 4.
Click View>Zoom>Half (or press CTRL+H). The model appears about half the size it was. Right-click the model and select Display Views>7: Isometric View. The isometric view of the model appears, as shown below.
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5.
Click View>Render>Hidden Lines Dashed (or press SHIFT+3, or click the Render HLD button on the toolbar). The model appears, as shown below.
6.
But the model is stationary. You want to rotate it at will. Click View>Rotate>Dynamic (or press ALT+SHIFT+V or click the Rotate button on the toolbar). Now, the model rotates dynamically, as you click and move the mouse.
Note: You can exit the dynamic-view mode by pressing ESC. Then, the model remains fixed in its last view position (as shown in the example below), unless you reissue View>Rotate>Dynamic.
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7.
8. 9.
Right-click the model and select Display Views>7: Isometric. The view returns to its original isometric view. Now, you want to color some of the faces (surfaces) of the model so you can distinguish its faces better. But you cannot display different face colors in the current view (HLD: Hidden Lines Dashed). Click View>Render>Smooth Shaded (or press SHIFT+5). Click Edit>Entities>Set Face Color. The Change the Color of Faces dialog box appears, as shown below. Notice on this dialog box that you can change the color of individual faces using a Color Dialog Box or Face of a solid. (You use the Face of a solid method when you want to copy the color of an existing face.)
10. Ensure that the Color Dialog Box option is selected and click OK. The Color dialog box appears. 11. Select the desired color and click OK. The prompt in the Conversation Bar asks you to select the faces to be changed. 12. Click the top face (surface) of the model. 13. Right-click and select Accept. The color of the top face changes to the color you specified and the Change the Colors of Faces dialog box reappears. 14. Repeat steps 10 through 13 for the front face and the right-side face.
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15. Click Cancel on the Change the Colors of Faces dialog box. The model appears as shown below, but with your colors.
In the next step, you decide you want to see the hidden lines and, simultaneously, see the different colors of the faces. 16. Click View>Render>All Edges. The model appears similar to that shown below. The surfaces have the desired colors and the hidden lines are visible.
Note: The hidden lines may not show through, if you chose a dark face color.
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To Inspect the Model with Different Views

1. While holding down the ALT key, on the keyboard, press in sequence 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. You see the different views of the model, and all is well. If you are going to save the model in the next step, for the sake of preferred appearance only, press ALT+7 to return to the isometric view and then press CTRL+H. As desired, either click File>Save As and name the file as you choose, or click File>Close. (This model is not used in the subsequent tutorials.)
2.
3.
To Move or Edit Entities

An entity is a generic term that refers to anything placed on the viewport. So, for example, it can refer to an element of geometry like an arc, a line or a block. Or, it can refer to a dimension or a note. Notice the Generic Move and Generic Edit buttons on the toolbar, as shown below.
You can use these buttons to move one entity or edit one entity in the viewport, whether in model mode or layout mode.
Note: You can also move multiple entities simultaneously. In layout mode, you can do this after associating (tagging) an entity to another entity, using the Layout>Tag to Instance function. For details, see Tag to Instance plus the various Transform functions (such as Transform>Delta>Move) in online Help.
Moving an Entity
To illustrate the use of this command, switch to layout mode by pressing ALT+SHIFT+L. Then proceed with the steps below. 1. Click the Generic Move button. The Conversation Bar asks you to select the entity you want to move. 2. Click the desired entity in the viewport (for example, click a dimension), and release. 3. Move the entity where desired. 4. Click Esc on the Conversation Bar to exit the Generic Move command.
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Editing an Entity
1. 2. 3. Click the Generic Edit button. The Conversation Bar asks you to select the entity you want to edit. Click the entity (for example, click a dimension). The respective dialog box for that entity appears, allowing you to modify the entity. Configure the dialog box as desired, and click OK. (For example, if you clicked a dimension, the Detail Change dialog box appears. Click the Format tab and change the Char Height to 1, and click OK.) The entity changes. Click the Esc button to exit the Generic Edit command.
4.
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CREATING 2D WIREFRAME GEOMETRY

Determine the Requirements of the Linkage Bracket Create the Top View of the Linkage Bracket Create the Right-Side View of the Linkage Bracket Compare the Model with the Requirements Drawing
In this chapter, you create two-dimensional geometry of a part named Linkage Bracket. The chapter explains how to
If you are a first-time user of KeyCreator, this tutorial will take you up to two hours to complete. Once you complete the 2D geometry, and save it as a .ckd (KeyCreator) file, the next chapter uses it to create a 3D (a solid) of the Linkage Bracket. (But you have the option of using a supplied version of this file for Chapter 4, if desired.)
To Determine the Requirements of the Linkage Bracket

Assume that your companys Engineering Department has provided you with the isometric sketch below. The sketch is a requirements drawing. It provides you with all of the 2D dimensions you need. The portion of the sketch at the lower left is the top view of the part and that at the top right is its right-side view. (The axis indicator on the sketch, showing XC, YC and ZC axes, is explained subsequently.)
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Requirements Drawing
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Chapter 3: Creating 2D Wireframe Geometry
To Create the Top View of the Linkage Bracket

This consists of the following subprocedures: To Set CPlane and Display View of Top View To Create All Vertical Lines of Top View To Create All Horizontal Lines of Top View To Trim Lines of Top View To Create All Fillets of Top View
To Set CPlane and Display View of Top View

Three-dimensional physical objects extend (are oriented along) as many axes. By convention, the three axes are called the X, Y and Z. The three axes together constitute the coordinate system. The image of the coordinate system shown below that can appear in the viewport is called an axis indicator or gnomon. The point where the three axes intersect is called the origin.
In KeyCreator, two kinds of axis indicators are World and construction plane (CPlane). CPlane is a user-defined coordinate system that allows you to work locally on a part. For example, in the design of a door on an aircraft carrier, you could set a CPlane coordinate system. Its origin is the starting point of the door construction. All parts (entities) of the door are built from and measured from the CPlane origin. The coordinate system for the entire aircraft carrier is the world coordinate system. The CPlane for the door can be oriented as desired but is always relative to the world coordinate system. You have the option of displaying world and CPlane axis indicators on the viewport (Tools>Options>Display). You can place the axis indicator on the model itself or place it on a corner of the viewport. The figure above illustrates a world axis indicator. As shown below, the CPlane axis indicator has a C label (called CP on the status bar).
KeyCreator also allows you to specify the display view (called DV on the status bar). This is the view of the model from which you are watching your construction on the monitor. The display view need not be the same orientation as the CPlane. But in this tutorial, you make it the same. The result is that, as you construct the top view of the Linkage Bracket in the following steps, you are looking down at the top of the model.
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1. 2.
Open KeyCreator. The workspace appears. Select Tools>Options>Display. The Display pane of the Set Configuration Options dialog box appears, as shown below. Notice the various check boxes for displaying the axis indicators (the check boxes that begin with Display).
3. 4. 5.
Of the display axis indicator check boxes, ensure that only Display CPlane axis indicator in model is selected. Accept all other settings on this dialog box and click OK. Select View>Construction Plane>Set Construction Plane (or press CTRL+K). The Position Menu appears in the Conversation Bar as shown below. A field appears beside the prompt. The prompt asks you to enter the construction plane number or select it from a menu. (The menu in mind is that which appears when you click the List button).
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6.
Click the List button and select 1 from the drop-down menu, as shown below. (Instead, you could have typed 1 in the field beside the prompt on the Conversation Bar.) By selecting 1, you are telling KeyCreator that the plane of the part you are creating is the top view.
7.
Click OK. The CPlane axis indicator appears in the middle of the viewport. Also, CP=1 (meaning CPlane is top view) appears on the status line near the lower right of the screen. The CPlane origin is the starting point from which KeyCreator will construct and measure every entity of the Linkage Bracket. This axis indicator remains displayed where you see it, due to your selection in the previous step. 8. Select View>Display View (or press ALT+V). The Position Menu appears and a prompt asks you to enter the display view number or select it from a menu. 9. Click the List button and select 1. 10. Click OK. The display view is the top view, the same as the CPlane, and DV=1 (meaning display view is top view) appears on the status line.
To Create All Vertical Lines of Top View

Vertical line in this tutorial refers to a line on the requirements drawing that is parallel to the Y-axis of the CPlane axis indicator. That drawing has four vertical lines. This becomes clear as you proceed with the steps below.
Note: Dimensions are shown in millimeters, and decimal points are shown as commas. If desired, you can select different options with File>Properties>Units/Tolerances>Construction Units and Detail>Settings>Settings>Representation>Decimal Point.
1.
Click Create>Line>Vertical. A vertical line appears in the viewport attached to the pointer. As you move the pointer, the vertical line moves with it. Also, as shown below, the Position Menu appears in the
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Conversation Bar area of the workspace. A prompt asks you to indicate the position where you want to place the vertical line.
2.
Click the Key In button. XC=, YC= and ZC= fields appear, as shown below.
Note: If you make a mistake in the steps below, you can undo as many times as desired by pressing CTRL+Z (or by clicking the Undo button on the toolbar). You can redo as many times as desired by pressing SHIFT+CTRL+Z (or by clicking the Redo button on the toolbar).
3.
Type 0 in each of these fields, and press ENTER. (You can move the pointer to a next field by pressing the TAB key.) KeyCreator places the first vertical line through the origin (0, 0, 0) of the CPlane axis indicator, as shown below.
This line is for the left-most vertical line of the requirements drawing, as shown below.
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4.
According to the requirements drawing, the remaining vertical lines are parallel to the first vertical line and are these distances to the right of the first vertical line, respectively: 2.54, 29.94-2.54 and 29.94 mm. So the next steps use these distances. Click Create>Line>Parallel Distance. A field appears on the Conversation Bar beside the prompt Enter the distance, as shown below. This asks you for the distance to the next parallel line.
5.
6.
Type 2.54 in the field and press ENTER. The prompt on the Conversation Bar says, Select the reference line or vector. This asks you to select the line from which the 2.54 is to be measured, and the direction from that line. Click and hold the first vertical line in the viewport. The new line appears next to the first line with a bidirectional direction arrow, as shown below. Moving the pointer to the left or right highlights the arrow in one direction or the other.
7.
Without releasing the mouse button, move the pointer to the right so that the bold direction arrow points to the right, and unclick. Then click. The second vertical line appears as shown below.
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8.
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Click the Backup button on the Conversation Bar. This keeps you in the same command (Parallel Distance) and, therefore, allows you create another parallel line. Type 29.94-2.54 in the field and press ENTER. The calculation was made showing 27.4. Press ENTER again. Repeat steps 6 and 7. Click Backup. Type 29.94 and press ENTER. Repeat steps 6 and 7. You have created all of the vertical lines. The model should appear as shown below.
15. 16. 17. 18.
Click the Esc button. Click File>Save As. The Save As dialog box appears. In the File name field type my_linkage_bracket.ckd. Click Save.
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To Create All Horizontal Lines of Top View

This procedure continues from Create All Vertical Lines of Top View. A horizontal line refers to a line on the requirements drawing that is parallel to the X-axis of the CPlane axis indicator shown in To Determine the Requirements of the Linkage Bracket. That drawing has six horizontal lines. Notice that there is no horizontal line on the origin of the CPlane axis indicator. There are different ways of creating the six horizontal lines. One way is to create one through the origin, use this line as reference for constructing the remaining horizontal lines, and then delete this line. But in this procedure you start with the lowest horizontal line, as shown below.
From observing the dimensions on the requirements drawing, you can see that this line is located on the Y-axis, -31.0/2 mm from the CPlane origin.
Note: To make the model easier to see, zoom in (or out) as desired: View>Zoom, or CTRL+Z for zoom in or SHIFT+CTRL+Z for zoom out. Or, place the pointer at approximately the middle of the model and move the mouse wheel.
1. 2. 3. 4.
Click Create>Line>Horizontal. The XC=, YC=, and ZC= fields appear on the Conversation Bar. Type 0 for XC, -31/2 for YC and 0 for ZC. Press ENTER. KeyCreator calculates the value for YC and shows it in the YC field (-15.5). Press ENTER. The first horizontal line appears, as shown below.
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5.
Using the Create>Line>Parallel Distance command and the distances determined from the requirements drawing, create the remaining five horizontal lines. These five distance values, each measured from the first horizontal line you just created, are
4.83 4.83+2.54 4.83+(21.35-2.54) 4.83+21.35 31
You used the Parallel Distance command in To Create All Vertical Lines of Top View. If needed, look over the flowchart below, which shows the process for using the Parallel Distance command.
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Create>Line>Parallel Distance
Type the Distance Value
Press ENTER
Click and Hold the Reference Line
Move Pointer To Select Direction Arrow
Click
All Lines Created? N Click Backup
Click Esc
End
When done, the model should appear as shown below. Of course, the lines might be closer together or further apart in your view, depending on how much you have zoomed-in or -out.
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6.
Click the Esc button.
To Trim Lines of Top View

This procedure continues from To Create All Horizontal Lines of Top View. The trim begins with two trim-divide operations, then finishes with twelve trim-both operations.
Note: If you make a mistake in the following steps, click Esc on the Conversation Bar and the Undo button on the toolbar as applicable, and repeat the step.
1. 2.
Click Modify>Trim>Divide. Notice the figure below and the locations of 1A, 1B, etc. Click in sequence the lines identified below at the locations shown, in this order: 1A, 1B, 1C and 2A, 2B, 2C.
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The model appears as shown below.
3. 4.
Click Modify>Trim>Both. Click in sequence the lines identified below at the locations indicated, in this order: 1A and 1B, 2A and 2B, 3A and 3B, 4A and 4B, 5A and 5B, 6A and 6B, 7A and 7B, 8A and 8B, 9A and 9B, 10A and 10B, 11A and 11B, 12A and 12B.
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To Create All Fillets of Top View

1. 2. Click View>Zoom>Autoscale. The model fills the screen. Click Modify>Fillet>Trim. A prompt on the Conversation Bar asks you to type the radius of the fillet in the field beside the prompt, as shown below.
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3.
The requirements drawing shows two radii for fillets: 0.51 and 2.54 (To Determine the Requirements of the Linkage Bracket). Type .51 in the radius field and press ENTER. The prompt asks you to indicate the first fillet entity.
Note: In the next step, you must stop clicking at 4B, though the figure below shows up to 8B.
4.
Click the lines in the model in the order identified in the figure below, but stop at 4B: 1A and 1B, 2A and 2B, 3Aand 3B, 4A and 4B. (That is, first click 1A, then 1B, then 2A, then 2B, etc., ending at 4B.)
5. 6. 7.
Fillets of 0.51 mm appear at these locations. Click the Backup button on the Conversation Bar. The radius field appears again. Type 2.54 in the radius field and press ENTER. Now, click the lines 5A and 5B, 6A and 6B, 7A and 7B, 8A and 8B. Fillets of 2.54 mm appear at these locations. The model now appears as shown below. This completes the construction of the top view.
8. 9.
Click Esc button on the Conversation Bar to exit the fillet-trim mode. Click File>Save.
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To Create the Right-Side View of the Linkage Bracket

This consists of the following subprocedures: To Set CPlane and Display View of Right-Side View To Create All Vertical Lines of Right-Side View To Create All Horizontal and Slanted Lines of Right-Side View To Create Arc, Circle and Tangent Lines of Right-Side View To Trim Lines of Right-Side View and Add Final Fillet To Compare Model with Requirements Drawing
To Set CPlane and Display View of Right-Side View

1. 2. 3. Click View>Construction Plane>Set Construction Plane. The Position Menu and a field appear on the Conversation Bar. Click the List button. The CPlane Selection List dialog box appears. Select 2: Front CPlane and click OK. The model appears as shown below.
4. 5. 6.
The CPlane now is set at Front CPlane. But the display view still is set at Top View. So, the XC-axis points to the right, YC points out at you, and ZC points down. Next, you change the display view to be the same orientation as the CPlane. Click View>Display View. The Position Menu and a field appear on the Conversation Bar. Click the List button and select 2:Front View. Click OK. The model appears as shown below. XC points to the right, YC up and ZC out at you.
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To Create All Vertical Lines of Right-Side View

The first vertical line that you construct in this procedure is identified in the figure below. According to the measurements on the requirements drawing (To Determine the Requirements of the Linkage Bracket), this line starts 6.45 mm above the top view plane and extends for 23.37 mm. Since you selected the Front CPlane in the previous procedure, this is along the YC axis.
Note: In this procedure, use the View>Zoom selections as desired to adjust the view.
1. 2. 3.
4. 5.
Select Create>Line>Endpoints. The prompt on the Conversation Bar asks you to indicate the start position. Ensure that the Key in button is clicked. The XC, YC and ZC fields appear beside the prompt. Type 0, 6.45 and 0 in the XC, YC and ZC fields, respectively, and press ENTER. An X appears on the model as the starting point of the vertical line, and the prompt on the Conversation Bar asks you to indicate the end point. Type 0 for XC, 6.45+23.37 for YC and 0 for ZC. Press ENTER. The 6.45+23.37 calculation appears in the YC field (29.82).
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6.
Press ENTER. The first vertical line appears, as shown below.
7. 8. 9.
Click Create>Line>Parallel Distance. The prompt asks you to enter the distance. Type 29.94 in the field beside the prompt, and press ENTER. The prompt asks you to select the reference line and vector (that is, direction). Click and hold the first vertical line that you just created, move the pointer to the right so that the bold direction arrow points to the right, and unclick. Then click. The second vertical line appears as shown below.
This second line is for the line on the right-side view indicated below. You will clip the second line to make it the smaller size.
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You are not sure if the remaining vertical line is parallel to the two you just created. So do nothing with it at this time.
To Create All Horizontal and Slanted Lines of Right-Side View

1. Ensure that the Toggle Position Snap and Toggle End buttons on the Position Snap Bar are active. As shown below, they are inactive when there is no box outline around them, and active when there is.
2. 3. 4.
Click Create>Line>Endpoints. Click the Cursor button in the Conversation Bar. The prompt asks you to indicate the start position. Click the top of the first vertical line. An X appears on the model. This tells KeyCreator to draw a line from point X.
Note: In the next and other steps, sometimes a line is attached to and moves with the pointer. This is normal.
5. 6.
Click the Offset button. The prompt asks you to indicate the offset origin. Click the top of the first vertical line again. (Due to the fact that the Toggle End button is active, it is not necessary to place the pointer
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7. 8.
exactly over the X.) This tells KeyCreator to draw a line a distance (a delta offset) from the X. The prompt asks you to enter the delta offset in the provided dXC, dYC and dZC fields. (The d stands for delta offset.) Based on the requirements drawing, type 21.39 in dXC, 0 in dYC and 0 in dZC. Press ENTER. The model appears as shown below.
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Click Backup and then ensure that the Cursor button is pressed. The prompt asks you to indicate the start position. Click the end (right-most point) of the horizontal line you just created. Click the Offset button and click the end of the horizontal line again. The dXC, dYC and dZC fields appear. Type 29.94-21.39 in dXC, -2.34 in dYC, and 0 in dZC. Press ENTER. The calculation appears in the dXC field (8.55). Press ENTER. The model appears as shown below.
15. Click Create>Line>Parallel Distance. A prompt asks you to enter the distance in the provided field. 16. Type 6.51 and press ENTER. The prompt asks you to select the reference line and vector. 17. Click and hold the top horizontal line on the model. 18. Without releasing the mouse, move the pointer down so that the bold direction arrow points down, and unclick. Then click. The model appears as shown below.
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To Create Arc, Circle and Tangent Lines of Right-Side View

1. 2. 3. 4. Click Create>Circle>Center/Radius. The prompt asks you to enter a radius in the provided field. Type a radius of 8 and press ENTER. The prompt asks you to enter the center. Click the Offset button. The prompt asks you to indicate the offset origin. Click the starting point of the first (left-most) vertical line, as shown below.
5. 6.
The prompt asks you to enter data offset in the dXC, dYC and dZC fields. Type 15.94 for dXC, 6.86 for dYC, and 0 for dZC. Press ENTER. The model appears as shown below. You will clip this big circle to form an arc. But now you create the small circle shown in the requirements drawing.
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Click the Backup button twice. The prompt asks you to enter the radius. Type 2.5 (half of the 5.0 mm diameter of the small circle indicated on the requirements drawing). 9. Press ENTER. The prompt asks you to indicate the offset origin. 10. Click the top of the first vertical line (left-most vertical line). The dXC, dYC and dZC fields appear. 11. Type 15.94 in dXC, -11.69 in dYC, and 0 in dZC. 12. Press ENTER. The model appears as shown below.
7. 8.
13. Click Create>Line>Tangent/Position. The prompt asks you to indicate the tangent entity. 14. Click the lower portion of the big circle. The prompt asks you to indicate the reference point. 15. Click the starting point of the first vertical line, as shown below.
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16. Click the Esc button. The model appears as shown below.
17. Click Create>Line>Tangent/Perpendicular. The prompt asks you to indicate the tangent entity. 18. Click the right-hand portion of the big circle. The prompt asks you to indicate the perpendicular entity. 19. Click the horizontal line indicated below.
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To Trim Lines of Right-Side View and Add Final Fillet

1. 2. Click Modify>Trim>Both. Click in sequence the lines identified below: 1A and 1B, 2A and 2B, 3A and 3B.
3. 4.
Now you trim the big circle to make it an ark. Click Modify>Trim>Double. Click in sequence the lines indicated below: 1, 2 and 3.
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5.
Click the Esc button. According to the requirements drawing, you need to add a fillet with a radius of 1.52 mm at the location shown in the figure below. (The numbers 1Aand 1B in the figure are for your reference in the next step.)
6.
Click Modify>Fillet>Trim. The prompt asks you to enter a radius of the fillet in the provided field. 7. Type 1.52 in the field beside the prompt. 8. Press ENTER. The prompt asks you to indicate the first fillet entity. 9. Click line 1A shown in the above figure. The prompt asks you to indicate the second fillet entity. 10. Click line 1B. The model appears as shown below.
11. Click the Esc button.
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To Compare Model with Requirements Drawing

Now you make a visual comparison between the model and the requirements drawing. If there are differences, you can fix these. The isometric requirements drawing is shown below.
The steps below first change the CPlane and the display view of the model to be the same as the requirements drawing. 1. Change the CPlane of the model to Top CPlane by pressing CTRL+1 (or click View>Construction Plane>Set Construction, type 1 in the provided field on the Conversation Bar, and then press ENTER). The axis-indicator displayed on the model changes to the Top CPlane axis indicator, as it is on the requirements drawing. 2. Change the display view of the model to isometric by pressing ALT+7. The model appears as shown below.
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3. 4. 5.
The right-side view on the model appears to be at the 0 point on the YC axis (YC=0). On the requirements drawing, it is not at YC=0. Assume that you have been given the information on the requirements drawing that the right-side view is offset 16 mm (YC=16). So you have to move it the 16 mm along the YC axis. Change the display view back to the front view by pressing ALT+2 so that you can do the selection operation in step 5 below. Click Transform>Delta>Move. The prompt asks you to select the entity to XForm (that is, the geometry to transform). As shown below, select the entire right-side view using your mouse by dragging a box around the entire right-side view and releasing. After you release, the box disappears.
6. 7. 8. 9.
Click the Accept button. The prompt asks you to indicate the delta values in the provided dXC, dYC, and dZC fields. Return to the isometric view by pressing ALT+7. Type 0 for dXC, 16 for dYC, and 0 for dZC. Press ENTER. The right-side view moves to the desired location. The model now looks like the requirements drawing, as shown below.
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10. Click the Esc button. 11. Press CTRL+S to save the model. You have successfully constructed the 2D geometry according to the requirements drawing. In the next chapter, Creating a Solid Model, you make this into a solid.
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CREATING A SOLID MODEL

Finish the Linkage Bracket Create the L-Bracket Import the Linkage Assembly and Retainer Pin Finish the Clamp Assembly and Provide It to Production
In this chapter, you assemble four parts to construct the Clamp Assembly, the finished product. The chapter explains how to
If you are a first-time user of KeyCreator, this tutorial will take you up to three hours to complete. Assume the figure below is a rough hand-drawn sketch you were given. It shows the Clamp Assembly mounted and illustrates how it is used.
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The four parts of the Clamp Assembly are the Linkage Bracket L-Bracket Retainer Pin Linkage Assembly
As indicated in the next figure, you finish the Linkage Bracket from the geometry you constructed in Creating 2D Wireframe Geometry (or use the supplied linkage_bracket.ckd). You will build the L-Bracket. You will import the other two parts (linkage_assembly.ckd and retainer_pin.ckd) into the geometry with the correct orientation and location.
Linkage Assembly (Supplied in Linkage_assembly.ckd)
Linkage Bracket (To Be Finished) L-Bracket (To Be Built) Retaining Pin (4) (Supplied in retaining_pin.ckd)
The tutorial shows you how To Finish the Linkage Bracket To Create the L-Bracket To Import the Linkage Assembly and Retainer Pin To Finish the Clamp Assembly and Provide It to Production
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Chapter 4: Creating a Solid Model
To Finish the Linkage Bracket

In this procedure, you create 3D geometry by using the existing 2D geometry. The procedure explains how To Make Levels To Extrude the Top View To Extrude the Right-Side View To Use Only the Intersection To Make the Large Hole
To Make Levels
1. If it is not already open, open my_linkage_bracket.ckd that you saved in To Compare Model with Requirements Drawing, or with the File>Open command in KeyCreator, open the supplied version of this file: linkage_bracket.ckd. This file is located in the KeyCreator\CKD directory. Rename the file my_clamp_assembly.ckd, using File>Save As. The geometry appears as shown below.
2.
3.
To be able to work with the top view and the right-side view more easily, in the next steps you place each in its own level. As shown, to do this you must open the Level List Window, which now is hidden. It is located on the workspace between the palettes and viewport. Open the Level List Window by clicking and dragging it to the right, as indicated below.
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4.
Open the Level List Window enough so that it appears as shown below, with column headings Level Name, LNum, Active and Displ visible. (LNum stands for Level Number. Displ stands for Display.)
5. 6.
The model is one level. The Level Name column indicates that its name is Unnamed and it is level number (LNum) 1. Right-click Unnamed and select Rename from the drop-down menu that appears. Type top_view and press ENTER. The name of the level changes to top_view, as shown below.
7.
Right-click Model Mode Levels on the Level List Window and select Create Level from the drop-down menu that appears. The Level Properties dialog box appears, as shown below. Notice in the Level Number field that the level you are about to create is level 2, as expected.
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8.
In the Level Name field, type rs_view and click OK. The Level List Window now appears similar to that shown below. It lists the rs_view as level 2 and indicates it is the active level and is displayed. The active level is where any changes you make are applied. The displayed level is the level whose geometry you currently see. Displ is selected for both levels, which is what you want for the next steps. At this time, the geometry only is on level 1. No geometry is on level 2. (You could prove this by clearing both check boxes under Displ and then selecting both again, one at a time.) Next, you move the right-side view to level 2.
9.
Under Model Mode Levels, right-click the level to which you want to move the models right-side view (that is, right-click rs_view under Model Mode Levels), and select Move Entities to Level on the dropdown menu that appears. The prompt that appears on the Conversation Bar asks you to select the entities to move. 10. Click the Polygon button on the Conversation Bar. 11. Click as necessary at different points around the right-side view to select it, as shown below. You can do this quickly, because you do not have to make the last click precisely where you made the first click.
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12. Click the Accept button on the Conversation Bar. 13. Click the Accept button again. The top_view level has only the top view geometry and the rs_view level has only the right-side view geometry. Both are showing in the viewport because the check boxes under Displ are selected for both levels.
Note: In the steps below, Make the level active means select the option in the Active column of the Level List Window for that level. Display the level means select the check box in the Displ column of the Level List Window for that level.
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To Extrude the Top View

1. Display only level 1. Only level 1 geometry appears, as shown below.
2. 3. 4.
Make the top_view level active. Ensure that the top CPlane is selected by pressing CTRL+1. CP=1 appears on the status bar (near the lower right of the screen). Click Create>Swept Solid>Extrude. The Extrude Planar Profile dialog box appears, similar to that shown below.
5.
Select the Between Two Positions option and click OK.
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Note: In the next step, all entities of the geometry are selected when all of them are in the same selection color. If they are not all the same color, repeat the step.
6.
7. 8.
9.
In the viewport, drag a box around the top_view geometry to select it. 20 selected on the Conversation Bar indicates you have selected the whole top view successfully. Click the Accept button on the Conversation Bar. The prompt asks you to select the first of the two positions. Display the rs_view level. Both the top_view and rs_view geometry appear. You now want to extrude the top view upward to the height of the right-side view. Click the top-left corner of the right-side view, as shown below. An X marks the point where you selected. The prompt asks you to indicate the second position.
10. Click anywhere on the top-view. The top view extrudes and appears as shown below.
11. To make the geometry easier to see, click Edit>Entities>Set Transparency. The Transparency dialog box appears, as shown below.
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12. Since a transparency of 50 usually works well, in the Percent Transparent field, type 50. 13. Ensure that the Entire Bodies option is selected and click OK. The prompt asks you to select the solids to make transparent. 14. Click anywhere on the top view and then click Accept. The Transparency dialog box appears again. 15. Click Cancel. The geometry appears as shown below.
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To Extrude the Right-Side View

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Click Create>Swept Solid>Extrude. The Extrude Planar Profile dialog box appears. Select Length and type 60 in the Length field. Click OK. The prompt on the Conversation Bar asks you to select the geometry you want to extrude. To make it easier to select the right-side view, display only the right-side level. (That is, clear the display check box for the top-view level.) Select the right-side view by dragging a box around it. The prompt indicates 10 selected. Click Accept. The direction arrow appears. Display the top-view again. Move the mouse so that the direction arrow points toward you and click. The geometry appears similar to that shown below. Notice that the rightside view extruded to the left along the Y axis well beyond the dimensions of the top view. To make the Linkage Bracket, you only want the portions of each view where they intersect. You will use the Boolean function to accomplish this.
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To Use Only the Intersection

1. 2. 3. 4. Click Modify>Boolean>Intersect. The prompt asks you to select the first solid to intersect. Select anywhere on the right-side view. The prompt asks you to select the next solid to intersect. Select anywhere on the top view. Select Accept. The geometry appears as shown below.
5.
Click Esc. In the next procedure, you drill a hole in this 3D Linkage Bracket you have created.
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To Make the Large Hole

1. 2. Click the Rotate button on the toolbar: . Using the mouse, rotate the geometry (Linkage Bracket) so that it is oriented similar to that shown below. This makes the face in which you will place a hole easier to see.
3. 4.
Click the Esc button to exit the Rotate command. Click Create>Solid Feature>Hole. The Drill a Hole into a Solid dialog box appears, as shown below.
5. 6. 7.
Configure this dialog as shown above except type 14 in the Hole diameter field. Click OK. The prompt asks you to indicate the face to be drilled. Click the face indicated below. The prompt asks you to indicate the center position of the hole.
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8.
Click the Two Pos button on the Conversation Bar. The prompt asks you to indicate the first of the two positions. 9. Press CTRL+A so you can see more clearly the two corners mentioned in the next steps. 10. As shown below, move the pointer near the top left corner until an X appears at the intersection and the tooltip says END, and then click. The prompt asks you to indicate the second position.
11. As shown above, move the pointer near the lower right corner until an X appears on the intersection and the tooltip says END, and click. The geometry appears as shown below.
Note: If the hole does not appear as shown, probably you did not select the correct points. In this case, click the Backup button or Undo button as necessary and repeat steps 10 and 11 until the hole appears as shown.
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12. Click the Esc button to exit the command.
To Create the L-Bracket

This procedure creates the L-Bracket. Unlike the procedure you followed to create the Linkage Bracket, this time you do not first create 2D geometry and then extrude it into 3D. Rather, you build the L-Bracket in 3D, making it a mating piece to the existing Linkage Bracket. The specific instructions you are given are in the form of two sketches shown below. These constitute the requirements drawing for the L-Bracket. The top sketch shows the L-Bracket with dimensions. The lower sketch shows that you are to construct the L-Bracket as an attachment to the Linkage Bracket. Notice on the top sketch that you are not given an actual value for the X dimension. Instead, you are only told that it is the same as the dimension labeled X on the Linkage Bracket shown on the lower sketch. Also, for the large hole in the L-Bracket, no dimension is specified. The only instruction you have is to make this hole by extending the mating hole in the Linkage Bracket.
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The procedure shows you how To Create the First Leg of the L-Bracket To Create the Second Leg of the L-Bracket To Create the Fillets of the L-Bracket To Create the Holes in the L-Bracket
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To Create the First Leg of the L-Bracket

This procedure explains how To Extrude by Specifying Length To Extrude from a Face to a Face To Extrude by Specifying an Offset from a Face To Extrude by Specifying Length Start by creating a new level for the L-Bracket, as shown in the steps below. 1. Right-click Model Mode Levels and select Create Level on the dropdown that appears. The Level Properties dialog box appears indicating this will be level 3, which is what you want. 2. In the Level Name field type L-Bracket and click OK. L-Bracket appears in the Level List Window as level 3. 3. Click the Rotate button and orient the geometry so it appears as shown below.
4. 5.
Click Esc. Next, you will turn off flow lines to give a clearer view of lines you are going to select. Click Edit>Entities>Flow Lines. The Change Flowlines dialog box appears, as shown below.
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6. 7. 8.
Clear the Draw Flowlines check box and click OK. The prompt asks you to select the bodies to change. Click anywhere in the geometry and then click Accept. Move the pointer anywhere over the geometry without clicking and then move it off the geometry. The flow lines disappear so that the geometry appears as shown below.
9.
Click Create>Swept Solid>Extrude. The Extrude Planar Profile dialog box appears, as shown below.
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10. Type 4 in the Length field and click OK. 11. Click the four edges that constitute a closed perimeter of the face through which you put the hole (in To Make the Large Hole). As needed to see the face clearly, use Zoom in (CTRL+up arrow), Zoom out (CTRL+down arrow), and the Rotate button. When doing the next step, move the pointer near the line you are about to click and then use the space bar repeatedly to find the correct line.
Note: To make the lines easier to see, you may want to change the color of the selection line, possibly to red. Here is how to do this: Click File>Properties>Color/Attributes. Click the down arrow beside the Selection field, select the desired color (red), and then click OK.
The figure below illustrates some wrong line selections and the correct line selection
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12. Click Accept. The prompt asks you to select the direction vector. 13. Click the direction vector that points toward you. The extruded geometry you created appears, attached to the previous geometry, as shown below.
14. Click Esc. To Extrude from a Face to a Face 1. Click the Rotate button and rotate the geometry so it appears as shown below (except for the callouts).
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2. 3.
Click Esc. Click Modify>Solid Face>Extrude. The Extrude a Face of a Solid dialog appears, as shown below.
4. 5. 6. 7.
Select the To Face option and click OK. The prompt asks you to select the face from which to extrude. Click Face 1 as shown in the geometry figure above. The prompt again asks you to select the face to which to extrude. Click Face 2 as shown in the geometry figure above. The extrusion occurs. Click the Rotate button and rotate the geometry so it appears as shown below.
8. 9. 10. 11.
Click Esc. Click Face 1 as shown in the figure above. Click Face 2 as shown in the figure above. The extrusion occurs. Click the Rotate button and rotate the geometry so it appears as shown below.
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12. Click Esc twice.
To Extrude by Specifying an Offset from a Face 1. Click Modify>Solid Face>Offset Faces. The Offset Faces of Solids dialog box appears, as shown below.
2.
3.
In the Offset Faces of Solid field, type 4, and click OK. The prompt asks you to select the face to extrude. (If necessary, use Zoom in (CTRL + up arrow) to see the top face more clearly.) Click the top face of the geometry as shown below and then click Accept. A preview of the extrusion occurs.
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4. 5.
Click Done. The extrusion occurs. Click the Rotate button and rotate the geometry so it appears as shown below.
6. 7.
Click Tools>Verify>Entity. Select the edge shown in white below.
The Verify dialog box appears as shown below. Notice the Length and the reference designator next to the length value (@8 in this example).
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8.
In the Calculator field type L=@8, but replace the @8 with the reference designator you see (which could be @8 or another value). 9. Click Next. 10. Click Modify>Solid Face>Offset Faces. The Offset Faces of Solids dialog box appears, similar to that shown below.
11. In the Offset Distance field, type 40-L, and ensure that the Preview and Modify Offset Interactively check box is selected. 12. Click OK. This gives you the difference of how much to offset the face. This difference now appears in the Offset Distance field. 13. Click OK again. The prompt asks you to select the face from which to offset the extrusion. 14. Select the lower face of the new L bracket, as indicated below, and click Accept.
A preview of the extrusion appears, as shown below. (The check box on the Offset Faces of Solid dialog box allows you to make this preview to appear.)
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15. Click Done. The extrusion occurs. The geometry appears as shown below.
16. Click Esc.
To Create the Second Leg of the L-Bracket

1. Click Edit>Entities>Set Transparency. The Transparency dialog box appears, as shown below.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
In the Percent Transparency field, type 50, and then click OK. The prompt asks you to select the entities you want to make transparent. If necessary to see the entire geometry in the next step, press CTRL+H once or twice. Drag a box around the entire geometry to select it. Click Accept. The geometry appears transparent and the Transparency dialog box appears again. Click Cancel. Click the Rotate button and rotate the geometry so it appears as shown below.
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8.
Click Create>Primitive Solid>Block. The Create Block dialog box appears, as shown below.
9. Select the Sketch and Use Current CPlane Z Axis check boxes. 10. Click OK. The prompt asks you to indicate the first corner position.
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11. Click the corner indicated above. The prompt asks you to select the opposite corner. 12. Click the line shown below. The Z field appears on the Conversation Bar. This is the thickness of the L-Bracket which, according to the requirements drawing, is 4 mm. (In the next step, as you move the pointer, the preliminary items that appear in viewport move with the pointer. This is normal.)
13. Type 4 in the Z field and click Accept. The geometry appears as shown below. Now you make the two legs of the L one piece.
14. Click Modify>Boolean>Unite. The prompt asks you to select one leg of the L. 15. Click either of the two legs. 16. Click the second leg of the L. 17. Click Accept. The two legs have become one solid, as shown below.
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18. Click Esc.
To Create the Fillets of the L-Bracket

1. Click Edit>Entities>Set Transparency. The Transparency dialog box appears, as shown below.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
In the Percent Transparency field, type 50, and then click OK. The prompt asks you to select the entities you want to make transparent. Drag a box around the entire geometry to select it. Click Accept. The Transparency dialog box appears again. Click Cancel. Click the Rotate button and rotate the geometry similar to that shown below.
7. 8.
Click Esc. Click Create>Solid Feature>Blend>Constant Blend. The Constant Radius Edge Blend dialog box appears, as shown below.
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9.
Configure this dialog as shown above, except ensure that 8 is in the Radius field. 10. Click OK. The prompt asks you to select the edge you want to be a fillet. 11. Click the edge (line) indicated below.
12. Click Accept. The geometry appears as shown below.
13. Click the Backup button. The Constant Radius Edge Blend dialog box appears again. 14. Type 12 in the Radius field and click OK. 15. Click the edge indicated below.
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16. Click Accept. The geometry appears as shown below
17. Click the Backup button. The Constant Radius Edge Blend dialog box appears. 18. Type 6 in the Radius field and click OK. 19. Click the two edges shown below.
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21. Click Backup. 22. Type 8 in the Radius field of the Constant Radius Edge Blend dialog box and click OK. 23. Click the two edges indicated below.
25. Click Esc.
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To Create the Holes in the L-Bracket

In the L-Bracket, the requirements drawing requires you To Create the Large Hole To Create the Four Smaller Holes To Create the Large Hole 1. Click the Rotate button and rotate the geometry so it appears as shown below.
2.
3.
Click Esc. You are going to extend the existing hole in the Linkage Bracket through the L bracket, thus cutting through the L bracket. The Pocket function is appropriate for this. Click Create>Solid Feature>Pocket. The Cut dialog box appears, as shown below.
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4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
For Cut Direction, ensure that Forward is selected. For End Conditions, ensure that Through ALL in the Forward field is selected. Click OK. The prompt asks you to select the solid body you want to modify. Click anywhere on the L-Bracket. Click one of the two circular edges around the hole in the Linkage Bracket (solid circular edge), as indicated below.
9. Click Accept. The direction arrow appears. 10. Move the mouse to select the direction arrow that points away from you and click. The hole extends through the L-Bracket, as shown below.
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To Create the Four Smaller Holes

Tip: While following the steps below, remember that you can use the space bar to select lines. Also, watch the tooltips. If you do not drill the holes in the correct location the first time, you can click the Esc and Undo buttons and repeat steps as necessary.
1.
Click the Rotate button and rotate the geometry so it appears similar to that shown below.
2. 3.
Click Esc. Click Create>Solid Feature>Hole. The Drill a Hold into a Solid dialog box appears, as shown below.
4. 5. 6.
For the End Condition, ensure that Through hole is selected. In the Hole diameter field, type 6, and click OK. The prompt asks you to click the face where you want to drill the holes. Click the face indicated below. The prompt asks you to indicate the hole center position on the face.
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7.
Move the pointer over one of the two corners indicated below until the CTR tooltip appears, and then click. The 6 mm hole appears whose center is the center of the arc you just selected.
8.
Repeat the previous step for the second hole indicated in the figure above. The geometry appears as shown below.
9.
There are buttons present on the Conversation Bar. Click the Offset button. The prompt asks you to indicate the origin from which the center of the hole you are about to drill is offset.
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10. Click the edge (line) at the elbow of the L-Bracket where the tooltip says END, as indicated below. This is the tangent line of the inside fillet of the L-Bracket and the face on the L-Bracket that has the holes.
The prompt asks you to enter the offset and provides three fields for you do so: dXC, dYC and dZC. The center of the hole is offset on the CPlane by 6 mm along the X direction, 6 mm along the Y direction and 0 mm along the Z direction. 11. Type 6, 6 and 0 in the dXC, dYC and dZC fields, respectively. 12. Click Accept. The third hole appears, as shown below. You are still in offset mode. The prompt asks you to indicate the origin of another hole.
13. Click the other end of the line you clicked in step 10, as indicated below.
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Note: As you can see by looking at the CPlane axis indicator on the geometry, in the next step the dYC value you type is -6, not 6. This is due to the fact that the hole you are about to drill is in the minus Y direction.
14. Type 6, -6 and 0 in the dXC, dYC and dZC fields, respectively. 15. Click Accept. The geometry appears as shown below.
16. Click Esc.
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To Import the Linkage Assembly and Retainer Pin

You are in the process of creating the Clamp Assembly. As explained on page 60 the Clamp Assembly consists of four parts: Linkage Bracket L-Bracket Retainer Pin Linkage Assembly The geometry you have created up to this point consists of the Linkage Bracket and L-Bracket combined as one part, and this geometry is in one KeyCreator file (my_clamp_assembly.ckd). The remaining two parts (Retainer Pin and Linkage Assembly) are supplied to you in separate KeyCreator files. But you have to import them into the combined geometry. To do this, you must know A point of reference (called base position in the Conversation Bar) on each part you are going to import and the orientation of each of these parts The corresponding point on the combined geometry where you are going to place the base point of each imported part Also, you must orient the combined geometry so that, when you import each part, the part faces in the correct direction. The next two procedures walk you through all of this:
To Import the Linkage Assembly To Import the Retainer pin
To Import the Linkage Assembly

1. 2. Keep my_clamp_assembly.ckd open from the last step you performed (To Drill the Four Smaller Holes). With the File>Open command, open the supplied file, linkage_assembly.ckd. This file is located in the KeyCreator\CKD directory. The Linkage Assembly opens. Ensure that the Linkage Assembly is displayed in isometric view by pressing Alt+7. Right click anywhere on the Linkage Assembly and, on the drop-down menu that appears, ensure that Construction Planes>5: Right view is selected. The Linkage Assembly appears like that shown below. Notice that the shaft is along the Z axis. When imported into my_clamp_assembly.ckd, this shaft must protrude through the large hole in the Linkage Bracket. So, the steps below ensure that the direction of the Z-axis of the geometry in my_clamp_assembly.ckd is through that hole. Also, when imported, the base position you are about to select on the Linkage Assembly must be at the center point of that large hole in my_clamp_assembly.ckd. Follow the steps below.
3. 4.
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5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Click Edit>Copy. Buttons appear on the Conversation Bar. Click the All Disp button. New buttons appear. Click All. The prompt indicates that all eight entities of the Linkage Assembly are selected. Click Accept. The prompt asks you to select the base position on the Linkage Assembly. Select and click the circle indicated below while the tooltip displays CTR. The Conversation Bar becomes blank.
10. Click Window>my_clamp_assembly.ckd. The my_clamp_assembly.ckd file appears in the viewport. 11. Right-click anywhere on the geometry of my_clamp_assembly.ckd and select Construction Planes>5: Right View. The direction of the Z-axis in the my_clamp_assembly geometry now is through the large hole. 12. Click the Rotate button and rotate the geometry so it appears as shown below.
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13. Click Esc. 14. Click Edit>Paste. The prompt asks you to indicate the base position where you want to paste the Linkage Assembly. 15. Select and click the circle indicated below while the tooltip displays CTR and the X appears.
The Linkage Assembly becomes part of the geometry, as shown below.
16. Click Esc. 17. Press CTRL+S to save the file. 18. Click Window>linkage_assembly.ckd and then close the Linkage Assembly (File>Close). If a dialog box appears asking you to save the file, click No. The linkage_assembly.ckd file closes and the my_clamp_assembly.ckd file reappears.
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To Import the Retainer Pin

1. 2. Keep my_clamp_assembly.ckd open from the previous procedure (To Import the Linkage Assembly). After clicking the Rotate button, rotate the geometry and move the mouse wheel to zoom in, so that the geometry appears as shown below. Note that you want to place the retainer pin in this geometry in both holes as indicated. (You will change the Z-axis orientation of the geometry in a subsequent step.)
3. 4.
Click Esc. With the File>Open command, open the supplied file retainer_pin.ckd. This file is located in the KeyCreator\CKD directory. The retainer pin appears as shown below. Its Z-axis is oriented along the length of the retainer pin, which is what you want. (If desired, to see the retainer pin better, click the Rotate button and rotate the retainer pin.)
5. 6. 7. 8.
Click Edit>Copy. Buttons appear on the Conversation Bar. Click the All Disp button. New buttons appear. Click All. The prompt indicates that the one entity of the retainer pin is selected. Click Accept. The prompt asks you to select the base position on the Linkage Assembly.
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9.
Select and click the circle indicated below while the tooltip displays CTR.
Select this circle as base position
10. Click Window>my_clamp_assembly.ckd. 11. Right-click anywhere on the geometry of my_clamp_assembly.ckd. 12. So that the retainer pin is oriented correctly in this geometry, select Construction Planes>2:Front View. The Z-axis now points through the holes. Next, you will place the Retainer pin at the center of each hole. 13. Click Edit>Paste. The prompt asks you to indicate the position where you want to paste the Retainer pin. 14. Select the outer circle when the tooltip says CTR and the X appears, as shown below.
15. Click. 16. Repeat the preceding two steps for the second hole. The geometry appears as shown below.
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17. Click the Rotate button and rotate the geometry so it appears as shown below.
18. Click Esc. 19. Right-click anywhere on the geometry and select Construction Planes>3: Back View on the drop-down menu that appears. The Z-axis turns 180 degrees. 20. Repeat steps 14 through 16 above for the two holes on this side of the geometry. The geometry appears as shown below.
21. Press CTRL+S to save. Next, you finish the design and hand it off to your Production Department.
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To Finish the Clamp Assembly and Provide It to Production

Assume you were just informed that, to finish the design, you have to add a nut fastener to the clamp assembly. After you do this, you inspect the design, and provide a drawing to your companys Production Department so they can build it as a product: To Add a Nut Fastener and Inspect the Design To Create a Drawing of the Clamp Assembly To Modify the Design Due to a Requirements Change
To Add a Nut Fastener and Inspect the Design

1. 2. Keep my_clamp_assembly.ckd open from the previous procedure (To Import the Retainer pin). Click Edit>Entities>Set Transparency. The Transparency dialog box appears, as shown below.
3.
4. 5. 6.
Ensure that 0 is typed in the Percent Transparent field and click OK. (The 0 setting means no transparency.) The prompt asks you to select the solids to make transparent. Drag a box around the entire geometry to select it and click Accept. The Transparency dialog box appears again. Click Cancel. None of the geometry is transparent, giving it a realistic (solid) appearance. Now you add the nut. Click the Rotate button and rotate the geometry so it appears as shown below.
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7. 8. 9.
Click Esc. Press CTRL+6. This changes the Z-axis to be along the shaft of the clamp assembly. Click Tools>Fastener>Nut. The Nuts dialog box appears, similar to that shown below.
10. Ensure that ISO is selected in the Standard field and that the dialog box is configured as shown above. (Ensure that the Solid option is selected as the Rep.) 11. In the Size field, select M14, as shown. 12. Click OK. The nut appears and moves with the pointer. The prompt on the Conversation Bar asks you to select the nut position on the geometry. 13. Select and click the circle shown below with the tooltip CTR showing.
The nut is placed on the geometry as shown below.
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14. Click Esc. Next, you inspect the finished geometry. 15. While holding down the ALT key, press in sequence on the keyboard, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. You see the different views of the geometry, and all is well. Now you change to layout mode to indicate desired dimensions and to print the geometry. 16. Press ALT+7 to change back to isometric.
Note: Of course, if you find that you made mistakes, you could click the Undo button as necessary and make the corrections now.
17. Press CTRL+S to save.
To Create a Drawing of the Clamp Assembly

1. Click Layout>Layout Dialog. The Layout Control dialog box appears, like that shown below.
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2.
Ensure that the configurable settings on this dialog box are as shown, except for the Title and Paper Scale fields, which you can keep as they are on your actual dialog box.
Note: If you want to learn more about this dialog box, read the next paragraphs. Otherwise, go to step 3.
In the next step, you click OK and proceed. But, it will prove helpful in using this dialog box in the future to provide here an explanation of the Instance Pattern field and the Add Isometric View check box. These are powerful features that allow you to determine the views and the locations of those views that will appear on the drawing, after you select OK. Instance in Instance Pattern means view. When you make a selection in this field, a pattern of one or more buttons appears under it. For example, selecting 3 instances/right-upper results in the button pattern below.
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The numbers on the buttons indicate the familiar KeyCreator Display Views:
So, clockwise, 2 means Front View, 1 means Top View and 5 means Right View. A 0 on a button means no view, but is there so you can click it and select a view, if desired. Also, if you select the Add Isometric View check box, the 0 changes to a 7 (for KeyCreator Display View 7: Isometric View), as shown below.
When you click OK in the next step, the drawing that results has the view pattern represented by the buttons. So, for the 3 instances/rightupper selection, with Add Isometric View selected, the front view will be at the lower left, the top view will be at the top left, the isometric view will be at the top right and the right-side view will be at the lower right. Note that the button pattern shown on the dialog box includes a socalled base button (base view), which has a heavy outline around it. In this example, the 2 button is the base button. In the Instance Pattern selection 3 instances/right-upper, the text after the slash (rightupper) refers approximately to the geographical locations of the other buttons around the base button. The term to the left of the slash (3 instances) refers to the total number of non-zero buttons minus any added isometric. So in this example, the 3 refers to buttons 2, 1 and 5. Also note that all buttons are customizable: You can click each button,
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3.
select a display view from the drop-down menu that appears, name the new pattern in the Instance Pattern field, and click the Save button. Click OK. The view changes from model mode to layout mode, as shown below. This mode allows you to add dimensions and print the desired views. Next, you add two dimensions, using the pointer.
4. 5.
6.
Zoom in on the view at the top left so you can see it better. (See Zoom In and Out.) In steps below, you select its left-most and right-most edges. Click Detail>Quick Dimensions. The Conversation Bar appears. Its Cursor button is pressed and the prompt asks you to select the first position for the dimension. Move the pointer just to the left of the left-most edge of the view while the tooltip Solid Circular Edge appears, as shown below, and click. The prompt asks you to select another position.
7.
Move the pointer just to the right of the right-most edge of the view while the tooltip Line appears, as shown below, and click. The dimension line and dimension value is attached to the pointer.
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8.
Move the dimension line and dimension value to the desired location and click. The dimension appears on the drawing similar to that shown below.
Save but keep the file open. At this time, you would add any additional dimensions, notes and labels according to your companys style standards, and print a hard copy drawing. See Display Dimensions, Add Notes and Labels and Print. Note that the electronic file you have created of this design is powerful: It has stored dimensions of the geometrys elements, whether or not you choose to display these dimensions explicitly on the drawing. This allows users to display this information as needed on the computer and print their own versions of the drawing. 10. Provide the Production Department of your company with this my_clamp_assembly.ckd file (and, if desired, a hard copy drawing) so they can build the clamp assembly. But proceed to the next procedure.
9.
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To Modify the Design Due to a Requirements Change

After you submitted the design of the clamp assembly, your company made a requirements change. The dimension of 97.15 mm that you displayed in To Create a Drawing of the Clamp Assembly must be changed to 94.15 mm by decreasing the shaft length 3 mm. 1. Click Layout>Layout Toggle. The view changes from layout mode to model mode. 2. Press CTRL+2. The construction plane changes to Front. 3. Press ALT+2. The display view changes to Front. 4. Press CTRL+A to autoscale the view. The view fills the viewport (if it was not before). 5. Click Transform>Box Move>Window. The box in Box Move refers to the box you draw in the next step. 6. Drag a box to select the shaft, as shown below. The X-Y-Z button appears on the Conversation Bar and is pressed.
7.
8. 9.
Click Accept. The dXC, dYC and dZC fields appear. Since you selected the left end of the shaft, the 3 you type in the next step shifts (moves) that end to the right, shortening the shaft. (If you were to type a -3 in the next step, the end would shift to the left, lengthening the shaft.) Type 3, 0 and 0 in the dXC, dYC and dZC fields, respectively. Click Accept. The shaft length reduces in size by 3 mm.
Note: At this point, to reassure yourself that the shaft was shortened, you could click the Undo button and then the Redo button to see the before and after.
10. Click Layout>Layout Toggle. The view switches to layout mode. The former dimension of 97.15 mm now is 94.15 mm. 11. Press CTRL+S to save. 12. Resubmit the my_clamp_assembly.ckd file to Production. Congratulations! You have designed the clamp assembly and made the required modification, completing the design.
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CUSTOMIZING KEYCREATOR
In this chapter, you learn how to customize the KeyCreator workspace and do other KeyCreator customizations. As explained in Workspace Anatomy on page 2, workspace refers to all of the elements of the application screen that you see when KeyCreator is open. The default workspace is a streamlined interface. Its purpose is to increase the efficiency at which you create your designs and drawings. However, the content and placement of the workspace elements have no effect on the content of the part. So, at your convenience, you can use a supplied workspace or customize your own. A workspace is saved as a file. Its extension is .wsp. The display colors of the viewport portion of the workspace are saved in a separate file. This is called a template file. Its extension is .ckt. Also, you can assign shortcut keys and mouse buttons to commands and toolbars. You can save the shortcut keys in a keyboard file. Its extension is .kbd. This chapter shows you how to Load a Workspace during Startup (Tools>Options>Startup) Display or Remove Control Bars (Tools>Control Bars) Customize Toolbars (Tools>Customize) Dock or Float Workspace Elements (Mouse action) Save Your Customized Workspace (File>Workspaces) Create a Template To Customize Display Colors (File>Properties>Color/Attributes; ) Assign Shortcut Keys and Mouse Buttons (Tools>Customize) Autosave a File (Tools>Options>Saving) Become Familiar with Additional Customizations (Tools>Options>Saving, Tools>Customize>Toolbars and Tools>Customize>Viewport)
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To Load a Workspace during Startup

The first time you open KeyCreator, it loads the default workspace, whose filename is Default.wsp. Once KeyCreator is open, you can designate which workspace loads on startup. This can be a supplied workspace like Default.wsp, a different supplied workspace file like Classic.wsp, for example, or your own customized workspace file. 1. Click Tools>Options>Startup. The Startup pane of the Set Configuration Options dialog box appears, as shown below.
2. 3.
.wsp
In the Workspace File field, type or browse to and select the desired file. Click OK. The next time KeyCreator opens, it will load the workspace file you specified.
110
Chapter 5: Customizing KeyCreator
To Display or Remove Control Bars on the Workspace

1. Click View>Control Bars. The Control Bars drop-down menu appears, as shown below, listing the KeyCreator control bars.
2.
Click the desired control bar to make it appear (if it does not currently appear) or disappear (if it does currently appear) in the workspace.
Many of the control bars are described in Chapter 1, as indicated below.
Modeling
This refers to the Modeling Palette. For an explanation, see Modeling Palette and Advanced Modeling Palette on page 6.
Advanced Modeling
This refers to the Advanced Modeling Palette. For an explanation, see Modeling Palette and Advanced Modeling Palette on page 6.
111
Machine
Machine Palette Machine on the Control Bars drop-down menu refers to a palette on the workspace, shown above. The Machine Palette contains buttons for each NC command on the Tools>NC menu. Note that the NC commands are not available in some KeyCreator licenses. For details on these commands, see the Machining (NC) topic in KeyCreator online Help.
Status Bar
See Status Bar on page 9.
Tree Window
See Tree Window on page 7.
Conversation Bar
See Conversation Bar on page 4.
112
Classic Menu
Classic Menu For the Classic Menu selection to be available, 1. Click Tools>Options>Misc. 2. Select Use Classic Menus. 3. Click OK. Then you can click View>Control Bars>Classic Menu to make the Classic Menu shown above appear. The Classic Menu is for users who prefer the DOS look. When selected, the following changes are made to your workspace: The Classic Menu function window appears. All Conversation Bar buttons are removed. For details, see Classic Menu in KeyCreator online Help.
113
Settings Window
Settings Window This window allows you to change note and dimension settings on the fly while you are constructing a part. The units in the fields are those presently selected in the Construction Units field on the Properties dialog box (File>Properties>Units/Tolerances). NHeight = Note Height Sets text height for all notes NAspect = Note Aspect Sets the character width-to-height ratio of the text in notes NAngle = Note Angle Sets the note angle for the font used for notes and labels DHeight = Dimension Height Sets the dimension text height
114
DAspect = Dimension Aspect Sets the character width-to-height ratio of the dimension text For more details, see the Settings Window in KeyCreator online Help.
Undo/Redo Management
See Undo/Redo Management Window on page 7.
Part Splitter
Levels Tab
Part References Tab
Features Tab
115
The Part Splitter window is a dialog box with tabs whose panes allow you to manage levels, part references and features.
Levels Pane Displays the level tree for the current part, allowing you to change level attributes. For details about levels, see Levels in KeyCreator online Help.
Part References Pane Displays the reference tree for an assembly, allowing you to edit the parameters for references in the part. For details, see Using Assemblies in KeyCreator online Help.
Features Pane The Features pane of the Parts Splitter window provides a temporary placeholder, a convenient means for editing. It displays the Create>Solid Feature>Discover Features activities. The following dialog appears when you click Create>Solid Feature>Discover Features. For details, see Discover Features in online Help.
To Customize Toolbars
Toolbars provide convenient buttons that you can click to issue commands. Using Tools>Customize, you can control what toolbars are displayed in the workspace as well as what commands (buttons) they contain. The number of toolbars you can display on the workspace is limited only by the available space.
116
1.
Click Tools>Customize>Toolbars. The Customize dialog box appears, as shown below.
2.
Click the New button. The New Toolbar dialog appears, as shown below.
117
3.
Type a name for the toolbar and click OK. The new toolbar appears in the workspace, and its name is added to the Toolbars field on the Customize dialog, as shown below.
New Toolbar (Blank)
4.
Click the Commands tab on the Customize dialog. The Commands pane appears similar to that shown below.
118
. 5. Scroll through the categories (command sets) and select the category that has buttons you want to place on your toolbar. Its buttons appear in the Buttons section of the dialog box. One at a time, select a button and drag it onto your new toolbar. (Note that you can also drag buttons onto the new toolbar from other toolbars and from the History bar.) Click OK on the Customize dialog and dock the new toolbar on the workspace where desired.
Note: To remove a toolbar from the workspace, click Tools>Customize>Toolbars and clear that toolbars check box. Also, note that you can toggle a toolbar on and off: Right click the Menu bar or any toolbar and select the toolbar you want to display or remove. Removing all of the buttons from a custom toolbar, removes the toolbar from the workspace and from the Toolbars field in the Tools>Customize>Toolbars dialog.
6.
7.
119
To Dock or Float Workspace Elements

By clicking and dragging, you can move and redock several workspace elements, or you can float them (hang in the workspace without an anchor to any one position). For example, toolbars dock horizontally or vertically, depending on whether they are docked to the side, or to the top or bottom of the workspace. The Settings Window can be docked vertically on the left or the right of your screen. To float a workspace element where it would normally be docked, press the CRTL key while dragging the element. While toolbars are floating, you can drag their edges to resize them. This allows you to control whether the content of the toolbar is arranged in different number of rows and columns, rather than all being in one row or column.
To Save Your Customized Workspace

1. Click File>Workspaces. The Workspaces drop-down menu appears, as shown below.
2. 3. 4.
Click Save Workspace As. The Save Workspace dialog box appears. Name the file as desired but with a .wsp extension, and save it in the desired folder. If desired, make this the workspace that loads the next time you open KeyCreator by following To Load a Workspace during Startup on page 110.
To Create a Template To Customize Display Colors

Templates use the .ckt extension and contain information set on the Color/Attributes pane of the File>Properties dialog box, as shown below.
Note: The most common use for templates is to set the colors for new parts. However, all data from the template is copied to the new part. So it can be used also for setting up custom views, construction planes, levels, detail settings, or even things like construction geometry that commonly used for creating new parts.
120
1. 2. 3.
Click File>Properties>Color/Attributes. Make the desired settings. Click OK.
The changes you made are applied to the current active part. For example, if you changed the top and bottom background color for model mode and your part is displayed in model mode, you will see the change. Once you have configured the settings on the Color/Attributes pane, you can save them to a new template for use later: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click File>Save As. The Save As dialog box appears. As shown below, in the Save in field, select the CKT folder Name the file in the File name field. Select .ckt in the Save type field.
121
5.
Click Save.
To construct a new part using the color/attributes of a particular template: 1. Click File>New by Template>Choose Template. The Select Template for New Part dialog box appears, as shown below.
2. 3.
Select the desired template file and click Open. The color/attributes settings of the selected template are in effect. Construct the new part.
The previous procedure used File>New by Template>Choose Template to construct a new part using a selected template. You can also use a selected template for a new part by doing this: 1. Click Tools>Options>Misc. The Misc pane of the Set Configurations Options dialog appears, as shown below.
122
2. 3. 4.
In the New Part Template field, select the desired template. Click OK. Click File>New. A new file opens in KeyCreator. The color/attributes settings of the selected template are in effect.
To Assign Shortcut Keys and Mouse Buttons

You can assign key combinations (called shortcut keys) to a command or toolbar, so that pressing that key combination issues the assigned command or displays the assigned toolbar. You can also assign the middle, right, extended 1 (ext 1) or extended 2 (ext 2) mouse buttons to a command or toolbar, so that pressing that mouse button issues the command or displays the toolbar. Ext 1 and ext 2 refer to the fourth and fifth buttons that some mouse devices have, an example of which is shown below.
123
Ext 1 Ext 2 Right Middle (Left)
With keys, you can combine SHIFT, CTRL and ALT to create more assignments. With mouse buttons, you can combine SHIFT and CTRL to create more assignments. Below are some examples of assigning keys and mouse buttons.
To Assign a Shortcut Key to a Command

1. Click Tools>Customize>Command. The Command pane of the Customize dialog box appears, similar to that shown below.
124
2. 3.
In the Categories field, scroll to Modeling and, under Create, select Lines. The Lines buttons appear in the Buttons section of the dialog. In the Buttons section, select the first button, as shown below. In the Description section of the dialog, this button is described as Create a line by indicating endpoints. In the next step, you assign a shortcut key combination to this.
125
Select this button.
4. 5.
Click in the Press new shortcut key field. The pointer is blinking in this field. Press ALT and, while holding down ALT, press L. ALT+L appears in the Press new shortcut key field, as shown below. But under this field there is text that indicates this key combination already is assigned to another command.
126
6. 7. 8.
9.
Click the Clear Key button. The Press new shortcut key field is blank. Click in the field again so that the pointer is blinking in it. This time, hold down the CTRL key and press L. CTRL+L appears in the field and no text underneath indicates CTRL+L is not used elsewhere. Click the Assign Key button.
You could click OK at this point, which would apply the assignment to the current session. But before clicking OK, add other assignments by following the next two procedures.
To Assign a Shortcut Key to a Toolbar

. 1. In the Categories field of the Tools>Customize>Command dialog box, scroll down and select Toolbars. The Commands pane of the dialog box appears as shown below. KeyCreator toolbars are indicated in the Buttons section by the term T1, etc. As shown in the next step, you have to use the Toolbars pane of this dialog to find out which of these terms applies to a particular toolbar.
127
2.
Click the Toolbars tab. The Toolbars pane appears as shown below. Notice in the Toolbars field that each toolbar has a number associated with it. These numbers correspond exactly with the T numbers on the Commands pane.
128
3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Note, for example, that the Part Settings toolbar is number 4, and click the Commands tab. Click T4 in the Buttons section. Click in the Press new shortcut key field so that the pointer is blinking in it. Hold down the SHIFT and ALT keys and press P. SHIFT+ALT+P appears in the field. Click the Assign Key button.
Before clicking OK, continue with the next procedure to add another example assignment.
To Assign a Mouse Button to a Command

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In the Categories field, select Edit. The Edit buttons appear in the Buttons section of the dialog box. Click the Copy button in the Buttons section. Hold down the SHIFT key and right click in the Press new mouse or controller button field. SHIFT+RButton appears in the field. Click the Assign Key button. Now click OK. The assignments you made in this and the previous two procedures apply in the current KeyCreator session.
129
To Save the Assignments in a Keyboard File

The shortcut key assignments you made in the previous procedures were automatically saved in the current keyboard file when you clicked OK. (A keyboard file has the extension .kbd.) You can save the current assignments in a new keyboard file, and make this new file the active file, by following the steps below. 1. Click Tools>Options>Startup. The Startup pane of the Set Configuration Options dialog box appears, as shown below.
130
2.
Click the Save button. The Save As dialog box appears and in its File name field is the name of the keyboard file for the present session of KeyCreator, as shown below.
3.
4.
In the File name field, specify the name of the existing or new keyboard file in which you want to save the assignments you have made. Be sure that .kbd is selected in the Save as type field, and click Save.
To Load a Keyboard File during Startup

You can designate which keyboard file (.kbd) loads during startup. 1. Click Tools>Options>Startup. The Startup pane of the Set Configurations Options dialog box appears, as shown below.
131
2.
Click the Load button. The Open dialog box appears, as shown below.
132
3. 4.
5.
In the File name field, specify the keyboard file you want to load when KeyCreator starts the next time. Click Open. The Startup pane of the Set Configuration Options dialog box appears again. The file that you specified in the previous step appears in its KeyBoard File field. Click OK.
To Autosave a File
This allows you to tell KeyCreator to save one or more copies of an open file automatically in the folder you choose. This guards against your losing the modifications of a file because you forgot to save it manually. 1. Click Tools>Options>Saving. The Saving pane of the Set Configuration Options dialog box appears, as shown below.
133
2. 3.
4. 5.
Select the Enable Automatic Timed Save of Modified Files check box. The settings below this check box become available. In the Amount of time between saves (minutes) field, for this example, type 5. (Actually, you can type the desired number of minutes between 5 and 60.) Select the Save files in same directory as original file option. Select the Keep only one generation at a time option. The pane appears as shown below.
134
6.
Click OK. You have told KeyCreator to autosave the file you have open every 5 minutes automatically, if you modify the file since the last autosave. You have also told KeyCreator to place the autosaved file in the same folder where the open file is and to autosave only one generation. So, for example, if the open file is named x.ckd and is in the KeyCreator\CKD folder, here is what will happen, if you modify the file: At the first five minutes, which is Nov 28, 2006 at 10:23 AM, for example, the file x-A200611281023.ckd appears in the KeyCreator\CKD folder, in addition to x.ckd. If, within the following five minutes, you do not modify x.ckd, xA200611281023.ckd remains in the folder. But if you do modify x.ckd within this time, KeyCreator replaces x-A200611281023.ckd with xA200611281028.ckd, for example. Only one autosaved file appears in the folder, because you selected the Keep only one generation at a time option.
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To Become Familiar with Additional Customizations

You can do more to customize KeyCreator than what this chapter has explained and illustrated. Notice the additional customizations that are highlighted below on the Savings pane of the Set Configuration Options dialog box (Tools>Options>Saving).
Notice also the highlighted areas below on the Toolbars and Viewport panes (Tools>Customize>Toolbars and Tools>Customize>Viewport). For explanations of these additional customizations, click the Help button on respective pane.
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138
Index
2
2D geometry. See two-dimensional geometry
C
Calculator field, 81 Change Flowlines dialog box, 74 Change the Color of Faces dialog box, 27 Char Height field, 30 clamp assembly. See solid geometry classic menu, 113 Color dialog box option, 27 comma and decimal point, 35 Constant Blend command, 85 construction units. See dimensions control bars, 111 conversation bar, 4 coordinate system. See axis indicators Copy command, 96 CPlane Selection List dialog box, 35 Create a New Label dialog box, 18 Create a New Note dialog boxes, 15 customization additional, 136 control bars, 111 display colors, 120 more on Toolbars pane, 136 more on Viewport pane, 136 mouse buttons, 123 shortcut keys, 123 toolbars, 116 Customize dialog box, 20 customize viewport options, 20 Cut dialog box, 89 Cut direction option, 90
3
3D geometry. See solid geometry
A
about this guide, vii active layout, 8 autosave, 133 Autoscale command, 25 axis indicators CPlane, 33 display options, 34 world, 33 X, Y and Z, 33 XC, YC and ZC, 33
B
Backup button, 38 Between Two Positions option, 65 Block, 12 Block command, 12 Block dialog box, 12 Box Move command, 108
139
D
decimal point and comma, 35 default toolbar, 4 dialog boxes Block, 12 Change the Color of Faces, 27 Create a New Label, 18 Create a New Note, 15 Customize, 20 Layout Control, 13 Print, 21 Print/Plot Setup, 21 Set Configuration Options, 34 dimensions. See display colors, 120 Display CPlane and World axis indicators check boxes, 34 display view, 33 Divide command, 42 Draw Flowlines check box, 75 Drill a Hole into a Solid dialog box, 70 dXC, dYC and dZC fields, 108
G
gnomon, 33
H
Half command, 25 history bar, 8 Hole command, 70 Hole diameter field, 70 Horizontal command, 39 horizontal line, 39
I
Instance Pattern field, 104 Intersect command, 69 ISO selection, 102
K
Key In button, 36 Key In command, 15 KeyCreator CAD/CAM capabilities, 1 described, 1 file name extension, 31 layout mode, 11 model mode, 11 workspace anatomy, 2
E
Entire Bodies option, 67 entity, 29 Entity command, 80 Extrude a Face of a Solid dialog box, 78 Extrude command, 65 Extrude Planar Profile dialog box, 65, 75
L
Label command, 18 Layout Control dialog box, 13 layout mode, 11 Layout Toggle command, 13 L-bracket, 72 Length field, 76 Length option, 68 Level List window, 61 Level Name field, 63 Level Properties dialog box, 62 line style, 5 line width, 5 linkage assembly, 95 linkage bracket right-side view, 31 top view, 31 linkage_assembly.ckd, 95
F
Face of a solid option, 27 files .kbd, 131 .wsp, 109 .ckt, 109 Filled font check box, 18 Flow Lines command, 74 Font field on Create a New Label dialog, 18 Format pane on Create a New Label dialog, 18 Forward field, 90 Forward option, 90
140
Index
linkage_bracket.ckd, 61, 95
M
M14 selection, 102 machine palette, 112 menu bar, 4 model mode, 11 mouse buttons, 123
Render command Smooth Shaded, 27 Render commands Hidden Lines Dashed, 26 requirements change, 108 requirements drawing, 31 retainer pin, 98 retainer_pin.ckd, 98 roll, 8 Rotate command, 26
N
Nut command, 102 Nuts dialog box, 102
S
Selection Menu, 4 Set Configuration Options dialog box, 34 Set Face Color command, 27 set limit, 8 settings window, 114 shortcut keys, 123 simple model block, 12 dimensions, 13 inspection of different views, 29 moving or editing entities, 29 notes and labels, 15 panning, 19 printing, 21 view manipulation, 25 zooming, 19 Sketch check box, 83 solid model adding a nut, 101 creating a drawing, 103 finishing, 101 L-bracket, 72 linkage assembly, 95 linkage bracket, 61 modifying, 108 retainer pin, 98 Standard field, 102 status bar, 9
O
Offset Distance field, 81 Offset Faces command, 79 Offset Faces of Solid field, 79 Offset Faces of Solids dialog box, 79
P
palette and advanced palette, 6 Parallel Distance command, 40 Parallel Distance.command, 37 part settings bar, 5 part splitter levels pane, 116 part references pane, 116 Paste command, 97 Pocket command, 89 position menu, 35 Position Menu, 4 position snap bar, 5 Print command, 21 Print dialog box, 21 Print/Plot Setup dialog box, 21 product name and version, 3 purge, 8
Q
Quick Dimension command, 14
T
T1, 127 Tansparency dialog box, 66 title bar, 3 To Face option, 78 tree window, 7 Trim>Divide command, 42
R
Radius field, 86 related documentation, viii
141
two-dimensional geometry creating, 31 requirements, 31 right-side view of linkage bracket, 46 top view of linkage bracket, 33
U
undo/redo management window, 7 Unite command, 84 Universal Position Menu, 4 Universal Selection Menu, 5 UPM. See Universal Position Menu Use current CPlane Z axis check box, 83 USM. See Universal Selection Menu
V
Verify dialog box, 80 Vertical command, 35 vertical line, 35 viewport, 6
defined, 2, 109 history bar, 8 load, 110 machine palette, 112 menu bar, 4 palette, 6 part settings bar, 5 position snap bar, 5 settings window, 114 startup, 110 status bar, 9 title bar, 3 toolbar, 4 tree window, 7 undo/redo management window, 7 viewport, 6 workspace anatomy. See workspace
X
XC=, YC= and ZC= fields, 36
Z W
workspace advanced pallete, 6 classic menu, 113 classic.wsp, 110 conversation bar, 4 default, 110 Zoom command, 19 using hotkeys, 20 using menu, 19 using middel mouse button, 20 zoom only (no pan), 20
142

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Key Creator Getting Started Guide V6 English

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KeyCreator

Getting Started Guide

Copyright 2006 Kubotek Corporation. All Rights Reserved

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................. 1

CHAPTER 2: CREATING A SIMPLE MODEL .................... 11

CHAPTER 3: CREATING 2D WIREFRAME GEOMETRY ...31

CHAPTER 4: CREATING A SOLID MODEL........................59

CHAPTER 5: CUSTOMIZING KEYCREATOR.................. 109

About This Guide

Related Documentation and Tip on Help

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

Title Bar Menu Bar Default Toolbar Conversation Bar

Part Settings Bar

Position Snap Bar

View Toolbar Status Bar

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

Part Settings Bar

Position Snap Bar

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

Modeling Palette and Advanced Modeling Palette

Undo/Redo Management Window

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

13: Macro-record indicator (REC or PAUSE)

CREATING A SIMPLE MODEL

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

Chapter 2: Creating a Simple Model

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

Click Detail>Quick Dimension. The drawing now is in dimension mode.

Chapter 2: Creating a Simple Model

Now you add notes and labels.

To Add Notes and Labels

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

In the Font field, select Arial.

Chapter 2: Creating a Simple Model

11. Click the Esc button on the Conversation Bar.

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

Chapter 2: Creating a Simple Model

To Pan the Model

To Zoom In and Out

Using the Menu

Select Double, for example. The model appears twice as big.

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

Using Middle Mouse Button

Turning Off Pan So You Can Zoom Only

Chapter 2: Creating a Simple Model

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

Chapter 2: Creating a Simple Model

To Change Size of Region or Whole Model on Printed Page

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

Chapter 2: Creating a Simple Model

To Manipulate Views Further

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

Chapter 2: Creating a Simple Model

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

Chapter 2: Creating a Simple Model

To Inspect the Model with Different Views

To Move or Edit Entities

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

CREATING 2D WIREFRAME GEOMETRY

To Determine the Requirements of the Linkage Bracket

KeyCreator Getting Started Guide

Chapter 3: Creating 2D Wireframe Geometry