CADKEY users here? Enough to have a page devoted?
Speak up. Ya can't tell me I'm the only one.

I had used CADKey with a PC-APT if I remember year correctly in '92. So I would be of little help to you today. But I had used it.

My CadKey goes back to Ver. 98 but I liked it better than Autocad. Wish I could lay my hands on a newer version.

Castguy2003

I have been using Cadkey since 1985. I now am the CAD/CAM application engineer at work. I have all the versions of Cadkey under my belt.

I was worried for a minute there. It took awhile to get some responses. I didn't need help, I was just probing to see if there is enough interest for a Cadkey page here. I'm still using '98 at home. I keep getting offers to check out the new demo. But I don't need to fall in love with a new version thatI can't afford and will self-destruct in a month anyways. :D I don't know for sure but I don't think there is anything out there that can render as photoreal. I'm a hardcore wireframe person that was spoiled rotten on solids.
castguy2003, I can get the demo and contact info (I'm in CT) if you're interested.
The center of attention is Workshop and KeyCut now.
I guess it was buggin' me that I havn't even heard of a lot of the programs on this site that are buzzing,and not one mention of CK.
It's a geographic thing I think.

My biggest gripe with Ver 98 is the solids portion does not have a history tree. Makes it damn hard to go back and make changes. My Mastercam 8 has solids also but it does have a history tree.
Cadkey used to be more affordable, now they want the big bucks also. And I never found anything on Kazaa.

Solids was not very stable and had many different problems with the Cadkey 9X versions. I am using CK 19 as well as the company I work for. This is the last version before the complete change of Cadkey to Workshop. I support 50 seats of Cadkey here and we could not go to the new Cadkey because of the file format change. We have to many vendors world wide that are using older versions of Cadkey and the files must stay compatable.

I have sitting next to me a case 50 Cadkey Workshop V20 and some Version 21. I don't even want to look at it since we can't use it.

Take fifty bucks for one? :-)

So do I add a Cadkey section ?

Originally posted by HomeCNC

I have sitting next to me a case 50 Cadkey Workshop V20 and some Version 21. I don't even want to look at it since we can't use it.

Put it for sale in the for sale section. :)

And the bidding is off to a great start :D sixty bucks?

HomeCNC,
That drastic of a file format change? Is it just... not a .prt
OR.... is it not even ACIS anymore? I havn't run into anything to complain about with '98....... EXCEPT that the printing is all screwed up like it was with v7.5 wireframe. It responds almost as nicely as Gibbs. In fact I model a lot of the more complex geometries in CK even though they'll end up in Gibbs anyways for programming. Gibbs is still "slicker" and more "gracefull" but I can get a lot more technical with CK. (more toys)
Got any cool .cdl's or .cde's to share :D macro's?? :D

CNCAdmin,
Shure :D

I've been using Cadkey since about '89 with version 3.5. I'm slowly moving over to my Workshop 21 and beginning to like it more with each use. Ck19 scares me to death with its corrupt solid thing and I don't get that with CK21. But CK21 has some glitches that they say will be fixed in the next release. Draft-Pak and FastSurf are included in Workshop but some are complaining of missing features from the old Draft-Pak that are not in this new release. I have the EX version that has Catia4, Pro-e, and Unigraphics translators included and they seem to work pretty well.

I too would like to see a Cadkey group and a Surfcam Group. Considering some of the other software groups that are here, many of them I've never heard of, the addition of these two can't hurt. Many of these have their own forums on their own websites that are well attended and very helpful, especially Cadkey. I'm not aware of any Surfcam sites that get more than one message a month. My only concern is that this list of software is getting very long, maybe they could be separated into two groups; CAD and CAM.

As to selling the software, forget it, you have to have a license from Cadkey Corp to activate the software and you have to be a registered user to get the license.

We don't use the solids of Cadkey. We have Pro-E for that. We just use Cadkey for 2D drawings. I work at NIKE, and getting a shoe print out to Asia fast! is the goal. Cadkey wireframe is very stable in CK19.

To answer Turbine about the file format. Yes it was a drastic file format change. This is one way they fixed their solids problem. It is no longer a .prt. It is a CKD file.

Originally posted by moldcore

I too would like to see a Cadkey group and a Surfcam Group.

Done and already have a Surfcam forum- http://cnczone.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=28

I see it now. You combined it with Gibbs. Why? The programs are not even close, but it probably won't matter anyway. I've seen these forums come and go without much activity.

Originally posted by moldcore
I've seen these forums come and go without much activity.

Really :confused: Well this site is only 1 month and 3 weeks old and looks like it's doing VERY well. I don't see this site going anywhere but getting bigger and bigger. If a forum does'nt have much activity, I will remove it.

Originally posted by moldcore
I've seen these forums come and go without much activity.

Stick around for awile and you'll see how good this forum
is getting. Just help and be helped, its that simple.
The reason for all the mods. is to keep it that way.
Sit back,relax and enjoy.
Good to have you here.:p

I've been surfing around the net for almost ten years now and seen allot of changes and I guess I'm more skeptical than most. I hope you guys make it. Cad Chat gas been around for a few years and Cadkey has had only about a half dozen post there in the past year it seems. Of course Cadkey hasn't produced anything noteworthy in the past few years either.

Cadkey is a great program but too expensive for the home user but cheap enough to be kept up to date. I use it in business designing investment casting molds. Most, if not all, parts that the molds produce are imported from other systems such as Catia or Pro-e via IGES. Most are aerospace related and as you might guess, business has slowed to a crawl and become cut throat. By keeping my expenses down I have been more competitive in my bids than many others who have bit the dust. I don't believe in buying the top of the line in anything. It's hard work that makes you money.

Hey guys,

Just stumbled on this forum (for mastercam mainly) but I use CK 19 and 21. Mostly using 19 for day to day stuff, but serious modeling I do in 21 and export via SAT to finish detailing in 19 as I too have customers that I need to remain compatible with. Also the layout mode performance in 21 just doesnt cut it. It is being fixd though (finnaly).

See...most are using older versions. The CK forum was too current. Thats my guess why there wasn't any participation.
Bay State wanted to use it for "bug" feedback. Only there was no feedback. Come on guys.....
don't be a microsoft and put your beta stuff on the shelf. :D
Theres plenty of people here that'll put it through the wringer
for you. Give it here... we'll tell ya what's wrong with it. :D.

Turbine,
You lost me. Are you soliciting complaints?

Absolutely not. I get enough of that at work without trying. :)
When new software is put on the shelf, the people buying it are the ones expected to find and report problems. That's just the way it was, and allways will be that way, and that's why I like the older time tested and proven versions. They've been around long enough to have bugs fixed, holes patched etc. I'm running a nice tight Win98 here and wouldn't trade it for XP for anything. (I use XP at work) I have CK98 here and havn't had any problems with it either. And I like to push all the buttons and try to find stuff that's wrong. I havn't had any of the known issues bother me.My first real cad (after the dos version of imsi TurboCad) was CKv7.5 wireframe. The problem with that, was me not understanding hardcore wireframe. (besides the printer driver thing) I didn't know any better then.
Man....I'm digging up memories now. Wireframe....:rolleyes: what a horror show that was. It took me years to understand how the system recognized closed geometry and by then I was a solid guy:D

Win98? CK98? Boy you are asking for trouble. Glad it's working for you, just keep the file size down and you should be OK. I use W2K at home and work and it's very solid. I don't think CK19 and above will even work on Win98, at least not very well.

I'm still a wireframe kind of guy. Old habits are hard to break I guess. Don't get me wrong, I love solids but find myself sketching things up in wireframe all too often. I became very proficient in it after using it for 7 or 8 years before solids came out. CK19's lost solids bug has made me a bit shy of solids, but with CK21, I'm slowly getting my confidence back.

CK21 is potentially a pretty good product that still needs some serious fixes before we can use it full time here. If Cadkey can get over the hump and stop having to say "in the next release", they should be in pretty good shape and will compete with anyone. Until then, they, unfortunately, will be considered nothing more than a small player in a very large field. And until then, they need to take serious look at their competitors and pricing structure. Cadkey right now is so overpriced it's ridiculous for what they're actually producing.

I'm with you moldcore, I am so fast at wireframe Cadkey that I always start with Cadkey before I move it to Solidworks. It is so easy to make changes with the wires. I get the design close and then it goes solid! For 2D layout work you can't beat Cadkey! Many have tired but where I come from it's the fastest!

moldcore, A large file size for me is about 50 meg. Believe it or not I don't have any trouble. I'm all maxed out in my ram and the worst I suffer is slow loading and jerky dynamic rotation. Never a disasterous crash. I have a file here of a gas turbine aft transition piece (seal frame) that's loaded with air (cooling) holes and rather mathematiclly complex surfaces around the corners of the inside.
It's one of those things that looks simple on the outside untill you try and model it. That's about as big and fancy as I can go. Needless to say I won't be building any supermodels with it :)
I'm going to wait awhile before I get my own XP. It may be stable but IMO it's stupid under all that fluff. It's a master bull$h!ter in disguise. :D I went to plug in my zip drive to bring a large file to work(where all the computers are networked obviously) and xp didn't know enough to assign a drive letter that wasn't allready in use.
I went through all kinds of hell trying to figure out what was going on. I disconnected all network drives and and plugged it in and it worked. Then I was able to see that the zip was given a drive letter that was already used by another server! What's up with that !

Turbine, You are talking XP, Moldcore is talking Win2K. I only use Win2K as well. XP has problems with it. I have seen it degrade down to the point you could not perform any network activity or use the internet.

CADKEY on STEROIDS
I have this book in excelent condition and will sell it for $30.00, to follow is the description and actual selling price for this book. If it sells the sale amount will go as a donation or contribution to this WebSite so not only will you getting a great book at a great price you will be actually helping support this forum.

For CADKEY Versions 19 and Earlier
Doctor Walt’s CADKEY on Steroids: Using a blend of practical examples, profuse illustrations, and clear, concise, instructions, I’ll open the world of CADKEY 98 and CADKEY 99 to you. Learn how to combine wireframe, solid, and surface construction techniques to build dozens of complex models. CADKEY98! Perfect Bound, 8 ½ by 10 ¾ format, 432 pages, $69.95

Your right HomeCNC, sorry moldcore. I'm at a point where I don't pay attention to the diffrences. I use some win2000 drivers as well as office tools like Exell/Word, plus I don't use either one at home.

Hi Guys ...

I just got back to this thread and found it very interesting. Ive been using CADKEY since back in the DOS days, Still Love it, WS20+ development issues notwithstanding.

I don't think CK19 and above will even work on Win98, at least not very well.

19 runs OK on Win 98.

Workshop is a different story. The way the files are written, you wind up with huge files and unstable performance from all reports Ive seen. I beleive Win 98 was removed from the official hardware/OS requirements list.

I ran 19 and 20 on Win2k with good results. Now running on XP Pro with no problems. I think the system degradation problem was related to a security update. See the link below for more information.

XP Performance Problem (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;819634)

As far as CK98, its OK for Wireframe but the solids functionality in 19 is far superior and more stable (although the corrupted solids error can still bite ya) ... Back Up often. :drowning:

The other problem in 98 (I think it was 98) was dimensions in scaled layouts sometimes displayed bad values. This was fixed in 99 I believe.

Dr. Walt is my CK VAR so I also have a couple of his books. The one you mentioned and the 20+ primer. He has some good tips in there. (although some of his sidebar images are a little hoakey :)

Hello,

I have used CadKey on A Daily basis since 1997. I would be very interested in A page devoted to Cadkey. Been Looking for places on the web to find discussion forums on Cadkey without having much luck at all. Was beginning to think that I was the only user.

Thanks.

Hello,

I have used CadKey on A Daily basis since 1997. I would be very interested in A page devoted to Cadkey. Been Looking for places on the web to find discussion forums on Cadkey without having much luck at all. Was beginning to think that I was the only user.

Thanks.

To all that are interested:
Check Out CKDExpert.com (http://www.ckdexpert.com)

CKD Expert Is an informational web site that we hope will make you more productive in your Cadkey / KeyCreator software.
In this site we have information about CADL Language programming and CDE programming as well as something that we have not seen on the world wide web, a Cadkey oriented part library for both Pre-Workshop and KeyCreator versions.

We just started this site about 6 months ago!

Boy, I haven't visited the forum for quite a while and it's kind of nice to see that there is still some Cadkey users around.
I have used Cadkey since version 7 and I have the lastest version of KeyjCreator with the extended translators.
I can tell you, if you haven't tried the latest version you are really missing out. Since Kutbotec has taken over the programers have made a lot of improvements. The patchs and updates are now ocurring regularly.
There are still some minor glitchs but I am sure they will be fixed. The ability to work with wires, surfaces, and solids all in the same part file is the biggest advantage I have over my fellow designers at my work place. They are all using Inventor and you cannot import a customer part file into Inventor with out a major head ache.
Well I just wanted to add my two cents and to say that I look forward to seeing more activity in this forum.
:)

Hey Turbine,
Nice to see another Cadkey user out there. I use CK at home and work, CK98 r1.04. Maybe not cutting edge technology, but it works for me. You were asking about cool cdl's? Here is one I just finished revising last month. This cdl will write NC code for 2D toolpaths and positions. It has a lathe function (Ø x), a mill function with INC IJ coords a mill function with ABS IJ coords, and a position function that will list your positions so you can just add a G81 or whatever. If you use the lathe option, just remember to draw half of the part on the same side of the center line as the machine is cutting if you are looking at the OP down and through the door. It only writes inch coords right now but could be changed to metric quite easily. I'm currently working on an engraving cdl but it's still in the works. I'll post when it's finished. Cheers!

P.S. - change the .txt to .cdl
- If the created code is more than 1024 characters, it will dump a text file called nctext.txt to you CK\cdl directory.

yes I use a older version. Very happy.

No post on this forum in months. Is anyone using KeyCreator? Check out their new Website: http://www.kubotekusa.com/

If you're not current, browse around the site and view what new in the product. It may not be like SolidWorks or Solid Edge but it will get the job done for half the price.

Hi all, I started using Cadkey lite on a 286 laptop in 1997, as I like to do a bit of inventing and designing, mainly for my own amusement.
Then I got a copy of Cadkey ver. 7 in 2000, used on my desk top with win'98, now with XP, and now find that all the files I worked on with Lite won't go with ver 7, which isn't a problem as I'll just redraw the ones I want to keep and ditch the rest.
It's used mainly for 2D drawings and beats using those drawing machines and massive drawing boards that my last firm tried to give away when they went CAD.
A lot of the old hands passed out when the CAD system came to stay.At that time with the introduction of CAD to the drawing office we only had one computer station. Last I heard there were 20, all flat out.
Using CAD for hobby or general workshop tool design makes a heck of a difference when you come to rework existing designs, or just for producing drawings that look more professional than hand drawn pencil jobs, and you can email a file better than scanning a pencil drawing. I'll have to work out what they mean by wire-frame drawing as opposed to the 2D stuff that I can relate to. A steep learning curve by any standards.

I tried to find out what percantage of CAD designers use Cadkey/key creator but i couldn't find it anywhere.....it seems to be less and less.....everybody is going perametric....

I use "keycreator" and it sure came a long way from those cadkey days.

I'm starting a new project of an full scale WW1 airplane (paper to cad) and i'm still trying to decide between KeyCreator and Catia....it's a tough choice.

Hey Guys, I am the department head for the technology education department for a local high school and I am using keycreator with great results. The only problem I have is once in a while when a student saves his/her work it can't be opened again because it says "not for commercial use" any idea where the setting for this might be located? I have searched and searched without any luck.

Thanks
Scott

I Have Been Using Cadkey Since It Was (geocad 2.11) In 1984. I Am Using Cadkey99 Now. In My Opinion There Is No Faster 2d Drafting Package Out There But It All Boils Down To What You Are Used To.

I’m surprised to see so many CK99 users here. I have to ask why? Why haven’t you folks moved up? CK99 is a dinosaur compared to what’s available today, not only with KeyCreator, but with just about any CAD software.

Check out KeyCreator’s newest version and see what it can do for you (check the “new video demo” on the home page): http://www.kubotekusa.com/index.html

I am using Cadkey 19 on W2000,
wires to solids to 2-D prints
Coming from an aerospace (APT) background
Started with punched cards 1968, first graphic tube in 1970. Control Data 6400 / Fortran etc.
There is nothing that cannot be done in CK19.

Seen a bunch of systems developed and fall away.
Tried them all, and all the new stuff just runs slower and puts money into the developers pockets. Yes there is neato stuff but...
I get the jobs done and deliver to the customers.
Most don't care how, just want results
No problems..deliver ...pay me, they do...

hack and slash ,cadkey /keycreator, use it when u need it