November 27, 2020

KCL Design Software Updates and Additions

Product Updates

In our pursuit of making KCL restaurant and foodservice design software even better and more useful, we’re continuously adding new features and improving old ones.

Our monthly newsletter always includes a shout-out to new and improved aspects of KCL, but here’s a place to catch up on what you might have missed.

Topics include:

Helping you work smarter with new and improved tools.

We Speak Your Language

KCL has served an international audience since our earliest days, but with Luca Salomoni actively representing us in the EMEA and APAC regions, it’s growing like gangbusters.

We’ve added Spanish, Italian, and French versions of our website that you can easily access from the top right corner of your screen.

All users should be on version 5.6.94 or higher. If you don’t see it at the top of your screen, like so:

then close KCL then re-open. You should be prompted to run our latest version. If you are not, go to https://www.kclcad.com/access-kcl/, choose KCL BIM/CAD Designer. Close KCL and run the installer – choose “modify” to get the latest version.

If you’re having trouble installing the latest version, simply contact techs@kclcad.com for assistance and we’ll get you up and running.

KCL’s new Room Builder tools let you create walls, including windows and doors, without using a CAD program! KCL NapkinSketch continues to be the best tool for creating dimensionally correct layouts in minutes without running a CAD or Revit program. The design you create with Room Builder can be exported and used in NapkinSketch, AutoCAD, or AutoCAD LT.

For Manufacturers
We now offer an “archive” option that will hide old files from live views on all KCL platforms. Should you choose to archive items, the files will continue to stay inside the KCL system for easy access should you bring the models back or want to relist them. The archive is also available if there is a special request for viewing an old CAD model or other product data. Of course, you may choose to remove old items from our system instead of archiving them.

Look for the new “eye” icon in KCL Mobile to change views and don’t miss the updated filter that allows you to search by category.

We’ve got a new Custom Block program just for COVID times: partitions! You can now use KCL software to design and place dividers that sit on floors or countertops.

KCL Custom Blocks now creates native Revit geometry! Create your KCL Custom Block and then review it in the Revit Family editor. When ready, click “load in project” from Revit toolbar.

Use our new 3D person in AutoCAD, Revit, or KCL NapkinSketch. This feature allows you to add perspective and show the workflow. In this time of physical distancing, it makes it easy to demonstrate space between workers.

You can create multi-layer 3D CAD blocks from Revit files. This was something of a hidden feature, but we updated the interface to make this capability easier to find and easier to use! We now generate and display a 3D CAD block preview on both KCL Desktop and KCL Web.

KCL Desktop now highlights obsolete model numbers and identifies replacement model numbers in search results.

You can now create a Specbook without spec sheets! Say what? After many subscriber requests to output to Word, we made it happen. Use this new setting and create your PDF. After the PDF is downloaded you can import to Word and use KCL data with manufacturer or user specs in your Word document. Look for more Specbook updates later this year.

And finally, we’re excited to announce KCL XML as a Revit output. This allows you to export Revit project data back into KCL, where you can then edit the data and create Excel schedules and Specbooks.