November 27, 2020
KCL Design Software Updates and Additions
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:
- KCLMobile "Change view"
- New Custom Block Program
- Obsolete/Replace With
- Specbook without Spec Sheets
Helping you work smarter with new and improved tools.
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.
English 
