There is a wide range of entities you can incorporate in your part.

The commands for drawing

these entities can be found in the Draw Menu or on the Shapes Toolbar and Bend Lines Toolbar:

or

and

1.1 Line
Lines are the basic tools for entity building in cncKad.

Three following line commands can be accessed from the Line option:
 Auto-Snap
 Tangent-Tangent
 Tangent-Perpendicular

1.1.1 Auto Snap

Also known as Line, Auto-Snap command, it allows you to create lines in a very easy way using
Auto-snap positioning system.

"Auto Snap” means that cncKad will automatically determine which snap position is the closest to
the one you click with your cursor.
In order to place a line on your project:
1. Click the start point of your line and it will snap to nearest snapping point.
2. Then click the end point and it will also snap to the nearest.
 3. To exit the Line, Auto-Snap command, press Esc key otherwise you continue drawing
lines using the last end point as the starting point of a new line.

Of course you can also create lines by snapping them to any of the snapping positions defined via
the snap button.
For more information on the Snapping Options refer to the appropriate section in the Introduction
chapter of this manual.

Pressing the Space bar will enable you to define position for start and/or end point of your line on
the drawing using one of three various entities positioning methods (Absolute, Relative or Polar),
based on coordinate system.

Pressing the V key on the keyboard turns the Orthogonal Mode on and allows you to draw
vertical and horizontal lines with precision. To deactivate this option, press V key again.
Make sure that the Snap option is set to No Snap so that the Orthogonal Mode
would function correctly!

1.1.2 Tangent - Tangent

This command allows creating a line tangent to two entities, which are circles or arcs.
Click the first tangent entity. The position you click on the entity will determine the side from which
the line will start. See the picture bellow:

Next, click the second tangent entity. cncKad will draw a line tangent to both entities selected.
Press Escape to exit the command.

1.1.3 Tangent - Perpendicular

This option allows drawing a line tangent to the first entity clicked, and at the same time
perpendicular to the second entity selected. The entity tangent to the line must be a circle or an
arc, the perpendicular one can be of any type. The position you click on the tangent entity will
determine the side from which the line will start.

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1.2 Help Line

This command can be also accessed from the Help Lines Toolbar
Help Lines are special reference lines, always displayed as green lines crossing the entire extent
of the screen. They are essential to the drawing process within cncKad since they are used for
finding positions within the drawing in order to place holes or shapes on the part, without the need
of entering absolute coordinates.

For placing a help line on the drawing all the snapping options can be used, as well as positioning
with coordinates.

Help Lines have a lot of benefits, but also some limitations. For example, they cannot be
manipulated using the manipulation commands, i.e. Move, Copy, Array, etc.

1.2.1 Parallel at Distance

This option allows you to place a Help Line parallel to an existing line by a defined distance.
In a distance dialog that will appear, enter the desired distance and click the OK button. Click the
cursor near the line you want the Help Line to be parallel to, on the side on which you want the
Help Line placed:

 To place more lines at the same distance, place the cursor near other line and click the
mouse. Repeat this action as long as you need.

3
  To change the parallel distance, press the Space bar and in the displayed dialog enter a
new the distance value.
With this command coordinate position selection and the snapping options will be ignored.
Press the Escape key, to exit the command.

1.2.2 Parallel through Point

Selecting this option enables you to place a Help Line parallel to an existing line, through a
defined point.
After selecting this command, click the line you want the Help Line to be parallel to, which can also
be a help line itself. Then click the position through which you want to place the new help line:

1.2.3 Perpendicular Help Line

With this command a Help Line is created perpendicularly to a selected line, which can also be a
Help Line itself.
 Click the line you wish to create a perpendicular help line from.
 Then click the position which you wish to place the perpendicular line through.

1.2.4 Help Line by Angle - Absolute

This command places a Help Line at a defined angle, through a selected position. The angles are
measured counterclockwise:
 Starting at 3 o’clock for angle 0
 Continuing at 12 o’clock for angle at 90°
 9 O’clock for angle at 180° and so on.
After defining the angle, press the OK button and then click a position on your drawing.
You can continue placing Help Lines with the same defined angle or press A key to place a help
line under a different angle.

1.2.5 Help Line by Angle - Relative

This command places a Help Line at a defined angle according to a reference line and through a
selected position. Upon entering this command, the angle selection dialogue will open.
Define your angle and click the OK button.
 Then click the line to which the defined angle will be relative to.
 And then click a position through which to place the Help Line.
 You can continue placing Help Lines this way, or press A key to change the relative angle.

1.2.6 Help Line through Two Points

This command creates a Help Line whose exact placement is defined by the location of two
points. If a coordinate position is not required, you can rely on the Auto-Snap feature to snap to
the nearest snap position. To define an absolute coordinate position, press the Space bar, and
enter desired definitions.
 Click the first position through which the Help-Line will be placed.
 Click the second position and the Help-Line will be created.
4
1.2.7 Vertical Help Line
This command places a Vertical Help Line at a position you defined.
Click the position you wish to place the Vertical Help Line on, and it will be placed according to the
snap position selected.
You may continue to place more Help Lines this way or press Esc key to exit the command.

1.2.8 Horizontal Help Line

This command places a Horizontal Help Line at a position you defined.
Click the position you wish to place the Horizontal Help Line on, and it will be placed according to
the snap position selected.
You may continue to place more Help Lines this way or press Esc key to exit the command.

1.3 Arc
There are six different methods of creating arc entities with cncKad. Each method requires a
different piece of information.

In all the arc creation options the same dialog box will be displayed, with the appropriate options
activated.
In every arc creation method you are required to select at least one point. You can snap to these
positions with the cursor or enter coordinate positions for the point(s) by pressing the Space bar.

1.3.1 Two Points and Radius

Upon selecting this option, the following dialog box will be displayed:

Define the arc radius and click the Apply button. Then click the two endpoints of the arc:

If the arc cannot be created with the defined data, you will receive the following warning:

5
In such a case, clear the warning and redefine the data.
You can continue creating arcs with the same radius or press D key to reopen the dialog and
define a new radius.

1.3.2 Center Point, Radius and Two Angles

Clicking this arc command the following options will be activated within the arc definition dialog:

Define the arc radius and then enter the start angle (A1) and end angle (A2) of the arc. After
clicking on the Apply button, click the center position of the arc. The arc will be created with the
defined radius and the included angle between the start and end angles.

1.3.3 Two Points and Included Angle

With this command, you are requested to select two points and enter the included angle of the arc.
The arc definition dialog will be displayed with the following option activated:

Enter the included angle value, click the Apply button, and click two points on the draft:

1.3.4 One Point, Center Point and Angle

With this command, you are requested to define the included angle, one point, and the center point
of the arc.
After defining the included angle in the arc dialog, click the Apply button. Afterwards click the first
point of the arc and then click its center point:

6
1.3.5 Three Points
Using this method to create an arc, you have to choose three different points on the arc's
circumference.
You can snap to these positions with the cursor or enter coordinate positions for the point(s) by
pressing the Space bar.

1.3.6 Two Tangent Points and a Radius

In this method you are requested to enter a radius in the arc dialog and then need to click two
tangent entities. The tangent entities can be arcs or circles. The arc will be placed tangent to both
entities with the defined radius.

1.4 Point
This command simply places a point (or a dot) at specified coordinates. Points can be useful as
reference positions, and a tool can be placed on the point when you come to graphically punch the
drawing.
The point can be placed using the snapping options or entering a coordinate position by pressing
the Space bar and choosing one of the different coordinate systems: absolute, relative or polar
one.
See the appropriate sections of the Introduction chapter on this manual.

1.5 Circle…
In cncKad, circles are used to create round holes in the sheet metal.
Selecting this option will be display the following dialog:

7
  Define the circle diameter and click the Apply button. The circle will be displayed on the
cursor and will move together with it.
 Select a center point for your circle using the snapping options or entering a coordinate
position by pressing the Space bar.
 You can continue positioning exactly the same circles on the drawing. To redefine the
diameter, press the D key.

1.6 Shapes
cncKad comes with built-in shapes, commonly used in the Sheet Metal Industry.

There are several different shapes you can choose from and they can also be accessed from the
Shapes Toolbar.
 After selecting a shape and defining its dimensions, the figure of our choice will be
"ghosted" around the cursor. Therefore moving the cursor actually moves the
representation of the form, until you click it on the drawing.
 Placing the shape is done according to its center point. You can also place a figure with the
aid of snapping options or entering a coordinate position by pressing the Space bar.
 After the shape has been positioned, you can continue placing the same shape, or press
the S key to redefine its parameters.

1.6.1 Rectangle…
This option allows creating rectangular or square shapes.
Selecting this option from the Shapes menu or clicking the corresponding button in the Shapes
Toolbar will open the following dialog:

8
Fill in the dialog parameters and press the OK button.

1.6.2 Oval…
An oval is made up from four entities: two arcs and two lines. Using this option to define an oval is
faster than building each entity separately:

Selecting this option from the Shapes menu or clicking the corresponding button in the Shapes
Toolbar will open the following dialog:

Having entered all parameters click OK button to confirm your choice.

1.6.3 Single D...

D shapes are comprised of an Arc entity and a straight line connecting the ends of the arc:

Selecting this option will bring up the following dialog:

9
Define the desired parameters and click the OK button.

1.6.4 Double D...

A Double D is a circle trimmed at two opposite sides:

Selecting this option will bring up the following dialog:

Define the parameters for the shape and click the OK button.

1.6.5 Trapeze (Connector)...

The trapeze shape, also called connector, has more parameters than the previous shapes. You
therefore have more control over the look of the connector:

10
Selecting this option will display the following dialog:

The Angle parameter defines the orientation angle of the shape placement on the drawing.
Define all the settings and click the OK button.
For Fillet Radius field you have to enter some value. It cannot equal "0".

1.6.6 Bolt Hole…

This shape creates an array of holes on a defined radius. You have control over the amount of
holes to insert, the diameter of the holes, the angle at which the holes start, the radius and the
center point of the array:

Select this option and you will be presented with the following dialog:

Define the parameters for the shape and click the OK button.
11
1.6.7 Banana...
A banana shape is made up of four arc entities. Together they make an arc shaped slot with
rounded ends:

This option will bring up the following dialog:

Define the parameters and click the OK button.

1.6.8 Ellipse
This command creates an elliptical entity. Selecting it will bring up the following dialog:

Click OK button to confirm your settings and place the shape on the drawing.

12
1.6.9 Punched Sheet
This command allows you to create an array of staggered holes. The resulting NC code for this
function will be treated as for Grid. Unlike all the other Shape commands, this command works on
a complete sheet.
Selecting this command will open the following dialog:

Entering conflicting parameters in this dialog will cause cncKad to generate the following warning
and the array will not be created:

Defining the offset parameters sets the number of holes that will be created accordingly to the
sheet size. After creating the punched sheet the number of holes placed is displayed on the status
bar:

More information on how to create the Perforated (Punched) Sheet you will find in the appropriate
section of the Appendix chapter in Punch Manual.

1.6.10 Triangle...
The Triangle shape is created by specifying the size of the Base, the Height and the declination
angle (A2):

You can also define the Vertex Angle (A1) and Snap point (C):
13
  The Vertex Angle (A1) and Size values are related, so that when Base and Height are
defined, the A1 Angle value is calculated accordingly and appears automatically in its field.
 The Snap point (C) parameter allows you to choose the cursor position on the triangle.
The shape will be placed according to this position (point).

1.6.11 Polygon…
The Polygon shape is created by specifying the number of sides N, and either the Width (A), or the
Height (B); the other parameter will be calculated accordingly to the first one. Additionally, this
dialog allows entering the desired Rotation Angle of the polygon in order to place it on the
drawing already rotated.

Define the parameters and press OK to place the shape on the drawing.

14
1.6.12 Library Part
Selecting this option opens the following Part Library dialog:

You can select here the shape you want to create parametrically, e.g.:

Define your parameters and place the ready already finished on your sheet.

15
1.6.13 Automatic Punch of Specific Shapes
This applies to all shapes drawing, including circles.
When working with punching machine and if the matching tool is available in Tools Library, you will
receive such a message, asking whether you wish to punch placed shape directly:

 If you choose Yes, the created geometry will be punched automatically.

 If you click No the geometry won't be processed at this point.
 By checking the Do not ask for this shape again box you can set this particular shape as
punched by default for the current part. Next time you will place it on the part, cncKad will
recognize it and will punch it automatically.
This will be the case for the current part only and as long as you do not rerun
cncKad.

1.7 Shape List

When this command is activated, cncKad analyzes the drawing and lists all the following shapes,
if they exist on the drawing: Circles, Rectangles, Rounded Rectangles, Ovals, Single Ds and
Double Ds:

The first column (T) presents the shape's type, represented by the two letters:
 RO = Circle (Round)
 RE = Rectangle
 RR = Rounded Rectangle
 OB = Oval (Oblong)
 SD = Single D
 DD = Double D
The second (X) and the third (Y) columns give length and width parameters, accordingly. The
fourth column (R) shows the rounding radius, the fifth one (A) displays the angle, under which the

16
shape is placed on the sheet. The final column (N) shows the amount of specific shape on the
drawing.
This command also works on imported (DXF, IGES, etc.) files.
As you move the cursor down the list, the corresponding shapes on the drawing are highlighted in
blue:

From this list you can delete shapes or edit their parameters or print Shape List Report.
Selecting the Edit Shape button will open current shape's parameters dialog, where you will be
able to redefine its sizes.
When you choose to delete a selected shape or to edit its parameters, be aware that you apply the
changes to all the shapes with the same definition as the selected one.
To edit only one instance of a specific shape go to Edit Shape option.

1.8 Edit Shape

With this option you can edit individual instances of the same shape, as opposed to Edit Shape
button of the Shapes List.
After selecting this option from the Draw menu, click on the shape’s instance you want to edit. The
current shape's parameters dialog will appear. Redefine the parameters and click OK button.
cncKad will change the shape according to its new definitions, and will try to adapt and rebuild the
shape’s CAM, if the shape has been processed.

1.9 Parallel

This command will create a line entity parallel to an existing line or an arc entity parallel to an
existing arc. The parallel entities will be placed at a defined offset on the selected side of the
original entity.
This command works on all entities, such as lines, circles and arcs.
After selecting the parallel type (either By Distance or Through Point) you can change its color
and style before positioning it on the part.

1.9.1 Parallel by Distance

Upon selecting this command you will be presented with the following dialog:

17
Enter a distance and click OK button. Next, click the mouse to place the entity. The side of the
entity you click on is the side where the parallel one will be created.

You can place as many parallel entities by the defined distance as you wish. At any stage during
the command you can press on the D key to redefine the distance.
Here you can see various examples made with the aid of this option:

1.9.2 Parallel through Point

Upon selecting this command you will be required to select the entity which the parallel one will be
offset from. The next step will be clicking the point you want it to be placed through.
The point can be set by entering coordinates or with the aid of the Snapping options.
Here you can see various examples made with this option:

1.10 Dimensions/Text
From here you can add to your drawing any dimensions you wish. The dialog system makes it a
very simple command to use.

18
These commands are also available from the Dimension Toolbar
The dimensions placed onto your draft will be automatically updated with every change made to
your geometry.

1.10.1 Add Dim/Text

Choosing this option you will be presented with the following dialog:

19
Before adding a dimension to your drawing, when Dimension option is selected in Add section,
there are several parameters that have to be set. Some of them deal with the dimension type,
others with its size, and some with adding text to the dimension, for example to specify units
(inches, mm), by typing it in the Enter Text field.
Switching to Text option will deactivate some options and enable others, allowing placing a text to
your draft:

After setting the parameters, you will be able to place the dimension on your part.
Click OK button to close the dialog and click the entity to be measured. You can continue to place
more dimensions of the same type and parameters or press the Space bar to reload the Add
Dimension/Text dialog and redefine them.
The snapping options are ignored within the dimension command. This is because cncKad
automatically identifies the dimension base point of the entity selected. If this entity is a line, then
the endpoints of that line will be selected. If the entity is an arc or circle, then the center point will
be selected.
The closest snap position to the click will be taken as the base point for the dimension. A red X will
be placed at this position and the entity will be highlighted in light blue:

20
Select the second point in the same manner and then click a position to place the dimension,
colored in purple, on your draft.
It is suggested you finish your part before placing Dimensions on it, as these might
hinder your drafting, however Dimensions can be used in the middle of the drawing
process to verify entity length or position.
It is recommended to finish placing all the dimensions of one type before going on to change to
another type, e.g. first do all horizontal dimensions, then change to vertical ones, then diameters,
etc. This will prevent continuous reentering dimension parameters.

[Link] Add Section

From this section you can choose to place on your drawing either dimension or text. Depending on
which option you choose, you will be able to set different parameters.

[Link] Dimension Mode

There are three different dimension modes available:
 Single Dimensions
 Serial Dimensions
 Dimensions from base point
All the three modes can be used with the following types of dimension:
 Diagonal Dimensions
 Vertical Dimensions
 Horizontal Dimensions
There are also some additional types of dimensions which can be used only for the Single
Dimension mode:
 Linear Dimensions
 Angle Dimensions
 Radius Dimensions
 Diameter Dimensions
 Angle to X Dimensions
 Angle to Y Dimensions

[Link].1 Single
This command will place one single dimension on your drawing.
Select two entities (points) between which you want to measure the distance and click the cursor
on a place on the drawing:

[Link].2 Serial
This option places a chain of dimensions on the drawing.
Select two points and click a place on the drawing. Continue selecting more points and the new
dimension will automatically align itself with the first one:

21
[Link].3 From Base Point
This command allows you to define one Base Point from where various dimensions originate.
Then you locate the second point to calculate the dimension and then a third one which position
the text on the draft. You can continue selecting other points that will be placed according to your
original base point:

[Link] Dimension Type

This dropdown list lets you choose the type of dimension that you are going to place on your
drawing. The Diagonal, Vertical and Horizontal types apply to all dimension modes, and Linear,
Angle, Radius, Diameter and Angle to X or Angle to Y are destined for Single Dimensions only.

[Link].1 Diagonal

This option displays a dimension between two points defining an imaginary diagonal line, drawn
with an angle. The resulting dimension will be placed at this same angle.

[Link].2 Vertical

This option places a vertical dimension between two points on the drawing. These two points can
be at an angle to each other and cncKad will still display a vertical dimension.

22
[Link].3 Horizontal

This option places a horizontal dimension between two points on the drawing. These two points
can be at angles to each other and cncKad will still display a horizontal dimension.

[Link].4 Linear

Linear dimension is nothing else but a dimension which is a line. Choosing this option will place the
dimensions diagonally, horizontally, or vertically in an automatic way, accordingly to selected
points.

[Link].5 Angle

This option creates an angular dimension between two lines or their extensions.
To place this dimension you need to select two lines and then click the position for the dimension
placement. The side of the angle you click defines which angle you are measuring, i.e. inside or
outside angle.
23
[Link].6 Radius

This option creates a radial dimension on your drawing.

Click an arc or circle and then click a position for the dimension placement.
The radius measure will be preceded by the R letter.

[Link].7 Diameter

This option creates a dimension circles' diameter.

Select a circle and then click a position for the dimension placement.
The diameter measure will be preceded by the D letter.

[Link].8 Angle to X

Angle to X dimension type creates an angular dimension from a selected entity to an imaginary
line parallel to Axis X.
The entity you choose can be vertical or diagonal; it cannot be horizontal.
Click a position for the dimension text. The side you click the cursor will determine which angle will
be measured.

[Link].9 Angle to Y

Angle to Y dimension type creates an angular dimension from a selected entity to an imaginary
line parallel to Axis Y.
24
 The entity you choose can be horizontal or diagonal; it cannot be vertical.
Click a position for the dimension text. The side you click the cursor will determine which angle will
be measured.

[Link] Text Size

Typing a value in this field sets the measure text scale only. It will not influence the arrow size.
In case the default text size is too small or too large for your drawing, but the arrows appear the
way you want them to be, you can change the text scale individually by setting this option.

[Link] Text Angle

This option will be activated when the text option in the add section is selected. A value entered in
this field will result in placing the text on the draft rotated by a specific angle.

[Link] Arrow Size

The value entered in the arrow size filed is the result of the height of the arrow divided by the
length. Therefore if the height is 6.0, the length is 2.0 the resulting arrow size will be 3.
Changing the value here will result in a bigger or a smaller arrow size.

[Link] Show Arrow

Toggling this option allows you to place arrows on the dimensions lines, or to create dimensions
without arrows.

[Link] Show in Nest

Selecting this option sets the appearance of the Dimension or Text, depending on the option
selected in the add section of this dialog, in case the part is included in a Nest.

[Link] Enter Text

There are times when you may wish to add descriptive text to a dimension or to place a free text
on the part. This is done simply by entering a desired text in this field.
If you place a descriptive dimension text, its size will be the same as the one defined for the
dimension itself. The dimension text location can be defined from Dim Text Location section of the
dialog.
As long as you place dimensions, the same text will be added to them. To exit the command press
Esc key.
If you place a free text on the part, its size can be defined in the text size field. You can also select
a rotation angle for the text to be placed.
Having defined the desired settings, click the OK button and place your text in desired location on
your draft. Next you will be returned to the Add Dimension/Text dialog, where you will be able to
change the text (or keep the existing one) and place it on another place on the part.
Text can be imported into cncKad with the draft from IGES, DXF and CADL file
formats. Text that has been imported can be edited with the cncKad text editing
commands.

[Link] Dim Text Location

The text entered as a dimension description can be presented on the draft in one of two modes:
 Text Along
 Text Under

[Link].1 Text Along

Selecting this option will place the text alongside the Dimension, as presented here:

25
[Link].2 Text Under
Selecting this option will place the text under the Dimension, as presented here:

1.10.2 Edit Dim Text/Text

With this option you can Edit either the already existing dimension or text.
Click the dimension or a free text you wish to Edit. The selected dimension or text will be
highlighted in blue, and the following dialog will be displayed for dimension:

And the following one for text:

26
Notice that you can edit only certain elements in the specific dialog – the rest are grayed out.
Enter the text for dimension or edit the free text, change the available parameters as you wish and
then click the OK button. The dimension or free text will be updated. You may now select more
dimensions or texts to edit.

1.10.3 Global Size Update

With this feature you may want to update the scale, the text and arrows of ALL the already existing
dimensions, placed on your drawing.
Regardless of whether you already have different scaled dimensions or texts on your drawing or
not, this command will update them all by the same factor.
Selecting this option, the following dialog will be displayed:

You can define here the scale of the text and/or the arrows. For both of these options you may
enter a scale where:
 0.5 = half scale
 1 = current scale
 2 = double scale
etc.
After entering the scale click OK button to confirm your choice.

1.10.4 Move Dimension

This option moves the dimension to a new place of your choice.
Select the dimension and it will be highlighted in green. Click a new position to place it on your
drawing.
You can continue selecting dimensions to move them or press Esc key to exit the command.

27
1.10.5 Draw Linear Dimension
Selecting this option and clicking on the two points on the drawing will place a linear dimension
between them.
This feature is similar to selecting a Linear Dimension from Add Dimension/Text dialog, with this
difference, that here all the text and arrow size settings come by default and can be edited, with the
aid of Edit Dim Text/Text option, only after being placed on the draft.

1.10.6 Draw Radius Dimension

Selecting this option and clicking on the two points on the drawing will place a radius dimension
between them.
This feature is similar to selecting a Radius Dimension from Add Dimension/Text dialog, with this
difference, that here all the text and arrow size settings come by default and can be edited, with the
aid of Edit Dim Text/Text option, only after being placed on the draft.

1.10.7 Draw Diameter Dimension

Selecting this option and clicking a position on the drawing will place a diameter dimension.
This feature is similar to selecting a Diameter Dimension from Add Dimension/Text dialog, with this
difference, that here all the text and arrow size settings come by default and can be edited, with the
aid of Edit Dim Text/Text option, only after being placed on the draft.

1.10.8 Draw Angle Dimension

Selecting this option and clicking on the two points on the drawing will place a linear dimension
between them.
This feature is similar to selecting a Angle Dimension from Add Dimension/Text dialog, with this
difference, that here all the text and arrow size settings come by default and can be edited, with the
aid of Edit Dim Text/Text option, only after being placed on the draft.

1.10.9 Replace Text

With this option you can replace an already placed text on the drawing (all instances of the same
text) with another one of your choice.
When you choose this option the following dialog will be opened:

This option works only for free text and not for text added to a dimension.

1.10.10 Text Size Update

Selecting this option you will be able to resize the free text on your drawing by defining either a
fixed size for the text or choosing a scale factor. Depending on the option you choose, the field‘s
name where you enter your value changes from size to factor.
Fixed Size dialog will look this way:

28
And Scale Factor dialog will look this way:

Define the appropriate values for your selection and click OK to close the dialog.
On the drawing select the text for which you wish to update the size, press Enter key to confirm
your choice and the Text size will be updated according to your definitions.

1.10.11 Convert Text to DFT Text

This function allows an easy switch from Simple Font Text to a DFT Text.
This is how it is being done:

1.11 DFT Text

This feature enables you to place a text on your part and then process it as entities either by
engraving or by cutting.

29
1.11.1 Place Text...
Selecting this option you will be presented with the following dialog box:

Here you can define the parameters for the text you want to place on your part:
 Type – from this dropdown list you can select the font you wish to use; user defined fonts
will be found on this list, too.
 Size – entering a value in this field defines the size of the font.
 1:1 – if this box is checked cncKad will place the text in the characters full size.
 Auto Spacing – if you check this option, cncKad will use the default parameters defined in
Workspace Settings => DFT Text tab => Auto Spacing Factors section, to place separate
one letter of the text from the other.
If you choose not to use the default spacing parameters, uncheck this checkbox and define
your own parameters.
 Between Letters – entering a value here you define the space to be left between letters.
This value is as a percentage of the character’s size.
 Space Width – the value entered here defines the size of the Space character (ASCII 32)
to be used in the DFT Text. This value is a percentage of the characters’ regular size.
 Auto Snap – You can also snap the text to any existing entity - line or arc- and the text will
be drawn along the chosen entity. This capability is supported both for Windows Fonts and
DFT Fonts.
However, the Arc/Line should NOT be Solid White to avoid getting Open Contour Warnings
and you should change your entity’s color/line type. Select it and choose the Change
Attribute option from Edit menu.

Now you are ready to snap your text to the desired entity. You can control the font size by
30
 choosing the automatic option (Auto Font Size checkbox) or defining your own police size
in the Size field.

Click closest to the entity’s end as the starting point for the text and it will be placed
according to the shape of the entity with spacing automatically defined by the entity‘s
length.

 Text – in this field you need to type in the text you want to place on your drawing. All
previous texts placed in current cncKad session will be available here, until you close
cncKad.

1.11.2 Create New Font...

Selecting this option you will be presented with the following dialog:

From this dialog you can create a new font that suits your special needs by entering definitions in
the following fields:
 Font Name – enter a name for the new font.
 Font Width – define the width of the new font (in mm).
 Font Height – define the height of the new font (in mm).
 Font Descent – define the distance that letters, such as g and y, will descend below the
level of the line.
After defining these parameters, and clicking the Create button, a new cncKad window will open,
with the dimensions you defined already in place as the size of the new character.

31
Draw a new character, and Save it. The character will be saved as a DFT file, in the directory
defined in the DFT Text tab of the Workspace Settings dialog.

1.11.3 Edit Fonts...

Selecting this option opens the following dialog:

If you click one of the Create/Edit Char buttons, the corresponding character will be presented in a
new cncKad window, where you will be able to edit it (the digit "8" in this case):

32
Don’t forget to save your changes before closing this window and returning to main cncKad
screen.

1.12 Windows Font. . .

Choosing this option the following dialog will be presented:

This dialog's settings of Font, Size, space Between Letters, its Width and Auto Spacing option,
as well as Text field behave exactly as the ones described in Place Text section of this chapter.
With this option you can place True Type text onto your draft, using any of the fonts installed in
your Windows system. The text placed with the aid of Windows fonts will be treated as a part and
you will be able to cut it and to engrave it as entities.
The text typed in resulting text will correspond exactly to the font you have chosen (in this case the
font is Times New Roman):

Below you can see an example of Windows fonts cut and engraved:

33
1.12.1 Font Selection
Click the font type button and you will presented with the following dialog, from which you will be
able to choose Font Type, its Style and a Character Set (Script) for your text to be:

The size you select here will have NO impact on the drafting.

1.13 Spline
This option allows you to create a Spline from a set of (X, Y) coordinates.
This very powerful tool allows you to draw complex features with an ease, as long as you feed-in
the correct parameters.
For example, imagine trying to draw a curve with the regular tools available to you; now see how
easy it is to do this with the aid of the Spline command.
We will try to create a simple part, like the one presented below:

34
Selecting the spline option we will receive the following dialog. In order to fill in the following
parameters, press the Tab key to add a new row:

It is easier to use Office Excel to plan your splines: there you can type in your
coordinates in two columns, Copy (CTRL+C) the table, mark the first box in the
Spline dialog, and then Paste (CTRL+V) the table into it.
If you had marked one of the Relative checkboxes, you will be asked to click the start point for the
Spline or to press space bar and define a coordinate for it. If you choose to draw a Spline with the
absolute coordinates you have entered in the dialog, just leave the Relative checkboxes
unchecked and the spline will be drawn automatically when you click OK button.
An almost perfect sine wave will be drawn on the part:

Naturally, the more points you provide for the Spline, the closer it will correspond to the shape you
want to create.

1.13.1 Relative
There are two Relative checkboxes: one for X coordinates and one for Y. If these boxes are
checked, the points for the Spline will be calculated taking each parameter in relation to the
previous one; for example, marking Y as relative will give the following values: 100,
(100+120)=220, (220+80)=300, (300+100)=400.

1.13.2 Close
Checking this box means that the last point will be connected to the first one. When you have
entered the parameters to the Spline dialog, checking this option will result in the same parameters
giving a different shape, in comparison to leaving this option unchecked.

1.14 Bend Line

This feature allows you to place Bend Lines on your part and pass them to a bending program.
Clicking this option the following bend line parameters dialog will appear:

35
See the following example of different bend line types:

1.14.1 Use Global Bend Parameters

When active, most of the dialogs options will be grayed out and cncKad will take the global
bending parameters from Bending Table tab, accessible from Settings Menu => Workspace
Settings dialog.
When unchecked, you will be able to select one of the methods in which the bend compensation of
your bend line shall be calculated – either by Using K Factor or Using Selected Tool.

1.14.2 Bending Angle (Ab)

In this field you can enter the value of an angle under which you want the line to be bent. A
negative value will bend the part downwards, and a positive one – upwards.

1.14.3 Use K Factor Section

Selecting this radio button allows you to select the traditional bend line compensation method –
using the global sheet K factor and a specified bending radius.

36
[Link] Radius
In this field you can enter the value of bending radius, even if you are using the Global Bend
Parameters.

1.14.4 K Factor
After you have checked the Use Sheet K Factor option, you will be able to edit the values entered
here or leave them as they are. The default values are being taken from and depend on the
material chosen from Material List:

When you enter a new value here, it will be saved for the current sheet and will appear also on the
Sheet tab of Set Sheet and Clamps dialog.

[Link] Compensation (D)

Here you can enter the desired compensation value of the bend line.
If you have selected a bending tool, the cncKad shall calculate the bending compensation using
the bend deduction table.

[Link] Use Selected Tool Section

Selecting this radio button allows you to select the bend line compensation method composed by a
combination of the two characteristics of the bending tool.

[Link] Selected Bend Tool

From this dropdown list, taken from Bending Table, you can select Bending Tool. Each of the tools
is defined by two parameters: the punch radius (P) and the V Opening (V), also known as the"Die"
size.

1.14.5 Text Size

This section of the dialog concerns the size of the text displayed along Bend Lines.

[Link] Fixed Size

Selecting this option you set the same text size description for all Bend Lines you will create.

[Link] Scale Factor

In this dialog this option is unavailable. But when you will open the Edit Bend Line dialog, you will
be able to select this button and enter the value in the size field.

[Link] Bending/Factor Size

In this field you can set the text font size or the scale factor, size depending on which option was
chosen: fixed size or scale factor.

37
1.15 Edit Bend Line
Use this option to edit existing bend lines, either one at a time or several bend lines at the same
time. Note that when you Edit a Bend Line, you can specify a Scale Factor for the Text Size, in
addition to the other parameters, described in Bend Line section of this chapter:

1.16 Convert to Bend Line

This option allows you to convert a regular line (or lines) into a Bend Line(s).
After selecting this option:
 Select the line (or lines) to be converted.
If the lines you plan to convert are co-linear, first use the Join command from the Edit Menu
to convert them to a single line (when you are bending the part on a machine you only
make one bend in such a case).
Press Enter key to confirm your selection.
All the lines thus selected will be given the same parameter values (angle, etc.), so make
sure you do not lump together lines that need different values.
The Bend Line Parameters dialog will open where you will be able to define the Bend attributes.

1.17 Find Bend Step

This feature is useful in finding the number of bends and their corresponding angles required to
approximate an arc.

After entering the desired length of each step, the actual step for the arc will be calculated.

38
1.18 Bounding Box
This feature allows you to draw a bounding rectangle for the part, with the option of offsetting it
from the boundaries of the box.

Example:
Before: After (with margin of 10):

39
This chapter deals with commands that are used for editing entities existing on your drawing.
The commands listed in this chapter can be found in the Edit Menu, on the Delete Toolbar or on
the Edit Toolbar:

1.1 Undo
This option Undoes the last command executed.

It can also be accessed from the Standard Toolbar by clicking the icon.

1.2 Redo
This option Redoes a command that was Undone.

It can also be accessed from the Standard Toolbar by clicking the icon.

1.3 Delete Last

With the aid of this option you can delete the last element placed onto the part – whether it is an
entity, a CAM, a help line, a text or a dimension.

1.4 Delete Entities

With the aid of this option and the selection options, you will be able to delete Entities from your
drawing. Press the Enter key to confirm your selection and execute the command.

It can also be accessed from the Delete Toolbar by clicking the icon.
1.5 Delete CAMs
With this option and in conjunction with the selection options you can delete Punches and/or Cuts
that have been placed on the part. Press the Enter key to confirm your selection and execute the
command.

This command can also be accessed from the Delete Toolbar by clicking the icon.

1.6 Delete Dims

This option, together with selection options, allows you to delete Dimensions and simple text from
your geometry. Press the Enter key to confirm your selection and execute the command.

It can also be accessed from the Delete Toolbar by clicking the icon.

1.7 Delete Help Lines

With this option, combined with the selection options, you can delete Help Lines that have been
positioned on the part. Press the Enter key to confirm your selection and execute the command.

It can also be accessed from the Delete Toolbar by clicking the icon.

1.8 Split
The Split command takes an existing entity (line, arc or circle) and divides it into two new
entities, with their endpoints touching each other.
Select the entity to split, and then click on a division position. This split position depends on the
Snap Button status.
For example, if this button is set to No Snap, the split point will be placed where you click the
entity. For more information on this subject, check the snapping options section in Introduction
chapter of this manual.
You can also press the Space bar and define a distance from the first endpoint of a line to the
division point or a split angle in case you are splitting an arc or a circle.

You can go on selecting more entities to split or press the Esc key, to exit the command.

1.9 Join
The Join command performs the opposite action to the Split command.
Select two entities that are split; they might be as well two entities that were placed one next to
each other, on the same line (or arc) which endpoints are touching each other. When you select
the second entity, they will be joined into one.
The only constraint is that the entities must be co-linear.

1.10 Chamfer
The Chamfer command will trim corners to specified distances and will join their end points
with a line, composing a slant.
When you choose this option, a dialog will appear where you type in two values, representing the
distances from the corner to a point at which the chamfer will be done:

2
  1st – distance from corner to chamfering point on the first clicked line.
 2nd – distance from corner to chamfering point on the second clicked line.

After defining the distances, click in the correct sequence the two entities you want to chamfer and
the chamfer will be done.
This command works only on lines but the lines do not have to be perpendicular to each other for
the command to work.
Chamfer distances are taken from the corner, therefore if you enter the same distance for both
entities placed at right angle (90°) the result will be a 45° chamfer.

1.11 Fillet (Round Corner)

The Fillet command creates an Arc on the intersection of two entities (lines or arcs) and turns
them into a rounded corner.
Upon selecting this command you will be presented with the following submenu:

Whichever of the submenu options you select, in the dialog that will appear you will have to define
the radius of the arc:

1.11.1 Single Fillet

When you click this option, enter the radius value in the dialog that will appear, and click the OK
button.
Next, select two lines making up a corner, which you want to Fillet. After selecting the second
line, the fillet will be created at the intersection of the two lines.

3
The two entities selected do not have to actually intersect; cncKad will extend these entities to the
extrapolated intersection point between them and will fillet it.

The entities selected for this command cannot be parallel entities.

Unless you press the Esc key on your keyboard, the command remains active. Any time when the
command is active, whenever you press the Space bar or the "R" key, you will be returned to the
fillet radius dialog and you will be able to define a value for the new radius.

1.11.2 Contour Fillet

This command cannot be used on an opened contour.
When you select this option, cncKad will make a check of all the contours on the drawing. If an
opened contour or a geometry that is not connected to the drawing is found, cncKad will warn you
and suggest you run a check on the drawing, repairing the bad geometry, before performing fillet
on the contour corners.
If the contour you selected is properly closed, the following dialog will appear:

If you select Yes, the Fillet Radius dialog will open. Enter desired value and click the OK button.
The selected contour will be rounded at every corner.
If you select No, no action will be taken.

1.11.3 Fillet All Part

This command cannot be used on an opened contour.
When you select this option, the Fillet Radius dialog will open, and you will be able to enter
desired radius value. Click the OK button to confirm your choice.
If there are opened contours you will be presented with the following warning:

Followed by another one:

4
In such case run contours check on the drawing. Afterward, you will need to run Fillet All Part
command again.
If your geometry's contours are correct, all the corners of your part (inner and outer) will be
filleted.

1.12 Trim
The Trim command allows you to trim the existing lines to their intersections with other
entities.
Upon clicking this option, you also activate the selection options, which will enable you to select the
entities to be erased (trimmed).
When the Trim command is active, the entire Part is defined as the trim border and therefore is
highlighted in a light blue color. You can simply click the entities you want to trim and they will be
trimmed.

1.13 Extend
The Extend command allows you to extend one entity toward another specified entity. The
intersection between them can be virtual – meaning that the two lines don’t have to actually
intersect for the Extend command to work.
Select this command and click the entity you wish to extend. The selected entity will be highlighted
in blue. Next, click the entity to extend towards.
The first entity you select will extend itself to the (actual or imaginary) intersection with the second
entity selected.

1.14 Notch
The Notch command allows creating a notch on a selected entity.
Depending on the type of machine you are currently using , Punch or Laser, you will be offered
different types of notches.
In general, the Notch options are the same for both types of machines. The difference is in the
treatment of Bend Relief:

5
In Punch machines the Bend Relief is done with a round tool, and is shown as such on the draft:

In Laser machines, the Bend Relief is cut following the contour of the part, and is shown
appropriately, where R will be the fillet radius of the Relief corners:

You can choose between 13 types of notches (10 for each machine type):

 Corner Notch
 Corner with Bend Relief for Punch
 Corner with Bend Relief for Laser
 Corner Notch with Chamfer
 Corner with Bend Relief and Chamfer for Punch
 Corner with Bend Relief and Chamfer for Laser
 Offset Rectangular Notch
 Offset Oval Notch
 Offset Round Notch
 Offset V Notch
 Double Corner Notch
 Double Corner Notch with Bend Relief for Laser
 Double Corner Notch with Bend Relief for Punch

6
1.14.1 Corner Notch

The following notch was created with the above set configuration:

1.14.2 Corner Notch with Bend Relief

For Punch:

The following notch was created with the above set configuration:

7
For Laser:

The following notch was created with the above set configuration:

1.14.3 Corner Notch with Chamfer

In this type of notch, different chamfers can be used for each section of the corner.

The following notch was created with the above set configuration:

8
1.14.4 Corner Notch with Bend Relief and Chamfer
In this type of notch different chamfers can be used for each section of the corner.
For Punch:

The following notch was created with the above set configuration:

For Laser:

The following notch was created with the above set configuration:

9
1.14.5 Offset Rectangular Notch
This type of notch can be internal or external depending on the position (inside or outside the
contour) you click the cursor:

The following notches were created with the above set configuration:

1.14.6 Offset Oval Notch

This notch can be internal or external, depending on which side (inner or outer) of the contour you
click the cursor:

The following notches were created with the above set configuration:

10
1.14.7 Offset Round Notch
This sort of notch can be internal or external depending on the position (inside or outside the
contour) you click the cursor:

The following notches were created with the above set configuration:

1.14.8 Offset "V" Notch

This notch can be internal or external; depending on the side (inner or outer) of the contour you
click the cursor:

The following notches were created with the above set configuration:

11
1.14.9 Double Corner Notch
For this type of notch you can set different value for each of the parameters, thus enabling you to
create non-symmetrical notch:

The following notch was created with the above set configuration:

1.14.10 Double Corner Notch with Bend Relief

In this type of notch the same hole size will be used for both bend relieves.
For Punch:

The following notch was created with the above set configuration:

12
For Laser:

The following notch was created with the above set configuration:

1.15 Bend Relief

This feature alleviates the stress caused when bending at a corner:

When you choose this option the following dialog will appear where you should define a radius for
the Bend Relief:

Select a corner to place the Bend Relief.

You can also add Bend Relieves while making a Notch on your part by choosing one of the Notch
types with Bend Relief.

1.16 Change Attribute

This option enables you to change the attributes of an entity.

13
After choosing this option, select an entity or entities (with the aid of the selection options). Press
the Enter key to confirm your selection and the following dialog will appear:

Click the Select Color button to change the color of your selection.
Click the Select Line Type button to change the line style of your selection.
Click the Change button to put the changes into effect.

1.17 Selection Filter

The Selection Filter allows you to choose objects according to their color or line type when using
the Selection Options.
For more information on this option, please refer to the Filter Settings section in the Introduction
chapter of this manual.

1.18 Break Lines to Segments

This function breaks selected lines into segments with the following parameters:
A - Distance from edge
B - Break gap
C - Inter-gap distance

See the following example:

1.19 Delete Open Contours

While working on a DFT file, you can delete all the open contours on your draft, with just one
click. Selecting this option from the menu, opens the following dialog box:

14
Click the Yes button to delete all open contours.

1.20 Create Bridge for Font

This feature is to be used while cutting Windows Fonts out of a part in order to ensure that letters
with internal holes (for example ‘a’ ‘e’ ‘d’…) will be cut correctly and will not fall apart from the
metal sheet, improving the reading of the text.
After placing Windows Fonts in your part, chose the Create Bridge for Font option. The following
dialog box will be open where you can define the desired width for the Bridge, according to the
Windows fonts’ size:

Click the OK button to close the dialogue box and then click the first point where you wish the
bridge to begin from, and then click the second one. A red line now defines the bridge’s location:

Press the Enter key to confirm and the bridge will be created, as follows:

15
This chapter deals with the transformation of entities existing on your geometry, therefore here will
be describe commands such as Move, Copy, or Mirror.
All the commands covered in this chapter can be found in the Transform Menu or in the
Transform Toolbar:

or .

1.1 Move
The Move command allows you to move entities or parts selected on the drawing, from one
position to another.

This command can be also activated by clicking on the move icon in the Transform Toolbar or
by pressing Alt+M key combination on your keyboard.

1.1.1 Move Absolute

This command will move a selected entity or group of entities to a position lying absolutely,
relatively or polarly to a defined base point.
With the aid of Selection Options, choose the entities you wish to move. The selected entities will
be highlighted in light blue color.
Press the Enter key to confirm your selection. In the status bar, you will then read a message
asking you to select a reference Point – a new base point for the entities that are to be moved –
and the cursor will be here positioned.
This base point can be defined by clicking the cursor and snapping at a snap position or by
pressing the spacebar and entering the coordinates for this reference point.
The cursor will position itself at the defined base point and all the selected entities will move
together with the cursor. Choose your positioning and press the Enter to confirm.
In the following example, we select a relative reference point. This means, the values for X and Y
are measured from the lowest and leftmost entity.
If you choose absolute, values will be measured from the point of origin.
The above set values resulted in such reference point (for better visibility the cursor is circled):

Now, you will be able to place the selected entities at a chosen position, with the aid of the
snapping options or enter a coordinate position to move the entities to, by pressing the spacebar
or the O key (O=Offset):

Since we are moving the entities in an absolute manner, we should set the parameters
accordingly. Press the Enter key or select Apply button to close the dialog. The entities will be
moved to the defined position.
Press the Enter key to confirm the move, or the Esc key to return to the positioning stage.
Having finalized your new position, the command will return to the selection stage allowing you to
move more entities.
More on Positioning with Different Coordinate Systems you will find in appropriate section of the
Introduction chapter.

1.1.2 Move Relative

This command moves entities by specified X and Y distances, taking the bottom left corner of the
selection as the base point.
Select the entities you wish to move, as explained in the Selecting an Entity section of the
Introduction chapter of this manual. The selected entities will be highlighted in light blue color.

2
Press the Enter key to confirm your selection. The following dialog will be displayed allowing you
to define the X and Y distances to move the selected entities by:

Set the appropriate distances and click the Move button: the entities will be moved according to
your defined distances.
The dialog remains opened, allowing you to redefine more distances to move the same selected
entity. When you have completed the move operation for this entity or group of entities, click the
Close button or press the Esc key on your keyboard.
The Move Relative command remains active, enabling you to continue selecting more entities to
move if you wish to do so.

1.1.3 Move Part

This command will move an entire Part or Sub-part on the Sheet.
Select the part/s you wish to move, as explained in the Selecting an Entity section in the
Introduction chapter of this manual. The selected part/s will be highlighted in light blue color.
Press the Enter key to confirm your selection.
The part can be manipulated before it is placed with the functions explained in the Inserting a Sub-
Part section of the File Menu chapter of the Nesting and Settings Manual.
You can place the part manually with a mouse click (make sure that the snap button is set to the
appropriate state), or select the position by pressing the spacebar and defining coordinates, as
described in the Positioning with Different Coordinate Systems section in the Introduction chapter.
A dialog will appear, asking you to confirm the part placement at the defined position. Click the Yes
button to confirm the move or No to return one stage back, to the positioning stage.
Having finalized your move, the command will return to the positioning stage allowing you to
place the same part to another position. Press the Esc key, to leave the command.

1.2 sopy

This command allows copying selected entities from one position to another.

It can be activated also by clicking on the Copy button from the Transform Toolbar.

1.2.1 sopy Absolute

This option will copy a selected entity or a group of entities to a position lying absolutely, relatively
or polarly to a defined base point. The copies of the entities will move with the cursor until finally
placed, either manually (with the use of the snapping options) or by entering coordinates for the
new base position.
The procedure for this command is exactly the same as the one described for Move Absolute in
this chapter.

3
1.2.2 sopy Relative
This command copies entities from one position to another by specified X and Y distances, taking
the bottom left corner of the selection as the base point.
Select the entities you wish to copy, as explained in the Selecting an Entity section in the
Introduction chapter of this manual. The selected entities will be highlighted in light blue color.
Press the Enter key to confirm your selection. The following dialog will be displayed allowing you
to define the X and Y distances to copy the selected entities:

Set the appropriate distances and click the Copy button: the entities selected will be copied to the
specified relative location.
The dialog remains opened, allowing you to redefine more distances and copy more of the same
selected entities. When you have completed the copy operation, click the Close button or press
the Esc key on your keyboard.
If you want to create a series of entities related to each other by the same distance, use the Copy
Progressive feature.
You can also use the copy progressive feature and define different distances at each step.

[Link] sopy Progressive

This feature allows you to create a series of copies of an entity, where each new copy‘s position is
defined by a distance relative to the last copy placed.
To use the Copy Progressive option, as distinct from Copy Relative, you must press the SHIFT key
as you click the Copy button. You can repeat this procedure as many times as you want.
In the following example, we are creating a diagonal array of entities:

1.2.3 sopy Part

This option will copy a selected part to an absolute position or relative/polar to a defined base
point. The copy of the part will move with the cursor until finally placed, either manually (with the
use of the snapping options) or by entering coordinates for the new base position.

4
The procedure for this command is exactly the same as the one described for Move Part in this
chapter.

1.3 Rotate
From this sub menu you can access the commands for rotating entities and whole parts:

The Rotate Command takes an entity or group of entities and rotates them from a defined
center point and by a defined number of degrees.
This command can be activated also by clicking the Rotate button on the Transform
Toolbar.

o Select the entities you wish to rotate and they will be highlighted in light blue color.
o Press the Enter key to confirm your selection and the following dialog will be displayed:

o
o Enter the desired rotation angle and click the OK button.
o Now you must pick the center point around which the entity will be rotated. You will be
presented with three options displayed on the status bar:

o Snap to a rotation center point by clicking the mouse near the snap position.
o Press the spacebar to key in an absolute, relative or a polar coordinate position.
o Press the "A" key to go one stage back and redefine the rotation angle.
o After selecting the center point for the rotation of the entities, you will be requested to
decide if you want to Delete old (original) Entities. Reply Yes or No and your answer
will define the command as a Rotate Move command or a Rotate Copy command.
o If you choose not to delete the original entity the Rotate Mode dialog will remain opened
allowing you to continue rotating the entity by the same angle with a different rotation
center point or to define a new rotation angle. If you are done, just click the Cancel
button to close the dialog.
o You can continue selecting other entities to Rotate or press the Esc key to exit the
command.
 Rotate Part 90 degrees will rotate the whole part by 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
 Rotate Part -90 degrees will rotate the whole part by 90 degrees clockwise.
 Rotate Part 180 degrees will rotate the whole part by 180 degrees.
After choosing this command simply click inside the part and it will be rotated.

5
1.4 Mirror
From this sub-menu you can access the commands for mirroring entities and whole parts:

 The Mirror Command allows you to select entities and copy or move them by using a
mirror action. The Mirror point can be on any axis chosen.

o This command can be activated alternatively by clicking the Mirror button on the
Transform Toolbar.
o Select the entities you want to mirror and they will be highlighted in light blue color.
o Press the Enter key to confirm your selection and the following dialog will be displayed:

o
o Choose one of the three first options and click OK button.
o You will be presented with two options on the status bar:
o
o Click the mouse near a Snap position.
o Press the spacebar to enter a coordinate position.
When the mirror axis position and the distance have been selected you will be asked if you
want to Delete old (original) Entities. Selecting No will copy the entities and you will be
returned to the mirror dialog. Selecting Yes will move the selected entities, and you will be
returned to the entity selection stage.
- Mirror Vertical Axis option allows you to mirror entities along a Vertical axis
selected in the X direction:

6
 - Mirror Horizontal Axis allows you to mirror entities along a Horizontal axis selected
in the Y direction:

- Mirror Both Axes allows you to mirror entities along both X and Y axes:

- User Defined Mirror

To define your own Mirror Line, select this option and press the OK button. Then
select a line for the Mirror Axis by snapping to a point or clicking on an existing line
or help line.
- Here you cannot define a coordinate for the mirror line to pass through, as with the
mirroring commands, mentioned above!
- Part Center Option when this option is checked, cncKad will calculate the center of
the part. Whether the center of the part is calculated for a horizontal or vertical axis
depends on the mirror axis setting chosen.
The entities selected will be mirrored automatically through the center of the part in
the horizontal or vertical directions without any need to snap at a position or enter a
coordinate for the axis line (as you have to do for the other mirroring commands).
Help Lines are not taken into consideration when calculating the center of the part.
 Mirror Part Horizontally - it mirrors the whole part by along the Horizontal axis.
After choosing this command simply click inside the part and it will be mirrored.
 Mirror Part Vertically - it mirror the whole part by along the Vertical axis.
After choosing this command simply click inside the part and it will be mirrored.

1.5 Stretch
Stretch is a very useful command for changing the dimensions of a part or of single entities. This
command stretches selected lines by a defined distance in the direction(s) specified by the user.
This command can be also activated by clicking the Stretch icon on the Transform Toolbar.

The selection of the entities is done through a window. Upon entering the Stretch command, the
user will be requested to pick a first corner for the window. When selecting, there are a few
considerations that should be taken into account:
The command stretches lines only.
For a line to be stretched, one of its endpoints must fall within the boundaries of the selection
window.
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An entity (of any type) which completely falls within the boundaries of the selection window will be
moved by the amounts specified and not stretched.
If there is any Dimension or Processing attached to the entities stretched, the values will be
updated automatically.

Having made your selection, you will be prompted to enter the X and Y amounts by which to
stretch:

Enter the values and click OK button to confirm.

Entities which are completely within the selection window will not be stretched, but moved (note the
Dimensions updates of the various entities):
Before: After: +40

The Stretch command automatically updates existing processing with no need to reset the
processing parameters:

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1.6 Scale
This command can also be activated by clicking the Scale icon on the Transform toolbar.
The Scale command increases or decreases the scaling of a selected entity or group of entities.
For Arcs and Circles, it performs a correct scaling replacing them with the appropriate (full or
partial) ellipse.
The same circle scaled
Original circle by different X and Y
values

Original arc The same arc scaled by different X and Y values

Select the entities you wish to scale and they will be highlighted in light blue color.
Press the Enter key to confirm your selection and the following dialog box will be displayed:

When entering a factor for the scale in either the X or Y direction, note that:
 0.5 = Half the current scale
 1 = The current scale
 2 = Double the current scale
The selected entities will be scaled relative to the (X=0, Y=0) point of the drawing.
This means that not only the scale of the selected entities will change, but also their distance from
the base point (0, 0).
If selected entities or contours are already processed, punches/cuts will update themselves to fit
the new dimensions of the entities. At this point you may be asked about the positioning of certain
punches/cuts.
To exit the command either press the Esc key.

1.7 Array
To create an Array means selecting an entity or group of entities and placing a defined number of
copies of them at defined distances.
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This command can be also activated by selecting Array icon on the Transform Toolbar.
The command starts with the entity selection process, as explained in the Selecting an Entity
section in the Introduction chapter of this manual. The selected entities will be highlighted light
blue color.
Press the Enter key to confirm your selection and the following dialog will be displayed:

1.7.1 Rectangular Array

This will copy any selected entity a defined number of times, in a rectangular pattern. The user is
required to enter the number of copies that are required in the X direction and the number of
copies in the Y direction. The distances between the entities in both directions (dX, dY) must also
be entered.
For example, the following settings:

Will produce the following result:

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The distances between the entities are measured between their center points as you can see in
the following example, where dY = 20 and dX = 25:

1.7.2 sircular Array

A Circular Array takes an entity and copies it a defined number of times around a chosen center
point.
You must first define two parameters:
 The Step Angle which is the angle between each copy of the selected entities in the Array.
 The Number of Items in the array including the selected entity.
Click the OK button to confirm your settings.
At this stage, you must then select the center point around which to place the array. You can use
the snapping options or press the spacebar to enter a coordinate position.
For example, the following settings:

Will produce the following result (the center of the Array was chosen as the intersection of the
Help Lines):

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1.7.3 Bevel Array
The Bevel Array is created in a similar manner to the Rectangular Array. The difference remains in
the option of entering an inclination (bevel) angle for the copies besides the other parameters
available in the Rectangular Array procedure.
For example, the following settings:

Will produce the following result:

1.7.4 In sontour
When In Contour is selected, the entity is copied until the entire contour in which it is placed is
filled. The In Contour option is not available for Circular Arrays.

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  Select the entity to be copied.
 Press the Enter key to confirm your selection and to open the Array dialogue.
 Set your parameters and click the OK button to confirm.
 Then select the contour to be filled to finalize your command.

1.7.5 sonvert Single Punches to Grids

When this option is enabled, Rectangular Arrays will be processed as Grids, and Circular Array
punches will be processed as Single on Arc punches, i.e. appear in the NC code as a single
command line.
If you do not enable this option, each punch in the array will be a distinct punch (and thus a distinct
line in the NC code).
This option is useful if the user wishes to create a specific optimization path.

1.8 Bottom Left to 0,0

This option will move the complete drawing and place its bottom left corner at X=0, Y=0 position.
This command is very useful for drawings that have been imported from other CAD packages.
The bottom left corner of the drawing is usually the absolute zero, and all other coordinates are
calculated from this point. This command calculates the extreme left-most entity and bottom entity
within the drawing and moves the drawing so that these two entities are tangent to the (0, 0)
position.
This command avoids having to calculate the current position of the drawing in the X and Y
directions and then moving the drawing with the Move command.

1.9 Set Reference as 0, 0

With the use of this option you will be able to select a reference point that you want to be set as the
position of origin (0, 0). This can be done by clicking this option and then onto any point on the
drawing. The latter one will be moved to this new point of origin (0, 0).
This is useful when creating a Special Tool, when you want to set the tool’s center as the (0, 0)
point.

1.10 Offset sontour

The Offset Contour option creates an identical contour that is bigger or smaller than the selected
entity, chain of entities, or contour:

Select the Cutting Type as Entity, Chain (of entities) or Contour.

Enter an Offset distance and click OK button.
Click the mouse on the drawing, on one of the sides of the item for which the offset contour should
be created. The new contour will appear larger or smaller than the original item, depending on the
side chosen (external or internal side):

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You can continue selecting items of the same type to create offset contours or press the spacebar
to return to the Offset Contour dialog and re-define the Cutting Type.
To exit the command, press the Esc key.

1.11 Smooth
This option can be used to minimize the number of entities in a part and therefore to create a
smaller NC file.
It is especially useful after importing a file into cncKad, a process that can create a large number
of entities.
After selecting this option, you will be presented with the following dialog:

Max bulge – this parameter will be used for smoothing several Lines into one Arc. More
information on this subject can be found in the Settings Menu chapter of the Nesting and Settings
Manual.
To smooth the whole contour, click the OK button and select the desired contour.
The following example is a section of a part that was imported from a DXF, and contains a Spline
that was converted to Arcs and Lines:

After defining the Smooth option with a Max bulge of 0.2, the following dialog was displayed:

Yes will make the changes permanent, No will revert to the original part.

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The number of resulting Arcs and Lines depends on the Max bulge; for example, the same part
with a bulge of 0.5 will result in fewer entities:

The Smooth option also recognizes circle-like shapes composed of several lines and smoothes
them into a single circle shape.

1.12 Part Array

This feature lets you create an array from a part or a group of parts that will be treated by the
cncKad program as though it was a single geometry.
Nevertheless, you can still edit and process each part differently.
After selecting this command, click the cursor inside your part.
The following dialog will appear, enabling you to set your options:

The resulting array will depend on your settings. For example, the following setting:

Will produce the following array:

15
With this other example, see how the part array affects your Settings in the Sheet layout and in the
Sheets and Clamps dialogue.
Here are the settings before the array:

The settings for the part array are:

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And see now the results in the sheet layout:

and the Set Sheet and Clamps parameters:

1.12.1 Number (of Parts)

Here you can define the number of parts arrayed in both X and Y directions.

1.12.2 Distance between Parts

This option defines the distance between the arrayed parts in the X and Y directions.

1.12.3 Directions
This option enables the user to define directions for the creation of the array, relative to the
selected part. The array can be created in the X positive or negative directions and in the Y
positive or negative directions.
In the example above, the array was created in the X positive direction and Y negative direction;
see the part selected, highlighted in blue.

1.12.4 sonvert Single Punches to Grid

This option is the same as the one that appears in the Array command, explained earlier in this
chapter. See the appropriate section above for more information on this subject.

1.12.5 Grouped Arrays sommon sut

This option defines whether to use common cuts between the arrayed parts.
If you enable these options, you will lose the ability to define distances between the parts for the
direction enabled.

1.13 Explode Multiple Part

This option takes the current Multiple Part, and turns the copies into individual Parts.

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The upshot of this action is that the instances of the Multiple Part can now be processed and
manipulated just like any other part.
After selecting this option the following dialog will appear:

When you confirm, the parts will be exploded on the sheet and the following confirmation dialog will
pop up:

1.14 Set sontour as Parts Frame

With this option, you will be able to transform the bounding rectangle into the frame of the part.
This option ensures the cut will be done from the outer side of the part, avoiding unwanted holes
inside the part’s frame. See the following example:

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 Menu
This menu is used to manipulate the way in which the part and the whole cncKad screen are being
displayed:

1.1 Status Bar Enabled

Selecting this option makes the Status Bar appear on the bottom of the screen. You can also
move this bar and position it on the top activating the Status Bar on Top option, as presented in
the example below:

Status Bar allows for viewing tips about the option you are selecting, also outlined below the icon.

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Drafting Manual

1.2 Status Bar On Top

You will be able to select this option only when the Status Bar Enabled feature is already marked
and Status Bar is visible on the screen.
Selecting bar on top, positions the Status Bar above the toolbars and unchecking it, places it back
below the Graphic screen area.

1.3 Auto Scroll Enabled

As the name indicates, choosing this feature turns Auto Scroll on and unchecking turns it off.
When enabled, the drawing will be scrolled automatically when you position the cursor at one of
the edges of the graphics area.

1.4 Redraw
This option refreshes the screen, redrawing the current graphic and removing the irrelevant
shapes from the draft.

1.5 Show End Points

When choosing this option, the End Points of each entity will be displayed on the lines, like shown
below:

This option is useful for showing the entities that make up a line, e.g. after you have used Split on
this line.

1.6 Zoom Part

This command fills the view port of the Graphic Screen with the complete extent of the drawing.
You can also activate it using the key F5 shortcut.

1.7 Zoom Sheet

This command zooms in the full extent of the sheet; all instances of the part placed on the sheet fill
the display. You can also activate it using the key CTRL+F5 shortcut.

1.8 Zoom Window

With this option you can enlarge selected area of the screen, zooming into an area defined by the
two opposite corners of a window.
In order to use this command:
1. Place the cursor in the first corner of the area that you wish to zoom into
2. Click the mouse to open the window
3. Now drag the opened window to the opposite corner of the area you wish to zoom into
4. Click the mouse again. The area selected within the window borders will fill the viewing port
of Graphic Screen.
You can also activate it using the key F6 shortcut.

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View Menu

1.9 Zoom In
Each click on this command magnifies the display twice the current view; you can also activate it
using the key F3 shortcut.

1.10 Zoom Out

Each click on this command diminishes the display by half; you can also activate it using the key
F4 shortcut.

1.11 Zoom Previous

This command allows you to return to the previous display view.

1.12 Zoom Realtime

This option enables you to incrementally magnify the display: after choosing this feature click on
the draft and then move the mouse wheel up to enlarge the drawing, or down to diminish it.

You can also achieve this effect by holding down the CTRL key and dragging the mouse with right
button clicked. This other possibility was created during times when mouse didn’t have yet the
wheel system.

1.13 Pan Realtime

With this option you can "garb" the draft and move it on your screen to view its different sections.
To do so, select this option and click with the right mouse button anywhere on the draft and move
the cursor on the screen. As long as the button is clicked, the draft will follow the mouse’s
movement. You can also achieve this effect by holding down the SHIFT key and dragging the
mouse with right button clicked.

1.14 Ask
After selecting this option your cursor will appear on the screen this way . When you click with
it on any Entity and/or CAM (if the Entity is already processed) you will be given information on a
selected item.
In the following example of Special Punching, to process a circular hole, we are using three tools
– Round, Pre-Tapping and Tapping:

After using the Ask command on the processed circle, we will be presented with the following
dialog including a section on Special Punching:

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Drafting Manual

The order of the tools in the above dialog is the same as the one we have defined in the Used
Tools dialog:

When you change the order in the Used tools dialog, their order will also change in the
Information dialog.

1.15 Check
This command is used for checking the geometry before processing it.
It is important to execute these checks before entering the CAMing stage, so that cncKad will be
able to recognize correctly the inside and outside contours of the part and to differentiate between
the sheet and holes placed on it, and therefore would know on which side of the contour line place
the processing.
These checks not only verify the legality of the existing geometries, but also repair them, if needed.
You can choose to delete duplicate entities (e.g. circles placed on top of each other), join all the
breaks in the geometry and examine the part to see if all the contours are connected properly.
The Check Process algorithm verifies not only the contour as a whole, but also whether each
entity has been processed or not. When this command is selected, the following dialog is
displayed:

Set the options according to your wish. They will be executed after you click the OK button.
On the above presented example the gaps in the contours that are smaller than 1mm will be
repaired automatically. If there are any gaps in contours bigger than 1mm, the examination
process will stop and a red X will be placed at that position.

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View Menu

The size of the repaired gap can be set by editing the Connect Tolerance field.
Since it is impossible for AutoPunch and AutoCut to process opened geometries and invalid
entities, therefore it is compulsory to run Check option before starting to work with them. Even if
there are some bad contours, this will not prevent processing the correct ones.

1.15.1 Convert Arc to Line under Bulge

Bulge is the distance between an arc and the straight line connecting its ends:

All arcs whose bulges are equal or smaller than the value defined in the Bulge field will be
converted into straight lines.

1.15.2 Delete Entities under Tolerance

Entities smaller than the size defined in the Tolerance for Small Entities Deletion field will be
automatically deleted:
 Points won’t be deleted
 Arcs and lines will be measured by their actual length
 Circles will be measured by their diameter

1.15.3 Delete Duplicates

This option deletes identical duplicate entities such as Lines, Circles, Arcs, Points or Text, placed
on top of each other.

1.15.4 Join All

Collinear lines that are connected together or partially overlap will be converted into one long line:
Three connected together collinear lines… Two partially overlapping lines…

…in both cases were converted into a single line.

Concentric arcs that connect with each other or partially overlap will be converted into one long arc
or circle:

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Drafting Manual

Example of four concentric arcs Example of two overlapping concentric arcs

connected together, converted into a converted into a single arc.
circle.

1.15.5 Check Contours

Selecting this option enables verification of the contours – they will be scanned to ensure they are
drawn correctly and that they make one closed contour.

1.15.6 Connect Contours

This option connects broken contours by extending and trimming entities. Gaps in the contours,
smaller than the value entered in Connect Tolerance field, will be repaired automatically. If the
gaps are bigger than the Connect Tolerance value, the examination process will stop, a red X will
be placed at that position, and the following message will appear:

1.15.7 Bulge
In this field you can edit the bulge size. All arcs whose bulges are smaller than the value defined
here will be converted into straight lines.

1.15.8 Tolerance for Small Entities Deletion

The system gives a default value that you can change.
Entities that are smaller than this value will be automatically deleted.

1.15.9 Connect Tolerance

In this field you can edit the size of the repaired gap. Otherwise gaps in the contours that are
smaller than default value of 1mm will be repaired automatically.

1.15.10 Check Tolerance

This field displays the value used during the Check Contours process. Not editable here, this value
is 95% of the system tolerance value defined in the Working default tab of the Workspace settings
dialog.

1.15.11 Check for Intersecting Contours

When you run the Check option, cncKad checks for Intersecting Contours, that are bigger than
Minimal Part Size value defined in Settings => Machine Settings => Auto tab => Auto Processing
section.

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View Menu

See the picture below:

The contours bigger than the defined value will be marked with red X, and the following warning
will be issued:

1.15.12 Restore System Defaults

If you are not satisfied with the settings you defined for checking the contours, you can always
return to the system defaults, by clicking this button.

1.15.13 Save As Default

If you want to save all the changes you made in the Check Parameters dialog and use them next
time you work on graphic, click the corresponding button.
Keep in mind that you always can undo the changes and go back to the Restore system defaults.
When you set the Check Parameters prior to running Check Process, and you click the Save as
Defaults button, the parameters will be saved to the .ini file.
Upon saving also the values of check boxes will be saved in the .ini file.

1.16 Measure
With the help of this feature you can measure distances on the draft choosing one of two different
measuring options:

1.16.1 From Base Point

With this option you will be able to measure distances from one point to multiple points on the part
always using the same base point:
 The first position you click the mouse on, sets the base point.

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Drafting Manual

 The second click measures the distance from the base point to the clicked position and
presents the result in the separate Information dialogue.
 Thereafter, the next click clears the selection and the one after measures new distance.

1.16.2 Point to Point

With this option you will be able to measure distances from one point on the part to another point.

1.17 Display parts on sheet

Selecting this option will open the following dialog:

 Checking the Part Number box will activate this function and part numbers will be
displayed on the sheet
 Checking the Part Handling box will activate this function and the part handling options will
be displayed on the sheet

1.18 CAM Mode

This feature works exactly the same as the function of Mode Button, and toggles between CAD,
CAM and SHEET mode.
This option can be activated by pressing Ctrl+V key combination on your keyboard.

1.19 Full Cut Tool Width

This feature applies to Laser, Plasma and Milling Machines.
When working with a wide-diameter beam, the cut entities sometimes obscure the finer details of
the part.
In order to clarify the view of the part, you can disable this feature and then only the path the
machine takes will be presented instead the actual tool width.

Before enabling this option: After enabling it:

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View Menu

1.20 Rapid Tool Path

Enabling this option gives you an opportunity of seeing the path your machine takes, as it moves
between CAMs, while processing the sheet:
Before enabling this option: After enabling it:

1.21 Show Shear Scrap

This function is only for machines with Shear option.
Clicking this option you will be presented with the sheared leftovers of the sheet provided the
option of shearing has been previously set.

1.22 Multi Color Tools

This feature applies to punch and combine machines only.
This option allows you to distinguish on the screen, with different color, punches made by various
tools.
Normally, punches’ color is determined by machine commands:
 Yellow – Normal CAM, no machine command
 Red – Stop the machine following this CAM
 Green – Open the chute following this CAM
 Purple – Some machine function before/after this punch

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Drafting Manual

When you activate the Multi-Colored Tools option, the color code on the screen is changed:
punches are not recognized anymore according to the functions attributed to them, but according
to their tool type. In effect, each tool and its punches are represented by the same color.

And that's how this tool representation will be seen in Used Tools List on the State Bar, so that you
would know which color corresponds to which tool:

Also note that if the number of tools exceeds the amount of colors available, it might be that the
colors are repeated.

1.23 Fill Tools

This feature applies to punch and combine machines only.
This option allows you a better display of the punched parts on the screen: the punches, instead of
being hatched, are filled with color:
This function used together with Multi Colored
Regular Fill Tools option:
Tools option:

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View Menu

1.24 View Dies Modes

This feature offers four states of viewing the tool's dies:
 Do Not Show – Dies will not be displayed on the screen.
 Show Dies only during Ask – Dies will be shown when you press Ask button and when
you click with the mouse on the tool instance in the Used Tools List (placed on the State
Bar, on the left side of the screen).
 Show for Close to Clamps Tools – Dies will be shown only for tools defined with the
Close to Clamps feature.
 Show for all tools – Every tool will be displayed with its concordant die.
The Dies will be represented by dotted circles (or halved circles for Close To Clamps Tools)
around the punches:

1.25 Color Tool Path by Speed

This feature is for all types of cutting machines.
After you chose this feature (it is ON) the paths of cutting tools on your drawing will be denoted by
various colors, accordingly to the speed they were cut with:
 Low – orange
 Medium – red
 High – yellow
 Ultra – green
See the following example:

The contour sizes definitions for each of the speeds are being set in the Diameter columns of
Geometry tab, in Cutting Technology Table.

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Drafting Manual

When this feature is OFF, the Part Handling colors will be displayed:
 Yellow – No Handling/Micro Joint
 Green – Push Out/Unload
 Red – Stop

1.26 Show Clamps Bar

When you select this option not only the full extents of the clamps holding the sheet are visible on
the display, but their Clamp Bar as well. By toggling this option you can show or hide the clamp
bar.

The size of the clamps can be set in machine MDL file.

1.27 Display Bend Lines

This function allows you toggling between displaying the bend lines or not:

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View Menu

The Bend Lines will be accompanied by their parameters, selected on the Bend Lines tab of
Settings Menu => Workspace Settings dialog, such as:
 A – Angle
 R – Radius
 K – K Factor
 D – Compensation
 P – Punch Radius
 V – Die V-opening
 Ap – Product Angle
 Ab – Bending Angle
See the difference presented on the below picture:

1.28 Show Push Out Movement

This feature allows the user to see the push out movement and prevent unnecessary machine
crashes:

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Drafting Manual

The push out movement will be displayed when you select the "Show Push Out Movement"
menu item or when you select an entity on the drawing.

1.29 Show Open Contours

This option allows keeping Open Contours ends visible on the screen.
In the former cncKad versions, after running "Geometry Check", if there were open contours, red
crosses would appear on the screen to help user to address the problem. Any next action that user
would do in cncKad would erase these signs. With the aid of this option we can keep such crosses
all the time on the screen.

1.30 Quick Check

This option allows you to do a quick check without going through the Check parameters dialogue.
The process will directly identify opened contours and mark them with the red X according to
defined parameters if they exist or according to default ones.

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