KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

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Haydn1971
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KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Haydn1971 »

Anyone played with the latest KeySIGN yet ? The one with ribbons ?

I'm due to have it installed this next week, are there any issues I should know before it reaps havok on my machine ?
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KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010
KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Gavin A74 »

How do you get it and for how much?
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Capsulk »

I'm very intrigued to see the ribbon ui being used outside of Microsoft products and on a designing program, very interesting.

The downside, I'll probably never get my hands on a copy, I believe programs like this are commercial and can run into thousands of pounds for a licence.
Last edited by Capsulk on Tue Aug 18, 2009 18:04, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Conekicker »

I now know who to go running to for help when I (hopefully) get mine some time in early October then - Haydn will be an expert by then :D

Anyone know if it can be set up with a "classic" layout?

Gavin, without looking on KeyTraffic's website, I'd guess £1.5k plus a full copy of AutoCAD at >£3k. Autodesk, doncha jus' luv 'em?

Capsulk, get a job as a sign designer?
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Haydn1971 »

I'm guessing that's a no, not installed it then !

Cost wise, I think it's about £2500 per licence now, plus £4500 for AutoCAD - we just pay the annual maintenance fee :-/

Conekicker, your so retro ! Classic icons indeed ;-)

Capsulk, AutoCAD went over to the ribbon toolbar with r2009 which came out in May last year - I was little unsure that Autodesk could pull the ribbon off, but it's made AutoCAD much more useable and I'm looking forward to using the ribbon on all the add on extensions like KeySIGN ect
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Truvelo »

Haydn1971 wrote:Cost wise, I think it's about £2500 per licence now, plus £4500 for AutoCAD - we just pay the annual maintenance fee :-/
Or for free on bit torrent or kazaa :wink:

Seriously though, programs like this are made for local government so as they have a captive market they can charge as much as they like.
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by M4Mark »

Wow, now I feel really out of date!
I'm still using Key Sign 17.2.1 on Autocad 2005. Hows that for classic.
It still does the job though, I tried Acad2009 and annoyingly found that they had gone and moved or changed all the things I regularly use in it :x
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Haydn1971 »

Truvelo wrote:Or for free on bit torrent or kazaa :wink:
AutoCAD most definately, but I've never seen any Key System product on the bit torrent network - there are only about 3000 licences of KeySIGN's, about 1000 of KeyLINES - quite specialist bits of software
Truvelo wrote:Seriously though, programs like this are made for local government so as they have a captive market they can charge as much as they like.
KeySIGN is well worth the money - it takes hours to manually design a complex sign that an be done in minutes with KeySIGN, even seconds with sone of the automatic sign design tools - the big down aide is the over conservative "wind" function that offers foundation and post designs with 2-3 times safety factors - fine with small signs, not with large direction signs - really large signs are deemed as structures so go well beyond the remit of the wind function

KeyLINES for me isn't good value and Key Systems realise this because it's stuffed with unnecessary 3d tools that no one really uses.
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Sabrista »

I don't believe I've EVER seen that many icons on one computer screen, Mark!

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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Haydn1971 »

Sabrista wrote:I don't believe I've EVER seen that many icons on one computer screen
honestly, that number of icons is quite low compared to some screens I've seen - perhaps the most icon'ised screens can be seen on applications like Maya and 3D Studio - I'll ask my mate John for a screen grab from Maya which he uses daily ;-)
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Conekicker »

Haydn1971 wrote:AutoCAD most definately, but I've never seen any Key System product on the bit torrent network - there are only about 3000 licences of KeySIGN's, about 1000 of KeyLINES - quite specialist bits of software.
There will be a fair number of those licences bought by various defunct organisations, JVs and the like, so the number of copies actually in use will be somewhat less. For example, I found out recently that I've apparently got 3 licenced copies of KeySIGN on my PC at work AND we're paying annual maintenance on each one! Let's hear it for the IT guys who keep tabs on what's installed and where.
Haydn1971 wrote:KeyLINES for me isn't good value and Key Systems realise this because it's stuffed with unnecessary 3d tools that no one really uses.
A certain piece of temporary traffic management design software now includes a set of road marking design functions, so users get 2 pieces of kit for the price of 1 - £999. It runs on either full AutoCAD, (anything from 2004 onwards), or for those with more sense than money, a version of IntelliCAD called BricsCAD that comes in at £250. Or so I'm led to believe...

And I'll thank you to spell "retro" as "Luddite" :wink:
Last edited by Conekicker on Tue Aug 18, 2009 20:58, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Bfivethousand »

Sabrista wrote:I don't believe I've EVER seen that many icons on one computer screen, Mark!

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My screen was somewhat busier than that before I moved jobs.

Have to use SignPlot now. Hate it with a passion.
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by explo »

Now that looks fun!
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Haydn1971 »

Bfivethousand wrote:My screen was somewhat busier than that before I moved jobs.
Ohh, new job !
Bfivethousand wrote:Have to use SignPlot now. Hate it with a passion.
Scott Wilson by any chance ?
Regards, Haydn

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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by cb a1 »

Truvelo wrote:Seriously though, programs like this are made for local government so as they have a captive market they can charge as much as they like.
I don't have any experience of actually working in local government, only as a consultant for local government.

I would speculate that private consultants will have more licences than the government. AFAICT, most work is now out-sourced to supposedly give 'best-value' :cough:

I would reckon that 95% of the work done using the specialist traffic modelling software product that the company I work for is for local or national government but most licences are held by consultants.
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Haydn1971 »

Hmmmm... I find quite the opposite, local government is more likely to have several licences of each application, for example Sheffield Traffic had 13 ACAD, several Signs, several lines etc, Hull had several ACAD, 3 signs, Calderdale traffic has four of each... Yet private sector Civils I've worked for struggled with several LT licences and one full ACAD with everything on that machine - typically mine ;-)
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Bfivethousand »

Haydn1971 wrote: Ohh, new job !
Walsall Council, of all places! A mix of becoming a carer for my dad who lives that way combined with complete disillusionment with working for the HA. In view of the 'downturn', Atkins took the the view that TUPE meant TUPE and there was very little in the way of staff retention post-Area 11 - I think only a couple of people from Area 11 have remained with the company and to be honest that's Atkins' loss in the long run - they've lost an awful lot of talented people!
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by cb a1 »

Haydn1971 wrote:Hmmmm... I find quite the opposite, local government is more likely to have several licences of each application, for example Sheffield Traffic had 13 ACAD, several Signs, several lines etc, Hull had several ACAD, 3 signs, Calderdale traffic has four of each... Yet private sector Civils I've worked for struggled with several LT licences and one full ACAD with everything on that machine - typically mine ;-)
I was merely speculating ;) - it's not a product I use. Whilst CAD is different to transport modelling software, I would have thought that many other fields would use CAD, e.g. when I worked at Royal Ordnance many years ago, there was a large CAD office for designing all the components.
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Haydn1971 »

cb a1 wrote:I was merely speculating ;) - it's not a product I use. Whilst CAD is different to transport modelling software, I would have thought that many other fields would use CAD, e.g. when I worked at Royal Ordnance many years ago, there was a large CAD office for designing all the components.
transport modelling software is quite a different thing, most local authorities seem to rely on private sector consultants to create for them and validate others on their behalf...

Transit used to be popular, stuff like ARCADY etc was also popular when I was at sheffield in the 90's, hated the thing ! But these TRL applications and even more so, things like VISSIM, Paramics etc are getting to be purely consultants toys..
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Re: KeySIGN 17.3 on AutoCAD 2010

Post by Haydn1971 »

Bfivethousand wrote:Atkins took the the view that TUPE meant TUPE and there was very little in the way of staff retention post-Area 11
when did this all happen ? I'm out of touch with the MAC's down there... are you still in touch with any of the old gang ?

I went out for a drink with Trevor and Alan about a year after I left, bumped into Michael in 2005 at Atkins Leeds and ocasionally get a confused e-mail from Keith, but nothing for years to be fair
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