I Setting Up KISSsoft 61

datasets you defined yourself in the older version to the current version, to ensure these datasets are
available in the current version.

Click Update external data to select the older version's "ext" directory. This then automatically
copies the "dat", "rpt" and "rpu" subdirectories to the current release.

Click Update settings to transfer your personal settings from the previous version to the current
release.

Select Connect file extensions to link all the KISSsoft files with the current version so that you can
double-click on any file to open it in the current release.

Figure 2.1: General tab in the Configuration tool window

In the Materials tab, you can specify the standard with which the material descriptions in the
database are to comply.
I Setting Up KISSsoft 62

Figure 2.2: Materials tab in the Configuration tool window

In the Settings tab, you can delete the user-defined settings (divided into groups). This reloads the
default values.
I Setting Up KISSsoft 63

Figure 2.3: Settings tab in the Configuration tool window

2.8 Rules
Rules are used to ensure that in-house guidelines for the ranges of validity of parameters are applied
and complied with. This typically concerns the maximum and minimum limits of input values,
calculated values and the relationships between these values i.e. length/width ratios, length/diameter
relationships or even the relationship between the module and the center distance.

These rules are defined by being stored in a module.rls file, where module stands for the calculation
module's in-house label, e.g. Z012 for cylindrical gear pairs.

These rules are subdivided into those that must be fulfilled before the calculation is performed and
those that must be checked afterwards. If a rule is infringed, the appropriate messages can be
displayed. In the case of rules that must be checked before the calculation, variables can also be set
to constant or calculated values.

The following statements are possible:

I Setting Up KISSsoft 64

precalc: marks the beginning of the rules that must be checked before a calculation is performed.

postcalc: marks the beginning of the rules that must be checked after a calculation.

assert(Condition): The condition is ensured. In this case, the condition usually represents a
comparison in which both the right-hand and left-hand side of the comparison can also be calculated.

action msg Message: If the condition of the previous assert has not been fulfilled, the message is
output. Here the message can include variables, in the same way as report templates.

action set Assignment: If the condition of the previous assert has not been fulfilled, the assignment
is performed. The assigned value can be a constant, or can be calculated from variables, in the same
way as for the report templates.

Defining an assignment is only really useful in the precalc section because changing the contents of
variables after the calculation merely leads to inconsistent results and has no other effects.

Here is an example file for a helical gear calculation:

precalc

assert (ZR[0].x.nul < 1)

action msg "Profilverschiebung Rad 1 zu gross, Ist {ZR[0].x.nul}, Maximum

1. Wird auf 1 gesetzt."

action set ZR[0].x.nul = 1

assert (ZR[1].x.nul < 1)

action msg "Profilverschiebung Rad 2 zu gross, Ist {ZR[1].x.nul}, Maximum

1. Wird auf 1 gesetzt."

action set ZR[1].x.nul = 1

postcalc

assert ((ZP[0].a/ZS.Geo.mn) < 200)

action msg "Center distance too big for module (a={ZP[0].a}, mn={ZS.Geo.mn},
a/mn={ZP[0].a/ZS.Geo.mn})."

Explanations:

The "precalc" statement opens the section of the rules that must be executed before the calculation.

The first "assert" statement checks whether the nominal profile shift of gear 1 is less than 1.0.
I Setting Up KISSsoft 65

If this "assert" is not fulfilled, the "action msg" statement outputs the message that the profile shift is
too big, displays the current value and tells you that the profile shift has been set to 1.0.

The "action set" then sets the profile shift to 1.0.

The second "assert" statement checks the same values for gear 2.

The "postcalc" statement signifies the end of the set of rules to be executed before the calculation
and opens the section containing the rules that are to be checked after the calculation. The example
shows a definition of an "assert" statement. This checks the ratio between the center distance to the
module. If the rule is infringed, the "action msg" statement triggers a message to the user. However,
there is no point in changing one of these two values after the calculation, and this is why the "action
set" statement is not present here.

Permitted operators and functions in the formulae (see chapter 8.5.3.3, Calculation variables).

The file containing the rules is stored in the template directory (TEMPLATEDIR, usually the
"template" (see chapter 2.1, Directory structure) subdirectory). As the template directory can also be
project-specific, you can also define project-specific rules.
I Running KISSsoft 66

3 Running KISSsoft

3.1 Start parameters

You can run KISSsoft from the input prompt with the following start parameters:

Parameter Description

INI=directory The KISS.ini (see chapter 2.6, Global settings - KISS.ini) file will be
loaded from the specified location. You can transfer a file name, with
its directory path, or only a directory name.

START=module The specified calculation module will be started. The module

descriptor is, for example, M040 for bolt calculation or Z012 for
cylindrical gear pair calculation.

LOAD=file name The calculation module belonging to the file is started and the file is
loaded. If the supplied file name does not include a path, the system
looks for the file in the User directory (see chapter 2.6.1, Definitions
in [PATH]).

LANGUAGE=number KISSsoft starts with the language specified for the interface and
reports. (0: German, 1: English, 2: French, 3: Italian, 4: Spanish, 5:
Russian, 6: Portuguese, 7: Chinese, 11: English with US Customary
Units)

DEBUG=file name A log file containing debug information will be written. It can be very
helpful for error-tracking. It is advisable to define the file name with a
complete path, so that you can find the log file easily later.

File name The calculation module belonging to the file is started and the file is
loaded. This also provides a way to associate KISSsoft with the
appropriate file name extensions in Windows.

3.2 Disconnect license from the network

If KISSsoft has not been properly shut down, users may remain registered if a network version is in
use. This may lead to licenses being blocked even though some users are no longer working with
KISSsoft. You can disconnect a license from the network by selecting the required license (the user
and start time are also displayed). To do so, select the Extras > License tool option in the Network
tab. The system then also deletes the appropriate cookie file and activates the blocked license on the
network again.
I Running KISSsoft 67

Unused licenses will be activated after a certain time, as soon as the next user logs on. This time-
span can be predefined via the TIMEOUT (see chapter 2.6.5, Definitions in [LICENSE]) variable in
the KISS.ini (see chapter 2.6, Global settings - KISS.ini) file.

Note

A user who has been disconnected from KISSsoft can no longer carry out calculations in the current
session. The user must restart KISSsoft. However, they can still save data.
I Elements of the KISSsoft User Interface 68

4 Elements of the KISSsoft User Interface

KISSsoft is a Windows-compliant software application. Regular Windows users will recognize user
interface elements, such as the menus and context menus, docking window, dialogs, tooltips and
status bar, from other applications. Because the internationally valid Windows Style Guides are
applied during development, Windows users will quickly become familiar with how to use KISSsoft.

Figure 4.1: KISSsoft's user interface

4.1 Menus, context menus and the tool bar

In the File main menu, you can open and save calculation files, and send them as e-mail
attachments, restore previous calculation stages, view file properties and exit KISSsoft. Click File >
Save as template to retain user-defined default values (see chapter 2.4, Defining your own template
files).

You can use the KISSsoft Project Management (see chapter 6, Project Management) functionality
from both the Project main menu and the Project Tree (see chapter 4.2.2, The project tree). You can
open, close and activate projects, insert files into a project, or delete them, and also view project
properties.
I Elements of the KISSsoft User Interface 69

Each individual docking window (see chapter 4.2, Docking window) in the user interface can be
hidden or displayed in the View main menu. If you are in the report or helptext viewer, select View >
Input window to return to the calculation module input dialog.

In the Calculation main menu, you can run the current calculation (see chapter 5, KISSsoft
Calculation Modules), add more calculations to the calculation module as default tabs or special tabs
and call subcalculations as dialogs. Select Calculation > Settings to change the Module specific
settings.

In the Report main menu you will find actions for generating and opening a report. The system
always generates a report for the current calculation. Click Report > Drawing data to display
drawing data (see chapter 8.3, Drawing data) for the element currently selected in the Report Viewer
(see chapter 4.4.1, Report Viewer). Click Report > Settings to change the report's font size, page
margins and scope. The options for saving, sending and printing are only active if a report is open.

You can open and close the Graphics window (see chapter 4.3, Graphics window) of a calculation
module in the Graphics main menu. Select 3D export to access KISSsoft's CAD interfaces. Select
Graphics > Settings to choose the CAD system into which you want to export the selected element.

In the Extras menu, you will find the license tool, the configuration tool and the database tool. In this
main menu, you can start the Windows calculator and change the language (see chapter 2.2,
Language settings) and system of units (see chapter 2.3, Systems of units). In Extras > Settings,
you can change general program settings such as the formats for time and date values.

In accordance with Windows conventions, at the end of the menu bar you will find the Help icon,
which you can use to navigate in the KISSsoft manual. In Help > Info you will find information on the
program version and on the support provided by KISSsoft.

In addition to the main menu, KISSsoft uses context menus in many locations. Context menus give
you access to actions for a particular area or element of the software. Normally, you click the right-
hand mouse button to display context menus.

The tool bar gives you faster access to actions from the menus that are used particularly frequently.
You should also read the tool tips: they display information about the actions in the tool bar and also
the more detailed explanations in the status bar (see chapter 4.5, Tooltips and status bar).

Note

The Calculation, Report and Graphics main menus are only active if a calculation module is open.
The actions available in these menus may vary depending on the current calculation module.

4.2 Docking window

Beside the menu bar, tool bar and status bar, the docking windows are important elements in the
KISSsoft user interface. Docking windows are windows that can either be moved freely on the
I Elements of the KISSsoft User Interface 70

desktop, like a dialog, or can be docked on the program pages in any arrangement that suits you.
Several docking windows can be placed on top of each other and be displayed as tabs.

You can release a docking window by double-clicking in its title bar. To move a docking window, click
the left-hand mouse button in the title bar and move the mouse while holding down the mouse
button. If you move the mouse close to the edge of the main window, a new position for the docking
window will be displayed. Release the mouse button to position the docking window. Docking
windows can be displayed and hidden via the View (see chapter 4.1, Menus, context menus and the
tool bar)menu.

4.2.1 The module tree

The module tree shows all KISSsoft calculation modules in an easy to understand and logically
structured list. Any calculation modules for which you have not purchased a license are grayed out.
To open a module, double-click on it with the left mouse button. The current calculation module will
be shown in bold.

Figure 4.2: KISSsoft calculation modules

4.2.2 The project tree

The Project Tree gives you an overview of the open projects, and the files belonging to these
projects, and highlights the active working project (see chapter 6.3, The active working project) in