DESIGNER 2025.2
Faster, Easier, and More Control
DESIGNER 2025.2 brings important updates that save you time, make the software easier to use, and give you better control when preparing parts for manufacturing. Whether you’re designing new components, working with sheet metal, or switching between different views, this version makes everything quicker and more natural.
Key Areas of Improvement:
DESIGNER 2025.2 focuses on several key areas to enhance user experience and productivity:
- New “Holes” Tool: Easily create all common hole types, including those with screw threads.
- Smarter Sketching: Designing in 2D is now more intuitive and flexible.
- Automatic Bend Counting: Get accurate bend data for quotes in RADAN automatically.
- Keep Your Settings: Upgrade without losing your custom layouts and preferences.
- Quick Workspace Switching: Double-click to instantly change your view.
- Cleaned-Up Interface: Important tools are now easier to find on the main screen.
In-Depth Look at New Features:
Brand New Holes Command: DESIGNER 2025.2 now has a special tool just for creating holes. This means you can quickly and precisely add different hole types like drilled, countersunk (for flat-head screws), counterbored (for bolt heads to sit flush), and counterdrilled. You can also easily add information for threaded holes (tapped holes). This new tool replaces older ways of creating holes, making the process more reliable and user-friendly. The result? You can design parts faster with fewer clicks, which is especially helpful if you’re working on parts for machining that need very accurate features.
Improved Sketching: Creating and changing your 2D designs (sketches) is now much more efficient. You can simply double-click to start editing a sketch, quickly change dimensions, and precisely set angles. The software also hides unnecessary icons by default, giving you a cleaner view to work with. These improvements are designed to make sketching in DESIGNER feel natural and productive, whether you’re an experienced user or new to this type of software.
Export Bend Information Automatically: Now, when you unfold sheet metal designs, the software automatically sends all the bending details to RADAN Quoting. This includes the total number of bends, whether they’re upward or downward bends, and important measurements like bend radius, angle, and length. By including all this bending information in your cost estimates, you can avoid underquoting and make sure you’re paid fairly for your work. It’s a simple yet powerful way to get more accurate quotes and improve your job profitability.
General Enhancements:
- Faster Start-Up Times: You’ll notice a significant speed boost when you open DESIGNER. It starts up to 60% faster the very first time you launch it and up to 35% faster on subsequent opens. This means less waiting around and more time actually working, especially if you deal with very large or complex designs.
- Your Custom Settings Move With You: All your personalised settings—like how your mouse and keyboard work, background colours, and more—are now automatically carried over when you upgrade to a new version. The new settings menu is also easier to use, allowing you to search for specific options and see live previews of your changes. This makes upgrading smooth and simple, as you won’t have to reconfigure everything.
- Faster Workspace Switching: Changing between different working views (workspaces) is now incredibly easy—just a double-click does the trick! This saves you from manually applying each workspace, making it much quicker if you frequently switch between different design modes or environments.
- Streamlined Look and Feel: Commonly used features have been moved from a hidden “backstage” area to the main window. This means fewer clicks, a lower learning curve for new users, and a more focused interface overall. By bringing frequently used tools to the forefront and reducing clutter, DESIGNER is becoming a more intuitive and user-friendly environment.
- Commands Stay Minimised : If you minimise a command window while you’re working, the next command you open will also appear minimised. This keeps your preferred layout consistent throughout your design session.
- Better Wireframe Colours: New colour options in wireframe commands let you define colours as you draw. This makes it easier to tell different parts of your design apart as you create them and for later use, improving visual clarity and reducing the need to go back and edit colours.
- Helpful Diagrams in Commands: User guidance has been improved with diagrams now built directly into commands (like ‘Set 1D shape’). These visuals make it easier to enter the correct values and understand how a command works, which is especially helpful for users who don’t use the software often or are still learning.
DESIGNER 2025.2 offers more than just new features – it provides a refined user experience that reduces frustration and boosts your efficiency. From designing parts and quoting jobs to overall performance, this release is packed with practical improvements that help manufacturers, machinists, and designers work faster, smarter, and with more confidence.
Upgrade Today and Experience the power of DESIGNER 2025.2
As a trusted DESIGNER reseller, we understand the importance of a smooth update process. If you need any assistance with the transition to DESIGNER 2025.2, call us on 011 663 2600 or click here to create a support ticket.
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Phone: +27 11 663 2600
Email: info@stillam.com