Up and Ready

Autodesk Suites: AutoCAD MEP customization in Building Design Suite

If you try to configure AutoCAD MEP from the Building Design Suite and the computer doesn't have any Autodesk products installed on it, you will get the following options:

If you install it on a computer with various other Autodesk products already installed on the computer, you will get the following options:

The workaround is to download the electronic version from the Subscription Center.  This version has the lastest installation framework with the fix.

Thanks to Dwayne Poot for this tip.

Autodesk Suites: 3ds Max Entertainment Creation Suite will not deploy with MotionBuilder (1304)

In some instances, if you create a deployment with all 4 products in the 3ds Max Entertainment Creation Suite on Windows 7 x64:

• Autodesk® 3ds Max®
• Autodesk® Softimage® 
• Autodesk® MotionBuilder®
• Autodesk® Mudbox™

Your deployment will just fail at MotionBuilder with the following error:

One of the known workarounds was to create a deployment with only MotionBuilder in it.  The actual solution to the 1304 error is to shorten the path of the deployment.  You can also reference this post as well.

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/05/error-1603-and-1304-during-deployment-creation-revit-architecture-error-1304error-writing-to-file.html

Autodesk Suites: Failure Creating Deployment for Autodesk Building Design Suite Ultimate 2012 on Windows 7 x64 or Vista x64 Editions

There have been reports with the Building Design Suite Ultimate 2012 failing on Windows 7 x64, Vista x64 and Windows XP x64.   There is a TS16800261 for this problem, but in some cases, it may not be a practical solution.

As a workaround, we have created a custom Setup.ini file that bascially splits up the installation between 2 groups:  AutoCAD Family and Other Autodesk Products.  

NOTE:  Please keep the AdminImages for these 2 deployments in a separate folder.

This is the default setting in the Installation Wizard that shows all products.

This is the setting in the Installation Wizard with the custom Setup.ini file with only the AutoCAD family of products.

 

This is the setting in the Installation Wizard with the custom Setup.ini file with only the Other Autodesk Products.

 

Instructions:

1.  Copy Building Design Suite Ultimate 2012 installation content from USB drive to a folder on local hard drive.
2.  Back up original Setup.ini file in Autodesk_BDS_Ultimate_2012_English_Win_64bit folder.
3.  Copy Setup_BDSU_2012.1x64.ini into Autodesk_BDS_Ultimate_2012_English_Win_64bit folder and rename it to Setup.ini.
4.  Run the Setup.exe to create the deployment for products included in Setup_BDSU_2012.1x64.ini.
5.  Repeat for Setup_BDSU_2012.2x64.ini.

Sample files are here:

1.  Setup.ini_original.zip
2.  Setup.ini_BDSU_2012.1x64 (AutoCAD-Family).zip
3.  Setup.ini_BDSU_2012.2x64 (Other-Autodest-Products).zip

Video of workflow:

1. BDSU-2012-Default
2. BDSU-2012-Autocad-Family
3. BDSU-2012-Other-Autodesk-Products

If necessary, x86 files are here:

1. x86  Setup.ini_original_x86.zip
2. x86  Setup.ini_bdsu_2012.1x86 (AutoCAD-Family).zip
3. x86  Setup.ini_bdsu_2012.2x86 (Other-Autodest-Products).zip

Thanks to Avto Chachava for this tip.

General Installation: CAD and IT Managers’ Resource

The goal of the CAD Manager and IT Manager Resource is to build a robust and vibrant community sharing site for Inventor, Product Design Suite andFactory Design Suite CAD and IT Managers.

The CAD Manager and IT Manager Resource provides links to get you to the information you need for installing, licensing and deploying Inventor, the Product Design Suites and Factory Design Suites.

http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Inventor/enu/Community/CAD_and_IT_MGR_Resource

Thanks to Jeanie Wayker for this post in the Discussion Groups.

Tweaking Up and Ready

I just tweaked the Navigation Bar on our site with some updated links to improve it and I just created a Updates & Service Packs page in our blog. 

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/updates-service-packs.html

 I can add other product lines upon request but I have most of them covered.

Subscription Center: Using Multiple Accounts

Here's a tip for subscription customers who may have multiple accounts with Autodesk. Let's say that you have a Technical Support account and an ADN account, you can switch between these accounts without having to log out and log in again.

http://mayastation.typepad.com/maya-station/2011/07/subscription-centre-accounts-tip.html

Thanks to Owen Burgess for this tip.

Revit 2012: Render Appearance Dialog Crash

Please check out this updated post that appears to affect Revit 2012 & Revit 2011:

http://revitclinic.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/03/revit-crash-when-launching-the-materials-or-render-appearance-dialogs.html

Thanks to Ryan Duell for this post.

General Installation: Cannot Uninstall and/or Reinstall

I have used this workflow many times with customers if there is a problematic installation.  I would always backup the Registry keys if you plan to delete them!

http://beingcivil.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/07/cannot-uninstall-andor-reinstall.html

The main Autodesk installation files/registry keys are located in 3 places  the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

This is the sample key (folder) you would delete for Revit 2011 x64:

The Autodesk hotfix/updates installation files/registry keys are located in the registry here:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products

Thanks to Almas Suljevic for this great tip.

AutoCAD LT 2012: Using M-Files and freeze/lock up at the splash screen

Recently, in support, I had a case that took a bit of serendipity to resolve and the symptom is that AutoCAD 2012 LT will launch correctly the first time but upon the second launch, it will  freeze/lock up at the splash screen.

I had been checking some resolved posts in our discussion groups and held off on writing a solution or blog post because it would be difficult to confirm.   I can finally endorse this solution!  In this case, I had the user uninstall M-Files and AutoCAD LT 2012 would launch as expected.  

NOTE:  There is a service release fix (7.0.2589.27) for M-Files (32-bit and 64-bit version) that resolves this issue.  For more information, you can also check out this post:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Installation-Licensing/Autocad-LT-2012-freezes-during-start-Windows-7-32bit-and-64bit/m-p/3069058/highlight/true#M34930

Thanks to Jukka Lehto sharing this with the Autodesk Community.

 

Combining License files, repeated server name lines Error flexLM -97, 121

Problem:  After combining licenses the license server shows following error

Vendor:Host:   servername
License path:  27000@servername;
FLEXnet Licensing error:-97,121

Pieces of the license file seem to work by themselves and in smaller groups, but not all together. Visually, this appeared as though it should work but would not.

The header row of the license file, the MAC address cannot change, but the server name was always a component that could be manually adjusted. However, it is case sensitive.

i.e. If you have multiple header entries and some are written in UPPER CASE and others in lower case, they will conflict and you will get error -97.

If these two headers existed in the same license file the license will fail:

SERVER servername 713AC6AEE3DE
SERVER SERVERNAME 713AC6AEE3DE

i.e.  The content of mylicensefile.lic 

SERVER SERVERNAME 713AC6AEE3DE
USE_SERVER
VENDOR adskflex port=2080

INCREMENT 51200ACD_2007_0F adskflex 1.000 permanent 1 \
VENDOR_STRING=nfr: permanent BORROW=4320 SUPERSEDE DUP_GROUP=UH \
ISSUED=12-Apr-2007 SN=321-12345678 SIGN="162B CFA **** (truncated)

SERVER servername 713AC6AEE3DE
USE SERVER
VENDOR adskflex port=2080

PACKAGE 85814PDSP_F adskflex 1.000 COMPONENTS="85795PDSP_2012_0F \
85573INVBUN_2011_0F 85607SHOWCASE_2011_0F 85615ALSK_2011_0F \
85580MBXPRO_2011_0F 85545AMECH_PP_2011_0F 85503MAXDES_2011_0F \
85579INVNTOR_2011_0F 70400INVBUN_2010_0F 83900MBXPRO_2010_0F \
71800AMECH_PP_2010_0F 70000MAXDES_2010_0F 85577INVNTOR_2010_0F \
59300INVBUN_2009_0F 59200AMECH_PP_2009_0F 612003DSMAX_2009_0F \
70200MBXPRO_2009_0F" OPTIONS=SUITE SUPERSEDE \
ISSUED=19-Jul-2011 SIGN="00EB ****(truncated)

Solution:  Our recommendation is keep the server names only once on the top of the license file. You can remove the first 3 lines from the additional license’s you received from Autodesk,

i.e.  Following 3 lines needs to appear only once on top of the file

SERVER SERVERNAME 713AC6AEE3DE
USE_SERVER
VENDOR adskflex port=2080

Note: For Redundant License you will have 3 SERVER entries with 3 server name, so total of 5 lines

If you really have to keep those 3 lines, please make sure the “server name” has matching case in each instance

SERVER SERVERNAME 713AC6AEE3DE
SERVER SERVERNAME 713AC6AEE3DE

Thanks to David Dembkoski for this tip.