Up and Ready

Download Manager + USB Broadband Card

Do you use this to connect to the internet?

We have some interesting issues with the Download Manager with the Pantech USB Verizon UML290 Modem card. 

"When using the Akamai Download Manager and trying to register 3DS Max the process always failed because of "No Internet Connection". This was despite the fact that I had a perfectly functional internet connection. The only time it would work is if I was physically connected to a hardwired network or WiFi connection."

AutoCAD and IOGEAR USB External HD Video Adapter

We just got a report of an unhandled error solved by uninstalling the software used for a IOGEAR USB External HD Video Adapter.

The user was using AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 and upon launch, there was a Fatal Error: Unhandled access violation writing 0x006c exception at eef15eabh.

Thanks to Heath Kuszak for sharing this tip with the community.  For additional known fixes for unhandled and fatal errors on our blog site, please put this into a Google search:

unhandled fatal site:http://upandready.typepad.com/

Error: adlmpit.dll (126)! error when installing Autodesk software

We recently got this case in our queue and when installing our software, the error was:

Failed to load  C:\Users\YOUR-USER-NAME\appdata\local\temp\_#.tmp\setup\adlm.dll (126)!

In this case, the problem was caused by a 3rd party software called Desktop Studio.  It is a component of Citrix XenDesktop.  Once this 3rd party software was uninstalled, everything Autodesk worked as expected.

Just a note that we currently only support Citrix XenApp and not Citrix XenDesktop.

Reference

Citrix On-Demand Access to Autodesk Products
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=13959101

Thanks to Brian Parish for sharing this solution to the community!

Quick Start: File Systems that we support

The definition for a computer's file system is noted here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_system

PersonalIy, I really like this one because it is a trip down memory lane:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_systems

Below are some notable links about file systems on our site:

Distributed File System (DFS) support

http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS46374

Support for non-Microsoft networks

http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS34763

Problems creating a network or multi-seat standalone deployment image

http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS1076526

AutoCAD for Mac won't run on hard drive with "Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled)" format

http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS16158903

Linux & Mac: StoneFS vs Standard FS

http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Creative_Finishing/enu/2012/Help/Release_Notes/06_Release_Notes_and_FKBL/0003-Compatib3

Maya & NFS + Novell Networks

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=16820654

XFS Filesystems

http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Creative_Finishing/enu/2012/Help/05_Installation_Guides/Installation_and_Configuration_Guide_for_Linux_Workstations/0118-Advanced118/0194-Manually194/0199-Creating199

Autodesk software and hosted operating system environments

http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS70909

Thanks to Chris Aquino for contributing a bit to this post!!

Tip: Getting your system information

One of the things that we will need to troubleshoot computer problems is to get your system information.

On Windows:

1.  Go to the Start button >  Type:  msinfo32 > Enter

2.  Make sure you have System Summary highlighted and go to File > Export and save it as a Text File.  

3.  You can also  compress you file to make it smaller.

_____________________________________________________________________

On the Mac: 

1.  Go to the Apple > About this Mac and click on More Info.

2.  Click on System Report button.

3.  File > Export as Text...

Tip: Drive Lettering

When I setup my Computer, I normally map the DVD drive so that it's near the end of the alphabet i.e. Y:\ or Z:\.  Please check out the 2 images below and you will see why....

 If you plug in a USB drive, I hate that the data drives that are not 'beside' each other.

If you don't know how to assign drive letters to your drives, check out this Microsoft solution:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/windows7/Change-add-or-remove-a-drive-letter

Thanks to Lap Ho for sharing this tip.

Tip: Rename "Computer" to your actual computer name

The default desktop icon and name for your computer is:  Computer.  If you change Computer to the actual computer name, you can easily access the UNC path of your computer by using Windows Explorer by adding a \\ in the address bar.

Please check out this video tutorial: Computer-to-Computer-name

I have encoded this movie as an .mp4.  Windows Media Player in Windows 7 should be able to play it.  If not, then you need to download Quick Time or VLC Player.

Running Composite with a lot of CPUs

Just an FYI.  If you are running a dual x 8 core computer with Hyper-Threading [HT] turned on, Composite will not run and crash just after the splash screen.

2 CPUs x 8 Cores per CPU x 2 [HT] = 32  CPUs = Composite Crash!

There is a reference post here in The Area:

http://area.autodesk.com/forum/autodesk-composite-toxik-and-combustion/general-discussion/composite-crashes-on-startup---too-many-cores

The temporary solution is to disable Hyperthreading.  The Development team has been alerted of this issue.

Using a Mac as a license server and "Server line says" error...

We are starting to get more cases on this interesting issue when using a Mac as a license server. Normally, you would need to use the built-in Ethernet card to generate a license file but you may actually now need to use the  802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking card instead if you get this error:

Server line says #, hostid is #

I have seen this error before affecting Mac Mini's but I have now seen this problem on an iMac running Mac OS 10.8 (Mountain Lion).  NOTE:  The server software is not supported yet on the latest Mac operating system.

Apple is not including a built-in Ethernet card for some of their hardware.  It is an interesting co-incidence.

http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/

Thanks to Eric Kunzendorf for confirming this solution.

Reference

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/08/general-licensing-using-a-mac-mini-as-a-license-server.html

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2012/01/quick-start-setting-up-a-license-server-on-mac.html

Error Message: Fragment Shader not supported by HW in Autodesk Simulation CFD

When running Autodesk Simulation CFD and you open a complex model, you may receive these errors if your graphics card is not powerful enough to run the software.  

Fragment Shader not supported by HW 
Could not get location for uniform 'u
Could not get location for uniform 't 
Error linking program 'DropShadowSharederMeanFiler';
   Fragment shader(s) failed to link, no vertex shader(s) defined. 

You have 2 workarounds:

1.  Update the your video card driver.

2.  Modify the software to run in "software rendering' mode instead of  using the video card hardware.

Autodesk Simulation CFD 2012

1.  Go to the following folder: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Simulation CFD 2012\

2. Edit the following file: cfdesign_flags.txt using Notepad.

3. Edit/add in:  software_rendering 1

Autodesk Simulation CFD 2013

1. Open the Simulation CFD without loading a model.

2. Go in to the Flag Manager

3. Add a default flag of  software_rendering and give it a value of “1” 

Thanks to John Bloodworth and Apolo Vanderberg for confirming the solution works.