CAD CAM / Australia

caddit

NOTE Before proceeding to try the suggestions outlined in this tip, remember that PTC strongly suggests configuring FlexLM licenses to use the computer's ethernet interface. We have given these steps testing in a limited number of environments and they may not work for all systems or versions of Windows.

PTC FlexNET licenses are issued in a text file. These license files are configured to run on one "host" (network name of the PC) and encoded for the hardware address ("MAC address" -  no connection to Apple) of the primary network card. FlexLM needs to be able to "ping" the license file's designated host, and have that host resolve to an IP address assigned to a local network card having the encoded hardware MAC address. In other words, the IP host name having the needed MAC address needs to match the host configured in the license file. This scheme runs into big problems with unconfigured ethernet ports on a laptop, ergo these instructions for setting it up on a wireless interface.

Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire will only look at FlexNET services configured for the AVAILABLE network device having the LOWEST numerical value for its key name in the Windows registry at:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\NetworkCards

The good news is that you can safely "rename" say, the wireless adapter in this list from its original designation of perhaps "13" to the lowest value listed, say "1", without affecting its service. This may be required in situation where a laptop primarily uses the wireless network card but occassionally still plugs into an ethernet connection as well.

This suggestion was found from pointwise.com: Laptops usually employ the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), in which no IP address will be assigned if a laptop is not connected to a network. This makes the license manger unable to find the vendor daemon on the network via TCP/IP. The solution is to add the machine's real name to /etc/hosts (in Windows C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts) as an additional loopback. For example, given the hostname "goon", add a line in the file, "hosts", as following:

127.0.0.1 localhost loghost
127.0.0.1 goon goon.voom.net # Added for the license manager!
#
# Do not forget to remove any existing entry for goon!
### 192.168.1.4 goon goon.voom.net
#
# Continue with any other host entries

However, even with this change some systems require an administrator's manual stop and restart of the "Flexlm Server for PTC" Windows Service (via Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services).

The final solution to the problem is explained on the PTC website support section:

When disconnected from a network Windows machines may disable certain network cards resulting in licensing errors from Pro/ENGINEER and the PTC License Server. Pro/ENGINEER may return the error:
"(-96) License server host is down or not responding" or error: "(-15) Cannot connect to license server system" if configured to a license server or error:
"License request failed for feature PROE_Foundation: -9: Invalid host." if configured to a locked license.

This issue is related to the 'media sensing' feature of Windows 2000 and later (including XP and Vista) and disabling this 'media sensing' feature will resolve the issue.

For more information on 'media sensing' see http:/­/­support.­microsoft.­com/­support/­kb/­articles/­Q239/­9/­24.­ASP

1. Start Registry Editor (regedit or Regedt32 from the Windows "Run" menu).
2. Locate the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters
3. Add the following registry entry to the Parameters subkey:

    Name: DisableDHCPMediaSense
    Data type: REG_DWORD (Boolean)
    Value: 1

A post on the MCADFORUM adds further information:

Run, type regedit, then select OK. Browse to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters.
Double click the Parameters folder then right click on the right side of the Registry Editor window and select New, DWORD Value and change the new value name to DisableDHCPMediaSense. Right click on the new entry and select Modify and set the Value to 1 to disable the Media Sensing feature. Reboot the computer. This will maintain the bound protocols when the computer is disconnected from the network.

Tags: pro+engineer | proe | flexnet | flexlm | license | windows | xp | vista | laptop | wireless | how+to

philhuynh

Now, installing the a new licence for any CAD software can be tricky, and PTC is no stranger to this. However it doesn't have to be hard at all with friendly help from the support team in PTC who are available 24/7. Note that also the email support is quite good as well with any enquiries you may have with update the licences. Now installing the program initally as well can be quite a handful, but quite easy if you know what are doing.

Now here are some simple guide on how to do so.

1. Run the setup.exe accordingly, click next and read through the terms and agreements, click accept when you are done and select next.
2. click onto install Pro/E and select the files that you want to install with the necessary options needed.
3. The next window will show you a blank screen with your services to flexnet. Now you will need to add in a new license in by clicking add. Now majority of users will be on a single node server.
4. Select the single option and note to leave the port to 7788. The hostname will be your computer name which can be located in my computer,view system infromation or properties under computer name. ( note to ping your computer to ensure there is no problems with picking up the correct hostname).
5. Once you have completed this click okay and a new license should be retrieved. * note to have a golden/yellow key icon next to your hostname/port licence.
6. Click next to contuine and install all the necessary options but make sure to tick additional licences box before click next.
7. Now go to the licence which pro/E and click edit on the far right hand side to add in any additional extenisons or addons that you brought. Click okay when you are done.
8. Cick next twice and the installer will start install all the necessary components to Pro/E
9. Click exit when finished and fire up Pro/E wildfire 5.0.

Steps for upgrading Pro/ENGINEER license with new license pack from PTC:

1) Open the old c:\program files\flexnet\licensing\license.dat
2) Re-save license.dat as "license.dat.old"
3) Highlight the entire two "middle" sequential lines which start with either SERVER or DAEMON, CTRL-C copy thse two lines to the clipboard
4) Open the new licese "lmxxxx.xtx" file
5) Highlight the same two middle SERVER and DAEMON lines in the new license file; CTRL-V to paste over with the information from the old file
6) Save the NEW "lmxxx.txt" file as  c:\program files\flexnet\licensing\license.dat
7) From the CONTROL PANEL -> ADMIN TOOLS -> SERVICES first STOP the RESTART the "Flexlm Server for PTC" service. This will cause flexnet to "re-read" all license files.
8) Start Pro/ENGINEER normally, using new license

With these simple steps, it makes the installation process easier to work with so can be on your way to designing on Wildfire 5.0!

Tags: improvement | automated | proengineer | proe | administration | wildfire 5.0 | Pro/Engineer | PTC | software | 3D | CAD

caddit

Checking the latest Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0 software kit, it appears that the only component of what was once the Pro/LIBRARY standard part library for Pro/E was the Mold Base. There is an online part library available from the browser favorites at http://www.3dmodelspace.com/ptc but each part needs downloaded individually.

After some checking, we discover that active account holders at ptc.com with support access can download most of Pro/LIBRARY in eight parts at http://www.ptc.com/cgi/cs/apps/SftUpd/SftUpdProd.pl (filter for "Pro/ENGINEER" related downloads; scroll to the bottom of the page) and listed under "WILDFIRE LIBRARY DATABASES". Although published with the original release of Pro/E Wildfire there are forward compatible with all releases and operating systems.

Installing these local part libraries require that we set up:

Pro/LIBRARY needs to be manually downloaded and configured as follows:
1: Create SYSTEM VARIABLE PRO_LIBRARY_DIR pointing to very top of library "tree"
    i.e. PRO_LIBRARY_DIR=/usr/local/ptc/libraries
2: Add matching lines in master (/usr/local/ptc/.../text/config.pro):
    pro_library_dir /usr/local/ptc/library
    search_path_file /usr/local/ptc/objlib/bin/config.pro
    SHOW_ALL_MOLD_LAYOUT_BUTTONS   YES
3: Create a top-level menu (Top-Level "index.mnu" File):
LIBRARIES
#
#
/objlib
BASIC LIBRARY
#
/mfglib
...

About .mnu files: The .mnu files configure "navigation" for browsing the library from Pro/E assembly component-insert, 2D detailing symbol-insert, etc. Subdirectories listed in an .mnu file will be shown with the description from the .mnu file, unlisted directories (like installation directories) will stay hidden. Folders in the library without .mnu files will show all directories present in that folder without any further descriptions.

(config.pro can be updated by a utility in the bin subdirectory of each part library. A few are not part libraries but symbol libraries which may find a different location)

At last look the LIBRARY files still available are:

MED-6XX-CD-330_2002490_CONNECTOR.zip
MED-6XX-CD-330_2002490_ELECTRICAL-SYMBOL.zip
MED-6XX-CD-330_2002490_GRAPHICS.zip
MED-6XX-CD-330_2002490_MOLDBASE.zip
MED-6XX-CD-330_2002490_PIPE-FITTING.zip
MED-6XX-CD-330_2002490_PIPING-HEATING.zip
MED-6XX-CD-330_2002490_TOOLING.zip

When we download and install one, we are asked to chose a target directory (should be a new directory that doesn't currently exist, directly under the library "root" location if we will be installing more than one under PRO_LIBRARY_DIR) in a dialog box:

Click next and we can choose what sub-libraries to install:

The library should install without much drama. Depending on which library we are installing, it can be used within Pro/ENGINEER design in a variety of ways. More information about configuring Libraries in Pro/ENGINEER can be found in "Introduction to the Libraries" (U00590197).

Tags: proengineer | proe | symbols | blocks | library | pro library | part library | standard parts | administration | caddit