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Error 1304 or 2350 When Creating a Deployment for Autodesk 2011 Products

39 REPLIES 39
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Message 1 of 40
bryce.thelin
13667 Views, 39 Replies

Error 1304 or 2350 When Creating a Deployment for Autodesk 2011 Products

When trying to create a deployment image for an Autodesk 2011 product, the process stops with one or both of the following errors:

"Error 1304. Error writing to file . Verify that you have access to that directory."
"Error 2350. FDI server error."

The cause of this is the installation directory has exceeded the 256 character limit of the operating system.

The solution is to shorten the path that you have entered for your Administrative Image location when initially creating the deployment.

Bryce Thelin, Autodesk Product Support



Bryce Thelin
AutoCAD Product Support
39 REPLIES 39
Message 21 of 40
MatthiasFostel
in reply to: TravisNave

Creating a share per installation is erroneous and ridiculous. The issue isn't the customer producing pathes too long, it's the fact Autodesk is producing pathes too long.

 

In our case, putting the installation folder to a share would only save 19 characters of 255 (bypassing two folders), or less than 7% of the characters.

Message 22 of 40

I completey agree, cause even myself i think i save 12 characters by shoretning it

Message 23 of 40
TravisNave
in reply to: bryce.thelin

Semantics. So long as you're not 1 character over 255, you're fine. That accounts for 1/255th of the maximum path size. If you can save 7% then you're already 18x better than meeting the limit.

Seems that this is always only a problem with unnecessarily long shares. Otherwise everybody would have this problem. Yes, I agree that some of these long filenames are ridiculous. But it is what it is. You wouldn't create a share name of 243 characters and complain to Microsoft for creating long filename support over 8.3 conventions, so stop creating unnecessary folders as part of your UNC when it is irrelevant.


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Message 24 of 40
kudzuman
in reply to: TravisNave

I tried these 2 paths for the 3DS Max Design 2013 AdminImage folder location of which the first failed and the second succeeded:
\\server1\info-sys\IS\Software\Autodesk\3dsMaxDesign\2013
\\server1\info-sys\IS\Software\Autodesk\3MD\2013

 

The first is 58 characters and the second 49.
So for those of you installing 3DS Max Design, you can use at least 49 characters to designate where your AdminImage folder is but 58 is right out.

 

So Travis, you are saying I should do this:
\\server\Autocad
\\server\AutoTurn
\\server\ScriptPro
\\server\RevitArchitecture
\\server\RevitStructure
\\server\RevitMEP
\\server\RevitWorksharingMonitor
\\server\RevitImaginitUtilities
\\server\RevitModelExplorer
\\server\RevitSTLExporter
\\server\NavisWorksManage
\\server\3DSMaxDesign
\\server\Ecotect
\\server\CFDesign
\\server\DesignReview
\\server\TrueView
\\server\SiteWorksforRevit

 

\\server\IESVE-Pro
\\server\IESVE-Gaia
\\server\CreativeSuites
\\server\AcrobatPro
\\server\MicrosoftOffice
\\server\...

 

But really the paths are longer because I have to include the product's year as a subdirectory (+5 characters) or multiply the number of shares with the year as part of the name (+4 characters).
So is this long list of shares an advantage over browsing through a logical hierarchy of subfolders like \\server\software\company\product\year? (This doesn't get anywhere near 243 characters as you are implying some of us doing. It probably could be done in less than 75 but the 50 Autodesk gives is tight.)

 

When Autodesk creates file names like "Create Universal Constraint - PxCreateUniversalConstraintMS_PhysX - 32.png" (75 characters where 1/2 are repetative) and uses the exact same name for both a child and parent folder like "...\Essential_Skills_Movies\3dsMax_Design_2013\de-DE\html\essential_skills_movies\...), it makes us feel like Lucky in the desert getting 1 drop of water and then seeing his Amigo Dusty spill water all over his face, gargle and spit it out, and throw his canteen away spilling the rest of the water on the parched ground. And then, Travis, you offer us Lip Balm. We appreciate your suggestions and will use them but Autodesk needs to not be so wasteful of the 256 character resource and at least publish how many characters they used up so we know what we have left to work with. Or even better they should establish a standard character limit they do not go beyond so we can standardize our install folder structures.

Message 25 of 40
TravisNave
in reply to: kudzuman

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying to do.  And that is what I do - thus I have never had any of these problems.  I agree that the Autodesk filenames are long and ridiculous and they need to be changed.  But it is what it is.  This is how to get your deployments working.  Whether you have one share with multiple folders to traverse inside, or multiple shares for all the products, it's all the same.  One way works, the other doesn't. 



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Message 26 of 40
kudzuman
in reply to: MatthiasFostel

Actually both work, just 1 won't work if you go beyond a certain character limit like 50.

I like the heirachy better than your suggestion though because we have numerous software and in that case a flat system is more confusing than a heirarchy. We will just have to stay under 50 characters, which is doable but with extra attention required.

Message 27 of 40
TravisNave
in reply to: kudzuman

The heirarchy can exist in the same physical folder fashion, just share the last folder with the name.  Whether you go to a server and drill down thru multiple folders, or go to a server and see a list of shares, the result is the same.  If I wanted to install AutoCAD 2013, I could go to \\servername and then locate the \ACAD2k13 folder.  Or I could go to \\servername and then find \APPS\ and then find \Autodesk\ and then find \AutoCAD\ and then find \2013\.  Personally, \\servername\sharename makes more sense and it easier.  It could still exist at D:\Apps\Autodesk\AutoCAD\2013, but just share out the last folder and send the link out to your users. 

 

It's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other.  I mean, it's all how you look at it.  Ultimately, the filepath length needs to be addressed. But as for now, this is all we can do as a work-around. 



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Message 28 of 40
mbhame
in reply to: TravisNave

It is 6 of one, half a dozen the other, yes.  But as you say it's a matter of perspective.  I don't think anyone wants to add their 2 cents to debate with you but to voice their frustration at Autodesk in a public format.  As you conceded, there IS a problem with filename length in Autodesk products that exacerbate this situation... so, here we are... people are letting Autodesk know how frustrating it is.  Can't it just be left at that?

 

 

 

Message 29 of 40
TravisNave
in reply to: mbhame

True, but at the same time, how is it any better for the end user to create a folder structure that consists of multiple characters and many levels deep?  I agree that there are some Autodesk filenames that are simply too long, but I also see that too many end users are creating filepaths that are also too long.  Thus, the only recourse for this instance, until Autodesk creates smaller filenames in subsequent releases, is simply to create short share paths.  Arguing beyond this point is moot.



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Message 30 of 40
spm5
in reply to: TravisNave

But we are the ones paying for the software. If we want to have it on a server with a single share that is catagorized and sorted by a folder tree we should be able to.

When you buy a car no one tells you that you can only drive it when you wear blue pants and a hat.

You have an opinion about how folder structures should be created, thats fine but it has NOTHING to do with this conversation. The point here is that the way they have created the software is limiting us and we would like them to correct that.

Message 31 of 40
TravisNave
in reply to: spm5

No, the metaphor is more like a car that is designed to run on gasoline but you'd rather run on electric.  There's nothing that can be done during this release except to wait for the flex-fuel vehicle to be released.  Thus, the share path length recommendation has everything to do with this conversation because unless you do so, you cannot install it.  Period.

 

Regardless, the limitation is on Microsoft Windows, and not Autodesk.  Thus any software manufacture would potentially run into this same issue.  Hopefully, this will not be an issue moving forward. 



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Message 32 of 40

I'd like to bring up the fact that the latest 2013 suite we are rolling out recently is even worse than before.

 

I was able to shorten a path length with the 2012 suite and get around the character limit. But with 2013, it was impossible so I just created an individual share for it and flipped a birdy at the deployer as it ran.

 

The fact remains, not only should the installer be double checking path length PRIOR TO STARTING TO CREATE THE DEPLOYMENT but the people actually making the installation packages should be doing it as well.

 

I doubt it would take one of Autodesk's engineers more than 1-2 hours per product in the suite or several hours to add the path length check to the deployer; and yet it would save hundreds (if not thousands or tens of thousands) of hours of their customer's time dealing with these issues.

 

But why do that when you can just have a moderator blame the customer everytime the issue crops up on the forums.

 

Message 33 of 40
TravisNave
in reply to: MatthiasFostel

I don't see any moderators saying the customer is wrong in this thread except for the OP stating the work-around for the known issue.  Anyway, I doubt any customer has spent thousands to tens-of-thousands of hours trying to figure out that a short path share would resolve the issue.  It took me 15 seconds to write this.  And I've never experienced this issue because I have always adhered to the \\servername\share convention. 



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Message 34 of 40
ktaylor
in reply to: TravisNave

The fact of the matter is Autodesk has known about this issue for several releases and refuses to do anything about it.  The CUSTOMER is being inconvenienced by it.  Fix the thing AutoDesk.

 

 

Edited by
Discussion_Admin

Message 35 of 40
TravisNave
in reply to: ktaylor

Smiley LOL



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Message 36 of 40
GrantCollins
in reply to: TravisNave

Thank U, that's exactly the point. I've done a bit of development myself and there is no reason that anyone would need filenames 70 - 90 characters long. They know this is an issue so for well now since 2009 for sure from my personal experience. And of course if doesn't error out until it reaches that file, like give me a break, do a check sum on the file path names before actually installing or even simpler yet shorten the filenames. I spent way too many hours have to rebuild packages because Autodesk shear laziness. This maybe would have been acceptable for a version, I get that programmers mess up but 5 years in a row.

 

Thanks, Grant

 

Edited by
Discussion_Admin

 

Message 37 of 40
spm5
in reply to: TravisNave

You are not helping any of us and you are not contributing anything. Some of us follow this to see Autodesks responce to this, no one cares about yours.

 

 

 

Thanks
Discussion_Admin

Message 38 of 40
GrantCollins
in reply to: spm5

 If Autodesk fixed there product than I would have anything to say about it, now would I. And after the hours I had to spend to fix my packages, I am going to complain a little. Trust me I have already made many feedbacks about it.

Thanks, Grant

 

 

Edited by
Discussion_Admin

Message 39 of 40
TravisNave
in reply to: spm5

  Autodesk was the one that originally created this post as a response to this known support issue.  I am simply supporting the position that this is easily avoidable by following their recommendation.  I apologize if my support for the work-around was taken out of context.  I agree that steps should be taken to prevent this in the future, but the simple fact remains that this is the fix for now.  Furthermore, this is a peer to peer forum.  I recommend that you fill out a customer support request in recommending that this be resolved in a future release. 

 

Edited by
Discussion_Admin



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Message 40 of 40
david.lau
in reply to: TravisNave

Autodesk is working on a plan to resolve this issue internally.  i.e. make paths a short a possible.   I have posted a workaround based on this forum post here:

 

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2012/08/defeating-the-256-character-limit-when-creating-a...

 

This post refers to an issue with 3DS Max Design in a Suite:

 

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2012/04/autodesk-suites-2013-deployment-path-can-easily-e...

 

This is a hot topic that should be resolved in a future release.



David Lau

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