Selecting Vendor Catalogs Upon ACE Install?

[rwydesk500]

I am currently migrating from ACE 2014 to ACE 2015.

Prior to the ACE 2015 installation, there is an opportunity to select all, or specific, hardware vendor catalogs. For my installation, I realized after the fact, very few catalogs were selected. Is there any way to 'add' these catalogs without doing a re-install?

For instance, if I installed a new seat of ACE 2015, on another computer (with all of the catalogs selected prior to install), could I then copy a file folder(s) from the second installation to the first one, in order to add the additional catalogs? If so, what folder(s) would I need to copy?

Thank you!

[Icemanau]

There is a feature where you can restart the install program and ADD/REMOVE FEATURES.

Go to your control panel, Click on Programs and Features.

Find your install of ACADE in the list of programs that comes up and double click on it. You may have to wait a few minutes for the list to finish building.

Once the installer finishes loading, you are presented with three choices.

Add or Remove Features

Repair or Reinstall

Uninstall

Click on the Add or Remove Features button.

In 2014, the next screen is a list of all the manufacturers, if 2015 is the same, just click on the Select All button or go through and add the ones you want.

Go through the rest of the options and make any other changes you require.

On the third option screen, you will get an Update button. Click on that to apply any changes you have selected.

With any luck, you will now have all the catalog entries after the install finishes.

Regards Brad

[rwydesk500]

Thanks Brad. I'm sure this would work if I had administrator privileges on my work computer, but I do not.

[jalger]

Hi Rick,

Well If you can get your IT to Help, Brads method would be the safest.

If you don't have Admin Privialages I'm not sure how you would be able to paste the information into the protected file folders.

That said here are the File folders that you would need:

Catalog Info From

C:\Users\<Your User Name>\Documents\Acade 2015\AeData\en-US\Catalogs

C:\Users\<Your User Name>\Documents\Acade 20xx\AeData (2013 and Older versions)

Don't forget the PLC's!

C:\Users\<Your User Name>\Documents\Acade 2015\AeData\en-US\Plc

C:\Users\<Your User Name>\Documents\Acade 20xx\AeData (2013 and Older versions)

Foot Print & Schematic Symbols From

C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Acade 2015\Libs

You may want to copy the default Projects and the menu files as well, since the pathes above only fill in the Catalg data (and allows the Panel footprint tools to work)

Projects

C:\Users\<Your User Name>\Documents\Acade 2015\AeData

Menu files (Just grab everything with a .dat)

C:\Users\<Your User Name>\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\AutoCAD Electrical 2015\R20.0\enu\Support

Regards,

James

[drathak]

I'm with Brad and James.  Doing it via the install is the better way.  But I understand having to do an end run around IT sometimes.

Luckily, as James points out, most of the folders you need to write to are user folders so you should have access.  In fact you will need to have access to most of them to use the software properly.  (Not that this fact would prevent IT from locking them down in some places.)

Have you considered how you and your co-workers will manage symbol changes or new symbols?  Who will manage the menus to add new components or catalog data?  How will those changes get propagated?

[rwydesk500]

Thanks to all for your valued comments.

All of our software is made available through Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager. Many software install settings are pre-made by IT.

"...most of the folders you need to write to are user folders so you should have access.  In fact you will need to have access to most of them to use the software properly...".

Have you ever had the software files install to un-"trusted location" folders? It seems this happened by default as I was not allowed to change this during install. See attachment.

"Have you considered how you and your co-workers will manage symbol changes or new symbols?  Who will manage the menus to add new components or catalog data?  How will those changes get propagated?

I am currently the only one in my organization forging ahead with ACE. I have raised this issue of network access to a common location. Network permissions will be difficult. I suspect I will be the source of customization moving foward. I plan to copy updated files to local user machines on an as needed basis.

Any other suggestions? Thanks!

[jalger]

Hi Rick,

I think since 2014 (maybe 2013?) there has been a Trusted Location file folder for any Lisp Programs to prevent the Autodesk Virus from destroying your files.

So yes I have seen things install outside of the trusted Location.

You may need to move your lsp code to a secure location (or mark the folder as a secure location in options in your AutoCAD).

Edit: Screenshot added

I hope this helps,

James