Deployment / Installation, file mapping structure.

[NateWa]

Good Morning,

My company is currently in the works on setting up a deployment plan for AutoCAD Electrical 2018. We currently use our own custom symbols for both schematics and footprints. We also use our own custom catalog database. We have varying ideas on best approach for installation of future software packages. 

I know that we can install the software and then setup template projects to look to our custom locations. But our issue is what we need to do with some of our users that just want to use the software. not dig into the file mapping. 

What would be our best course of action for the users that will not know how to map any of the files to our defaul locations, but we want them to look there. while maintaining the base ACADE install information (catalog, footprints, PLC, etc.)

Some thoughts I'm having is a custom Profile?

Or maybe installing the software, and then running the migration utility on their computers?

Thanks in advance.

[TRLitsey · Accepted solution]

Hi there,

That is a pretty wide ranging question.  The scope is a bit out of my experience but if I were you I think I would be looking at the .env file.  That creates the base for ACE when it starts up.  That file can be pushed down to individual workstations to create similar environments on each one when ACE is fired up.

Good luck

[rhesusminus]

Will all your users work in-house, or will they work off site sometimes?
If everyone is in-house, I'd just set up a network installation for everyone. A common wd.env file that makes everyone point to the same locations for databases.
The settings for the symbol libraries is set within the projects (wdp file), but you can set the default paths in the wd.env file, making it easier for the users to "reset" the paths to the correct symbol libraries.

[NateWa]

Thanks for the response TRLitsey,

Isn't the .ENV file project specific? 

Is there a way to get around this with projects that we did not have set up to look in the new "default" locations. We have a lot of vanilla cad users, and if teaching them how to change which .env file the project is looking at to get them to use the new corporate standards is the easiest way, then that's what we will do.

[NateWa]

That is the other staple, we are mostly in house, but have the ability to work remotely. The current plan here is the have a few "key" users that can write to the network location, and have a script routine copy everything to all users hard drives.

The common path here seems to be the .env file.  

[TRLitsey]

Hi again,

The .env file can be project specific or it can be general purpose, specific to the version of ACE you are running.  It depends on how you set it up.  Honestly, I am pretty much a stand alone user.  I think Trond will be able to give you much better advise as to your company implementation/structure and deployment.

Good luck

[rhesusminus]

Do you have access to the company server via VPN or something when you're working outside?
If the users that work outside shouldn't have write access to databases, you can just use offline files (basic windows functionality) for those users in a standard network installation.

You will control read/write access to databases/symbol libraries using NTFS rights on the folders on the server.

[NateWa]

We have the ability to VPN in, but in case we do not have internet access or something we are trying to be prepared to work from our c drives.

[rhesusminus]

Look into "Offline Files". If you're offline, all programs will still "see" the server, and the filders/files that are offline.
When you get back to the office (or connect via VPN), it will sync.

This however, will only work on "file-level". If you make changes to a database, the ENTIRE database will be synced/overwritten, not just the records that has been added/edited.