Microsoft Knowledge Base

• Softimage 3D for Windows NT, versions 3.51, 3.7

SUMMARY

The information contained in this article is provided as an update of the KB article Titled "Installing FLEXlm on Windows NT."

MORE INFORMATION

Getting Started Check List

This document lists common procedures, error messages, and possible causes to problems you may encounter during the installation process. Read this document to help ensure a quick solution to your installation problems.

Read the following check list to avoid encountering problems during and after installing FLEXlm:

• Have you received a valid license from the Softimage Licensing department? For license requests, send an e-mail to license@softimage.com or call licensing at 1-800-387-2559 (for international requests, call 514-845-2199).
• Is the blue-green FLEXlm dongle attached to your machine? (for the FLEXlm server only).
• Is the environment variable 744@"hostname" set? (for the FLEXlm client only).
• Is TCP/IP installed?
• Do you have a network card installed? If you do not have a network card, install RAS (Remote Access Services). RAS is located on the Microsoft for Windows NT version 3.51 CD (call Microsoft Product Support Services for more details).
• Is there a valid user account created under <drive letter>:\USERS? (see below)

  Sample License File

  The following is an example of a typical license file:

  SERVER <machine name> SENTINEL KEY=<FLEXID # of dongle> 744

  DAEMON SOFTIMAGE C:\FLEXlm\LMSoft.EXE

  PACKAGE 3D_EXTREME_PKG SOFTIMAGE 3.500 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

   INCREMENT 3D_EXTREME_PKG SOFTIMAGE 3.500 <expiry date> <# of licenses>

Do s and Don ts For Entering License Information

Be aware of the following when entering your license information in the file:

• Don t use unnecessary spaces: they are considered typos.
• Do verify that the backslashes (\) at the end of the PACKAGE and INCREMENT lines are followed with a hard return and not a space.
• Do check that each line following PACKAGE and INCREMENT begins with one space.
• Don t use tabs.
• Do save the license file as plain ASCII text format (.txt)! When entering the license manually, correct all typographical errors and then save the file as plain text (.txt) and NOT as "unicode" or "all file types". This is mandatory!

Creating a Softimage 3D User Account on Windows NT

   To properly execute Softimage v3.51 for Windows NT, you must log on as a
   valid Windows NT user (Not as Administrator).

Create a User Account

1. Log on as Administrator.

2. From the Administrative Tools group, start User Manager.

3. From the User menu, choose New User.

4. Enter information to create a new user.

   Sample New User dialog box:

      Username:    (any name you prefer)
      Full Name:   (optional)
      Description: User
      Password:    (optional)
   
      The New User dialog box allows you to set the user environment profile
      for your system. Now you must configure the location of the user's home
      directory because Softimage 3D needs to save the DatabaseDir.rsrc file
      in the user's home directory.
   
   

Set the User Environment Profile

1. Click the Profile button. The User Profile dialog box appears.

2. In the Local Path box, type c:\users\%username%

   NOTE: Where "c:" is the drive where your Windows NT workstation is installed.

3. Click OK to accept and close the dialog box.

4. Click OK to close the New User dialog box.

   A directory is created under c:\users with the same name as the user's logon account.

Softimage 3D 3.51 Error Messages

   If Softimage 3D seems to be hanging, press Alt-Tab to access the license
   manager and verify the error message.

   This means you are running as administrator.

   You must have at least one valid user account other than "administrator"
   from where you are running Softimage 3D. This is because the environment
   variables in the SETENV.BAT file looks for %USERNAME% and errors will
   occur if no user exists.

   Refer to the previous procedure for Creating a Softimage 3D User
   Account.

   This can mean one of two things:

   - You installed as a FLEXlm Client instead of as a Server. Remove your
     software and references to the FLEXlm server in the services file and
     reinstall as a Server (contact Customer Support).

   - Your License.dat file has been saved in UNICODE format. It must be
     saved in plain text format. Refer to the UNICODE error message below
     for more information.

   This can indicate any of the following problems:

   - Your computer name, the name in the license file, and the name in your
     Network > TCP/IP > DNS entry are not the same, or the case in one of
     the entries is wrong.

     In Control Panel > Network, verify that the Computer Name is the same
     as the DNS Host Name which is located in the Network Settings dialogue
     box. Double-click the TCP/IP protocol from the Installed Network
     Software list, then click DNS in the Configuration dialog box. In
     the DNS Configuration dialog box that appears, compare the Host Name
     with the Computer Name, and with the Server Name shown in your license
     file. Reboot your machine.

   - You don't have TCP/IP installed. Install TCP/IP from the Windows NT
     3.51 software disk. If you need assistance, call Microsoft Product
     Support Services.

   - There is an error in the LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable in
     Control Panel > System. If your machine is a FLEXlm server, the value
     for this variable must state the explicit path to license.dat
     (ie: C:\flexlm\license.dat). If you are working on a FLEXlm client
     machine, the value must give the pot number at the server machine
     (ie: 744@myserver).

   - The dongle port is not being read.

     The procedure for setting the parallel port so that it can read the
     Softimage 3D dongle is different for each Windows NT platform.
     However, there is a method to verify if the port is being read. To
     assess the parallel port status, open a DOS shell and change
     directories (cd) to the c:\flexlm directory. Then enter this command:

     lmutil lmhostid -sentinel

     A dongle number (#) of 0 confirms that the port is not being read. To
     set the port properly, you must consult your hardware configuration
     documentation and/or sales representative for instructions.

   - Your Flexlm license server is not started in Control Panel > Services.
     Check the status of your FLEXlm License Server in Control Panel >
     Services. If it is not running or does not exist, open a DOS shell,
     and change directories (cd) to the flexlm directory
     (ie: cd c:\flexlm), and enter the following commands:

     install remove

     install <explicit path to lmgrd.exe> (ie: c:\flexlm\lmgrd.exe)

     Start the FLEXlm License Server in Control Panel>Services. You can
     confirm a proper installation of FLEXlm by rebooting your machine
     before rechecking the status of your FLEXlm License Server.

     If when you reboot your computer, the license server appears to start,
     but you still get the above error message, stop the FLEXlm License
     server in Control Panel > Services and try to complete the steps once
     again.

   - There may be an error in the SERVER line of your License.dat file.
     Compare the SERVER line in your license.dat file to the license that
     you received from the Softimage Licensing department.

   This means the host name in your license file is wrong. Verify that the
   host name in the License.dat file matches the computer name (case is
   important).

   This indicates any one of the following problems:

   - The dongle number in the license file is wrong. Verify that the number
     in the License.dat file matches the 8-digit hex-number on the dongle,
     such as B2851nnn.

   - The license has an error in it (e.g. a line has an unnecessary return
     in the middle of it). Verify the License.dat file and then stop and
     restart the FLEXlm license server from Control Panel > Services.

   - The computer name contains illegal characters (underscores, dashes,
     spaces, periods). Rename the computer eliminating the illegal
     characters, and make sure to change the TCP/IP > DNS entry and the
     License.dat entry. Then stop and restart the FLEXlm license server
     from Control Panel > Services.

   This can mean one of two things:

   - You have a space after the backslashes (\) at the end of the PACKAGE
     and INCREMENT lines in your License.dat file. Check these two lines in
     your License.dat file and if there is a space, remove it.

   - The date was not entered properly on the INCREMENT line. Open your
     License.dat file and verify that the date is correct.

   This indicates one of the following problems:

   - The date and time on your computer may be incorrect. Verify the time
     and date on your computer. It cannot be set to a date before the
     license start-date (issue date). Use Accessories >Time to verify time
     and date. If necessary, use Control Panel > Date/Time to reset it.

   - The files have a future date. Check for files on the system that have
     a date in the future (contact Customer Support).

   This indicates one of the following problems:

   - The server name in the License.dat file is wrong. Verify that the
     server name in the License.dat file is correct and then stop and
     restart the FLEXlm license server from Control Panel > Services.

   - The dongle is not attached to the parallel port. Attach the dongle to
     the parallel port.

   - The dongle port is not being read.

     The procedure for setting the parallel port so that it can read the
     Softimage 3D dongle is different for each Windows NT platform.
     However, there is a method to verify if the port is being read. To
     assess the parallel port status, open a DOS shell and change
     directories (cd) to the c:\flexlm directory. Then enter this command:

     lmutil lmhostid -sentinel

     A dongle number (#) of 0 confirms that the port is not being read. To
     set the port properly, you must consult your hardware configuration
     documentation and/or sales representative for instructions.

   Contact Customer Support

   This means that you probably did not save your License.dat file in plain
   text (.txt) in Notepad. As a result, the font information at the top of
   the license file is unreadable.

   Open Notepad and copy and paste the relevant license information into
   it. Then make sure to save the file as plain text (.txt).

   This means that the License.dat was saved as "Unicode" or "All file
   types".

   Open the file, copy the license text and paste it into a new Notepad
   file. Save it as plain text (.txt).

   This means you do not have the correct driver version for your graphics
   card.

   Contact Customer Support.

REFERENCES

FLEXlm End User Manual.

If you have any questions concerning the information contained in this article, contact support@softimage.com by e-mail.