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New 2014 Configurable AutoCAD Installation Structure

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Autodesk Alumni
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by Fenton Webb

In case you haven’t spotted it yet, AutoCAD and verticals have started adopting the ‘Configurable AutoCAD Structure’ for 2014.

What this means is that verticals no longer install to separate program files folders, but instead install off a child folder of AutoCAD… e.g.

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD Plant3d 2013

Is now

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2014\PLNT3d

 

Status

 Default Folder Name

AutoCAD

Adopted

 (Parent)

AutoCAD Electrical

Adopted

 AcadE

AutoCAD Mechanical

Adopted

 Acadm

AutoCAD MEP

Adopted

 ACA and MEP

AutoCAD Plant 3D

Adopted

 PLNT3D

AutoCAD P&ID

Adopted

 PNID

AutoCAD Utility Design

Future Adoption

  

AutoCAD Architecture

Adopted

 ACA

AutoCAD Structural Detailing

Adopted

 ASD

AutoCAD Civil 3D

Adopted

 C3D

AutoCAD Map 3D

Adopted

 Map

AutoCAD ecscad

Future Adoption

  

NOTE: This change affects all developers who target vertical install folders.

Update (April 2016): The above table was updated to include Civil 3D, Map 3D and Mechanical that also adopted configurable installation.

Comments

12 responses to “New 2014 Configurable AutoCAD Installation Structure”

  1. Jeremy Tammik Avatar
    Jeremy Tammik

    Hi Fenton,
    I see from your post that Plant 3D is magically converted into an abbreviated string PLNT3d.
    Is it up to each developer to guess the appropriate string for her product?
    Or is a list of these abbreviations provided somewhere?
    Thank you!
    Cheers, Jeremy.

    Reply
  2. Dave Wolfe Avatar
    Dave Wolfe

    The way I found it was installing the program.
    Fenton, is the purpose for the switch to cut down on installation/installer size? I think it’d be great if there were some system variables we could retrieve these values from. For both Acad files, and then plant/vertical specific files. It is more awkward having dependencies in two places.

    Reply
  3. Fenton Webb Avatar
    Fenton Webb

    Hey David
    the purpose is:
    1) Reduce size
    2) Reduce sp logistics. Example, currently, there is a separate ‘AutoCAD’ related sp with every vertical.
    3) Reduce version creep incompatibilities. Example, where verticals use updated AutoCAD modules
    4) Reduce side-by-side issues

    Reply
  4. Fenton Webb Avatar
    Fenton Webb

    Hey Jeremy
    I have updated the table to suit!

    Reply
  5. Dave Wolfe Avatar
    Dave Wolfe

    So, does the mean we’ll have to setup the AppDomain.AssemblyResolve and handle loading our dependencies through there?

    Reply
  6. Fenton Webb Avatar
    Fenton Webb

    Hey Dave!
    not at all… You only need to subscribe to that event if your DLL resides completely away from the parent exe, child folders of the main exe folder are fine.

    Reply
  7. Dave Wolfe Avatar
    Dave Wolfe

    Thanks!

    Reply
  8. Steve B Avatar
    Steve B

    Hi Fenton,
    I’ve ran into one major problem with this new model. I have a .net application that starts AutoCAD. The machine has both AutoCAD and Plant 3D 2014 installed on it. When I start AutoCAD from my application it opens the last AutoCAD product that was used. I use the /product switch and that works, but the problem is if Plant 3D was the last application opened it pulls a Plant 3D license. This a very expensive problem. I did notice that if I use the basic AutoCAD shortcut then basic AutoCAD starts and pulls a basic AutoCAD licenses. Here’s my line of code I use to start AutoCAD:
    Shell(“C:\Program Files\Autodesk\autocad 2014\acad.exe /product ACAD /nologo /p ” & Chr(34) & “<>” & Chr(34), AppWinStyle.NormalFocus)
    I’ve used the procces.start as well, but I get the same results.
    Can you help????

    Reply
  9. Fenton Webb Avatar
    Fenton Webb

    I don’t have AutoCAD installed at the moment, but can’t you just use the normal AutoCAD Shortcut command line params? Basically, I can’t test this myself right now, sorry…

    Reply
  10. Steve B Avatar
    Steve B

    Not trying to be smart, but If you look at the line of code I posted you’ll see I am using the AutoCAD Shortcut command line params. I’m setting the /product key to ACAD. That part works great. The problem is it’s still pulling a Plant 3D license… Thanks for the response. If I get this resolved, I’ll post the fix here if you would like.

    Reply
  11. Fenton Webb Avatar
    Fenton Webb

    No problem, I didn’t realize it was the same thing :-)
    You might be better off posting this question to the forums – have you tried that?

    Reply
  12. Balaji Avatar
    Balaji

    Hi Steve,
    I have AutoCAD 2014 and Plant3D 2014 installed in my system. Using “/product ACAD”, AutoCAD launches as expected. But I am unable to figure out which license its using. Do you use a network license ?
    Sorry if this is a dumb question : How do you see that AutoCAD is pulling the Plant3D license in your case ?
    If you have posted this query in the discussion forum, please do let me know. I will follow it up there.
    Regards,
    Balaji

    Reply

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