hexagon logo
Register Sign in
  • Replies 28 replies
  • Subscribers 23 subscribers
  • Views 578 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related

Offline Program with an Online Seat

KamikazeKonrad
I know this isn't news to many currently using the forum, but for those interested in offline programming when all they have is an online seat (dongle's married to a CMM), there was in the past a workaround to programming offline, that may still work for you.

Download and install PCDmis version 3.5 or earlier on a computer you want to offline program from. Locate the file interfac.dll in the install folder and rename it to anything other than interfac.dll. Plug your dongle into the USB port, and you're good to go. You may not be programming in the latest version, but any newer version will open the older versions saves, and furthermore, with a program like UltraVNC, you can remote access the computer you've set up and program from anywhere.

The only issue is that you can't run your CMM while you have the dongle in another computer.
  • For complete newbies, PC-DMIS offline licenses are available too, just contact Hexagon to purchase. 2009 is a great year to get a good price on these, especially with a package deal.
  • I remember this. As soon as this was posted the next version out was "FIXED" so that little trick did not work any longer.
  • For complete newbies, PC-DMIS offline licenses are available too, just contact Hexagon to purchase. 2009 is a great year to get a good price on these, especially with a package deal.


    Brian, I have a question for you. And I'm not trying to start an argument with this. If I have a purchased copy of PCDmis, why is it dedicated to one CMM? I can only use PCDmis if I have the dongle present, so I am limited to using PCDmis in one location at any given time anyways. Why does it matter if I use it on computer "A" or Computer "B"? In fact, I would almost think Hexgon would like to have the dongle moving around alot, because the risk of losing it increases, and then they can charge the customer for another one.

    PcDmis is great software, but the greed of Hexagon will one day come back to burn them.
  • It might have something to do with the machine-specific files and calibration maps....?

    Idea being that each PC-DMIS install is linked to a CMM, so you cannot inadvertently switch these files and fork yourself......

    Or it could be for money! Smiley
  • The antonym of "greedy" is "charitable." Do you wish to do business with a charity? When I bought machines from Hexagon years before coming here, I was happy they were profitable, because if they were not, my investment in their products would be worthless. If I sensed that a company was so desperate to sell me a machine (and I bought a lot of equipment from all sorts of companies) I would run away. My company made millions of blades a year, we could not afford to fool around with companies that could not back up their product with a long term commitment for services and support.
  • I guess I can see tying the software down to one PC, I'm not saying that I like it, I have just seen similar things with other software packages. If you go through and read the EULA of many, I would say most, of your programs software manufacturers/distributors don't "technically" allow you to install the software on more than one PC at a time, regardless of whether or not you have it actively running on both. The thing that really is a problem for me is that I can't use the software for anything at all if for some reason the CMM is down. I have a machine that I have worked on that sometimes has insufficient air pressure for a variety of reasons. This is bad enough when I have to run programs, but there is nothing that I can do about that. When I find it most annoying though is when it happens after I have run a program and I am trying to generate reports. The style of reports that they want at that place can take a significant amount of time sometimes and it's really annoying when I can't use the software because the machine doesn't have pressure. Yes I know that there is an error, and for what I'm doing it really doesn't matter. Kindly let me clear the message box and let me go about my business. Don't keep flashing that on the screen and only give me the option to completely shut down PC-DMIS. That isn't helpful for anyone and in a case like that I don't see it as a violation of any agreement that I have, real or implied, to be able to use the software.
  • A VERY good point, I can't see a reason why this would be a license issue or security issue. I will say though, that it may not be easy to implement, because we have to make some way of ignoring the error, but ignoring hardware errors in software is never a good idea, because ignoring them can be potentially damaging. I am open to ideas and thoughts on this.

    PS: Get them to fix the air pressure problem, it is the root source of the issue.

    I guess I can see tying the software down to one PC, I'm not saying that I like it, I have just seen similar things with other software packages. If you go through and read the EULA of many, I would say most, of your programs software manufacturers/distributors don't "technically" allow you to install the software on more than one PC at a time, regardless of whether or not you have it actively running on both. The thing that really is a problem for me is that I can't use the software for anything at all if for some reason the CMM is down. I have a machine that I have worked on that sometimes has insufficient air pressure for a variety of reasons. This is bad enough when I have to run programs, but there is nothing that I can do about that. When I find it most annoying though is when it happens after I have run a program and I am trying to generate reports. The style of reports that they want at that place can take a significant amount of time sometimes and it's really annoying when I can't use the software because the machine doesn't have pressure. Yes I know that there is an error, and for what I'm doing it really doesn't matter. Kindly let me clear the message box and let me go about my business. Don't keep flashing that on the screen and only give me the option to completely shut down PC-DMIS. That isn't helpful for anyone and in a case like that I don't see it as a violation of any agreement that I have, real or implied, to be able to use the software.
  • A VERY good point, I can't see a reason why this would be a license issue or security issue. I will say though, that it may not be easy to implement, because we have to make some way of ignoring the error, but ignoring hardware errors in software is never a good idea, because ignoring them can be potentially damaging. I am open to ideas and thoughts on this.

    PS: Get them to fix the air pressure problem, it is the root source of the issue.

    Brian, you should be able to continue using pcdmis offline if a machine error occurs.
    That way you can save any work you have done without being able to use the cmm directly.
    Is it possible to have pcdmis switch to the offline interface if the cmm hardware kicks out an error message?
  • Have the messagebox display a choice, like "PC-DMIS has received a hardware status error from the CMM. Do you want to continue in OFFLINE mode or restart/reconnect PC-DMIS?"

    I can't see the 'hard' part in implementing that, codewise?

    My personal opinion for implementing this 'got to have an offline license to run without a CMM' is merely to sell more PC-DMIS licenses.
    ...makes me wonder how many of the 30.000 something licenses sold are offline licenses - 15.000?
  • Have the messagebox display a choice, like "PC-DMIS has received a hardware status error from the CMM. Do you want to continue in OFFLINE mode or restart/reconnect PC-DMIS?"

    I can't see the 'hard' part in implementing that, codewise?

    My personal opinion for implementing this 'got to have an offline license to run without a CMM' is merely to sell more PC-DMIS licenses.
    ...makes me wonder how many of the 30.000 something licenses sold are offline licenses - 15.000?

    You are exaggerating a bit, but you are pretty darn close !
    +1
© 2024 Hexagon AB and/or its subsidiaries. Privacy Policy | Cloud Services Agreement