Advanced Architectural Desktop Installation Secrets Matthew A. Stachoni – Bernardon Haber Holloway Architects PC & BHH|Tait Interiors LLC BD34-1 Does installing Architectural Desktop across your company have you flustered? Do you need to incorporate your company's standards on top of Architectural Desktop? What about company and user customization? We will cover advanced ADT installation topics in depth and step by step. You will learn some industry-standard (and not so standard) ways of installing and configuring ADT. You will understand the inner workings of the Network Deployment Wizard, as well as tips for avoiding the pitfalls. We'll cover how to easily centralize ADT content on your servers. Learn how to plug your own customization into ADT in an effective way, and learn the inner secrets to migrating your users (and their stuff) forward to new versions safely. Key Topics • Defining your final installation condition, or “Point B” • Multi-Seat Standalone Deployments for the Enterprise • Inside the Network Deployment Wizard • IT and CAD management topics which dictate Deployment techniques • Advanced ADT Deployment techniques in a highly customized corporate CAD environment • Inner secrets of an Architectural Desktop User Profile • Hacking DLL resource files to bend ADT to your will • Automating installations of ADT with a complete user environment Target Audience CAD Managers and IT folks who are charged with installing and configuring Autodesk Architectural Desktop across your company About the Speaker: Matt is currently the CAD and IT manager for the three offices of Bernardon Haber Holloway Architects PC and their affiliate Interior Design firm, BHH|Tait Interiors L.L.C. Matt has been working with and customizing AutoCAD since 1987 and has managed Architectural Desktop in architectural firms since Release 1.0. He has previously done work for the State of Delaware, Massachusetts General Hospital's Planning Department, and several other architectural and interior design firms in Delaware and Boston. More AU 2006 class information at www.autodesk.com/auonline Advanced Architectural Desktop Installation Secrets Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................................................................................................................................... 2 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................... 3 2 STARTING AT THE END: POINT B ......................................................................................................................... 5 3 ARCHITECTURAL DESKTOP DEPLOYMENTS ................................................................................................... 7 4 CAD MANAGEMENT ISSUES THAT DRIVE DEPLOYMENT DESIGN............................................................ 9 5 PREFLIGHT STEPS BEFORE CREATING A DEPLOYMENT .......................................................................... 12 6 CREATING A DEFAULT DEPLOYMENT ............................................................................................................. 14 7 MODIFYING THE DEFAULT DEPLOYMENT ..................................................................................................... 17 8 INSTALLING THE DEFAULT DEPLOYMENT .................................................................................................... 19 9 CORPORATE ADT CUSTOMIZATION STRATEGIES ....................................................................................... 20 10 HACKING ADT DLLS FOR FUN AND PROFIT.................................................................................................... 30 11 CREATING YOUR CORPORATE DEPLOYMENT .............................................................................................. 37 12 INSTALLING THE CORPORATE DEPLOYMENT ON YOUR TEST PC......................................................... 41 13 CREATING A TEMPLATE ROAMABLEROOTFOLDER................................................................................... 46 14 INSIDE AN ARCHITECTURAL DESKTOP USER PROFILE ............................................................................. 53 15 CREATING A PROTOTYPICAL USER ENVIRONMENT................................................................................... 56 16 SET UP THE SERVER FOR DEPLOYMENTS AND INSTALLATION.............................................................. 62 17 CREATING INSTALLATION BATCH FILES........................................................................................................ 63 18 INSTALLING ADT 2007 ON CLIENT MACHINES............................................................................................... 73 THANK YOUU .......................................................................................................................................................................... 75 2 Advanced Architectural Desktop Installation Secrets 1 Introduction Architectural Desktop (ADT) is that certain kind of application that straddles the line between a traditional, standalone desktop program and a more enterprise-centric or "client-server" type of application. ADT is of course built on an AutoCAD core, and AutoCAD's roots are firmly steeped in the early years of the microcomputer, developed before local area networks were common. As AutoCAD/ADT developed along with the local area network (LAN), considerations were - and are - being made to put more of the application's support functionality on the server to be shared across all users. In addition, the requirements of the Windows XP logo certification specifically dictate how a program's core, support and user-specific files are to be installed on a computer. However, ADT is not a true Enterprise application with a full server-side component. It's really a heavy-duty desktop program which references many support files, which can be held locally or on a server. Many of these support files are normally considered “global” across the company and managed by the CAD Manager, but many are meant to be personal, customized by the end user. Understanding what ADT's support files do, who can change them, and where they need to be located is the first task in designing an effective Deployment and Installation procedure. A normal desktop app is meant for a single person to use on a single PC and, out of the box, ADT is no exception. It usually has little interaction with a server, except to edit document files that are located there. However, an application’s user-specific settings and support files are held locally, which limits the ability for the user to "roam" between machines and increases the chances of data loss in case of a hardware failure, because in both cases a user would have to build up all of their personal settings and support from scratch again. The problem is that there is a huge number of support files associated with Architectural Desktop, but being a desktop application, there is no managing “back end” to control them. That is the main responsibility of the CAD Manager when developing your ADT Deployment and installation protocols. While most of the program is indeed kept locally on your machine, more and more of the program's support structure is better kept on a server, so it may be centrally managed by a CAD Manager and instantly available to users - wherever they may be. Class Notes The content provided herin is the result of many years’ worth of managing ADT in a multi-office environment, over all releases of the program. There are many ways of managing your ADT users and controlling Corporate deployments and installations. Thus, much of what follows is going to be very specific and probably a bit opinionated in nature, and may run across the grain from the ways you currently install and manage ADT. And that’s…OK! I would never assume to have the best answers to everything, and I will make every effort to explain concepts from a CAD Managers viewpoint such that you understand where I’m coming from. However, these techniques have been tried and tested across my company with great success for several releases now, and that they do indeed work. The nature of ADT is such that you can take with you that which you think will work for you. During class I will be using an example set of corporate customization for demonstration purposes only. It will not be covered in detail as part of the class. Rather, its structure and organization is provided only as a springboard for you to consider. Feel free to adapt it to your particular Deployment strategy. It’s probable that you already have your own customization back end, and can easily adjust the concepts shown here to work in your particular situation. Note Some of the advanced topics described here are not supported by Autodesk, and you should read and understand all of the content in this handout before attempting anything that could adversely affect your organization, your users, and, as a result, your personal health and well being. Safety First! 3 Advanced Architectural Desktop Installation Secrets Although the amount of material presented in this class is massive, there are a number of things we will specifically not cover: • Network licensing installations • Installations through Windows' Active Directory and Group Policy, SMS or other enterprise-wide IT infrastructure application • Specific CAD Customization (VisualLISP or VBA routines) above and beyond Deployment and software installation Technical Skills Required