NPOWER Software

NPOWER FAQ

Quick Links:

1) How do I authorize my software? How do I get to the License authorization dialog?

2) I am using the Software Key license system and I am getting errors when trying to activate. What should I do? What do these error codes mean?

3) How do I move my license to a new machine?

4) I installed your plug-in for 3ds Max, and when I start up 3ds Max, I can't see the plug-in loaded. What did I do wrong?

5) I'm using the Turbosquid licensing, and when I enter my serial number it tells me "license not found". I have a valid serial number. Why am I getting this error and how do I fix it?

6) When I try to authorize, the screen just flashes quickly and I'm not able to enter my serial number. What am I doing wrong?

7) I can't import SolidWorks native files (either with the demo version or with Power SolidWorksToMax). What should I do?

8) After installing, I started up 3ds Max 2009, and nPower Software popped up "an important dialog message". But now I don't see that dialog any more. What did it say? And what are the important performance settings that I should be concerned about.

9) I'm running Max 2009 64 bit, and it seems to crash all the time. Why? How can I stop all the crashes?

10) Why do my display and render quality setting look strange? I change to the "Production" setting, and the rendering actually looks worse. Why is that?

11) I received a model from a 3rd party that used your plug-ins to create the model, and I can't open the model. How can I open and render the model without purchasing your software?

12) How do I uninstall Power Solids / Power Translators / Power NURBS?

13) How do I get the custom icons installed for Power NURBS, Power Solids, Power Translators?

14) I'm trying to run the SolidWorks native translator (Power SolidWorksToMax), and nothing happens when it runs. Why isn't it working?

15) I'm using Power Translators, and I run out of memory when I try to import very large assembly files. Is there anything I can do to import those files?

16) I'm trying to authorize my software (using the License dialog), but the numbers keep changing? Why do the numbers change?

17) I have a bunch of render farm machines, and when I send nPower models to those machines I get errors. How do I fix this problem?

18) How do I find the tools for flipping faces in Power Solids / Translators / NURBS?

18) My rendered images look grainy or distorted. Why?

20) When I try to apply a modifier/UVW Map to an assembly, I get an error message and/or the model disappears. Why is this?

22) When I import a model and then render, nothing appears. Why is this?

23) How do I get the mesh with Maya Translators?

Q: How do I authorize my software? How do I get to the License authorization dialog?

A: Here are the steps if you have purchased using the new Software Key license system:

1) Run Max as administrator. If you are running for the first time after installing the plugins, you should get our license dialog.
2) Enter your License ID and Password in the activation dialog and wait for confirmation.

B: Here are the steps if you have purchased using the old Turbosquid license system:

1) Create a sphere or box
2) Select the sphere
3) Click on the Pwr_EditNrbs command (it's under the nPower Tools 1 drop down list in the create tab (arrow))
4) Expand the "operator parameters" submenu
5) Choose the License button
6) Choose the option to "Enter Authorization Codes"
7) Send the 2 numbers that it generates to DGill@nPowerSoftware.com

Q: I am using the Software Key license system and I am getting errors when trying to activate. What should I do? What do these error codes mean?

A: This can happen from time to time. We have had some issues with customers having firewalls that block communcation with our license server. We have not been able to narrow down the exact cause, but manual activation is always an option. Otherwise, sometimes a bad License ID can trigger errors as well.

Common Error Codes:

1) 5008: Invalid license ID or password. These were either issued incorrectly or typed in correctly.
2) 5010: Wrong Product. Most likely you are trying to activate SubDNurbs in the Plugins activation dialog. The plugins and SubDNurbs are actually different products. You will need to use the modifier(ReMod) to get the SubDNurbs activation dialog.
3) 5013: No remaining activations. Users are allowed only one activation with a default license.

In the case of any error above, please contact us at: support@nPowerSoftware.com

Q: How do I move my license to a new machine?

B: If you are using the new Software Key license system, use the following approach to move your license.

1) Click on the Pwr_NURBS command (it's under the nPower Tools 1 drop down list in the create tab)
2) Expand the Operator Paramters rollout menu on your right and choose the License button at the bottom
3) Click the Deactivate button on the dialog
4) Go to your Autodesk root Directory (For example C:/Program Files/Autodesk/3ds Max 2012/) and mail the file, nPower_License_8.ini, to Support@nPowerSoftware.com. Note: Please also include the License Id in your email if you have purchased multiple licenses. We will add an activation to your License.

B: If you are using the DCPFLICS license system, use the following approach to move your license.

1) Delete the file C:/Program Files/DCPFLICS/DCPFLICS.lic
2) Install and authorize on the new machine (using your serial number)

C: If you are using the old license system, use the following process. You must first de-authorize on your initial machine and uninstall before moving your license to a new machine. Here are the steps to de-authorize on your original machine:

1) On the currently licensed machine, click on the License button and send us the license codes. We will generate a de-authorization code and send it back.
2) Enter the de-authorization code. You will get verification codes back.
3) Send us the verification codes.
4) Then you can install on the new machine and we will authorize it.

Q: I installed your plug-in for 3ds Max, and when I start up 3ds Max, I can't see the plug-in loaded. What did I do wrong?

A: Most likely, you installed into the wrong directory. You should install into the top level 3ds Max directory. For example, 3ds Max 2012 is usually in C:/Program Files/Autodesk/3ds Max 2012/. If you received errors when starting up Max, you should probably contact Support@nPowerSoftware.com. For installation help, see our installation video.

Q: I'm using the Turbosquid licensing, and when I enter my serial number it tells me "license not found". I have a valid serial number. Why am I getting this error and how do I fix it?

A: Each serial number is specific to a product. When you authorize a given serial number, it has to match the product that you are trying to authorize. When you start up 3ds Max the first time (after installing our plug-ins), it will prompt you to choose the product(s) that you purchased. If you choose the wrong product, the authorization will fail. When you
choose a product, it updates a file called nPower_Config30.ini. This file is found in the root 3ds Max directory. It indicates which products you are authorizing. It is very important that the settings in this file match your serial number (the product(s) that you purchased). If it doesn't, the authorization will fail. The nPower_Config30.ini file is a text file that
you can edit by hand. Set the products = 1 if you are trying to authorize them. Make sure that all of the other product settings are set = 0.

Q: When I try to authorize, the screen just flashes quickly and I'm not able to enter my serial number. What am I doing wrong?

A: You probably are using Internet Explorer 8.0. There was a bug in the Turbosquid DCPFLICS authorizing system with Internet Explorer 8.0 using our 5.0 version. A patch is available to download. Place the patch files as follows:

DCPFLICS.DLU – this goes into the \plugins\Afterworks\Common folder and overwrites the existing file.

TSRegisterNow.dll – this goes into the \3ds Max XXXX root folder and overwrites the existing file.

Q: I can't import SolidWorks native files (either with the demo version or with Power SolidWorksToMax). What should I do?

A: You probably need to register the SolidWorks file reader DLL (SwDocumentMgr.dll). Here are the steps to do that.

Using Windows Vista, here is the process for that.

 a)  Start a DOS command shell 
 b)  Go to the 3ds Max directory 
 c)  Run as Administrator   /Program Files/Autodesk/3ds Max XXXX/regsvr33.exe swDocumentmgr.dll

For Window XP, here is the process

 a)  Start a DOS command shell  
 b)  Go to the 3ds Max directory
 c)  Run RegSvr32 SwDocumentMgr.dll  
Here is a quick video to demonstrate this process.

Q: After installing, I started up 3ds Max 2009, and nPower Software popped up "an important dialog message". But now I don't see that dialog any more. What did it say? And what are the important performance settings that I should be concerned about.

1) In the Viewport Configure / Active Degradation Tab, turn off the check box "Draw Backfaces During Degrade"

2) In Customize / Preferences / Viewport Tab / Configuration Driver, turn off the check box "Use Cached D3DXMeshes"

3) Turning off the Steering Wheel Plug-in seems to prevent occasional crashes during heavy Direct X use. In the Max Directory "stdplugs", rename "AutoCamMax.gup" to "AutoCamMax.gup.bak"

Q: I'm running Max 2009 64 bit, and it seems to crash all the time. Why? How can I stop all the crashes?

A: the new steering wheel control causes many crashes in 64 bit Max. You can turn this tool off by going to the "stdplgs" directory and renaming AutoCamMax.gup to AutoCamMax.gup.bak.

Q: Why do my display and render quality setting look strange? I change to the "Production" setting, and the rendering actually looks worse. Why is that?

A: Most likely, you are running the European version of the Microsoft operating system, and you have chosen the option to represent the decimal point as a comma "," instead of a period ".". The nPower_Settings20.ini file assumes that the period "." is used to represent a decimal point. While we are working on a fix to this problem, you can get around the problem by changing all of the periods "." in the nPower_Settings20.ini file to commas ",". That will temporarily fix the problem.

Q: I received a model from a 3rd party that used your plug-ins to create the model, and I can't open the model. How can I open and render the model without purchasing your software?

A: Download and install our free viewer plug-in. That will allow you to open, view and render the model. Of course, you are also welcome to purchase our plug-ins and experience the power for yourself.

Q: How do I uninstall Power Solids / Power Translators / Power NURBS?

A: Use our installer to uninstall also. In the first menu, choose the "Maintain or update..." option and select the installed version from the list. Then in the next menu choose the "Remove" option (the option at the bottom).

Q: How do I get the custom icons installed for Power NURBS, Power Solids, Power Translators?

A: We have created a custom UI file that you can load. Go to "Customize->Load Custom UI Scheme" and it will bring up a dialog asking for the UI scheme to load. We have created several different files (one for each version of Max). Select the appropriate file (for example, for Max 8, choose nPower_ToolBars_Max8.ui). You can then position the toolbars wherever you wish. Note that the toolbars contain all of the tools. If you haven't purchased all of the products, some of the tools won't work. You can remove these extra tools from the toolbar. You can also create your own custom toolbars using the "Customize->Customize User Interface" menu command.

Q: I'm trying to run the SolidWorks native translator (Power SolidWorksToMax), and nothing happens when it runs. Why isn't it working?

A: You probably need to register the swdocumentmgr.dll. This is done using a DOS command prompt, and going to the directory where you have 3ds Max / VIZ and then executing the command "regsvr32 swdocumentmgr.dll". If you are using Vista, you should make sure to run the DOS CMD as administrator.

Here is a quick video to demonstrate this process.

Q: I'm using Power Translators, and I run out of memory when I try to import very large assembly files. Is there anything I can do to import those files?

A: Power Translators has no physical limitations, but 3ds Max can at times run out of memory. The result is usually a crash. However, there are many things which you can do to minimize the memory consumption. Memory usage is generally at its highest point during the import process, so after you import, you can change any of the following options and work in any mode that you wish.
1) Import into a single viewport
2) Import into a wireframe (instead of shaded) view.
3) Use the "Coarse" display setting
4) Set the "NumberTessellationThread" to 0 in the nPower_Settings20.ini file
5) Make sure you have the 3 GB memory switch turned on if you have a machine with that much memory

Q: I'm trying to authorize my software (using the License dialog), but the numbers keep changing? Why do the numbers change?

A: The license manager program uses an encryption algorithm, and the numbers are regenerated frequently. However, because the numbers change doesn't mean that the authorization keys that you received won't work. Don't worry about the numbers changing. Go ahead and enter the key codes anyway, and they should work. If they don't work, send the newly generated numbers to support and we will give you a new set.

Q: I have a bunch of render farm machines, and when I send nPower models to those machines I get errors. How do I fix this problem?

A: Install our free viewer plug-in on those render farm machines and you will be able to view and render the nPower models on your render machines. Don't install the viewer plug-in on your nPower licensed machines, as it will overwrite your license. The viewer is intended for machines that will be doing viewing and rendering (and not editing / creation).

Q: How do I find the tools for flipping faces in Power Solids / Translators / NURBS?

A: Go to the Pwr_EditNrb command. Then click on the "Visibility" button. The "Visibility" tools provide options for selecting and flipping face orientations, selecting duplicate faces, and other cleanup activities. The Power Translators video tutorial explains how to use some of these tools

Q: My rendered images look grainy or distorted. Why?

A: This problem is most often caused by using the 2-sided mesh option while rendering. Do not use 2-sided meshes while rendering. This option is intended to be purely a viewing option to help show back facing surfaces.

Q: When I try to apply a modifier/UVW Map to an assembly, I get an error message and/or the model disappears. Why is this?

A: Unfortunately, Assemblies cannot be given Max Modifiers or UVW Maps. However, there are some alternative methods around this problem:

1) Explode the Assembly, and then use the NURBS Brep Grouping command. Then apply the modifier/UVW Map to the objects.

2) Explode the Assembly, and then use the Join tool. Be careful, as this will sew the objects into one mesh.

3) Explode the Assembly, and then apply the modifier/UVW Map to each individual piece.

Q: When I import a model and then render, nothing appears. Why is this?

A: This is most likely because you are importing into wireframe mode. When importing models, always be sure to import in one viewport, and under the Smooth+Hightlights setting.

Q: How do I get the mesh with Maya Translators?

1) Import the desired file with Maya Translators
2) Go to Window > Outliner
3) Right click and make sure "Show Shapes" is checked
4) With the object selected, dig down and find the associated nPower_Shape# (not the polySurfaceShape#) and delete it (see image)

NPOWER Software - Advanced Modeling Plugins for 3DSMAX and RHINO