Multiple Max Version Install

[mpolo]

All,

With Power NURBS and Translators 2, I was able to install in 2 versions of max (9 and 2008) concurrently.

In trying to upgrade to v5, the install will only let me install in one. When I run the install again, it will not allow the option of installing another instance.

Is there a workaround for this? I always use 2 versions of max for a time during upgrades.

Mark Hall

[nPower_Dave]

All,

With Power NURBS and Translators 2, I was able to install in 2 versions of max (9 and 2008) concurrently.

In trying to upgrade to v5, the install will only let me install in one. When I run the install again, it will not allow the option of installing another instance.

Is there a workaround for this? I always use 2 versions of max for a time during upgrades.

Mark Hall

That's a great question. The limitation is currently with the Turbosquid license system. It should work with multiple versions of Max, but I think there is currently a bug they are working on regarding mixing of 32 and 64 bit versions. I'm guessing that your Max 2008 is 64 bit and your Max 9 is 32 bit. Is that correct?

[PiXeL_MoNKeY]

Actually David the issue is with the installer. It requires you to uninstall, before you can install another version of it from the same installer.

The only solution I know of is to install into a Dump folder (that is outside of either of the 3ds max install folders) of sorts and copy the files to the 3ds Max install directories from there. For example: Install to C:\PNurbs_Dump\, Then copy the contents of that folder to the 3ds Max 9 and 3ds Max 2008 folders.

-Eric

[mpolo]

Eric,

You are correct. It was at the install point. The workaround you describes sounds like it will work. I will try that.

[mpolo]

Eric and Dave,

This workaround is not too good. I tried it and it is too much trouble. I decided I can stop using Max 9 and go with 2008.

But I will have the same problem when I install Max 2009. I started the NPowerMax2009_32Bit_R512.exe installer as a test. It also does not give you the option of installing a new copy. It only lets you Modify, Repair, or Remove.

[nPower_Dave]

All,

With Power NURBS and Translators 2, I was able to install in 2 versions of max (9 and 2008) concurrently.

In trying to upgrade to v5, the install will only let me install in one. When I run the install again, it will not allow the option of installing another instance.

Is there a workaround for this? I always use 2 versions of max for a time during upgrades.

Mark Hall

It looks like we need to fix this issue with the installer. We'll produce an update.

[Atlan2000]

It looks like we need to fix this issue with the installer. We'll produce an update.

Hello David,
any news about this fix?
through this problem we could not use max9 and 2009 in our production environment synchronously.

best regards,
Marc

[PiXeL_MoNKeY]

Install into a dump folder and copy the contents to a different directory, uninstall, install the next version the same way. This will work, only down side is you can't uninstall through normal add/remove program methods.

-Eric

[mpolo1]

Eric,

I still feel strongly that this workaround is too much trouble. The same issue exists with the viewer installer also. I don't want to do this for all the machines on our render farm.

This is important. How soon can it be corrected? If it really is a lot of trouble and not something that can be done soon (by Oct 10th), then please write a step by step set of instructions on how to perform the install workaround. I tried it at home and couldn't get it to work.

[PiXeL_MoNKeY]

Contact David by e-mail or through the online chat, he may have something that can help you out. I personally use a lot of batch files to handle plugin installs, etc. The way I have handled nPower installs is:

1) Install to a "Dump" folder (this is a temp folder used to unpack everything).
2) Once installed to the "Dump" folder copy all the files to a network location, for example I have a plugin folder with "3ds Max 9", "3ds Max 2008", "3ds Max 2009", etc folders.
3) I have written 2 batch files that uses backburner to install the unpacked plugins on renderfarm machines (not sure how licensing is handled on workstations with the DCPFlics stuff).
@ echo off
COPY "\\<path>\Plugins\3dsMax2009\plugin.ini" "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2009\" /Y

:Afterworks
XCOPY "\\<path>\Plugins\3dsMax2009\TSRegisterNow.dll" "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2009\" /E /Y

:nPower
IF "%COMPUTERNAME%"==<workstations> (
XCOPY "\\<path>\Plugins\3dsMax2009\nPower_PTPro\*.*" "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2009\" /E /Y
) ELSE (
XCOPY "\\<path>\Plugins\3dsMax2009\nPower_Viewer\*.*" "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2009\" /E /Y
)
goto end

:endreplace <path> with your network paths, <workstations> with any machine name that needs more than nPower Viewer installed, and the Max install path to the proper path. Then I use the next batch to submit a job to backburner that copies all the files to the machines local installs."C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Backburner\cmdjob.exe" -jobname "Update Plugins" -manager <manager_name> -priority 0 -perserver "\\<path>\Plugins.bat"Replace <manager_name> with your manager name, and <path> with the network location of the Plugins.bat file.

You now have your files on a network drive for distribution and a way to copy to the local machines. From there you can uninstall the version from the "Dump" folder, and repeat for any other versions you need (different bit version or max version). Uninstall takes a little more work, but could be done by similar batch files.

Hope that helps,
-Eric

[PiXeL_MoNKeY]

Mark,
Have you gotten a solution from David or from what I have posted?

-Eric

[mpolo1]

Eric,

No. To tell you the truth this is the kind of problem you can forget about for a while, until reminded again.

I just installed the 5.3 update released on Oct 15th. I was hoping the installer would have been updated to address this. But it has not.

I'll take a closer look at your tip and see if I can do it.

[mpolo1]

Eric, Dave,

I was successful in installing Power NURBS in both max 2008 and 2009 (both 32 bit).

I used the method of installing into dump folders, uninstalling, then manually copying files back into the proper folders.

The hardest part is correcting the paths in the plugin.ini file.

I would still like to see the installation file revised to allow multiple installations. Several versions ago the install did work this way.