Installing SolidWorks for Users with restricted rights

Installing SolidWorks for Users with Restricted Rights

Disclaimer
Within this document there are references to changes to the registry settings. Changing
the registry can generate instabilities and if you are unsure about making the changes
seek the services of a qualified administrator. You are advised to retain a backup of a
good registry in case of errors, as this may allow recovery of your system.

Notes
Where a registry key referred to is recorded as:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\SolidWorks\SolidWorks nnnn
The nnnn refers to the version of SolidWorks that will be affected by the key. This might
be 2003, 2004 etc.

Background

SolidWorks as an application running on workstation personal computers differs in

character from other applications typically installed in this environment. System
administrators commonly encounter installations of central corporate information,
typically represented by the database. In these applications the data associated with an
application will be stored on a central server class computer. The client installation
associated with the application provides an access method to the server data. There is
limited customization of the client information normally stored in the registry. The
second class of application commonly installed on a corporate workstation are personal
use applications such as seen the Microsoft Office suite. In many applications the data
files and set-up would be considered personal information with a default save of files
stored in the user profile. Common data files such as document templates can be
installed in a server location and accessed by the client computer. SolidWorks shares
characteristics from both these classes of application. In a commercial environment,
design documents, drawings, parts and assemblies are temporarily under the control of an
individual but must be accessed by other designers and ultimately stored in a central
location where ownership of a file might be transferred to a different user at another time.
The Toolbox utility consists of two elements, a database which is used to drive the
creation of new configurations of parts which are stored within the Toolbox part files.

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The person responsible for planning is best served considering a SolidWorks installation
as a distributed database system where the database program is distributed and duplicated
to multiple workstation computers. The database files consist of a combination of
conventional database files and discrete model files which need to be managed to support
the organization objectives.

Overview
A SolidWorks installation will include both program files and data files consisting of
both model files and database files. In operation, SolidWorks reproduces the industrial
environment by considering parts that are joined together in assemblies. One assembly of
parts may be used as a sub-assembly of a larger group of parts. Drawings might be
created of the parts or assemblies. By the use of a referenced file, a change to a part will
automatically be reflected in drawings referencing the part or any assemblies referencing
the part.

As a productivity enhancement SolidWorks includes features such as HoleWizard and

Toolbox which speed the production of standard features and parts based on tables of
data. Some of the issues faced are related to accessing these tables of data and standard
parts.

Detailed discussion of issues:

The following explanation is based on the effect of creating a new user account where the
user has limited read rights in the installation directory. Referring to the image below,
notice that the typical user cannot write to the program files directory or modify the
contents of files in that directory. Using profiles and the advanced options, it is possible
to further change access rights. Such modifications would be expected to be undertaken
by a qualified system Administrator.

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Temp Variable
In operation, SolidWorks needs to create temporary files used as part of the process. The
files are created in the directory controlled by the TEMP variable. The setting of this
variable can be inspected from a command prompt by running: “SET TEMP”. Please see
the image below.

The temporary folder variables are also specified in the System Environment Variables
which can be found in the Start > Control Panel > System > Advanced tab > Environment
Variables button > under User variables for username the TEMP and TMP variables are
the temp directories.

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Normally an Administrator will set the system wide settings. The directory should be on
a local drive to avoid performance degradation.

The Journal file

As SolidWorks is used, a journal of the commands is recorded. Users need a directory
where this file can be located. If the directory is not on the local drive there will be a
performance penalty. The directory used can be controlled in the user interface,
<Tools><Options><System Options>File locations>{SolidWorks Journal File}

Note from SolidWorks 2005 onward, the journal file is located by default in:

{Documents and settings}\%user name%\Application data\SolidWorks

This is the recommended location for such information by Microsoft. The tool
SolidWorks RX also introduced with SolidWorks 2005 expects to find the file in this
location.

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The information stored in this option can be found in:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SolidWorks\SolidWorks nnnn\Ext References\

SolidWorks Journal Folders

The file created is called “swxJRNL.swj”

The Performance log

Solidworks includes a feature to collect basic information on the use of SolidWorks. At
install time there is an option to enable or disable this feature. The choice is stored in
registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\SolidWorks\SolidWorks nnnn\sw
eventlog\emailenabled

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SolidWorks\SolidWorks nnnn\sw
eventlog\emailenabled

The feature can be controlled in the user interface through <Tools><Options><System

Options>{Enable Performance email}

Enabling this option will cause SolidWorks to generate the following file:
{Computer name} performance.log in the start in directory. Users can control the start in
directory through the Shortcut used to launch SolidWorks.

In SolidWorks 2005 the performance email system was changed to support SolidWorks
RX. The file is now always generated in the folder:
{Documents and settings}\%user name%\Application data\SolidWorks
The file is deleted at key size and time intervals if Performance email is not enabled.

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In SolidWorks 2006 where the Performance email is triggered, the following dialog is
now presented to the user:

Users are encouraged to enable performance email. Please review the technical bulletin
from 21 September 2004: Performance E-mail and SolidWorks 2004 SP4.2

License Agreement

Each user is required to accept the license agreement when SolidWorks is first started.
The license will be presented in the appropriate language for the user based on the
machine regional settings and the installed language versions of SolidWorks. Acceptance
of the license agreement is stored in the user profile.

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After accepting the license agreement the user is presented with the default customization
dialog. The purpose of this dialog is to set some default options within SolidWorks such
as menus and toolbars. The options selected will be stored in the user profile.

Document templates

1) Once SolidWorks is running the user will try to create a new document. For a
new user the first time a new document is selected the following error will appear:

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SolidWorks 2006 Dialog

Dialog from earlier versions of SolidWorks

The trigger for this problem occurring is the creation of the default template files. As
there are a number of options selected at installation time which affect the required
settings in the document templates, these options are created based on the current user
settings the first time SolidWorks is run. These files will be placed in the directory:
{SolidWorks Installation Directory}\data\templates.

The user will be prompted to select a directory where they have read/write access to
store the document templates:

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Selecting a valid directory will also set the user options.

The solution to this problem is:

1) Pre-create the template files. A user with Write access to the directory simply
runs SolidWorks and creates new parts assembly and drawing. After exiting, the
files will be available with read access to the other users
2) Copy the files from an existing installation to the directory
3) Change the directory where the template files are kept.
In a commercial system it is normal for option 3 to be used as many designers should
work to the same company standards. A new directory can be set in the following
option dialog:
<Tools><Options><System options><File Locations>{Document templates}

Setting this option generates registry Key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SolidWorks\SolidWorks nnnn\Ext
references\Document template folders.

It is possible to change the default setting for all new users of SolidWorks by
changing the registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\SolidWorks\SolidWorks nnnn\Ext
references\Document template folders.

If students are expected to follow the online tutorial the default reference to the
tutorial templates needs to be retained when editing the registry key.

Templates will be automatically created where they do not exist in the directory
specified as:

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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SolidWorks\SolidWorks nnnn\Document
Templates\Document Template Folders

The entry here needs to match the entry in the External references above.

Hole Wizard

With the user locked down to Read-only in the SolidWorks installation directory,
when the user first tries to use the hole wizard the following errors occur:

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Followed by an option to browse:

Typically if the user does not choose a directory to which they have write access at
that stage the following messages will appear:

What is happening here is that SolidWorks needs to create a database “Default.mdb”.

This database is used to store the favourites information that forms part of the hole

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wizard functionality. The user can be redirected to a different location to the default
by setting the registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SolidWorks\SolidWorks nnnn \General\User

Data Path

By choosing to set the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE equivalent entry all new users

can be directed to a pre-selected path.

Toolbox

The Toolbox database consists of both a database and a set of model files. Within a
commercial organization all users would be expected to store their information in a
central location. Each user would record through their use of Toolbox the use of a
new fastener when needed. The record consists of adding an entry in the database file
and creation of either a separate part or a configuration of a part within the library of
files. Once created the new parts / configurations would be available to all users
without needing SolidWorks Toolbox added in. This is particularly needed when
opening assemblies.

If a user tries to access the Toolbox add-in the following messages will be seen:

Followed by a prompt to reference another directory:

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Changing the selection of this directory will not be recorded in the registry hence the
only way to overcome the problems is to set the following directory for users to have
write access:

{SolidWorks Toolbox or common files installation directory}\partlibs

This directory is used to create temporary copies of Toolbox parts

The second element of the install is that the Toolbox add-in will try to create a
database:
Tb_default.mdb. This file is used to store the Toolbox favourite’s information. The
file is stored in directory:
{SolidWorks installation directory}\toolbox\data\

Users will need write access to this directory to use Toolbox. It is not possible at this
time to redirect the installation. If write access is not given to this directory the
following errors will appear:

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When using SolidWorks in a restricted environment such as schools, the following

are suggested options that should be established for users of the system:

To set these automatically for an individual user see the registry file. Use the
following registry file entries:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SolidWorks\Applications\SolidWorks Toolbox
Browser]
"BitmapDir"="C:\\SolidWorks\\Toolbox"
"CopyFileType"="1"

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"CopyFileDirectory"="C:\\SolidWorks\\Toolbox"
"InsertDocumentReadOnly"="1"
"ExcludeCopiedReadOnly"="0"
"ReadOnlyFlagDocuments"="1"

These settings do not inherit from their equivalents in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

They need to be created before a user first starts SolidWorks, normally as part of the
installation process.

The main database of Toolbox information is stored in the following location:

{SolidWorks Toolbox or common files installation
directory}\lang\English\Swbrowser.mdb
Users need write access to the directory
{SolidWorks Toolbox or common files installation directory}\lang\English\
as temporary files are created automatically when accessing this database. If concern
exists, the Toolbox files may be installed in a user specified directory as part of the
regular installation process.

In addition to the standard Toolbox parts, SolidWorks generates additional tables for
standard features such as: grooves, structural steels and bearings. To support the
creation of these files the following directory needs to be made read and write access:
{SolidWorks installation directory}\Toolbox\lang\{English}.

If this is not done the following error messages appear:

Import and export

During the import of files SolidWorks needs to create new SolidWorks documents. If
the advice followed in the “document templates” section above, the following options
can be generated automatically.

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Errors will occur if the specified part documents are not available.

PhotoWorks

When running the add-in PhotoWorks, the program expects to find a directory where
custom materials can be written. By default this can be set to a different directory in
the registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SolidWorks\Applications\PhotoWorks2\Photo
Works2.1.42.1\Options\default_custom_folder

Setting this key in a local machine does not inherit into current user and hence every
new user will be prompted to select a folder in the dialog.

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An alternative is to allow write access in the following directory. {SolidWorks

installation directory}\data\Photoworks\custom. As these directories are created
when needed, it is required to set {SolidWorks installation directory}\data to read and
write access

LIST ACCESS PhotoWorks

If list access is not provided through the SolidWorks installation directory structure
then the following error occurs when accessing the lighting scheme for a scene:

After the error is dismissed the user is prompted to browse to an alternative directory:

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The suggestion is that the contents of the folder

{SolidWorks Installation directory}\photoworks\data
be set to a folder that can be browsed to. Students will need to be given separate
instruction on accessing the lighting controls.

Tutorial

The on-line tutorial included with SolidWorks is stored and accessed from the
installation directory. If reduced access to the directory structure is required, copy the
contents of the directory, {SolidWorks installation directory}\samples\tutorial to a
folder that can be browsed to. As the on-line tutorial includes links to files in the
installed directory, do not delete these files but use a duplicate set of files.

Software OpenGL

SolidWorks makes use of the OpenGL graphics accelerator system. In some cases
SolidWorks will be used on machines where the graphics card is unsuitable for use with
hardware acceleration. Under these circumstances the following message box may
appear when using SolidWorks:

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This message box can be suppressed by setting the registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\SolidWorks\Solidworks nnn\general\Software
OGL alarm
Set this to 0 rather than 1

Custom file properties

The custom file property dialog is accessed through:

<File><Properties><Custom><Edit list>. This function controls allows user to add their
own property headings for the file properties dialog.

The location of the file is controlled by the option:

<Tools><Options><System Options><File Locations><Custom properties file>

The default location is:
{SolidWorks installation directory}\lang\{Regional settings language}\

The file is “properties.txt”

In order to add new properties the user needs write access to the “properties.txt” file. No
warnings are raised if write access is not available.

COSMOSWorks Express

Meshing will fail if the user does not have write access to the directory where the files
have been opened from. For training it is recommended that the example files be copied
to the user working directory

MoldflowXpress

No errors reported running an analysis based on the files in the samples directory by a
user with User permissions only.

SolidWorks Office Premium

eDrawings
No changes needed

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DWGEditor
No changes needed

COSMOS Works and COSMOS Motion

During calculation phases with these programs temporary files are created in, by default,
the directory from where the files are opened. It is recommended that tutorial and other
SolidWorks files be placed in a directory where the user had sufficient permissions to
create new files. For school students this would commonly be the users Working files
directory.

If files are opened from a directory where the user does not have write permissions then
commonly the user will receive a waning on open that the file can only be opened read-
only. This would be insufficient to store edits. If the user cannot generate the required
temporary files a message “Unable to open temporary files” will be generated. If the files
already exist but cannot be opened with read and write access the warning “Access to
unnamed file was denied”

PDMWorks and SolidWorks Explorer

No action necessary to use this product, users are advised to plan the use of PDMWorks
from which appropriate client settings are expected to be generated

Version specific changes

The original version of this document was prepared for SolidWorks version 11.0.
(SolidWorks 2003 or SolidWorks 2003-2004 Educational version). Changes in the
installation at different versions are discussed below.

Version 11

Windows XP SP2
Users accessing PhotoWorks may raise message about TCP-IP ports. PhotoWorks uses
an internal access to these ports only when in use. External access to these ports may be
blocked.
This is a version 11 issue only

Version 12

Performance log
At version 13 SP4.0 onwards the Performance log will be stored in the user profile by
default this is

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{Documents and settings}\{User Name}\Application data\Solidworks – This is a default

hidden directory.
The Performance log is created irrespective of the enable performance email settings.

Version 13

Journal file
Unless otherwise specified the Journal file will be created in the user profile directory:
{Documents and settings}\{User Name}\Application data\Solidworks – This is a default
hidden directory.

SolidWorks RX
SolidWorks RX uses the following directories
{Documents and settings}\{User Name}\Application data\Solidworks – This is a default
hidden directory.
{Documents and settings}\{User Name}\SW Log Files – This is a default hidden
directory.

PhotoWorks
PhotoWorks no longer communicates through the TCP-IP Port protocol

SolidWorks RX capture of Application and System event files

In order to save an event file a user needs the privilege to backup files and directories.
The policy can be found in the Group Policy object editor: <Computer
Configuration><Windows settings><Security Settings><Local Policies><User Rights
Assignment>{Back up files and directories}. Add the groups or users who have
permissions to undertake this role to the local machine or organizational unit policy.

Administrators are strongly advised to ensure that this relaxation in the security policy
will not compromise their domain security

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Version 15

The document has been extended to include COSMOS Express, MoldflowXpress and
other SolidWorks Office Premium components.

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