Creo 9 Mechanism Dynamics Option (MDO)

[Srivalli]

While using Creo 9 Mechanism Dynamics Option (MDO) for analyzing design system, user is getting the error "Mechanism Dynamics is required for this analysis type". After re-installation it worked. But when Creo is closed and re-launched, again the dynamic function is lost.

Because of this issue, user cannot close Creo session. If closed, this is lost.

[MartinHanak]

Hi,

start Creo 9.0 and click File > Help > System Information > System Information. In dialog box there is a list of available license modules. Look for Mechanism Dynamics.

If Mechanism Dynamics is not available then click File > Options > Floating Licenses. In dialog box look for Mechanism Dynamics.

[SweetPeasHub]

What kind of licensing are you using? Floating? Node locked? Is it possible you have different Tiers of license available and are not always getting Tier3 (Design Advanced Professional) or higher? For floating licenses, the default installation of Creo will not be specific in this matter. 

I configure Creo to allow choosing the license level. 

No need to reinstall Creo...  with administrator rights run C:\Program Files\PTC\Creo 9.X.X.X\Parametric\bin\reconfigure.bat

The default looks like this next image and will grab any of the Tiers, but starts at the top of the list which is alphabetical and is Tier2, not the Tier3 needed. You can reorder the tiers so Tier3 is first in the list but I prefer to have the choice when launching, rather than guessing at which one I get.

like this...

A possible second issue may be related to permissions. Try giving Administrator rights to the user for the entire installation folder C:\Program Files\PTC. Some levels of windows security are preventing system writes to this area and are requiring user level access. PTC does not always more properly use the user AppData area for these writes.

A third issue I can think of may be that the Tier3 license is not getting released when the Creo closes (if you are doing floating license)

It is strange that it works at first launch but not subsequent launches.

-regards

[Srivalli]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.
We are having few Advanced Plus license (needed for using Mechanism Dynamics) and 1 Advanced Rendering License. But we are unable to see Mechanism Dynamics module while trying to reconfigure Creo to use Advanced Plus license. Looks like license configuration is not properly done or licenses are not available.

This is how it should look like. 

[MartinHanak]

Hi,

go to https://support.ptc.com/apps/licensePortal/auth/ssl/cdr page and submit request to get CDR. PTC will send you zip file via email. Inside zip file you will find Excel file containing the list of all licenses "connected" to your company. You can check this list.

[SweetPeasHub · Accepted solution]

Hi @Srivalli ,

This is mostly covered in my previous response, but I can clarify a couple things. The license PROE_DesignAdvP already includes Mechanism dynamics so there is not a need to attach that as an additional extension. Once all the PROE_DesignAdvP licenses are taken the next license attempted is PROE_DesignEssH. There is a problem there because that license is a locked license for home use and should not be placed on the license server. I don't think it will let you have that license from the server, but I am not sure. I am now assuming the next license it will attempt is DesignAdvG. I am not totally familiar with this but it looks like its the Tier2 but allowed to be used globally instead of regionally. It appears that only once these are all taken, then the next license DesignAdvPG will be another license(s) that has the mechanism dynamics option.

These are taken in order. The order can be changed by the right arrows. But, as I stated in my previous post it is better to have control over which license type is granted rather than first come first serve. 

I would have a Tier1 startup configuration with the local DesEss first and the global DesEssG next.

Then I would add another Tier3 startup configuration with DesignAdvP followed by DesignAdvG.

I would do this for every user and tell them to only grab Tier3 when they need that functionality.

System Information one way to tell what license you actually have obtained.

Finally, and probably your most important tool is the PTCSTATUS command.

For this open a command prompt and change directory to the bin folder such as C:\Program Files\PTC\Creo XX.X.X.X\Parametric\bin.

then type ptcstatus and you should get a listing of all the licenses on the license server, how many are available and who is using them.

To facilitate this I have my users modify the machines environment variable "path" to add the path to that bin folder so the ptcstatus command can be run at the root path or any path and eliminate the change directory step. we collaborated here to write a little tkinter python app to make the ptcstatus output more graphical along with some launch options. It also has the ability to notify us when a license becomes available. We can also see who the user is and contact them about possibly switching licenses.

These are all changes that are on the client sides (your personal machines) not the server, that make licensing clear and organized.

Hopefully this has clarified some things for you. Please let us know if there are further questions.

[MartinHanak]

... additional information ...

Note: I am not sure whether PROE_DesignEssH is Home Use license. The only Home Use license I know is named PROE_EssentialsMHome.

OP can create separate startup file for every license name. See below mentioned example.

When user starts Creo using parametric.exe shortcut, he will see dialog box similar to the following one. Because of this user can choose purposefully a license containing Mechanism Dynamics module.

[Srivalli]

@MartinHanak Thanks Martin! We will try this option too.

[Srivalli]

Thank you very much  @SweetPeasHub!

PTCSTATUS command is really helpful to look for the licenses in use and the users who are consuming them.
Right now, MDO worked with Proe_DesignAdvP for one of our colleagues. But it is inconsistently picking up. We will debug more with 2-3 users. Our users may need admin access to reconfigure each time they lose license. Will check and get back 🙂

[Srivalli]

@MartinHanak  @SweetPeasHub 
Could you guys help me with understanding the difference between the global license and regional license?
If user cannot access Proe_DesignAdvP, can he use Proe_DesignAdvPG?

[MartinHanak]

---

@Srivalli wrote:

@MartinHanak  @SweetPeasHub 
Could you guys help me with understanding the difference between the global license and regional license?
If user cannot access Proe_DesignAdvP, can he use Proe_DesignAdvPG?

---

Hi,

I think you have to discuss this topic with your PTC VAR.

I guess that:

• regional license must always be used only in the country for which it was purchased
• global license can be used in any country

[SweetPeasHub]

Right @MartinHanak and I only guessed that the added G stood for a global license, like I guessed the H was for home use.

[Srivalli]

@SweetPeasHub  @MartinHanak  Issue is resolved after reconfiguring the order of licenses to Proe_DesignAdvPG and Proe_DesignAdvP. We have enough number of licenses. Users can use MDO feature at a time. Thanks much for your support 🙂 

[SKY]

Hi @SweetPeasHub 

Could you elaborate on customizing the Ptcstatus.bat as you mentioned above.

thanks in advance 

[SweetPeasHub]

I assume that you mean the Python 3. applet for ptcstatus.bat that comes with Creo. It is almost 800 lines of code that have been edited over 20 years and multiple python "dabblers" here. I cannot share the code but I can give a basic starting point. Note, this is incomplete code.

import os
from os import popen
import string
from tkinter import * # Interface to Tk components
#etc...

#set directory dynamically by inspecting for the ptcstatus.bat file installed with Creo.
os.chdir(param_bin_dir)  

#grab the ptcstatus output text
status_fil = popen("ptcstatus -nopause", 'r')  

#parse and do some string operations on each line.
for i,l_str in enumerate(status_fil):  

#launch a selected license
lic_path = param_bin_dir + lic_to_launch
popen(lic_path)


def borrow_lic():
    if os.getenv('PRO_ALLOW_EARLY_RETURN') != 'true':
      os.environ['PRO_ALLOW_EARLY_RETURN'] = 'true' 
    os.chdir(param_bin_dir)
    popen('ptcborrow.bat')

def return_lic():
    os.chdir(lmutil_dir)   
    borrowed_str = popen('lmutil lmborrow -status', 'r')  
    for line in borrowed_str:
        if line.startswith('p'):
            try:
                print('lmutil lmborrow -return -c ' + LIC_SERVER + ' ' + line.split('      ')[1])
                return_result = popen('lmutil lmborrow -return -c ' + LIC_SERVER + ' -vendor ptc_d ' + line.split('      ')[1], 'r')
                popen('lmutil lmborrow -purge')
    
                   

Some string replacements are made to make the information more human readable. Number free vs in use tracked and colors change when no more are free for that license type.