COMPUTES s.p.a.

Via L. Gonella, 1
I-29020 Niviano di Rivergaro (PC)
Tel. +39-0523952811 Fax +39-0523952899
E-mail: info@computes.it
http://www.computes.it

GETTING
STARTED

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This guide provides basic information on the initialization of COMPUTES programs.
You will learn how to install or update a program, how to contact our Technical Support
and how to troubleshoot some of the most common problems.

GLOSSARY
Dialog Box

This box appears on your screen to request specific information.

Checkbox

This small rectangular box can be enabled or disabled by a simple

click of your mouse.

Combobox

This box displays a pull-down list of selectable items plus a field

which displays your choice.

Linea5

This package includes a set of CAM application programs with

integrated CAD software to run under Windows.
PUNCH5: a specific application for programming punching
machines.
CUT5: a specific application for programming different types of
cutting machines (laser, plasma and water-jet cutting machines).
COMBI5: combines PUNCH5 and CUT5 features in a single
application for programming combination machines as well as
punching and cutting machines.

PATCHES

Patches are small files that allow you to upgrade previous versions
of COMPUTES programs without having to buy the full CD pack
of the latest release. Due to their small size, patches can be easily
downloaded from our Website or shipped to your address on diskette
or Cd-Rom.
Patches are also available on the main release Cd-Rom.
Whatever patch you choose, you will be able to update your old
release, without having to install intermediate versions. For example,
to upgrade release 12.000 (main release) to 12.009 you can purchase
the relevant patch and skip rel. 12.001, 12.002, 12.003 etc.

PATCHES

Foreword
Most of the operations mentioned in this guide require the use of the mouse left
button, unless otherwise specified.

How to obtain a patch

Computes offers you several different ways to get the latest patches available. Just
choose the one that suits your needs.
1. Patches may come on the Setup Cd-Rom.
2. Patches can be shipped at your address on diskette or Cd-Rom.
3. Patches can be attached to an e-mail message including all the instructions you
need to install your patch correctly.
4. Patches can be downloaded from Computes Website as follows:
Launch Internet Explorer (or any other Internet browser), connect to
Computes site http://www.computes.it/webservices/ and click the button
Patch;
select the program you wish to update;
the File Download dialog is displayed;

select Save this program to disk and then click

the Save as... dialog is displayed. Choose the folder where you wish to
download your patch;
click Save to start the download process (this may take a few minutes.
Please wait.)
if transfer has been successful, the message Download complete appears
on your screen;
click Exit;
quit the site.

How to extract patch files

The patch file is now loaded on your computer in the selected folder. For
example, if you have chosen one of LINEA5 12.001 patches, you will find a
file named LINEA5_12001.EXE. This is the executable program containing
the selected patches. To extract them, do the following:

From My computer, open the folder where you have stored your patch.
Double-click on the executable file.

You will be asked to select the folder where files can be extracted. In the
box Extract to, type name and path of the desired folder (e.g.:
C:\COMPUTES) and then click Extract. If the folder you specified does
not exist on your computer, you will be prompted to create it; answer Yes
to the request Create C:\Computes directory?.
Now go back to My Computer, access the folder where you have extracted
the files (ex.: C:\COMPUTES) and you will find the actual patches ready
to be installed. Remember that every new patch overwrites the previous
one.

How to install a patch

Standard Patches
You can upgrade any Computes application you have purchased, including the
latest version available. Actually, patches can also be applied while installing a
new program. Whatever your choice, follow the instructions below. The installation
procedure is the same and therefore the terms Install/Update are used together.
Remember that you need at least 200Mb of available space on your hard disk to
be able to install a patch.
The instructions given below apply to all of Computes patches, no matter the way
you obtained them.
What you need to install a Patch for release 12.0xx:
1. release 12.000 Cd-Rom;
2. the right patch for the program you wish to install/update (see How to obtain

a patch).
Install:
1. Before you install the patch, you have to attach your dongle to the parallel port

(LPT1) of your computer. If you are using the DK2 security device, first insert
the MACHINELIST/PASSWORD diskette into drive A:. In this way,
COMPUTES applications are correctly enabled;
2. insert COMPUTES Cd-Rom 12.000 in the appropriate drive. The Setup
program is automatically initialized (refer to the Installation section in this
guide);
3. select the setup language. Click

to confirm your choice and

continue, or choose Cancel to quit;

4. a dialog box appears showing the patches available on COMPUTES Cd-Rom.

Click

to continue;

5. select the application you want to install/update by clicking on the appropriate

icon. Note that only licensed applications are enabled;
5

6. now choose the type of setup you wish to run:

- Version 12 with patch 0: installs the standard version of the selected program
without patches;
- Version 12 with patch (from the Cd-Rom): installs the selected program
with the patch available on the Cd-Rom;
- Version 12 with patch; Installs the program with the patches you select.
Just specify the path to the relevant files (see How to obtain a patch).
See the examples below:

The patch is included in the main release Cd-Rom supplied by COMPUTES

The patch directory is displayed by default. Just click

The patch is supplied on diskette

Insert the diskette into drive A:\.
Type A:\ in the input field.

Click

If patches are stored on more than one diskette, insert diskette no. 1 and then
the next ones, following the instructions displayed on your screen.
The patch is supplied on a separate Cd-Rom

Remove COMPUTES Cd-Rom from your PC drive.

Insert the patch Cd-Rom.
From My Computer, copy the Cd-Rom patches to your hard disk;
Insert COMPUTES Cd-Rom again.
Type the path to the folder where you have copied your patches. Click the
button

if you cannot remember the correct location.

The browser window pops up to help you find your patch.

Open the folder containing the patch you have just copied.

Click

The input field shows the correct path.

Click

to quit.

to continue with Setup.

The patch is stored on the hard disk of your PC

Type the path to the folder where you have copied your patches. Click the
button

if you cannot remember the correct location:

the browser window pops up to help you find your patch;

open the folder containing the patch you have just copied;

click

the input field shows the correct path;

click

to quit;

to continue with Setup.

7. The chosen patch is loaded to your hard disk (the process could take quite a

long time). You can check the operation progress from the displayed bars.
Once your patch is installed, the setup of the selected application is started.
For more information on install procedures, refer to the relevant section in this
guide.
Fast Patches
By using fast patches, you can upgrade your application without having to run the
complete Setup.
1. First, you have to attach the dongle to the parallel port (LPT1) of your computer.
If you are using a DK2 dongle, insert the CHIAVE/PASSWORD diskette into
drive A:.
2. Insert COMPUTES Cd-Rom 12.000 into the appropriate drive. Setup is
automatically started. Choose Exit to quit.
3. Access the folder with the patch you want to install and then double-click the
Patch.exe executable. Wait for the program initialization and then select
COMPUTES setup drive (usually, the Cd-Rom drive). Click

to

confirm.

4. If you have only one version of the application on your PC, Setup installs the

selected patch automatically.

5. If you have installed more versions of the same application, you will be
prompted to choose the one you want to update. Click

to

continue.

N.B.: if the chosen application has already been updated, you will
get the following warning:

If no Computes product to update can be found on your PC, fast patches are
not installed and Setup is terminated:

N.B.:
-

fast patches for release branches cannot be applied to standard

installations of later versions;
this type of patch can only be used for branches of the same release.

6. Setup automatically updates the selected application by uploading the chosen

patch. If the operation has been successful, the following message appears:

Patch installation is similar for all Computes programs. Make sure that you
are installing the right patch for the program you are running.
Patch installation is similar for all Computes programs. Make sure that you
are installing the right patch for the program you are running.
9

Uploading a patch could take a long time, depending on the performance of

your PC. Check the operation progress from the bars that appear on your
screen.

OPERATING SYSTEMS
The latest versions of Computes products can be used with a wide range of operating
systems.
For more information on supported OS, connect to our Website www.computes.it
(Products page).

INSTALLING PROGRAMS
Installing a program means to load a software application to a PC for the first time.
To install Computes applications correctly, carefully follow the instructions given
below.
The first thing to do is to install hardware security drivers. Normally, Computes provides
three types of hardware securities: Activator, DK2 or Rainbow. Check the label of
your dongle key to be sure you are loading the correct driver. If you have purchased
an Activator device, click Activator Driver. If you have purchased a DK2 device
instead, click DK2 Driver. If you have a Rainbow dongle, choose Rainbow.
After that, select the application you wish to install by clicking on the appropriate
icon.

Important. If you have purchased LINEA MD (CAD/CAM system), make

sure you install the following items in the correct order:
1. Computes Common Database;
2. DK2 Driver/Rainbow Driver/Activator Driver (depending on the hardware security
device you have purchased);
3. Metal Designer 3D;
4. MD3
5. Linea5;
6. MasterNEST;
7. PBSystem;
8. Dnc5, DncVIEW and Lib5.
For more information on how to install the above products, please refer to the
appropriate section in this guide.
10

Important. To install and run Computes programs under Windows NT,

Windows 2000, Windows XP, you have to log in as ADMINISTRATOR (the user
with rights to edit Registry files).
After starting Windows NT/2000/XP, type the User ID designated for reading or writing
system files. ADMINISTRATOR is set by default.

Warning. You can install any of the software programs available on

Computes Cd-Rom but you need to purchase the appropriate User License in order to
run them. Please contact your vendor for more information.

MULTIPLE CD-ROM
Computes products of version 12 may come on more than one CD-ROM. In this case,
the Setup program will automatically determine on which CD the selected application
is located and will prompt you to insert the correct disk or enter the corresponding
path.
- If the currently inserted disk does not contain the application you wish to install,
you will see the following prompt.

Remember that Setup will not be able to continue if you do not specify/enter the
correct disk.
The setup program is located on the first CD-ROM.
Patches are provided on the same CD-ROM of the corresponding application.

Note that the applications available on Disk 1 appear first in the list of installable
programs, while those on Disk 2 appear second in the list and so on.

11

 CCDB (Computes Common Database) Setup and Driver Setup programs are
located on the first CD-ROM.
The contents of Computes Setup CD-ROMs are given below.
Disk1
Driver Activator
Driver Rainbow
Driver DK2
CCDB
MetalDesigner 3D
MetalDesigner Lib5
LINEA5
MASTERNEST
DNC5
Imp/exp
GestMsg
Disk2
DNCVIEW
P&M
MASTERSTORE
PBSYSTEM
SolidWorks-Linea5
12

Disk3
MD3
If you have selected more than one application, Setup will install them sequentially,
starting from Disk1 up to Disk3.
As to fast patches, just start SERVICEPACK.EXE. If the currently inserted CD is not
the right one, you will be prompted to specify the path to disk N (the disk number is
automatically displayed in the prompt box).
Patches earlier than 12.005 may be supplied on multiple CD-ROMs. However, the
disk number is not given for these patches. This means that you need to find out
beforehand on which CD-ROM the application you wish to upgrade is located.
Old Setup CD-ROMs support patches later than 12.005.

13

UNINSTALLING PROGRAMS
You can uninstall Computes applications in two different ways:
A. by selecting Start - Programs - Uninstall;
B. by running the Uninstall Wizard from Computes Cd-Rom.
PROCEDURE A.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Click Start from Windows Task bar;

select Programs;
select the program you want to remove;
click Uninstall program name (Node no.) 12.00. Uninstall starts removing
the application files from your PC. Wait until the operation has been completed:

5. When Uninstall has finished, you will see the message below:

6. Click

to quit.

PROCEDURE B.
To launch the Uninstall Wizard from Computes Cd-Rom, do the following:
1. insert the Cd-Rom into the appropriate drive;
2. select the Setup language;
3. a dialog box appears with two buttons: Install that lets you install Linea5

products and Remove to uninstall one or more of the Computes products

you installed before;
14

4. click the Remove button:

5. Select the application you want to remove and then click

. The

Uninstall Wizard starts removing the application files from your hard disk:

6. When the Wizard has finished, you will see the message below:

7. Click

to quit.

15

UPDATING PROGRAMS
Updating a program means to install a new release, usually the latest one. You can
update a program in two different ways:
installing the new release;
upgrading the same release.
To install a new release, for example LINEA5 12.000, you must purchase a fullfeatured Cd-Rom with the new version of the application software. To upgrade your
application, for example from LINEA5 12.002 to LINEA5 12.006, you need to load
the appropriate patch (standard or fast patches).

Important. Before you start the update, make sure that you have shut down
the application.

Warning. Remember that a minimized program is not really shut down (the
application is only reduced to an icon). If you are upgrading your application to a new
version, you have to update all the related programs available on Computes Cd-Rom.

Important. If you have purchased LINEA MD (CAD/CAM system), you

should update the application components in the order given below:
1. Computes Common Database;

2. Metal Designer 3D;

3. MD3;
4. Linea5;
5. MasterNEST;
6. PBSystem;
7. Dnc5, DncVIEW and Lib5.
For more information on how to install each single product, consult the relevant sections
of this guide.

16

DK2 DRIVER
Install this driver if you have purchased a DK2 security key.
Carefully follow the instructions below to install DK2 drivers correctly. Remember
that COMPUTES programs do not work without dongle!

Install
1. Before you install the driver, you have to attach the dongle to the parallel port

of your PC (LPT1);
2. insert rel. 12.000 Cd-Rom into the appropriate drive. Setup is automatically

initialized;
3. select the Setup language. Click on

to confirm your choice or

to quit Setup;

choose

4. if your Cd-Rom includes application patches, the dialog below is displayed.

Click on

to continue.

Fig. 1

Note. The dialog box in Figure 1 is not displayed when there are no
patches on the Cd-Rom.
5. Click

.
17

The following dialog box appears:

Fig. 2

The Install button lets you install a new application, while Remove can be
used to delete any previously installed program.
6. Click Install to bring up the screen shown below:

Fig. 3

18

7. Select Driver DK2 and then click

;.

A new dialog box is displayed showing the DK2 drivers already installed to
your PC.

Figure 4

8. Click

choose

(recommended) to overwrite the existing drivers and then

to start the InstallShield Wizard. Answer the displayed

prompts as required. If you wish to complete the installation using default

settings, click

in all the dialogs.

9. if you wish to install the drivers automatically, just click

in

each dialog box :

Fig. 5

19

10. Click

. The following dialog box appears:

Fig. 6

This Machine is selected by default. However, if you are using a network

dongle, select A machine on the network using a DK2 Network Server. Click
to start copying files. The following dialog box appears:

Fig. 7

11. Click

. From the Setup Complete dialog, decide whether you

want to reboot your computer now. The option No, I will restart my computer
later is selected by default. We recommend you to reboot your PC anyway
after closing all the applications you have been running;
20

Figure 8

12. Click

to terminate Setup. If you have chosen the restart option,

your computer is automatically rebooted. Now DK2 drivers have been

successfully installed.

Important: If you choose to restart your computer later, please do it as

soon as possible in order to complete the setup of DK2 drivers.

Warning. Linea5 and Metal Designer 3D can be run without dongle but
in the demo mode only. Remember that some utilities are not available in the
demo mode.

21

ACTIVATOR DRIVER
Install this driver if you have purchased an Activator security key.
Carefully follow the instructions below correctly install Activator drivers correctly.
Remember that Computes programs do not work without dongle!

Install
1. Before you install the driver, you have to attach the dongle to the parallel port

of your PC (LPT1). In this way, COMPUTES applications are correctly enabled.

2. Insert rel. 12.000 Cd-Rom into the appropriate drive. Setup is automatically

initialized.
3. Select the Setup language. Click on

choose

to confirm your choice or

to quit Setup.

N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:

Fig. A

Enter the correct path and then click

22

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below
appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click CANCEL.

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may

not be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom.
4. If your Cd-Rom includes application patches, the dialog below is displayed.

Click on

to continue;

Fig. 1

23

Note. The dialog box in Figure 1 is not displayed when there are
no patches on the Cd-Rom.
5. Click

The following dialog box appears:

Fig. 2

The Install button lets you install a new application, while Remove can be
used to delete any previously installed program.
6. Click Install to bring up the following dialog box.

24

Fig. 3

7. Select Driver Activator.

8. Click

. Now Setup is ready to install the dongle driver. This may

take a few seconds. Please wait until the operation has been successfully
completed (you will see a message like the one shown in the figure below).

Fig. 4
9.

Once the required drivers have been installed, you will be prompted to reboot
your computer. The option Yes, I want to restart my computer now is
selected by default. Close any application you have opened before reboot.

Fig. 5

Click

to terminate Setup. If you have chosen the restart option,

your computer is automatically rebooted. Now Activators drivers have been

successfully installed.

Important.If you choose to restart your computer later, please do it

as soon as possible in order to complete the setup of Activator drivers.
25

RAINBOW DRIVER
Install this driver if you have purchased a Rainbow dongle security.
Carefully follow the instructions below to install Rainbow drivers correctly.
Remember that Computes programs do not work without dongle!

Install
1. First, you have to attach the dongle to the parallel port (LPT1) of your PC.
In this way, Computes applications will be correctly identified and enabled.
2. Insert rel. 12.000 Cd-Rom into the appropriate drive. Setup is automatically
initialized.
3. Select the Setup language. Click on

choose

to confirm your choice or

to quit Setup.

N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:

Fig. A

26

Enter the correct path and then click

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom.
4. If your Cd-Rom includes application patches, the dialog below is displayed.

Click on

to continue;

Fig. 1

27

Note. The dialog box in Figure 1 is not displayed when there are
no patches on the Cd-Rom.
5. Click

The following dialog box appears:

Fig. 2

The Install button lets you install a new application, while Remove can be
used to delete any previously installed program.
6. Click Install to bring up the following dialog box.

28

Fig. 3

7. Select Driver Rainbow.

8. Click

to start the Install Wizard. The following dialog box

appears:

Fig. 4
9. Click

to visualize the User License Agreement:

Fig. 5

29

10. Choose I accept the terms in the license agreement and click

The following dialog box appears:

Fig. 6

11. Select the type of setup you want to run and then click

following dialog box appears:

Fig. 7

30

. The

Important. Before clicking the

button, make sure you

have removed any USB SuperPro key from your computer.

12. Click

. Now Setup is ready to install the dongle driver. This

may take a few seconds. Please wait until the operation has been successfully
completed (you will see a message like the one in the figure below).

Fig. 8

Installing Rainbow Drivers USB

1. To install Rainbow USB drivers correctly, follow the instructions given in the

previous section;
2. when Setup has finished, reboot your PC;
3. now attach the USB dongle to the appropriate port. The new hardware device

is automatically detected by Windows.

31

COMPUTES COMMON DATABASE (CCDB)

Installation Kit
CCDB is the database shared by some of Computes systems. Make sure you have
correctly installed the database before running the setup of your Computes
applications.
Warning! Before you install CCDB 12, make sure you have CLOSED
the database server of the Common Database version 11.

CD-ROM

Warning! CCDB setup program is provided

on the same CD-ROM including Computes applications.

Serial number

product serial number (a number with a letter, like 2378P).

Security Device

a hardware security device (dongle) to be attached to the

parallel port (LPT) of your PC.
Warning! The program does not work without
dongle. Please store your dongle with care. No copies
are supplied in the case of loss, theft or damage.

Overview
Make sure that you have installed a fully-featured release of CCDB 12, including
tools for retrieving data from Computes applications of version 11.
If data retrieval options are not available in your CCDB 12, you will not be able to
inherit data and settings from the previous version of Computes programs.
You can only retrieve data from the applications 11 that are installed on the same
PC on which you are running CCDB 12.
Remember that the data of an application can be retrieved only once while installing
one of Computes product of version 12. You cannot repeat the operation during
the setup of other Computes programs 12.
32

Install
1. Insert the Cd-Rom into the appropriate drive;
2. select the Setup language.

N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:

Fig. A

Enter the correct path and then click

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

33

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom.
3. If your Cd-Rom includes patches, the following dialog box appears:

Fig. 1

The window shows the patches available on your Cd-Rom; later on, you will
be able to select the patches you wish to install.
Warning! If the above dialog is not displayed, your Cd-Rom does
not contain patches.
If you are using a network dongle instead and have installed the appropriate
drivers, select the server on which the device is attached.

34

Fig. 2

When your dongle security has been correctly identified, the screen below
appears:

Fig. 3

The Install button lets you install a new application, while Remove can be
used to delete any previously installed program.
4. Click Install to bring up the screen shown below:

35

Fig. 4
5. Select CCDB and then click

; the following dialog box appears:

Fig. 5

Now you have to choose the type of setup you wish to run:
- Version 12 with Patch 0 - the standard version of the database without
patches.
- Version 12 with Patches (from the Cd-Rom) - Installs CCDB with the patch
available on the Setup Cd-Rom.
- Version 12 with Patches - Installs the database with any patch available.
You only have to specify its path (see How to Obtain a Patch).
36

6. Select the appropriate option and then click

If you wish to install CCDB 12 with patches, select the folder containing
patching files:

Fig. 6

Click

to confirm your choice and then select

to

continue.
The following dialog box is displayed.

Fig. 7

37

7. Click

. The next screen shows the software license agreement.

Please read it carefully before continuing with Setup.

Fig. 8

From the above dialog, you can register your User License Agreement by
sending an e-mail to Computes S.p.A. (
make a hard copy of the agreement (
later. Whether you wish to register or not, click
agreement and continue with Setup. Choose
terminate the process and quit.

). Alternatively, you can

) and submit your registration
to accept the
if you want to

Once you have accepted the agreement, you will be prompted to specify your
user name and company name .

38

Fig. 9
8. Click

to continue with setup.

N.B.: If another Computes database is found on your PC during setup,

you will see the following dialog.

Fig. 10

39

Choose how you want to proceed and then click

Now select the CCDB destination folder.

Fig. 11

9. Click

Fig. 12

40

if you wish to select a different path.

10. Now enter the name you want to assign to the database. Later, while installing

the applications that can be connected to CCDB, you will be prompted to

reenter the database name. Please write it down for future use.

Fig. 13

11. Click

to continue.

The dialog box below is displayed:

Fig. 14

12. Click

to continue.

41

Now you can add CCDB icon to an existing folder or create a new program
folder:

Fig. 15

The next screen sums up setup data. Please verify your settings before
continuing.

Fig. 16
13. Click

. You will be asked whether you want to install the database

server as a Windows service:

42

Fig. 17

Click the button

if you wish to start the database automatically

at system boot, before you log in to the server. Choose

if you
want to start the database manually before running the other Computes
applications.
Now Setup will start copying CCDB files to your hard disk. Please wait until
the process is completed.

Fig. 18
14. Click

to quit setup.

43

Scheduled Tasks

You can schedule the automatic backup of the database during setup. Your schedule
will be enabled on the next day.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Warning: If you cannot remember the name of the database, proceed as

follows:
a. start the PC where the database is located;
b. make sure that the database is active, otherwise open the Start menu and then
select Programs ->CCDB ->DB Server;
c. point to the rightmost icon of your Task Bar
d. Click on the server icon on your Task bar

44

;
.

The following dialog box appears. Look for the Starting database entry to find
the name of the current database enclosed in quotes.

Fig. 3

Write down the database name for any future installation.

Note
-

You can use CCDB12 with any Computes product of version 11 or 12. Just
make sure that all the applications you intend to connect to the database belong
to the same version (for example, Punch11 and Punch12 cannot be connected
to the same database).
You cannot update or exchange data between a workstation running CCDB 11
and another one using CCDB 12 (database alignment).
Make sure that all of your Computes systems are duly updated to the same
main release.
To ensure compatibility between applications of different versions (like 11
and 12), you may need to install patch xx or higher.
P&M and MasterStore must be updated to the same version.
You can use CCDB 12 for the following tasks:
o overwrite database 11;
o inherit data from database 11 and continue to use your Computes products
of version 11.
You can also switch from version 10 to 12 in order to retrieve records from
Computes applications 10. To do that, update database 10 to version 11 first
and then move on to version 12.

45

Computes Database Utilities

This command allows you to access a wide range of tools that help you manage
your Computes database (CCDB) correctly.
From the Start menu, select CCDB and then click DB Tools.
You will see the dialog represented below:

Fig. 4

To start one of CCDB utilities, just click the appropriate button.

Serial Number Utility

Allows you to view and/or change CCDB serial number:

Fig. 5

46

In the DSN field, choose the database you want to connect to.
The Database and Server fields show the database and server names
respectively, depending on the DSN you have selected.
The current serial number can be modified as required.
Click Apply to save your changes.

Database Backup
Allows you to backup your database:

Fig. 6

From the DSN field, choose the database you wish to connect to. The database
installed on the current machine is selected by default.
The Backup File field shows the output file name and path.
The Rename Old Backup File option allows you to automatically rename any
existing backup file by appending a sequence number (e.g.: .001, .002 etc)
Select the option Max. Number of Backup Files if you wish to restrict the number
of output files. In this way, each time you back up the database, the number of
output files will not exceed the specified value. If more files are required to complete backup, the oldest file you have stored (i.e., the one with suffix .001) will be
automatically overwritten and the other files renumbered (*.002 becomes *.001,
*.003 turns into *.002 and so on.)
The option Validate Database after Backup allows you to check your database
for errors or bad records before backup
.
47

BCKUP.INI File
The Backup Database dialog is a modal dialog. Its settings are automatically
stored to the DBBKUP.INI file that is located in the same folder as the backup
executable.
The file structure is given below:
[Options]
;name and path of the output file
OutputFile =
;1 renames any existing backup file by appending a sequence number, like .001,
.002 etc (default)
; 0 overwrites any existing backup file
RenameOldOutputFile = 1
;0 generates any number of output files (default)
;any value greater than 0 restricts the number of output files to the specified value
MaxOldOutputFile = 0
;1 validates the database before backup (default)
;0 no validation
ValidateDB = 1
;1 shows the backup UGI (default)
;0 no graphical interface is shown during backup
QuietMode = 0
;default DSN. If no DSN is specified, the database installed on the current machine
is selected by default.
DSN=
Log File
DBackup information (error messages, events, results etc) is registered to a log
file (DBBKUP.LOG) that is stored to the same folder as the backup executable.
The log is generated automatically also when you back up the database in the
Quiet mode.
Note that the log is never overwritten. Information on all the backups you perform
is registered in the log sequentially.
Running Backup in the Background
You can run the backup utility in the background by setting the Quiet Mode to 1
within the DBBKUP.INI file or by typing the command line /Q.
In the Quiet Mode, backup settings are read from the appropriate command line or
retrieved from the .INI file. If there is no .INI file, default values are used.
Irretrievable errors that may occur during backup are logged to file DBBKUP.LOG..
48

Command line
You can specify backup settings also from a command line, independently from
the backup mode you have selected (Quiet or not.)
The values you type in the command line are permanently stored and reused for
any later backup.
The command line syntax is given below:
/OUT<output file> output file name and path
/R1
renames any existing backup file by appending a sequence
number, like .001, .002 etc (default)
/R0
overwrites any existing backup file
/MAX<number>
maximum number of backup files to store
0 = no restriction (default)
/V1
validates the database before backup (default)
/V0
no validation of the database before backup
/Q
no graphical interface is shown during backup
/DSN
serial number of the database to backup

Unload Database
This utility allows you to generate a new database by unloading the current CCDB
records:

Fig. 25

You can only unload the database installed on the current PC.
The Output File field shows the name and path of the .zip file that contains the
SQL script and the information required to generate a new database. Note that the
output file is overwritten at each unload.

49

Rebuild Database
This utility allows you to regenerate your CCDB.
You can only regenerate the database installed on the current PC.
Regeneration data and results are logged to an ASCII file (DBREBUILD.LOG)
that is stored to the same folder as the Rebuild executable.
Note that the log is never overwritten. Information on rebuilt databases is registered
in the log sequentially. Irretrievable errors that may occur during the process are
also registered.
This utility is recommended only for advanced users. For this reason, it is protected
with a password.
Please contact Computes Support for more information.

Client-Server
Computes application suite release 11 provides enhanced integration and data
accessibility. Now all Computes applications can access the same database Server
simultaneously from different computers. In this way, you can easily retrieve and
handle data from any workstation.
The database can be installed in different ways to suit the requirements of your
organization.
1. Standalone Installation
First, install the database on your computer and then load the programs following
the instructions provided in the Getting Started guide.
All the programs you have installed on the same PC will be able to access the
local database.

2. Network Installation
If you need to install Computes programs in a network, you can set them up
independently or connect them to a common database.

50

 Independent Setup
Each application runs independently from the others, handling its own data.
Your PC works like a standalone workstation and so you have to proceed
as for the Standalone Setup (see above) installing a local database along
with the required applications. You do not need to be connected to the
network, since your PC handles data independently from the other
workstations.

Common Database
If you want to use the same database for the entire network, first install
Computes programs on the various workstations.
On one of these, you have to load the common database that will be shared
by all the Computes programs you have installed in your network.
This computer acts as a Server but can be used normally to run any program
you want.
The other computers behave as Clients to the database Server, sharing the
same information.
Remember that Client workstations do not work if the Server is off.

51

You can have different Servers in the same network and your Clients can
use any information stored on servers.

52

METAL DESIGNER 3D

Installation Kit
CD-ROM

1 CD-ROM.

Serial number

Any number plus one letter (example: 2378P).

Security Device

Connect the hardware security device (dongle) to the

parallel port LPT of your PC.

Password/Diskette

Warning. The

dongle is essential for running the program; remember

that no copies are supplied in the case of loss, theft or
damage.
Includes the software security and should only be used
with DK2 dongles.
Tip. Store the disk with care for any new
installations.

Install
1. Before you install the application, you have to attach the dongle to the parallel

port of your PC (LPT1). After that, if you are using a DK2 dongle, insert the
Password diskette into drive A:. In this way, Computes applications are correctly
enabled;
2. insert rel. 12.0 Cd-Rom in your CD drive.
Warning! Setup release 12 does not overwrite previous versions of Metal
Designer 3D. If you wish to use your old settings with the new version, select
the appropriate options during setup. Once setup has been successfully
completed, it is recommended to uninstall any old version of the application;
3. select the Setup language.
N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:
53

Fig. A

Enter the correct path and then click

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom;
4. if your Cd-Rom includes application patches, the dialog below is displayed:

54

Fig. 1

The window shows the patches available on your Cd-Rom; later on, you will
be able to select the patches you wish to install.
Warning: If Figure 1 is not displayed, your Cd-Rom does not include
any application patches.
If you are using a network dongle instead and have installed the appropriate
drivers, select the server on which the device is attached.

Fig. 2

55

When your dongle security has been correctly identified, the screen below
appears:

Fig. 3

Select Install to install new applications or Remove if you want to remove

previously installed programs. Click Install to start the driver setup.

5. Select Install to bring up the screen shown below.

Fig. 4

56

6. Select Metal Designer 3D ;

The screen below is displayed:

Fig. 5

Now you have to choose the type of setup you wish to run:
- Version 12 with patch 0. Installs the standard version of Metal Designer
3D without patches.
- Version 12 with patches (from Cd-Rom). Installs Metal Designer 3D with
the patch available on the Setup Cd-Rom.
- Version 12 with patches. Installs Metal Designer 3D with the selected
patches. You only have to specify the path to the relevant files (see How to
Obtain a Patch).
7. Select the appropriate option and then click

The Welcome screen is displayed:

Fig. 6

57

8.

Click

to visualize the User License Agreement.

Fig. 7

From the above dialog, you can register your User License Agreement by
sending an e-mail to Computes S.p.A. (
make a hard copy of the agreement (
later. Whether you wish to register or not, click
agreement and continue with Setup. Choose
terminate the process and quit.

). Alternatively, you can

) and submit your registration
to accept the
if you want to

Once you have accepted the agreement terms and conditions, you will be
prompted to specify your user name and company name .

58

Fig. 8

9.

Click on
to continue. From the screen shown below, select
Metal Designer 3Ds destination folder:

Fig. 9
10.

Click
to bring up the screen shown below where you can choose
the unit of measure you want to use.

59

Fig. 10
11.

Click

Specify the type of dongle security you are using (a local dongle or a network
dongle). Normally, the application comes with a local dongle, unless otherwise
specified in your purchase agreement.

Fig. 11

N.B.: if setup fails to detect the dongle security, the message below
appears.
60

Fig. 12

Carefully read this message before continuing.

12.

Click

Now, you have to specify the directory of the password.txt file (usually a:\):

Fig. 13

13.

Click

Now you can add Metal Designer 3D icon to an existing folder or to a new
one.

61

Fig. 14
14.

Click

The last dialog sums up all the information about Metal Designer 3D setup.

Fig. 15
15.

62

Click

to start copying the application files to your hard disk.

When Metal Designer 3D Setup is finished, you will see the following dialog:

Fig. 16
16.

Click

to complete the process and quit.

Latest upgrades
If the installation has been successful, you will be able to access a file with some
information on whats new in the application. Remember that the Users Guide
does not provide this information.
To view and/or print out the Readme.doc file:
1. click Start from Windows taskbar;
2. select Programs;
3. choose Metal Designer;
4. select Metal Designer Rel. 11.2 (12.000) Readme.doc.

63

ConfigUpdate
ConfigUpdate is a new utility which lets you copy your old settings from any
previous version of Metal Designer. ConfigUpdate is located in the Utility folder
within Metal Designer main directory.
Use this utility only if you have not loaded your previous settings during setup.

Warning! Before you run ConfigUpdate, make sure you have shut down
all your applications.
1. From Windows Explorer or My Computer, double click on configupdate.exe

in the Utility directory (see above). The Update File screen is displayed.

Fig. 1

2. Click >> to continue. The screen below is displayed.

Fig. 2

64

3. Select the files you want to copy by checking the appropriate boxes (Dim.cfg

and/or Visi.cfg) and then click >> to continue. The dialog below appears.

Fig. 3

In the first text box, type the path to version 8 configuration files (e.g.:
c:\designer\cad\user), and in the second one, enter the directory where files
will be copied. Make sure you have specified the correct full path to Metal
Designer 9 main directory (e.g.: c:\designer90\cad\user).
4. Click >> to continue. The dialog below is displayed.

Fig. 4

65

LINEA5

Installation Kit
LINEA5 programs come with the following kit:
CD-ROM

1 CD-ROM.

Serial number

Any number plus one letter (example: 2378P).

Security Device

Connect the hardware security device (dongle) to the

parallel port LPT of your PC.

Warning.

The dongle is essential for running the program;

remember that no copies are supplied in the case of
loss, theft or damage.
Password/Machinelist
Diskette

This separate diskette is essential for a correct

installation. It includes the software security and Postprocessor license.
Tip. Store the disk with care for any new
installation.

Install
Linea5 Setup includes the Nesting module and SPACECUT.
1. Before you install the application, you have to connect the dongle to the parallel
port (LPT1) of your PC. If you are using the DK2 security, insert the Password/
Machinelist diskette into drive A:. In this way, COMPUTES applications are
correctly enabled;
2. insert the Cd-Rom in the appropriate drive;
3. select the Setup language.
N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:
66

Fig. A

Enter the correct path and then click

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom;
4. if your Cd-Rom includes application patches, the dialog below is displayed:

67

Fig. 1

The dialog shows the patches available on your Cd-Rom; later on, you will be
able to select the patches you wish to install.
Warning: If the screen above is not displayed, your Cd-Rom does
not contain any patches.
If you are using a network dongle instead and have installed the appropriate
drivers, select the server on which the device is attached.

Fig. 2

When your dongle security has been correctly identified, the screen below
appears:
68

Fig. 3

Now you can install or remove any of the applications available on your CdRom:
- click Install if you wish to install one of Linea5 products,
- choose Remove if you want to uninstall one or more of the Computes
programs you have already installed.
5. To start Linea5 Setup, click Install.

The dialog box below is displayed:

Fig. 4

6. Select LINEA5 and then click

.
69

Warning! If ODBC 8 drivers cannot be found on your PC, you will

be prompted to install them:

Fig. 5

Click

to install ODBC drivers and then reboot your PC.

After that, you have to restart Setup.

N.B. Remember that the program CANNOT be installed without

ODBC drivers.
The dialog box below is displayed:

Fig. 6

Now you have to choose the type of setup you wish to run:
- Version 12 with patch 0. Installs the standard version of Linea5 without
patches.
70

Version 12 with patches (from Cd-Rom). Installs Linea5 with the patch
available on the Cd-Rom (the patch number appears).
Version 12 with patches. Installs Linea5 with the selected patches. You
only have to specify the path to the relevant files (see How to Obtain a
Patch). The number of the selected patch is visualized.

7. Select the appropriate option and then click

The Welcome screen appears with some basic information on the program.

Fig. 7

8. Click on

Setup brings up the User License Agreement. Read this information carefully:

71

Fig. 8

From the above dialog, you can register your User License Agreement by
sending an e-mail to Computes S.p.A. (
make a hard copy of the agreement (
later. Whether you wish to register or not, click
agreement and continue with Setup. Choose
terminate the process and quit.
After that, a new screen is displayed.

Fig. 9

72

). Alternatively, you can

) and submit your registration
to accept the
if you want to

Enter the following information:

Server name: type the name of the server you specified when installing
Computes Common Database;
Database name: type the name of the database you specified when
installing Computes Common Database.

Warning: the above information is case-sensitive, so make sure you

have typed it correctly. If you cannot remember the name of the database, see
Common Database Management for instructions.
9. Click

to continue. You will be prompted to select the

communication protocol you want to use to share the records of the Common
Database. Choose the appropriate protocol, according to the network
configuration you are using. Contact your System Administrator for more
information.

Fig. 10

Warning:
a) if the Common Database has been installed locally and it is not open, you
will see the following message:

73

Fig. 11

b) If the Common Database has been installed locally and it is open, the following
dialog appears:

Fig. 12

c) If the Common Database has been installed on a network server but it is not
open, the following message appears:

Fig. 13

74

N.B. If the server is not found, due to port conflicts or a failure during
automatic search, please type in the IP address or the name of the computer
you wish to search. The specified IP address or computer name will be used
for any future update of the product. Note that this feature is available for both
TCP and SPX protocols.
10. Click

N.B. If the version of your Common Database is earlier than the

program you are installing, the following error message appears:

Fig. 14

Click

. Setup will be terminated.

Select Linea5 destination folder:

Fig. 15

75

Warning. Carefully follow the instructions below.

a) If you are installing LINEA5 for the first time, choose the destination
folder.
b) If you are upgrading the application but you have not uninstalled the previous
version, the destination folder must necessarily be different from the one
where you stored your old version of Linea5 since later on, you will be
prompted to inherit settings from your old application. If you choose the
same folder, the following warning appears:

Fig. 16

c) If you are upgrading Linea5 after uninstalling the old version, you can
select any destination folder you want, including your old Linea5 folder. In
this case, you will be asked if you want to keep the existing settings.
11.

Click

Now you will be prompted to load settings from your previous version of
Linea5, if any.

Fig. 17

76

Click NO if you do not want inherit data from your old version of Linea5.
Default settings are loaded instead.
If you click YES, the Inherit from field shows the path to Linea5 version
11.0.
N.B. Make sure that you have installed a fully-featured release of CCDB

12, including tools for retrieving data from Computes applications of version
11.
-

If data retrieval options are not available in your CCDB 12, you will not be
able to inherit data and settings from the previous version of Computes
programs.
You can only retrieve data from the applications 11 that are installed on the
same PC on which you are running CCDB 12.
Linea5 11 can be retrieved only once while installing version 12.

12. Click

. Now you have to specify the type of dongle security you

are using: a local dongle (attached to the parallel port of your PC) or a network
dongle (attached to one of your network servers). Please see the relevant section
in this guide for more information on dongle securities.

Fig. 18

13. Click

Now you will be prompted to load the MACHINELIST.TXT file from the
diskette supplied with the Cd-Rom. This file enables the Postprocessors you
have purchased so that you can control your machines with LINEA5.
77

Fig. 19

Warning: make sure that the path to the MACHINELIST.TXT file

is correct, otherwise, setup will be terminated. As a rule, this file is stored to
the diskette provided with Linea5 Cd-Rom.

Warning: if you are using a DK2 dongle and your

MACHINELIST.TXT file is not stored to a diskette, you need to have both the
MACHINELIST.TXT file and the PASSWORD.TXT file in the same folder.
Linea5 will not run correctly if one of these files is missing.
Warning: Setup will be terminated if some of the machines listed in
the MACHINELIST.TXT file belong to a different branch or a branch updated
with Computes official patches. See the error message shown below:

Fig. 20

78

14. Click

The following dialog box is displayed:

Fig. 21

Select the unit of measure you wish to use.

15. Click

to continue.

Now you can add Linea5 icons to your Program menu. To do this, you have to
select the program folder. You can use the default folder (Punch5) or create a
new one.

Fig. 22

79

16. Click

You will see a window with the setup information you have specified so far.
Check it carefully before continuing.

Fig. 23

17. Click

Fig. 24

80

to start Linea5 setup.

If Linea5 Setup has been successfully installed, you will see the following
message.

Fig. 25

18. Click

to close the Wizard.

Latest Upgrades
After completing the installation, you can check whats new in LINEA5
applications. The latest upgrades in the new release are outlined in the typical
Readme.doc file. Remember that the Users Guide may not provide this information.
To display and/or print the list of upgrades:
1. click on Start from Windows taskbar;
2. choose Programs;
3. select LINEA5 installation folder (usually Punch5).

81

How to convert PUNCHPLUS job files

If you wish to use Linea5 to display and/or edit jobs created with PUNCHPLUS,
you should first convert the chosen files.
Warning. Conversion is required only for jobs whose name is longer
than 8 characters; if the name is shorter (8 characters or less) conversion is not
necessary.
If your PUNCHPLUS files include even a single job with a name longer than 8
characters, we recommend converting all the jobs anyway.
Use the Conv5 command to convert files:
click on Start from Windows taskbar;
select Programs;
select Prompt to MS-DOS to open a DOS shell;
type CD\ [Enter];
type CD <Linea5 installation directory> [Enter];
type CONV5 <path-full name of the directory to be converted> [Enter].
Example: if you need to convert the jobs in C:\PUNCPLUS\
LAVORAZI\PIPPO:
type CONV5 C:\PUNCPLUS\LAVORAZI\PIPPO [Enter];
answer the question Do you want to continue? by pressing S (Yes) on your
keyboard. The conversion is started.
CONV5 scans the specified directory (and subdirectories) through a recursive
process to find the jobs made with PUNCHPLUS and then starts converting the
identified jobs.
CONV5 can be launched several times even on already converted programs with
no problems at all.
Remember that converted jobs cannot be turned to PUNCHPLUS format again:
we recommend making a backup copy before starting the conversion.

82

THE SPACECUT MODULE (OPTION)

Install
Spacecut is one of Linea5 option modules. To install this module correctly, just
follow the same instructions provided for the other Linea5 software products.
Some additional information is given below to help you complete Spacecut setup.
1. The hardware security key (dongle) must be securely attached to the parallel

port (LPT1) of your computer. If you are using a DK2 dongle, insert the
Password diskette into drive A:. In this way, your Computes applications will
be correctly identified and enabled;
2. insert CD-ROM 12.0 into the appropriate drive;
3. follow the instructions provided by Linea5 Install Wizard. When you are
prompted to select the Machinelist files (only with DK2 or RAINBOW
dongles), specify the path to the SCMACHINELIST file:

Fig. 1

4. Before Setup starts copying files, carefully verify your settings:

83

Fig. 2

If you have purchased a fully licensed Computes software pack, including

option modules, the Spacecut entry appears in the list of enabled options. This
means that the required setup procedures have been performed correctly.

84

SOLIDWORKS TO PUNCH

Installation Kit
CD-ROM

n. 1 CD-ROM

Serial number

product serial number (a number with a letter, like

2378P).
Hardware security device (dongle) to be attached to
the parallel port (LPT) of your PC.

Dongle security

Warning! The program does not work

without dongle. Please store your dongle with care.
No copy is supplied in the case of loss, theft or
damage.
Password

Tips. Store

Includes the software security.

the diskette for any future installation.

Install
1. Before you start Setup, you have to attach the dongle to the parallel port (LPT1)

of your PC. After that, insert the Password diskette into drive A:. In this way,
Computes applications will be correctly enabled;
2. insert your Cd-Rom 12.0 into the appropriate drive.

Warning! Setup

release 12 does not overwrite previous versions of SolidWorks. If you wish to

use your old settings with the new version, select the appropriate options during
setup. Once setup has been successfully completed, it is recommended to
uninstall any old version of the application;
3. select the Setup language.
N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:
85

Fig. A

Enter the correct path and then click

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom;
4. if your Cd-Rom includes patches, the following dialog box appears:

86

Fig. 1

The above dialog shows the patches available on your Cd-Rom. Later on, you
will be able to choose the ones you want to install.
Warning! If the above dialog is not displayed, your Cd-Rom does
not contain patches.
If you are using a network dongle instead and have installed the appropriate
drivers, select the server on which the device is attached.

Fig. 2

87

When your dongle security has been correctly identified, the screen below
appears:

Fig. 3

Select Install to install new applications or Remove if you want to remove

previously installed programs. Click Install to start the driver setup.
5. Select Install.

The following dialog box appears:

Fig. 4

88

6. Click the SolidWorks- Linea5 icon and then the button

The following dialog box appears:

Fig. 5

Now choose the type of setup you wish to run:

- Version 12 with patch 0 - Installs the standard link Linea5-SolidWorks
without patches.
- Version 12 with patches (from the Cd-Rom) - Installs the link Linea5SolidWorks with the patch available on the setup Cd-Rom.
- Version 12 with Patches - Installs the link Linea5-SolidWorks with the
selected patches. You only have to specify the path to the relevant files (see
How to Obtain a Patch).
7. Select the appropriate option and then click

The following dialog box is displayed:

89

Fig. 6

8. Click the button

Fig. 7

90

to visualize the software license agreement .

From the above dialog, you can register your User License Agreement by
sending an e-mail to Computes S.p.A. (
make a hard copy of the agreement (
later. Whether you wish to register or not, click
agreement and continue with Setup. Choose
minate the process and quit.

). Alternatively, you can

) and submit your registration
to accept the
if you want to ter-

Warning: setup is automatically terminated if SolidWorks 2000 or

2001 PLUS is found on your PC.

Fig. 8

The following dialog box is displayed:

Fig. 9

91

9. Select the installation directory and then click

again

Warning. Carefully follow the instructions below.

a) If you are installing SolidWorks- Linea5 for the first time, choose the
destination folder.
b) If you are upgrading the application but you have not uninstalled the previous
version, the destination folder must necessarily be different from the one
where you stored your old version of SolidWorks- Linea5 since later on,
you will be prompted to inherit settings from your old application. If you
choose the same folder, the following warning appears:

Fig. 10

c) If you are upgrading SolidWorks- Linea5 after uninstalling the old version,
you can select any destination folder you want, including your old
SolidWorks- Linea5 folder. In this case, you will be asked if you want to
keep the existing settings.
10. Specify the type of dongle security you are using (a local dongle or a network

dongle). Normally, the application comes with a local dongle, unless otherwise
specified in your purchase agreement.
-

92

Choose Local dongle if you have attached a local dongle on your PC.
Select Network Dongle if you are sharing your dongle in a network.
If you have selected the Network Dongle option, specify the name of the
PC where you have attached the security device (text box SERVER PC):

Fig. 11
11. Click the button

N.B.: if setup fails to detect the dongle security, the message below
appears:

Fig. 12

If you are using a DK2 dongle, you will be prompted to insert the software
security diskette into drive A.: (select the PASSWORD.TXT file.)

93

Fig. 13
12. Click the button

Now you can add SSolidWorks- Linea5 icon to an existing folder or to a new
one.

Fig. 14

13. Click the button

94

The next screen sums up SolidWorks setup data. Please verify your settings
before continuing.

Fig. 15

14. Click the button

. SolidWorks files are being copied to your

hard disk. Please wait until Setup has finished.

Fig. 16

15. Click

to close the Wizard.

95

DNC5

Installation Kit
DNC5 is supplied with the kit described below, including installation and start-up
utilities:
Warning. If you have purchased DNC5 together

CD-ROM

with one of Linea5 applications, the installation program is

already included in your Cd-Rom .
Serial number

The serial number consists of a number plus a letter (example

2378P).

Security Device

Connect this hardware security (dongle) to the parallel port

LPT of your PC.
Warning. The dongle is essential for running the
program; no replacement is provided in the case of loss, theft
or damage.

Install
1. Before you install the application, you have to attach the dongle to the parallel

port (LPT1) of your PC. If you are using the DK2 security, insert the Password
diskette into drive A:\. In this way, COMPUTES applications will be correctly
enabled;
2. insert your Cd-Rom in the appropriate drive;
3. select the Setup language.
N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:

96

Fig. A

Enter the correct path and then click

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom;

97

4. if your Cd-Rom includes application patches, the dialog below is displayed:

Fig. 1

The window shows the patches available on your Cd-Rom; later on, you will
be able to select the patches you wish to install.
Warning: if Figure 1 is not displayed, your Cd-Rom does not include
any application patches.
If you are using a network dongle instead and have installed the appropriate
drivers, select the server on which the device is attached.

Fig. 2

98

When your dongle security has been correctly identified, the screen below
appears:

Fig. 3

The Install button lets you install a new application, while Remove can be
used to delete any previously installed program.
5. Click Install to bring up the screen shown below:

Fig. 4

99

6. Select DNC5 and then click the button

to continue.

The following dialog box appears:

Fig. 5

Now you have to choose the type of setup you wish to run:
- Version 12 with patch 0. Installs the standard version of DNC5 without
patches.
- Version 12with patches (from Cd-Rom). Installs DNC5 with the patch
available on the Setup Cd-Rom.
- Version 12 with patches. Installs DNC5 with the selected patches. You
only have to specify the path to the relevant files (see How to Obtain a
Patch).
7. Select the appropriate option and then click

The screen below is displayed:

Fig. 6

100

8. Click

The License agreement dialog box is displayed. Please read the agreement
carefully.

Fig. 7

From the above dialog, you can register your User License Agreement by
sending an e-mail to Computes S.p.A. (
make a hard copy of the agreement (
later. Whether you wish to register or not, click
agreement and continue with Setup. Choose
terminate the process and quit.

). Alternatively, you can

) and submit your registration
to accept the
if you want to

Once you have accepted the agreement terms and conditions, you will be
prompted to specify your user name and company name .

101

Fig. 8
9. Click

Now, select the type of hardware security you want to use.

- Choose Local dongle if you have attached a local dongle on your PC.
- Select Network dongle if you are connected to a network sharing the
same dongle security. In this case, also specify the name of the server where
the network dongle has been attached (field Server PC):

Fig. 9

N.B.: the warning below is displayed when Setup fails to detect

the dongle attached to your PC:
102

Fig. 10

Carefully read the instructions given in this message.

10. Click

If you are using a DK2 dongle, you will be prompted to insert the software
security diskette (containing the PASSWORD.TXT file) into drive A:\.

Fig. 11

11. Click

Select Dnc5s destination folder.

103

Fig. 12

12. Click

Warning. Carefully follow the instructions below.

a) If you are installing Dnc5 for the first time, choose the destination folder.
b) If you are upgrading the application but you have not uninstalled the previous
version, the destination folder must necessarily be different from the one
where you stored your old version of Dnc5 since later on, you will be
prompted to inherit settings from your old application. If you choose the
same folder, the following warning appears:

Fig. 13

c) If you are upgrading Dnc5 after uninstalling the old version, you can select
any destination folder you want, including your old Dnc5 folder. In this
case, you will be asked if you want to keep the existing settings.
Now you can add Dnc5 icons to an existing folder or to a new one.

104

Fig. 14

13. Click

The displayed dialog sums up Dnc5 setup information. Please verify your
settings.

Fig. 15

14. Click

105

Dnc5 files are copied to your hard disk.

Fig. 16

15. Click

to close Setup.

Latest Upgrades
After completing the installation, you can check whats new in the application:
the latest upgrades in the new release of DNC5 are outlined in the typical
Readme.doc file. Remember that the Users Guide may not provide this information.
To display and/or print the latest upgrades:
1. select Programs from Windows Start menu;
3. select DNC5;
4. click Readme DNC5 (a registered application for *.pdf files is opened).
Carefully read the file to learn about the latest fixes and upgrades.

106

If DNC5 fails
If you install DNC5 on a PC without Network Card, errors may occur when you
try to Transmit or Receive. This happens when Windows Network Services have
not been activated.
If your PC is networked with other workstations, DNC5 Setup will automatically
detect the enabled network services; if network services are not activated, DNC5
issues the warning below:
Setup could not find any activated network service. Dnc5 may not work correctly.
Do one of the following:
A) Stop Set-up, enable network services and then run Setup again (recommended).
B) Continue anyway and enable network services at the end of the installation.
Do you want to stop the installation now?.
To enable network services, do the following:
From WINDOWS 98:
From the Start menu, select SETTINGS CONTROL PANEL
Double click on the NETWORK icon
Click the ADD button
Select CARD and then click ADD again
From the MANUFACTURER box, select MICROSOFT
From the NETWORK CARD box, choose REMOTE ACCESS DRIVER
Click OK
Now click the IDENTIFICATION tab
Type DEFAULT as COMPUTER NAME
Type WORKGROUP in the WORKGROUP box
Leave the COMPUTER DESCRIPTION blank
Click OK
If you are prompted to insert WINDOWS CD-ROM or DISKETTES, follow
the instructions that appear on your screen.
Reboot your PC
During WINDOWS initialization, you will be prompted to type your User
Name and Password
Type any word (for example your name) as USER NAME
Leave the PASSWORD field blank
Click the OK button
Click OK again to confirm your password without typing anything.
From the Start menu, select SETTINGS CONTROL PANEL
Double click on the NETWORK icon
Click the ADD button
Select CLIENT and then click ADD again
From the MANUFACTURER box, choose MICROSOFT
From the NETWORK CARD box, choose MICROSOFT NETWORK
CLIENT
107

Click the OK button

If you are prompted to insert WINDOWS98 CD-ROM or DISKETTES, follow
the instructions that appear on your screen.
Reboot your PC.

About Dnc5
All the CDs supplied by Computes come with the configuration files for the serial
dialog between DNC5 and the NC devices.
These files have a .TRX suffix and their names indicate the NCs brand and/or
model (e.g.: FANUC6M.TRX for the NC device produced by Fanuc, series 6M;
BOSCH200.TRX for the NC device produced by BOSCH, model 200).
Configuration files are stored in the CD-ROM folder \DNC5\TRX and can be
loaded from DNC5 main window by using the appropriate command.
In this way, the Machine list box will show all the NCs supported by the application.
To complete the connection between DNC5 and the NC device, you only have to
modify a few of DNC5 parameters (PORT, BAUD RATE, PARITY, STOP BITS
and DATA BITS) as most of the other information is already correct.

108

METAL DESIGNER LIB5

Installation Kit
Metal Designer Lib5 is supplied with the kit described below, including installation
and start-up utilities:
CD-ROM

1 Cd-Rom.

Serial number

Any number plus one letter (example: 2378P).

Security Device

Connect the hardware security device (dongle) to the

parallel port LPT of your PC.

Warning.

The security is essential for running the program; no

replacement is provided in the case of loss, theft or
damage.
Password/Diskette

This separate diskette contains the software license

and should only be used with DK2 dongles.
Tip. Store the diskette with care for any new
installation.
Warning. If you have purchased Metal
Designer Lib5 together with other LINEA5
programs, use the diskette labeled Password.

Install
1. Before you start Setup, you have to attach the dongle to the parallel port (LPT1)

of your PC. If you are using a DK2 dongle, insert the Password diskette into
drive A:. In this way, Computes applications will be correctly enabled.
2. Insert your Cd-Rom 12.0 into the appropriate drive.

Warning. Setup

release 12 does not overwrite previous versions of Metal Designer Lib5. If

you wish to use your old settings with the new version, select the appropriate
options during setup. Once setup has been successfully completed, it is
recommended to uninstall any old version of the application.
109

3. Select the Setup language.

N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:

Fig. A

Enter the correct path and then click

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

110

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom.
4. If your Cd-Rom includes patches, the following dialog box appears.

Fig. 1

The above dialog shows the patches available on your Cd-Rom. Later on, you
will be able to select the patches you want to install.

Warning: If the above dialog is not displayed, your Cd-Rom does

not contain patches.
If you are using a network dongle instead and have installed the appropriate
drivers, select the server on which the device is attached.

111

Fig. 2

When your dongle security has been correctly identified, the screen below
appears:

Fig. 3

The Install button lets you install a new application, while Remove can be
used to delete any previously installed program.
5. Click Install to bring up the screen shown below:

112

Fig. 4
6. Click on Metal Designer Lib5 icon and then the button

The following dialog appears:

Fig. 5

113

Now you have to choose the type of setup you wish to run:
- Version 12 with patch 0. Installs the standard version of Metal Designer Lib5
without patches.
- Version 12 with patches (from Cd-Rom). Installs Metal Designer LIB5 with
the patch available on the Setup Cd-Rom.
- Version 12 with patches. Installs Metal Designer LIB5 with the selected
patches. You only have to specify the path to the relevant files (see How to
Obtain a Patch).
7. Select the appropriate option and then click

The Welcome screen appears:

Fig. 6
8. Click

Lib5 User License Agreement is visualized:

114

Fig. 7

From the above dialog, you can register your User License Agreement by
sending an e-mail to Computes S.p.A. (
make a hard copy of the agreement (
later. Whether you wish to register or not, click
agreement and continue with Setup. Choose
terminate the process and quit.

). Alternatively, you can

) and submit your registration
to accept the
if you want to

Once you have accepted the agreement terms and conditions, you will be
prompted to specify your user name and company name .

Fig. 8

115

9. Click

to continue.

From the dialog shown below, select the components you want to install:

Fig. 9
10. Click

Now specify the type of dongle security you are using: a local dongle (attached
to the parallel port of your PC) or a network dongle (attached to one of your
network servers).
For more information on security devices, please see the relevant section in
this guide.

Fig. 10

116

11. Click

Now, you have to specify the directory of the password.txt file (only if you are
using a DK2 dongle security for the CAD program which Metal Designer
Lib5 is linked to).

Fig. 11
12. Click

to continue.

Now you can add Metal Designer Lib5 icon to an existing folder or create a
new program folder.

Fig. 12

117

13. Click

Verify your settings from the screen below:

Fig. 13
14. Click

Metal Designer Lib5 system files are copied to your hard disk. Please wait
until Setup has finished.

Fig. 14

118

Latest Upgrades
After completing the installation, you can check whats new in the application;
the latest upgrades in the new release of LIB5 are outlined in the typical Readme.doc
file. Remember that the Users Guide may not provide this information.
To display and/or print the latest upgrades list:
1. from My Computer or Windows Explorer, access Metal Designer 3D installation
folder (usually named Designer);
2. open the CAD\LIB3D5 folder and then double click on the Readme file. A
registered application for *.doc files is opened to show the list of all the upgrades
in this release.

119

METAL DESIGNER PBSYSTEM

Installation Kit
Metal Designer PBSystem comes with the following kit, including installation
and start-up utilities:
CD-ROM

1 CD-ROM.

Serial number

any number plus one letter (example 2378P).

Security Device

connect the hardware security device (dongle) to the

parallel port LPT of your PC.
Warning. The dongle is essential for
running the program. No replacement is provided in
the case of loss, theft or damage.

Password Diskette

This separate diskette is essential for the correct

installation of the program as it contains the software
security.
Tip. Store the diskette with care for any new
installation.

Install
1. Before you install the application, you have to attach the dongle to the parallel

port (LPT1) of your PC. After that, insert the Password diskette into drive A:\.
In this way, COMPUTES applications will be correctly enabled;
2. insert your Cd-Rom into the appropriate drive;
3. select the Setup language.
N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle and have installed the appropriate
drivers, Setup will search for the software security file (PASSWORD.TXT)
on drive A:\. If the file is not found or no diskette has been inserted, you will be
prompted to specify the file path:

120

Fig. A

Type the path to the PASSWORD.TXT file and then click

to

continue.
If the file cannot be found in the specified directory, the following error message
appears:

Fig. B

You will be prompted to re-enter the right path (the dialog shown in figure A is
displayed again).
If you wish to ignore the prompt and continue anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom.
121

4. If your Cd-Rom includes patches for the application, the dialog box below is

displayed:

Fig. 1

The dialog shows the patches available on your Cd-Rom. Later, you will be
able to select the patches you want to install.
Warning. If the screen above is not displayed, your Cd-Rom does
not contain any patches.
If you are using a network dongle instead and have installed the appropriate
drivers, select the server on which the device is attached.

Fig. 2

122

When your dongle security has been correctly identified, the screen below
appears:

Fig. 3

The Install button lets you install a new application, while Remove can be
used to delete any previously installed program.
5. Click Install to bring up the screen shown below:

Fig. 4

123

6. Select PBSystem and then click

The dialog box below is displayed:

Fig. 5

Now choose the type of setup you wish to run:

- Version 12 with patch 0. Installs the standard version of PBSystem without
patches.
- Version 12 with patches (from Cd-Rom). Installs PBSystem with the patch
available on the Cd-Rom (the patch number appears).
- Version 12 with patches. Installs PBSystem with the selected patches. You
only have to specify the path to the relevant files (see How to Obtain a Patch).
The number of the selected patch is visualized.
7. Select the appropriate option and then click

The Install Wizard is started.

124

Fig. 6
8. Click

This screen shows the software license agreement. Please read it carefully
before continuing with Setup:

Fig. 7

125

From the above dialog, you can register your User License Agreement by
sending an e-mail to Computes S.p.A. (
make a hard copy of the agreement (

). Alternatively, you can

) and submit your registration
to accept the

later. Whether you wish to register or not, click

agreement and continue with Setup. Choose
terminate the process and quit.

if you want to

Once you have accepted the agreement terms and conditions, you will be
prompted to specify your user name and company name .

Fig. 8

9. Click

126

. Now select PBSystem destination folder.

Fig. 9

Warning: before you specify the destination folder, pay attention to

the following.
a) If you are installing Metal Designer PBSystem for the first time, choose
the destination folder.
b) If you are upgrading the application but you have not uninstalled the previous
version, the destination folder must necessarily be different from the one
where you stored your old version of Metal Designer PBSystem since
later on, you will be prompted to inherit settings from your old application.
If you choose the same folder, the following warning appears:

Fig. 10

c) If you are upgrading Metal Designer PBSystem after uninstalling the old
version, you can select any destination folder you want, including your old
Metal Designer PBSystem folder. In this case, you will be asked if you
want to keep the existing settings.
127

10. Click

Specify the type of hardware security you are using.

- Select Local dongle if the required dongle security is attached on a local
computer.
- Select Network dongle if you have attached a network dongle security.
If you select the Network dongle option, specify the name of the PC
where you have attached your dongle security (text box SERVER PC).

Fig. 11
11. Click

You will be prompted to insert the diskette with file PBSMACHINELIST.TXT.

This file contains information on the machines you can use with PBSystem.

128

Fig. 12
12. Click

Now you can retrieve data and settings from an older version of PBSystem, if
any:
- choose NO if you do not want to inherit data from a previous installation;
- otherwise, choose YES and then select the installation directory from which
you want data to be retrieved;

Fig. 13
13. Click

.
129

Select the standard tool catalogs you want to use with PBSystem.

Fig. 14

14. Click

The following dialog box is displayed.

Fig. 15

Select the unit of measure you wish to use.

130

15. Click

to continue.

Now you can add PBSystem icon to an existing folder or to a new one.

Fig. 16

16. Click

and then confirm your settings from the screen below.

Fig. 17

17. Click

PBSystem files are being copied to your hard disk. Please wait until Setup
has finished.

131

Fig. 18

PBSystem files are being copied to your hard disk. Please wait until Setup
has finished.
When PBSystem setup has been successfully completed, you will see the
screen below:

Fig. 19

18. Click

to complete setup and quit.

Please read PBSystem Online Help for more information on installation

requirements..
132

P&M

Installation Kit
P&M comes with the following kit, including installation and start-up utilities:

CD-ROM

1 CD-ROM.

Serial number

any number plus one letter (example 2378P). Your

serial number is printed on the label of the diskette
provided with the CD-ROM (see below for more
information).

Security Device

connect the hardware security device (dongle) to the

parallel port LPT of your PC.

Warning.

The dongle is essential for running the program. No

replacement is provided in the case of loss, theft or
damage.
Password/Machinelist

This separate diskette is essential for the correct

installation of the program as it contains the software
security.
Tip. Store the diskette with care for any new
installation.

Install
1. Before you install the application, you have to attach the dongle to the parallel

port (LPT1) of your PC. If you are using a DK2 dongle security (check the
label of your dongle), insert the Password/Machinelist diskette into drive A:\.
In this way, Computes applications software will be correctly enabled;
2. insert your Cd-Rom into the appropriate drive. This Cd-Rom is self-launching.
If it fails to start, select Run from the Start menu and then click on setup.exe
from the Cd-Rom main root;
3. select the Setup language.
N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
133

If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:

Fig. A

Enter the correct path and then click

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom;
134

4. if your Cd-Rom includes application patches, the dialog below is displayed:

Fig. 1

The dialog shows the patches available on your Cd-Rom. Later, you will be
able to select the patches you want to install.
Warning. If the screen above is not displayed, your Cd-Rom does
not contain any patches.
If you are using a network dongle instead and have installed the appropriate
drivers, select the server on which the device is attached.

Fig. 2

135

When your dongle security has been correctly identified, the screen below
appears:

Fig. 3

The Install button lets you install a new application, while Remove can be
used to delete any previously installed program.
5. Click Install to bring up the screen shown below:

Fig. 4

136

6. Click P&M icon first and then the button

Warning: if ODBC 8 drivers cannot be found on your PC, you will

be prompted to install them:

Fig. 5

Click
to install ODBC drivers and then reboot your PC. After
that, you have to restart Setup.
N.B.: remember that the program CANNOT be installed without
ODBC drivers.
The dialog box below is displayed:

Fig. 6

Now choose the type of setup you wish to run:

- Version 12 with patch 0 - Installs the standard version of P&M without
patches.
- Version 12 with patches (from the Cd-Rom) - Installs P&M with the patch
available on the setup Cd-Rom.
137

Version 12 with Patches - Installs P&M with the selected patches. You
only have to specify the path to the relevant files (see How to Obtain a
Patch).

7. Select the appropriate option and then click

The Install Wizard is started:

Fig. 7
8. Click

to continue.

Setup brings up the User License Agreement. Read this information carefully.

Fig. 8

138

From the above dialog, you can register your User License Agreement by
sending an e-mail to Computes S.p.A. (
make a hard copy of the agreement (

). Alternatively, you can

) and submit your registration

later. Whether you wish to register or not, click

agreement and continue with Setup. Choose
terminate the process and quit.

to accept the
if you want to

Once you have accepted the agreement terms and conditions, you will be
prompted to specify your user name and company name.

Fig. 9

Type your name, surname and the name of your company.

N.B.: remember to specify the serial number or you will not be able
to continue with Setup!
9. Click

Now select P&M destination folder:

139

Fig. 10

Warning: before you specify the destination folder, pay attention to the
following.
a) If you are installing P&M for the first time and DNCView is not present on
your PC, choose any folder you want;
b) if you are upgrading P&M without having uninstalled your older version
of the program, choose a folder other than the previous installation folder.
Remember that you cannot overwrite your old P&M during setup. However,
later on, you will be prompted to retrieve P&M settings from one of P&M
folders.
If you try to overwrite your old version of P&M, you will get the following
error message:

Fig. 11
10. Click

140

Enter the name of your database server in the appropriate box. Remember that
the database must already be installed on your PC or in a network server. If
you have not installed it yet, quit Setup and read the appropriate section in this
guide for more information on how to install the Common database).

Fig. 12

Warning! The database server name is case-sensitive, so make sure

you have typed it correctly. If you cannot remember the name of the database,
see Computes Common Database CCDB for instructions.
11. Click

Select the appropriate type of communication protocol.

141

Fig. 13

Warning:
a) if the Common Database has been installed locally and it is not open, you will
see the following message:

Fig. 14

b) If the Common Database has been installed locally and it is open, the following
dialog appears:

142

Fig. 15

c) If the Common Database has been installed on a network server but it is not
open, the following message appears:

Fig. 16

N.B. If the server is not found, due to port conflicts or a failure during
automatic search, please type in the IP address or the name of the computer
you wish to search. The specified IP address or computer name will be used
for any future update of the product. Note that this feature is available for both
TCP and SPX protocols.
143

12. Click

to continue.

N.B. If the version of your Common Database is earlier than the

program you are installing, the following error message appears:

Fig. 17

Click

. Setup will be terminated.

Now you will be prompted to retrieve any old version of P&M that can be
found on Computes Common Database (CCDB) nodes, no matter if the
installation directory has been removed from your computer. In this way, you
will be able to retrieve the data you stored to the database from your old
application. For example, if you have replaced the computer on which you
used to run P&M, you can easily retrieve the application node from CCDB
(provided that the name of the new computer is the same as the old ones.)

Fig. 18

144

Note that you will not be able to link P&M to another application if you choose
to retrieve data from a node. The link available on the retrieved node will be
used instead.
13. Setup could prompt you to reuse settings from your previous version of P&M.

This prompt only appears under the following conditions:

you have retrieved Common Database records while installing CCDB 12;
P&M 11 is installed on the same computer from which you are running
Setup;
you have not retrieved the application node (see above).

Fig. 19

Note that you will not be able to link P&M to another application if you
choose to retrieve data from an old installation of the program. The
previously established link will be used instead.
P&M 11 can be retrieved only once while installing version 12. You cannot
repeat the operation during the setup of other Computes programs 12.
14. Click

Now you can link P&M to any compatible applications you have installed on
your PC. The dialog shown below does not appear if you have chosen to retrieve
data from a previous version of P&M or from a database node.

145

Fig. 20
15. Click the appropriate icon to continue. Before you do, pay attention to the

following:
-

click this button

if you want to link P&M to Linea5. In this

way, you will be able to use the Linea5 part programs and take advantage
of existing information on parts, sheets, material, clamp position and tools.
Linea5 can also be installed on a PC other than the one with P&M.
N.B.: if you have installed different versions of Linea5 on your
PC, you will be prompted to select the one you want to link to P&M;
-

click this button

to link P&M to DNC5. This option lets you

use NC files only. No information is available on material, clamps, sheets

or tools;
-

click this button

to link P&M to any other application. This

option is not included in the standard P&M packet. Please contact your
vendor for more information.

146

If you have linked P&M to Linea5, you will be prompted to load the
MACHINELIST.TXT file from the diskette supplied with the CD-ROM.

Fig. 21

Warning! Make sure the path to the MACHINELIST.TXT file is

correct, otherwise Setup will be terminated and you will have to restart it from
the beginning. If you do not link P&M to a specific CNC control, the application
will be installed in the SUPERVISOR mode. Since P&M Supervisor is not
connected to any CNC control, you can create and handle job lists for all the
machines in your network. For more information on the SUPERVISOR mode,
please see the README.TXT document after installing P&M. You can enable
the SUPERVISOR mode also at the end of P&M setup.
16. Click

The dialog below appears.

Fig. 22

147

To the left of this dialog, you can see the list of machines available in the
MACHINELIST.TXT file, while to the right, there are all the machines currently
supported by P&M. To add a new machine, highlight its code in the left-hand
list and then click Add. Add one machine only. To remove a machine from
the list, select it first and then click the Del. button.
Once you have selected the Postprocessor you wish to use with P&M, specify
the .TRX file and the transmission mode. The .TRX file contains information
on file transfer and can be found either in P&M setup folder (if you have a
previous version of the application) or on the Cd-Rom. The TRX folder contains
files for the most common types of CNC controls.
Setup will be automatically terminated if you do not select the appropriate
TRX file.
17. Click

Specify the type of dongle security you are using: a local dongle (attached to
the parallel port of your PC) or a network dongle (attached to one of your
network servers). For more information, please see the relevant section in this
guide.

Fig. 23
18. Click

If you are using a DK2 dongle, you will be prompted to insert the software
security diskette (containing the PASSWORD.TXT file) into drive A:\.

148

Fig. 24
19. Click

The following dialog box is displayed:

Fig. 25

Select the unit of measure you wish to use.

20. Click

Specify the program folder.

149

Fig. 26
21. Click

The next screen sums up setup data.

Fig. 27

Please verify your settings before continuing.

22. Click

150

Setup starts copying P&M files to your hard disk. When the operation is
completed, you will see the following message.

Fig. 28
23. Click

151

DNCVIEW

Installation Kit
DNCVIEW comes with the following kit, including installation and start-up utilities:

CD-ROM

1 CD-ROM.

Serial number

any number plus one letter (example 2378P). The

serial number can be found on the diskette supplied
with the CD-ROM.

Security Device

connect the hardware security device (dongle) to the

parallel port LPT of your PC.

Warning.

The dongle is essential for running the program. No

replacement is provided in the case of loss, theft or
damage.
Password
Machinelist/Diskette

This separate diskette is essential for the correct

installation of the program as it contains the software
security.
Tip. Store the diskette with care for any new
installation.

Install
1. Before you install the application, you have to attach the dongle to the parallel

port (LPT1) of your PC. If you are using a DK2 dongle security (check the
device label), insert the Password/Machinelist diskette (software security) into
drive A:\. In this way, COMPUTES applications will be correctly enabled;
2. insert your Cd-Rom into the appropriate drive. This Cd-Rom is self-launching.
If it should fail, select Run from the Start menu and then click on setup.exe
from the Cd-Rom main directory;
3. select the Setup language.
N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
152

If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:

Fig. A

Enter the correct path and then click

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom;
153

4. if your Cd-Rom includes update application patches, the dialog below is

displayed:

Fig. 1

The dialog shows the patches available on your Cd-Rom. Later, you will be
able to select the patches you want to install.
Warning. If the screen above is not displayed, your Cd-Rom does
not contain any patches.
If you are using a network dongle instead and have installed the appropriate
drivers, select the server on which the device is attached.

Fig. 2

154

When your dongle security has been correctly identified, the screen below
appears:

Fig. 3

The Install button lets you install a new application, while Remove can be
used to delete any previously installed program.
5. Click Install to bring up the screen shown below:

Fig. 4

155

6. Click on DNCVIEW icon and then the button

Warning: if ODBC 8 drivers cannot be found on your PC, you will

be prompted to install them:

Fig. 5

Click

to install ODBC drivers and then reboot your PC.

After that, you have to restart Setup.

N.B.: remember that the program CANNOT be installed without

ODBC drivers.
The dialog below appears:

Fig. 6

Now you have to choose the type of setup you wish to run:
- Version 12 with patch 0. Installs the standard version of DNCVIEW without
patches.
156

Version 12 with patches (from Cd-Rom). Installs DNCVIEW with the patch
available on Linea5 Cd-Rom.
Version 12 with patches. Installs DNCVIEW with the selected patches.
You only have to specify the path to the relevant files (see How to Obtain
a Patch).

7. Select the appropriate option and then click

The following dialog appears:

Fig. 7
8. Click on

again.

Setup brings up the User License Agreement. Read this information carefully:

157

Fig. 8

From the above dialog, you can register your User License Agreement by
sending an e-mail to Computes S.p.A. (
make a hard copy of the agreement (
later. Whether you wish to register or not, click
agreement and continue with Setup. Choose
terminate the process and quit.

). Alternatively, you can

) and submit your registration
to accept the
if you want to

Once you have accepted the agreement terms and conditions, you will be
prompted to specify your user name and company name .

158

Fig. 9

Type your name, surname and the name of your company.

N.B.: remember to specify the serial number or you will not be able
to continue with Setup!
9. Click

to continue.

Now select DNCView destination folder.

Fig. 10

159

Warning: before you specify the destination folder, pay attention to the
following.
a) If you are installing DNCView for the first time and DNCView is not present
on your PC, choose any folder you want;
b) if you are upgrading DNCView without having uninstalled your older
version of the program, choose a folder other than the previous installation
folder. Remember that you cannot overwrite your old DNCView during
setup. However, later on, you will be prompted to retrieve DNCView
settings from one of DNCView folders.
If you try to overwrite an old version of DNCView, you will get the following
warning:

Fig. 11
10. Click

You will be prompted to enter the NAME of the database server. Remember
that the database MUST be active during setup. If you have not installed it yet,
quit Setup and install the Common Database (see the relevant section in this
guide).

160

Fig. 12

Warning! The database server name is case-sensitive, so make sure

you have typed it correctly.
If you cannot remember the correct name of the database, see Common
Database Management for instructions.
11. Click

to continue.

Specify the type of communication protocol:

Fig. 13
12. Choose the appropriate protocol and then click

Warning:
a) if the Common Database has been installed locally and it is not open, you will
see the following message:

Fig. 14

161

b) If the Common Database has been installed locally and it is open, the following
dialog appears:

Fig. 15

c) If the Common Database has been installed on a network server but it is not
open, the following message appears:

Fig. 16

N.B. If the server is not found, due to port conflicts or a failure during
automatic search, please type in the IP address or the name of the computer
you wish to search. The specified IP address or computer name will be used
for any future update of the product. Note that this feature is available for both
TCP and SPX protocols.
162

N.B. If the version of your Common Database is earlier than the

program you are installing, the following error message appears:

Fig. 17

13. Click

. Setup will be terminated.

Now you will be prompted to retrieve any old version of DNCView that can
be found on Computes Common Database (CCDB) nodes, no matter if the
installation directory has been removed from your computer. In this way, you
will be able to retrieve the data you stored to the database from your old
application. For example, if you have replaced the computer on which you
used to run DNCView, you can easily retrieve the application node from CCDB
(provided that the name of the new computer is the same as the old ones.)

Fig. 18

Note that you will not be able to link DNCView to another application if you
choose to retrieve data from a node. The link available on the retrieved node
will be used instead.
163

Setup could prompt you to reuse settings from your previous version of
DNCView . This prompt only appears under the following conditions:
you have retrieved Common Database records while installing CCDB 12;
DNCView 11 is installed on the same computer from which you are
running Setup;
you have not retrieved the application node (see above).

Fig. 19

Note that you will not be able to link DNCView to another application if
you choose to retrieve data from an old installation of the program. The
previously established link will be used instead.
DNCView 11 can be retrieved only once while installing version 12. You
cannot repeat the operation during the setup of other Computes programs
12.
14. Click

Now you can link DNCVIEW to any compatible applications you have installed
on your PC. The dialog shown below does not appear if you have chosen to
retrieve data from a previous version of DNCVIEW or from a database node.

164

Fig. 20
15. Click the appropriate icon to link DNCVIEW to one of the following programs.

Before you do, pay attention to the following:

-

Link to LINEA5.
This type of link lets you use the part programs you have generated with
Linea5, including specific part data such as format, material, clamp position
and tools.
You can select this option also when Linea5 is not installed on the same PC
where you are loading DNCVIEW.
N.B.: if you have installed different versions of Linea5 on your
PC, you will be prompted to select the one you want to link to DNCVIEW.

Link to DNC5.
This link lets you use NC files only without additional information on
material, clamps, format or tools.

Link to other applications.

This is an extra option and is not included in the standard DNCVIEW packet.
Please contact your dealer for more information.
165

Now you are prompted to load the MACHINELIST.TXT file from the diskette
shipped with the Cd-Rom.

Fig. 21

Warning! Make sure the path to the MACHINELIST.TXT file is

correct, otherwise Setup will be terminated and you will have to restart the
procedure from the beginning.
If you do not want to enable machine connections, you can install a
SUPERVISOR workstation (a workstation that is not actually connected to
any machine but can create and handle bill of materials for all the NCs connected
to your network clients).
For more information, please see the README.TXT document after installing
DNCVIEW.
You can create a SUPERVISOR workstation also at the end of setup.
16. Click

The dialog below appears:

166

Fig. 22

To the left, there is the list of machine loaded from the MACHINELIST.TXT
file, while to the right, there are all the machines supported by DNCVIEW.
To add a machine, just select the relevant code from the left-hand list and then
click on Add.
To add more than one machine, hold down the CTRL key while clicking with
the mouse left button. By holding down the SHIFT key, instead and clicking
on the first and last machine, you will add the whole list to the right-hand
column. If you wish to remove a certain machine, just click on it and then
select Del.
Once you have added all the machines to the list of selectable Postprocessors,
specify the type of communication you want to establish as well as the .TRX
file to use for each machine in the list.
The .TRX file contains information on file transfer and can be found either in
DNCVIEW setup folder (if you have a previous version of the application) or
directly on the CD-ROM. The TRX folder contains files for the most common
types of NCs.
Remember that Setup will be automatically terminated if you do not select the
appropriate TRX file.
From the TX MODE column, select one of the following transmission modes:
- REMOTE BUFFER (some types of machines only);
- NETWORK (networked machines only). If you choose this transmission
mode, you have to select the RETE.TRX file from the TRX folder located
on Computes Cd-Rom;
- NORMAL for all the other types of machines.
17. Click

to continue with Setup.

167

Specify the type of dongle security you are using: a local dongle (attached to
the parallel port of your PC) or a network dongle (attached to one of your
network servers).
For more information, please see the relevant section in this guide.

Fig. 23
18. Click

The dialog below appears when you are using a DK2 dongle and the
Passoword.txt file is not located in the same folder as your MACHINELIST or
you have not selected any machine in particular:

Fig. 24

168

19. Click

The following dialog box is displayed:

Fig. 25

Select the unit of measure you wish to use.

20. Click

to continue.

Select or enter the program folder for DNCVIEW.

Fig. 26
21. Click

.
169

A new dialog box appears with the setup data you have specified so far.

Fig. 27

Please verify your settings before continuing.

22. Click

Setup starts copying DNCVIEW files to your hard disk.

Fig. 28

When Setup has finished, you will see the screen shown below. Check the
appropriate box if you wish to create a shortcut to DNCVIEW on your desktop.
170

Fig. 29
23. Click

to quit setup.

171

MasterNEST

Installation Kit
MasterNEST comes with the following kit, including installation and start-up
utilities:

CD-ROM

1 CD-ROM.

Password Diskette

This separate diskette is essential for the correct

installation of the program as it contains the software
security.
Tips. Store the diskette with care for any

Serial Number

Security Device

new installation.
Any number plus one letter (example: 2378P).
The serial number is printed on the Password diskette
label.
Connect the hardware security device (dongle) to the
parallel port LPT of your PC.
Warning. The dongle is essential for
running the program. No replacement is provided in
the case of loss, theft or damage.

Install
1. Before you install the application, you have to attach the dongle to the parallel

port (LPT1) of your PC. After that, insert the Password diskette into drive A:.
In this way, COMPUTES applications are correctly enabled;
2. insert your Cd-Rom into the appropriate drive;
3. select the Setup language.
N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:

172

Fig. A

Enter the correct path and then click

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom;
4. if your Cd-Rom includes application patches, the dialog below is displayed:

173

Fig. 1

The dialog shows the patches available on your Cd-Rom. Later, you will be
able to select the patches you want to install.
Warning. If the screen above is not displayed, your Cd-Rom does
not contain any patches.
If you are using a network dongle instead and have installed the appropriate
drivers, select the server on which the device is attached.

Fig. 2

174

When your dongle security has been correctly identified, the screen below
appears:

Fig. 3

The Install button lets you install a new application, while Remove can be
used to delete any previously installed program..
5. Click Install to bring up the screen shown below:

Fig. 4

175

6. Click MasterNEST icon and then the button

Warning! If ODBC 8 drivers cannot be found on your PC, you will

be prompted to install them:

Fig. 5

Click
to install ODBC drivers and then reboot your PC.
After that, you have to restart Setup.

N.B.: remember that the program CANNOT be installed without

ODBC drivers.
The following dialog box appears:

Fig. 6

Now you have to choose the type of setup you wish to run:
- Version 12 with patch 0. Installs the standard version of MasterNEST
vwithout patches.
- Version 12 with patches (from Cd-Rom). Installs MasterNEST with the
patch available on the Cd-Rom (the patch number appears).
176

Version 12 with patches. Installs MasterNEST with the selected patches.

You only have to specify the path to the relevant files (see How to Obtain
a Patch). The number of the selected patch is visualized. Click the button
if you need to browse your file system.

7. Select the appropriate option and then click the button

The following dialog appears:

Fig. 7
8. Click

Setup brings up the User License Agreement. Read this information carefully.

Fig. 8

177

From the above dialog, you can register your User License Agreement by
sending an e-mail to Computes S.p.A. (
make a hard copy of the agreement (

). Alternatively, you can

) and submit your registration

later. Whether you wish to register or not, click

agreement and continue with Setup. Choose
terminate the process and quit.

to accept the
if you want to

Once you have accepted the agreement terms and conditions, you will be
prompted to specify your user name and company name .

Fig. 9

Type your name, surname and the name of your company.

9. Click

Now, you have to specify the name of your database server. The database
server can be installed locally, in your network server or on another computer
connected to the same machine you are using to install the application. Whatever
the case, remember that the database server MUST already be installed in
order to run Setup correctly. If you have not installed it yet, quit Setup and
follow the instructions given in this guide to install Computes Common
Database..

178

Fig. 10

Warning! The database server name is case-sensitive, so make sure

you have typed it correctly.
If you cannot remember the correct name of the database, see CCDB
Management for instructions.
10. Click

and then specify the type of communication protocol you

want to use.

Fig. 11

179

11. Choose one of the protocols supported by your network. Select None when

the application is being installed on the same computer where the database is
located and no network protocol is available. Select the correct option and
then click

to continue.

Warning:
a) if the Common Database has been installed locally and it is not open, you will
see the following message:

Fig. 12

b) If the Common Database has been installed locally and it is open, the following
dialog appears:

Fig. 13

c) If the Common Database has been installed on a network server but it is not
open, the following message appears:

180

Fig. 14

N.B. If the server is not found, due to port conflicts or a failure during
automatic search, please type in the IP address or the name of the computer
you wish to search. The specified IP address or computer name will be used
for any future update of the product. Note that this feature is available for both
TCP and SPX protocols.
12. Click

N.B. If the version of your Common Database is earlier than the

program you are installing, the following error message appears:

Fig. 15

Click

. Setup will be terminated.

You will be prompted to load settings from a previous version of MasterNEST,

if any.
181

Fig. 16

Click NO if you do not want to inherit settings from a previous installation,

otherwise click YES. The folder(s) containing MasterNEST 11.0 settings are
shown by default in the appropriate field.
13. Click

Fig. 17

182

.The following dialog box appears:

Warning: before you specify the destination folder, pay attention to

the following.
a) If you are installing MasterNEST for the first time, choose the destination
folder.
b) If you are upgrading the application but you have not uninstalled the previous
version, the destination folder must necessarily be different from the one
where you stored your old version of MasterNEST since later on, you will
be prompted to inherit settings from your old application. If you choose
the same folder, the following warning appears:

Fig. 18

c) If you are upgrading MasterNEST after uninstalling the old version, you
can select any destination folder you want, including your old MasterNEST
folder. In this case, you will be asked if you want to keep the existing
settings.

Warning: if you have installed different versions of MasterNEST

on your PC, you will be prompted to select the one you want to link to
MasterNEST.
14. Click

Specify the type of hardware security you want to use with MasterNEST.
-

Select Local dongle if the required dongle security is attached on a local

computer.
Select Network dongle if you have attached a network dongle security.
If you select the Network dongle option, specify the name of the PC
where you have attached your dongle security (text box SERVER PC).

183

Fig. 19
15. Click

N.B.: if Setup fails to detect the dongle security, the message below
appears.

Fig. 20

Carefully read the visualized message before continuing.

16. Click

If you are using a DK2 dongle, you will be prompted to insert the software
security diskette (containing the PASSWORD-TXT file) into drive A:.

184

Fig. 21
17. Click

The following dialog box is displayed:

Fig. 22

Select the unit of measure you wish to use.

18. Click

to continue.
185

Now you can add MasterNEST icon to an existing folder or to a new one.

Fig. 23
19. Click

The next screen sums up MasterNEST setup data. Please verify your settings
before continuing.

Fig. 24

186

20. Click

MasterNEST system files are being copied to your hard disk. Please wait
until Setup has finished.

Fig. 25
21. Click

to quit.

187

IMPORT/EXPORT

Installation Kit
The Import/Export software comes with the following kit:
Warning. If you have purchased Import/Export

CD-ROM

along with LINEA5 software packet, just run the same Setup
program included in LINEA5 CD-ROM.
Serial number

product serial number (a number with a letter, like 2378P).

Security Device

a hardware security device (dongle) to be attached to the

parallel port (LPT) of your PC.
Warning. The program does not work without
dongle. Please store your dongle with care. No copies are
supplied in the case of loss, theft or damage.

Install
1. Before you install the application, you have to connect the dongle to the parallel

port (LPT1) of your PC. If you are using a DK2 dongle security, insert the
Password diskette (software security) into drive A: to enable the application
license.
2. Insert the Cd-Rom into the appropriate drive.
3. Select the Setup language.
N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:

188

Fig. A

Enter the correct path and then click

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom.
4. If your Cd-Rom includes application patches, the following dialog box appears:

189

Fig. 1

The above dialog shows the patches available on your Cd-Rom. Later, you
will be able to select the patches you want to install.

Warning! If the above dialog is not displayed, your Cd-Rom does

not contain any patches.
If you are using a network dongle instead and have installed the appropriate
drivers, select the server on which the device is attached.

Fig. 2

190

When your dongle security has been correctly identified, the screen below
appears:

Fig. 3

The Install button lets you install a new application, while Remove can be
used to delete any previously installed program.
5. Click Install to bring up the screen shown below:

Fig. 4
6. Click the Import/Export icon and the button

.
191

Warning! If ODBC 6 drivers cannot be found on your PC, you will

be prompted to install them:

Fig. 5

Click the button

to install ODBC drivers now and then reboot

your PC. After that, you can resume Setup.

N.B.: remember that the program CANNOT be installed without ODBC

drivers.
Now select the type of setup you wish to run:

Fig. 6

Now you have to choose the type of setup you wish to run:
- Version 12 with patch 0. Installs the standard version of Import/Export
without patchess.
- Version 12 with patches (from Cd-Rom). Installs Import/Export with the
patch available on the Cd-Rom (the patch number appears).
192

Version 12 with patches. Installs Import/Export with the selected patches.

You only have to specify the path to the relevant files (see How to Obtain
a Patch). The number of the selected patch is visualized.

7. Select the appropriate option and then click

The following dialog box is displayed.

Fig. 7
8. Click

The next screen shows the software license agreement. Please read it carefully
before continuing with Setup.

193

Fig. 8

From the above dialog, you can register your User License Agreement by
sending an e-mail to Computes S.p.A. (
make a hard copy of the agreement (
later. Whether you wish to register or not, click
agreement and continue with Setup. Choose
terminate the process and quit.

). Alternatively, you can

) and submit your registration
to accept the
if you want to

Once you have accepted the agreement terms and conditions, you will be
prompted to specify your user name and company name .

N.B.: if you do not accept the license agreement, you will not be able
to continue.
You will be prompted to enter the name of the database server you have installed
locally or in your network. Remember that the database MUST be active during
setup. If you have not installed it yet, quit Setup and follow the instructions
given in this guide to install the Common Database.

194

Fig. 9

Warning! The database server name is case-sensitive, so make sure

you have typed it correctly.
If you cannot remember the name of the database, see Computes Common
Database (CCDB) for instructions.
9. Click

to continue.

Specify the type of communication protocol you want to use:

Fig. 10

195

10. Choose one of the protocols supported by your network and then click

Warning:
a) if the Common Database has been installed locally but it is not open, Setup
will try to connect anyway:

Fig. 11

b) If the Common Database has been installed locally and it is open, you will
see the following dialog:

Fig. 12

c) If the Common Database has been installed on a network server but it is

not open, you will be prompted to start it:

196

Fig. 13

N.B. If the server is not found, due to port conflicts or a failure during
automatic search, please type in the IP address or the name of the computer
you wish to search. The specified IP address or computer name will be used
for any future update of the product. Note that this feature is available for both
TCP and SPX protocols.

11. Click

N.B. If the version of your Common Database is earlier than the

program you are installing, the following error message appears:

Fig. 14
12. Click

. Setup will be terminated.

197

Now select the destination folder:

Fig. 15

Warning: before you specify the destination folder, pay attention to

the following.
a) If you are installing Import/Export for the first time, choose any folder
you want;
b) if you are upgrading Import/Export without having uninstalled your older
version of the program, choose a folder other than the previous installation
folder. Remember that you cannot overwrite your old application during
setup. Later on, you will be prompted to retrieve your old settings.
If you try to overwrite the previous version of Import/Export, you will get
the following warning:

Fig. 16

c) If you are upgrading Import/Export after uninstalling the old version of

the program, you can choose any folder you want, including the previous
installation folder. If you choose to install Import/Export 12 to the same
folder as the older version, you will be able to keep all of your settings.
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13. Click

Specify the type of hardware security you want to use with IMPORT/EXPORT.
- Choose Local dongle if your hardware security is attached on a local
computer.
- Choose Network dongle if you are sharing the same dongle in a network.
If you select the Network dongle option, specify the name of the PC
where you have attached your dongle security (text box SERVER PC.).

Fig. 17
14. Click

.
N.B.: if setup fails to detect the dongle security, the message below

appears:

Fig. 18

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Carefully read the visualized message before continuing.

If you are using a DK2 dongle, you will be prompted to insert the software
security diskette (containing the PASSWORD-TXT file) into drive A:.

Fig. 19
15. Click

Select Import/Exports program folder.

Fig. 20

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16. Click

The next screen sums up Import/Export setup data. Please verify your settings
before continuing.

Fig. 21

17. Click

Now Import/Export system files are being copied to your hard disk. Please
wait until Setup has finished.

Fig. 22

18. Click

.
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GEST_MSG

Installation Kit
The Gest_Msg software comes with the following kit:
CD-ROM

1 CD-ROM.

Serial number

product serial number (a number with a letter, like 2378P).

Install
1. Before you install the application, you have to connect the dongle to the parallel

port (LPT1) of your PC. If you are using a DK2 dongle security, insert the
Password diskette (software security) into drive A: to enable the application
license.
2. Insert the Cd-Rom into the appropriate drive.
3. Select the Setup language.
N.B. If you are using a DK2 dongle security with the appropriate
drivers, Setup will check for the PASSWORD.TXT file on drive A:\.
If the diskette (or the PASSWORD.TXT file) is not found, you will be prompted
to specify a different path:

Fig. A

202

Enter the correct path and then click

to continue.

If setup still fails to find the PASSWORD.TXT file, the warning below appears:

Fig. B

The select folder dialog is displayed again.

If you wish to continue with Setup anyway, just click

Warning! If you do not select the PASSWORD.txt file, you may not
be able to install some of the programs available on the Cd-Rom.
4. If your Cd-Rom includes application patches, the following dialog box appears:

Fig. 1

The above dialog shows the patches available on your Cd-Rom. Later, you
will be able to select the patches you want to install.

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Warning! If the above dialog is not displayed, your Cd-Rom does

not contain any patches.
If you are using a network dongle instead and have installed the appropriate
drivers, select the server on which the device is attached.

Fig. 2

When your dongle security has been correctly identified, the screen below
appears:

Fig. 3

The Install button lets you install a new application, while Remove can be
used to delete any previously installed program.
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5. Click Install to bring up the screen shown below:

Fig. 4
6. Click the Gest_Msg icon and the button

The dialog below appears:

Fig. 5

Now you have to choose the type of setup you wish to run:
- Version 12 with patch 0. Installs the standard version of Gest_Msg without
patchess.
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Version 12 with patches (from Cd-Rom). Installs Gest_Msg with the patch
available on the Cd-Rom (the patch number appears).
Version 12 with patches. Installs Gest_Msg with the selected patches.
You only have to specify the path to the relevant files (see How to Obtain
a Patch). The number of the selected patch is visualized.

7. Select the appropriate option and then click

The following dialog box is displayed.

Fig. 6

8. Click

The next screen shows the software license agreement. Please read it carefully
before continuing with Setup.

206

Fig. 7

9. Click

to accept the agreement terms and conditions and continue

with Setup
Now select the destination folder:

Fig. 8

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Warning: before you specify the destination folder, pay attention to

the following.
a) If you are installing Gest_Msg for the first time, choose the destination
folder.
b) If you are upgrading the application but you have not uninstalled the previous
version, the destination folder must necessarily be different from the one
where you stored your old version of Gest_Msg since later on, you will be
prompted to inherit settings from your old application. If you choose the
same folder, the following warning appears:

Fig. 9

c) If you are upgrading Gest_Msg after uninstalling the old version, you can
select any destination folder you want, including your old Gest_Msg folder.
In this case, you will be asked if you want to keep the existing settings.
10. Click

Select Gest_Msgs destination folder.

Fig. 10

17. Click

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The next screen sums up Gest_Msg setup data. Please verify your settings
before continuing.

Fig. 11

18. Click

Gest_Msg system files are being copied to your hard disk. Please wait until
Setup has finished.

Fig. 12

19. Click

.
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DK2 SECURITY
The following section provides troubleshooting information for the DK2 security
device.

What to do if a security error occurs

If your application software fails to start due to a security error, follow the
troubleshooting instructions given below. Also, consult the Users Guide or the
Online Help of your operating system.
If password errors occur when you start Computes applications, try to activate the
Dongutils32 utility, regardless of the Operating System installed on your computer.
Follow the instructions below and contact Computes Technical Support for any
clarifications.

Note. Make sure that the DK2 dongle is the only device attached to the
parallel port of your PC.
1. Open a Prompt to MS-DOS shell, access the UTILITY folder from Computes

CD-ROM and then type:

DONGUTILS32 OP=RESET
Press the [Enter] key.

2. If the operation has been successfully completed, you will read:

DONGUTILS32 Version 8.01

Reset operation has terminated successfully
Old dongle memory format.
Dongle xxxxxx is a NORMAL dongle
xxxxxx stands for the serial number of the dongle you are using.

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WINDOWS NT4 Operating System

From Windows NT, open the CONTROL PANEL, double click on the
MULTIMEDIA icon and then on DEVICES. Select the ADD button and
then choose UNLISTED OR UPDATE DRIVER (the first entry at the top,
depending on the version of Windows NT you are using). After that, specify
the directory where you have installed your software package (usually
\PUNCH5 for LINEA5 applications, \DNC5 for DNC5 ). Confirm with OK.
Open the CONTROL PANEL again and double click on DEVICES. Check
that the required drivers are installed and active. If they are, you will read:
DK2 DESkey driver in the list of drivers
and STARTED in the STATUS column.
To active drivers automatically at the start-up of your Operating System, make
sure that the START menu includes the AUTOMATIC entry.

WINDOWS 2000 Professional Operating System

From Windows 2000, open the CONTROL PANEL and double click on the
ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLS (COMMON) icon. Then choose the
COMPUTER MANAGEMENT icon and select the Microsoft System
Information\ Software Environment\Driver tab. Make sure that all the
required drivers are installed and active. If they are, you will read:
DK2DRV in the list of drivers
and Running in the first STATUS column. To activate drivers automatically
at the start-up of your Operating System, make sure that the OK entry appears
in the second STATUS column. If it is not so, install the drivers again.

WINDOWS XP Professional Operating System

Open the START menu, select PROGRAMS > ACCESSORIES > SYSTEM
TOOLS and then double click on the SYSTEM INFORMATION icon.
Choose SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENT and click the Driver tab. Make sure
that all the required drivers are installed and active. If they are, you will read
DK2DRV in the list of drivers
and Running in the in the STATUS column. To activate drivers automatically
at the start-up of your Operating System, make sure that the OK entry appears
in the second STATUS column, otherwise, install the drivers again.
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SLAVE SECURITY
This section provides information on how to recharge a Slave security device.
Among all the DK2 dongles you have purchased, identify the Master dongle and the
Slave dongles. Notice that there is only one Master device against several Slave dongles.
If you cannot decide which is which, do not hesitate to contact Computes Support.
Make sure that the date displayed on all of your computers is correct. Otherwise,
update your operating systems to todays date.
Also check that only Computes DK2 dongles are attached to your computers.
Disconnect any other device, including printers and similar peripheral devices.
To recharge a SLAVE dongle, use the SLAVE5 utility available on the supplied diskette
or on Computes CD-ROM, (UTILITY volume). Make sure you have both Slave and
Master dongles.
From the PC fitted with the Slave dongle, run SLAVE5. Double-click on Slave5.exe
from your Program Manager. The dialog box below is displayed.

In the Working path field, specify the directory where the regenerated PASSWORD
file will be stored. If you are using the supplied diskette, just click on Save.
A message appears when the operation has been successfully completed. Close the
utility by clicking on Exit.
From the PC fitted with the Master dongle, run SLAVE5 again. In the Working path
field, specify the same storage directory and then click on Regenerate. You will be
prompted first to attach the Master dongle to the parallel port of your PC and then to
remove it so that the Slave dongle can be attached instead. After checking the validity
of both security devices, the application regenerates the PASSWORD file. At the end
of the process, a message shows the number of the regenerated passwords.

212

From the PC with the Slave dongle, run SLAVE5 again. In the Working path field,
specify the same storage directory and then click on Restore. The application will
automatically replace the old PASSWORD file with the regenerated one. A message
is displayed when the operation has been successfully completed.
Now your dongles have been recharged. Reattach the Slave dongle to the parallel port
of your PC and restart your applications to check that they are all working correctly.

Notes
The lifetime of slave security devices is usually 60 days after recharging.
You can recharge your dongles both before and after the expiry date (within 60
days after the last recharge).
You can do it at any time, just remember that the validity period starts from the
day of recharge.
The Slave security is shipped with a 60-day recharge so you do not need to recharge
it for the first two months of use.

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ACTIVATOR SECURITY
The following section provides troubleshooting information for the Activator security.
You will also find additional information for the correct use of this dongle.

What to do if a Security Error occurs

If your application software fails to start due to a security error, follow the
troubleshooting instructions given below. Also, consult the Users Guide or the
Online Help of your operating system.

WINDOWS 9x Operating System

If the operating frequency of your Personal Computer is more than 100Mhz, you
have to set an environment variable. Type the following string in any position
within AUTOEXEC.BAT:
SET SSI_ACT=6,6,6
After that, reboot your PC.
If your system still fails to identify the dongle, increase all the above digits by one
unit at a time until you reach the minimum value that lets you start the application
with the dongle. Recommended value: 100.
If the operating frequency of your personal computer is more than 1000Mhz (1
Ghz), it is suggested to increase the recommended value up to 200 or 300, to
guarantee the correct identification of your dongle.
WINDOWS NT4 Environment
You have to install a special driver on your PC.
From the Setup directory of your application (usually \PUNCH5 for LINEA5
programs, \DNC5 for DNC5 ), copy the SSIPDDP.SYS file to
<drive:>\<Operating System Setup directory>\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS.
<drive:>: indicates the drive where the operating system is installed (usually
C: or D: );
<Operating System Setup directory>: indicates the directory where your
operating system is installed (usually WINNT35 or WINNT).
Start Windows NT and then open a Prompt to MS-DOS shell.
Access the Setup directory of the application (usually \PUNCH5 for LINEA5
programs, \DNC5 for DNC5) and then type the command SSIREGI INSTALL.
Press the [Enter] key.
Close the DOS shell and open the CONTROL PANEL. Double click on the
DEVICES icon and check that the driver is correctly installed. If it is, you will
read
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SSIDDP Parallel port device driver in the list of drivers

and STARTED in the STATUS column.
To activate the driver automatically at the start-up of the application, make
sure that the START menu includes the AUTOMATIC entry.
If your system still fails to identify the dongle, try the following:
Start Windows NT, open the CONTROL PANEL and double click on the
SYSTEM icon. Select the ENVIRONMENT tab to view the list of system
and user variables. Enter a new user variable by typing SSI_ACT in the NAME
box and the figure 100,100,100 in the VALUE box.
Click on OK and try the dongle again by starting one or more applications.
WINDOWS 2000 Professional Environment
You have to install a special driver on your PC:
from the Setup directory (usually \PUNCH5 for LINEA5 applications, \DNC5
for DNC5 ), copy the SSIPDDP.SYS file to <drive:>\<Operating System
Setup Directory>\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS.
<drive:> indicates the drive where your operating system is loaded (usually
C: or D: );
<Operating System Setup directory> indicates the directory where your
Operating System is installed (usually WINNT).
From Windows 2000, open a Prompt to MS-DOS shell.
Open the Setup directory of the application (usually \PUNCH5 for LINEA5
applications, \DNC5 for DNC5 ) and then type the command SSIREGI
INSTALL. Press the [Enter] key.
From Windows 2000, open the CONTROL PANEL and double click on the
ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLS (COMMON) icon. Choose the COMPUTER
MANAGEMENT icon and then select the Microsoft System
Information\Software Environment\Driver tab. Check that the required
drivers are installed and active. If they are, you will read:
SSIDDP Parallel port device driver in the list of drivers
and Running in the first STATUS column. If you want to activate drivers
automatically at the start-up of your Operating System, make sure that the OK
entry appears in the second STATUS column.

215

If your operating system still fails to recognise the Security Device, try the following:
From Windows 2000, open the CONTROL PANEL and double click on the
SYSTEM icon. Select the ADVANCED tab and then click on the
ENVIRONMENT button to view both system and user variables. Add a new
user variable or a system variable by typing SSI_ACT in the NAME box and
the figure 100,100,100 in the VALUE box.
Click on OK and reboot your application to see if the dongle is correctly
identified.
WINDOWS XP Professional Environment
Install the appropriate driver on your PC as follows:
from the application Setup directory (usually \PUNCH5 for LINEA5
applications, \DNC5 for DNC5 and \DNC5PLUS for DNC5PLUS), copy the
SSIPDDP.SYS file to <drive:>\<Operating System Setup
Directory>\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS.
<drive:> is the drive of your operating system (usually C: or D: );
<Operating System Setup directory> is the directory where your Operating
System is installed (usually WINNT).
Open an MS-DOS shell.
Open the application setup directory (usually \PUNCH5 for LINEA5
applications, \DNC5 for DNC5 and \DNC5PLUS for DNC5PLUS) and then
type the command SSIREGI INSTALL. Press the [Enter] key.
From Windows XP, open the START menu, select PROGRAMS >
ACCESSORIES > SYSTEM TOOLS and then double click on the SYSTEM
INFORMATION icon. Choose SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENT and then
click the Driver tab. Make sure that all the required drivers are installed and
active. If they are, you will read
SSIDDP Parallel port device driver
and Running in the in the first STATUS column. To activate drivers
automatically at the start-up of your Operating System, make sure that the OK
entry appears in the second STATUS column.
If your operating system still fails to recognize the dongle security, try the following:
From Windows XP, open the CONTROL PANEL and double click on the
SYSTEM icon. Select the ADVANCED tab and then click on the
ENVIRONMENT button to view both system and user variables. Add a new
user variable or a system variable by typing SSI_ACT in the NAME box and
the figure 100,100,100 in the VALUE box.
Click on OK and reboot your application.
216

UPDATING HARDWARE SECURITY DEVICES (Activator and

Rainbow)
Each time you install a new version of a Computes program, you need to update the
corresponding security device (Activator or Rainbow dongles).
Once you have successfully installed the application, proceed as follows:
1. first, make sure you have COMPUTES Cd-Rom and the license update diskette
ready at hand;
2. attach the dongle to the parallel port of your PC;
3. insert Cd-Rom 11.00 into the appropriate drive;
4. open the UTILITY - Winkey folder;
5. double-click on the executable WinKey_Upd.exe. The following dialog box
appears:

Click the button

near the FileName box. A Browse dialog pops up to
help you select the .txt file from the update diskette;
click Update to update your hardware security device.

Warning! If you are using a network dongle, remember to shut down

the acty_srv.exe program on your server before updating.

217

REPLACING THE DONGLE SECURITY

The Dongle Utility

This utility allows you to reconfigure Computes applications 12.0, in the case you
need to replace the hardware security device (dongle).
The utility executable (UTYPROT.EXE) is located on the CD-ROM containing
Computes 12.0 products.

Selecting the Application

Double-click on the UTYPROT.EXE file. You will see a dialog listing all the
Computes applications 11.0 you have installed on your PC.

The above dialog provides the following information:

-

Application name
Application version
Installation directory
The type of the dongle you are using (Actyvator, DK2 or Rainbow)
Whether you are using a local or a network dongle (Local or Net)
Name of the server the network dongle is attached to, if any.

The Mod. column tells you whether the dongle has already been changed.
If you wish to replace the dongle of an existing application, double-click on the
relevant line or just highlight it and then click the Modify button.
218

Selecting the Dongle

Once you have selected the application, you will be prompted to specify the new
type of security you want to attach (local or network dongle).

Choose Local Dongle if the dongle security will be attached to the computer
you are using.
Choose Network Dongle instead if the security is attached to your network server.
You can specify the server name in the appropriate field (Server PC).
Click

Changing Dongle for Applications Using the MachineList.txt File

If the application you want to change the dongle for uses one of Computes
machinelist.txt files (for example, Punch5 or MasterSTORE), the dongle type is
automatically selected from that file, which normally comes with the new dongle
security.
You only have to specify the name and path of the new machinelist.txt file (see
below).

The Old Dongle fields show the old type of security you had and the relevant
code while the New Dongle fields show the NEW type of security and its code.
In the New MachineList field, enter the name and path of the new machinelist
file. If you cannot remember the correct path, click the Browse button ().
219

Once you have selected the file, the new dongle data are automatically retrieved
and shown in the New Dongle fields.
The specified machinelist.txt is copied to the application setup directory.
Click

to confirm the operation or choose Cancel to undo.

Changing Dongle for Applications that Do Not Use the

MachineList.txt File
If the application you want to change the dongle for does not use any
machinelist.txt file (for example, MasterNest), you only have to select the new
type of dongle.

Select your new dongle in the New Dongle Type combobox.

Installing a new DK2 Dongle

If you want to use a DK2 dongle, you have to specify the path to the
PASSWORD.TXT file (see the dialog below).

The DK2 ID is retrieved from the Password file you have specified in the field
below.
This file is automatically copied to the application setup directory.
Click

220

to confirm the operation and close the dialog.

TROUBLESHOOTING
Crystal Report
If you have a version of Crystal Report later than 7.0 and you run it from the same PC
where you have installed COMPUTES applications, you should load version 7.0 to
ensure the correct operation of all programs.
To do this, proceed as follows:
1. insert Cd-Rom 11.00 into the appropriate drive;
2. open the folder named Crystal Report 7 and select all the files it contains;
3. copy them to the installation folder of the application having troubles with printouts.

Utilities for Rainbow Dongles

The Diagnostics Cd-Rom includes the Rainbow SuperProMedic folder from which
you can launch the Sentinel SuperPro Medic setup program. This utility allows you to
verify the correct operation of your dongle key. The utility interface is shown in the
figure below.

221

By clicking the

button, SuprePro keys attached to your

PC are automatically detected according to the selected Server Name/IP or Mode.

When keys are found, the dialog below appears.

For information on the status of your dongle keys, click the

222

button.

AFTER-SALES SUPPORT
COMPUTES Support Service is always at your disposal for any enquiries or problems
you may have. To contact our Support staff:
1. Hot-line +39 523 952827 On-line support open Monday to Friday, 8.30-12.30
a.m. and 13.30-17.30 p.m.;
2. Voice Mail +39 523 952845 Leave your messages in our Voice Mail Box when
the Hot-line is busy; available 24 hours, Monday to Friday;
3. Fax +39 523 952888 A dedicated fax line for technical communications and
requests of on-line support. Available 24 hours;
4. E-mail address: ihl@computes.it;
5. Computes Online Support Center - computes.webex.com Our technical staff
will connect to your workstation and check your problems directly, with no need
to move from your desk. In addition, by connecting to our Support Center, you
can join online meetings and presentations, download free demos and attend online
training courses. To enjoy this service, you only need a standard Internet connection.

223