Network Installation Guide
This document outlines techniques for installing 3ds max®7 software to a large number of
workstations. The intended audiences are educational facilities, testing labs, administrators
and technical directors. This document touches briefly on the following areas:
• Changes to the 3ds max installer
• How to install 3ds max using batch routines from the command line
• How to uninstall 3ds max using batch routines from the command line
Changes to the installer paradigm
The Network License Administrators Only setup (“Network Setup Wizard”) of 3ds max
has been removed. When installing 3ds max7 to multiple systems, each component is
installed (or uninstalled) using the Microsoft® Windows® installer, [Link], via
the command line. Batch routines can call MSI components line by line, installing,
repairing, or uninstalling using various switches.
How to install 3ds max 7 from the command line
There are a couple of ways users can access the 3ds max 7 CD to run installs in network
mode: 1) The 3ds max 7 installation CD can be accessed from a shared CD-ROM drive;
and 2) The 3ds max 7 installation CD’s entire contents can be copied to a shared network
folder.
[Link] can be used to install stand-alone or network versions of 3ds max 7. The GUI
is the same for both installs with an option to select Stand-alone or Network. Both
installations can run in silent or interactive mode but for the purpose of installing on several
workstations at once, each example will be scripted in silent mode.
Installing 3ds max 7 from the command line using MSI is an easy way to include all the
necessary information needed for completing a network installation in silent mode. The
example below shows the MSI syntax for launching the 3ds max 7 installer.
------------------------begin command line example-----------------------
%Comspec% /c msiexec /I
\\NETWORKED_DRV\3dsmax7disc1\Installs\3dsmax\[Link]
PIDKEY=310-12345678 LICENSETYPE=0 LICENSESERVER=
MYLICSERVER INSTALLDIR=c:\3dsmax7 /q
------------------------end command line example-------------------------
The above script command will install 3ds max 7 and backburner ™ 2.3 in Network
Licensed mode to C:\3DSMAX7, seeking licenses from MYLICSERVER. More
information regarding [Link] can be found by searching for "msiexec" in
Windows help (Windows Start | Help). Here is the breakdown of the command-line
example above.
• %Comspec% is an environment variable provided by Windows. It calls to the
command interpreter, [Link].
• /C is a switch passed to [Link] telling the shell to wait until the [Link]
command completes its task before proceeding. Without this switch, the shell will
execute subsequent commands before the current command finishes and cause error
messages or stop the install in mid process.
• [Link] program is a component of the Windows Installer. This program
uses a dynamic link library, [Link], to read the package files, apply transforms, and
incorporate command-line options. The installer performs all installation-related
tasks: copying files onto the hard disk, making registry modifications, creating
shortcuts on the desktop, and displaying dialog boxes to query user installation
preferences when necessary.
• /I instructs MSIEXEC to install the *.MSI file listed after the switch at the end of
the path.
• /X instructs to uninstall the *.MSI file listed after the switch at the end of the path.
• /Q instructs the MSIEXEC to install 3dsmax 7 in silent mode or more specifically,
in ‘quiet’ mode.
• PIDKEY, LICENSETYPE, LICENSESERVER, INSTALLDIR are custom
MSI properties but specific to the 3ds max 7 installer. Refer to the list below for
details.
The custom MSI properties configure 3ds max 7 at the workstations. If a property is not
explicitly set, the installer will use the default values.
PIDKEY: specifies the product serial number. If you’re using network licenses, set this to
be the serial number specified in your license file.
Default=000-00000000.
LICENSETYPE: specifies whether the product will be using a network or stand-alone
license. 1=stand-alone license, 0=network license.
Default = 1
LICENSESERVER: specifies the license server from which the workstation will request a
network license. This should be omitted for stand-alone installs for if it is left equal to
nothing, the batch string will fail.
INSTALLDIR: specifies the installation path for the product.
Default = [drive with the most free space]\3dsmax7
SHORTDESKTOP: specifies whether a shortcut to the product will be placed on the
desktop. 0=no shortcut on desktop, 1= shortcut on desktop.
Default = 1
How to Install 3ds max 7 Using Batch Routines
A batch routine can be created to install each component, one by one, of 3dsmax 7 using
the MSIEXEC switches and custom properties. Once the batch file is created and placed on
a shared network location, the Administrator can launch it at any workstation.
Here is an example batch routine that will install [Link] in network license mode,
looking to the same license server as used in the above example.
---begin\\NETWORKED_DRV\Batch_Routine_Folder\[Link]---
REM Install 3ds max 7 Core
%Comspec% /C msiexec /I
\\NETWORKED_DRV\3dsmax7disc1\Installs\3dsmax\[Link]
PIDKEY=310-12345678 LICENSESERVER=mylicserver LICENSETYPE=0
INSTALLDIR=c:\3dsmax7 /q
-end\\NETWORKED_DRV\Batch_Routine_Folder\[Link]---
Next is a batch routine that installs 3ds max 7, References, Architectural Materials,
Additional Maps and Materials, Sdk, and backburner one by one from the specified share
to the default drive:
<\\NETWORKED_DRV\3dsmax7disc1\>
---begin\\NETWORKED_DRV\Batch_Routine_Folder\[Link]----
REM Install 3ds max 7 Core
%Comspec% /C msiexec /I
\\NETWORKED_DRV\3dsmax7disc1\Installs\3dsmax\[Link]
PIDKEY=310-12345678 LICENSESERVER=mylicserver LICENSETYPE=0
INSTALLDIR=c:\3dsmax7 /q
REM Install References
%Comspec% /C msiexec /I
\\NETWORKED_DRV\3dsmax7disc1\Installs\Reference\3dsmax7Reference.m
si /q
REM Install Architectual Materials
%Comspec% /C msiexec /I
\\NETWORKED_DRV \3dsmax7disc1\Installs\ArchMat\[Link]
/q
REM Install Additional Maps and Materials
%Comspec% /C msiexec /I
\\NETWORKED_DRV\3dsmax7disc1\Installs\AddMapsMat\3dsmax7AddMapsMat
.msi /q
REM Install SDK
%Comspec% /C msiexec /I
\\NETWORKED_DRV \3dsmax7disc1\Installs\sdk\[Link] /q
REM Install backburner
%Comspec% /C msiexec /I
\\NETWORKED_DRV
\3dsmax7disc1\Installs\backburner\[Link] /q
---end\\NETWORKED_DRV\Batch_Routine_Folder\[Link]---
How to Uninstall 3ds max 7 Using Batch Routines
A batch routine can be created to uninstall each component, one by one, of 3dsmax 7 using
the MSIEXEC switches and custom properties. Once the batch file is created and placed on
a shared network location, the Administrator can launch it at any workstation.
Here is an example batch routine that will uninstall [Link] only:
---begin\\NETWORKED_DRV\Batch_Routine_Folder\[Link]---
REM Uninstall 3ds max 7 Core
%Comspec% /C msiexec /X
\\NETWORKED_DRV\3dsmax7disc1\Installs\3dsmax\[Link] /q
-end\\NETWORKED_DRV\Batch_Routine_Folder\[Link]---
Next is a batch routine that uninstalls 3ds max 7, References, Architectural Materials,
Additional Maps and Materials, Sdk, and backburner one by one from the specified share:
<\\NETWORKED_DRV\3dsmax7disc1\>
---begin\\NETWORKED_DRV\Batch_Routine_Folder\[Link]---
REM Uninstall 3dsmax7 Core
%Comspec% /C msiexec /X
\\NETWORKED_DRV\3dsmax7disc1\Installs\3dsmax\[Link] /q
REM Uninstall References
%Comspec% /C msiexec /X
\\NETWORKED_DRV\3dsmax7disc1\Installs\Reference\3dsmax7Reference.m
si/q
REM Uninstall Architecual Materials
%Comspec% /C msiexec /X
\\NETWORKED_DRV \3dsmax7disc1\Installs\ArchMat\[Link]
/q
REM Uninstall Additional Maps and Materials
%Comspec% /C msiexec /X
\\NETWORKED_DRV\3dsmax7disc1\Installs\AddMapsMat\3dsmax7AddMapsMat
.msi /q
REM Uninstall SDK
%Comspec% /C msiexec /X
\\NETWORKED_DRV \3dsmax7disc1\Installs\sdk\[Link] /q
REM Uninstall backburner
%Comspec% /C msiexec /X
\\NETWORKED_DRV
\3dsmax7disc1\Installs\backburner\[Link] /q
---end\\NETWORKED_DRV\Batch_Routine_Folder\[Link]---
Autodesk, Discreet, 3dsmax, and backburner are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk,
Inc. /discreet Canada Inc., in the U.S.A. and/or other countries. mental ray is a registered trademark of
mental images GmbH & Co. KG, licensed for use by Autodesk, Inc. All other brand names, product names, or
trademarks belong to their respective holders.