Software Installation for Current Versions

Overview

Current Versions: Fathom 14, Arrow 11, Impulse 11, and xStream 4. Installation instructions for older versions differ and can be found on the Previous Version Installation page.

Fathom, Arrow, Impulse, and xStream can be installed on an unlimited number of user machines, but the number of concurrent users is dictated by the number of seats which were purchased on the license.

Full installation setup consists of the following steps:

  1. Application Installation

  2. Activating the eLicense

If you have purchased the optional Chempak Database add-on, then you will need to follow additional instructions for the Chempak Database Installation. Add-on Modules like GSC, XTS, and SSL are already bundled with the application and are turned on/off from the software interface with a valid license.

IT personnel who manage software deployment to large work groups may be interested in referencing our Silent Installation and/or Server Installation instructions.

 

Requirements

  • License Number - This is a 9 or 10-digit number provided on the receipt of purchase in the format of XXXXX-XXXXX (the hyphen is part of the license number). Note: The License Numbers are product-specific and version-specific. For example, a Fathom 14 installer will reject a Fathom 13 License Number. Make sure you have the correct License Number from the software purchase receipt that applies to the product and version that is being installed.

  • Registration.txt File - This is a text file containing the required 32-digit eLicense Activation Code, and it is provided with the receipt of purchase.

  • Internet Connection - The PC must have access to https://my.nalpeiron.com (IP address 20.237.110.18, on port 443). Ensure it is not blocked by company firewalls.

  • Administrator Privileges - The application installation will require admin rights on the PC.

 

Application Installation

  1. Navigate to https://www.aft.com and click the relevant application in the Downloads > Current Versions drop-down menu. Download the installer under Current Full Version.

  2. Right-click on the installer and select Run as administrator. If possible, perform this installation while signed into the Windows user account that will typically use the software. This is because example model files and other useful files get installed to C:\Users\username paths.

  3. Click Next to begin the installation. This welcome screen displays the Maintenance Release Date in the format YYYY.MM.DD.

  4. Read and accept the License Agreement.

  5. Enter your Customer Information and License Number. Note: The License Numbers are product-specific and version-specific. For example, a Fathom 14 installer will reject a Fathom 13 License Number. Make sure you have the correct License Number from the software purchase receipt that applies to the product and version that is being installed.

  6. Select Local Install (Recommended). Server installs should only be completed by qualified IT professionals who understand the intended purpose of Server Installations as described below on this page.

  7. Click Next to accept the default install directory. Changing the install directory is not recommended and may require additional configuration.

  8. Review the queued installation tasks and click Install.

  9. Click Yes on any Windows User Account Control (UAC) pop-ups to acknowledge the changes to the PC. The UAC confirmations are related to the installer checking for the following components which will be installed on the PC if they are not already present:

    • Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages (x86 for 2015 and 2010 SP1)

    • Microsoft .NET 8.0 Desktop Runtime (x64)

  10. Click Finish.

 

Activating the eLicense

If you have previously used an eLicense on the PC from an older version of the application, then no further action would be needed. The Registration.txt file containing the eLicense Activation Code will be automatically copied from the old location to the new location upon trying to launch the application for the first time. Note: the old location for the Registration.txt file was in C:\ProgramData\Applied Flow Technology.

First Time Setup for Typical User:

  1. Launch the application.

  2. Enter your 32-digit alphanumeric eLicense Activation Code into the window when prompted. This code is provided on the software purchase receipt. Or, if you have a past Registration.txt file in your records, the code may be found inside.

    If you receive the above activation window but use a Legacy USB Key, then it means there was an issue with the USB. In this case, click 'I Have a USB Key Instead' which will open the USB Key Diagnostics window. From there, cross reference the error message with those listed on the USB Key FAQs.

  3. Click 'Activate'. This will write the Registration.txt file to the appropriate directory. A confirmation message will appear upon success.

  4. Afterwards, the application will automatically launch. If there are any issues with the eLicense then a License Error may appear. If that is the case, then select the option to 'View additional eLicense information' and cross reference the error message with those listed on our eLicense FAQs.

IT Admin Manual Setup:

  1. Create a new text file named 'Registration.txt'. If the file is misspelled it won't work.

  2. Paste the 32-digit eLicense Activation Code inside on line 1 and save. This code can be found on the software purchase receipt.

  3. Place the Registration.txt file into one of the following directories:

    1. Option A: If this is a single engineer's PC

      C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Datacor\Licensing

      This directory should already be created from when the application installer was run (so long as you were signed into the appropriate user account when installing). Repeat using the same Registration.txt file on all PCs that need access to the license or in each username folder for multiple users. In cases where multiple unique eLicense Activation Codes exist to segment specific company divisions or locations, then use the appropriate 32-digit code for the appropriate PCs.

    2. Option B: If this is a shared server or PC with multiple logins

      C:\Program Files (x86)\Datacor\Fathom 14

      Repeat for each product where Fathom 14 would be changed to a different installed product like Arrow 11 etc.

  4. Try to launch the application to confirm success.

 

Server Installation

For the majority of users we recommend the Local Install option where the application is located directly on the client machine. Large work groups with Network Licenses and many client machines may want to consider the Server Install (Advanced) option. Server installations allow the base application and files to be stored on a network server, while client machines will have a shortcut and pointer to the server. The client machines will effectively clone the executable and required files from the server and run it in local memory.

Periodic 'Maintenance Releases' will be published such that new installers can be run to update the product executable and files. These updates contain important fixes, patches, and improvements; however, this process can be burdensome to complete when there are many client machines that need to be running the same version (as dictated by engineering project requirements). Server installations allow IT personnel to perform these updates one time on the server, which saves time as opposed to updating each individual client machine.

Please note that Technical Support can only assist with the standard steps listed on this page. We cannot guarantee resolutions for deviations related to the following:

  • Internal IT configuration, permissions, and security policies

  • Configuration of Citrix or other virtual desktop deployment services (see the Notes below)

On the Server

Follow the standard instructions but with modifications at the following steps:

  1. Customer Information: Put the same company name in both the Name and Company fields. This information will be visible on all client machines in the Help > About menu of the software interface.

  2. Select Server Install (Advanced).

  1. Share the C:\Program Files (x86)\Datacor folder from the server with the network of client machines. Client machines need both read and write permissions.

On Each Client Machine

  1. Navigate to the shared server folder: \\server\Program Files (x86)\Datacor\Application\Network Client Setup.

  2. Run the AppClientSetup.exe to install the necessary files on the client machine.

  3. Activate the eLicense on the client machine.

Notes

Server Executable: Trying to launch the application executable on the server will not work unless you also run the AppClientSetup.exe on the server itself. This is not needed, and we recommend performing testing from the client machines themselves.

Citrix Virtual Desktops/Apps: The licensing cache files will become invalidated if they are copied, moved, or modified in any way. Fathom 14, Arrow 11, Impulse 11, xStream 4, and newer versions have the licensing cache located in the AppData\Local directory, so synchronization of the AppData\Local folder with virtual desktops, active directories, or other system disk images can corrupt the license cache. It may be helpful to ensure the license cache is excluded from any synchronization services.

  • Add the following directory to the Citrix exclusions list: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Datacor\Licensing.

  • Extend the Dynamic Session Timeout in Citrix so that sessions aren't ungracefully terminated while someone is on lunch break. This can help prevent seat lock-up on Network eLicenses.

 

Silent Installation

Silent installation refers to the capability to install the software through the use of the Windows Command Prompt, batch files (*.bat), or PowerShell scripts. These options are useful for mass-deployment across organizations with hundreds or even thousands of engineers who need the software installed. Silent installation involves passing parameters into an *.msi Windows installer file that is embedded within the *.exe installer.

  1. Run the Windows Command Prompt as administrator. If you do not run as admin the installation will not be able to complete successfully.

  2. Navigate to the directory which contains the *.exe installation file. For example: cd C:\Users\username\Downloads.

  3. Execute the silent install command. See below for advice on creating your desired command.

  4. Copy the Registration.txt file to the appropriate location using the steps above for Activating the eLicense (IT Admin Manual Setup).

    Option A: C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Datacor\Licensing

    Option B: C:\Program Files (x86)\Datacor\Fathom 14

It may be possible to bundle steps 3 and 4 from above into one batch script.

Template Command

FthFull.exe /S /v/qn /v"AGREETOLICENSE=yes" /v"USERNAME=MyUser" /v"COMPANYNAME=MyCompany" /v"SERIALNUM=XXXXX-XXXXX"

The above command is a basic template where certain parameters should be replaced with relevant information for your company. The command can be customized using the info below:

  • FthFull.exe - This is the name of the installer *.exe and should be replaced with the relevant product being installed. For example, the Arrow product would have a different file name such as AroFull.exe. If you renamed the installer then be sure to use the appropriate file name.

  • /S - This parameter tells the command to install "silently", meaning no GUI or pop-ups will be present.

  • /v/qn - This parameter tells the *.exe installer to pass the silent installation option into the embedded *.msi.

  • /v"PARAMETER" - Defines various custom parameters that are passed into the embedded *.msi.

Required Parameters

  • v/"AGREETOLICENSE=yes" - Can be yes or no, and corresponds to the GUI screen where you accept the Datacor license agreement. If "no" is entered, then the product will not be installed.

  • v/"USERNAME=MyUser" - Replace "MyUser" with the desired user name (no space characters), typically the First & Last name of the engineer. In mass-deployment, you can simply enter the same value as the Company Name below.

  • v/"COMPANYNAME=MyCompany" - Replace "MyCompany" with the desired company name (no space characters).

  • v/"SERIALNUM=XXXXX-XXXXX" - Replace "XXXXX-XXXXX" with the nine or ten digit license number for the product being installed. Note: The License Numbers are product-specific and version-specific. For example, a Fathom 14 installer will reject a Fathom 13 License Number. Make sure you have the correct License Number from the software purchase receipt that applies to the product and version that is being installed.

Optional Parameters

  • v/"INSTALLDIR=C:\Program Files (x86)\Datacor\[PRODUCT NAME AND VERSION]" - The path in which the product will be installed. Default paths for the products are located in the Program Files (x86)\Datacor directory since the apps are 32-bit.

  • v/"SETUP_TYPE=Typical" - Represents the installation type. "Typical" represents the normal local install. "Network" represents the advanced server install where further setup will be required on the client machines.