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Author Topic: Installing ForestPack 6 assets in a shared network path  (Read 41923 times)

Rokas

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Installing ForestPack 6 assets in a shared network path
« on: May 07, 2018, 04:12:05 PM »
Many users request us a way to install ForestPack 6 assets in a network path, and download them from an unique workstation.
This feature is in our to-do list, and will be implemented in next updates. Meanwhile, it can be done manually using the following procedure.

We must define a main workstation, which will be used to download the assets. In this computer:

1) Edit the attached ForestPack_assets.reg with a text editor, and change "L:\\iTooAssets\\FP6" for the folder you want to use as central storage. It must be a network path accessible by all workstations.

In the file you will see four registry keys, for the library, effects, materials, and maps respectively.
Be sure all paths are in the same level ("lib" together "matlib"). This is specially important for the library, because it uses relative paths to the materials.
Also double check that backslashes are written as "\\", which is a requirement for the registry files.

2) Import the registry keys, double clicking the ForestPack_assets.reg file.
3) Install ForestPack 6 and run the "Update Manager" normally, which will download the assets in the specified path.

In the other workstations:

1) Import ForestPack_assets.reg double clicking it (same as done with main workstation).
2) Install Forest Pack Pro 6. When Update Manager is shown, open Settings->Preferences->General and uncheck "Automatically check for updates...".
3) Close Update Manager and complete the installation.

In case ForestPack Pro already was installed, just configure Update Manager as described above. It's not necessary to reinstall everything.
If you want to disable update checking with a registry key, instead manually, just set the following value to "false" or merge attached reg file UpdateManager_DontCheckForUpdates.reg

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Itoo Software\Update Manager\Preferences]
"Check For Updates"="false"

Notes:

- ForestPack_assets.reg modifies the path only for the current Windows user. If you want to assign it for all users, use the ForestPack_assets_all_users.reg file.
This one creates the keys in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE instead HKEY_CURRENT_USER. It also creates keys both for 32 bit and 64 bit applications (Update Manager is a 32 bit app, while ForestPack may be 32 or 64 bit).
In case that both set of keys are defined, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE has precedence.

- To use UNC paths, use "\\\\" in the .reg file, in this way: "\\\\nas\\assets\\FP6".

This procedure can be used both for workstations or render nodes. For any question or doubt, please ask us in the Forest Pack Pro forum.

Note: for render nodes, usually you want also to configure the map paths. This is NOT done by the registry keys described above.
Please, see this post for an explanation of the maps paths, and how to configure them.


Edit. If You want to link bundled assets and distribution maps to a network location. This is the topic to continue.
« Last Edit: April 09, 2021, 11:35:21 AM by Rokas »
Rokas