StruCad Password Tool

StruCad 2011 Ltd Page 1 of 5 V1.2 Monday, 19 October 2012

StruCad Password Tool

Overview

This password tool allows you to perform the following tasks:

Generate StruCad new installation version passwords for StruCad 97 through to StruCad V15.5

inclusive.

Display the CNC post processor installer passwords for installation of post processors for StruCad

V8 through to StruCad V11 inclusive.

Reset the dongle last used date and time for permanent dongles for StruCad V16.

This tool does not support StruCad V16 machine tied licenses.

System requirements

The tool is only available with an English language user interface.

The tool is a 32 bit application and is designed for Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, both 32 bit

and 64 bit versions.

The installer checks for a number of prerequisites and will install these directly from the Microsoft website

if they are not already installed on the machine. The prerequisites are; Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5,

Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 runtime libraries.

If the Dongle last used reset feature is required then the appropriate StruCad dongle driver for the format

of dongle (parallel or USB) must be present on the target machine. It is not installed with the password tool

and therefore it is recommended that this tool is installed on a machine that has StruCad already installed.

Installation

The software should be installed outside of the Windows Program Files area eg C:\StruCad Password

Tool\.

The following files will be installed:

StruCadPasswordTool.exe

StruCadPasswordTool.pdf

DongleHelper.dll

UsageUtility32.dll

After installation you must copy the Dongles.xml file (that is provided separately) into the installation

folder before using the tool. If a newer version of this Dongles.xml file is made available at a later date it is

recommended that a backup is made of the old file prior to overwriting it with the newer file. Close the tool

before renaming or overwriting the Dongles.xml file.


StruCad new installation password generation (StruCad 97 to StruCad V15.5 inclusive)

To generate a new installation password you will require a valid dongle and matching dongle code.

Your dongle code, which would have been supplied by Support, can be obtained from a previous working

installation of StruCad.

In the \strucad\config\ folder there will be a text file called strucad.cfg

In this file there will be one or more CPU entries similar to the one highlighted in yellow below, near the

beginning of the file:

* ---------------------------------------

* STRUCAD Configuration File for STRUCAD

* ---------------------------------------

* THIS FILE MUST NOT BE ALTERED !

* ALTERING THIS FILE COULD STOP STRUCAD FROM WORKING

* USE THE NEW "STRUCONF" PROGRAMME

*

VERSION STRUCAD 15.5 26-10-09

SERIAL 1998-01215

USER AceCad Software Ltd.

COPYRIGHT COPYRIGHT (C) 1986-2012 ACECAD SOFTWARE LTD. , ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

HARDWARE Windows

*

* DO NOT ENTER CODES HERE ! USE THE NEW STRUCONF PROGRAMME !!!!!

*

CPU 21767159121344/1215

*

* STRUCAD Software No. in 1 => 5 , Title in 6=> 80

*

The number after the slash is the dongle number, so if you have more than one CPU entry in your file, look

for the one that matches your dongle number.

IMPORTANT You should backup this file to a secure location as you will not be able to generate a version

password or configure StruCad without this file and the information it contains.

After installing StruCad on a new machine and configuring it in the normal way create and open a new

model and at the point when the new model is opening StruCad will prompt for a new installation version

password.


Using the version password tool, enter the dongle number, dongle code and for StruCad V12 to StruCad

V15.5 also enter the Security Code that the StruCad new version password request dialog displays.

If all the data is valid then a new installation password will be generated and should be entered into the

StruCad new version password request dialog.

CNC post processor installation passwords (StruCad V8 to StruCad V11 inclusive)

If you need to install a post processor for StruCad V8 through to StruCad V11 inclusive then you need to

enter a password for each required post processor during the installation.

These passwords are displayed in the grid so just look up the password for the required post processor and

version of StruCad being installed.


Permanent dongle last used date reset (StruCad V16)

With StruCad V16 with a permanent dongle license, if the clock goes forward in time accidentally and

StruCad V16 is used and then the clock is corrected to the right time StruCad V16 will then fail to run.

If StruCad V16 is configured to automatically use the last license selected then you will get the following

error:

If you normally select a license each time you start StruCad V16 then the desired license will no longer be

displayed in the license selection dialog eg:

In this case toggle menu View\Available Only from the License Manager dialog and you will see the license

and the fact that it is not available. Select the information icon in the right hand column:

And it will then display the following dialog:


To reset a permanent StruCad V16 dongle last used date you will need to install the version password tool

on a machine that has StruCad installed so that the required dongle driver is already available for the tool.

Ensure the dongle is connected to the machine and then enter the dongle number and dongle code in the

version password tool and select the Reset Last Used Time button.

If the entered data is valid, matches the connected dongle and the dongle is of a supported type the last

used date will be reset.

If any error occurs an error message will provide information about the error.

The dongle reset feature will only work with permanent dongles that have been configured for StruCad

V10.2 or greater.

Error message Cause Solution

Error initialising dongle communication

No dongle driver/s installed. Driver for the specific format of dongle (parallel or USB) not installed. No dongle. Not a StruCad dongle.

Ensure dongle driver is installed and dongle connected. Remove all hardware keys of all makes except the one StruCad dongle of interest. If a USB dongle ensure the USB driver is installed. If necessary install a newer version of StruCad such as V15.5

Error dongle does not match dongle number specified

The dongle number specified in the tool does not match the dongle number of the dongle.

Check the dongle number you are using.

This is a pre 10.2 non-permanent dongle and last usage cannot be reset

Only permanent dongles can have the last used date reset.

Must be a permanent dongle.

This is a post 10.1 non-permanent dongle and last usage cannot be reset

Only permanent dongles can have the last used date reset.

Must be a permanent dongle.

This is a pre 10.2 permanent dongle and last usage cannot be reset

This dongle is an old format dongle and has not been touched by StruCad V10.2 or newer. It cannot be reset.

Configure a newer version of StruCad (V10.2 through to V15.5 inclusive) to use the dongle and ensure struconf is run against the dongle in that version of StruCad before trying again with the version password tool.

Documents

StruCad Password Tool