Installing the HaloCAD Reader Add-on for SOLIDWORKS

This chapter describes how to install and configure the HaloCAD Reader Add-on for SOLIDWORKS.

Before you begin

1. A user who installs the HaloCAD Reader Add-on must have administrator rights.

2. Ensure that all active and open CAD applications are closed. If not, HaloCAD prompts a warning message as “Please close all the CAD applications to proceed with the installation of HaloCAD Reader Add-on for SOLIDWORKS.”

3. Ensure that the HaloCAD Add-on for SOLIDWORKS (full version) is not installed on the same workstation. If it is already installed, HaloCAD prompts a warning message as “No supported CAD applications are available in the system. (OR) Remove the full version of this product.”

4. Ensure your Microsoft Entra tenant information is ready to enter when the setup process prompts for a manual installation. Alternatively, for a safe and automatic installation, use hc.conf.enc. In both cases, the tenant information must be the same as that used in the full version installation. Refer to the sections “License Activation” and “Secure Installation” in the Technical Reference Manual for further information on the various methods for activating a license key and automatic initialization and activation of a license.

Installation Procedure

Install the application by using the GUI-based setup program that is provided in the installation package.

1. To begin the interactive installation, double-click the installer HaloCAD_Reader_SOLIDWORKS_Setup.exe file. For the installation procedure, follow the installation wizard or refer to the full version.

2. The reader add-on can be installed and configured in the same manner as the full add-on. The command line to execute the silent installation is HaloCAD_Reader_SOLIDWORKS_Setup.exe -help and follow the commands.

3. Post-installation checks:

   1. To view the add-on, open the AutoCAD Application > HaloCAD tab.

   2. Similar to the full version, the Reader add-on also masks personally identifiable information (PII) in logs. To view PII in clear text, create the following registry entry in Path: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Secude\HaloCAD Reader Add-on for SOLIDWORKS

      Name: mipallowpii, Type: REG_SZ, Value: true

      The log files are located at the following paths:

      • MIP SDK log: %AppData%\Roaming\Secude\HaloCAD\SOLIDWORKS\mip\logs\mip_sdk.miplog

      • HaloCAD log: %AppData%\Roaming\Secude\HaloCAD\SOLIDWORKS\halocad.log

      • For more details, please refer to the section “Step 5: Modify Registry Settings“.

   3. If your network infrastructure includes a proxy server that provides access to external websites. Then, to connect to the Secude License Manager URL, you need to manually add the Proxy settings in the add-on. To do so, create a registry entry in the root directory, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Secude\HaloCAD Reader Add-on for SOLIDWORKS
      Name: proxyuri, Type: REG_SZ, Value: The format is, <URL>:<PORT>. For example, http://10.41.0.130:808

What to do next

1. If the encrypted configuration file was placed with the installer:

   1. You can launch the CAD application and begin using the reader add-on right away to view the protected file.

   2. The license is activated silently in the background.

   3. For details, refer to the Operations Manual.

2. If the encrypted configuration file was not placed with the installer:

   1. You must activate the license manually.

   2. Follow the instructions in the “UI-based Manual License Activation” section of the Technical Reference Manual.