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HaloCAD for PTC Windchill
HaloCAD for PTC Windchill
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HaloCAD in Windows Environment

This section explains how to install HaloCAD for Windchill on Windows-based Master and Replica Servers by using the installer included in the installation package.

Installation Modes

HaloCAD for Windchill supports the following installation modes:

  1. Graphical Mode

    Graphical mode is an interactive installation method that uses a wizard-based graphical user interface.

  2. Silent Mode
    Silent mode is a non-interactive installation method that installs HaloCAD for Windchill by using command-line options.

Installer selection: Use the installer based on your PTC Windchill version:

  • For Windchill 13.0.2.0 to 13.0.2.4, use the installer in <Product package>\<Version>\Windchill 13.0.2.x\windows

  • For Windchill 13.1.0.0 to 13.1.2.0, use the installer in <Product package>\<Version>\Windchill 13.1.0.0\windows

Graphical Mode

  1. To begin the interactive installation, double-click the HaloCAD_Windchill_Setup.exe installer. 

    Depending on your Windows security settings, a security warning similar to "Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer?" may appear. If prompted, click Yes to continue the installation.

  2. When the installer starts, the Startup dialog appears, followed by the Welcome dialog.

    Installer_Startup dialog.png

    Startup dialog

    1_Installer_Welcome dialog.jpg

    Welcome dialog

  3. Click Next to continue.

  4. The License Agreement dialog appears.

    2_Installer_End-User License Agreement dialog.png

    End-User License Agreement dialog

  5. Read the End-User License Agreement. If you agree to the terms, select I accept the terms in the License Agreement, and then click Next.

  6. The Windchill Directory dialog appears.

    3_Installer_Windchill Home Directory Location dialog.png

    Windchill Home Directory Location dialog

  7. Select the Windchill server's home directory, and then click Next. For example, C:\ptc\Windchill_13.0\Windchill. Ensure that the correct home directory path is specified. Otherwise, the installation fails and displays the following error message: “Windchill Home Directory path is incorrect. Please enter the correct path.”

  8. The Destination Directory dialog appears.

    4_Installer_Destination Folder dialog.png

    Destination Directory dialog

  9. By default, the application files are installed in the following directory: C:\Program Files. To install HaloCAD for Windchill in a different location, click Browse and select the required directory.

  10. The MPIP Information dialog appears. To avoid errors, ensure that you enter the correct Microsoft Entra ID application details in the installation wizard.

    6_Certificate-based authentication dialog.jpg

    Certificate-based authentication dialog

    1. Azure Application ID: Enter the Application ID of the registered application in the Microsoft Entra admin center. For example, 9f0de2dd-8d49-4a3f-9676-bf4b6ff17d44

    2. Tenant ID/Tenant Name: Enter your Microsoft Entra tenant name (for example, contoso.onmicrosoft.com) or its tenant ID (for example, 8c425ee7-352a-4657-ac77-7dc198712cb3).

    3. Thumbprint: Enter the thumbprint of the MPIP authentication certificate installed in the Local Computer certificate store. For example, 9d2fdcae3f6ea56f773df54d877ca09b34fca202.

    4. Cloud Type: Commercial is selected by default. Based on your Azure subscription and configuration, select the required cloud type from the list: Commercial, Custom, Germany, US_DoD, US_GCC, US_GCC_High, US_Sec, US_Nat, or China_01.

      If you select Custom, enter the appropriate URLs in the Protection Cloud URL (for example, https://api.aadrm.com) and Policy Cloud URL (for example, https://dataservice.protection.outlook.com) fields.

    5. To return to a previous step in the installation, click Back (optional).

    6. Click Next.

  11. The installation begins, and the progress is displayed in the Installation dialog.

    6_Installer_Installing dialog.png

    Installation dialog

  12. When the installation is complete, a confirmation message appears indicating that the HaloCAD for Windchill component has been successfully installed.

    7_Installer_Installation Completed dialog.png

    Installation completed dialog

  13. Click Close to exit the installation wizard.

Silent Mode

In addition to Graphical Mode, you can install the HaloCAD for Windchill component in Silent Mode. Silent Mode does not require user interaction or display a user interface. It enables you to install using command-line options.

  1. Open the Command Prompt with elevated rights (Run as Administrator).

  2. Navigate to the directory that contains the HaloCAD for Windchill installer.

  3. To view the available Silent Mode options, run the following command:
    Type HaloCAD_Windchill_Setup.exe -help
    Press Enter
    Output
    ...
    HaloCAD_Windchill_Setup.exe -install -wdir <Windchill_Home_Directory> -dir <destination_directory> -applicationid <application_id> -tenantid <tenant_id> -thumbprint <thumb_print> -cloudtype <(Commercial|Custom|Germany|US_DoD|US_GCC|US_GCC_HIGH|US_Sec|US_Nat|China_01)> (if cloudtype is Custom) <protectioncloudurl> <policycloudurl>
    HaloCAD_Windchill_Setup.exe -uninstall

  4. The following command illustrates how to install the HaloCAD for Windchill component.
    HaloCAD_Windchill_Setup.exe -install -wdir "C:\ptc\Windchill_13.0\Windchill" -dir "C:\Program Files" -applicationid "9f0de2dd-8d49-4a3f-9676-bf4b6ff17d44" -tenantid "8c425ee7-352a-4657-ac77-7dc198712cb3" -thumbprint "961602617275c2ab538cf28bb3648c0c6d97edab" -cloudtype "Commercial"

  5. Press Enter.

    Result

    The installation is complete.

Certificate update

If you update or renew the client certificate, restart the Windchill server for the changes to take effect. Close any open Windchill shell, open a new one, and run the windchill start command.

Configuration Methods

This section describes two methods (command line and GUI) for configuring the parameters of HaloCAD for Windchill and HaloENGINE GenNXT components.

Configuration Using Tool (GUI)

Prerequisites: Ensure that HaloCAD for Windchill is installed before proceeding.

Follow these steps to configure the settings through the GUI:

Step 1. Stop PTC Windchill

  1. Open the Windchill Shell.

  2. Type the stop command windchill stop and press Enter.

    Result: A confirmation message appears indicating that the Server Manager has stopped.

Step 2. Run the HaloCAD for Windchill Configuration Tool.

  1. Navigate to the installation directory. By default, the directory is: C:\Program Files\Secude\HaloCADWindchill\config.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Double-click the JAR file halocad-windchill-config-<version>.jar.

    • Open Command Prompt or the Windchill Shell as an administrator, type the following command, and then press Enter.

      Syntax: <pathtojar>java -jar halocad-windchill-config-<version>.jar
      Example: C:\Program Files\Secude\HaloCADWindchill\config>java -jar halocad-windchill-config-<version>.jar

Result: The HaloCAD for Windchill Config Tool window is displayed.

Step 3. Enter the Windchill Configuration Settings.

Select the Windchill Configuration tab, and then enter the following information.

1 Windchill Configuration tab.png

Windchill configuration tab

  1. Fail Safe Mode: The Fail Safe Mode controls the system behavior when inconsistencies prevent the specified protection from being applied (for example, conflicting configurations, unreachable server components, or returned error messages). Select one of the following options:

    1. Strict: Blocks file uploads and downloads whenever an error occurs.

    2. Tolerant (default): Allows file uploads and downloads even when an error occurs.

  2. Log Level: Select the required log level.

    1. INFO (default): Logs standard application events that indicate the progress of the application.

    2. ERROR: Logs error events that prevent the application from functioning correctly.

    3. DEBUG: Logs detailed diagnostic information for troubleshooting.

  3. Windchill Server Type: Choose one of the following options based on your environment.

    1. MainServer: If you have only the Main Server, select Main Server in Windchill Server Type. By default, the UI displays Disable Windchill REST, indicating that the Windchill REST service is disabled. You can enable it to retrieve application data from the Main Server by selecting Enable Windchill REST.

      Note: Enabling the REST service is required only when the Main Server is linked to a Replica Server and files are downloaded from it.

    2. ReplicaServer: This option applies to the Windchill File Server/Windchill Content Cache Server, which acts as a remote site in the Windchill environment. It is a lightweight server that stores master data but does not host the Windchill database. The master server manages the database metadata and maintains information about the files stored on the File Server. If you select ReplicaServer, configure the following settings:

      • Windchill Admin Name: Enter the administrator's name for the Main Server. For example, wcadmin.

      • Windchill Admin password: Enter the administrator password.

  4. Click Apply. If required values are missing, a red tooltip message appears. Enter the missing information and click Apply to continue.

Result:

  • A confirmation message dialog box appears.

  • Click OK to close the dialog box.

  • The configuration files are generated in the installation directory.

Step 4. Primary HaloENGINE GenNXT Configuration

Select the Primary HaloENGINE GenNXT Configuration tab, and then enter the following information.

2 Primary HaloENGINE configuration tab.png

Primary HaloENGINE GenNXT configuration tab

  1. HaloENGINE GenNXT Host: Enter the IP address or fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the HaloENGINE GenNXT server. For example, 10.41.14.169

  2. HaloENGINE GenNXT Endpoint Port: Enter the endpoint port used to access HaloENGINE GenNXT. For example, 8746

  3. HaloENGINE GenNXT Service File Mode: Select the file transmission method.

    1. FilePath (default): Stores the file in a local temporary location for the encryption and decryption process. The file path is used for file transfer.

    2. Stream: Transfers the file as a sequence of bytes.

  4. Profile Name: Enter the profile name configured in the Admin Portal. For example, Windchill_Engineering.

  5. Secondary HaloENGINE GenNXT: To configure a failover mechanism, select the Secondary HaloENGINE GenNXT check box. HaloCAD supports connection failover between two HaloENGINE GenNXT instances. For more information, please refer to the section “Failover Mechanism for HaloENGINE GenNXT in HaloCAD for PLM”.

  6. Click Apply. If required values are missing, a red tooltip message appears. Enter the missing information and click Apply to continue.

Result:

  • A confirmation message dialog box appears.

  • Click OK to close the dialog box.

  • If Secondary HaloENGINE GenNXT is selected, the Secondary HaloENGINE GenNXT Configuration tab appears in the Configuration Tool. Continue with Step 5.

  • Otherwise, proceed to Step 6.

Step 5. Secondary HaloENGINE GenNXT Configuration Settings

Select the Secondary HaloENGINE GenNXT Configuration tab, and then enter the following information.

Skip this step if you are not configuring a secondary HaloENGINE GenNXT. This step is required only if you want to use the failover mechanism.

Prerequisite: Ensure that the secondary HaloENGINE GenNXT uses the same configuration profiles and rules as the primary HaloENGINE GenNXT. This ensures that, if the primary HaloENGINE GenNXT becomes unavailable, the secondary HaloENGINE GenNXT can immediately take over and maintain uninterrupted operation.

3 Secondary HaloENGINE configuration tab.png

Secondary HaloENGINE GenNXT configuration tab

  1. HaloENGINE GenNXT Host: Enter the IP address or fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the HaloENGINE GenNXT server. For example, 10.91.0.190

  2. HaloENGINE GenNXT Endpoint Port: Enter the endpoint port used to access HaloENGINE GenNXT. For example, 8746

  3. Click Apply. If required values are missing, a red tooltip message appears. Enter the missing information and click Apply to continue.

Result:

  • A confirmation message dialog box appears.

  • Click OK to close the dialog box.

Step 6. Other Configuration Settings

Select the Others tab, and then enter the following information.

4 Others tab.png

Others tab

  1. File Optimization: Choose one of the following file optimization options. By default, Single Label Optimization is selected.

    1. Single Label Optimization: The label applied to the top-level file is considered and applied to all dependent files.

    2. Multi Label Optimization: The label defined for each file type group in the Classification Engine is considered and applied to the corresponding file group during assembly optimization.

  2. Custom Attribute (Global Attribute)

    1. If you do not want to use custom attributes, click Apply, and then close the Configuration Tool.

    2. If you want to use custom attributes, select Yes for Custom Attribute, and then enter the following information.

  3. New Attribute: Enter the attribute name, and then click Add. For example, document is added as a new attribute.

  4. The attribute is added to the Attribute Name list.

  5. Click Apply. If required values are missing, a red tooltip message appears. Enter the missing information and click Apply to continue.

Result:

  • A confirmation message dialog box appears.

  • Click OK to close the dialog box.

  • Click Close to exit the Configuration Tool.

  • To remove an attribute, select the attribute from the list, click Remove, and then click Apply to save the configuration.

Step 7. Start Windchill. 

  1. Close and reopen the Windchill shell.

  2. Type the start command windchill start and press Enter.

Result:

  • A confirmation message appears indicating "wt.manager.ServerLauncher - Starting Server Manager".

  • During initialization, the MethodServer log displays messages that confirm the configuration was successful.

    Windchill_CLI command.jpg

    Sample log file output

Related tasks

  • The same logs can be seen in the MethodServer-xxx-log4j.log file.  

  • HaloCAD for Windchill component-related activities are logged in %WINDCHILL_HOME%\Windchill\logs. 

Configuration Using the Command Line

This section describes an alternative method for configuring HaloCAD for Windchill and HaloENGINE GenNXT parameters by using the command line.

Prerequisite: Ensure that HaloCAD for Windchill is installed.

Follow the command-line instructions. A sample is provided below:

  1. Open the Windchill Shell, type java -jar halocad-windchill-config-<version no>.jar -shell, and press Enter.

    C:\Program Files\Secude\HaloCADWindchill\config>java -jar halocad-windchill-config-<version>.jar -shell
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HaloCAD for Windchill Config Path: C:\Program Files

1. Windchill Configuration
2. Primary HaloENGINE GenNXT Configuration
3. Others...
0. Exit
Note: If an invalid value is entered, the default value will be applied.

Please choose an option:
1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windchill Configuration:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fail Safe Mode: (Default:Tolerant)
1. Tolerant
2. Strict

Please choose an option:
1

Log Level: (Default:INFO)
1. INFO
2. DEBUG
3. ERROR

Please choose an option:
2

Windchill Server Type: (Default:MainServer)
1. MainServer
2. ReplicaServer

Please choose an option:
1

Windchill REST: (Default:Disable Windchill REST)
1. Disable Windchill REST
2. Enable Windchill REST

Please choose an option:
1
Saved Successfully.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windchill Configuration:

Fail Safe Mode                   :Tolerant
Log Level                        :DEBUG
Windchill Server Type            :MainServer
Windchill REST                   :Disable Windchill REST

1. Modify all configuration
2. Modify the particular configuration
3. Back to main menu
0. Exit

Please choose an option:
3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Windchill Configuration
2. Primary HaloENGINE GenNXT Configuration
3. Others...
0. Exit
Note: If an invalid value is entered, the default value will be applied.

Please choose an option:
2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Primary HaloENGINE GenNXT Configuration:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Secondary HaloENGINE GenNXT: (Default:Disable)
1. Disable
2. Enable

Please choose an option:
1

Enter the HaloENGINE GenNXT Host:
10.41.14.169

Enter the HaloENGINE GenNXT Endpoint Port: (Default:8746)
8746

Enter the Profile Name:
Windchill_Engineering

HaloENGINE GenNXT Service File Mode: (Default:File Path)
1. File Path
2. Stream

Please choose an option:
2
Saved Successfully.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Primary HaloENGINE GenNXT Configuration:
HaloENGINE GenNXT Host                  :10.41.14.169
HaloENGINE GenNXT Endpoint Port         :8746
HaloENGINE GenNXT Service File Mode     :Stream
Profile Name                            :Windchill_Engineering
Secondary HaloENGINE GenNXT             :Disabled

1. Modify all configuration
2. Modify the particular configuration
3. Back to main menu
0. Exit

Please choose an option:
3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Windchill Configuration
2. Primary HaloENGINE GenNXT Configuration
3. Others...
0. Exit
Note: If an invalid value is entered, the default value will be applied.

Please choose an option:
3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Others...

File Optimization                :Single Label Optimization
Custom Attribute                 :No

1. File Optimization
2. Custom Attribute
3. Back to main menu
0. Exit

Please choose an option:
2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Custom Attribute: (Default:No)
1. No
2. Yes

Please choose an option:
1
Custom Attribute Disabled Successfully.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Others...

File Optimization                :Single Label Optimization
Custom Attribute                 :No

1. File Optimization
2. Custom Attribute
3. Back to main menu
0. Exit

  2. Click Close to close the Windchill Shell.

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