Re: Autodesk Product Manager 2.0 and Revit 6.1, 7.0?

steve.howatt

Steve_Stafford

Re: Autodesk Product Manager 2.0 and Revit 6.1, 7.0?

steve.howatt

From:	steve.howatt
Subject:	Re: Autodesk Product Manager 2.0 and Revit 6.1, 7.0?
Date:	Wed, 12 Jan 2005 05:52:02 GMT

Actually, if you're comfortable messing with XML files and know your way around the Windows registry a little bit, it's possible to hack the data file the utility uses and add those apps yourself. I did this a couple of years ago when my bin file got 'old' and even added in non-Autodesk apps like Photoshop.

That data file is in the installation directory and is called AdpmProducts.bin. It's an XML-based file which defines the product list and the discovery and reporting logic for each product.

An XML editor like Microsoft XML Notepad really, really helps but regular old Notepad will work, too.

Steve Howatt
Perkins+Will, Atlanta

From:	Steve_Stafford
Subject:	Re: Autodesk Product Manager 2.0 and Revit 6.1, 7.0?
Date:	Wed, 12 Jan 2005 15:01:14 GMT

Hey thanks for the insight! If we get tired of waiting we can dive in!

From:	steve.howatt
Subject:	Re: Autodesk Product Manager 2.0 and Revit 6.1, 7.0?
Date:	Thu, 13 Jan 2005 02:19:55 GMT

You'll probably be waiting awhile :-( That's why I dived into it back then - and why I'm doing it again right now! Apologies in advance for a long post.

Here's more detailed instructions using Revit 7.0 as an example (since I just installed it today!!!). I'm using Microsoft XML Notepad for this - it's no longer supported but you can still find it if you Google for it. It's a free download.

1. Make a backup copy of AdpmProducts.bin.
2. Open Adpmproducts.bin in XML Notepad.
3. Expand SupportedProducts node.
4. Expand View node.
5. Right click the last Product node and select Duplicate.
6. Expand the new Product node.
7. Set Family = Revit, Name = Autodesk Revit 7.0
8. Expand the ParserLogic node.
9. Expand the NavigateKey node. Note that Key = HKLM\Software. You'll need that soon.
10. Expand subsequent NavigateKey nodes until you find the one with Key = Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall
11. There are more NavigateKey nodes nested in here. Find the one with a ProductDef node with a Name = Autodesk Revit 6.0
12. Right click that NavigateKey node and select Duplicate.
13. Start Regedit and navigate to HKLM\Software\Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall
14. Search through the registry keys until you find the one for Revit 7.0.
15. Back in XML Notepad, you're ready to fill in the new NavigateKeys node and its elements. Use the Revit 6.0 NavigateKeys node as a guide and copy/paste from the registry into the corresponding elements in your new node.
16. Save the changes to the BIN file and fire up Product Manager.
17. Create a new search and check to see that Revit 7.0 shows up. If the product list is empty, you made a mistake someplace while editing the BIN, probably in editing the SupportedProducts.
18. Run the search and see that Revit 7.0 is detected and that the fields have appropriate values.

I don't know what happens if you screw up the ParserLogic section. Thankfully, I've never been in that situation.

Good luck and repost any questions or comments - this isn't the easiest thing to explain.

Steve Howatt
Perkins+Will, Atlanta