New build install process

[ron.sanpedro]

I am trying to come up with a better approach for new build installs. When doing it manually, all the users settings, such as OpenGL settings, custom Library file locations, etc. is lost. When we use Prism Deploy even the user name is lost. this is a lot of stuff for users to have to redo 4 or 5 times a year.
So my first question, has anyone recently discovered a better way to roll-out new builds? Is there some secret method that just rolls the new build over the old one and uses all the appropriate old settings?

And a related question. I had thought to write a little script that reads those settings out of the Registry into a text file, then post new build install, another script would push the settings back into the registry. But those settings don't live where I expect them (and Windows Logo Compliance requires them?), namely HKCurrentUser/Software. So I dug up the Revit.INI, and there they all are. Kind of sucks since roaming profiles as a means of backing up user settings doesn't work for Revit, nor can you tweak settings remotely. Kinda feels like Windows 3.1 to be honest. I know the local file approach Revit uses makes roaming profiles for actual roaming users a no go, but there are other reasons to do things with the Reg rather than INI files.
And I assume that a new build MIGHT add settings or options in the INI, so I can't just replace the thing wholesale (but I would sure like to see some documentation on this!), so I am looking at a script that reads values out of the old INI, then pushes them into the new one. Or has someone tried this and found it lacking?

I am really hoping to find a way to automate pushing Revit builds such that neither IT nor users waste any time doing things the idiot savant computer really should be doing. If no one has tried this, I will assume I need to edit the INI rather than replace, and I will report back on results in a week or two.

Best, and Happy New Year!

Gordon

[Steve_Stafford]

After the build installs run another batch file that replaces the ini file with your "office" standard. If you remove the username after the equal sign in the ini Revit will assign the username of the first person who logs in and runs Revit.

Revit got a little better about remembering ini settings in the last two releases and if you really just want to add office network folder locations you could write a routine to add the text to the ini file instead.

If your users are creating their own keyboardshortcuts.txt you could include a function up front that saves theirs and then while you are replacing the ini file,
put it back.

[ron.sanpedro]

Excellent, thanks Steve. Given that I can use an Office Standard INI, I think I could also just save the users old one, then write that one over the "new" one, and do the same with the shortcuts text file. I assume that a change in INI format that makes this not possible will be documented in the Readme? In any case, I will be testing the bejezus
out of this with some Virtual PCs, so I SHOULD find any problems before I foist anything off on users.

Now go have some FUN Steve. I think you where posting at 11:00 a few nights ago, and here you are on a Sunday, and New years Eve Day to boot! Me, I was hoping to get a life for Christmas, but I got a drum instead! ;)

best,
Gordon

[Steve_Stafford]

...I think I could also just save the users old one, then write that one over the "new" one, and do the same with the shortcuts text file.Between builds but don't assume between releases.

Also, fwiw, Revit seems to default to the username of the person logged in anyway on the first run of Revit and no value is stored in the ini file until you actually define a different username via Settings menu > Options. But you'll need to remove the username value if you are replacing with a new ini.

Oh, remember to remove the recent file list at the bottom of the ini file too :smile:

[ron.sanpedro]

Between builds but don't assume between releases.

Also, fwiw, Revit seems to default to the username of the person logged in anyway on the first run of Revit and no value is stored in the ini file until you actually define a different username via Settings menu > Options. But you'll need to remove the username value if you are replacing with a new ini.

Oh, remember to remove the recent file list at the bottom of the ini file too :smile:

Actually, because we where pushing out the new build using Prism Deploy, and not deleting the username value in the INI, every user had to manually reset their username from Administrator. Now that I understand the INI file better I can eliminate that.
As for the recent files, I actually want to keep that on a per user basis. If a user has been working on the same three or four files regularly, I don't want them to have to go hunt them down again after a new build, or even a new version. My script should handle that and personal/project library locations as well.

Thanks,
Gordon

[BMcCallum]

We use the attached script to pull the network deployment and make custom changes to various configuration files.

Major credit should go to James Vandezande for the outline of the script. I simply modified it for our situation.

Put the script in the same folder as the network deployment and use two subfolders to hold your customization files. In the script I use /Data and /Program to hold the files that go in the corresponding folders in the Revit install folders. This way I can put copies of updated files there for use in the next push of the installation. I use a modified version of this script when a client's office has Group Policy Objects in place. In training labs, I set up part of this script to run every time the workstation logs on, this ensures shortcuts and INI files are always the same.

Change the extension to .bat and double-click to run.

Hope this helps!

[cphubb]

I use a similar but much simplified script as well. However I also include the keyboard shortcuts. If a user has modified their keyboard shortcuts they are to make a copy in their user directory. the script looks there first. If it fails there it looks in the secret location of the office keyboard file and copies that.

[MTristram]

Has anybody come across the following:

We have deployed RAC2008 new build - in the process we have a script to run (after the fact) to copy over the ini file and keyboard shortcuts. It seems a few users ini file after logging off then on again becomes a tenth of the size (from 3KB to 300B) - losing all memory of file paths for template, rendering etc and also menus. It is strange that it is only happening to a few people in our office...

Any ideas of how we can stop this from happening? We've got a script running to check the ini file on startup, but that doesn't seem to be working for everyone.