Version 12 September 2017

Installation
Proprietary Notice
This document contains proprietary information of 3D Systems, Inc. (“3DS”) and is to be used only
pursuant to and in conjunction with the license granted to the licensee with respect to the
accompanying licensed software from 3DS. Except as expressly permitted in the license, no part of this
document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into
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chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior expressed written permission from 3DS or a duly
authorized representative thereof.

It is strongly advised that users carefully review the license in order to understand the rights and
obligations related to this licensed software and the accompanying documentation.

Use of the computer software and the user documentation has been provided pursuant to a 3DS
licensing agreement.

Copyright © 1993 – 2017 3DS. All rights reserved. The Gibbs and GibbsCAM logos, GibbsCAM, Gibbs,
Virtual Gibbs, and “Powerfully Simple. Simply Powerful.” are either trademark (s) or registered
trademark(s) of 3DS in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademark(s) belong to their
respective owners.
Portions of this software and related documentation are copyrighted by and are the property of Siemens Product
Lifecycle Management Software Inc.
Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks, or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in
the United States and/or other countries.
Contains PTC Creo GRANITE Interoperability Kernel by PTC Inc. All PTC logos are used under license from PTC
Inc., Needham, MA, USA. 3DS is an independent Software Provider.
Portions of this software © 1994–2017 Spatial Technology Inc. / Dassault Systèmes / Spatial Corp.
Portions of this software © 2001–2017 Geometric Software Solutions Co. Ltd.
Contains Autodesk® RealDWG by Autodesk, Inc., © 1998-2017 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
DMG MORI Models provided in conjunction with GibbsCAM © 2007–2017 DMG Mori Seiki Co., Ltd.
Contains VoluMill™ and VoluTurn™ by Celeritive Technologies, Inc. © 2007–2017 Celeritive Technologies, Inc. All
rights reserved.
This Product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit
(http://www.openssl.org/). This Product includes cryptographic software written by Eric Young
([email protected]).
Portions of this software © MachineWorks Ltd.
Portions of this software and related documentation are copyrighted by and are the property of Electronic Data
Systems Corporation.
Other portions of GibbsCAM are licensed from GibbsCAM licensors, which may not be listed here.

3D Systems, Inc.
Modified: Friday, September 15, 2017 11:42 AM
Contents

INTRODUCTION 6
Welcome 6
What Your Order Should Contain 6
Important Information About Security 7

Installation Changes for GibbsCAM 12 7

Installation 7
Installation Media and Gibbs Online 7
New and Changed Installation Capabilities 8
Folder/File Organization 8
Migrating Settings and Preferences 8
Installing Post Packages by Drag-and-Drop or File > Open 9
Packager 9
Update Notifier 9
Notes on Update Notifier 9
System Requirements 9
Minimum Requirements 10
Recommended System 11

Contacting 3D Systems GibbsCAM 11

Technical Support 11
Websites for 3D Systems GibbsCAM 12

INSTALLATION 13
DVD File Layout 13
Before Installing 15
If a Version of GibbsCAM Is Already Installed 16
Before Installing Network Licensing Option (NLO) 16
Before Installing With a Hardware Key 16

3
Before Installing Across a Network 18
About the Installer 18
File Locations 18
User Data Files 19
Global Data (Program Data) Files 19
Installation Files 19
Existing Communications, CutDATA and Library Files 19
User Access To AppData Folders 20
Installing the System Files 20
Step-By-Step Instructions 20
Running Multiple Instances of the Product 23

Unattended (Quiet) Installation Mode 24

To obtain the GibbsCAM MSI 24
To run the GibbsCAM MSI 24
Caveats 26
Installing Sample Package Files 26

REGISTRATION 28
Registering GibbsCAM 28
Running the Registration Tool 29
Internet Registration 30
E-Mail Registration 31
Offline Registration 32
Completing E-Mail or Offline Registration 34
Registration Tools 35
Standalone Licensing Utility 36
Verifying Activation Server Connectivity 37

License Updates 37

ABOUT NETWORK LICENSING 39

Overview of Network License Installation 39
NLO Step 1 - Setting Up The Server 40
To Set Up and Start the Server at v1.81 or Later 41
Troubleshooting the NLO Server 43

4
RLM Web Server Interface 44
NLO Step 2 - Install the Client Software On Each Node 44

Frequently Asked Questions on NLO 45

Installation and Configuration FAQs on RLM 45

MAINTENANCE 48
Migrating from Previous Releases 48
Using the Migration Tool 48
Installing Post Packages 50
Undoing All Customizations 50

CONVENTIONS 51
Text 51
Graphics 51

LINKS TO ONLINE RESOURCES 52

5
Introduction

Introduction
l Welcome
l “Installation Changes for GibbsCAM 12” on page 7
l “System Requirements ” on page 9
l “Contacting 3D Systems GibbsCAM” on page 11
l “Links to Online Resources” on page 52

Welcome
Congratulations on your purchase of GibbsCAM 12, version 12.0, the most productive CAM
system available. This guide contains all the information you need to install the system and
begin using the software. If you have any problems with the installation procedure, contact
your reseller or the 3D Systems Technical Support department; they will be happy to assist you
with the installation process.
GibbsCAM 12 ships on dual-layer DVDs. When you insert a DVD, your language and platform
should be automatically detected. (A different installer is available for each supported language.)
In addition, customers who are current on Maintenance can download the appropriate installer
from the Gibbs Online Services website, https://online.gibbscam.com.
The contents of the DVD are accessed through an interface that should launch when the DVD
is inserted. For information on this tool, see “DVD File Layout” on page 13.
Your order contains a Product Code. In the registration process, the Product Code and other
information are supplied to obtain a license file. Licensing is secured by hardware key or
Network License Option (NLO). At first startup, GibbsCAM will prompt you to supply the
license file. All steps in this process are thoroughly explained in “Registration” on page 28.
If you want to migrate settings and preferences from a installation of GibbsCAM, run the
Migration Tool before running the newly installed release for the first time. For complete
information, see “Migrating from Previous Releases” on page 48.

What Your Order Should Contain

All orders should contain the following
• Packing slip with your Activation Number on it
• Cover letter
• Installation DVDs for GibbsCAM 12

6
Introduction

These dual-layer DVDs (also called the “product media”) contain GibbsCAM software for all
product modules and options as well as documentation, sample part files, training videos,
and extra software. For more information, see “DVD File Layout” on page 13.
In addition, all new customers will receive a USB hardware key.

Important Information About Security

GibbsCAM security is provided by a license file that is linked to unique information from your
computing environment, such as the serial number of a hardware key or a unique identifier
over a network. The license file authorizes use of GibbsCAM products only when the hardware
key is present and recognized by the corresponding driver, or when the license server is
running and it validates the unique identifier.
GibbsCAM security is normally activated through the Internet. If you do not have Internet
access available, you can activate security using e-mail or regular mail. Please allow adequate
time to have the license file sent to you.

Method Estimated Time

Same business day if received before 2:00PM
E-mail during Gibbs business hours
Pacific Time
E-mail after hours Next business day
Regular mail 1-2 business days plus regular mail shipping time

Installation Changes for GibbsCAM 12

• Installation
• “Migrating Settings and Preferences” on page 8
• “Installing Post Packages by Drag-and-Drop or File > Open” on page 9
• “Update Notifier” on page 9

Installation
Installation Media and Gibbs Online
GibbsCAM v12.x software is delivered on multiple dual-layer DVDs for most languages. When a
release is first issued on DVD, its installer executables are identical to the installer executables
posted to Gibbs Online. As modifications occur, the Gibbs Online versions will be updated.

7
Introduction

New and Changed Installation Capabilities

GibbsCAM Version 11 and later require a 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows. The installation
process uses InstallShield:
• You can selectively install or uninstall individual product options and components.
• You can easily repair an incomplete or damaged installation, such as when a file is
accidentally moved, deleted, or overwritten.
• You can use all the standard options and capabilities of the msiexec tool, such as /quiet
for Quiet mode (no user interaction — see “Unattended (Quiet) Installation Mode” on
page 24) and a wide variety of logging and repair options. For complete information, see
Microsoft documentation for msiexec.
• Optionally, you can associate GibbsCAM with the context menu (right-click menu) of
filetypes other than .vnc, including .sat, .sab, .asat, .asab, .dlv, .model, .dxf, .igs,
.catpart, .catproduct, .x_t, .xmt, .par, .vda, .3dm, .prt, .stl, .iam, .ipt, .ckd,
.asm, .sldprt, .sldasm, .x_b, .p_b, .dwg, .step, and .stp.
Note: Because the installation is standardized to adhere to Microsoft Windows Installer
guidelines, certain nonstandard features of GibbsCAM installations in previous releases became
unavailable as of v10. For example:
• You cannot start GibbsCAM by dragging a VNC file (or *.igs, etc.) onto the standard
desktop shortcut. Instead, right-click the file and choose Open (or Open with….). This type of
shortcut is automatically healed any time the installation is repaired. If you want to create
an old-style shortcut that bypasses automatic healing, you can CTRL+ALT-drag a copy of
…\Bin\Virtual.exe to the desktop.
• When you right-click the standard GibbsCAM desktop shortcut and choose Open file location,
Windows Explorer opens your desktop folder, not the installation folder. To learn the
installation location, query the shortcut’s Properties > Start in location. You can then copy
this string (typically C:\Program Files…\Bin\) into Windows Explorer.

Folder/File Organization
The layout of GibbsCAM files installed on your machine is standardized. For example, binary
executables are separated from resource files. For details, see “File Locations” on page 18.

Migrating Settings and Preferences

The GibbsCAM Migration Tool lets you detect all previously installed versions of GibbsCAM and
copy compatible settings and preferences — display settings, custom MDDs and VMMs, bolt
and tap table data, macro configuration file, machine models, and so forth — from a specified
previous version to the current release. The previous GibbsCAM installation is not modified.
For details, see “Migrating from Previous Releases” on page 48.

8
Introduction

Installing Post Packages by Drag-and-Drop or File > Open

When the 3D Systems Post department provides a post package in .zip file format, you can
install it to a running instance of GibbsCAM simply by dragging and dropping it or by using
File > Open.

For details, see “Installing Post Packages” on page 50.

Packager
You can easily create and use package files (*.gcpkg) containing a GibbsCAM part and the
transportable portion of the environment that the part requires or expects.
For more information, see the Common Reference guide, section “Pack and Go”.

Update Notifier
When GibbsCAM first starts, it checks for updated releases (if an Internet connection is
available). If a later version of GibbsCAM is available, a message dialog appears:
• If you are current on Maintenance, the message prompts you to visit a web page where you
can see information about the update and decide whether to download and install it. The
update system will never automatically install any software.
• Otherwise, the message tells you that Maintenance is required if you want the latest version.

Notes on Update Notifier

• Help menu option Check for Updates allows you to perform a one-time update check or to
resume/halt automatic checking.
• If you do not want GibbsCAM to check for updates each time it starts, go to File >
Preferences , Interface tab, and clear the checkbox Automatically Check for Updates on Startup.

System Requirements
The requirements to run GibbsCAM do not have specific values. The requirements vary
depending upon the operating system you use and the complexity of your part. We have a list of
basic guidelines, seen below, that are common to all users. We also offer minimum supported
requirements based upon your operating system, and we describe a recommended system.

Operating Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, or Windows Vista (SP1 or SP2); or
System Windows Server (2008 • 2008 R2 • 2012). A 64-bit OS platform is required. Please
install the latest available OS service packs and patches through Windows
Update.

9
Introduction

Microsoft This release requires two versions of Microsoft .NET Framework: 3.5 and 4.0. Most
.NET machines will already have one or both of these (for example, if Office is installed), but if
Framework either is lacking, then the GibbsCAM installer will tell you what is needed.

Hardware Minimum system requirements depend on the operating system. There are also
recommended hardware requirements. Please remember that the more complex a
part, the higher your system requirements.

l “Minimum Requirements ” on page 10

l “Recommended System” on page 11
l At least 3 GB of free disk space is required to install the software.
l A DVD drive is required to read the GibbsCAM product media. However, you can
also download installers and other files from the GibbsCAM website.

Video Please install the latest available driver for your video card. The standard Windows
Drivers drivers are typically not adequate, because of the GibbsCAM application’s advanced
use of OpenGL and video RAM. We strongly recommend that you keep your system
up-to-date with fully installed and updated drivers.

Network The Network Licensing Option (NLO) can be set up on 64-bit versions of any of the
Licensing following platforms: Windows Server (2008 • 2008 R2 • 2012); Windows Vista (SP1
or SP2); Windows 7, 8, or 10.

Minimum Requirements
The requirements for running GibbsCAM on these systems — 64-bit Windows
Vista / 7 / 8.1 / 10 or 64-bit Windows Server 2008 / 2008 R2 / 2012 — are as follows.

CPU • Intel Core 2 or newer. This includes Core i3 / i5 / i7 / i9, Xeon, Pentium dual-
core, and Celeron (1.7 GHz or faster)
• AMD Athlon 64 or newer. This includes Ryzen, FX, Opteron, Epyc, Phenom,
Turion, and Sempron.
• Please note that all 64-bit CPUs meet our minimum requirements.

RAM 2+ GB of total RAM.

Video A quality 3D accelerated video card with 512+ MB of video memory.

Card

10
Introduction

Recommended System
A computer that matches or exceeds the following requirements will run GibbsCAM very
comfortably. Please note that the larger or more complex your parts are, the more
GibbsCAM will demand from your system.

Operating System Windows 10

CPU Intel: Quad core: Core i9, i7 or i5.

AMD: Ryzen, FX, Opteron, or Epyc

RAM 16 GB RAM

Video Card An NVIDIA video card with 1+ GB of video memory.

Contacting 3D Systems GibbsCAM

Feel free to contact us by telephone, fax, or e-mail.
Telephone numbers for Technical Support:
• (800) 654-9399
• +1.805.523.0004
Fax number for Technical Support:
• +1.805.523.0006
E-mail addresses:
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]

Technical Support
Technical Support is available to all users. Our Technical Support department is available to
answer your questions Monday through Friday, 5:00AM to 5:00PM Pacific Time.
When contacting the Technical Support department, it is helpful if you know the following
information:
• Type of computer
• Operation system
• Amount of memory

11
Introduction

• Version of GibbsCAM software. To find this, select Help menu item About.

If you need to send a file, you can zip the file and send it as an attachment in an e-mail. When
sending files, it is extremely helpful to include a contact name and phone number and a brief
description of any issues. If you have a file that is too large for e-mail, you can send the file to us
via FTP. Contact your Reseller or Technical Support if you have any questions about FTPing a
file.

Websites for 3D Systems GibbsCAM

3D Systems maintains a continuous permanent presence on the World Wide Web.
• The Gibbs website — http://www.GibbsCAM.com — can be accessed by anyone with
Internet access. The site contains useful files available for downloading. This website
contains company news, product information, e-mail links, technical support utilities, and
much more. It is the preferred means of connecting to Gibbs electronically.
• For Resellers and customers with a Gibbs Online Services account, additional websites, such
as https://online.gibbscam.com, provide access to software releases and release notes,
updates to user guides, continuously updated documentation of GibbsCAM macros, and
many other services and tools.

12
Installation

Installation
l DVD File Layout
l “Before Installing” on page 15
l “About the Installer” on page 18
l “File Locations” on page 18
l “Installing the System Files” on page 20

DVD File Layout

When the DVD for GibbsCAM is inserted, the GibbsCAM Installer starts automatically:
• To install the software, click Run AutoRun.exe and follow the instructions in “Installing the
System Files” on page 20.
• To browse the files on the product media, click Open folder to view files. A summary of the
files in the Content\ folder is provided below.

Activation Check\ Contains the ActivationCheck utility for testing the connection to the
License Activation Server.

Documentation\ Contains GibbsCAM user guides in PDF (portable document format). A

ReadMe file provides information on Adobe Reader, obtaining the latest PDFs
from https://online.gibbscam.com, and similar information.

Drivers\ Subfolders contain executables and information for installing hardware key
drivers for [Aladdin] HASP keys and for [Sentinel] Rainbow keys.

Extras\ Contains miscellaneous items, including:

l Shortcut for downloading the Adobe Reader software.

l Backup copies of the CutDATA material database in English, Japanese,
and Polish. This material database provides more than 71,000
machining recommendations for feeds, speeds, tool material, etc. for
integration and access by the Material Library capability contained in
the system. If you are licensed for CutDATA, it is automatically used;
the copy here is for backup purposes. The version of CutDATA that is
installed with this release is not an updated version, but if you want to
install it and wish to maintain your old material database, you should

13
Installation

copy your Material.txt file to another folder before installing

CutDATA.
l Training Materials and Tips videos (*.AVI format). To view these
videos, your system must be equipped with the TechSmith Screen
Capture Codec (TSCC). (A codec is a program that encodes/decodes a
digital data stream or signal).
l The DataSheet\ folder contains localized versions of Marketing data
sheets highlighting the enhancements in this release of GibbsCAM.
l The File Utilities\ folder contains links to websites of two file-
archiving utilities: WinZip (a well-known utility) and 7-Zip (a high
quality open-source utility). You can download file
compression/decompression software from either site.
l The NPT Threading Processes\ folder contains saved process
files you can import into your parts for threading.
l Utility for AVI Files\ contains a website link and an
executable (TSCC.EXE) that will install the codec necessary to view the
AVI files that are provided by 3D Systems. If you experience difficulties
viewing our videos, please run this installer.
l Forms, such as the PostOrderForm*.pdf files for ordering custom
post processors, and a Customer Contact form for updating
contact information.
l Supplemental materials.

Installers\ Contains files for installing GibbsCAM 12, v12.0. For more information,
see “Installing the System Files” on page 20.

Predator\ Contains files for installing a version of the Predator CNC Editor and
Predator Virtual CNC Viewer.
The version of Predator software that is included on the GibbsCAM 12
DVD is a light version of the product. When you install the light
version, use the serial number “LIGHT” to activate it. The light version
is a very functional editor with no limitation on the size of the edited
file. To understand the differences between the light version and the
full-function version, see the Predator CNC Editor Feature Grid
PDF file in the Extras\ folder. Please visit http://www.predator-
software.com for more information or if you are interested in
upgrading to the full-function version of the product.

Samples\ Contains sample part files, Machine Sim models, custom MDDs, and similar
files. These files require a significant amount of hard disk space. Sample part
files are also available from https://online.gibbscam.com.

Tools\ Contains files for special installations on machines that might not run
the GibbsCAM application:

14
Installation

SOLIDWORKS Add-In Installer. If you need to install the

SOLIDWORKS Add-In on a workstation that does not run GibbsCAM,
run the installer (*.msi file) provided here. The CAD Transfer Add-In
for SOLIDWORKS must be installed on the system where
SOLIDWORKS 2011 or later is installed for GibbsCAM to recognize part
features while importing a SOLIDWORKS part.
NLO Installer. If you will be installing GibbsCAM NLO Server,
running the installer (*.msi file) is the first step for installing Network
Licensing.
Important: At this release of GibbsCAM NLO, the license server must
run RLM 10 or later, and a firewall service must be running when
NLO is installed or modified. Most previous users of NLO will need to
upgrade their RLM Server at this release.If you use GibbsCAM NLO and
your license server is set up for RLM 9 or earlier, an upgrade is
required. Trying to run GibbsCAM application software with an out-of-
date RLM service will result in an error message such as “912 : No
server to connect to”. For instructions on uninstalling the old RLM
service and upgrading to RLM 10 or later, see “NLO Step 1 - Setting Up
The Server” on page 40.Trying to install or modify NLO Server with the
firewall service in Stopped state results in an error message:
“GibbsCAM NLO Server v2.<x>.<y>.<z> Setup Wizard ended
prematurely. ” Therefore, before installing or modifying NLO Server,
ensure that the firewall service is started (Services (Local) > Windows
Firewall, Status = Started). Then, run the NLO installer; this is an *.msi
file, typically named GibbsCAM NLO Server v2.<x>.<y>.<z> -
<locale>.msi. After the installation/modification is complete, you can
stop your firewall service if necessary.

online.GibbsCAM.url Opens a browser window for http://www.GibbsCAM.com (requires login).

www.GibbsCAM.url

Before Installing
Before you install the software, ensure that you meet the system requirements and that you
have installed the most recent service pack for your operating system and the latest drivers for
your video card.
At some point before installing the new software, be sure to review the Release Notes (available
online from http://www.GibbsCAM.com) to check for any last-minute information.

15
Installation

If a Version of GibbsCAM Is Already Installed

If you already have a version of GibbsCAM installed on your system:
• You should not uninstall the previous software.
• If you want to install multiple instances of the same version of GibbsCAM, see “Running
Multiple Instances of the Product” on page 23.
• Be aware that the installer associates all .vnc files with the newly installed version of
GibbsCAM. If you want to open an existing part in an older version of GibbsCAM, simply
drag the file to a shortcut or to the program window, or use the Open dialog.
• Also be aware that if an older file is opened and saved in a newer version of GibbsCAM, it
can no longer be used in an older version. If necessary, you can work around this by using
File > Save a Copy to save the part as an older version.

• Before starting a newly installed version of GibbsCAM, users may want to run the Migration
Tool to migrate their settings and preferences from a previous release. The installation
process ends with a link to Migration Tool.

Before Installing Network Licensing Option (NLO)

For complete information on GibbsCAM Network Licensing Option, see “About Network
Licensing” on page 39.
Important: At this release of GibbsCAM NLO, the license server must run RLM 10 or later, and
a firewall service must be running when NLO is installed or modified. Most previous users of
NLO will need to upgrade their RLM Server at this release.
• If you use GibbsCAM NLO and your license server is set up for RLM 9 or earlier, an upgrade
is required. Trying to run GibbsCAM application software with an out-of-date RLM service
will result in an error message such as “912 : No server to connect to”. For instructions on
uninstalling the old RLM service and upgrading to RLM 10 or later, see “NLO Step 1 - Setting
Up The Server” on page 40.
• Trying to install or modify NLO Server with the firewall service in Stopped state results in
an error message: “GibbsCAM NLO Server v2.<x>.<y>.<z> Setup Wizard ended prematurely.”
Therefore, before installing or modifying NLO Server, ensure that the firewall service is
started (Services (Local) > Windows Firewall, Status = Started). Then, run the NLO installer; this
is an *.msi file, typically named GibbsCAM NLO Server v2.<x>.<y>.<z> -
<locale>.msi. After the installation/modification is complete, you can stop your firewall
service if necessary.

Before Installing With a Hardware Key

If you have a hardware key, attach it before running the installer.

16
Installation

Most users have the Rainbow Sentinel hardware key licensing scheme, which is a square, tan
parallel port key or a purple USB key that gets attached to the computer.
Newer users may have the Aladdin HASP hardware key which is a white parallel port key or a
very dark purple USB key.
The time-based system is also a HASP key but is either a blue parallel port key or a black USB
key.

l If you use the HASP key, please do not use the “HASP HL” drivers. Please use the
“HASP4” drivers. The HL drivers cause an incompatibility with the GibbsCAM system.
Unfortunately this is beyond our control as the incompatibility can be from hardware,
software, or the OS. If you have installed the HL drivers please download and install the
HASP Device Driver GUI Installation drivers from here:
www.aladdin.com/support/hasp/hasp4/enduser.aspx.

USB Key
If you use a USB key,place it into a USB port on your computer when you install the GibbsCAM
software. The key can be hot-swapped. USB ports do not allow more than one device to be
plugged into a port. You can purchase a USB hub to provide additional ports.

Rainbow HASP Cimatron Current Shipping

Parallel Port Key
If you use a parallel port key, attach it to your computer before you run GibbsCAM; the proper
drivers for your system are installed automatically. Make sure the computer is turned off before
attaching the hardware key. The hardware key should be placed in the parallel port (LPT1, or
LPT2) in the back of your computer. The parallel port is the same port in which you plug your
printer. A printer can be plugged into the hardware key.

Rainbow HASP HASP

17
Installation

Before Installing Across a Network

When installing GibbsCAM across a network to a system that has never had a version of
GibbsCAM or the hardware key drivers, we recommend that you install the drivers first, to
avoid encountering errors. If you encounter this error, simply click OK and continue the
installation process; then, after the process ends, install the hardware key drivers.

About the Installer

The installer lets you do any of the following:
• Repair or uninstall an existing installation of GibbsCAM 12.
• Install the GibbsCAM 12 base components and, optionally, one or more add-ins:
○ GibbsCAM add-ins include ProAXYZ Posting support.
○ CAD Transfer add-ins include Autodesk Inventor, Solid Edge, SOLIDWORKS, and many
others.
When the base components are installed, the GibbsCAM PDFs and the Moorpark engraving
font are automatically installed, and a desktop shortcut to the GibbsCAM 12 application is
created.

File Locations
The GibbsCAM installer writes files to three different locations, because different kinds of data
are accessed for different purposes:
• User data changes with each user.
• Global data applies to all users.
• Install data includes generic data and Reporter templates.
The installer is the only program that writes install data. The installer and the GibbsCAM
application write global data and install data. However, if the installer is re-run, it will not affect
user data and global data files that have been changed by the application.
Folders containing the three types of data are detailed below. If you customize these files or
upgrade your version of GibbsCAM frequently, accessing and copying these files can become
quite important. The GibbsCAM Migration Tool is the preferred method for migrating settings
and preferences from previous GibbsCAM releases.
The following table shows the folder hierarchy.

User data C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\3D Systems\GibbsCAM\<version>

18
Installation

Global data C:\ProgramData\3D Systems\GibbsCAM\<version>

C:\Program
Install data
Files*\3D Systems\GibbsCAM\<version>

User Data Files

User Data includes such files as: sysdef.rsc (what was entered in dialogs), UIState.dat
(where your windows were and their size) and a Plugins\ folder that contains what was
entered in the plug-ins. Even users with limited privileges can migrate User Data from a
previous release using the Migration Tool.

Global Data (Program Data) Files

Global data, also called program data, includes the bolt and tap tables, the CutDATA file
(Material.txt), your communication setup data (protocol.txt), a file that stores the Hole
Wizard data (prefs.rsc), a folder that contains your custom MDDs, and the PostHASTE
Library folder that contains PostHASTE library files.
The program data folder is the location where all customizable VMMs, MDDs, macros, and
plug-ins should reside. Although the installation folder contains read-only template versions of
these files — in other words, the original versions as shipped, before any customization — the
intent is for each seat of GibbsCAM to have its own potentially customizable version of these
files residing under the program data folder.
Only users with Administrator privileges can migrate program data files from a previous release
using the Migration Tool.
The location of the CutDATA file can also customized within GibbsCAM: On the File menu,
click Preferences and see the Files tab.

Installation Files
Installation files are read-only. They include generic versions of Global and User data files as
well as Reporter Templates, which are located in the...\PlugIns\Data\Report\ folder. If you
create custom reports, they should be placed in this folder.
Only users with Administrator privileges can migrate installation files from a previous release
using the Migration Tool, and not all installation files can be migrated.

Existing Communications, CutDATA and Library Files

Installing a new version of GibbsCAM creates a default material database, a blank
communications file, default PostHASTE library files, and default Reporter templates. Once the

19
Installation

new version is installed you can copy protocol.txt, material.txt and the Library\ folder
to the new GibbsCAM folder.

User Access To AppData Folders

Windows marks user AppData\ folders as invisible, and limited users cannot access them. If
you do not use the Migration Tool, you may need an administrator’s assistance to access and
modify these folders.

Installing the System Files

Before you install the software, be sure to review “DVD File Layout” on page 13 and “Before
Installing” on page 15.
If you will be using the Network Licensing Option (NLO):
• Important: At this release of GibbsCAM NLO, the license server must run RLM 10 or later,
and a firewall service must be running when NLO is installed or modified. Most previous
users of NLO will need to upgrade their RLM Server at this release.If you use GibbsCAM
NLO and your license server is set up for RLM 9 or earlier, an upgrade is required. Trying to
run GibbsCAM application software with an out-of-date RLM service will result in an error
message such as “912 : No server to connect to”. For instructions on uninstalling the old
RLM service and upgrading to RLM 10 or later, see “NLO Step 1 - Setting Up The Server” on
page 40.Trying to install or modify NLO Server with the firewall service in Stopped state
results in an error message: “GibbsCAM NLO Server v2.<x>.<y>.<z> Setup Wizard ended
prematurely. ” Therefore, before installing or modifying NLO Server, ensure that the firewall
service is started (Services (Local) > Windows Firewall, Status = Started). Then, run the
NLO installer; this is an *.msi file, typically named GibbsCAM NLO Server
v2.<x>.<y>.<z> - <locale>.msi. After the installation/modification is complete, you
can stop your firewall service if necessary.
• The GibbsCAM application software must be installed on each client machine, using either
the interactive installation wizard or the msiexec command-line tool (which has a “quiet”
mode for unattended installation). The application software must be installed before the
license files generated by 3D Systems GibbsCAM are installed.
If you are upgrading from a previous release, consider running the GibbsCAM Migration Tool
after you install but before your first launch of the newly installed software. For more
information, see “Migrating from Previous Releases” on page 48.

Step-By-Step Instructions
The following instructions assume you want to use the fully interactive installation wizard. If,
instead, you prefer to install non-interactively without the wizard, see “Unattended (Quiet)
Installation Mode” on page 24.

20
Installation

To Install the System Files

1. Insert the product installation DVD-ROM into the DVD drive.
The installer should run automatically when you put the DVD in the drive.
2. If prompted to do so, click Yes to give permission to the User Account Control dialog to
install the software.
The installer automatically detects your computer’s environment (such as language and
platform) and launches the appropriate setup wizard.
3. In the Welcome step: If you are installing the application software on this machine, click
Next to continue. If, instead, you are setting up a Network License installation, click Cancel
and refer to “About Network Licensing” on page 39.
You will need to accept the terms of the GibbsCAM Software License Agreement to continue
the installation.
4. In the Custom Setup step, optionally specify add-ins to install and optionally change the
installation location (not recommended). When you are satisfied with your choices, click
Next.

This release requires two versions of Microsoft .NET Framework: 3.5 and 4.0. Most
machines will already have one or both of these (for example, if Office is installed), but if
either is lacking, then the GibbsCAM installer will tell you what is needed. If you need either
or both, they are available for download from the Microsoft website.
5. In the Ready to Install step, click Install.
If prompted by the User Account Control to use administrator privileges, click Yes.

21
Installation

When GibbsCAM is installed, a dialog asks permission regarding the collection of usage
statistics. These consist of general technical data (such as OS platform and graphics subsystem)
as well as software module statistics that are specific to GibbsCAM, such as frequency of
library/module calls and GibbsCAM software performance. No personally identifiable
information is ever collected (such as company name or user name, computer or network ID,
or the like), and no information on part design or part names is ever collected. Information is
never collected without permission, and permission can be withheld either by the system
administrator or (if the administrator allows it) by GibbsCAM.com users.
At installation time — or at any other time by running Bin\GCStatsAdmin.exe — the
administrator chooses whether to opt in or out of usage data collection, and also specifies
whether or not to permit individual users to override the administrator’s choice.
If users have this permission, they can exercise it as a preference: File > Preferences, Interface
tab, Usage Statistics button. Any changed setting takes effect immediately upon clicking the OK
button.
6. The final question to answer is whether to launch Migration Tool after installation. The
default is yes, to help remind you to migrate your old settings and preferences before
starting the new version of GibbsCAM software. For more information on Migration Tool,
see “Migrating from Previous Releases” on page 48.
7. Click Install, and allow When the installation is complete, click Finish to close the setup.

To Launch the Application

To launch the GibbsCAM application, do one of the following:
○ In Start > Programs, select the GibbsCAM item.
○ Double-click the desktop shortcut to the GibbsCAM executable.
○ Double-click a *.vnc file.
The first time you launch GibbsCAM, the following dialog appears:

22
Installation

If you are installing GibbsCAM for the first time, you must register the software. If you are
upgrading from a pre-10.5 release of GibbsCAM, you must re-register the first time you install
v10.5 or later. For more detailed information on registering the software, see “Registering
GibbsCAM” on page 28.

Running Multiple Instances of the Product

GibbsCAM 12 natively supports simultaneously running multiple instances of the application —
either different versions or different instances of the same version. If you want to install
multiple instances of the same version GibbsCAM version, such as differently localized
instances, make a copy of the existing instance in a different folder (such as
C:\Program Files\*\GibbsBackup\, where "*" might be "Gibbs" or "3D Systems"), and then
re-run the installer. First uninstall the previous instance, and then install the new one.
There is no problem running multiple versions of GibbsCAM at the same time. However, an
earlier version might be unable to open parts saved in a later version. You can use the File > Save
As Copy option to save the part as if it were a previous version.

Reminder: For best results migrating settings and preferences from a previous release, each user
should run the Migration Tool before starting a newly installed version of GibbsCAM. For more
information, see “Migrating from Previous Releases” on page 48.

23
Installation

Unattended (Quiet) Installation Mode

If you are familiar with the Microsoft Windows Installer tool (msiexec), you can use display
options to minimize user interaction, such as /qn (combining quiet with no GUI), /passive,
and INSTALLLOCATION. A few of the most useful capabilities are described below; for complete
information, see Microsoft documentation.
The GibbsCAM installer is shipped as an .exe file, not as a native .msi. If you want to use the
msiexec capabilities, you must first obtain the .msi file embedded within the .exe file.

To obtain the GibbsCAM MSI

1. Run the GibbsCAM .exe installer for your system. If prompted by User Account Control to
allow access, click Yes.
The filename has the form GibbsCAM12_x64_v12.x.y.z_<language>.exe, varying by
system type, GibbsCAM version, and language.
2. In Windows Explorer, open the folder C:\Windows\Installer\Cache\3D Systems\ and
find the corresponding .msi file associated with this version of GibbsCAM.
For example, when installing to a system in American English, the .msi filename would
look like this: GibbsCAM12_x64_v12.x.y.z_en-US.msi.
3. Copy the .msi file to some other location and then cancel the installation wizard.

To run the GibbsCAM MSI

• Open a Command Prompt and run msiexec against the copied .msi file, using the
command-line switches, options, properties, and other parameters that are appropriate to
your needs for your version of Windows.

Please Note: The most useful switches and options require administrator privileges. To
open a Command Prompt with administrator privileges, right-click the cmd.exe program
and choose Run as administrator.

Also: If you use PowerShell instead of Command Prompt, be aware of the need to escape
each doublequote (") character by prepending a grave accent (`); for example, the
PowerShell version of
"C:\Program Files\[...]"
would be
`"C:\Program Files\[...]`".

Examples
• To install to a location other than the default ("C:\Program Files\[...]"), use the
INSTALLLOCATION property. For example, to install quietly in D:\GibbsCAM_Test\, enter

24
Installation

the following command:

msiexec /i "<path>\GibbsCAM12_[...].msi" INSTALLLOCATION="D:\GibbsCAM_Test" /qn

Note that the INSTALLDIR and TARGETDIR parameters do not work with this type of .msi
file, and so INSTALLLOCATION is required instead.

• To run an ordinary unattended installation of GibbsCAM, suppressing the post-installation

launching of Migration Tool that would otherwise occur by default, enter the following
command, whose flags and parameters specify "quiet", "no GUI", and "suppress Migration
Tool":
msiexec /i "<path>\GibbsCAM12_[...].msi" /qn LAUNCHMIGRATIONTOOL=0
• To install just one feature, but not all of GibbsCAM, use the ADDLOCAL parameter without
MainFiles. For example, to install only the SOLIDWORKS add-in and nothing else:
msiexec /i "<path>\GibbsCAM12_[...].msi" /qn ADDLOCAL=SolidWorksAddIn

• To install one feature in addition to GibbsCAM, use the ADDLOCAL parameter with
MainFiles. For example, to install the SOLIDWORKS add-in along with GibbsCAM:
msiexec /i "<path>\GibbsCAM12_[...].msi" /qn ADDLOCAL=MainFiles,SolidWorksAddIn

• To install GibbsCAM in unattended mode with all features:

msiexec /i "<path>\GibbsCAM12_[...].msi" /qn ADDLOCAL=ALL

• To uninstall a particular feature in unattended mode:

msiexec /i "<path>\GibbsCAM12_[...].msi" /qn REMOVELOCAL=<featurename>

• To uninstall the entire GibbsCAM product:

msiexec /x "<path>\GibbsCAM12_[...].msi"

FeatureName (msiexec) Description (Setup Wizard)

GibbsCAM Add-In. This option, developed by
PS2Posts Productec, installs the generic engine to run any
ProAXYZ Driver (.ps2).
CAD Add-Ins allow you to transfer files directly
from other system. Each of the following adds new
function to the user interface for:

CimatronE32Addin CimatronE 9 (32-bit)

CimatronE64Addin CimatronE 9 (64-bit)
CimatronE10x32Addin CimatronE 10 (32-bit)
CimatronE10x64Addin CimatronE 10 or 11(64-bit)
CimatronE12x64Addin CimatronE 12 (64-bit only)

InventorAddinFeature Autodesk Inventor 2009 and earlier (32-bit only)

InventorAddin2010x32Feature Autodesk Inventor 2010 through 2015 (32-bit)

InventorAddin2010x64Feature Autodesk Inventor 2010 through 2016 (64-bit)

25
Installation

FeatureName (msiexec) Description (Setup Wizard)

KeyCreatorAddin KeyCreator 7

KeyCreator8Addin KeyCreator 8
KeyCreator9Addin KeyCreator 9

KeyCreator10Addin KeyCreator 10 (64-bit only)

KeyCreator11Addin KeyCreator 11 (64-bit only)
KeyCreator12Addin KeyCreator 12 (64-bit only)

Rhino4Addin Rhinoceros 4 NURBS modeling

Rhino5Addin Rhinoceros 5 NURBS modeling

SolidEdge20Addin Solid Edge version 20

SolidEdge100Addin Solid Edge ST version 100 and some later releases

SolidWorksAddin SOLIDWORKS 2011 through 2015

Caveats
Because of third-party vendor requirements, some GibbsCAM prerequisites cannot be installed
using the GibbsCAM .msi file, but are instead contained within the GibbsCAM .exe file and
extracted to a user data folder (such as C:\Users\<LoginName>\AppData\Local\Temp\...\Disk1\).
Their names, purposes, and quiet-mode installation commands are provided below.
Any of the following that has already been installed does not need to be re-installed:
• Name: SQL Server Compact Edition
Purpose: Needed for proper toolholder support.
Quiet install command: msiexec /i SSCERuntime_x86-ENU.msi /quiet
• Name: SQL Server Compact Edition, 64-bit
Purpose: Needed for proper toolholder support on 64-bit GibbsCAM only
Quiet install command: msiexec /i SSCERuntime_x64-ENU.msi /quiet
• Name: Sentinel hardware key driver
Purpose: Needed only if your GibbsCAM software is secured using Sentinel Rainbow keys.
Quiet install command:"Sentinel Protection Installer 7.6.3.exe" /S /v/qn
• Name: HASP key drivers
Purpose: Needed only if your GibbsCAM software is secured using HASP keys.
Quiet install command: haspdinst.exe -i -nomsg

Installing Sample Package Files

Because the GibbsCAM system is extensible, there may be times when you install additional files
that you have received third parties or that you have downloaded from 3D Systems. In most
cases, the sample parts (*.vnc files) can reside anywhere, but other files, such as custom MDDs
or VMMs, must reside in the appropriate location within the global data folder for GibbsCAM.

26
Installation

The sample package for Custom Drill Cycles provides a good example. A sample set of macros is
available to illustrate custom drill cycles for Variable Peck.
These macros, along with the custom MDDs to support them, can be downloaded from the
Macros wiki (https://macros.GibbsCAM.com). For example, in the web page for the category
Custom_Drill_Cycles, you can download the following items.
• Example macros for: Variable-peck drilling by Distance or Percentage; Fagor style variable-
peck drilling; Pecking/drilling of Tapered squares; and Peck chamfering.
• MDDs (*.mdd files) supporting custom drill cycles for: 3-axis vertical mill, 5-axis vertical
mill, and 2-axis horizontal lathe.
• Sample parts (*.vnc files) illustrating the use of custom drill cycles.
• A single *.zip file containing all the files mentioned above.

Installing a sample package for custom drill cycles is simple. In your global data folder (such as
C:\ProgramData\3D Systems\GibbsCAM\11.<x>.<y>.\):
1. Under its Macros\ folder, create new subfolder CustomDrillCycles\ and move the
Gibbs.*.Generic\ folders into it.
2. Change to its MDD\ folder and move the sample *.mdd files into it.
3. Place the sample part files (*.vnc) wherever you like.

After your
C:\ProgramData\...\Macros\CustomDrillCycles\Gibbs.PeckDistance.Generic\ folder
is populated and your C:\ProgramData\...\MDD\ folder contains the sample MDD referenced
by the part, simply open a sample part and look at each of its processes. For example:
• In the 3-axis Mill part, Mill3a.vnc, the Holes process dialog’s Drill tab offers a pull-down of
custom drill cycles under Entry/Exit Cycle when the bottommost option button is selected. To
view or adjust parameter values, click User Cycle Data.
• In the Lathe part, Lathe2a.vnc, the Holes process dialog offers a pull-down of custom drill
cycles under Entry/Exit Cycle when the bottommost option button is selected. To view or
adjust parameter values, click the User Cycle Data the button.
• In the 5-Axis part, Mill5a.vnc, the Drilling Options tab shows pull-down options when
Custom Cycle is selected. To view or adjust parameter values, click the Define Custom Data
button.

27
Registration

Registration
• Registering GibbsCAM
• “Registration Tools” on page 35
• “License Updates” on page 37

Registering GibbsCAM
When a fresh installation of GibbsCAM is first started, it reports that no license file is found.
After registration is complete, however, GibbsCAM will continue on to run as usual.

The License Installation or License Update dialog lets you drag a license onto the dialog for
application installation, browse the computer for a license file, or run the Registration Tool to
obtain a license file through the Gibbs Activation Service.

28
Registration

• If you already have a license file for v11 or earlier, however, you can simply drag and drop it
onto this dialog, or click Browse for your license file on this computer... to navigate to it and
select it.

Reseller Activation - If your Reseller will be assisting you with your installation,
have your registration files (and hardware keys, if any) ready in advance.

Running the Registration Tool

1. Click the Run Registration Tool... link.
2. Enter your Product Code from your order materials and click Next.

3. Enter your customer information and click Next.

29
Registration

4. Complete your registration using one of the following methods. If you do not have an e-mail
account, enter the e-mail address of your reseller.

Registration Type Purpose

Internet Registration Register online. This is the quickest, easiest way.
E-Mail Registration If you are in a secured network environment.
Offline Registration If you have no Internet access.

Internet Registration
If the Registration Tool determines that the computer can directly contact the Gibbs Activation
Service, the final page of the Registration Tool lets you click Finish to automatically obtain a
license file.

30
Registration

E-Mail Registration
If the Registration Tool determines that the computer cannot directly contact the Gibbs
Activation Service but has access to e-mail, the final page of the Registration Tool lets you click
Finish to send the license registration data to Gibbs as an e-mail attachment.

Clicking the Finish button will bring up an e-mail form page using your default e-mail program.

31
Registration

Follow the e-mail program's directions to send the license registration data. 3D Systems
GibbsCAM will process your license registration as quickly as possible. When you receive it, see
Completing E-Mail or Offline Registration.

Offline Registration
If the Registration tool determines that the computer cannot directly contact the Gibbs
Activation Service and lacks access to e-mail, then the Registration Tool will prompt you to click
Finish to save license registration data to a file:

32
Registration

When you click Finish, the Save As dialog prompts you to save your license registration data to a
file:

After you save your registration data file, you can send it to 3D Systems GibbsCAM in several
ways:

A computer If you have access to a computer with e-mail access, e-mail the file to
with e-mail [email protected].
access

Your Reseller Your reseller may be able to assist you in your activation. If your Reseller can
assist you, have your registration files and (and hardware keys, if any) ready
in advance.

Regular Mail Copy the registration file to a CD, flash drive, DVD or floppy disk and mail it
to:

33
Registration

GibbsCAM Support
c/o 3D Systems
323 Science Drive
Moorpark, CA 93021 USA
Note: Please allow adequate time for your license file to be returned to you.
Your media will not be returned.

Completing E-Mail or Offline Registration

5. After you receive your license file from 3D Systems, save it on your computer and launch
GibbsCAM. On first startup, the following dialog appears:

6. You can either drag and drop the license file onto that dialog or click the Browse for your
license file on this computer… link, which opens a dialog that lets you navigate to the file and
select it:

34
Registration

7. After you locate and open the license file, you should see a message dialog resembling the
following:

8. When you click OK, GibbsCAM starts; your installation of GibbsCAM 12 has been
authenticated.

Registration Tools
Two registration utilities are provided:
• RegistrationTool.exe — See Standalone Licensing Utility
• ActivationCheck.exe — See “Verifying Activation Server Connectivity” on page 37

35
Registration

Standalone Licensing Utility

The Registration Process can also be activated without running GibbsCAM. Look for
Registration Tool in the GibbsCAM\ folder in the Windows Start menu. You can also access
the standalone registration from the GibbsCAM installation folder. You can do this easily by
searching for RegistrationTool.exe.

The Licensing Utility allows you to send license registration data and obtain and manage
licenses for several different types of GibbsCAM installations:
• The Hardware Locked type is equivalent to the license installation from running GibbsCAM
from a non-NLO GibbsCAM installation.
• The Network License Client type is equivalent to the license installation from running
GibbsCAM from an NLO GibbsCAM installation.
• The Network License Server type installs the NLO server and license to a folder you specify.
• The Hardware Locked (offline) type installs a non-NLO client license to a folder you specify.
This may be useful when pre-generating licenses for computers that may not have Internet
access and can only be used with removable hardware key licenses. To generate an offline
license, follow these steps:
a. Specify a deployment destination for the offline license in Licensing Utility

36
Registration

b. Attach the hardware key that you intend to use on the offline computer.
c. Click the Run Registration Tool... link and generate the offline license file following
instructions in “Running the Registration Tool” on page 29. This action generates a
license file in the specified folder.
d. Move the generated license-x.xxx.lic file to the offline computer.
e. Start GibbsCAM.
f. Drag and drop the license file onto the GibbsCAM License Installation dialog (or use the
Browse for your license file on this computer... link).

Verifying Activation Server Connectivity

ActivationCheck.exe is a simple utility that checks for connectivity with the Gibbs Activation
Service. You can find this application in the Bin\ folder of your GibbsCAM installation folder
or, on Window 7 or Vista, by using the Start button's Search feature.

License Updates
If you need to update or change your license file to add options to your license, you can connect
to the Gibbs Activation Service from the File > Preferences dialog, Interface tab.

37
Registration

Click the License Update button to open the Update Registration dialog.
To update your Product key and license, follow the steps for “Running the Registration Tool” on
page 29.

38
About Network Licensing

About Network Licensing

GibbsCAM Network Licensing (NLO) establishes a network license server that maintains a
software key for each option purchased from 3D Systems. These software keys (or “licenses”)
are distributed to nodes across a network to enable the workstations (nodes with installed Gibbs
application software) to run the purchased module options.
Network Licensing is an alternative to hardware keys: When a client runs the Gibbs application
software, a software key is “checked out” from the license server. There is no limit to the
number of GibbsCAM seats installed on the network, only a limit to the number that can be
used concurrently with each license server. Each client’s license file (*.lic) can be created and
installed through the Internet or, if the workstation lacks Internet access, by electronic or
physical mail.
Important: At this release of GibbsCAM NLO, the license server must run RLM 10 or later, and
a firewall service must be running when NLO is installed or modified. Most previous users of
NLO will need to upgrade their RLM Server at this release.
• If you use GibbsCAM NLO and your license server is set up for RLM 9 or earlier, an upgrade
is required. Trying to run GibbsCAM application software with an out-of-date RLM service
will result in an error message such as “912 : No server to connect to”. For instructions on
uninstalling the old RLM service and upgrading to RLM 10 or later, see “NLO Step 1 - Setting
Up The Server” on page 40.
• Trying to install or modify NLO Server with the firewall service in Stopped state results in
an error message: “GibbsCAM NLO Server v2.<x>.<y>.<z> Setup Wizard ended prematurely.”
Therefore, before installing or modifying NLO Server, ensure that the firewall service is
started (Services (Local) > Windows Firewall, Status = Started). Then, run the NLO installer; this
is an *.msi file, typically named GibbsCAM NLO Server v2.<x>.<y>.<z> -
<locale>.msi. After the installation/modification is complete, you can stop your firewall
service if necessary.
If you use NLO on one machine for multiple products: If you have licenses for two or
more GibbsCAM products served by a single machine, such as licenses for both GibbsCAM and
Compost, then all such license files must have the same start and end dates. If the start dates or
end dates mismatch, then one license file might overwrite another.

Overview of Network License Installation

If you already had a previous NLO installation, you will need to install your GibbsCAM NLO
license service (GibbsRLMServer) on the same machine as your previous NLO server
installation.

39
About Network Licensing

Installing the Network License option (NLO) is a two-phase process: First, you set up the server;
then, you install the client software on each node. For condensed steps, see below; for details,
see “NLO Step 1 - Setting Up The Server” on page 40.

Condensed Steps: To Set Up the Server

Before you begin: If you already have NLO Server running at v1.70.0 or older, stop the service
and uninstall it.
1. On the RLM license server machine, with Administrator privileges, run the installer setup
file, GibbsCAM NLO Server*.msi, to install the Registration Tool and support files.
2. When the Licensing Utility dialog appears, select Network License Server and click the
Registration Tool link. Then, in the Server License Registration Tool screens, enter your
product code and accept all defaults, starting the updated GibbsRLMServer as a service.
For details, see NLO Step 1 - Setting Up The Server.

Condensed Steps: To Install The Client Software 

1. Install the GibbsCAM application software on the client machine. For instructions on
installing the software, see “Installing the System Files” on page 20.
2. Ensure that the GibbsRLMServer service is running on the license server machine and that
the client can connect to it, and then register GibbsCAM on the client machine.
For details, see “  N
  LO Step 2 - Install the Client Software On Each Node ” on page 44.

NLO Step 1 - Setting Up The Server

Before you begin: On the RLM license server machine, you must have administrator privileges
and the installer setup file GibbsCAM NLO Server Setup*.msi must be available. This can be
downloaded from https://online.gibbscam.com (the Tools link, under Software Downloads) or
loaded from the product media in folder \Content\NLO Registration\.
Before installing or modifying NLO Server, ensure that the firewall service is started (Services 
(Local) > Windows Firewall, Status = Started). Then, run the NLO installer. After the
installation/modification is complete, you can stop your firewall service if necessary.
If you already have NLO Server running at v1.77.0 or older: Follow these steps to stop the
service and uninstall the old version.
1. On the RLM license server machine, Start menu, run Registration Tool for the pre-v1.81
version.
The GibbsCAM  Licensing Utility v1.xx.y dialog opens.
2. In the list of license registration types, choose Network License Server.
3. Right-click the title bar and, on the context menu, choose License Server Manager.

40
About Network Licensing

4. In the License Server Manager dialog, if the service is installed and running, click Stop
Service and then click Uninstall Service to remove the service from the license-server machine.
Then close the License Server Manager.
5. Close the GibbsCAM  Licensing Utility v1.xx.y dialog.

To Set Up and Start the Server at v1.81 or Later

1. On the RLM license server machine, with the Windows Firewall service in Started state, run
the installer setup file, GibbsCAM NLO Server*.msi.
○ Select the checkbox to accept the license terms and then click Install.
○ If a User Account Control dialog asks for permission to install software, click Yes.
The GibbsCAM  Licensing Utility v1.xx.y dialog opens.
2. Click the Run Registration Tool link to open the GibbsCAM  Server License Registration
Tool dialog, which will prompt you to enter information in several screens.
3. In the first screen, enter your Product Code, then optionally click Info to verify the
information associated with the product code, and then click Next.

41
About Network Licensing

4. In the second screen, enter your registration information and click Next.

5. The final screen allows you to save or e-mail the data, or to go back to make changes. When
you are done, click Finish to register your license over the Internet.

42
About Network Licensing

Make note of the machine’s Host Name as shown above. It will be helpful in
checking the status of the server.

When the activation is complete, a license file, license-<customer_id>-<server_

number>.lic, is created in your deployment directory.
6. In response to the status message (successfully deployed), click OK.

Troubleshooting the NLO Server

You can use License Server Manager (summoned by right-clicking the title bar of the
GibbsCAM  Licensing Utility v2.xx.y dialog when it is run as Administrator) to manage
services, manage processes, or launch the server from a command prompt. For example:

43
About Network Licensing

Launching the server from a Command Prompt provides information on the hostname, the
license filename, port numbers, and the ISV executable and options file (gibbsnet.exe and
gibbsnet.opt).

RLM Web Server Interface

The RLM server contains an embedded web server that starts automatically on port 5054 when
rlm is started. To use the web server, simply point your browser to:
http://<ServerHostName>:5054 (example: http://mymachine:5054) and, in the left column
of the web page, select the topmost link: Status.

NLO Step 2 - Install the Client Software On Each Node

Before you begin: Make sure the license server machine is running the GibbsRLMServer service
and that the client machine (workstation) has a network connection to it.
1. On the client machine (workstation), install the GibbsCAM software, using the same
product code that was used for installing the server. For step-by step-instructions, see
“Installing the System Files” on page 20.
2. Register GibbsCAM for this client workstation.
You can do this manually at any time by running the Registration Tool. Or, if you launch
GibbsCAM, it will display the License Installation dialog to prompt you for the product code.
Use the same product code that was used for the server. On NLO client machines, you are
not be prompted for contact information.
3. After you enter the product code, click Activate Product to complete the license deployment.

44
About Network Licensing

The license data will be retrieved from the Gibbs Activation Service and placed in the
appropriate Activation Data folder.
4. Repeat the previous steps (installing the GibbsCAM software and registering the product
code) for each GibbsCAM client of the license server machine.

Frequently Asked Questions on NLO

• Question: How can I find out more about RLM server management and tuning?
Answer: The latest RLM server, utilities, end-user manual, and performance monitoring
tools are available at http://www.reprisesoftware.com/end_user_bundle.htm
• Question: Can I activate if I don't have an Internet connection?
Answer: Yes. The Internet activation process simply automates the process of requesting,
creating, and installing the license file on the client computer, but there is a procedure for
activating without a live Internet connection. It uses the same registration process as the live
connection, but instead of sending the registration file (license.glc) from the user to the
Gibbs Activation Server and sending the license file (*.lic) back automatically, this is done
manually.
To do this, when you register, save a registration file (license.glc) to your hard disk.
Then, either e-mail it to 3D Systems or else write the file to media and mail it. Then
3D Systems will e-mail or mail the license file (*.lic) back to the customer. The customer
just runs GibbsCAM and drags the license file onto the registration dialog, activating the
license.
• Question: Can the same machine serve licenses for both GibbsCAM and Compost?
Answer: Yes, but with a caveat.
If you use NLO on one machine for multiple products: If you have licenses for two or
more GibbsCAM products served by a single machine, such as licenses for both GibbsCAM
and Compost, then all such license files must have the same start and end dates. If the start
dates or end dates mismatch, then one license file might overwrite another.

Installation and Configuration FAQs on RLM

• Question: How do I use RLM across a firewall?
Answer: If you want to serve licenses across a firewall, generally you will need the license
servers to have known port numbers in order to allow your firewall to pass requests on
these ports. The RLM server itself is always at a known port number (contained in the
license file on the SERVER or HOST line). Typically, RLM starts up all the ISV servers with
dynamic port numbers which are not known before startup time.
However, it is possible to have RLM assign fixed port numbers to any of the ISV servers. In
order to do this, you need to specify the port number for the ISV server on the ISV line. The
port number is the fourth parameter in the ISV line:
ISV isvname options-file port-number

45
About Network Licensing

In order to specify the port number, you must also specify an options file for this ISV server.
Once you have specified the port number, instruct your firewall to allow connections to
both the port number on the SERVER line (for RLM) and the port numbers on any ISV lines.
• Question: When starting RLM, I get the message “(RLM) Cannot bind Web Server port <####>,
exiting”. What is the problem and solution?
Answer:That error message generally indicates that another copy of RLM is already running
and using that port (previously 9000, now 5054) as its web server port.
Check your system for other running copies of the RLM server, and if they should not be
running, stop them, then re-start the RLM server.
Another possible problem is that another program is using the port. You can use the
netstat command to see if another program is using this port.
• Question: RLM gives the following error message when attempting to install itself as a service
on Vista from an account with administrator privileges: “Error: Access to Service Control
Manager denied”. What is the problem and solution?
Answer: Launch a Command Processor window (using “Run as administrator”), and install
RLM from the new command window. “Run as administrator” is an option when you right-
click the Windows Command Processor icon on the desktop or in the Start menu.
• Question: By default, RLM Web Server allows open access to all commands. I need to restrict
access to some server functions. How can I do that?
Answer: The RLM options file allows control over access to the status, reread, shutdown
administration commands as well as control over the editing of options files. Options are
provided to allow (INCLUDE or INCLUDEALL) or to disallow (EXCLUDE or EXCLUDEALL)
administration command usage. Additionally, options are provided to create groups of users
(GROUP) or hosts (HOST_GROUP).
In addition, the RLM options file allows you to turn off logging of status requests via the
NOLOG option.
The RLM options file is called rlm.opt. It should reside in the directory from which you run
the RLM executable, rlm.exe.
There are five privileges that can be controlled in the RLM options file. Each privilege is
specified with the appropriate privilege name.
RLM privileges controlled by the RLM options file

Name to use in RLM options

Privilege Meaning
file
edit_options edit_options Allows editing options files for ISV servers
edit_rlm_ Allows editing options files for the RLM
edit_rlm_options
options server

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About Network Licensing

Name to use in RLM options

Privilege Meaning
file
Allows access to the functions which do
reread reread
reread commands on license servers
Allows access to the functions which shut
shutdown shutdown
down license servers
Allows display of status and debug log
status status
information from the license servers

By default, all privileges are granted to all users unless otherwise restricted in the RLM
options file.
Note that the RLM web interface does not have access to the username (however, the
rlmutil utilities do pass the username), so, to be most effective, command restrictions
should be done based on hostname or IP addresses. By default, all commands are enabled
(unless disabled with the -x rlmdown or -x rlmremove rlm startup options, in which case
RLM options have no effect.).
Legal characters in the RLM options file
In general, all options file fields are white-space delimited, meaning that no data item can
contain embedded spaces, tabs, newlines or carriage returns. In addition, the following
characters are illegal in data items in the ISV or RLM options (and license) file: “<”, “>”, “&”,
single quote (' or ‘ or ’), back-quote (`) and double-quote (" or “ or ”).
Note that everything in the RLM options file is case-insensitive.
Example of an RLM options file
In the following example RLM options file, status commands are only allowed from hosts
on subnet 172.16.7.*, no one on the host named excluded_host can perform a reread
command, and only users on IP address 172.16.7.93 can perform a shutdown:

INCLUDE STATUS INTERNET 172.16.7.*

EXCLUDE REREAD HOST EXCLUDED_HOST

INCLUDE SHUTDOWN 172.16.7.93

47
Maintenance

Maintenance
The following are miscellaneous topics that can be helpful in some circumstances after you
have installed GibbsCAM.
• Migrating from Previous Releases
• “Installing Post Packages” on page 50
• “Undoing All Customizations” on page 50

Migrating from Previous Releases

The GibbsCAM Migration Tool lets you detect all previously installed versions of GibbsCAM and
copy compatible settings and preferences — UI and display settings, custom MDDs and VMMs,
HSM settings, bolt and tap table data, macro configuration file, machine models, and so
forth — from a specified previous version to the current release. The previous version is not
modified.
For best results, run the Migration Tool before the first time you start a newly installed release
of GibbsCAM. This allows old files to be migrated before they are blocked by new files created
in the newly installed version.

Using the Migration Tool

You can launch the tool from the Start menu: GibbsCAM > Migration Tool v12.x.y.z. To run this
tool with Administrator privileges (recommended), navigate to its parent folder (default
C:\Program files\3D Systems\...\Bin\), right-click the filename
GibbsMigrationTool.exe, and choose context menu option Run as administrator.
1. The first dialog lets you scan your system for installed versions of GibbsCAM, select one
from the list, and check it for compatibility.

48
Maintenance

2. The second dialog shows you the files that can and cannot be copied forward to the current
release. Appropriate restrictions are respected if Administrator privileges are lacking.

Note: There is no ability to migrate plug-ins or material databases from previous releases.

However, settings for Plug-In Manager can be migrated.

49
Maintenance

Installing Post Packages

When you receive a post processor package as a .zip file from the GibbsCAM Post department,
you can install it simply by dragging it onto a running instance of GibbsCAM or using File >
Open. This extracts the contents of the package and copies files to the appropriate locations
under the ProgramData\ folder:
• MDDs are extracted to the MDD\ subfolder of the global data folder — normally
C:\ProgramData\3D Systems\GibbsCAM\<version>\MDD\

• VMMs are extracted to the VMM\ subfolder of the global data folder — normally
C:\ProgramData\3D Systems\GibbsCAM\<version>\VMM\

• Post files are extracted to the Posts\ subfolder of the global data folder — normally
C:\ProgramData\3D Systems\GibbsCAM\<version>\Posts\

• Certain other special-purpose files (such as .txt files for GCode Files\ and macro files for
CustomDrillCycles\) are also extracted to the correct folders.
When a post package is installed in this way, if the target folder already contains .mdd or .vmm
files with identical names, the pre-existing versions are overwritten.

Undoing All Customizations

Sometimes circumstances arise when you want to restore the as-shipped “factory” settings. For
example, a particular user might want to remove all user-set preferences, such as customized
defaults for interface background or lighting, or customized plug-in settings. Or, more broadly,
a site might want to remove all site-customizable items, including the materials database, all
custom MDDs and VMMs, and so forth.
Use this method only if you want to undo all customizations. Before wiping out extensive
customizations, it is usually advisable to create a backup copy.
• To undo user customizations, simply delete/move/rename the user data folder:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\3D Systems\GibbsCAM\<version>.
Note: In releases prior to Version 11, the grandparent folder was named Gibbs\ rather than
3D Systems. For example, to suppress the customizations made by user “ChrisM” on
GibbsCAM version 10.0.97, you could move this folder:
C:\Users\ChrisM\AppData\Roaming\Gibbs\GibbsCAM\10.0.97\

• To undo site customizations, delete/move/rename the global program data folder:

C:\ProgramData\3D Systems\GibbsCAM\<version>.
For example, to undo the site customizations made to GibbsCAM version 12.9.99, you could
rename this folder:
C:\ProgramData\3D Systems\GibbsCAM\12.9.99\

50
Conventions

Conventions
GibbsCAM documentation uses two special fonts to represent screen text and keystrokes or
mouse actions. Other conventions in text and graphics are used to allow quick skimming, to
suppress irrelevancy, or to indicate links.

Text
Screen text.  Text with this appearance indicates text that appears in GibbsCAM or on your
monitor. Typically this is a button or text for a dialog.
Keystroke/Mouse.  Text with this appearance indicates a keystroke or mouse action, such as
Ctrl+C or right-click.
Code.  Text with this appearance indicates computer code, such as lines in a macro or a
block of G-code.

Graphics
Some graphics are altered so as to de-emphasize irrelevant information. A “torn” edge signifies
an intentional omission. Portions of a graphic might be blurred or dimmed to highlight the
item being discussed. For example:

Annotations on a graphic are usually numbered callouts (as seen above), and sometimes include
green circles, arrows, or tie-lines to focus attention on a particular portion of the graphic.
Faint green borders that outline areas within a graphic usually signify an image map. In online
help or a PDF viewer, you can click a green-bordered area to follow the link.

51
Links to Online Resources

Links to Online Resources

Link URL Action / Description
Go http://www.GibbsCAM.com Opens the main website for GibbsCAM.

Opens a restricted website containing

materials available for download. Requires a
Go https://online.gibbscam.com
GibbsCAM Online Services account; to set up
an account, contact GibbsCAM Support.

Opens the website for the GibbsCAM Student

Go https://store.GibbsCAM.com
Store.

Opens a wiki containing documentation and

Go https://macros.GibbsCAM.com examples of GibbsCAM macros. Requires a
GibbsCAM account.

Opens a Knowledge Base article, Contour

Operations Using Thread Mill Tools, that
Go http://kb01.GibbsCAM.com
explains in detail the correct way to program
Contour processes using Thread Mill tools.

Runs your email client to create a new

Go mailto:[email protected] message addressed to the 3D Systems
Technical Support department for GibbsCAM.

Runs your email client to create a new

Go mailto:[email protected] message addressed to the 3D Systems
Registration department for GibbsCAM.

Runs your email client to create a new

Go mailto:[email protected] message addressed to the 3D Systems Sales
department for GibbsCAM.

Opens an external website that provides more

Go http://www.autodesk.com/inventor
information on Autodesk Inventor products.

Opens an external website that provides more

information on VoluMill Ultra High-
Go http://www.celeritive.com
Performance Toolpath (UHPT) from
Celeritive Technologies.

Opens an external website that provides more

Go http://www.predator-software.com information on a CNC editor and a virtual
CNC viewer from Predator Software, Inc.

52