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1. It is recommended to exit all Windows programs before proceeding. It is also recommended that you install any solver applications that Patran or any of it’s verticals (i.e., MSC FEA) will use (such as MSC or MD Nastran, Marc, or MSC Sinda) before installing Patran.
2. Log in to your system. In general, you do not need administrator privileges except as follows:
• To update one or more DLL files in the Windows system directory. The setup utility will recognize this and ask you to install with administrator privilege if necessary.
• To create the installation directory. You may need administrator privilege to grant
this permission.
• To install the FLEXlm License Server.
• To create installations visible by other users.
• To utilize file association option.
• To install, configure and/or start the Analysis Manager.
3. If you are downloading from the Solutions Download Center, download the self-extracting archive (.exe) and follow these steps:
• Copy the self-extracting archive (patran_20xx_windows.exe) file to a temporary subdirectory with enough disk space. Make a note of this location.
• Click on patran_20xx_windows.exe to start install shield (product installer). For the remainder of the installation process, follow instructions in the product installation guide. You may remove temporary files from the subdirectory created in this step after the installation is complete.
4. If you are installing from a DVD-ROM, insert the DVD. If the installer does not start automatically, select Run from the Start menu and type x:\patran_20xx_windows.exe. Replace the “x” with your DVD-ROM drive letter.
5. The installer will present you with the options to select. You may install them in any order.
• Patran (Installs the Patran software system and any of its vertical products).
6. Follow the on-line installation instructions from this point on for each option selected.
Select Product to Install:
Patran is the default product to install. However, you may install one or all of the following Patran vertical products. You may rerun the installer to add, modify or delete any of these products. Only a single installation is required for all these products.
Product | Description |
Patran 20xx | The latest version of standard Patran. |
Patran 20xx
(MD Nastran Enabled) | The latest version of standard Patran enabled to access MD Nastran functionality. |
MSC FEA 20xx | A Patran and MSC Nastran package combination where Patran and MSC Nastran operate in an interlocked manner. It is necessary to install MSC Nastran separately or have an existing MSC Nastran installation. |
MSC AFEA 20xx | A Patran and Marc package combination where Patran and Marc operate in an interlocked manner. It is necessary to install Marc separately or have an existing Marc installation. |
MSC TFEA 20xx | A Patran and MSC Sinda package combination where Patran and MSC Sinda operate in an interlocked manner. It is necessary to install MSC Sinda separately or have an existing MSC Sinda installation. |
A separate desktop icon is created for each product above and a separete entry in the Start menu under MSC.Software | Patran 20xx.
For all products above it may be necessary to configure the setup to access the necessary solver codes. This is explained in
Analysis Preferences Setup, 14.
Select Setup Type:
In some instances the following installation options may be presented:
• Full installs all modules, options and preferences.
• User Selectable allows you to select which modules, options and preferences are installed. If you select custom, you will be presented with a form to select individual components.
• Common Features installs a reduced set of the most frequently used modules, options and preferences.
• Client configures a workstation to run from a central file server.
The table below lists some of the selectable items that require information from the user during installation or subsequent steps to enable full functionality access . Not all of these may be presented to you as selectable options.
Product Set | Additional Information |
Analysis Preferences | |
Analysis Manager | |
Documentation | |
Flightloads: | |
Licensing | |
Patran Materials Enterprise: | |
Patran Pro/ENGINEER Access | |
Patran Thermal | |
SuperModel | |
Patran UG NX Access | |
Invoking Patran (and its verticals)
Patran and its verticals (i.e., MSC FEA) can be invoked in three different manners:
1. Double-click on the desktop icon created.
2. Select it from the Start menu:
Start >(All) Programs > MSC.Software > Patran 20xx > Product
3. From a DOS Command Prompt by typing:
C:\$P3_HOME\bin\patran
C:\$P3_HOME\bin\mdpatran
C:\$P3_HOME\bin\mscfea
C:\$P3_HOME\bin\mscafea
C:\$P3_HOME\bin\msctfea
where $P3_HOME is the Patran installation directory, typically C:\MSC.Software\Patran\20xx