InfoCenter Tab

(Displays Only for AutoCAD 2008 and Later Releases)

With InfoCenter, you can search multiple Help and document resources. The results are displayed as links on the InfoCenter search results panel.

You click the Communication Center button to display the Communication Center panel. Communication Center displays up-to-date product information, software updates, subscription announcements, product support announcements, and other product-related announcements. Products are updated through the Live Update feature, which notifies users when maintenance patches are available. Communication Center also provides links to RSS feeds and a CAD Manager Channel.

Search Results

Allow User to Customize Search Locations

Allows users to customize search locations through the InfoCenter Settings dialog box.

Set Default Search Locations

Opens the Set Default Search Locations dialog box. You specify the locations available to users.

Communication Center

Enable Live Updates

Specifies whether Live Update is turned on. Live Update notifies users when maintenance releases are available for their program.

If Live Update is turned on, you choose whether patch lists are received from Autodesk servers or from your own network location.

Local Patch List Location

If you want users to be notified of maintenance patches, you specify an Autodesk web server patch list or a local patch list. A patch list is an XML file that specifies a list of patches available for installation on your computer.

The patch list file is an XML file that does not require editing. When you select Receive Live Updates from Local Network, and then specify a local patch list location using the Browse for Folder dialog box, a file named patchlist.npl is automatically created in the patch list folder if an .npl file does not exist.

If you specify a patch list folder that contains more than one patch list, a message displays in the Patch Folder Status dialog box, prompting you to select a patch list.

NoteYou can paste a file directory into the Browse For Folder dialog box that uses the UNC naming convention.

If you select a patch list file with a .txt extension, a message displays in the Patch Folder Status dialog box indicating it is an invalid file format and prompts you to select an .npl file.

After a patch list location is selected, the Manage Patches function becomes available. This button checks the Autodesk Live Update server for maintenance patches for the product that was selected when the CAD Manager Control utility was started.

If maintenance patches are found, the Communication Center Status dialog box indicates a connection is being made to the Autodesk server. After the patches are retrieved, they are listed in the Manage Patch Folder dialog box. If maintenance patches are not available, the Communication Center Status dialog box indicates this and prompts you to check at a later time.

Manage Patch Folder Dialog Box

The Manage Patch Folder dialog box is an interface for managing patches. The title bar of the dialog box includes the name of the product that was selected when the CAD Manager Control utility was started. Maintenance patches that are retrieved from the Autodesk Live Update server are listed in the Manage Patches section where you can view details about each patch, download patches to a local patch folder, or remove patches from the list.

Patch List Location

Displays the name of the patch list file and the path where it is located on the local network.

Manage Patches

Lists the patches that were retrieved from the Autodesk Live Update server. The status icon to the right of each patch title indicates whether the patch is ready for downloading, has already been downloaded, or failed to download.

The Action Type column displays an action button for each patch. By clicking the Action Type button, you can choose whether to add the patch to be downloaded, to remove the patch from the patch folder, or to not take any action.

The Patch Title column displays the patch name as a link. Clicking the link displays information about the patch in the Details area.

The Status column displays a status icon to the right of each patch title. The status icon indicates whether the patch is ready for downloading, has already been downloaded, or failed to download.

Update Patch Folder

When the Update Patch Folder button is clicked, it starts the process of downloading the patches that have the action type set “To Be Downloaded to the Patch Folder.” During the download process, the button name is temporarily changed to Abort. Clicking the Abort button stops the download.

Details

Displays details about the selected patch. Details include the status of the patch (whether it has been downloaded, available for download, or failed to download), the title of the patch and a link to its Readme file, and the patch’s release date, file type, and size.

As each patch is downloaded, a status report is displayed in the Details area. For patches that cannot be downloaded, “Failed” displays next to the patch name. After the download process, a Patch Folder Status dialog box displays a message that the local patch folder has been updated. When the dialog box is closed, the Details area reverts to its original display, and the status icon is updated for each patch under Manage Patches.

Enable Information Channels

Enables or disables access to subscription announcements, product support information, articles, and other information.

When you turn on Enable Information Channels, you choose whether Communication Center notifies users of product maintenance patches.

Enable CAD Manager Channel

Enables or disables access to announcements and other information published by the CAD Manager in the form of an RSS feed.

Feed Location

Specifies the location of the RSS Feed for the CAD Manager Channel.

Display Name

Specifies the name displayed for the CAD Manager Channel on the Communication Center panel.

Enable RSS Feeds

Enables or disables access to announcements and other information published through RSS feeds. An RSS feed is information published by a website to which you subscribe. When turned off, the RSS Feeds group does not display on the Communication Center panel.

Allow User to Add RSS Feeds

Allows or disallows users to add RSS feeds through the InfoCenter Settings dialog box. When turned off, the RSS Feeds panel in the InfoCenter Settings dialog box is read-only.

Set Default RSS Feeds

Opens the Set Default RSS Feeds dialog box. You specify the default RSS feed subscriptions that are displayed for users on the Communication Center panel. Several default RSS feeds are automatically subscribed to when you install the program.

You can add or remove RSS feeds through the Add RSS Feed and Remove RSS Feed dialog boxes.

To specify default locations to search for information

1. In the CAD Manager Control Utility window, click the InfoCenter tab.
2. On the InfoCenter tab, Search Results area, click Set Default Search Locations.
3. In the Set Default Search Locations dialog box, select or clear the search locations you want to include or exclude when you search for information.
4. Click OK.

To add a new location to search for information

1. In the CAD Manager Control Utility window, click the InfoCenter tab.
2. On the InfoCenter tab, Search Results area, click Set Default Search Locations.
3. In the Set Default Search Locations dialog box, click New.
4. In the Add Search Location dialog box, specify a file location to search.
5. Click Add.
6. Click OK.

To remove a location to search for information

1. In the CAD Manager Control Utility window, click the InfoCenter tab.
2. On the InfoCenter tab, Search Results area, click Set Default Search Locations.
3. In the Set Default Search Locations dialog box, do one of the following:
   • Select a location to remove, and then click Remove.
   • Right-click a search location. Click Remove.
4. In the Remove Search Location dialog box, click Yes to remove the selected location.
5. Click OK.

To turn on access to and configure Communication Center

1. In the CAD Manager Control Utility window, click the InfoCenter tab.
2. On the InfoCenter tab, under Communication Center, select the Enable Live Updates option if you want users to be notified when Live Update maintenance patches are available.
3. Under Enable Live Update, make one of the following selections from the list:
   • Select Receive Live Updates from Autodesk if you want users to receive direct Live Update notification from Autodesk.
   • Select Receive Live Updates from Local Network if you want users to receive Live Update notifications from your own network location, and then, under Local Patch List Location, specify the location of your local patch list.
   • Select Disable Live Update if you do not want users to receive Live Update notifications.
4. Select Enable Information Channels if you want users to have access to subscription information, and to product support and other information. Users can then select which channels they want to view. If you don't want users to have access to this information, clear the selection.
5. Select Enable CAD Manager Channel and specify the Feed Location and Display Name if you want users to have access to announcements and other information published by the CAD Manager in the form of an RSS feed.
6. Select Enable RSS Feeds if you want users to have access to announcements and other information published through RSS feeds.
7. Select Allow User to Add RSS Feeds if you want users to specify their own default RSS feed subscriptions that are displayed on the Communication Center panel.
8. Click Set Default RSS Feeds to specify the default RSS feeds that display for users on the Communication Center panel.
9. Once you have selected the settings you want for Communication Center, you must select whether you want to save these settings for this computer only or to create a REG-format registry file that can be distributed to multiple computers. In the list at the bottom of the CAD Manager Control Utility window, select Modify System Settings to apply these settings to your computer, or select Create .REG Registry File to create a file that can be used to change the settings on other computers.
10. Click Apply. If you chose to create a registry file, you must specify a file name and location.
    NoteThe Apply button saves changes you make on any of the tabs in the CAD Manager Control utility.

To turn off access to Communication Center

1. In the CAD Manager Control Utility window, click the InfoCenter tab.
2. On the InfoCenter tab, under Communication Center, clear the check boxes for the options you don’t want available to users.
3. When you turn off access to Communication Center, you must select whether you want to save the setting for this computer only or to create a REG-format registry file that can be distributed to multiple computers. In the list at the bottom of the CAD Manager Control Utility window, select Modify System Settings to apply these settings to your computer, or select Create .REG Registry File to create a file that can be used to change the settings on other computers.
4. Click Apply. If you chose to create a registry file, you must specify a file name and location.
   NoteThe Apply button saves changes you make on any of the tabs in the CAD Manager Control utility.

To check for available patches for

1. In the CAD Manager Control Utility window, click the InfoCenter tab.
2. On the InfoCenter tab, under Enable Live Updates, select Receive Live Updates from Local Network.
3. If a local patch list has not been specified, browse to a folder on the local network where a patch list file exists or select a folder where the default file is to be created.
4. Click Manage Patches.

   If there are available patches for the product that was selected when the CAD Manager Control utility was started, they are listed by patch name in the Manage Patch Folder dialog box.

   If there aren’t any patches, a Communication Center Status dialog box displays a message that there are no patches available for the product.