General ACM Questions

Q: What is the ACM? A: The ACM (ArchVision Content Manager) is a content management tool that provides content path information, license information and other useful information from a single point of administration. RPC Plug-ins are configured to connect to the ACM to utilize this information.

Q: Do I have to install the ACM to use RPC? A: Yes. The newest RPC Plug-ins and ArchVision products require access to the ACM for licensing and path information. The ACM is needed to accommodate these new file types. If the ACM is not installed warning messages will appear and some functionality will not be present.

Q: How much does the ACM cost? A: The ACM is free and can be downloaded from http://acm.archvision.com.

Q: Where should the ACM be installed? A: It is recommended that the ACM be installed onto a file Server where RPC Content resides. However, it can be installed onto any computer with Windows 2000 or later Operating System.

Q: Can I install more than one ACM onto my network? A: Yes. However, it is strongly recommended that only one ACM be installed to avoid confusion.

Q: Do I have to register the ACM? A: No. However, to perform any of the web based administrative functions will will have to register your ACM with ACM Central (acm.archvision.com).

Q: Why should I configure the ACM to run automatically? A: The ACM needs to be running for RPC Plug-ins to connect to it. If it is configured to run automatically, it will run when the computer/server is started.

Q: Can the ACM be installed onto a computer without an internet connection? A: It is possible, but not recommended. ACM Central provides tools for manually registering and managing the ACM.

Q: Can sub-paths be used when creating paths to the ACM? A: A path must be added to every directory where RPCs reside. The ACM does not recognize subdirectories.

Q: Where can I obtain the latest version of the ACM? A: The latest ACM version will always be available at http://acm.archvision.com

Q: How do I access the complimentary RPC content? A: To receive complimentary (free) content, you must subscribe to a channel at http://acm.archvision.com. You can do this by clicking on Subscriptions.

Advanced ACM Questions

Q: What does the Mask feature of the ACM do? A: The Mask feature is used to correct meta data assigned to RPCs. This feature is primarily used by content manufacturers such as ArchVision distributing content. Only a very small fraction of users will ever utilize this function.

Q: What does the Projects feature of the ACM do? A: The Projects feature allows users to organize content into categories so that only selected RPCs are available when a particular project is selected.

Q: Can I move a license from one ACM to another? A: It does require a connection to the licensing server, but yes a license can be moved using the Export feature. The destination ACM ID number is needed for this.

Q: I configure my paths through my preferred visualization product, is it also necessary for me to configure a path to content using the ACM interface? A: Traditional content paths will work for most content, but not all of it. New content, such as Hi-Res content, requires that the path be configured through the ACM. Newer content will not be recognized by the old pathing method. Also, the ACM promotes single point of administration. It is recommended that traditional file paths be eliminated.

Q: What information is sent to ArchVision when the ACM connects to the licensing server? A: Your current license state, any changes to your license state, and your ACM ID. While it is not explicitly sent your IP address can also be determined from the data sent to ACM Central.

ACM Troubleshooting

Q: When installing my ACM I receive an error message that the ACM cannot be installed because a MAC address is not present. Why is this? A: The ACM requires a MAC address to generate the unique ACM ID number. A network interface card (NIC, or Ethernet Card) must be present for the ACM to install.

Q: When attempting to register an ACM or perform an import, I receive the following error message: "ArchVision's License Server reported that this ACM does not have the correct time. Please set your clock." My clock appears to be correct, why am I receiving this? A: While your clock may appear to be correct, please verify that the time zone is also correct and that you have selected A.M. or P.M. You will only receive this message if the time is not correct on your machine.

Q: My company's firewall is preventing me from connecting to the licensing server. How can I get my licenses and download queues? A: You can use the firewall tool at ACM Central (http://acm.archvision.com) to generate a downloadable file that contains the license and download queue information. This file can then be imported using the Import by File feature of the ACM.

Q: When downloading, the objects in my download queue are turning from green to red. What should I do? A: Red objects in the download queue indicate that an error has occurred. This can often be fixed by selecting the red object and then clicking on requeue. If this does not work, please contact ArchVision Technical Support at 859-252-3118 ext 103 and please have your order number and member ID available.

Q: I placed an order with the delivery method set to Electronic Download, where is my content? A: You will need to open the ACM and select Download followed by Download Now to retrieve the download queue and begin downloading your content. An e-mail should arrive approximately 10 minutes after your order is placed notifying the purchaser that the content is available for download.

Q: My ACM is trying to connect to the internet. Why is this? A: The ACM connects to the ArchVision License Server to import licenses, export licenses and see if updates are available.

Q: When I select the RPC Plug-in, I receive a message telling me that the ArchVision Content Manager could not be located. Why is this? A: You are receiving this message because a connection has not been configured from the RPC Plug-in to the ACM. To resolve this click on Configure Content and specify the location of the ACM.

Q: My company recently purchased a product that requires a license. How can I assign the license to my ACM? A: Licenses can be assigned to ACM's associated with the purchasing agent's account by selecting Order History from the menu at www.archvision.com and then clicking on Assign Available Licenses. An import will then need to be performed on the ACM that the license(s) were assigned to.

Q: Why is my content watermarked? A: Some RPC content requires that a license for the content be present in the ACM, and that the RPC files be in the path of the ACM.

Q: I have purchased a license for a product (ie. Composer) and the license is present, but the content is still watermarked. Why is this? A: It could be that the RPC Plug-in has not been configured to connect to the ACM where the license is located, the license has expired, or other users are currently using all available licenses.

Q: I am receiving an error message that my ACM ID is invalid with this machine. Why is this? A: This is caused when the ACM is copied from another machine, the network interface card is replaced, or the network interface card is generating a virtual MAC address. To fix this make sure that a network interface card is present and enabled then uninstall and reinstall the ACM. If the message persists, attempt to locate an updated driver from the network interface card's manufacturer.

Q: My ACM is configured correctly, but when I click on Scan in the Content Configuration dialog the ACM is not detected. Why is this? A: This could be caused because the ACM is not running, is not running as a Service or the connection is being refused due to firewall or internet security settings.

Q: My content is all displayed in the current content window of my ACM, but my rendering nodes see only the name of the content or see no content at all. Why is this? A: This is most likely because the path to the content in the ACM is a local path, a mapped path or the location is not accessible to all of the rendering nodes. To fix this use UNC naming (\\ServerName\ComputerName\Foldername\)when creating paths.

Q: I placed an order, but I must have selected the wrong ACM (there were multiple ACMs in my account). What can I do? A: You will need to contact ArchVision Technical Support at 859-252-3118 ext 103 to resolve this issue. Please have the member ID of the purchasing agent available.