IMPORTANT: This is an archived document. To proceed to its up-to-date version please click here: How to Install Aximmetry.
In this tutorial we deal with the different kinds of installations. First with the installation of the software itself, then the installation of various downloadable graphics contents.
Let’s see the software installation. Here is the installer executable that can be downloaded from the Aximmetry website. Let’s start it. Then accept the License Agreement. Then we can leave the default installation folder alone, so we click Next.
The next page needs some attention. Here we can specify the location of the Projects folder. This is the folder that will contain the files related to our graphics projects. By default, it’s placed under our personal Documents folder. Here a subfolder named “Aximmetry” will be created regardless because several other things will be stored here by the system. By default, the installer offers placing Projects under this folder. We have to take into consideration that our graphics content could grow very quickly, so if, for example, we don’t have too much space on drive C, then it’s advisable to place Projects somewhere else.
Note that later on we’ll be able to configure the system to store our projects distributedly among two or more drives. But, of course, it’s easier to have only one place and specify the location here and now. By clicking Browse we can choose a drive and a folder. But now I’ll leave the default setting alone.
Later we’ll talk about downloading and installing graphics Content Packages. But for convenience, the software installer offers three base packages here for automatic installing.
The Common Library package is essential for using the software, we cannot start the work without it. So leave it checked regardless if you haven’t installed it before.
The Inventory is a collection of generally usable 3D models. If you don’t plan to build 3D scenes, or you always use your own designed 3D models, then you don’t need to install this package.
The third package is a collection of demo virtual sets. They demonstrate the rendering and the controlling capabilities of Aximmetry. In addition, they can be used free of charge in your virtual studio shows.
Naturally, these three packages are available for later downloading together with our other packages.
Now, for e.g., let’s check Common and Inventory and click Next. Click Install. Upon finishing the software installation the selected Content Packages have begun downloading. This can take a while.
Before installing the packages the system asks for the Product Key we received when we downloaded or purchased the software. Type it into this field and click on the Online Activation button. After the successful activation, Aximmetry’s own Package Installer application starts and installs the packages we chose. Now the common library is done, so we can move to process Inventory.
The software installation is complete, we can click Finish.
Let’s see how we can install further Content Packages. These packages can be of various kinds: they can contain complete virtual sets, texture collections, shaders, visuals, etc. There are stock packages that can be purchased from Aximmetry, but we also can assemble our own packages and share them with others.
Now, for example, suppose that after all of this we want to install the Demo Sets package we didn’t choose during the software installation. I’ve already downloaded it from the website, it’s in my Downloads folder. The file has the “xpack” extension. The simplest way is to double-click the file. The Aximmetry Installer app starts automatically and loads the package file.
Usually, we simply click INSTALL right away, thus installing everything contained in the package. But now let’s take a closer look at what setting we have here. The Contents section lists the main files that represent the content itself. Usually, these are compounds that can contain complete virtual sets, visuals, effects, etc. Also, entire folders can appear here. In this particular case, we have these virtual sets here: a News Room set, a Sports Studio set, and so on. By clicking them we can see their thumbnails.
We choose to install some of them only. For e.g. if I don’t need News Room, I can uncheck all contents related to News Room.
A compound can have lots of dependencies, meaning that the compound refers to textures, models, shaders, etc. These additional files are also packed into the package, and we have a list of them here in the Dependencies section.
If I uncheck some files in the Contents section, their dependencies are automatically unchecked as well. For e.g. if I switch off all the News Room items, we can see that all textures and models related to News Room are switched off. But there are checkboxes here in the Dependencies list, too, so I can choose to override the automatic checkings.
Usually, the dependencies of a compound are mostly from the same Project. For e.g. the News Room compound mostly refers to files that reside in the News Room project folder. But external references also can occur. For e.g. these virtual sets refer to models and textures from the Inventory project. It’s up to the package creator if he adds the external files to the package or not. In the case of these demo virtual sets, the referred Inventory files are added as well for safety, because the user can decide not to install the Inventory package.
The external files are marked with blue. In this small section on the right, we can see a legend: the Normal files are designated by black, and the external ones, the so-called “Out of base project” files are designated by blue. We also can group-select the files by type using this list. For e.g. we can decide not to install the Out of base files.
Let’s set all contents and files checked and click INSTALL.
Because we’ve installed the Inventory package during the software installation, the external files already exist in our project folders. Therefore we get a confirmation message. To keep it simple, let’s click Replace All thus overwriting all existing files. Now we have nothing to do but wait until the copying is finished. The installation is done, we can close the application.
I repeat: in most cases, there’s no need for the fine settings I’ve presented here. Here is another package: I simply double-click it, the Installer app comes up, I click INSTALL, copying is done, and I close the app. Usually installing a package is that simple.
