Adding Tools to the 3DCreator Interface Controller

 

From time to time you may want to update or add to the tools stored in the 3DCreator controller box. This task may be accomplished through the use of HyperTerminal or a similar terminal emulation program. This procedure is also useful in order to confirm that specific tools are present in the 3DCreator interface controller memory. To add a tool file to the 3DCreator Interface controller you must have the matching tool definition file available for copying.

Note: The 3DCreator documentation refers to the process of adding or updating software on the 3DCreator interface controller as "downloading software". See the 3DCreator user documentation supplied with your device for more information.

The memory of the 3DCreator interface controller is structured like a computer hard disk. You can view this information with a terminal emulation program using serial communications. Tool definition files are stored in a subdirectory labeled TOOLS. When adding or updating tool files, they are placed in this directory on the 3DCreator interface controller.

To Establish Communication between HyperTerminal and the 3DCreator Interface Controller

1. Connect your 3DCreator device to the host computer.

2. Make sure that the 3DCreator device is turned off.

3. Start HyperTerminal of another terminal emulation program.

You are presented with that program’s user interface.

1. If not previously done, configure the program to communicate over the serial communications port to which the 3DCreator is connected. See the instructions for Configuring HyperTerminal for Communication with the 3DCreator Interface Controller.

2. Start the 3DCreator interface controller.

The 3DCreator interface controller initializes and plays its start-up sounds. A menu may be displayed in the terminal window.

3. If no menu is displayed, press the Enter key.

A series of numbers appears in the terminal emulator window.

Note: If nothing appears at this point, confirm the terminal emulator settings and 3DCreator device connections and repeat the above steps.

4. If a menu is not displayed type IQ in the terminal window and press the Enter key.

After a moment, the 3DCreator interactive menu is displayed.

	Note: The characters you type into the terminal emulator may not be echoed to the terminal emulator window. This does not affect whether or not the characters are being sent to the 3DCreator interface controller.
	Note: The menu title bar m ay say FlashPoint 5500 interactive menu.

5. Confirm that item four in the list of menu selections is the download files option.

You can confirm the presence of specific files on the 3DCreator interface controller by typing DIR at the à prompt. All files in the current director are displayed. Since there may be more files present than can be displayed vertically in the terminal emulator window, you can use DIR /w to look at the file list in wide format. To see the contents of the tools directory, in wide format, from any directory on the 3DCreator interface controller, type DIR \TOOLS /w at the à prompt.

To Add Tools to the 3DCreator Interface Controller

1. Establish communications with the 3DCreator interface controller as described above.

2. Type 4 \TOOLS\ at the à prompt displayed in the terminal emulator window and press the Enter key to download the files to the TOOLS directory.

A message alerting you that the 3DCreator interface controller is prepared to download files is presented.

	Note: If you do not specify a directory, the files are be downloaded to the 3DCreator interface controller root directory.
	Warning: You must include the trailing ‘\’ when specifying the tools directory or the files are copied to the root directory instead of the desired tools directory.
	Note: If the 3DCreator interface controller does not begin to receive the files within about one minute, the process is terminated and the main interactive menu is redisplayed.

6. Follow the procedure for Z-modem file transfer with your chosen terminal emulator.

Once the transfer is complete, a listing of the contents of the target directory is displayed.

7. Press the Enter.

The 3DCreator interface controller main interactive menu is redisplayed.

Follow this procedure for each of the tool files that you wish to transfer to the 3DCreator interface controller.

Note: If you wish to add or update other files in other directories on the 3DCreator interface controller, specify the specific directory in step 2 above. To place files in the root directory, do not specify a target directory in step 2 above.