Running Creo on your personal computer

*** After installation but before you start using your own installation of Creo you may wish to change it’s configuration files – SEE HERE  ***

*** LDS does not provide technical support for personally installed versions of Creo ***

 

Hardware Recommendations for Creo 2.0

It is not a course requirement to have your own computer and CAD software, there is adequate access to PC labs across campus to complete your coursework. But if you choose to:

Universities Edition – the version used in the computer labs in LDS – this version uses a network license and therefore MAY be usable in halls depending on your location.

Academic Edition – link – the version which can be purchased for standalone home use and does not require a network license.

Spec that will run Creo will run most other 3D software – modelling or rendering – and will run 2D bitmap and vector graphics software. Talk to year 2 and year 3 students about what they would recommend.

 

Laptop or Desktop?

There is generally no need to bring a laptop into the Department. So unless you really need the extra portability and compact size then desktop PCs will give you better value for money and adaptability.

LCD screens and compact towers give lots of space flexibility. You can’t use CAD software without a 3 button mouse [scroll wheels double as middle button].

If you are going for a laptop [or more accurately a ‘mobile desktop’ when it comes to something that will run 3D software] then make sure its right – laptop are very difficult and expensive to upgrade.

Suggested spec:

Operating System: Windows XP or higher

CPU/processor speed: 2.0GHz

Available hard disk space: 1.5 Gb

RAM memory: 1Gb [recommended: as much as you can afford!]

Graphics card: 128Mb OpenGL compliant

The quality and manufacturer of your graphics card is the main hardware issue – Creo is unlikely to run on systems that have only ‘on board’ graphics. A separate graphics card with a minimum of 64Mb memory [again, recommended is as much as you can afford!] from nVidea, ATI, PNY is likely to be OK – no guarantees.

Garphics cards should be OpenGL compliant – this is the graphics standard for CAD software.  Gaming cards generally use DirectX which is generally OK but can cause issues – one known issue is if you have lots of windows open.

 

Macs – people are running ProE on Macs with Windows emulators – ask around 2nd/3rd years and look on the Web

 

Educational Edition

The version of Creo installed on any of the networked lab machines is referred to as the Educational Edition.  It is the version licensed to selected universities which has a full set of Creo modules.

This version can be installed and run on your personal computer if you are in halls and your computer is on the university network.  Installation disks can be loaned, free of charge, from the Departmental store.  The software uses a network license, therefore it will not run if you unplug your computer from the network.

IT services can give you information on setting up your computer to connect to the network.

 

Academic Edition

You can also purchase a version of Creo which is independently licensed and does not need your computer to be connected to the network.  This is referred to as the Academic Edition.  Although the student version has a limited number of modules, those which it does have allow you to do advanced modelling.

This version can be purchased from ptc.com

Assistance for Academic Edition installation (.pdf) be found on the disks along with an assistance email address.