Set up deployments for consistent and fast installations

Set Up Deployments for Consistent and Fast Installations

Admins can use the online Custom Install option within Autodesk Account to create deployment images with specified product settings, customized features, and deployment location. These images can then easily be downloaded and deployed to multiple devices. Any products 2022 and later, with exceptions to a few products, use the classic installer to create deployments.

Creating Deployments

How to Select and Customize Your Products for Deployment

1. Sign in to Autodesk Account at manage.autodesk.com.
2. In the navigation panel>Products and Services section, select Custom Install.
3. On the Custom Install page, click Create your first deployment in the center of the page or click Create new in the upper-right corner.

4. The New package dialog box displays. In the Add products section, do the following:

• If applicable, select the license type.
• From the list of software, select a product to add to the deployment package.

5. The software settings panel will display to the right of the list of products. Configuration options vary depending on the product selected.

• You can choose to include the latest version of the software or select a specific version. You can also add optional applications or specify a storage location for content, including templates, materials, and drawings.

6. Select another product from the list or click Next.

• Products installed from the deployment image will have the same custom settings on all machines the deployment is ran on.
• After you create the deployment, you can't change these settings. Serial numbers and product keys automatically appear based on your license type.

Note: If you don't see a product listed, you can download it from All Products and Services and select Create Deployment in the installer.

7. In the Install settings section, specify the following:

• Package name: This is the descriptive name of the installation package that users will see when they access the shared network. Make sure the name represents who the package is intended for, the products included, and the product version. You must use a valid Windows file name.
• Package description:Specify more details about the deployment.

• Choose an installation type. If Install is selected, this package will only install to the machine it was created on and cannot be shared. If Deploy is selected, a deployment package is made and can be installed on multiple devices.
• Deployment image path: This is the location on your shared network where the deployment is created. You can use a UNC (Uniform Naming Convention) path name (recommended) or a drive letter and path (for example, \\servername\path  or  C:\Autodesk\Deployments). Use a valid Windows folder path.
• Deployment log file path: This autofills with the specified deployment image path but can be customized to be stored in another location. The log will store information of all installations that occur from the deployment.

8. Expand Advanced options to make other package changes, such as changing the default installation path.
9. Click the checkbox to agree to the Terms of Use.

10. You can review what is included in the package by clicking What’s included in the right-hand panel.

11. Click Save or Download.

How to Download a Deployment Package

1. If you clicked Download when creating the deployment, the package is saved in the Custom Install Library (as shown below) and the executable file is downloaded to your current downloads folder. This file is about 10 MB and includes the deployment configuration and the executable that creates the deployment.

2. Navigate to your downloads folder and double-click on the .EXE file to extract the deployment files. Once the extraction is complete, a message will display that the deployment was created and is ready to use.

3. Click Close. A File Explorer window displays, showing the new folder that was specified in the deployment package with the files needed for the installation.

How to Save a Deployment Package

1. If you clicked Save when creating the deployment, the package will be saved in the Library section of the Custom Install page in Autodesk Account, but will not be downloaded.

2. To download the saved deployment package, on the Custom Install page, hover over the deployment package so the tool icons display. Click on the Download icon (as shown below) to download the package.

3. Navigate to your downloads folder and double-click on the .EXE file to extract the deployment files. Once the extraction is complete, a message will display that the deployment was created and is ready to use.

4. Click Close. A File Explorer window displays, showing the new folder that was specified in the deployment package with the files needed for the installation.

Installing the Deployment

To install the deployment on a workstation, do one of the following: 

• Run the installation manually using the provided batch file. 
• Use a tool such as Microsoft Configuration Manager (refer to Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager documentation).

Manual Installation Using the Batch File

You can run the batch file manually to install the product on a workstation. In the deployment folder, the Install <deployment name>.bat file contains the command line parameters that you use to install the product.

The batch file is also a good resource for creating a Configuration Manager installation script. Although the script uses full paths to the configuration files, you can use relative paths. Also, there is a Summary.txt file that gives detailed information about every application installer included in the deployment, such as the installer name and build number. For a completely silent install, comment out the first line in the batch file and remove the comment from the second line. In this case, no user interface appears. (The default batch file installation has a minimal user interface.)

Note: You need administrative privileges to run the downloaded bootstrap file.

Testing the Deployment

Before you distribute products to workstations, run the deployment on a test workstation to make sure that everything is working properly. 

1. Using a typical user profile (that doesn’t have admin permissions), sign in to a client machine.
2. Run the product to verify the following: 

• There are no licensing errors.
• The major features critical to your work are functioning as expected.
• All updates, customizations, and add-ons have been correctly applied.

Getting Support for Creating Deployments

If you have any issues or questions about creating a deployment, you can click the icon in the lower-right corner of Autodesk Account to access the Get Help menu. Select Post-purchase support > Install & activate, then enter a product name and a description of your issue/question. You can review the Knowledge Network articles or click Contact a support agent for further help.