Limiting what licensing is checked out with the Mastercam Launcher utility.

Limiting what licensing is checked out with the Mastercam Launcher utility.

Situation:

Mastercam is checking out too many product levels from your Network License, preventing programmers from accessing a license they need and causing other programmers to close Mastercam to release a license they didn't intend to check out in the first place.


Solution:

Use the Mastercam Launcher utility to limit which licensing is checked out upon launch. (Windows Start Menu > Mastercam [version] > Mastercam Launcher)

The primary functions of this utility are to:
  • Assign product levels and availability, such as Mill 2D vs Mill 3D.

  • Edit the availability of Mastercam Add-On products and the status of their use.

  • Create a customized Mastercam shortcut on the desktop based on your current settings.


As an example, let's assume we have a Network Software License with one seat of Mill3D and one seat of Lathe.  We want to create a shortcut which will prevent our Mill programmer from accidentally opening Mastercam with the Lathe seat checked out.  When creating our shortcut, we want to do these 4 main steps.
  1. Make sure the product levels are correctly selected using the dropdown selector.  Some Network Licenses may have multiple product levels available to you inside that dropdown. (For the example, make sure Mastercam Mill is set to "3D".)
  2. Select the Status of each platform you have access to.  Active will start Mastercam with the ability to check out that license, Startup will force Mastercam to launch with that license checked out, and Inactive will prevent Mastercam from checking out that license. (For the example, make sure to set Lathe to Inactive, and leave Mill 3D on Active or Startup.)
  3. Set your license type.  If you have a Network Software license, setting the radio button to "Network Search Only" can speed up the time it takes Mastercam to find the license.
  4. Once the settings are to your liking, click on "Create Shortcut" to create the custom Mastercam shortcut.  Be sure to give it a descriptive name like "Mastercam Mill 3D with No Lathe" and save it to the Desktop.
Please use the help button inside the Mastercam Launcher utility to learn more about the additional features not covered by this article.