Creo Plugin startup issue

[millerrh]

After configuring my config.pro file to include the path to the protk.dat file the plugin uses, I am getting the following error.  If I hit OK, it goes into Creo without issue and I can use the plugin, but it always pops up with this every time open Creo, so is rather annoying.  Been dealing with it for years and just got a new computer thinking it would go away and it continues to be here.  It sounds like there is a duplicate protk.dat entry in my config.pro, but I can confirm there is not.  And if I delete the single entry that is there, the plugin doesn't load, further confirming there is actually only one plugin.



Windows 10
KeyShot 6 Floating 64-bit
Plugin for PTC Creo 3&4, 64-bit
Creo 3.0 M070

Only other piece of feedback I have is I also use a 3D mouse from 3dconnexion and it also has a protk.dat file associated with it (at a different location).  So perhaps they are conflicting with each other somehow.

[Dan Wolf]

Does your config.pro only have one "protkdat" (or "creotkdat") option?  Do you also have any protk.dat or creotk.dat files in your working directory or Creo installation? 

You can also choose File / Help / System Information in Creo and scroll down to the "Auxiliary application information" section to see which applications it has loaded.  And, look at which config files have been read into the session and check all of them for protkdat/creotkdat options.  Something is causing Creo to load the application twice.

[millerrh]

Here is my info from File / Help / System Information.



I can confirm my config.pro only has one protkdat line and zero creotkdat lines.  This config.pro lives in my "startup" directory.  Is that what you mean by working directory?  I am not sure where else to look.

If I change my config.pro to remove the single line, it is not loading it at all, so it doesn't seem like it is loading it twice if removing the single line disables the plugin entirely.  So confused by this.

[Dan Wolf]

Yes, "startup" and "working" directory are typically the same thing (unless you change your working directory after starting Creo).

What is the line in your config.pro that loads the KeyShot plugin?  And what is in C:\Program Files\KeyShot6 Floating\Plugins\Creo 3.0 64bit\protk.dat?

[millerrh]

My config.pro has the following line:

protkdat C:\Program Files\KeyShot6 Floating\Plugins\Creo 3.0 64bit\protk.dat

This is what is in C:\Program Files\KeyShot6 Floating\Plugins\Creo 3.0 64bit\

[Dan Wolf]

I found a reported bug on PTC's website that might be the issue you're having.  Assuming you have a ptc.com account, you can view the article here:  https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS212790

It says there is a bug in Creo 3 M040 to M080 where protkdat or creotkdat config options cause a warning about a duplicate Creo Toolkit registry file when using the 3DxProEngineer plugin from 3dconnexion.  The article says to avoid using the protkdat or creotkdat config options for other applications.

Try this... remove or comment-out the protkdat option from your config.pro (start the line with an exclamation point to comment it out if you don't want to remove it).  If you already have a file called protk.dat in your startup folder, edit it and add the contents of  C:\Program Files\KeyShot6 Floating\Plugins\Creo 3.0 64bit\protk.dat into that file.  You can specify multiple application names in one protk.dat file.  If you do not already have a protk.dat file in your startup folder, copy the protk.dat from C:\Program Files\KeyShot6 Floating\Plugins\Creo 3.0 64bit into your startup folder.  When Creo starts, it will automatically load the protk.dat file from your startup folder.

Hopefully putting the protk.dat file into your startup folder will work around the issue.  Or, if you can, try running a newer build of Creo 3 and see if that solves the problem.

[millerrh]

This is the exact issue that is in the PTC Help.  I thought I searched everywhere for a reference to this...nice work finding that.

I did not have a protk.dat file in my startup folder, so I added the one from C:\Program Files\KeyShot6 Floating\Plugins\Creo 3.0 64bit there.  Deleted the protk.dat item from my config.pro.  Restarted Creo and no more error!  Confirmed the KeyShot plugin is loaded. This fixed it.  Thank you so much!

[Dan Wolf]

You're welcome, I'm glad that helped.