Software Installation Guide¶
This chapter guides you through the downloading, installation, upgrade, uninstallation, repair, and installation modification of Mech-Mind vision-series software.
Introduction¶
Mech-Mind vision-series software is the umbrella term for the software independently developed by Mech-Mind Robotics, including Mech-Vision, Mech-Viz, and Mech-Center.
Mech-Vision: A cutting-edge machine vision software. Through its fully graphical interface, advanced machine vision applications such as piece picking, high precision positioning, assembly, industrial inspection/measurement, and automatic path planning can be completed without writing code.
Mech-Viz: A cutting-edge robot intelligent programming software that has a visualized and coding-free programming workspace and can make a simulation with one click. It has built-in intelligent algorithms such as path planning, collision detection, etc., and has an adapted robot gallery including models of many major brands.
Mech-Center: Communication Hub and Control Center. It provides standard interface protocols and can help customers customize communication services, thus implementing communication with external devices and jointly completing smart manufacturing tasks with vision-guided robots.
Mech-Docs: Mech-Docs helps quickly understand various application solutions provided by Mech-Mind Robotics. The manual includes the introductions and instructions of Mech-Vision, Mech-Viz, and Mech-Center.
Mech-Mind vision-series software collaborates with cameras, deep learning environment and other software/hardware to establish the Mech-Mind vision system, which accomplishes various vision-based intelligent robot tasks.
Mech-Mind vision-series software has the following features:
Provide easy-to-use setup wizard.
Support standard installation, upgrade and uninstallation procedures.
Support English, Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
Support automatic adaptation to various resolutions.
If you are using the Mech-Mind vision-series software for the first time, refer to Install Software to complete the software installation.
If you have already installed the Mech-Mind vision-series software, refer to Upgrade Software to upgrade the software to the latest version.
Download Software Installation Package¶
To ease the quick installation of the software required for constructing a Mech-Mind Vision System, Mech-Mind Robotics provide a Mech-Mind Software Suite (hereinafter referred to as “Software Suite”) that integrates all vision-series software. In addition, Mech-Mind Robotics provide the software installation package for every vision-series software.
Note
Software Suite now integrates Mech-Vision, Mech-Viz, Mech-Center and Mech-Docs.
Both Software Suite and software installation packages integrate the CodeMeter driver to adapt to the Dongle for software license authorization.
Both Software Suite and Mech-Center installation packages integrate the Python 3.6.5 environment and no longer include the running environment check tool.
The Mech-Vision installation packages integrates the Python 3.6.8 environment.
To download Software Suite or software installation packages, contact Mech-Mind pre-sales or support engineers.
Install Software¶
System Requirements¶
Mech-Mind vision-series software can be used only when being installed on the IPC (Industrial Personal Computer) or your PC (Personal Computer). The IPC or PC for installing software should meet the following minimum system requirements:
Operating system: Windows 10 or higher
CPU: i7-6700/7700
Memory: 8 GB
GPU: GTX 1050TI (Optional)
Hard drive: 128 GB SSD
Attention
Ensure that the hard disk where software will be installed on IPC or PC should have at least 10 GB free space; otherwise, installation may fail.
If the CodeMeter driver has not been installed on the IPC or PC, it will automatically been installed to the hard disk C during software installation. Do not uninstall it or move its installation files; otherwise, license authorization may fail and Mech-Mind software will not be allowed to use.
Verify Integrity of Software Installation Package¶
Since the software installation package may be corrupted during transmission or downloading, you need to verify the integrity of the software installation package. To facilitate integrity verification, Mech-Mind Robotics provide a CRC32 value for every released software installation package.
To verify the integrity of the software installation package, follow these steps:
Copy the obtained software installation package to a specified directory on the IPC or PC, such as “D:\”.
Right-click the software installation package and select in the displayed shortcut menu to calculate the CRC32 value for it.
Note
If the software installation package is a compressed file, you should calculate the CRC32 value against the compressed file.
Confirm that the calculated CRC32 value is the same as that released with the software.
Quickly Install Multiple Vision-series Software¶
To quickly install multiple vision-series software using Software Suite, follow these steps:
Copy the obtained Software Suite to a specified directory on the IPC or PC, such as “D:\Mech-Mind”, and decompress it.
Attention
After decompression, do not move the installer (such as Mech-Mind Software Suite Installer 1.6.x.exe) and the content folder.
Double-click the installer to open Mech-Mind Software Suite Setup Wizard. The Welcome window is displayed.
In the Welcome window, browse software information and click the Next button.
In the License Agreement window, read carefully the license agreement, check the I accept the terms and conditions in the license agreement check box, and click the Next button.
In the Select Product window, select the products to install, check the Create desktop shortcut(s) check box as required, and click the Next button.
In the Set Path window, change the installation path as required, such as “D:\project”, and then click the Next button.
Note
If the installation path is not changed, the default software install paths are as follows:
Mech-Vision: C:\Mech-Mind\Mech-Mind Software Suite-1.6.x\Mech-Vision
Mech-Viz: C:\Mech-Mind\Mech-Mind Software Suite-1.6.x\Mech-Viz
Mech-Center: C:\Mech-Mind\Mech-Mind Software Suite-1.6.x\Mech-Center
Mech-Docs: C:\Mech-Mind\Mech-Mind Software Suite-1.6.x\Mech-Docs
In the Confirm window, confirm that the products to install are correct and then click the Install button.
In the Install window, wait for the installation to complete.
After the software is installed, click the Finish button in the Finish window.
Install a Specified Vision-series Software¶
To install a specified vision-series software, follow these steps:
Copy the obtained software installation package to a specified directory on the IPC or PC, such as “D:\Mech-Mind”, and decompress it if required.
Attention
After decompression, do not move the installer (such as Mech-xxx Installer 1.6.x.exe) and the content folder.
Double-click the installer to open Mech-xxx Setup Wizard. The Welcome window is displayed.
In the Welcome window, browse software information and click the Next button.
In the License Agreement window, read carefully the license agreement, check the I accept the terms and conditions in the license agreement check box, and click the Next button.
In the Select Product window, check the Create desktop shortcut(s) check box as required, and click the Next button.
In the Set Path window, change the installation path as required, such as “D:\project”, and then click the Next button.
Note
If the installation path is not changed, the default software installation paths are as follows:
Mech-Vision: C:\Mech-Mind\Mech-Vision-1.6.x
Mech-Viz: C:\Mech-Mind\Mech-Viz-1.6.x
Mech-Center: C:\Mech-Mind\Mech-Center-1.6.x
Mech-Docs: C:\Mech-Mind\Mech-Docs-1.6.x
In the Confirm window, confirm that the product to install is correct and then click the Install button.
In the Install window, wait for the installation to complete.
After the software is installed, click the Finish button in the Finish window.
Note
Starting from version 1.6.0, only the robot models from the widely used brands are pre-loaded in Mech-Viz. All other robot models must be manually imported.
Refer to Robot Model Package for instructions on downloading and importing robot model packages.
Upgrade Software¶
Note
Only software 1.6.0 and later supports this function.
The software does not support direct upgrade from a version earlier than 1.6.0 to 1.6.0 or later. If you want to upgrade the software running an earlier version to 1.6.0 or later, uninstall the earlier software version, and then install the new software version. Before upgrade, read carefully the Before You Upgrade section.
If you use a Software Suite to install software, obtain a new version of Software Suite before upgrade; if you use a software install package to install software, obtain a new version of software install package.
To upgrade the software, follow these steps:
Copy the obtained Software Suite or software installation package to a specified directory on the IPC or PC, such as “D:\Mech-Mind”, and decompress it if required.
Double-click the installer to open Mech-xxx Setup Wizard. The Upgrade window is displayed.
In the Upgrade window, click either Upgrade and keep history versions (not supported by Software Suite) or Upgrade and delete history versions .
Wait until the upgrade operation is completed.
Uninstall Software¶
If you do not need to use a specified vision-series software, you can uninstall it using any of the following ways:
Uninstall it using the Setup Wizard (recommended)
Uninstall it using Windows’s Control Panel
Uninstall Software Using the Setup Wizard¶
Note
If you use a Software Suite to install software, uninstall the software using Software Suite; if you use a software install package to install software, uninstall the software using the software install package.
To uninstall the software using the Setup Wizard, follow these steps:
Double-click the installer to open Mech-xxx Setup Wizard. The Maintain window is displayed.
In the Maintain window, and click the Uninstall button.
In the Uninstall window, select either the Keep user configuration files or Do not keep user configuration files option.
Wait until the uninstall operation is completed.
Uninstall Software Using Windows’s Control Panel¶
To uninstall the software using the Windows’s Control Panel, follow these steps:
Open the Control Panel on the IPC or PC.
Choose .
Right-click the software to uninstall, and then click Uninstall.
Note
If you use a Software Suite to install software, all installed software products will be displayed as “Mech-Mind Software Suite 1.6.x” as a whole in the program list.
Wait until the uninstall operation is completed.
Repair Software¶
If Mech-Mind vision-series software failed to work normally due to certain exception, you can use the repair function to reinstall the software.
Note
Only software 1.6.0 and later supports this function.
If you use a Software Suite to install software, repair the software using Software Suite; if you use a software install package to install software, repair the software using the software install package.
To repair the software, follow these steps:
Double-click the installer to open Mech-xxx Setup Wizard. The Maintain window is displayed.
In the Maintain window, click Repair.
Wait until the repair operation is completed.
Modify Software Installation¶
Note
Only Software Suite 1.6.0 and later supports this function.
After installation, to modify software installation, follow these steps:
Double-click the installer to open Mech-Mind Software Suite Setup Wizard. The Maintain window is displayed.
In the Maintain window, click Modify.
In the Select Product window, select the products or components to install, or clear the products or components to uninstall.
Complete remaining installation operations.
Software License Agreement¶
For the license agreement of Mech-Mind vision-series software, refer to End-User License Agreement .
Troubleshoot Common Installation Problems¶
Failed to Start the Installation Wizard¶
Symptom
After double-clicking on the installation package, the setup wizard could not be started properly or crashed.
Possible Causes
There is not enough space on the system drive.
Troubleshooting Procedure
Check whether the available space on the system drive is larger than the size of the installation package.
If the available space on the system drive is smaller than the size of the installation package, delete unnecessary files to free up the space, and then reinstall. If the problem still exists, contact Mech-Mind Technical Support.
If there is enough space on the system drive, contact Mech-Mind Technical Support.
Installation Failed¶
Symptom
An error message saying “Installation failed” appeared in the Finish window during the installation.
Possible Causes
Corrupted package or missing files.
The current user does not have administrator access.
Another Wizard is performing the installation or the Windows system is being upgraded.
Other reasons.
Troubleshooting Procedure
Obtain a new installation package and check its integrity, and then try the installation again. If the problem still exists, proceed to step 2.
Right-click the installation file and select “Run as administrator” to reinstall. If the problem still exists, proceed to step 3.
Try the installation again after the other Wizard finishes installation or after the Windows system upgrade completes. If the problem still exists, proceed to step 4.
Restart your computer and try the installation again. If the problem still exists, click the installation log link to collect installation logs and send them to Mech-Mind Technical Support.