Has anyone had luck creating a 2021.1 Deployment with custom Revit.ini file?

[PatrickGSR94]

I just tried to create a deployment yesterday using the new web-based deployment interface. First I did a normal install to one machine, got all the settings changed to our usual defaults, then copied out the Revit.ini file to our server. Then I created the Deployment, and specified the name of the custom Revit.ini file. After the Deployment was created, I dropped the custom INI file into the Deployment folder.

When I ran the Deployment on another machine, everything installed, but none of the custom settings were used, and it said that the Family Template path was invalid. Also the project templates list, and file locations list, were both blank.

After setting all the options manually, I closed out of the program, then opened it back up, and all the settings I had just entered were all gone! Same invalid Family Template path message, and the file locations lists were all blank once again.

I was a little confused about the explanation of specifying a custom INI file during the Deployment creation. I read it again and it appears to say that the INI file needs to go in the Deployment/Image folder. So I tried recreating the deployment, with additional extensions installed this time, and also placing the custom INI file in the Image folder. I ran that second Deployment version on another machine, and that one had an error that caused the deployment installation to shut down altogether.

So at this point I'm at a loss. Installing on 5 machines will probably be easier and faster to just do every one manually. The Deployment Creation worked fine before, I don't understand why they have to change it and break it.

[PatrickGSR94]

Managed to get the deployment to work on that second machine, after placing the INI file in the Deployment/Image folder. But then I uninstalled 2021 from the first one I tried it on yesterday, tried running the deployment again, and I keep getting errors during the install. Tried it 3 times now with the same result.

[Twiceroadsfool]

Managed to get the deployment to work on that second machine, after placing the INI file in the Deployment/Image folder. But then I uninstalled 2021 from the first one I tried it on yesterday, tried running the deployment again, and I keep getting errors during the install. Tried it 3 times now with the same result.

Uninstall and Reinstall has NEVER been a good idea, with ANY Revit deployment. It got exponentially worse, with BIM360/C4R and the prerequisites all being part of the deployment.

Probably nothing wrong with the deployment. That machine is going to need a deep clean, now.

[Markus]

One way to verify whether the deployment is copying down the desired Revit.ini is to check this location: "C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\RVT 2021\UserDataCache\Revit.ini"

[PatrickGSR94]

well now I can't get the deployment to work at all. It worked once, on one machine. Tried it on 2 other machines and they all error out. One of them has never had 2021 on it, so it's not like there's any previous 2021 stuff already on there that might be conflicting.

I don't understand it.

[PatrickGSR94]

This is what I'm seeing in the deployment logs.

[Twiceroadsfool]

This is what I'm seeing in the deployment logs.

Wouldnt surprise me if those subcomponents are still there, because they didnt uninstall. And it wouldnt surprise me if the deployment tool doesnt handle that gracefully.

[PatrickGSR94]

Wouldnt surprise me if those subcomponents are still there, because they didnt uninstall. And it wouldnt surprise me if the deployment tool doesnt handle that gracefully.

That most recent log set at the bottom was from a machine that had never had 2021 installed before, and it was still hanging at about the same spot in the install process.

[Twiceroadsfool]

Hmm. I would go get the more verbose local log, off that machine (generally in the %TEMP% folder) and see what it says failed, specifically.

[PatrickGSR94]

couldn't find anything that appeared to relate to Autodesk install logs with yesterday's date. There's a folder in AppData\Roaming\Autodesk Installer\logs that shows yesterday's date, but the folder is empty. Ran a search for "logs" in the AppData folder, nothing came up that appears to indicate what failed.

There's one log file in ProgramData but it appears to relate to the 2021.1.2 Hotfix that I just installed manually, after manually running the app installation from the Autodesk website.