Spikemark Installation

DO NOT just open your show file

ALWAYS open Spikemark through the Start Menu or Task Bar and then use File>Open to open your show

This will ensure that your show and machinery load properly in the software.

System Requirements

Spikemark 5 is a lightweight application which runs on Microsoft Windows 10 & 11. As with almost every computer spec, the higher the better, but you most likely don't need a full on gaming laptop or CAD station to run Spikemark successfully. Below are suggested minimum computer specs:

• Windows 10 or 11

  • Older version of Windows likely work, though have not been fully tested

• Intel i7 or better with 16GB of RAM

  • We are big fans of the Intel NUC PC's

• 4K Screen (UHD 3840x2160)

  • A 2K (QHD 2560x1440) screen will work well too

  • The minimum resolution is Full HD (1920x1080) - but you'll yearn for more pixels

  • A non-widescreen display is not recommended

  • An external monitor is a great way to go

• Built in 10/100 Ethernet port

  • A USB to Ethernet adapter is acceptable

Types of Spikemark Installation

Spikemark can be installed in two way: Standard or with User Authorization.

Standard installation of Spikemark is the most common and is likely the way for you. Installing Spikemark with user Authorization allows Spikemark to leverage the Windows users to limit editing access.

Take a look at the table below comparing features.

Standard Installation	Authorization Installation
Installed in the 'C:\Program Files (x86)\' directory	Installed in the 'C:\Users[user]\AppData\Roaming\Spikemark\' directory
Users do NOT need to log in to use and edit show files	Requires creation of local, Windows admin and user accounts (not domain level accounts)
Any user is able to make changes to a show file. Editing access is limited by enabling Run Only mode	Lock down show files with user level access. An admin is allowed to make changes to the file, while a general user is not.
Jump to the Standard Installation Guide	Jump to the User Authorization Installation Guide

Standard Installation

Before installing Spikemark, make sure to download the latest version right here.

The Standard Installation process is essentially the same as installing just about any other software. Before updating Spikemark uninstall any previous versions, then reinstall Spikemark.

1. Locate the downloaded Spikemark Installer File, and double click the file.

2. If the User Account Control Window pops up, enter the password for a computer Admin and click Yes.

3. Select Standard Installation and click Next >.

4. Read and accept the License Agreement. Click Next >.

5. Click Next > to accept the default Start Menu location.

6. Click the checkbox if you would like to create a desktop shortcut, otherwise, leave it unchecked and click Next >.

7. Confirm the installation details are correct, and click Install.

8. A status window will appear with a progress bar, and an additional window may pop up and disappear as well. Once the installer is finished, you will see this window:

Un-check the Launch Spikemark and What's New boxes if you do not want to run the program immediately or read about the cool new features.

Click Finish to complete the installation.

Install Location and Support Files

With Standard installation, Spikemark is installed in the ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\’ directory. Along with the Program file, there are other support files located here - most notably the ‘\Spikemark Firmware’ directory. This folder and location is important in order for Spikemark to know what the most current firmware is. When connected to a Stagehand and you see "unknown" under most recent firmware this probably means the firmware directory location cannot be found by Spikemark. The Spikemark log files, which are important to troubleshooting, are located here: ‘C:\Users{user}\AppData\Roaming\Creative Conners, Inc\Spikemark\X.X.X.X’

Don't worry about remembering the directory, you can find the current log file easily from Spikemark by clicking on ‘Help-> Reveal Log File’ which will open the correct folder with the current log file highlighted.

Standard Installation

The Standard Installation process is essentially the same as installing just about any other software. We highly recommend that when you update Spikemark, first uninstall the old version, and then install the newest version.

1. Locate the downloaded Spikemark Installer File, and double click the file.

2. If the User Account Control Window pops up, enter the password for a computer Admin and click Yes.

3. Select Standard Installation and click Next >.

4. Read and accept the License Agreement. Click Next >.

5. Click Next > to accept the default Start Menu location.

6. Click the checkbox if you would like to create a desktop shortcut, otherwise, leave it unchecked and click Next >.

7. Confirm the installation details are correct, and click Install.

8. A status window will appear with a progress bar, and an additional window may pop up and disappear as well. Once the installer is finished, you will see this window:

Un-check the Launch Spikemark and What's New boxes if you do not want to run the program immediately or read about the cool new features.

Click Finish to complete the installation.

Install Location and Support Files

With Standard installation, Spikemark is installed in the ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\’ directory. Along with the Program file, there are other support files located here - most notably the ‘\Spikemark Firmware’ directory. This folder and location is important in order for Spikemark to know what the most current firmware is. When connected to a Stagehand and you see "unknown" under most recent firmware this probably means the firmware directory location cannot be found by Spikemark. The Spikemark log files, which are important to troubleshooting, are located here: ‘C:\Users{user}\AppData\Roaming\Creative Conners, Inc\Spikemark\X.X.X.X’

Don't worry about remembering the directory, you can find the current log file easily from Spikemark by clicking on ‘Help-> Reveal Log File’ which will open the correct folder with the current log file highlighted.

Authorization Installation

Local Computer Accounts

In order for user authorization to function properly, you (or someone with admin rights) will need to create at least three local accounts:

• Spikemark (local user, no password) - One account only

• Admin(s) (local admin, password required) - There can be multiple Admin level accounts

• Operator(s) (local user, password required) - There can be multiple Operator level accounts

With Windows 10 set to automatically log into the Spikemark User (this account must NOT have a password), each person who is authorized to use the automation system will use their individual Windows account credentials to log into the Spikemark software. If the Windows account has Computer Admin rights, they will be able to edit show files. If the Windows account does not have Computer Admin rights, they will only be able to load and run show files.

NOTE Spikemark Authorization will not work with domain controlled accounts. They must be local accounts only.

1. Turn on your computer and log into the Windows User Account named Spikemark.

2. Locate the downloaded Spikemark Installer File, and double click the file.

3. The User Account Control Window will pop up. You will need to enter the password for a computer Admin.

Enter the admin password and click Yes.

4. Select Install With User Authentication and click Next >.

5. Confirm the current user is Spikemark and that the user structure is set up correctly. Click Next >.

6. Read and accept the License Agreement. Click Next >.

7. Click Next > to accept the default Start Menu location.

8. Click the checkbox if you would like to create a desktop shortcut, otherwise, leave it unchecked and click Next >.

9. Confirm the installation details are correct, and click Install.

10. A status window will appear with a progress bar, and an additional window may pop up and disappear as well. Once the installer is finished, you will see this window:

Un-check the Launch Spikemark and What's New boxes if you do not want to run the program immediately, or read about the cool new features.

Click Finish to complete the installation.

INSTALL LOCATION AND SUPPORT FILES

When Spikemark is installed with Authorization, the installed file will be saved in the user directory who was logged in at the time of installation; in our case that was the Spikemark user. All Spikemark program files and machine firmware files are located here:

‘C:\Users\Spikemark\AppData\Roaming\Spikemark’

All log files will be located here:

‘C:\Users\Spikemark\AppData\Roaming\Creative Conners, Inc\Spikemark\Spikemark version(X.X.X.X)’

Don't worry about remembering the directory, you can find the current log file easily from Spikemark by clicking on ‘Help-> Reveal Log File’ which will open the correct folder with the current log file highlighted.

Enabling Authorization

While still logged into the computer under the Spikemark user, open Spikemark. You will notice that nothing looks different - as a matter of fact Spikemark operates as expected. In order to take advantage of the features, you need to enable them from within Spikemark.

1. From the Administration menu select Enable Authentication

2. You are prompted with the ‘Log In To Spikemark’ screen. Enter the credentials for any user with Windows Admin rights. In this example the username is Mike.