Table of Contents
Visual3D Installation
Visual3D is a Windows PC-based application for Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11. It is not installed on a server and it does not have a SaaS component. It is possible to run Visual3D on a Mac ONLY where Windows is installed in a virtual machine such as Parallels, VirtualBox, or VMWare (or dual boot to Windows with Bootcamp).
When you purchase Visual3D you are e-mailed information about downloading the software, including a userid and password to access the customer section of the HAS-Motion web site.
- Download the installation file and the license key file from the web, and then install them on your PC.
- Use the same installation file and license file on different PC's until your purchased license count is used up.
Starting Visual3D for the first time will cause your license to automatically activate over the Internet (manual options exist for PCs without Internet access). Activated licenses are stored on the PC, so to unlock the license (deactivate it) you go to Help→Deactivate in Visual3D.
Visual3D Hardware Requirements
Visual3D is a 64-bit application that runs under Microsoft Windows Win7, Win8, Win10, Win11. There are certain hardware considerations to keep in mind:
- Visual3D runs best with lots of memory (16 GB is recommended, but more is better).
- Visual3D needs OpenGL for graphics, which is supported by all standard graphics cards. It does not use GPU processing.
- NOTE: The Mac M1 chip does not support Windows on a VM.
- There is no iPad or dedicated MAC or Linux version of Visual3D.
Visual3D does not run from network drives and the licensing is PC-centric, meaning it can't be installed for shared use on a server. There have not been any reported problems when running Visual3D on a PC via a remote desktop application (Microsoft or Citrix).
- The license activates over the Internet. (You select Help → Deactivate in Visual3D to free up the license.)
- For file storage, most motion capture systems create C3D files, and Visual3D opens several of them at a time and stores a consolidated copy in its own .cmz compressed format. Multiple cmz files saved in a directory make up a library, and
- Sift, another product, can be used for data mining the data from multiple .cmz files.
Downloading and Access
All HAS-Motion software is downloaded over the Internet:
- When a customer purchases the software an account is created on the HAS-Motion web site. The userid and password are sent to the customer contact administrator’s e-mail address (as provided by the customer) at the time of purchase.
- Log into the HAS-Motion web site and you will be taken to the downloads page. There are links to download the software, license keys, and any plug-ins that may be available. Any software purchased from HAS-Motion will be on this web page.
- Download the software installation file and the license key file.
- The software will be digitally signed and verified as HAS-Motion products.
Also on the downloads page is a list of which computers have Visual3D installed. This is for IT license tracking and support.
Save the installation file and license key file. Web downloads for updates and new versions are enabled only for customers under support. Support is free for the first year and is optional after that, but it must be paid for in following years. Visual3D Professional will run forever, even without support, for as long as contemporary computers are maintained. Temporary Visual3D licenses, e.g. Student, Evaluation, or Training licenses, will expire at the end of their term.
Note: The same installation file and license file may be used for every PC at a customer location. The number of licenses purchased is stored on the HAS-Motion server, and each available license is activated (used up) and locked to a PC.
Installing Visual3D
Launch the downloaded installer: You can do this from the browser download result, or from Windows Explorer you can double-click on the installation file. It has a file name similar to: Visual3D_Setup_x64_2021.11.01.exe. Remember to save the installation file and license key file. Web downloads for updates and new versions are enabled only for customers who maintain software support.
The installer will prompt the user to:
- Accept the EULA;
- Choose which version of Matlab you want to support (if any); and
- Select the location of the License Key file so that it can be placed in the proper location on the PC and then activated.
If there are plug-ins available that you want to install (such as real-time streaming from a mocap system) they are installed from their own installation files.
Visual3D v2020.03.01 and later will install to the “C:\Program Files\Visual3D” directory. The older Version 6 files went to “C:\Program Files\Visual3D v6”, so this will let you keep the older version around if needed. Both installations share the same license key).
License Activation/Deactivation
When launched for the first time, Visual3D will automatically try to activate the license it installed. In general there is nothing the user needs to do and the application will run once the license is successfully activated. There are a few reasons why the license may not successfully activate:
- The computer is not connected to the internet or an organizational firewall prevents the computer from reaching the internet. In these cases you will be prompted to contact HAS-Motion support with a code for manual activation.
- The license is invalid or already expired. In this case, verify that you are using the correct Visual3D license from your customer account.
- All of your licenses are currently in use. In this case you will have to deactivate an existing installation or purchase additional licenses.
Deactivating Visual3D, for example to move it to another computer, is as simple as going to Help > Deactivate. This is the recommended process for deactivating your Visual3D license as it ensures that your license does not become orphaned.
Technical Support
Visual3D comes with one year of technical support services included for free when Visual3D is purchased. Visual3D will run forever, even without an active support agreement. Active Visual3D support agreements provide:
- Access to expert level technical support advice about using Visual3D; and
- Access to the web site downloads for updates and new versions of Visual3D.
If you have problems with Visual3D, see if your issue is covered on the general troubleshooting page here. If not, the best way to get support is to e-mail support@has-motion.ca where support questions are answered by the engineers and programmers who develop Visual3D.
Expired support agreements can be reactivated for an additional fee. The reactivated support agreement is then renewed every year based on the purchase date.
Student Versions
Many universities teach biomechanics using Visual3D. To make it easier for classroom use HAS-Motion created a special Student Version account that provides temporary copies of Visual3D for use by students, collaborators, or university teaching labs. These Student licenses are available to any lab with an active support agreement.
- If you are an existing Visual3D customer (or buying new Visual3D licenses) and you maintain the yearly technical support ($1250 USD per year), then you may purchase a set of 5 temporary licenses for student use that will expire in one year.
- The Student Version includes most of the functionality of Visual3D, but it is accessible only from a separate download account that is linked to a primary Visual3D account.
- If the support on the primary account expires, then the student account is disabled too.
- The minimum number of student licenses is 5, but more can be purchased.
- You must buy a new set of licenses each year because they are temporary licenses.
- You cannot get a Student Licenseif you are not a customer. You must buy Visual3D first. You cannot get less than 5, but you don't have to use them all.
Legal Info
These are only a few considerations for users to keep in mind when using Visual3D and is provided for convenience only. A complete End-User License Agreement (EULA) is included with your Visual3D installer and must be agreed to before installing and running the application. In the event of any conflict between these notes and the EULA, the EULA shall prevail.
- Visual3D is not a clinical tool. It is not intended to provide or be the basis for any treatment recommendations or health interventions for individuals. Users acknowledge that they shall apply reasonable judgment when using Visual3D and any of its results or outputs.
- HAS-Motion does not recommend storing patient identifying data in motion capture files, but if it happens, you can encrypt sections of the CMZ file for HIPPA compliance.
- HAS-Motion is not a data provider, per GDPR. We do not not provide services related to processing personal data.
- HAS-Motion products, by their nature, provide graphics and graphing capabilities that do not lend themselves well to operation by the blind. However, these are Microsoft Windows applications and they fully support Windows Accessibility functions.