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/CEE 120C/220C Parametric Design & Optimization | Spring 2026
CEE 120C/220C Parametric Design & Optimization | Spring 2026
/CEE 120C/220C: Software Tools to Install
CEE 120C/220C: Software Tools to Install
CEE 120C/220C: Software Tools to Install
CEE 120C/220C: Software Tools to Install

CEE 120C/220C: Software Tools to Install

Please install these software tools on your personal computer, so you can work on the class modules and design projects from anywhere.

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You are highly encouraged to install the free software on your own computers. If thatā€™s not possible: - The computers in Y2E2 184 all have the software installed and ready to use. - Stanford offers a cloud-based virtual machine service (stanford.apporto.com) that enables you to access the software from any web browser.
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CAUTION: While itā€™s very convenient to use the cloud-based virtual machines, you cannot always count on the software being available this way. If you experience problems with using Apporto to access the software, you can: - Try connecting again in a few minutes. - Use the computers in Y2E2 184. As with any cloud-based service, you cannot rely on it to always be working. Be resilient and have backup strategies for when the web service is not available. Problems with using software or the Apporto service will not be accepted as a valid excuse for late assignment submissions.

Follow these steps to set up your computer to use all the software tools that weā€™ll be using in class.

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Sign Up for an Autodesk ID

  • If you already have a student Autodesk ID from another class, youā€™re all set.
  • If you havenā€™t created a student Autodesk ID (or if youā€™re currently using one that created for your workplace), sign up for a new student Autodesk ID by following these steps:
    • Go to the Autodesk Education Community Website
      • Autodesk Student and Educator Software Resources | Autodesk Education

      Learn how Autodesk empowers students & educators with training, curricula, professional development, and formal certifications for all ages and skill levels.

      www.autodesk.com

    • Scroll down to the Request or Renew Access section of the page.
    • Click theĀ Select Product button.
    • Scroll down the list of products available to the Revit tile, then click the Select button.
    • Click the Select button in the Student tile to request a student subscription plan.
    • Complete and submit the registration form.
    • Be sure to check your email for a message from Autodesk and click the confirmation link to finish activating your new Autodesk ID by providing information about the school you attend.
  • Notes about Autodesk IDs
    • Most students use their school email address as their Autodesk ID.
    • If you already have a student Autodesk ID from another school, you can continue to use it or sign up for a new one.
    • You can create as many Autodesk IDs as you like -- but if you use an email address that is not recognized as being from an educational institution, Autodesk may ask you to provide additional documentation of your student students (for example, an image of your student ID) to confirm that you are eligible for their free education offerings.
    • If you need to create a second Autodesk ID, you can create an alias to your Stanford email address and then use this alias to create another Autodesk ID.
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Setting Up Your Computer to Run Windows Software

What type of computer are you setting up?

Windows PCMac with an Intel ProcessorMac with an Apple M-series Processor (M1 thru M5)
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Alternatives to Installing Windows on Your Computer

If you cannot set up your computer to run Windows software, you can:

Use the Computers in Y2E2 184Use a Windows virtual machine on the Stanford network (Apporto)Using a Windows 365 Cloud PC
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Install Revit 2026 and the Content Library

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Install Autodesk Revit 2026
  • Go to the Windows OS environment on your computer:
    • On your Windows computer
    • In Bootcamp
    • Or in your Parallels virtual environment
  • Use your web browser (Chrome is preferred) to go to the Students section of Autodesk Education Community website and click the Get Products button:
    • Student and Education Software | 1-Year License | Autodesk Education Community

    Your privacy is important to us and so is an optimal experience. To help us customize information and build applications, we collect data about your use of this site. May we collect and use your data? Learn more about the Third Party Services we use and our Privacy Statement.

    www.autodesk.com

    Student and Education Software | 1-Year License | Autodesk Education Community
  • Choose the Revit tile, then click Select:
    • image
  • Click the Login link to login to your Autodesk Account and access your student subscription.
  • Click the Access Products button.
    • image
  • Scroll down the list of products to the Revit tile.
  • Select 2026 and Win 64 as the version to be installed.
    • image
  • Click the INSTALL button
    • IMPORTANT: If you see a DOWNLOAD button (instead of INSTALL), the Autodesk website has detected that you cannot install the software directly because you are in the wrong environment. This typically happens when you try to install Windows software from the Mac environment.
      • image
    • If this happens, it's typically better to switch to the Windows environment and let the Autodesk installer do all the work.
    • If you choose to Download the files to the Mac environment, you'll need to copy them over to the Windows file system, and do a manual install there by following these steps:
      • ā—Downloaded the Windows Installation Files to Your Mac Hard Disk
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Activate Your Software
  • When you open the Autodesk software for the first time, you will be prompted to login using your Autodesk ID to confirm your eligibility to use the software.
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Install the Autodesk Sample Content Libraries

Revit 2021 and newer releases DO NOT install the Autodesk Sample Content Libraries as part of the default installation, so you need to install the sample Revit families separately.Ā  You can do that two ways:

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If your disk space is limited, you may want to download these Revit families as needed -- one at a time. To do that:
  • Open Revit Application.
  • Switch to the Insert tab in the ribbon, and open the Load Autodesk Family tool (Insert > Load from Library > Load Autodesk Family).
  • Browse or search for the Revit Family that youā€™d like to load, then click the Load button.
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If you have disk space available, itā€™s typically more convenient to download and install the entire Autodesk Content Library (which includes all the sample Revit families) on your computer all at once. To do that:
  • For Revit 2024, download the US English Content for Revit 2024 (or content for the language you prefer) using this link:
    • Autodesk Revit 2024 Content

    The below information and links represent the Content Packs provided for Revit 2024 in all supported languages and locales. Content Packs for Revit LT 2024 can be found here. To apply the content files: Download the desired content pack to a local location Launch the content pack executable from the saved local location Important Notes: The content packs are intended to install into the Content Path specified when Revit 2024 or Revit LT 2024 was installed

    www.autodesk.com

  • Run the RVTCPENU.exe (or app with a similar name for the language you selected), and accept the default choices to install the Autodesk Content Library in your Revit application.
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Install all Updates to Autodesk Software

After installing the Revit application, Ā be sure to run the Autodesk Desktop App from the Autodesk folder in your Start menu to install the latest product updates.

  • Close the Revit application.
  • Open the Autodesk Access app for the Windows Start menu or the taskbar icon.
  • Login using your Autodesk ID.
  • Go to the Updates tab and clickĀ ALLĀ of the Update buttons to installĀ ALLĀ of the Revit-related product updates and Revit extensions.
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    If your software is already up-to-date, the list of available updates may be empty.
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Install Rhino 8 for Windows or Mac

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Windows Users
  • If you already have Rhino 7 installed on your computer, youā€™re all set. Thereā€™s no need to upgrade to a newer version.
  • If not, download and install the latest version of Rhino 8 for Windows - One-Time Evaluation from this site:
    • https://www.rhino3d.com/download/rhino-for-windows/evaluation
      • www.rhino3d.com

      www.rhino3d.com

    • This Evaluation Version will be valid for 90 days.
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Mac Users
  • Download and install the latest version of Rhino 8 for Mac - One-Time Evaluation from this site:
    • https://www.rhino3d.com/download/rhino-for-mac/evaluation
      • www.rhino3d.com

      www.rhino3d.com

    • This Evaluation Version will be valid for 90 days.
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If your 90-day Evaluation of Rhino has expired...

Contact Glenn (glkatz@stanford.edu) to request being added to our shared pool of Rhino licenses for class use.

Troubleshooting

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Windows Installation
ā—The Software Licensing Webstore Will Not Allow Me to Re-Download Windows
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Revit Installation
Install Error: ā€œThe install couldnā€™t finish. Error 4000ā€ when installing Revit Install Error: ā€œThe install couldnā€™t finish. Error 4000ā€ when installing Revit ā—Revit Template Files not displaying the expected listā—Revit Will Not Authorize using my Autodesk Education loginā—Not Enough Space Available on a Mac Hard Diskā—Downloaded the Windows Installation Files to Your Mac Hard Diskā—Revit Will Not Save Files to Shared Mac Foldersā—Debugging Revit Error Messages and Reinstalling the Application If Needed
šŸ˜€CEE 120C/220C Introduce Yourself