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Manually install the CoLab integration for Siemens NX

Step-by-step guide to manually install and configure the CoLab integration for Siemens NX.

The CoLab integration for Siemens NX supports versions 1980 to 2512.

Use this method when:

  • Your organization manages Siemens NX configuration centrally.

  • You deploy software using IT tools or scripts.

  • The standard installer cannot be used.

Download the integration

The installer can be downloaded from CoLab in My Account > My Integrations

Extract the package

To extract the files, run the following command:

msiexec /qn /a <path_to_installer> TARGETDIR=<target_folder_path>

Example:

msiexec /qn /a nx-integration-0-1-0.msi TARGETDIR=C:\temp\CoLabNXIntegration

šŸ’” Tip: The /a option performs an administrative extraction and does not install the integration.

Once extracted, the integration files are located in: 

<TARGETDIR>\PFiles64\CoLab NX Integration

The package contains two directories:

  • application ā€” Integration files and runtime dependencies.

  • startup ā€” NX ribbon, menu, and toolbar configuration files.

Move the CoLab NX Integration folder to its final location. This directory will be added to the file referenced by UGII_CUSTOM_DIRECTORY_FILE in the next step.

Configure Siemens NX

To configure NX to load the integration, add the integration directory to the file referenced by UGII_CUSTOM_DIRECTORY_FILE. By default, it is set to %UGII_BASE_DIR%\UGII\menus\custom_dirs.dat

šŸ’” To check the value of UGII_CUSTOM_DIRECTORY_FILE, you can review the NX log file: File > Help > Log File

Add the root directory of the integration package (the directory containing the application and startup folders).

Proxy server configuration

If your organization uses a local proxy server to manage network traffic, you must configure the HTTPS_PROXY environment variable on your machine or within your NX startup script to allow the integration to connect.

āš ļø Additional configuration for U.S. Customers

If you are a U.S.-based customer, create a colab.properties file in the same directory as nx-integration.dll and add:

colab_nx_server=us_prod

Restart Siemens NX for the changes to take effect.

Verify the installation

After installation:

  1. Open Siemens NX.

  2. Verify that the CoLab command appears in the NX ribbon or menu.
    ā€‹

If the CoLab command is visible, the installation was successful.

āš ļø Some Siemens NX versions may display a compatibility warning when loading the CoLab integration.

*This warning can be safely ignored.

Troubleshooting

If the integration does not load:

  • Verify that the integration directory was added correctly to the file referenced by UGII_CUSTOM_DIRECTORY_FILE.

  • Ensure all files from the integration package were extracted.

  • Verify that the integration version supports your Siemens NX version.

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