Upgrade to Latest Version of STK/ODTK

AGI updates its STK and ODTK software regularly, with exciting new features and improvements coming with every new version. We have put together some instructions that will discuss how to install the newest version of your AGI software while avoiding common issues.

Before starting this process, confirm you have active maintenance for your license and can upgrade. If you are currently leasing STK/ODTK, you will always be able to install the newest STK/ODTK version as it comes out. If you have a paid-up license rather than a lease, it will provide permanent access to the version of software at the time of purchase, but in order to upgrade to the most recent version, it is necessary to maintain an active maintenance plan for that license that covers ongoing software maintenance and support. If you have any questions, please contact BlackNight Space Support.

Overview: This tutorial is broken down into 5 steps:

1. Uninstall Old Version of STK or ODTK

2. Download STK/ODTK from AGI

3. Install STK/ODTK

4. Update Graphics Card Driver

5. Run STK/ODTK

1. Uninstall Old Version of STK or ODTK: It is not necessary to first uninstall the old version of your software before installing the newer version, unless upgrading between major versions such as STK 11 to STK 12. However, it is still recommended to uninstall the old version as best practice. The AGI Software Uninstaller is automatically installed with AGI software and can be found with the windows search bar, or at the installation disk/download folder at \STK_vX\AGI_Support_Tools\vY where X is the STK version and Y is the AGI Support Tools version.

Run the Software Uninstaller, and either click “Select All” if you want to uninstall all AGI products, select all and deselect ODTK if you are not upgrading your ODTK version, or only select ODTK if you are upgrading ODTK but not STK.

2. Download STK/ODTK from AGI: To get the downloads, simply go to the downloads page, and download the software you are upgrading. If you are using SOLIS, you will need to request it directly from BlackNight Space. You may need to temporarily disable your firewall to download the .zip files.

• Open the AGI Downloads page on your web browser. If you do not already have one, you will need to make an account with AGI to access the page.
• Download your desired .zip files. Note that you will need to download all files in your desired product's table for a complete installation. That is, for STK Premium, you will need to download and install STK Pro, then STK Premium. For Enterprise, you will download and install STK Pro, then Premium and Enterprise.
• Download additional media as needed. STK Scheduler and ODTK are downloaded on the same webpage and are installed separately. ODTK can run standalone without STK installed on your device.

3. Install STK/ODTK: You will now install the software you've downloaded. For STK Premium and Enterprise, start by installing STK Pro, then install any additional media. If you are only using ODTK, simply run the ODTK installer from the ODTK download in the same manner as the STK installation.

Install STK Pro: First, install STK Pro. You may need to temporarily disable your antivirus to run the installer.

• Unzip STK Pro folder and open the unzipped folder. Navigate to the STK folder and run install.exe.
• Follow install wizard instructions and install all desired media. Be sure to select the option to install the ANSYS License Manager.
  • Ansys License Manager updates are required. Sometimes older versions of the Ansys License Manager will stop newer versions of STK or ODTK from Running. It is a good practice, to upgrade your Ansys License Manager when upgrading STK.
  • If you are running the Ansys License Manager Locally, the install will take care of the update.
  • If your organization is running Ansys License Manager on the network, please contact your IT Team to upgrade your Ansys License Manager. If not, newer versions of STK/ODTK will not work!
• If unsure of your computer's graphics capabilities, click test graphics to ensure your computer can run STK graphics.
• Install additional plugins as desired. For Jupyter Notebook, you will need to install Python separately if you do not already have it on your device.
• If you will be using STK Tirem or Urban Propagation, open their folders within the STK Pro install and run their setup executables.

Install additional software: Now you can install the STK Premium and Enterprise modules using the same method of unzipping, running the install executable, and following the install wizard instructions. If you are only installing ODTK and did not install STK Pro, be sure to install the Ansys License Manager.

4. Update Graphics Card Driver: When upgrading STK, it is best practice to upgrade your graphics card drive to get the most out of your software’s capabilities, and to prevent any graphics card issues from coming up. You can do this on the website for the graphics card you own, through the Windows Device Manager, or with an automatic graphics card driver updater. On Windows 11, you can easily upgrade your graphics card drivers by opening the Device Manager application from the Windows Start menu, selecting Display adapters, right clicking your graphics card, and selecting Update Driver.

5. Run STK/ODTK!

To solve some common STK setup issues, common licensing issues, please see Troubleshooting, Additional Info and Common Fixes section at the bottom of the AGI Software, and Local Licensing Instructions.

Thanks,

Blacknight Space Team