Configuring a Private Station for Windows Startup

You can configure the 3DOrchestrate Station program to run automatically from the Windows Startup folder.

Any program or shortcut placed in the Startup folder will run automatically when a user logs into their Windows desktop. In Windows 7, the location of this folder is:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\

This configuration is most useful for a private station used only by an end-user for local execution on their desktop or laptop computer. A private station is started with the command-line option -private true (or private:true). Run-as security is always disabled on a private station so that the station program can be started by a non-administrative user.

See Also
Station Properties File and Startup Command-Line Options

Context:

When 3DOrchestrate is executing a process containing an activity that requires user interaction with the application being executed, a station is required on the user's desktop to allow them to use the keyboard and mouse to work interactively in the application's GUI. The following process shows a simple example:

In this process, a text file is downloaded and the user is expected to edit it with Notepad; then the file uploaded. For the process to work, the station program must be running on the user's computer where he or she can use Notepad. This type of station is typically called a local private station. The user does not want other processes to run and consume resources on his or her computer.

To configure the private station to start automatically in Windows, follow these steps.

  1. Find the station executable file under the installation directory in Windows Explorer. The default location is: 

    <station_install_dir>\win_b64\code\bin\SMAExeStation.exe

  2. Right-click on the SMAExeStation.exe file and select Create shortcut from the context menu.
    This creates a file named SMAExeStation.exe - Shortcut.
  3. Right-click on the shortcut file and select Cut.
  4. Navigate to the user's startup folder in Windows Explorer:

    C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\

    Paste the shortcut in this folder.

  5. Right-click on the SMAExeStation.exe - Shortcut file and select Properties.
  6. In the Shortcut tab of this dialog box, edit the Target field to add two command-line options. The target is the folder path to the actual SMAExeStation.exe executable file:

    <station_install_dir>\win_b64\code\bin\SMAExeStation.exe

    Add the following command-line options at the end of this line:

    -sysTray -private true

    -sysTray is a Windows option that puts the station UI icon in the system tray at the right side of the taskbar, reducing clutter on the desktop.

The station program is stopped whenever the user logs off the Windows desktop.