Guide
What is an Alphacam add-in, how is it installed and how does it work?
What an Alphacam add-in (.arb) is, how it differs from a macro, how it installs into the Startup folder, how it appears on the ribbon and how licensing works. With installation and troubleshooting steps.
Published: 6 min read
An Alphacam add-in is a compiled VBA project loaded into the program that appears on the ribbon as its own tab or buttons. In the Router module its extension is .arb. An add-in reduces something Alphacam does not do, or does in many steps, to a single button: drawing a door series from a dimension list, reversing the cutting direction of selected contours, laying out System 32 holes on a cabinet side.
Add-in versus macro
In everyday speech the two are mixed; technically a macro is a VBA subroutine (Sub) that does one job, and an add-in is the packaged file that binds one or more macros to buttons and loads them into Alphacam. GMacros products follow this: the "Cabinet Door Macros" package is one .arb add-in containing ten separate macros (Plain Door, Framed Door, Handle Holes…) as buttons.
| Macro | Add-in (.arb) | |
|---|---|---|
| What | VBA code doing one job | Compiled VBA project; many macros + UI |
| Source | Open (visible in the VBA editor) | Compiled; source hidden, may be password-protected |
| Loading | Run from the editor | Automatically from Startup, or via the Add-In Manager |
| Appearance | None | Ribbon tab / button / menu |
The Startup folder: where add-ins go
On start-up Alphacam automatically loads the .arb files in LICOMDIR\Startup (including subfolders, depending on release). Installation is therefore simple: put the file there and restart Alphacam. The LICOMDIR path is chosen at installation; typical locations are C:\Alphacam\LICOMDIR or C:\Program Files\Hexagon\Alphacam\LICOMDIR. The reliable way to find it is the directory information under File › Options (or Help › About) inside Alphacam.
GMacros add-ins ship as a single-file installer: the .exe downloaded from the panel creates the Startup\<Product> folder itself, updates an older version and asks you to restart Alphacam. No manual copying. Alphacam must be closed during installation; a file copied while it is open is locked, is not updated, and the old version keeps running.
How it appears on the ribbon
A loaded add-in either opens its own tab (like the GMacros tab) or adds buttons to an existing one. If the tab is missing, check four things: (1) is the file really under Startup, (2) was Alphacam restarted after installation, (3) is the .arb for the right module (an .amb compiled for Mill does not load in Router), (4) is the Alphacam release within the range the add-in supports. Detailed troubleshooting: Alphacam add-in problems: tab missing, macro failing, license errors
How add-in licensing works
The add-in itself is a copyable file; what needs protecting is the right to use it. GMacros grants that right with a license key: the key e-mailed after purchase is entered once when the add-in first runs, verified on the server and bound to that computer. Later starts perform a short online check; the key is never asked again. One key runs on one computer at a time; when the computer changes, a free replacement key is requested from the panel. The flow, screen by screen, is on How it works.
Version updates
When a new version is published, the Store › Download link in the panel serves the latest one; the same installer overwrites the old version and the license key is kept. Add-in version and Alphacam version are separate things: if an add-in says "Alphacam 2019 R1 and later" it also runs on newer Alphacam releases; the API is backward compatible.
Frequently asked
Does an add-in slow Alphacam down?
No. It only runs when its button is pressed; staying loaded makes no measurable difference to memory or start-up time.
Can I move the add-in to another computer?
The file yes, the license not directly. Open a "reinstall" request in the panel; the old key is closed and a new one is e-mailed. No charge.
Can I see the source code?
Sold add-ins are compiled and protected; source is not provided. The VBA editor is open for your own macros: see Writing Alphacam VBA macros.
Related products
Tools that do the work described here with one click inside Alphacam: the GMacros add-in and macro packages. Purchasing and licensing are explained on How it works.
Written by the GMacros team. Alphacam is a registered trademark of Hexagon AB; this guide is independent.