What do I need before installing PVX.AI, and why is the PVX ribbon missing?

The short answer

PVX.AI is a plugin for full AutoCAD or Civil 3D, versions 2021 to 2027, on 64-bit Windows. AutoCAD LT is not supported, because LT cannot load plugins. You need an internet connection to sign in and for the calculations that run in the cloud (grading, roads, cabling and others). If the PVX.AI ribbon tab does not appear after installing, the cause is almost always the AutoCAD product, a leftover older installation, or an installation that did not finish.

1. Which AutoCAD do I need?

  • Supported: AutoCAD 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027, full AutoCAD or Civil 3D. PVX.AI detects the version and loads the matching build.
  • Not supported: AutoCAD LT. LT cannot load plugins, so PVX.AI installs but never appears. There is no error message, the ribbon tab is simply missing.
  • Operating system: 64-bit Windows. PVX.AI does not run on macOS.
  • Installation rights: PVX.AI installs for all users of the computer, so the installer asks for administrator permission. Close AutoCAD before you run it.

What to do: in AutoCAD, check the product name on the start screen or in the About box. If it says LT, you need full AutoCAD or Civil 3D. Then follow Installing PVX.AI. See also AutoCAD Versions, Language, and Units.

2. How much RAM and what kind of computer?

Use a computer with at least 16 GB of RAM. For sites of 500 MW and larger, including 1 to 2 GW projects, use 32 GB. The graphics card should be one Autodesk certifies for your AutoCAD version.

What does affect performance: grading, roads, cabling and similar calculations run on PVX.AI’s cloud servers, not on your computer, so they do not need a large workstation. What stays local is AutoCAD itself and the drawing. A very large site with every rack, pile and cable in one drawing is heavy for AutoCAD on any computer. For very large plants, split the site into several PV areas or drawings, and choose a terrain grid resolution that matches the site size (see Which coordinate system and grid resolution should I use?).

3. What does my IT team need to allow?

PVX.AI needs internet access for sign-in, license checks, updates, terrain elevation downloads and every cloud calculation. Product catalogs (modules, racks, inverters) are cached locally, and an already activated computer can start with its cached license if the license server is briefly unreachable. If your network filters outgoing traffic, ask IT to allow HTTPS to these addresses:

  • id.pvx.ai: sign-in, machine activation and updates
  • lm.pvx.ai: license validation
  • algo.prod.pvx.ai: cloud calculations (grading, roads, drainage, erosion, soil, cabling)
  • data.prod.pvx.ai: product catalog
  • wallet.prod.pvx.ai: credits
  • terrain.pvx.ai and api.gpxz.io: elevation data
  • assess.pvx.ai: yield and site assessment
  • view.pvx.ai: publishing to the web viewer
  • chat.pvx.ai: help assistant and bug reports
  • sentry.pvx.ai, and l.pvx.ai on port 12206 (plain HTTP): error reports and logs
  • www.google.com: used only as a connection check

PVX.AI uses the Windows system proxy settings. A proxy that requires its own sign-in, or antivirus software that inspects HTTPS traffic, can block the cloud calculations: ask IT to exclude the addresses above from inspection.

4. How does licensing work across computers?

A license is tied to one computer. When you sign in for the first time on a computer, PVX.AI registers that computer’s Machine ID to your account. Sign out in Settings > License only clears the local cache: the computer stays registered to your account. To move a license to another computer, or to use a different account on a computer, contact support@pvx.ai. Reinstalling Windows changes the Machine ID, so contact support before you do it.

What to do: see License Activation for the first sign-in and the license status page.

5. The PVX.AI ribbon tab is missing: what do I check?

Work through these in order. Each step rules out one cause.

  1. Check the AutoCAD product. AutoCAD LT will never show the tab. Use full AutoCAD or Civil 3D, 2021 to 2027.
  2. Restart AutoCAD, or switch workspace. PVX.AI builds its tab once AutoCAD has finished loading, and rebuilds it after a workspace change. Civil 3D sometimes loads its own ribbon after PVX.AI, and a restart or a workspace switch brings the tab back.
  3. Remove an old per-user installation. Close AutoCAD and check whether the folder %APPDATA%\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\PVXAI.Cad.bundle exists. If it does, delete it (the current version installs under Program Files instead), then start AutoCAD again. A leftover copy there can stop PVX.AI from loading or show the tab twice.
  4. Reinstall cleanly. Close AutoCAD, uninstall PVX.AI from Windows Apps (or Programs and Features), download the latest installer from id.pvx.ai and install it again. This is what support recommends when the steps above do not help.
  5. Send us the logs. If the tab is still missing, zip the folder %LOCALAPPDATA%\PVXAI\logs and send it to support, together with your AutoCAD product and version.

If the tab appears but its buttons are greyed out, PVX.AI is installed correctly and the computer is not yet activated. Click Activate on the License panel and sign in.

For an overview of what PVX.AI does inside AutoCAD, see PVX.AI Cad on pvx.ai.

Related

More posts