Installing iDM3 and first run
Part 1 — Understand the system.
Before you install
Operating system
Windows. iDM3 is a Windows desktop application — there is no macOS or Linux version.
.NET Framework
4.8 or later. Recent Windows versions already include it.
Administrator rights
Not required. iDM3 installs into your own user profile.
Disk space
Allow ~500 MB — the firmware packages for every supported unit ship with the program.
You do not need to be connected to a central unit to install iDM3 or to build a project. You only need the connection when you upload.
Run the installer
The installer is a single file named like this:
IDM3_3.5.3_Rev65_Setup.exeThe Rev number is the configuration revision — it changes far more often than the 3.5.3 version, because each revision brings new unit firmware and fixes. Always install the highest revision you have been given.
Double-click the installer.
Accept the licence when prompted.
Choose components. iDM3 is required and cannot be deselected — it contains the application, configuration, firmware and documentation. Desktop shortcut is optional and off by default.
Confirm the install folder. The default is inside your user profile:
%USERPROFILE%\ELKO EP\iNELS BUS System\iNELS3 03.05.03 Designer & Manager for CU3-07MYou can change it, but there is rarely a reason to.
Let it finish. Tick Launch iDM3 on the last page if you want to start straight away.
What you get
In your Start menu, under a folder named iNELS3 03.05.03 Designer & Manager for CU3-07M:
iDM3 3.5.3 for CU3-07M
Starts iDM3. This is the one you want.
iDM3 SuperUser
Starts iDM3 in super-user mode — see the warning below.
Uninstall iDM3
Removes the program.
Why does it say "for CU3-07M"? Historical naming. The install folder and the shortcut still carry the name of the original central unit, but this version supports CU3-08M, CU3-09M and CU3-10M as well — and the CU3-07M itself is now obsolete. Ignore the name in the shortcut; use a CU3-08M or newer for anything you are building today.
Do not use iDM3 SuperUser for normal work. Super-user mode unlocks settings that are hidden from ordinary users because getting them wrong can break a working installation. Use it only when ELKO EP support asks you to.
Installing over an existing version
Installing a newer revision on top of an older one is the normal way to update, and it is safe:
Your settings are kept.
UserSett.hdbis left alone if it already exists.Your work is kept. The uninstaller and the installer both leave
Projects,funcBloks,gallery,weband_updateruntouched — so your projects and any function blocks you built survive.Old Start-menu entries from previous releases are cleaned up automatically.
Still take a backup. Copy your
.elpproject files somewhere outside the install folder before any update. The installer is careful, but your projects are the one thing that cannot be re-downloaded.
First run
Start iDM3 from the Start-menu shortcut. Two things are worth doing immediately.
Set your language
Open Settings from the main menu.
Under Localization, use Select language.
Confirm, and restart iDM3 if prompted.
The interface ships in English, Czech, Slovak and Spanish. This manual uses the English labels throughout. If you work in another language, the meaning is the same but the wording on screen will differ from what is printed here.
Registration
You may be shown a Registration dialog asking for personal information — name, surname and contact details — and offering a Registration key. This registers your copy with ELKO EP and enables update checks.
If the registration server cannot be reached you will see "Registration server unavailable." This does not stop you using iDM3. You can register later: the About dialog has Registrate and Update registration info, and Settings has a Show registration option that controls whether the dialog appears at startup.
Where everything lives
Everything iDM3 uses sits inside the install folder. You will rarely need to open it by hand, but knowing the layout helps enormously when troubleshooting.
IDM3.exe
The program itself
Projects\
Your project files (.elp). The folder to back up.
funcBloks\
Function-block templates (.fncb) you have created
Firmwares\
Firmware packages for every supported unit — around 170 of them
Languages\
Interface translations
Documentation\
The installation manual, change log, and firmware history
Images\, gallery\
Icons and floor-plan images
storage\, spool\, TMP\
Working folders iDM3 manages itself — leave them alone
default.elp
The factory default project
userDefault.elp
Your own default project, if you saved one
UserSett.hdb
Your personal settings. Survives reinstalls.
IDM.config
Program configuration
IDM.log, comunication.log, monitoring.log
Logs — the first place to look when something misbehaves
Appendix F describes each of these in full.
Uninstalling
Use Uninstall iDM3 in the Start-menu folder, or Windows Apps & features.
The uninstaller removes only what it installed. It deliberately leaves behind:
Projects\— your project filesfuncBloks\— your function blocksgallery\,web\,_updater\UserSett.hdb— your settings, so a reinstall feels familiar
If you want a genuinely clean removal, delete the install folder by hand afterwards — but copy your projects out first.
If iDM3 will not start
Nothing happens when you click the shortcut
Confirm .NET Framework 4.8 is installed.
It starts, then closes immediately
Look for Exception.excp and IDM.log in the install folder — they record why.
It opens with an error about the project
The last-opened project may be damaged. Use New from the main menu to start clean, then open your project again.
Everything is in the wrong language
Settings → Localization → Select language.
More in Chapter 30 — Troubleshooting.
Next: Chapter 4 — The main window — a map of the screen, so the tutorials make sense.
Also on this wiki
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