Troubleshooting: (500) Internal server error – Plex-Earth Support Desk

Long-time users of Plex-Earth 3 may experience the following errors:

"(500) Internal server error"

"The input is not valid Base-64 string..." error

This issue is due to server-related challenges specific to the legacy version of Plex-Earth 3, which we are actively addressing with the provided patch.

To resolve this issue, please follow the steps below:

1. Uninstall Plex.Earth 3 from the Control Panel.

2. Download the Patch:
Download the patch file from here:
https://goto.plexearth.com/dl/pe3_patch2024_zip

3. Unblock the File (Important!):
After downloading the ZIP file, right-click on it, select "Properties," and check the "Unblock" box if it appears. Then click "Apply" and "OK."

4. Extract the Files:
Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder:
%AppData%\Roaming\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins
Extract the contents of the downloaded ZIP file here.

Make sure to extract the zip file to the folder with the same name, and NOT "extract here". See screenshot in Step 5 (above the highlighted folder).

5. Delete Old Files (if applicable):
If the folder PlexscapePlugin-PlexEarth3.bundle exists, delete it.

6. Launch AutoCAD:
Open AutoCAD, and go to the "Plex.Earth 3" ribbon. Click the "Service Account" button. If ribbon does NOT show up, proceed to the next step.

Note: If you get the error below, it means that there are still remnants of the previous patch. Make sure that you have uninstalled Plex.Earth 3 (Step 1), and deleted the old files (as shown in Step 5).

7. Always Load the Plugin (Important!):

If prompted with a dialog, make sure to select "Always Load.

Notes:
- If you see an "Unknown Command" message in Step 6 or 7, restart AutoCAD and try again.

- If the ribbon does NOT show up after performing the actions above, especially for AutoCAD 2010-2011 users, please proceed to follow the steps below.

Type in the PXACCOUNT command to check if the app is loaded. If an "Unknown Command" error shows in the command line, use the NETLOAD command, type "%appdata%" in the file name box and hit Enter.

- Navigate to Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\PlexEarth3.patch2024.bundle\Contents\Windows

- Load the DLL file that matches your AutoCAD version which will be inside the corresponding folder:

AutoCAD 2010/2011 PlexEarth3.AcadR18.0.dll
AutoCAD 2012 PlexEarth3.AcadR18.2.dll
AutoCAD 2013/2014 PlexEarth3.AcadR19.0.dll
AutoCAD 2015-2018 PlexEarth3.AcadR20.0.dll

If the PXACCOUNT command works or after you do the steps above to NETLOAD the new patch, do this to load the ribbon:

- Use the CUILOAD command -> Browse -> paste the following in the file name box -> Open then Load:

"%appdata%\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\PlexEarth3.patch2024.bundle\Contents\Resources\ENU\pxearth3.cuix"

8. Installation Complete:
You’re all set! Plex-Earth 3 is now ready for use.

Important Notice
Since Plex-Earth 3 is based on older infrastructure, it has become increasingly difficult to provide reliable support and maintain compatibility with current technology standards. As a result, we highly recommend upgrading to a newer version of Plex-Earth to ensure continued access to our services and the latest features.

Here are the available options based on your AutoCAD version:

Plex-Earth 4: Compatible with AutoCAD 2016-2022, still using Google Earth version 7.1.8.
Plex-Earth 2023: Compatible with AutoCAD 2016-2024, it imports images directly from Google Maps. As such, it can work in tandem with any version of Google Earth, including the latest one. Additionally, Plex-Earth 2023 introduces several new features and additional providers.
Plex-Earth 2025: Compatible with AutoCAD 2020-2025. This is the newest version, offering the most features, services and providers.

If you need additional information or if the problem persists, please feel free to contact us at support@plexscape.com.

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