The Package Manager is the central location where users can interact with Packages.
You can view available Packages and Sources, install/uninstall Packages, and manage Package versions by upgrading, downgrading, or pinning versions. You can view high-level information about Packages via their readme files, documentation, and change log files directly from their corresponding Modules.
A Source is any folder containing built Packages. For the Package Manager to interact with a Package, the Package must be in a Source that the Package Manager is configured to access.
Source locations can be on shared drives as well making it more convenient to distribute Packages and updates among teams. For example, HyperX ships Criterion and Script Modules with the standard HyperX install in the following directory: $(HyperXInstallDirectory)/Packages/Sources/CA. The CA folder is a Source folder containing several Packages that all users can access.
Sources can be viewed and added to the Package Manager via the Package Manager Settings. You can open Package Manager Settings from the Package Manager form or the Database tab of the Ribbon.
From there, you can add a new Source to the Package Manager by pressing the "Add Source" button and selecting the Source folder you want to include.
As of version 2025.1.4, HyperX includes a reference to the CA source and the collieraerospace.core Package, which enables default HyperX Solver criteria in HyperX. Other Sources containing Packages with standard scripted automations are also shipped with the install but are not installed by default. The shipped Package Sources can be found here:
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$(InstallDir)/Packages/Sources/CA- General core capability. -
$(InstallDir)/Packages/Sources/CA-Sample- Samples intended for reference by Package authors. -
$(InstallDir)/Packages/Sources/CA-Experimental- Useful capability, but not yet general or robust enough for regular usage.
Note
If you or your team develops your own internal Scripts or Criteria that you’d like to use, you will also need to add a Package Source to access them. All you need to do to create a Package Source is add built Packages to a folder.
Once users point the HyperX Package Manager to a Source, they are able to see new any Packages and updates to old Packages uploaded to that Source.
Note
All Packages in the selected Sources are displayed in the Package Manager, but Packages are not de-compressed into the Cache until the Package is installed.
Once a user has added a Source, they can see the Packages it contains in the Package Manager. However, the capabilities provided by the Package (i.e. Scripts and/or Failure Modes) are not accessible until the Package is installed.
To install a Package, click the “Install” button next to your desired Package. Optionally use the version drop-down to install an older version of the Package.
If the install is successful, the user will see a green check mark appear over the Package icon.
Other status icons may be displayed depending on the state of the Package:
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- Up to Date
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- Upgrade Available
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- Incompatible API
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- Package Unavailable
Install from File
If you have a .hxpkg file, you can install it with the “Install From File” button in the Package Manger. Doing so will create a new Source, copy the Package to it, and install the Package.
This is useful in one-off scenarios, but it is not a scalable solution, and we recommend placing Packages in Sources yourself and then directing HyperX to the Source.
The Package Manager makes it easy to update Packages and control which version you use. Its various version control functions are detailed in the sections below.
Upgrade
If a new version of an installed Package becomes available, the user will have the option to “Upgrade” the Package, and the status icon will change from the green check mark to a blue “Upgrade” symbol. Press the "Upgrade" button to update the Package to the selected version.
When the new version finishes installing, you will see the status icon return to "Up to Date". You will also notice that the version in the dropdown will say "Latest Installed" where it previously said "Latest".
Downgrade
To downgrade to an older version of an installed Package, use the version drop-down to select an older version.
Next, click the “Downgrade” button to install the selected version.
After installing the downgraded Package, you will notice the status icon will change to indicate an upgrade is available. You can also see the difference between the latest available and installed versions in the version selection dropdown.
Update All
To upgrade all installed Packages to their latest versions, press the "Update All" button at the top of the form.
Automatic Updates
By default, HyperX will automatically check for and install Package updates when a Database is opened. Users may choose to disable automatic updates all together or Pin particular Packages to their currently installed versions and allow the rest to automatically update.
When you archive a Database, you may choose to disable automatic updates to enforce that the same Package versions the next time the Database is opened.
When you are actively working in a Database, and you want to use Package updates as soon as they are available, you should enable automatic updates and make sure that your Packages are not pinned.
You can toggle automatic updates in the Package Manager Settings.
Pinning Versions
By default, HyperX will automatically check for and install Package updates when a Database is opened. However, you may wish to continue using the same version of a Package even when upgrades become available. To prevent a specific Package from being automatically upgraded, “pin” a specific version via the Package Manager.
To pin a Package, first click on it to open the "Package Details". From there, check "Pin Version".
Note
The Pin option only appears if the Package is installed.
By default, the Package Manager displays every Package found in every one of its Sources. When many Packages are available, it can be hard to find specifically what you are looking for. To narrow down which Packages are visible, use the filters at the top of the Package Manager.
There are four filter types available:
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Category - The type of Module contained within the Package. This can either be “Script” or “Criterion”; Packages with both kinds will show up when either filter has been selected.
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Publisher - The entity which created the Package. For example, this will be “Collier Aerospace” for any packages provided with the HyperX install.
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Status - The status of the filtered Packages. For example, you could filter by “Upgrade Available” and would be able to look through all Packages which are out of date to decide which should be upgraded.
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Source - Which Source the Package came from.
You can apply multiple filters for each filter type. The image below shows both types of Packages are used as filters.
Tip
You can deselect previously applied filters using the same dropdown menu.
In addition to the dropdown filters, you can use the radio buttons to display Packages based on their installation state. There are three installation states for a Package:
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Standalone - The Package was installed by clicking “Install” or was installed as a dependency and later “Promoted”.
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Dependency - The Package was installed as a dependency of another. When the standalone Package is removed, this one will also be removed unless it is “Promoted”.
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Not Installed - The Package is not installed.
You may want to use these radio buttons to discover new Packages (only show those that aren’t installed) or remove clutter and only show Packages that are currently installed in the Database.
The Cache is a local folder on the user’s machine which contains decompressed Package files for all installed Packages. It enables users to continue working with their Packages in case they lose access to the Source on a shared drive. It is where HyperX unpacks and stores Packages to use the files they contain. It can be opened by the Package Manager Settings and is located in the following directory: $(WorkingDirectory)/Packages/Cache.
Users can safely delete from the Cache if their Sources remain available, and HyperX will re-populate the Cache from the Sources as needed. If a Source is unavailable, deleting files from the Cache will prevent HyperX from using that Package until the Source becomes available again.
Warning
Manually altering files in the Cache may cause unpredictable consequences.
Each Package comes with a host of supporting documentation files. These supporting documents can be viewed throughout the software as well as in the Package Manager form.
The Package readme is displayed after selecting a Package in the list and can also be launched in your default viewer/text editor for the file type (.md).
The Module documentation and changelog can be launched in your default viewer/text editor for the file type (.md).
Criterion Module documentation can additionally be launched from the Analysis Watch Window.
And from the corresponding Failure Mode.
Script Module documentation can additionally be launched from the Script Runner.