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Installation, Evaluation - Clone Manager
Subscriptions
General Topics
Viewer Apps
Clone Share
File Handling
Help File
Primers
How do I install an evaluation copy of Clone Manager?
Click on the link on the Home page or on the product description page to download the installer and run it on your computer. This will install the Clone Manager program and shortcuts on your desktop and the start menu. Double-click to open Clone Manager. Follow the prompts in the License Manager wizard to configure Clone Manager as a 30-day trial evaluation license.
What happens when the evaluation license expires?
When your evaluation license is close to expiring, the title bar of Clone Manager will update to give you a reminder. When the evaluation license expires, your use of Clone Manager will be limited to license management and the file converter dialog. The file converter will enable you to export any of the molecules you created so that you can use them in another program.
If you have been running an evaluation copy of Clone Manager, click File, License Clone Manager. Verify the trial license you installed and then click the Buy link to go to our website page that has a link to the on-line cart where you can enter your purchase details. Once your purchase is complete, you will receive an email with the details of your license. If you have not installed an evaluation copy, click on the product description page for Clone Manager Professional and review the license types available and costs involved. Click on a link on the description page when you are ready to make a purchase.
How do I install my new Clone Manager license?
Run the Clone Manager program and click File, License Clone Manager. On the status dialog, click Manage and select the option to Activate your license. You will need the license number and password that you received in the email confirmation of your purchase. Enter the license details and note that your license has been activated.
If you did not install an evaluation copy of the program, you should do that now and then activate the license, using the information above.
Run Clone Manager and click File, License Clone Manager. Click the link to Register your license and complete the registration form. It is not necessary to register your license but it is a good idea. Registration will identify you as the license holder and you will be able to retrieve your license number and password in the event that they get lost. Should you encounter a situation where additional support is needed, we will need to be able to access your license record. We do not use this information for marketing purposes and follow applicable data protection laws.
How do I move my (Seat) license to a new computer?
You will need the license number and password that you received in the email confirmation when you purchased your license for Clone Manager. On your old computer, run Clone Manager and click File, License Clone Manager. Click Manage and select the option to transfer your license to a new computer. Confirm this action and note that your license has been successfully removed. Close Clone Manager and uninstall if desired.
On your new computer, download and install Clone Manager. Run Clone Manager and click File, License Clone Manager. Click Manage to select the option to Activate and enter your license details. You can move your license up to three times. (If you need to frequently move your license, you may want to consider an alternate license type, such as a network concurrent license.)
How do I move my (Concurrent) license to a new computer?
You will need the license number and password that you received in the email confirmation when you purchased your license for Clone Manager. On your old server, run the CMNetAdmin program. Click Manage and select the option to transfer your license to a new computer. Confirm this action and note that your license has been successfully removed. Close the CMNetAdmin program and uninstall the CM Concurrent License Server application, if desired.
On your new server, download and install the Clone Manager Server application. Run the CMNetAdmin program. Click Manage to select the option to Activate and enter your license details. You can move your license up to three times.
How do I run Clone Manager as part of a concurrent license group?
Install Clone Manager on your computer (see above). Run Clone Manager and click File, License Clone Manager. Select Join a Concurrent License Group. For most users, the auto- discovery mode will work without any effort. However, if you have a more complex network environment, you may need to ask your administrator for the details you should enter here. You can also use the License Clone Manager wizard to leave a concurrent license group, when needed.
What is a subscription license?
A subscription license is valid for a set amount of time, typically one year, and allows you to use all of the functions of Clone Manager. Updates, both version and incremental, are free while the subscription is active. To continue use of Clone Manager, you must renew the subscription before the subscription expires.
How do I buy a subscription license?
Click the Buy now button link on the Subscription Information page. This will open your browser to our eCommerce site. The default payment method is credit card with automatic renewal but you can change this.
Do I need to pay with a credit card?
No, you can pay by other methods. Please refer to Subscription Purchase, 'other options'. The advantage of using a credit card is that you can use automatic renewal which prevents your subscription from expiring. If you do not use automatic renewal, then you will need to manually renew your subscription license before it expires.
Does the subscription automatically renew?
This option is the default if you purchase a subscription license using a credit card and is helpful to prevent your subscription expiring. With auto-renew, the eCommerce site will securely store your credit card information and automatically charge your card before the subscription expires. Prior to the renewal date, the purchaser will receive a reminder and will have the option to cancel the subscription to prevent the automatic renewal. You can also use your Account Manager to review your license and payment options as well as turning off auto renew.
How do I renew a subscription?
If you did not choose to automatically renew your subscription, then you will need to use your Account Manager to access your subscription and select the renew option. In Clone Manager, you can select the File menu, License Clone Manager to see when your license expires.
How do I access my account manager?
Click Manage Subscription for instructions on how to access your account manager. The Subscriptions tab gives you a list of your subscription(s) and options for managing them.
How do I cancel an existing subscription?
Refer to Manage Subscription for instructions on how to access your account manager and cancel the subscription.
How do I get notified when my subscription is about to expire?
The eCommerce site, where you purchased your subscription, will send you an email to notify you that your subscription is about to expire and needs to be renewed. If you did not enable auto renewal, then you will need to manually renew the subscription (see how to renew above). If a purchasing agent purchased your subscription for you, then you can send us an email to request we also notify you so you can ensure your purchasing agent renews the subscription. Send the email to esales@scied.com and include your license ID.
These are small cross platform apps that run on smart phones and tablets. They are available for Android, Apple and Microsoft store. Their purpose is to view molecules created by the Clone Manager desktop program.
Use the Clone Share system to save molecules to a shared remote data storage service. In this way, you can view your molecules whether you are at your lab’s computer or out of the lab.
What are the limitations of the viewers?
The purpose of the viewers is to view molecule information. They can also edit annotations and allow searching for key words. They do not provide the analysis features of the main Clone Manager desktop program.
What are the differences when running on different devices?
The viewers are cross platform applications which means they attempt to act very similar while preserving the distinctive differences of the different platforms.
What happens when I rotate my device?
The viewer display adapts to the orientation of the device and attempts to show the best layout. Pick which ever orientation works best for what you are viewing.
The text and icons are too small?
Different devices have different screen resolutions and the viewer apps attempt to pick the best size for display items. You can adjust the display size from the Settings page accessed from the main menu.
What is the purpose of full screen mode?
The display is always a compromise between allowing navigation and displaying details. When you need to see as much details as possible, you can click the full screen icon to use the full display screen. Exit full screen mode when you want to navigate to a different item.
These are a way of collecting molecules with a similar purpose into one convenient location that provides quick access. Collection items have searchable name and comments fields. To see details of the molecule, click the ‘+’ expander button.
Clone Share is a system for sharing molecule files between multiple users of Clone Manager desktop and Clone Manager viewer apps. Clone Share can be hosted on a local web server or by using cloud data storage services such as Microsoft OneDrive.
Web Share is a companion program to Clone Manager. The Web Share program runs as a web server application on a central network server or a local lab computer. It facilitates the sharing of molecules between multiple users running Clone Manager.
Clone Share is useful if you have several users that need to share the same molecules. It is most convenient when you have a collection of important reference molecules that all of your people use. It also makes possible the sharing of molecules between research groups who are not located at the same physical site or within the same local network.
Do I need to update to Clone Manager 11, or newer, to use Clone Share?
Yes, version 11, or newer, is needed to access the full range of Clone Share options. For information on how to upgrade older licenses, please refer to upgrade: version 9 or version 10. To install a free 30 day evaluation license, open the Downloads section and click the button CM12Setup.msi to download and run the installer. All of your settings will be retained.
Can I use Clone Share with Clone Manager version 9 or 10?
No, Clone Manager version 11, or newer, is required to access Clone Share. For information on how to upgrade older licenses, please refer to upgrade: version 9 or version 10.
How can I upload molecules to Clone Share?
Individual molecules can be saved using the menu: File, Clone Share, Save to. To upload a number of molecules you can use the Multiple File Converter utility located on the menu File, Tools.
How can I move several molecules to a new folder within my Clone Share?
You can select several items by holding down the control or shift keys when you click an item. Multiple selected items will show a highlight bar on the item’s name. You can now right click one of the selected items and select the move option. This multiple selection method also works if you need to delete several items.
8. How does cloud data storage differ from SciEd Web share?
Cloud data stores are remotely accessible file storage services. They are designed to share files between devices owned by a single user. Multiple users can share files by using a common account. It is not expected, or supported, that the same file will be modified at the same time by multiple devices or users. To successfully use cloud storage the access philosophy should be read often and update occasionally. In contrast, the SciEd Web share provides for access control and also provides the ability to set who can modify molecule data. For cloud stores, all users have the ability to modify any file.
Does Clone Manager work with Windows 10?
Clone Manager versions 10, 11 and the last version of Clone Manager 9 (version 9.51) fully supports and is fully tested on the Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7 operating systems. If you are still using Clone Manager 9, you can download a free incremental update to bring your software to version 9.51.
Clone Manager version 12 supports and is fully tested on Windows 10 and 11, 64 bit edition.
Does Clone Manager work with Windows 11?
Clone Manager version 11 fully supports and is fully tested on Windows 11. Version 12 requires the 64 bit edition which is the most commonly installed version.
Does my Clone Manager license expire on a specific date?
The standard license for Clone Manager is a perpetual license that does not expire. You can continue to use your Clone Manager software for as long as it is useful to you. Technical support is available by email or telephone without additional cost.
The subscription license is valid while the subscription is active. If you choose not to renew your subscription, you will not be able to use the advanced functions of Clone Manager. You can still use the export functions to export your molecules as standard GenBank files.
What happend to the NCBI web interface?
The old web interface used an embedded browser control based on the old Internet Explorer that Microsoft no longer supports. NCBI recommends accessing their modern APIs for Entrez eUtils and Blast REST. If you still want to use the web interface, you can access NCBI directly through your preferred browser and use Clone Manager menu functions to export molecules (File, Export, FASTA) or import molecules (File, Other Tools, Import from Clipboard).
How can I paste a molecule into the new version of Clone Manager?
On the File menu, click Other Tools, Import from Clipboard to paste molecule data into a new molecule structure in the Clone Manager program.
How can I copy my sequence to the clipboard in FASTA format?
With the molecule open in the molecule viewer window, click Tools, Export, Export Molecule Data. Set the option to FASTA in the upper section and set the option to Copy to the Clipboard in the lower section. Click OK. Your sequence data is now on the clipboard in FASTA format, ready to paste into another application. FASTA is a very simple format that is the required format for many sequence analysis programs, especially over the web.
What's the easiest way to prepare a group of files to share with others?
You can use the multiple file conversion utility to convert a batch of files in Clone Manager format into the standard GenBank format, all in one easy step. Click File, Other Tools, Multiple File Conversion to get started. You can identify the files or folders of files to convert and specify the location (folder) where you want the program to save the files, and you can select the format to convert to. Files converted to the Compact GenBank format will contain essential molecule data in a format that is consistent with the standard GenBank file format and can be shared with others who do not use the Clone Manager program.
How can I read in more/different features when importing a GenBank file?
If you are using a recent version of Clone Manager, you can identify the feature keys that should be imported when you open a file in standard GenBank or EMBL format. Just click File, Preferences, then the Import Features tab. Click the Add button to include a new feature key on the import list and select the Draw As feature type to tell the program how to display this feature in Clone Manager. (Note: complex features consisting of joins not supported in versions earlier than 9.2.)
Can Clone Manager read in GenBank features with joins?
The latest versions of Clone Manager (ver 9.2 or later) adds support for GenBank joins (segmented features). If you routinely retrieve GenBank files that contain joins, you will want to change your import filter at this time. (If you do not change the import filter settings, Clone Manager will read in the CDS features with joins as well as the exons for each feature, resulting in maps with apparent duplicate features.) To change your import filter, click File, Preferences, Import Features. Select the feature key Exon, click the Edit button, and change the Draw As style from Gene to Info only.
How can I see the basepair positions for join segments?
When viewing the Features display in the molecule viewer window, you can move the mouse over the small symbol to the left of the feature name. The cursor charges to a rectangle shape and you can click with this cursor to open a popup box that shows the location (basepair positions) for the feature segments and feature qualifiers. Click outside the popup box to dismiss. When viewing the Map, click on the feature to select (yellow highlight shows extent of feature) and then click the Properties toolbar button to see the join basepair position information. Click on any enzyme site to reset the right panel to the enzyme site list.
My GenBank file has features with the Regulatory key. How can I read these into Clone Manager?
Clone Manager has a list of feature keys supported in GenBank/EMBL file formats and support for mandatory qualifiers. You can modify your list of feature keys that should be imported when you open a file in standard GenBank or EMBL format. Click File, Preferences, then click the Import Features tab. Click the Add button to include a new feature key in the designated features list. When the dialog box appears, select the Regulatory key from the list. Then select the Draw as Type to tell the program how to display this feature in Clone Manager.
If you select Region as the Draw as Type for Regulatory features, you will be able to see the features on your map and on the features table. You can later change small regulatory features to Labels or less important ones to Info Only if your map becomes cluttered. To change the drawing style for an individual feature, select the feature on the Features tab and click the Edit toolbar button.
How do I use the Clone Manager Help system?
Click on the main toolbar Help button (far right) to open the Help system.
Version 12.1 and newer: Help opens as a standard PDF file. Click on links to show more detailed information about the topic.
Version 12.0 and older used the old CHM Help file: Click on a category in the list provided to navigate to information within that
category. For more specific help questions, click the Show button in the Help window
toolbar to open the search pane on the left. Type in a keyword related
to the help needed and click the List topics button. Then select the
topic to display and click the Display button. Click the Hide button to
close the search pane.
I just downloaded a Clone Manager help file and it doesn't seem to be working. What do I need to do?
Make sure you downloaded the correct help version. For Version 12.1 and newer, download the CM12_Help.PDF help file. Earlier versions used a CHM help file (CM12.chm). CHM files can be blocked by Windows security updates that will prevent the display of compiled help (*.chm) files you download from the internet. You may need to unblock this help file before use. In Windows Explorer, right-click on the Clone Manager help file you just downloaded and select Properties from the menu. Click the Unblock button (lower right) on the General page and then click Apply. If you do not see the Unblock button, you may need to log on as administrator.
I'm getting an error message when I try to access Help in an old network version of Clone Manager. How can I read application Help topics?
Security updates for Windows operating systems have introduced new security features that interfere with the operation of compiled HTML help files (*.chm) accessed across a network. "Action Canceled" or "Page cannot be displayed" error messages will appear in place of help topics in the Help viewer window.
Recent versions of Clone Manager can access HTML Help files on local computers, in place of help files in the network program installation directory. Ask your network administrator to make the compiled help file CM11Help.chm (CM10Help.chm, CMSuite9.chm or Clone9.chm for older versions) available for you to copy to your home directory. (In Clone Manager, click File, Preferences, Basic to identify the location of your home directory, if needed.)
Once the help file is placed in your home directory, you can start Clone Manager and use the Help button within the Clone Manager program.
You can also download a new help file from this web site, if needed. In the Downloads section, click on Clone Manager User Documents and select the appropriate help file. You may need to unblock this file after download. Please follows the instructions on the download page.
How can I export the sequence of a primer I've just designed?
With the primer open in the primer viewer window, click the Info tab and then click the toolbar button Export Primer Sequence. Select the option to export the primer sequence to a disk file or to copy the primer sequence to the Windows clipboard so that you can paste the primer sequence into another application. If your primer is a part of a primer collection, just open the Primer List and select (highlight) this primer in your collection. Click the toolbar button Export Primer Sequence and select to export to a disk file or copy to the clipboard.
What's the quickest way to create a PCR amplified product?
In Clone Manager Professional, click Primer, Create Product to create a new DNA molecule that is the amplified product of a PCR-type reaction using two primers and a DNA molecule that you specify. Select the molecule and then select the two primers and click OK. If an amplified product can be produced, the results screen will show the product size, GC content, melting temperature and annealing temperature. You can select to use the new molecule now, save it to disk for later user or export the product sequence as a text file.
If an amplified product can not be produced using standard PCR reaction conditions, you can opt to relax these conditions and try again. If more than one product is possible, you can opt to open the Analyze Mix Wizard to view the more detailed results and then use the Create Product toolbar button in the results section to create the product of interest.
How can I import a primer collection?
In Clone Manager Professional, you can use the Import option to create a primer collection by reading in primer data contained in a tab-delimited text file prepared in another application. Open the Primer List and click My Collections. Click the first toolbar button (Folder Options) and select Import. In the import module, select the text format file that contains your primer data. Follow the screen prompts to identify the data in each column and the first row to start importing.
Preparing data for import -- If your primer data is in an Excel worksheet, for example, you can open the worksheet in Excel and use Save As... to save your file in Text (tab delimited) format.