For additional information about licensing the applications, see Related Articles at the bottom of this page.

License Models

There are two options for your licenses: License Keys and Server Codes.

The main difference between "Local" License Keys and "Network" (License Manager) Server Codes is that a Local license, once activated on a users machine, is locked to that machine until the user returns the license. With a Server Code, the user normally uses a "floating" license that is only "consumed" by their machine as long as they have On-Screen Takeoff, Digital Production Control, or Quick Bid open. Once they close the program, the license is returned to the "pool" automatically, so someone else can use it. With Server Codes, the user also has an option to "borrow" a license - this locks that license to the user's machine for 7 days (maximum) or until they manually return it. While a license is borrowed, it doesn't get put back in the "pool" when the user closes the program. They can even go offline for up to 7 days.

License Keys (fka Local licenses)

Your company is issued one License Key for each Product you own. This License Key has a number of "seats" equal to the number of product licenses you own (if your company owns 10 licenses for On-Screen Takeoff and 5 for Quick Bid, you are issued two codes – a 10-seat one for OST, and a 5-seat one for QB). Once a user activates a License Key on his or her computer, on the licensing server, that License Key is marked as being in use on one computer. Nine other users can activate their software using that License Key. The 11th person receives an error that there are no licenses available.

This activated License Key remains active on the end user's machine until they manually return it to the server. Even when they close On-Screen Takeoff or log out of or shut down their computer, the license remains on the computer. So, if they wanted to fire up their computer on a plane or another location that doesn't have a network connection - that's fine.

License Keys are formatted like this: <product code><plus sign><25 character alpha-numeric code>. Here are some examples:

If a machine is lost, contact Support to release the license.

Server Codes (fka License Manager or Networked licenses)

Network licenses work very similarly to Local licenses, you receive one "Server Code" for each product. Each Server Code permits a certain number of users (seats) to pull a 'floating' or 'borrowed' license, additional requests for a license receive a message that no licenses are available at this time and to try later.

Typically, a user "floats" a license and it is only consumed while they have the licensed program open. Once the program is closed, it returns its license automatically to the pool of available licenses. However, should the user want to pull a license and hold it on their computer, even if they close the licensed application, he or she can "borrow" a license for 7 days. That license is allocated to their computer until they manually return it or the 7 days expire - then the license is restored to the pool of available licenses. Very handy if a user is going offline at a site that doesn't have internet connection. They do not have to be connected to the internet on the 7th day, the license merely expires and is returned to the pool of available seats.

Server Codes are formatted a little differently than License Keys: <product><@ symbol><10-12 alphanumeric characters>. Here are some examples: