Vectorworks licensing covers the design and BIM software of Vectorworks, Inc., a member of the Nemetschek Group.[2] The licence terms are in the Vectorworks Professional License Agreement. It grants “a limited, non-exclusive license to use the software according to the applicable terms set forth below”. It also states that the licensee receives a licence only, not title to the software.[1] Commercial arrangements are described in the Vectorworks purchasing policy: subscriptions, renewals, the Service Select maintenance program, cancellations and refunds.[2]
The agreement has a distinctive mechanism. One document contains three licence types, and the serial number decides which applies. “If the serial number begins with a “B”, the Series B license is in effect. If the serial number begins with a “G”, the Series G license is in effect. If the serial number begins with any other character, the Series E license is in effect.”[1] An inventory of Vectorworks serial numbers is therefore enough to tell which counting rule applies to each installation.
Editions
Vectorworks sells five core products. The purchasing policy states that “the product tools are all the same” whether a licence is Series E, B or G.[2]
| Product | Scope (purchasing policy) |
|---|---|
| Fundamentals | Base product: general modelling and drawing tools |
| Architect | Fundamentals plus architecture-specific BIM tools |
| Landmark | Fundamentals plus landscape design tools |
| Spotlight | Fundamentals plus entertainment tools; works with Vision, ConnectCAD and Braceworks |
| Design Suite | All platforms: Fundamentals, Architect, Landmark and Spotlight |
Add-ons follow the host product. Vision “cannot be purchased as a stand-alone product”. Service Select members with Spotlight or Design Suite can request it at no extra cost. Monthly subscriptions and perpetual licences with active Service Select get Vision Plus, which includes 4 Universes, and annual subscriptions get Vision Unlimited. Braceworks and ConnectCAD are add-on products for Spotlight or Design Suite.[2] Cloud Services give 10 GB of storage with a free account and 100 GB to Service Select members.[2]
Metrics
Series E
The Series E license is the current single-seat type. It is activated online, and the purchase delivers a serial number and download link through the Customer Portal.[2] Section 1.5 of the agreement sets four conditions:[1]
- each installation must communicate with Vectorworks’ server at first launch and periodically thereafter;
- a subscription device must be connected while Vectorworks is running within three days of the renewal date, or the renewed licence is not activated;
- “You may operate this software on one (but not more than one) computer at a time”;
- the software may be installed on two computers: a primary desktop workstation and either a portable computer or a home computer.
The subscription FAQ puts it the same way: subscriptions are “single-user access”, installable on up to 2 machines that cannot be used simultaneously.[2]
Series G
The Series G site license is the network licence. The software may be installed “on any or all computers located at the site” identified in the sales order. “At any time, the software may be operated by no more than the number of concurrent users authorized by Vectorworks on the site license.” A site is “a group of computers used by the single company or organization listed on the sales order”.[1] The purchasing policy describes Series G as “a multi-seat license with a minimum of 5 seats”. Subscription seats can be added to an existing network licence in the Customer Portal.[2]
Concurrency is enforced by the Vectorworks Site Protection Server. Its core is Reprise License Manager (RLM) from Reprise Software. The server approves client start-up, manages the licence pool and any borrowing, and logs licence usage and connection information.[3] Those RLM logs are the natural source for peak-concurrency reports. Borrowing is not permitted for educational versions “and in some other cases”.[3]
Series B
The Series B license is dongle-based. It may be installed on several computers, “but only one copy may be in use at a time”, on the computer with the Vectorworks hardware key connected.[1] Series B licences “have been retired and are no longer available for purchase”, and their owners are being moved to Series E.[2]
Counting / floors
| Series | Installations | Concurrent use | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | Two computers (desktop plus portable or home) | One computer at a time | One seat |
| G | Any computers at the licensed site | Up to the authorised number of concurrent users | 5 seats |
| B | Multiple computers | One, where the dongle is connected | One seat |
Some terms apply to all three series. The licensee may make one backup copy and may modify unprotected VectorScript routines. It may not make the software or serial numbers available to anyone other than its employees.[1] An organisation licensee must make sure departing employees return all copies and uninstall the software from their personal computers.[1] Home installations of Series E licences are therefore a point to check when staff leave.
Subscriptions also give access to older versions. After purchase, a subscriber can request serial numbers for three versions before the current one in the Customer Portal; they stay available while the subscription is active.[2]
Virtualization & partitioning
The agreement does not refer to virtual machines or processors. It forbids the licensee to “Provide service bureau, time share or subscription services based on or otherwise utilizing the software”.[1] Vectorworks also reserves the right to build technical restrictions into the software to ensure compliance with the agreement.[1] For Series E, one copy in use at a time applies whether the computer is physical or virtual. For Series G, the site definition ties use to computers of the company named on the sales order.
Cloud / BYOL
Vectorworks Cloud Services are a file-sharing and storage service. They connect to Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive.[2] No bring-your-own-licence rules for hosting the desktop software in public clouds were found in the cited documents.
Programs
Subscriptions
As of 2023-01-01, monthly and annual subscriptions became the only way to buy Vectorworks licences in the US, the UK, Australia and Canada. The change applies in all other markets by 2025-01-01.[2] Subscription licences include Service Select membership and its benefits.[2]
Billing and renewal work as follows:[2]
- Licences renew individually unless the customer syncs renewal dates. Syncing is available only for annual subscriptions and then applies to all annual and Service Select renewals in the organisation.
- The card on file is charged four days before renewal.
- Monthly subscriptions must be cancelled at least four days before the renewal date and annual subscriptions at least thirty days before; processed charges are non-refundable.
- New annual customers can get a refund up to 30 days after purchase. Monthly subscriptions and annual renewals are not refundable.
- After cancellation the software works until the end of the billing cycle. Afterwards, files can still be opened and printed with the Vectorworks File Viewer.
- A cancelled licence can be reactivated in the Customer Portal, at the price current at that time.
Service Select
Vectorworks Service Select is “an annual Software Service agreement” for customers who bought a perpetual licence and Service Select before 2022-12-30. It can no longer be added to a perpetual licence. Agreements renew yearly on the first day of the month, one year after the original purchase.[2] The program has three rules that matter for planning:
- No reinstatement. “As of January 1, 2023, Service Select agreements that are not renewed will be considered canceled, and not eligible for renewal or reinstatement at a later date.”[2] Cancelling requires written notice 60 days before the renewal date.
- Parking is permanent. A licence can be parked to freeze it at its current version and stop paying for it, but “Once parked, you will not be able to unpark a license”.[2]
- No transfer. Agreements are made with the purchasing company. They cannot be transferred or assigned to another company, and perpetual licences bought through an unauthorised third party cannot be added.[2]
Perpetual licences stay perpetual whether or not Service Select is active. A customer who cancels Service Select keeps the licence and can use it as long as it runs on a compatible operating system.[2] While Service Select is active, a module can be added (for example Architect on a Fundamentals licence) at a prorated cost. The licence number stays the same and a new serial number is issued.[2]
Perpetual licence trade-in
Owners of older perpetual licences without Service Select can use the trade-in. They hand in the perpetual licence, current or up to three years old, for a discount on the first year of an annual subscription. The customer “agree[s] to forfeit ownership of all versions of the perpetual license” and can no longer use any version of it.[2] Before a trade-in, check that no project still depends on an older version available only on that licence.
Transfers
Sublicensing, selling, lending, renting or transferring any portion of the software “for the purposes of extending the license eligibility or maintenance agreement, or the support or upgrade time period” requires permission. With approval by Vectorworks, or by an authorised distributor outside the USA, the licensee may “permanently transfer all (but no portion thereof)” of the software and licence to another person or entity.[1]
Term, termination and law
The agreement runs as long as the licensee possesses the software. It ends automatically if any part is violated, including late payment. On termination, copies and serial numbers must be destroyed or returned, and “Electronically activated licenses will stop working upon termination.”[1] Payments are due net 30 days unless a purchase or sales order says otherwise. Maryland law governs, and the courts in Baltimore have exclusive jurisdiction.[1]
Audits and compliance
The agreement has no audit clause of the kind found in enterprise software contracts. Compliance relies on online activation of Series E, the Site Protection Server for Series G and the hardware key for Series B. The agreement adds Vectorworks’ right to build in technical restrictions.[1]
Out of scope
- The Vectorworks Educational License Agreement, the Viewer licence and the SDK licence, which are separate documents.
- Prices and distributor terms outside the United States.
- The AI Visualizer use restrictions in Addendum A of the agreement, which concern content rather than licence counting.