The program never connects to the internet: nothing is sent or checked online. Every licence — perpetual, yearly or monthly — includes every feature; see Licensing for the licence types.
Know the three licence modes
| Mode | When | Solving | Result data and reports | Pictures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | a valid licence (monthly, yearly or perpetual) | yes | yes | as shown |
| Trial | a valid 30-day trial licence | yes | not available | watermarked “SpectraSim Trial” |
| Explore | no licence, the trial or licence has ended, or the licence does not cover this version | no | after a paid licence: yes; otherwise not available | watermarked |
In every mode you can open and create projects, go through every step, generate and check meshes, look at results that are already in a project, and save the project. A solve that is already running when a licence ends is never stopped.
“Result data” means copying or saving result tables and chart data (CSV, Excel), the acoustic workbook, VTK files of the 3-D plots and opening the solution in ParaView. “Reports” means generating, viewing and saving the HTML and PDF report. Pictures of charts and of the 3-D view can always be saved.
Request a licence or a trial
- Open Help → Request a licence (also offered as Buy licence or Get a licence in the window shown at start).
- Enter your name, e-mail, company and country, and choose the licence type.
- The program makes a request code and a request file from your details and this computer’s identifier. Nothing is sent automatically.
- Send the request code to us — paste it into the quotation form or e-mail it to [MISSING M01 — sales e-mail].
For a paid licence you can also simply request a quotation without a request code. A trial always needs the request code, because the trial licence is bound to the computer it was requested on.
Install the licence file or the licence code
You receive the licence by e-mail, both as a file (.lic) and as a licence code. Use either one:
- Licence file: Help → Licence → Install a licence file, then choose the
.licfile. - Licence code: paste the code into Help → Licence.
Both are also offered in the window shown at start. The program then reloads, and the status line shows the new state.
Several licences can be installed side by side — for example a trial and the licence bought afterwards. The best one is used, so installing an older or lesser licence never takes away a better one. A newer revision of the same licence (a renewal, a corrected name) replaces the older one; an older revision cannot replace a newer one.
Use the 30-day trial
- A trial runs for 30 days, with full solving.
- Result data export and reports are not available; pictures carry a diagonal “SpectraSim Trial” watermark.
- It is bound to the computer it was requested on. One trial is issued per computer and per e-mail address.
- The status line shows the days left.
- To continue after the trial, install the paid licence. Nothing in your projects marks them as made during a trial.
Work in explore mode
Without a licence, or after a trial or licence has ended, SpectraSim runs in explore mode. Projects open, every step works, meshes can be generated and checked, and projects can be saved; only solving is not available. Result data and reports stay available if the computer had a paid licence.
In explore mode a window at every start offers Buy licence, Install licence, Keep exploring and Quit.
Know what happens when a licence ends
- Trial: ends after its last day; the program then starts in explore mode.
- Yearly or monthly licence: keeps working for 7 more days (grace period) after its last day, with a warning; then explore mode.
- The status line shows the days left during the last 14 days of a licence and during a trial.
- If the computer’s date is set back before a date the program has already seen (by more than 2 days), solving is not available until the date is right.
Your projects and results stay available in every case.
Check which versions your licence covers
Version numbers have two parts, major.minor (for example 1.4). Every licence, of every type, is for one major version: a licence for 1.x covers 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 and so on; a new major version (2.0) needs a new licence. The request code carries the version you request from, so the licence is issued for that major version.
Minor releases are covered while maintenance runs: a release dated on or before the licence’s maintenance date (Help → Licence, “Minor releases up to”) works.
- Yearly or monthly licence: the maintenance date is the licence’s last day.
- Perpetual licence: the maintenance date is 12 months after purchase and moves on each time maintenance is renewed; you then receive a new revision of the same licence. A perpetual licence never stops working on the releases it covers.
A release the licence does not cover starts in explore mode and says why. Keep using the release you had, renew maintenance (minor releases) or buy the new major version.
Move a licence to another computer
A trial stays on the computer it was requested on. For paid licences — computer binding and moving a licence to a new computer: [MISSING M38 — machine binding and licence transfer policy]
Give support the right details
Help → Licence lists the licence, its dates, this version’s release date and this computer’s identifier. Give these when you contact support. Do not edit a licence file: an edited file is no longer valid.