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Archicad File and Protection Key compatibility

Greg Kmethy
Graphisoft Alumni
Graphisoft Alumni

on ‎2020-04-28 05:50 PM - edited Wednesday by Graphisoft

 

The content of this article does not apply for cloud-based licensing. For further information about cloud licensing please read this article.

Archicad protection key types

Archicad requires a hardware or software protection key to run in unlimited "full" or "commercial" mode.

The following protection key types exist to date:

Make Connection type Introduced with Version Compatible with Version

CodeMeter software-based protection key

download

Archicad 18

Archicad 13-28

CodeMeter hardware key

USB

Archicad 13

Archicad 10-28

Software-based protection key compatibility

In software-based protection keys – or software keys for short – the licenses are stored in a software container file on your computer. It uses CodeMeter technology, which means that any Archicad version that is natively compatible with the CodeMeter keys (Archicad 13 or higher) will also be compatible with the software key.

To be able to use the software-based protection keys, the following components are required:

Hardware-based protection key compatibility

Hardware-based protection keys - or hardware keys for short - use the same CodeMeter technology as software keys, but instead of storing the licenses in a container file on the machine, it is stored on USB.

Even though CodeMeter hardware keys were introduced with Archicad version 13, they can run version 10, 11 and 12 too, if the following components are installed:

Note: Running different versions of Archicad (e.g. 19 and 26) simultaneously on the same computer will use one license from the software or hardware-based protection key.

It is possible to enable the License Borrowing feature in CodeMeter keys.

Compatibility with remote access software

Remote desktop

Remote desktop solutions allow one or more users to remotely sign in on one particular computer. Based on the nature of these technologies multiple users may be signed in on the same computer, so for this a NET (network) license is required. Each active user will require a separate license, so for example if you allow three different users to log in simultaneously on a computer a NET 3 license will be required. If you only access your work computer from home only one license will be required. If you need to convert your single license to a NET one, contact your local distributor.

Screen sharing

Screen sharing works on a little bit different way. Usually, one client's screen is being shared, and the control is at one viewer. As a result, a single license is enough for this.

For more information about Archicad license types, please visit this article.

Archicad file compatibility

Read: indicates which is the oldest file format that the program can read.

Write: indicates which is the oldest file format the program can write.

Protection: indicates the oldest Archicad version that runs with the protection key that is supplied with the program's given version.

Supported Archicad versions

Version

Read

Write

Protection

Archicad 28

17-

27

Key based: 10-
Cloud based: 26-

Archicad 27

17-

26

Key based: 10-
Cloud based: 26-

Archicad 26

8.1-

25

Key based: 10-
Cloud based: 26-
 
Unsupported Archicad versions

Version

Read

Write

Protection

Archicad 25 Update 2*

8.1-

24

10-(SW)8

Archicad 25

8.1-

24

10-(SW)8

Archicad 24

8.1-

23

10-(SW)8

Archicad 23

8.1-

22

10-(SW)8

Archicad 22

8.1-

21

10-(SW)8

Archicad 21

8.1-

20

10-(SW)8

Archicad 20

8.1-

19

10-(SW)8

Archicad 19

8.1-

18

10-(SW)8

Archicad 18

8.1-

17

6.5r5-(WK) 10-(CM)7, (SW)8

Archicad 17

8.1-

16

6.5r5-(WK) 10-(CM)7

Archicad 16

8.1-

15

6.5r5-(WK) 10-(CM)7

Archicad 15

8.1-

14

6.5r5-(WK) 10-(CM)7

Archicad 14

8.1-

13

6.5r5-(WK) 10-(CM)7

Archicad 13

8.1-

12

6.5r5-(WK) 10-(CM)7

Archicad 12

8.1-

11

6.5r5-

Archicad 11

8-

10

6.5r5-

Archicad 10/IntelMac

6.5-

106

6.5r5-

Archicad 10

6.5-

9-

6.5r5-

Archicad 9

5.0-

6.0-

6.5r5-

Archicad 8.1

5.0-

6.0-

6.5r5-

Archicad 8

5.0-

6.0-

6.5r5-

Archicad 7.0

4.1-

5.0-

6.0r5- 6.5r4-5

Archicad 6.5

4.1-

5.0-

4.16-(Win)3 6-(Mac)4

Archicad 6.0

4.1-

5.0-

4.16-(Win)3 5.1-(Mac)4

Archicad 5.1

4.1-

5.0-

4.16-(Win)3 5.0-(Mac)4

Archicad 5.0

4.1-

5.0

4.16-(Win)3 4.55-(Mac)4

Archicad 4.55 (Win&Mac)

4.1-

4.55

4.16-(Win)3

Archicad 4.5 (Mac only)

4.1(Mac)-

4.5

4.5

Archicad 4.16 (Win only)2

4.16

4.16

4.1

Archicad 4.12 (Mac only)1

1.x-

4.12

4.1

  • 1 Versions earlier than 4.12 existed only on Mac. They could read file versions from 1.x- and could not write earlier file versions

  • 2 4.16 was the first Windows version. This could not read Macintosh files, but there was a converter tool that ran on Mac and converted Mac archive (PLA) files to windows format and 4.16 Windows files to Mac format. (You can find this converter here)

  • 3 From 4.16 till 6.5r4 on Windows platform the Sentinel protection key was used. The sentinel key could run earlier Archicad versions also protected by Sentinel. (e.g. a 6.5 key could run Archicad 4.16)

  • 4 The Mac protection key (type Microguard for versions 5 and 5.1 and type Rainbow Sentinel for versions 6.0 and 6.5) was not backward compatible, however the Archicad Install CD contained the previous Archicad version recompiled to run with the new protection key

  • 5 From Archicad 7.0, WIBU protection key was used on both platforms. WIBU is platform-independent, the same key works on Windows and macOS. The Archicad 7.0 CD contained a special version of Archicad 6.0 (r5/v5), Archicad 6.5 (r4/v4), which runs with WIBU key.

  • 6 Since Archicad 10 MacTel version is the first Archicad on this platform, it cannot save earlier file formats.

  • 7 CodeMeter hardware-based protection key was introduced in Archicad 13 as an alternative to WibuKey. It can run however version from Archicad version 10.

  • 8 CodeMeter software-based protection key was introduced with Archicad 18. CodeMeter software keys can run however version from Archicad version 13.

  • * Project files (PLN or PLA) created with Archicad 25 Update 2 cannot be opened with Archicad 25 300x or Archicad 25 Update 1 (3011).
    To open files created with build 400x (or later) in Archicad 25 30xx, users must migrate the files back to Archicad 24, then reopen them with Archicad 25 30xx:
    1. In Archicad 25 400x, navigate to File > Save as > select the file type: Archicad 24 Project (*.pln)
    2. Start Archicad 25 30xx, then open the newly saved file.

    Important note: any elements created with new features in Archicad 25 Update 2 will be lost during reverse migration.

For more information about Archicad versions see the Archicad versions article.

Converting old Archicad files

Please find all information on how to convert your old Archicad files here.

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Last update:
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Updated by:
Graphisoft

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