Archicad 17 and 16 Compatibility Problem

[Anonymous]

A while ago a friend of mine turned me onto ArchiCAD for designing my home over using AutoCAD. So I downloaded the trial version of ArchiCAD 17 and got started. I modeled an entire home plan and was pretty happy with it but of course the trial has now expired.
I asked my friend to open up my plan I created with his software which is ArchiCAD 16 and it doesn't want to open. It doesn't give any error messages but it won't load the plan. The side tool bars don't even seem to load.

Anyone know of any compatibility problems between 16 and 17 or is it maybe because the plan was created using a trial version?

Cheers

[Karl Ottenstein]

ArchiCAD, like a lot of software, is not backwards compatible. You cannot just open a version X file in version (X-1).

It is forward compatible... so opening a version X file in version (X+!) does work.

Each version can save as the previous version (X-1) - although any data related to new features will be lost, and there can be issues with library parts. You'd have to download a new trial of 17 somehow - maybe your friend can do this, and do a Save As as 16.

[vistasp]

AFAIK, a project created in a trial version of ArchiCAD is locked to that machine and can only be saved to and printed from that install. Once the trail expires, the only way to continue using the file productively is to convert that same ArchiCAD install to a full pro/commercial version by buying a licence.

In extreme cases if you had to reinstall/change machines for genuine reasons between making the trial project file and buying a licence, GS has a sort of masterkey that will allow them to unlock it.

Hope this makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Ok. So it is definitely the trial version causing the problems. In a wild attempt to recover my file I tried installing an additional trial copy and uninstalling my original trial copy. Realizing that no program other that the copy that created the file I needed to recover the program I just uninstalled. So I redownloaded the trial through my account and used the same software key but it still claims that this is not the computer that created it.
I realize this is not the "right" way of doing this but I just want access to the file I created again.
Any thoughts at this point on how to do it? Other than buying the software license and then contacting graphisoft because as one person using it for one house for personal use, I cannot justify purchasing this program.

[vistasp]

You're in a tight spot, no doubt about it.

When ArchiCAD was first installed, a file called trial.lic was created in the program folder based on certain parameters. Your project file is connected to that particular trial.lic file. When you reinstalled, trial.lic was recreated, differently, which is why your project remains locked.

If you have some way to recover the original trial.lic (time machine?) then there is a chance. However, since the trial has expired anyway you will still be unable to print etc.

Only GS can fully unlock the file but whether to do so is entirely at their discretion. If all else fails, there's no harm in asking. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[Barry Kelly]

If you can recover the original 'trial.lic' then maybe you could borrow your friend's WIBU/Codemeter key and use it on your machine.
That will change the trial licence to a full license while the key is plugged in.
Then at least you can recover your file, print it and save it as a full version file.
Of course the key will need to be upgraded to version 17 - maybe your friend has already done this or was thinking about doing it anyway.
maybe you could even share the cost of the upgrade.

Barry.