General

Q: Can I use a free trial before buying?
A: Yes - you can download CityCAD now - this setup file includes a fully-featured free trial for 30 days. You can convert this into a full subscription at any time by placing an order on our online store

Q: What do I get when I buy a licence?
A: When you buy a licence you can:

Q: Will I receive anything in the post?
A: Our aim is to operate a paperless sales operation. However, if you would like to receive a printed invoice and receipt, and/or if you would prefer a signed copy of the Software Licence Agreement, then please request this by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Q: Can I use CityCAD straight away after downloading?
A: Yes - you can activate a free trial licence straight away, and evaluate CityCAD for the trial period. You can only do this once on each PC. Once you receive your Licence Number you can activate your copy online. 

Flexible Monthly Subscriptions

Q: What's a Flexible Monthly Subscription licence?
A: This is an ongoing monthly subscription which you can sign up to on our online store. This is the most flexible subscription we offer, and you can cancel it after only a month if you want. Alternatively, you can 'pause' the subscription at a later date if you no longer need CityCAD but want to be able to re-activate your subscription easily in the future.

Q: Can I cancel my subscription?
A: Yes, you can cancel a Flexible Monthly Subscription by giving one month's notice. However, if you buy a fixed-term licence (eg. a 12-Month Licence), then you can only cancel during the first 14 days after your product is first activated. (For example, if we send activation details for your copy any time on 1st January, then we would need to receive your cancellation in writing before close of business on 15 January.)

Q: Is there a minimum subscription period?
A: You can cancel the monthly subscription or the telephone support subscription at any time by giving 30 days' notice. However, if you envisage using CityCAD for 3 months or longer, you may wish to consider buying a discounted package of 3, 6 or 12 months in advance.

Q: Will I get a refund if I cancel my monthly subscription?
A: No - if you cancel your monthly subscription after 14 days (by cancelling your FuturePay agreement with WorldPay), then you will still be able to use the software for the rest of the month. You can cancel after the first month.

Q: Will the monthly subscription change?
A: We reserve the right to make occasional adjustments to the monthly subscription rate in the future. You will be informed of any changes by email at least three months before the change will take effect, and your FuturePay agreement will be changed. Your rate will not change in the first 12 months of your subscription. If you would prefer to be informed by post, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Q: How much control do I have over the card payments for monthly subscriptions?
A: When you sign up to a FuturePay agreement with WorldPay, you will have a username and password which you can use to log in to the WorldPay Shopper Management System, where you can see details of your agreement, change card details, and cancel your agreement.

Q: What happens if I cancel my card payments?
A: If you have a Flexible Monthly Subscription and you cancel your FuturePay agreement, you are effectively giving a month's notice that you wish to cancel the Software Licence Agreement. You can continue to use CityCAD until the end of the month, but your licence will be de-authorized on our server, and your copy of CityCAD will not re-activate after that time. We recommend you export all data contained in CityCAD models into DXF, XLS and other relevant formats before the expiration date. You may re-subscribe at any time.

If you sign up to a fixed-term subscription (eg. 12 months) and opt to pay monthly, then you are agreeing to continue the monthly payments for 12 months. If you want to cancel before the end of a fixed term, you have the option of converting your licence into a Flexible Monthly Subscription on payment of the difference for the months used. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for details.

Q: What if I cancel my FuturePay agreement by accident?
A: If you cancel the FuturePay agreement then we cannot reinstate it as we do not handle your card details - these are only processed by our card processing partner RBS WorldPay. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will help you set up a replacement agreement with WorldPay.

Q: What is a Futurepay agreement?
A: If you are ordering an ongoing monthly subscription, you will sign up to a 'FuturePay' agreement with WorldPay, to pay the monthly subscription at one month intervals. If you have any questions about WorldPay, please visit their Shopper Help pages.

Other Licence Types

Q: What is a Perpetual Licence?
A: This is a Licence to use the software which is not time-limited, and will not expire.

Q: What if I have a perpetual licence?
A: In the unlikely event that we cease trading for any reason in the future, we will offer perpetual licence holders a technical solution so that they can continue to use their copy of CityCAD on an ongoing basis and activate it on other computers without going through the activation process.

Q: If I buy a package of educational licences for 12 months, how can I distribute a large number of licences?
A: If you buy a package of 10, 20 or 30 educational licences, you will receive two licence numbers. One will be for use on site, and the code will be able to authorize up to 10, 20 or 30 installations, depending on the licence purchased. You will also receive another licence number, which you can give to students or employees of your institution, and this second number can be used to activate up to 20, 40 or 60 installations, depending on the licence purchased.

Activating and Managing Your Licence

Q: What are the different ways of activating CityCAD?
A: There are three ways that you can activate CityCAD once it has been installed (please note that the Software Licence Agreement includes terms and conditions for all activations)

Free Trial
This is the first option in the Product Activation dialog box. You can activate it at any time and it will be immediately available for use for the trial period. It doesn't need an internet connection for this - it just activates automatically. However, please note that this can only be done once. After the trial period has expired, it will stop working. Before activating the trial, please consider whether you will have time to evaluate the software.

Automatic Activation
After you have received your Licence Number, you can activate your copy of CityCAD automatically at any time by entering your number and clicking 'Activate' in the Product Activation dialog box. CityCAD will connect to the Holistic City server and check your licence status, usually in a few seconds. Please note this requires an internet connection, and if you have a firewall installed you may need to give CityCAD permission to access the internet. No personally-identifiable information is transferred over the internet. If you encounter repeated problems trying to activate your copy of CityCAD automatically, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Manual Activation
If online activation doesn't work for any reason, or if you prefer to work offline, contact us and we can direct you to a manual activation panel.

Q: What are all the different numbers and codes that I might need to deal with?
A: There are five different kinds of numbers/codes which you may come across :

1. Licence Number - this will be emailed to you after an order. Also, if you are paying by card the 'Merchant Reference' displayed at the end of the order process is your Licence Number.)
   
2. Customer Number - this is the first part of the licence number. For example, if your Licence Number is M76734806J-A6386E, then your customer number is M76734806J.
3. WorldPay FuturePay Agreement Number - if you are paying for a monthly subscription, WorldPay will give you their own reference number for card transactions.
4. Manual Activation Code - hopefully you won't need this, but if online activation doesn't work we can send you a manual activation code which will activate your copy of CityCAD.
5. Deactivation Code – if you deactivate a copy of CityCAD you will be given a deactivation code as proof that you have removed a licence from a PC.

Q: What's the difference between my Licence Number and Customer Number?
A: Your licence number is made up of two parts - eg. S78234343K-A9412B. The first part (S78234343K) is your customer number and the second part (A9412B) is specific to a particular order. Please note that the whole licence number (both parts) needs to be entered when activating your copy of CityCAD.

Q: I don't have a Licence Number or Customer Number - how can I get one?
A: You can either request one by placing an order by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or you will be given one automatically when you order a licence on our website. If you are paying by card, your 'Merchant Reference' is your Licence Number and will be displayed after payment is complete.

Q: Do I need a customer number to use the free trial?
A: No - you can download CityCAD and use the free trial whether you have a customer number or not.

Q: What if I need to move CityCAD from one PC to another?
A: If you need to move your licence to another PC, you will need to deactivate your licence on one PC, then install CityCAD on the second PC and request activation from us by email. Contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like help with this process.

Q: How do I deactivate a licence on a PC?
A: Go to Help Menu: Product Activation window and click ‘Deactivate Licence’ at the bottom.

Q: How do I know how long is left on my licence?
A: At any time, you can select ‘Product Activation’ from the Help menu, and information will be displayed there.

Other Services

Q: Can I get Telephone Support?
A: Premium support arrangements can be organized on request - please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Q: Can I get network or floating licences?
A: At this time, we can provide standalone or fixed network licences for orders of over GBP 10000, and floating network licences for orders over GBP 20000. Please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like further details.

Q: Can I get a customized version of CityCAD?
A: Yes - please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and one of our consultants will reply to discuss your requirements.