Automatic Web Updating

Revcad are continually developing, updating and improving their software. Each time the software is started it will automatically check for updates on the web (if options are checked and a web connection is available), and report if an update is available with the option to download it. If you accept it (via the dialog Yes button) the updated program is automatically downloaded and installed. The software will then prompt to restart so the current version is closed and the new version is started. After update installation the next time the program opens it will be the new version.

Note: For an update to successfully download and install itself it may be necessary to for the current user to have administrator privileges. Please always retain a backup of your original installation file in case this process fails.

A program update may contain bug fixes, improvements and additional features, some of which may be major extensions to your current software version. The additional features may be of two possible types (see next). By policy none of the existing functionality will be removed - however Revcad do reserve the right to adjust and adapt software updates in whatever ways they think fit.

There are two possible types of additional design features included in a software update. Neither of these require an additional software license payment and in this sense they are free to any valid software license holder, however the update may include both additional (a) free design features and (b) paid design features. The latter of these are likely to contain have some very powerful design capabilities that can only generate data via a web link, and in which case the design output data must be paid for on a pay-per-design basis.

Free Design Features - These are new design features giving special new design capability. They may typically be a new special design features - like the segmented bend or feeder designers - appearing as an option in the New or Open dialog.

Paid Design Features - These design features are also free features in that they do not require any further software license payment. But, they require data to be generated and delivered via a web connection using automated email and as such are paid for on a pay-per-design basis, with payment required for the data that is generated by the software server. The software therefore acts as a software client and communicates by posting design data to the server which then prompts for payment, and on payment then generates and returns the output data to an email address.

The paid design features are likely to offer some very high level design capability and may therefore represent some cutting edge technologies that are of high value to those that can use them for manufacture and other commercial purposes. As such these features are part of the IP (intellectual property) of Revcad and represent something in which they have made considerable investment. As such Revcad may have chosen not to release these features as integral to the software in order to prevent abuse through piracy. In time these features may be included in the free design features, but only in time and at Revcad's discretion as new and better features come along.

When the software checks for updates and finds an update available an Information button appears in the dialog before the download is accepted. This information invokes a web page that will give some description of the new features that are included in the latest update so it can be reviewed and evaluated before downloading. Of course the other way to review a new feature is to download the update and simply try it.

Please note that these additions to the software are likely to be carried forward in all future updates so it is best to always keep the software up-to-date with the latest version.