Frequently Asked Questions

A Perpetual License is bought outright and owned indefinitely. You pay once, then pay an annual SELECT maintenance fee to keep your software updated and supported. It’s a shared network license, so it isn’t tied to one user.

An Annual Subscription is a 12-month subscription license you renew each year. It’s assigned to a named user and can be re-assigned every 30 days. Lower upfront cost, but access ends if you don’t renew.
In short: a Perpetual License is buying the software, while an Annual Subscription is renting access for the year.

It comes down to how long and how often you plan to use the software:
Choose an Annual Subscription if you want a lower upfront cost and no long-term commitment.
Choose a Perpetual License if you plan to use the software for many years. It is usually the cheapest option over the long run (around seven years or more).
Choose a Cloud Service Subscription if your usage is occasional or short-term and you want maximum flexibility. Keep in mind that CSS is charged at a premium rate, so it is not the most cost-effective choice if you use the same software regularly.
If you are not sure, just ask us. We will look at how your team works and recommend the option that saves you the most money.

It is simple and there is no disruption. Your software, your licenses, and your data all stay exactly as they are within your Bentley Account. The only thing that changes is who looks after you. CAD Journey can act as your dedicated partner for support, licenses, training, and advice. There is no cost and nothing changes.

Every license includes access to all the latest software features and updates, along with round-the-clock technical support. As a CAD Journey client, you also have our team of Bentley experts as your first point of contact for any question. Annual Subscriptions go a step further and include free one-on-one training and mentoring hours to help your team get up to speed.

Here is what to expect after you order:
1. Within 24 hours, your licenses are fulfilled and added to your account, ready to assign.
2. Within 48 hours, one of our Customer Success Managers reaches out to make sure you are set up and everything is working as it should.
From there, the main steps are registering each team member, assigning a license to each one, and having everyone install the software and sign in. We will walk you through all of it, or we can simply take care of the setup for you.

The CONNECTION Client is a small free app that sits on each user’s computer. Users sign in to it with their account, and that sign-in is what activates the software. It is also where users download updates and check which licenses they have. There are no activation keys or serial numbers to manage anymore, so signing in is all that is needed.

The administrator is the person who can manage users and assign licenses for your organization. You can also set up co-administrators so more than one person can help manage the account. This is useful if your IT team handles software, or if you want a backup for when the main administrator is away. We can help you set up the right people with the right access.

It depends on the license type:
– Annual Subscriptions are assigned to a named user, so you need one for each person who uses the software.
– Perpetual Licenses work as a shared pool, so they can be used across your team without being tied to one person.
If you are not sure how many licenses you need, we are happy to work it out with you.

Once users are registered your license administrator can begin assigning licenses.
1. Sign in to your license portal at connect.bentley.com.
2. Open the License Management area.
3. Choose the product and assign it to the user you want.
The user gets a confirmation email and can start using the software right away. If you get stuck at any point, just reach out and we will jump in.

New people first need to be registered as a user on your account before they can be given a license. An administrator can add them by entering their name and work email, and then assign a license to them. If you would prefer, send us the details and we will add and assign your new starters for you.

Yes, a practitioner license can be re-assigned as many times as needed on the first day it is assigned to a user.
After the initial 24-hour assignment period, the license will be locked for 30 days. At the end of the 30 day period the license will be available for re-assignment.
Any re-assignment will restart the 24-hour assignment clock, and will be followed by the 30 day assignment lock.

No. Software now activates through a simple sign-in. As long as a user is registered, has a license assigned, and signs in to the CONNECTION Client, the software will run. There are no keys to track or share.

SELECT is Bentley’s maintenance program for perpetual license holders. It gives you access to the latest software version, technical support, and license portability across devices. Without the SELECT program you can only utilize the version you purchased and lose access to updates. For most active users, SELECT is a requirement and letting it lapse can create complications as versions evolve.

Annual subscription users will lose access at the end of the term if they do not renew. The CAD Journey team will flag your upcoming renewals well in advance so that you’re never caught off guard.

A few things to check:
– Confirm you are using your work email and account password.
– If you have forgotten your password, use the “Forgot Password” link to reset it.
– Make sure the CONNECTION Client is updated to the latest version.
– Some updates need local admin rights on the computer, so your IT team may need to help.

If none of that works, reach out to us and we will help you get back in.

The most common cause is that the user has not finished registering yet, or their entitlement country is not set correctly. Confirm the user has been created, then clear your browser cache and sign back in. If they still do not appear, send us the details and we will check it with you.

This is usually a syncing delay or a sign-in that needs refreshing. Sign out of the CONNECTION Client and sign back in, then restart the software. If it still shows as expired, contact us. We can confirm your renewal went through and is correctly reflected on your account.

This usually means the software cannot confirm that you have a license. The most common reasons are:
– You are not signed in to the CONNECTION Client.
– A license has not been assigned to your user account.
– Your internet connection dropped, so the software could not check your license.

Start by opening the CONNECTION Client and making sure you are signed in. If you still see the error, check that a license is assigned to you. If it still will not work, contact the CAD Journey team at team@cadjourney.com and we will get it sorted.

This happens when the software starts before your license is confirmed. Try this:
– Make sure your CONNECTION Client is up to date.
– Open the CONNECTION Client, click your initials in the top right corner, and open the Licensing Tool.
– Go to Tools and select Reset Policy.
– Restart the software.

If it still opens in trial mode, get in touch and we will take a look with you.

In most cases yes, for a limited time. Once you have signed in, many applications allow short periods of offline use, and your license can be checked out for the length of your license period. Your administrator controls whether offline use is allowed. If you regularly work somewhere without a reliable connection, let us know and we will make sure your setup supports it.

You can install the software on more than one computer, for example your office desktop and a laptop. With an Annual Subscription, you just cannot be signed in on two machines at the same time, so sign out on one before signing in on the other. Perpetual Licenses are pooled across your team, so they are more flexible here. If your team needs to run the software in several places at once, talk to us and we will make sure you are licensed correctly.

SELECT is the annual maintenance subscription that goes with a Perpetual License. It keeps your software supported and up to date, gives you round-the-clock technical support, and lets you pool your perpetual licenses across your team. Think of it as the yearly cost of keeping your owned licenses current and supported.

For pay-as-you-go and overage billing, usage is measured by how many computers are running an application at the same time. The system checks in short intervals throughout the day and records the busiest point. That busiest point, your peak usage, is what gets billed. In plain terms, it is not about how many hours you run the software, it is about how many people are using it at once during your busiest moment.

Yes. Administrators can set alerts that notify you when usage reaches a level you choose, and in many cases set limits to help control how much can be used at once. This is one of the best ways to stay ahead of unexpected charges. Let us know if you would like help setting these up, we are happy to do it with you.

Your usage reports and invoices are available when you sign in to your account online. The report you will want for checking what was billed is the Term License Consumption report. If you would rather not dig through the portal, just ask and we will pull it together for you and explain anything that looks unclear.

It depends on your license type:
– Annual Subscription. Billed once a year for each license you hold.
– Perpetual License. A one-time purchase, followed by a yearly SELECT maintenance fee.
– Cloud Service Subscription. Billed every quarter based on the usage you actually ran that quarter.

If you ever use software beyond what your licenses cover, that extra usage is billed separately. See the questions below for more on that.

This is almost always an overage, known as a term license charge. If your team needs to run more copies of an application at once than you have licenses for, the system lets you do it and charges for that extra peak usage afterward. It is a helpful safety net for busy periods, but it is charged at a premium rate, so frequent overages add up. We can review these with you and work out whether buying another license would be cheaper.

A few simple habits help a lot:
– Keep an eye on your usage rather than waiting for the invoice.
– Set up usage alerts so you are warned before you go over (see below).
– Remove license assignments from people who have left or no longer need the software.
– If you regularly go over, it is often cheaper to add a license than to keep paying for peak usage.

The best safeguard of all is to let us review your usage with you from time to time, so there are never any surprises.

We offer a range of OpenRoads Designer training packages designed for civil engineering teams at every stage – from first time users to experienced engineers looking to deepen their skills. Our current packages include:

1. ORD Fundamentals – foundational training for new users, recent graduates, and engineers transitioning to OpenRoads Designer
2. ORD Intermediate – for engineers ready to move into complex design workflows, advanced corridor modeling, and design automation
3. Drainage & Utilities Essentials – for drainage engineers, utility coordinators, and civil engineers working on subdivision or roadway projects
4. Survey Essentials – for survey technicians, CAD operators, and project engineers working with terrain and survey data
5. Plan Production Essentials – for CAD technicians and drafters responsible for assembling and producing plan sets
6. Civil 3D to ORD Essentials – for teams migrating from Civil 3D to OpenRoads Designer
7. Workplace Essentials – for CAD/BIM managers, and IT administrators responsible for standards, configuration, and deployment.

All sessions run in 4 hour blocks.
Reach out to our team to discuss which package is the right fit for your team.

We offer both. Remote training works well for individuals or smaller groups and has more flexibility within your schedule. On-site training is available for teams who need a hands-on, face-to-face environment. On-site can be particularly useful when rolling out a new software across a department or for onboarding a larger team all at once.

All training sessions are delivered in 4 hour blocks. Off-the-shelf packages begin at a total of 24 hours of training spread across multiple sessions. Custom follow up-training and support hours are available in 4 hour blocks.

Yes. Off-the-shelf courses cover the core functionality, but we know that how your team uses the software day-to-day is often specific to your projects and processes. We can shape training around your actual workflows, datasets, and deliverables, so that your team leaves with immediately applicable skills and outcomes.

For remote sessions, we recommend keeping groups small enough that everyone gets adequate time with the instructor. This guidance typically comes out to no more than 6-8 participants. For on-site training we can accommodate larger groups, or split into multiple sessions if needed.