How to Activate a BricsCAD Network Licence Offline

Quick answer: Offline activation is for network licence servers with no internet access. Octave recommends online activation whenever possible instead. If offline really is your only option, you’ll generate a licence file on a separate, internet-connected computer using the server’s Host ID, then bring that file back to the server to finish activating.

Step 1: Start Activation (on the Server Computer)

Open the Bricsys Network License Manager using the shortcut on your desktop or in your Start menu.
In the Activate New Network License dialog, select Offline.
Copy the full Computer Host ID shown there. This identifies the server machine itself, not any individual client computer.

Step 2: Generate a Licence File (on a Connected Computer)

Log in to your Octave account. If this licence belongs to your company, make sure you’re logging in with the account that actually holds it, not necessarily your own; contact your account manager if you’re unsure which one that is.
Click your username, select Manage licenses, then click the pencil icon next to the licence to open its License details page.
Click Manual activation.
Paste the server’s Host ID into the Host ID field and click Activate. A licence file is generated.
Click Download License File. It saves as BricsCAD.lic in your default downloads folder.

Transfer this file to the server computer however you’d normally move a file between two machines, for example a USB drive.

Step 3: Apply the Licence File (back on the Server Computer)

In the Activate New Network License dialog, click the browse button, select the .lic file you transferred over, and click Open.
Click Activate to complete offline activation.

If You Already Have an Active Licence

If the server already has an active licence, opening the Network License Manager takes you to the Bricsys Network License Manager dialog instead of straight to the activation screen. Click Add License to reach the Activate New Network License dialog, then select Offline from there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is offline activation for the server itself, or for individual client computers? The server. The Host ID and activation in this process belong to the machine running the Network License Server, not to any individual person’s BricsCAD installation.

Does offline activation permanently lock a network licence, the way it does for single-user licences? Octave recommends online activation for network licences too, but doesn’t document the same explicit permanent-lock consequence here that applies to offline-activated single-user licences. Treat online as the safer default regardless.

Whose account should I use to generate the licence file? Whichever Octave account actually holds the licence. For a company-owned licence, that may not be your personal account; check with your account manager if you’re unsure.