Start a 7-day trial

The trial is a full AFDIM licence that expires 7 days after it is issued. It is issued for one computer, the same way as a paid licence. Each computer gets one trial, once. Reinstalling AFDIM or Windows does not start another trial, and a trial is not extended.

You start the trial inside AFDIM with one button. The computer must be online. You give no email address or name, and nobody has to answer you first.

Steps

1. Install AFDIM on the computer you will use, then restart AutoCAD®.

2. Click Start 7-day trial. The button is in two places:

   • in the settings dialog: click Settings on the AFDIM ribbon tab, then open the About tab;
   • in the AFDIM is not activated window, which opens when you run AFDIM on a computer without a licence. On a computer that has never had a licence, this window is titled Welcome to AFDIM.

3. Wait a few seconds. In the settings dialog, AFDIM first shows Requesting your 7-day trial…. Then AFDIM shows Your 7-day trial has started. Run AFDIM to begin. In the AFDIM is not activated window, AFDIM shows this text in a new window titled Your 7-day trial has started.

4. Run AFDIM.

The About tab then shows the status Active and the plan as trial · expires <date>. <date> has the format dd/MM/yyyy.

When you click the button, AFDIM sends the trial server at api.afdim.com its version, the time of the request and one-way hashes of the hardware identifiers of this computer. AFDIM never sends the identifiers themselves, your drawings, your name or your email address. The server remembers the hashes so that each computer gets one trial. The details are in the Privacy Policy.

When the trial does not start

AFDIM gives the reason under the buttons. If you started the trial from the AFDIM is not activated window, AFDIM gives the reason in a window titled The trial could not be started. The table quotes the English texts. A text without a translation appears in English when AFDIM is set to another language.

AFDIM says	What it means	What to do
Could not reach the AFDIM server. Check the network (shop networks often block it) and try again, or choose "Request licence" to ask by hand.	The computer cannot reach api.afdim.com. Company networks often block addresses that they do not know.	Try another network, ask the person who runs the network to allow api.afdim.com, or ask by hand.
This computer has already used its 7-day trial. A trial is one per computer and is not extended — choose "Buy / Renew" to continue using AFDIM. If this computer has never had a trial, choose "Request licence" and send the code to support.	The server has already issued a trial to this computer.	Buy a licence. If this computer has never had a trial, ask by hand and say so.
This computer does not report a hardware id, so a trial cannot be issued automatically. Choose "Request licence" and send the code to support.	The computer reports no hardware identifier that is specific enough to tie a licence to it. This is common on virtual machines and on some self-built PCs.	Ask by hand.
Could not start the trial: Mạng này đã nhận đủ lượt dùng thử AFDIM trong 24 giờ qua. …	The trial server answers in Vietnamese. This sentence means that the network has already had its trials in the last 24 hours. Each network gets a few new trials in 24 hours, so that nobody can use up the trials of everyone else.	Try again tomorrow, or ask by hand.
The server's answer cannot be used on this computer. Please send this line to support: <details>	AFDIM cannot use the licence that the server sent. The text after the colon says why. For example, the date or the time of this computer may be wrong.	Check the date and time of the computer. If the message stays, send the whole line to support@afdim.com.
This computer already has a licence.	The computer already has a licence that it can use, so it needs no trial.	Run AFDIM.
The licence could not be saved on this computer. Close the other CAD windows and try again. If this continues, contact support.	AFDIM could not save the licence in the licence store. Another program, for example another CAD window, is using the store at that moment.	Close the other CAD windows and click Start 7-day trial again. If the message continues, contact Support.

For any other reason, AFDIM shows Could not start the trial: followed by the reason of the server. Try again in a few minutes. If the message stays, send the whole line to support.

Ask for a trial by hand

Use this way for a computer with no internet connection, for a network that blocks api.afdim.com, or for a computer that the button cannot serve, as the table above shows. A trial asked for by hand is also 7 days, once per computer.

1. On the About tab, click Request licence. The code appears in the box, and AFDIM saves request.afdim to your Desktop.
2. Open the Licence page, paste the request code and choose the trial. The page prepares an email. Send the email from any computer that is online.
3. Wait for the trial licence file, license.json. Delivery time: within 3 business days.
4. Load the file with Load licence… on the About tab. See Activate a licence.

When the trial ends

The status changes to Expired, and AFDIM stops running. Your drawings and the dimensions already in them are not affected.

The Start 7-day trial button stays where it was, but it is dimmed, because this computer has had its trial. When you point at the button, AFDIM shows This computer has already used its 7-day trial. The advice line reads This computer has already used its 7-day trial. To keep using AFDIM, choose "Buy / Renew", or "Request licence" and send the code to support. In the AFDIM is not activated window, Activate is then the highlighted button.

To keep using AFDIM after the trial, buy a licence: see Buy a licence. You activate the new licence in the same dialog, without a new installation, and AFDIM keeps your settings. See Activate a licence.