VidCAD Phoenix FAQ
Why does VidCAD Phoenix run on a 3rd party drawing program?
The VidCAD Team is completely focused on automation for design and documentation, not on creating another drawing engine. For this reason, we have partnered with Bricsys and Autodesk to offer you compatibility with the best CAD engines on the market, and we also offer limited compatibility with Microsoft© Visio.
Which drawing programs are compatible with VidCAD Phoenix?
VidCAD Phoenix is currently compatible with:
- BricsCAD Pro V23 – V25,
- Full versions of AutoCAD 2022 – 2024
Please note that VidCAD Phoenix is not able to run on licenses of AutoCAD LT or BricsCAD Lite. - Microsoft© Visio desktop version (64 bit) (available with Visio Online Plan 2)
What drawing format will my drawings from VidCAD Phoenix be in?
As VidCAD is currently compatible with both BricsCAD and AutoCAD, and these are both .dwg based platforms, all CAD drawings are currently in .dwg format. Drawings created in Microsoft© Visio are .vsdx format.
Please note that once a drawing is created in VidCAD Phoenix, it is either a .dwg or .vsdx, and this file type cannot be changed for that particular drawing.
How does VidCAD Phoenix licensing work?
VidCAD offers two licensing models:
- Perpetual licenses that are permanent licenses with optional plans for receiving the latest software updates and technical support (either Diagram or Integrate)
- Subscription licenses that are available annually, and include the license for VidCAD Phoenix (either Diagram or Integrate) and all software updates and technical support for the duration of the subscription
For full licensing details, please see VidCAD Products.
How many simultaneous users does a VidCAD Phoenix license allow?
VidCAD Phoenix licenses allow for 1 simultaneous user per seat of software purchased. Users may share licenses, but only 1 user can connect to a license at a time.
Can I still use my drawing program outside of VidCAD Phoenix?
Absolutely! Your drawing program will work like it always has outside of the VidCAD Phoenix interface. One thing to note, though, is that if you make any manual changes to a VidCAD Phoenix drawing outside of the VidCAD Phoenix interface, those changes will not be made in the VidCAD Phoenix database. For example, if you change a cable number outside of the VidCAD Phoenix tools, that cable number will not change in the reports and other drawings until it is updated through the VidCAD Phoenix tools.
Can I change my drawing engine or run multiple drawing engines?
Of course! As long as you install a drawing engine that is compatible with the version of VidCAD Phoenix you are using, you can switch between drawing engines as needed. The VidCAD Phoenix Explorer should automatically detect compatible drawing engines and make them an available option.
Please note that once a drawing is started either as a .dwg or a .vsdx, it is not currently possible to switch that particular drawing to another format. But a VidCAD Phoenix project can contain drawings in both drawing formats.
Can I use my existing drawings in VidCAD Phoenix?
VidCAD Phoenix creates and tracks data for each piece of equipment, connector and cable in every drawing. Therefore, an existing diagram or schematic cannot simply be opened for use in VidCAD Phoenix because it would not have the data that the VidCAD tools require. However, architectural drawings can be used inside of VidCAD Phoenix for placing floorplan symbols, etc.
Can I extract data from my drawings to create reports and cable labels?
Can VidCAD Phoenix run on a network setup?
Definitely! Many of our VidCAD users choose to run VidCAD Phoenix perpetual licenses via a network setup on a local domain. Please contact the VidCAD Team to discuss your preferred network setup options.
What are the hardware requirements/recommendations for running VidCAD Phoenix?
VidCAD Phoenix is compatible with Windows 11.
VidCAD is a suite of tools that work together for design and documentation automation, and the most resource intensive tool is typically the drawing engine of the user’s choice. Therefore, we recommend that each user consult the hardware requirements/recommendations for the drawing engine selected. BricsCAD System Requirements and AutoCAD System Requirements
Please contact the VidCAD Team to discuss server requirements for a network install of VidCAD Phoenix.
Does VidCAD Phoenix integrate with any other software?
VidCAD Phoenix offers data import and export in .csv format to integrate with other software.