Licensing

dBSea v3 uses cloud-based licensing. This page explains how to activate your license, use trial mode, and troubleshoot common licensing issues.

License Activation

When you purchase dBSea, you will receive login credentials for your license account.

First-Time Activation

Launch dBSea
When prompted, enter your email address and password
dBSea will validate your credentials with the license server
Once validated, your license is activated on this machine

Your license allows you to run dBSea on the number of machines specified in your purchase. You can manage which machines are activated through your account.

Logging In

Each time dBSea starts, it connects to the license server to validate your license. You will need an internet connection for this validation. Once validated, you can work offline for the duration of your session.

If you are logged into dBSea on another machine and have reached your license limit, you will need to log out from one machine before logging in on another.

Trial Mode

A trial version of dBSea is available to evaluate the software before purchase.

Trial Limitations

Trial mode allows full use of dBSea’s modeling and analysis features with the following restrictions:

Export of levels or bathymetry is disabled
Exported images include a watermark overlay

Preserving Your Work

Projects created and saved in trial mode can be opened in the full version. If you start working on a project during your trial and later purchase dBSea, your work will carry over.

Requesting a Trial

To request a trial license, contact your distributor or visit dbsea.co.uk.

Demo Mode

If no valid license or trial is available, dBSea opens in demo mode. In this mode:

Import and export functions are disabled
Opening and saving projects is disabled
You can explore the interface and work with the default bathymetry

Demo mode is useful for exploring the software’s interface and capabilities.

Managing Your License

Viewing License Status

To view your current license status:

Go to Help → About
Your license serial number and expiry date are displayed

Logging Out

To release your license on the current machine (allowing you to activate on a different machine):

Go to Help → Log Out
Confirm you want to log out

Troubleshooting

”License validation failed”

This error indicates dBSea could not connect to the license server. Check that:

You have an active internet connection
Your firewall or proxy allows connections to the license server
Your license has not expired

Corporate Network Issues

Some users on corporate networks find they are unable to authenticate or retrieve a license due to IT domain restrictions or firewall policies.

To work around this:

Use a personal hotspot - Try connecting via a mobile phone hotspot instead of the corporate network to retrieve your license
Test outside the corporate network - Try logging in on a machine outside the corporate environment to confirm your credentials work and you can retrieve a license

If you continue to have issues, contact your IT department about allowing connections to the dBSea license server.

”No licenses available”

This error occurs when all seats in your license are already in use. To resolve:

Log out of dBSea on another machine
Contact your distributor if you need additional seats

Internet Connection Required

dBSea requires an internet connection to validate your license when starting. If you work in an environment without reliable internet access, contact your distributor to discuss options.

Getting Help

If you continue to experience licensing issues:

Note any error messages and error codes displayed
Contact support at dbsea.co.uk with details of the issue

Legacy Licensing (v2 and earlier)

dBSea versions 2.x and earlier used HASP dongle licensing. If you are upgrading from v2 to v3, you will need to transition to cloud licensing. Contact your distributor for assistance with the upgrade process.