Note: Following the release of the PDFImport Neo plugin in parallel with DraftSight 2020 SP0, the PDFImport plugin has been retired. For more information concerning the PDFImport Neo plugin, please visit https://www.graebert.com/cad-software/plugins-for-draftsight/
As explained here, the retirement of the first generation of the PDFImport plugin, and subsequent replacement by the new PDFImport Neo raised some questions from users with Perpetual License of the plugin, regarding the entitlement/use of the plugin in more recent/subsequent DraftSight versions.
We do our best efforts to ensure forward compatibility for our plugins, but the natural evolution of a software and of the APIs in DraftSight imply that from time to time a new version, or a new generation of the plugin has to be released. This is especially true for a plugin that, by definition, relies on the technology and licensing of a base software which technology is also significantly evolving. In the specific case of PDF Import for DraftSight, we have released a total new generation of the product. Hence the new name Neo.
When you buy the PDF Plugin in our estore it is specified for which version of DraftSight it was designed for. If you have a Perpetual license of DraftSight and don't expect to update it every year, buying a Perpetual license of the plugin can still make sense as you will stay on the same version of DraftSight for long. But if you buy an annual license of DraftSight, we always recommend to buy an Annual license for the plugin too, to get regular the correspondent updates for the plugin in the same time frame.
For clarification:
PDF Import Plugin (or PDF Import Neo for that matter) versions are version specific, meaning that if updating DraftSight, you will need to download and install the correspondent plugin version. You can find the versions available in the DraftSight Plugin download page (here). (Note that it is recommended to uninstall any previous versions of PDF-Import for DraftSight via the Control Panel of Windows before installing the more recent version of the plugin).
A (PDFImport) Perpetual License is valid without time limitation, and you are entitled to software updates for 12 months (Maintenance).
Reaching this date (Maintenance Expiry Date), you will be able to continue to use the plugin in up to the last DraftSight version available at the time of the maintenance expiry date.
Passing this period, If you want to update the DraftSight version installed (and use the correspondent PDFImport or PDFImport Neo plugin), you will need to renew the service.