Frequently Asked Questions
Products and Pricing
While credit card is the preferred method of payment, we have multiple options to pay for our software including ACH/EFT transfer, physical check, wire and working with our growing list of resellers. Contact us for an invoice for a purchase.
After signing up for a free trial or completing a purchase, you will get an email with a Subscription ID which is used within our products to activate the license. If you do not receive the email, please check your spam or junk folder or contact us. All application downloads include the same full version of the software, which displays watermarks if no Subscription ID is entered. The free trial or paid subscription Subscription ID simply removes the watermarks. Some advanced features are disabled when no Subscription ID is entered.
Each individual license purchase is ‘per user’ and limited to use on two tracked devices.
Multiple licenses can be purchased with a single email address. Our licensing system only uses the Subscription ID to activate the application, not the email.
Our enterprise plans offer virtual floating licenses, bulk discounts, seat managers, and premium support. For more information about our enterprise licensing, please contact us.
Absolutely. You can purchase a variety of licenses using the same account by adding multiple license plans with the same email.
We also offer enterprise licensing which includes shareable floating licenses, bulk discounts, seat managers, and premium support. Please contact us for more information.
Furthermore, we can also work directly with you to add multiple subscriptions to your account if you would prefer. Just contact us.
The Subscription ID is the 17-digit code used to activate a license and remove watermarks. Your Subscription ID is available in your onboarding emails as well as in your account. To access your account, click the MANAGE ACCOUNT button at the top of the Beyond CAD website. Use your email and the password received upon activation to log in to your account. Within your account you can see information about any subscriptions including plan name, Subscription ID, renewal date, payment information and more.
After signing up for a free 30-day trial or purchasing a subscription, you will receive an email with instructions to download and install our applications. If you do not receive the email, please check your spam or junk folder or contact us. We understand that IT/IS guidelines are different for nearly every company and agency, so we have multiple options for download and distribution.
Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade any subscription within your account by clicking the MANAGE ACCOUNT link at the top of this website. You can also cancel or pause your subscription via MANAGE ACCOUNT.
If you have any issues or need assistance, we will be more than happy to help you. Please reach out to us here.
University students and active military can access any of our plans at a significant discount.
For assistance with these discounts, please reach out to us.
Beyond Typicals
Beyond Typicals is a revolutionary drag-and-drop 3D typical section creator launched in early 2022. Beyond Typicals makes street design and visualization so accessible that you can become proficient in hours and design roads in minutes.
Beyond Typicals is a desktop application available only for Windows devices, though we also offer a cloud-based version accessible through a web browser at an additional cost which also allows for Mac/iOS compatibility.
Beyond Typicals Version 3.0 (BT3) was launched May 1st, 2024 and boasts new features, enhanced functionality, better performance and is built on Unreal Engine 5.2. BT3 is our recommended application for any typical section visualization. If you are still using BT1 or BT2, simply use your same Subscription ID in BT3 to access a much more powerful, user-friendly, and photorealistic visualization tool.
The name of our software development company is Beyond CAD Inc., and Beyond Typicals is our flagship tool. At Beyond CAD, our goal is to make 3D visualization more accessible and efficient for the civil infrastructure projects. Beyond Typicals became our first groundbreaking 3D visualization tool, and we continued on the success of Beyond Typicals to make additional tools that offer the same kind of value to the industry.
Our early adopters may also remember our first tool, also called Beyond CAD – a full-featured CAD visualization engine built on Unreal Engine. With Beyond CAD you would import 3D CAD files to better visualize civil projects using photorealistic textures, library assets, advanced traffic and more. Development of the Beyond CAD tool was paused for a couple of years to focus efforts on Beyond Typicals. Starting in the Fall of 2024, we rebooted the fully functional visualization engine now known as Civil Engine.
Beyond Typicals has been designed to be incredibly intuitive, and accessible to transportation professionals of any background – planning, engineering, management, CAD tech, marketing, and more. Many users can figure out how to use most of the functionality just through exploration of the menus, plus some trial and error.
That said, all Beyond Typicals users have free, unlimited access to Beyond CAD University, which provides on-demand learning resources, support, and training. Beyond CAD University houses many tutorial/instructional videos, and we are always adding more as we add new features. We encourage all new users to dive into the Beyond Typicals Tutorial Series when getting started. If you still have questions or run into issues, feel free to reach out and our support team can help.
If there is a specific type of section (like a retaining wall, for example) or asset (like street light) you need for Beyond Typicals and it isn’t currently available, please reach out to us. We are constantly working with users to add more sections and assets to make the tool even more versatile and efficient for our user base. We have even had a user make his own sections, which our development team was able to add for the next available public patch.
We have plans on our roadmap for a custom section creator, which is not yet in development.
With Beyond Typicals, users can also import their own 3D files including photogrammetry buildings, light poles and more! The Imported Assets function is a great way to build in more customization and realism to your typical section visualizations. See more about importing asset from SketchUp in this video.
Users and potential users of Beyond Typicals are often very passionate and know how powerful this product can be. This passion also usually comes with section, asset or feature requests.
Without this feedback, Beyond Typicals would not be as useful as it is today, so we highly encourage any feedback or special requests. We even built a public roadmap where you can see our development plans and even make your own requests.
Beyond Typicals produces high-quality, animated 3D visuals, and is best used on a device with a powerful GPU. To see our minimum and recommended specifications, head to the Download page and scroll close to the bottom.
Our version release schedule varies. In May 2024, we published a major V3.0 upgrade that was 8 months in the making. There is currently no firm timeline for V4.0 update, but we hope to begin work on this after releasing Civil Engine V1.0 in May 2025.
All version updates are included at no additional cost to our customers, and users are not obliged to download new versions. Auto-updates can be enabled if the application is downloaded via the Epic Games Launcher.
Civil Engine
Civil Engine is a specialized 3D visualization software designed for transportation and other civil engineering projects. It enables professionals to create high-quality visualizations quickly and efficiently without the need for prior technical expertise in 3D modeling or media production.
Civil Engine is designed for civil engineers, planners, designers, and visualization specialists who want to streamline the process of creating detailed 3D renderings and animations for transportation and other civil infrastructure projects.
We are extremely focused on making Civil Engine fit its purpose of a more efficient 3D visualization engine for transportation and other civil projects. Our goal is to make users with high quality base models go from import to fully visualized and photorealistic image and video renders (or interactive demos) as efficiently as possible. Because of this, other potential uses of this technology will likely not be a priority. For example, because we are focusing soley on 3D visualization with Civil Engine, we don’t plan on having ‘BIM’ or design functionality like quantities, cost data, measuring systems, publish to CAD or PDF or other features more common with BIM and design software. Civil Engine is also not focused on GIS so global geolocation, data visualization, direct DEM support, or other GIS features also are not a priority.
We recognize that some potential users may prefer Civil Engine to include more non-visualization features or offer greater flexibility in integrating with other workflows. However, our mission is to create a highly efficient 3D visualization engine specifically for transportation and civil projects, and we remain focused on achieving that goal. We understand that Civil Engine may not be the right fit for every use case, and we fully respect those who choose alternative solutions that better align with their needs.
The Beyond CAD team launched Beyond Typicals in early 2022, achieving successful adoption for 3D design and visualization in transportation planning and engineering. While Civil Engine also enables efficient 3D visualization for transportation and other civil projects, the two tools are fundamentally different.
Beyond Typicals operates on a “Section” paradigm and requires no prior data or models to get started. It is designed for straight sections ranging from 50 to 1,000 feet.
Civil Engine, on the other hand, follows a “Base Model” and “Asset” paradigm. Users must begin with a high-quality 3D base model, which we recommend preparing in SketchUp, OpenRoads Designer, or Infraworks before importing into Civil Engine. Unlike Beyond Typicals, Civil Engine can visualize a wide variety of transportation and civil projects, including intersections, roundabouts, interchanges, and more.
We anticipate many Beyond Typicals users purchasing licenses to Civil Engine and plan to offer bundle promotions accordingly for more affordable purchases.
We plan on offering 3D modeling services (create base models from design files) in 2025 for users interested in using Civil Engine but lacking these capabilities internally.
There are a number of 3D visualization engines and workflows that can be used for a variety of project types. Many of these are built for architecture, video games or other industries or are complex and require a high level of expertise in 3D visualization and art. Civil Engine differs as it is built specifically for transportation and other civil engineering type projects and with a lower learning curve that complex 3D visualization software. Features like advanced traffic with intersection controllers, a linear Path system for placement of elements such as barriers and pavement markings, dynamic assets like construction equipment and traffic signals, Path cameras, Explore mode (walk/ride/drive your project), a 3D asset library built for transportation projects and a host of other features separate Civil Engine from these other tools and workflows.
That said, Civil Engine is not designed for any industry other than transportation and other civil projects and will likely not be the best option for architecture or other industries. Also, those using more complex and advanced workflows (like 3ds Max to Unreal Engine, for example) may find Civil Engine limiting and might not be the best option for these more advanced creators. Civil Engine is a very specific tool for a very specific user, and we understand that it may not be the best option for some users trying to visualize their projects.
Over the past three years of offering Beyond Typicals, we’ve learned valuable lessons about pricing and licensing. Our goal is to make our software accessible and affordable for users while maintaining a highly focused product that stands apart. Civil Engine is designed to save users hundreds of hours annually through efficiencies that are unmatched by other tools.
Creating and refining this product has required thousands of hours of development, and we will continue investing in its improvement and support in the years to come. The revenue generated from sales enables us to sustain this commitment and deliver ongoing value to our users.
For 2025, the pricing for Beyond Typicals will be $2,099 per year for individual licenses. As Civil Engine is a more robust and advanced product, we are offering it at $3,099 per year for individual licenses. For organizations interested in floating enterprise licenses, please contact us for more information.
We plan to offer several promotions in 2025 for Civil Engine pricing including existing customer, bundle and upgrade promotions.
Civil Engine is a powerful 3D visualization engine built on Unreal Engine, requiring high-performance hardware similar to what is needed for high-end video games. For optimal performance, we recommend:
- GPU: An NVIDIA RTX 3070 or better. While this is our minimum recommendation, having the best GPU possible will provide a smoother and more efficient experience, especially for larger projects.
- RAM: At least 16GB of RAM, though more is ideal for complex visualizations.
- CPU: A modern multi-core processor is recommended to handle the software effectively.
- Storage: At least 30GB of free storage, along with adequate space for large project files and renders. SSDs are preferred for faster file access.
For users without access to high-end hardware, we will be offering Civil Engine Cloud, enabling browser-based usage. While this eliminates the need for powerful local hardware, there are important limitations to consider:
- File Handling: You will need to upload base models and assets before importing them into the project.
- File Downloads: Rendered images and videos must be downloaded, and these files can be significantly larger than those typically seen with Beyond Typicals.
Both options provide a robust visualization experience, but a high-performance local setup is recommended for the most seamless and efficient workflow.
Technical Support
After signing up for a free trial, you will receive an email with instructions including a link to the Download page with links to two options for downloading and installing: the Epic Games Launcher, and a zipped folder download.
We have hours of tutorial videos available on our website and YouTube channel that are divided into chapters which can answer most questions for our software.
We also maintain a list of program limitations and known issues for Beyond Typicals and Civil Engine.
If you still need support, please reach out to us, and we can assist you one on one.
Beyond CAD Inc.
Beyond CAD Inc. is a U.S. based software publisher focused on building better 3D visualization and planning tools for civil and transportation. Beyond CAD Inc. (formerly Beyond CAD LLC and Beyondware) and was founded by licensed civil engineer Sam Lytle, PE.
Click here to read more about Beyond CAD Inc.
Click here to read about or transition from Beyondware to Beyond CAD Inc.
In 2010, Sam Lytle started with the Nevada Department of Transportation as a rotating engineer after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in civil engineering. It wasn’t long before he realized that he had spent years studying to become an engineer, only to discover that engineering and computer aided design (CAD) did not excite him and was not what he was hoping for. In 2011, Sam discovered a love for 3D visualization and, with it, a potential opportunity to hopefully get out of design, stay in the industry, and not throw away years of preparation to be a civil engineer.
An opportunity to move beyond CAD.
Beyond CAD is a software publishing company that operates remotely. We are based in the United States with employees throughout the country and plan to continue growing remotely throughout the US in the coming months and years.
We employ software engineers, technical experts and artists. Furthermore, we also occasionally use overseas talent as contractors for one-off projects.
We utilize the latest coordination, planning and development management tools to ensure efficient development and support for our users.
We release updates for our software that include new features, assets and bug fixes. While we have occasionally released updates as often as every month, we have slowed the pace of our patch release schedule starting in 2023.
Here are some of the recent improvements we’ve been excited to announce:
- Beyond Typicals Version 2.5 (September 2023): Introduced the Cloud access add-on option, as well as other improvements like saving paused traffic in place, keyboard camera controls, and automatic backups.
- Beyond Typicals Version 3.0 (May 2024): New Dynamic Assets for improved customization/realism, enhanced multi-section editing and new copy/paste functionality for faster builds, plus new sloped lane sections.
- Civil Engine Beta (February 2025): The first beta launch of Civil Engine, featuring many updates from Alpha including new path presets, new material textures, new dynamic assets, intersection controllers, and GANTT chart phasing.
- Civil Engine Beta 2 (March 2025): An updated beta version for continued testing and feedback including bug fixes, powerful new features like Areas and the Video Sequencer, and new UX improvements like hotkeys, enhanced traffic and intersection controllers.
Civil FX was a 3D visualization studio founded by Sam Lytle in 2014. In August of 2020, the Civil FX brand and visualization services team was acquired by Parametrix Engineering. Sam Lytle retained the rights to Beyond CAD (previously Vision) as well as the development team and started Beyond CAD LLC as a software publishing company to continue the Vision journey. This acquisition not only helped in the funding of Beyond CAD but it also allowed a close relationship with a forward thinking and important company in Parametrix.
Civil FX represented an invaluable opportunity for Sam to learn the needs of the future users of Beyond CAD by working on hundreds of projects and for dozens of clients over the years as well as multiple projects to build and refine the technology for clients that now will be integrated into this software.
Civil FX continues to offer premium 3D visualization services for infrastructure and transportation.
Information Security
Beyond CAD’s underlying security philosophy is to collect as little data as necessary. We only collect names, email addresses, and license access data for license administration. Beyond CAD does not access or store any other information or files, including save files (.btyp or .ce files) or rendered outputs (image and video files).
Our Cloud Access option also does not save data between sessions, requiring users to proactively download files to their computers.
Only the users of Beyond Typicals and Civil Engine have access to the files they create. Beyond CAD does not access or control any customer-created files, such as .btyp or .ce files. The software is designed for customers to create section renderings independently.
Beyond Typicals and Civil Engine are primarily PC-first applications that users download and install on Windows PCs. A Cloud version of each tool is available at an additional cost, which operates in a browser using a ‘cloud GPU’. The Cloud version does not feature file storing or sharing capabilities; users must manually download files after each cloud session.
Currently, Beyond CAD does not hold SOC2 certification but is evaluating the benefits of investing in such compliance. This consideration is based on our minimal data collection scope and the security confidence expressed by our existing customers.
Beyond CAD’s terms are outlined in the legal and privacy statements on our website:
Beyond CAD Inc. Website Privacy Policy
Customers can use Beyond Typicals and Civil Engine for any purpose without restrictions from us on how the visuals created are used.