Licence Question

[gippel]

Hi there.

We currently have one license of FumeFX here at work in which we're wondering if its possible to share a license between different computers, so that only one use may use it at the time ? Someone mentioned something about 'turbo squid dynamic license' and I'm just curious if its possible.

Thnx

[Filip Kaczorek]

It works exactly the same as 3DsMaxs network license. You have one mashine in your network designated as the license server.
You instal TurboSquids DCPFlics there.
Now on every Max mashine you install the plugins (or make a network shared plugin folder - that's a different story) and when you run each plugin for the first time it will ask you for a license. You input the IP of the license server mashine with the DCPFlics installed and that's it.

!The first time you run the plugin ever - you have to register it, so after you input the IP on the Max mashine you will be prompted to do so!

Basically all the licences reside on one mashine in the network - all others connect to it and "ask" if they can borrow a license for a particular plugin - if the license server has the license and it's not already in use by another mashine it gives it.

[gippel]

Hi again.

So what is TurboSquid DCPFlics ? I suppose that is some sort of plug in manager? Is there any tutorial or setup file you could direct me to, or perhaps try and explain a little more in detail.

Anyways, thank you for the help, greatly appreciated

[Filip Kaczorek]

Ok, sorry I messed it up.
DCPFlics is not TurboSquid's but Discreet Certified Plugin something.
Basically it's an old plugin platform for 3DsMax - most of the plugins still use it.
Instead of developing ways to register through a code, serial, license files for each plugin that gets produced all developers can use this system.

You don't have to worry about it, if you buy a plugin that uses it and install it, DCPFlics gets installed automatically.

Normally it's a little overkill since you install everything on one mashine, including DCPFlics, which then runs in the background as the license server, and in all plugins you set the plugin license server as the local host. So your single mashine keeps talking to itself

But this way only your mashine can use the license

Now if you install the DCPFlics server (from the installer of any of the plugins) on a separate mashine on your network that is always ON, and register the plugins using this server not the local ones (it's just a matter of entering a proper IP address instead of local host when the plugin asks you to register ) then all mashines on the network can use this license.

Rewinding a little bit - theoretically if you installed and registered locally on your mashine, all other mashines on the network can still use the license by connecting to YOUR mashine - this way your mashine becomes the license server. Problem is that from now on YOUR mashine will always have to be ON if you want to work on other mashines If you turn it off, the DCPFlics server (the one on YOUR mashine offcourse) will no longer be responding, wright?

Try not to overthink it - it's really simple - I know, I've been through it just like you