What types of licenses are available?
Maxwell Render commercial licenses come in Standard and Rendernode versions. Educational licenses for students and teachers are also available (see below).
What is a “standard” commercial license for?
Standard licenses are GUI licenses for customers who want to actively use Maxwell Render and the plug-ins to prepare scenes and send to render. Standard licenses are floating and work per concurrent user. This means that 1 license can be installed on as many machines as you like, but only 1 person can use it at any time. If 2 licenses are installed, 2 people can use Maxwell Render concurrently.
What is a “rendernode” license for?
Rendernode licenses are non-GUI licenses for customers who want to add additional machines to speed up the rendering process. Rendernode licenses are floating and work per concurrent machine. This means that 1 license can be installed on as many machines as you like, but it can only run on 1 machine at the same time. A standard license is required before customers can purchase rendernode licenses.
Do you offer a special network license?
No, we don't offer network licenses. Anyone interested in running Maxwell Render on an in-house renderfarm or in a network should purchase the necessary number of standard and rendernode licenses - see above.
I am a single user and I have a network of 5 machines and I would like to use all of them for the rendering process. How many Maxwell Render licenses do I need?
You would need 1 standard license (to work in Maxwell on 1 machine) and 4 node licenses (to be able to also render with the 4 remaining machines).
In my office there are 3 people who want to use Maxwell Render at the same time. How many licenses do we need?
You need 3 standard licenses so they will be able to use Maxwell Render concurrently.
Can we share the licenses at our facility with our remote offices?
The software may only be installed and used on computers in the country in which you have your principle place of business, or if purchased by one of your branches in another country, only in the country in which this branch is located. The license may not be transferred to another country. Companies with multiple branches in multiple countries must purchase enough licenses for each country separately. So sharing between offices is OK, as long as these are within the same country.
Can I use my license on a dual or quad core machine?
Yes, Maxwell Render licenses work per machine and do not have core limitations.
Can I use my license on more than one machine?
Yes, Maxwell Render licenses are floating, so they can be installed on as many machines as you like. One standard license can only have 1 concurrent user though.
Can I use my license on my laptop?
Yes, you can install Maxwell Render just on your laptop, or on a desktop computer and a laptop, using either one of the machines at any one time.
Can I use my standard license(s) to render in network?
You need more than one license to be able to render in network. If you hold 2 or more standard licenses then you can install them on the machines you have available and render in network. If you have 4 standard licenses for example, you can set up your scene on one machine and use 3 more machines to render in network.
Can I transfer my license to another operating system?
Yes. Maxwell Render is available for Win32, Win64, Mac OSX and Linux. You can download Maxwell Render for any of these operating systems, and it is also possible to mix operating systems in network, or to have Maxwell Render on both Windows and Mac OSX on one machine.
Are licenses operating system dependent?
No, Maxwell Render licenses are operating system independent. As long as you have licenses to run the software, Windows, Linux and Mac can use the licenses if you have installed the correct version of Maxwell Render for your platform.
Does Maxwell Render have a license manager?
No, it is not possible to manage multiple licenses in a network from one server machine. Each computer in the farm must have the license file locally installed. The license file includes information about the number of licensed computers in the farm, and is the same file used in all of them.
Can I use my (...) license manager software with Maxwell Render?
Maxwell Render can manage its licenses without the need of any external license manager.
I have one license file which states “<<LICENSES>> 4”. How many licenses do I have?
You have four licenses. It is important to understand the difference between your license file and the number of actual licenses you own. The license file is just a file where your licenses are collected. The number of actual licenses you hold is mentioned in the "licenses" field on the splash screen when you open Maxwell Studio.
I bought a license of Maxwell when it was in Beta, and then I received a "plus one" license. How many licenses do I have?
You hold 8 version 1 licenses. The Beta counts as one license and the plus one counts as one license. Both were converted to 4 version 1 licenses each when we released version 1.5 of Maxwell Render, due to a change in our licensing policy. So that makes 8 total. You can upgrade as many of these licenses to version 2 as you like, and it is also possible to upgrade version 1 standard licenses to version 2 rendernode licenses.
Are there educational licenses available for students, teachers and schools?
Yes, we offer educational licenses, faculty licenses, and classroom packs. Please see our standard price list for pricing information. Special discounts are available for classroom packs, starting from 10 licenses and up. Also see the "Educational licenses" section for further information.
I have just bought a license of Maxwell Render. How do I install the software?
Once your payment has been processed, you will receive an email with a link to download Maxwell Render. Click on the link and download the latest version of Maxwell Render for your operating system, and any plug-ins you may need. When downloaded, open the .zip file and run the .exe to start the installation. The installer will guide you through the installation process, so just follow the steps
I don't have an Internet connection. Can I still get Maxwell Render?
No, you need an Internet connection to get Maxwell Render. The license is sent by email, and the software is downloaded from our download site. We do not send out dongles or CDs with the license and the software.
What are the minimum system requirements for Maxwell Render?
Do I have to install my plug-in separately?
Yes, you should download your plug-in from the download page and run it as a separate installation. The plug-ins are not included in the Maxwell installer, and if you do not download and install your plug-in, your 3D/ CAD application won't recognize Maxwell Render.
I am trying to run the installation but it is not working. What is wrong?
First of all, please make sure you have downloaded the Maxwell Render application properly and completely from the download area. You should download the full application, not just a patch. Also make sure you are running the installer as an administrator. If you are not an administrator, it could be that you do not have the proper permissions to install a new software. If the problem persists, then please contact our sales support team (link to sales contact form). Please send as much information and screen shots as possible so that we can quickly spot the problem.
How do I license the software?
Once you have downloaded and installed Maxwell Render, open Maxwell.exe (Win) or Maxwell.app (Mac) and go to Help> License info. A pop-up screen will appear. Click on the "add" button in the lower left corner and paste your license key into the screen, then save. You have now licensed the software!.
Where is my Maxwell Render license key stored?
Once you have run Maxwell.exe (Win) or Maxwell.app (Mac), the software creates a Maxwell user folder in your personal folder. This can be My Documents/Maxwell in Windows, /users/<user>/Maxwell in Mac, or /home/<user>/Maxwell in Linux. Your license key will be stored in this folder once you have licensed the software.
I can't find my license key. How can I know where Maxwell Render stored it?
Open Maxwell.exe (Win) or Maxwell.app (Mac). The console window will specify where your license key is located, stating: "License found in..."
(Pre-version 2.03 only) I cannot save my license text in the Maxwell installation folder. What can I do?
Make sure you have administrator permissions on your computer. If you are not an administrator, or if you are not logged-in as such, you might not have the proper permissions to save the file in the installation folder.
(Pre-version 2.03 only) I have put the license text in the Maxwell Render installation folder, but Maxwell Render is still running in demo mode. What am I doing wrong?
Make sure you have saved the license file in the Maxwell Render installation folder. If there are any other files called "license" or similar located in the same folder, remove them. Ensure that you have not changed anything in the license text: do not remove any characters or change the text inside your license file. If Maxwell Render keeps running in demo mode, then contact our sales support team (link to sales contact form), sending a copy of your license file so that we can check if it is working.
I don't want my license anymore. Can I give it to my friend?
No, Maxwell Render licenses are non-transferrable, according to our End User License Agreement and the General Conditions of Sale. In addition, licenses are sent out on the name of the purchaser, and that information cannot be changed.
Can I sell my Maxwell license?
No, you are not allowed to sell your license. Please see our End User License Agreement and our General Conditions of Sale.