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Author Topic: Floating licenses - Improvement to release function  (Read 598 times)

HP3623

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Floating licenses - Improvement to release function
« on: January 19, 2021, 10:29:03 AM »
Hello,

I would like to mention a feature request for the license manager. We got floating licenses of RC and FP.
We experiencing quite often that an artist cant properly open a scene/can't display/work on RC objects, because there is no free license (Even tough we only got one license less than artist). Even when someone isnt working on an object at the moment.
I would highly appreciate it if the licensing for floating licenses could be reworked, so that only editing of objects is locking a license. Not the pure just have a file open with an RC object.

Would this be possible?

Rokas

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Re: Floating licenses - Improvement to release function
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2021, 10:33:53 AM »
Hi.
Unfortunately this is possible only if You manually hide license from RC/FP- like changing to standalone license using change license mode utility.
Then license won't be found and it will remain free once opened object with RC/FP.

Rokas

HP3623

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Re: Floating licenses - Improvement to release function
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2021, 10:45:54 AM »
I'm sorry but this is not a productive workflow for us, if we keep changing the license mode for every artist.
I also dont get the whole point of a floating license. This is for me more like a floating license "lite".

When you are not going to change that behaviour, are there other workarounds except the license mode change? Possibilty for reseting licenses directly from a workstation without connecting to the license server? Or maybe automate license release after a certain time?

Rokas

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Re: Floating licenses - Improvement to release function
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2021, 10:56:11 AM »
Floating licenses are automatically assigned when opened a scene with RC/FP object.
License release is automatic as soon as You close max scene with RC/FP object. Does it not get released after You close the scene(-s) ?
We have improved this release mechanism some time ago. What plugin versions do You use ?
Rokas

HP3623

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Re: Floating licenses - Improvement to release function
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2021, 11:32:54 AM »
The "problem" is that sometimes every artist got Max open with a scene containing FP and RC objects.
But there a maybe only 2 artists actively working on a FP/RC object or render one. We are using RC 4.2.1 and FP 6.3.1.

We are mainly working on architectural 3d scenes, which are quite heavy and loading time is 5-10mins. So closing/reopening scenes or restarting max would be quite a pain.
Sometimes I got artists constantly asking me that there is no free license even though I maybe just got a scene open working on a small piece (not RC or FP) and I have to manually release the licenses on the server.

So for me it would be the best if you would rework the licensing just being used when actively working/rendering FP/RC objects (which will likely not happen as you pointed out). The alternatives for me would be the other to approaches I mentioned:
Possibilty for reseting licenses directly from a workstation without connecting to the license server? Or maybe automate license release after a certain time?

HP3623

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Re: Floating licenses - Improvement to release function
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2021, 12:01:41 PM »
Just wanted to ask if there is an update to my questions? Especially to the possible workarounds I described.

Rokas

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Re: Floating licenses - Improvement to release function
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2021, 12:25:48 PM »
Opening scenes with FP/RC requires a license. We recommend having as many licenses as there are concurrent users working with scenes having RC/FP objects.

This is our recommendation. Or You can get few more licenses.

We might rework licensing system but we are small team and we currently have many tasks planned already. So cant promise that soon.

Or maybe automate license release after a certain time?

That should be working already. Licenses are released after the scene is closed with RC/FP. What problems do You have with this feature?
« Last Edit: January 26, 2021, 12:29:33 PM by Rokas »
Rokas

HP3623

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Re: Floating licenses - Improvement to release function
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2021, 06:12:07 PM »
Thx for your reply.

The automatic release of licenses is working like its planned on your site. But as I've written in my last message from 19.01.21, I would appreciate a way to release licenses even when they are "used".
I would be okay if it would someting like a batch file or command I could easily execute via the task scheduler on the license server or the possibilty to release all licenses from a workstation would also be a good workaround.

Rokas

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Re: Floating licenses - Improvement to release function
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2021, 09:03:03 PM »
Thanks for Your feedback. We will consider this in next iteration.
Unfortunately there are no plans to change this in near future.
Rokas

HP3623

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Re: Floating licenses - Improvement to release function
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2021, 12:31:03 PM »
This would be really great.
Maybe this is a special case and not many of your customers got this "issue".
But we got FP or RC in almost every scene we are working with, but very often an artist is maybe only modeling non related RC/FP stuff and is blocking unnecessarily a license. Because our artists are working on several projects in a given timeframe, its not an option to change the license mode to "Standalone".

So any temporary workaround or on a long term change of the licensing system would be highly appreciated.