Hello,

New to the forums and just picked up Indie!

Hoping someone can answer this question.

Can I place a copy of Indie on a windows desktop and a Mac laptop and switch from one to the other (using only one license/machine at a time?)

For example, I want to take my laptop and work at coffee shop but come home and run a render on my desktop. Is that allowed with the Indie license?

Thanks

I don't think so. You can switch your license from machine to machine once or twice a year, but not everyday.

I went and read the EULA and it does indicate a single installation only per license. This is unfortunate as I too would like the ability to have Houdini installed on both a single desktop and single laptop with the convenience of using the software from whichever location. I am on the cusp of buying Houdini Indie but now have to decide which machine I'll install/register on.

Perhaps SideFX can look into this and provide us the opportunity for a dual install/single use scenario? All the other software devs I purchase/subscribe to allow this.

Thanks for the replies. That's too bad but what can you do.

I thought rimcrazy indicated he had it on two machines but maybe he was running the non-commercial (apprentice) on one of them. I thought the licensing thing was a bit difficult to figure out. Of course, I'm a simple man! Can't wait to get some training in to know what the hell I'm doing!! haha

I ended up just purchasing 2 licenses for Indie. One to run on my MacPro, the other to run on my laptop.

Not a great solution, but does't break the bank either.

Yeah, Marvelous Designer has a nice licensing setup. You log in each time you launch the app to acquire the license. It costs $360 a year, so a dollar a day. You can only log into one machine at a time but you are free to install Marvelous on as many different machines as you like.

I would actually be willing to pay a little more, like a dollar a day, for this kind of licensing feature with Houdini.

Yeah, Marvelous Designer has a nice licensing setup. You log in each time you launch the app to acquire the license. It costs $360 a year, so a dollar a day. You can only log into one machine at a time but you are free to install Marvelous on as many different machines as you like.

I would actually be willing to pay a little more, like a dollar a day, for this kind of licensing feature with Houdini.

Thanks reelnspirations! Unfortunately, I don't use it enough to warrant that additional cost. I'm so new that I'm spending more time watching youtube training vids!! haha


Hey Enivob, wish I could learn how to use that but no real need at the moment. What happens if “the internet” is down? Can you still work locally?

Wow, being on Apprentice, I had planned to show my support and upgrading to Indie, especially for this wonderfully new H16 release, but it's definitely a bummer to hear that I'd then be restricted to the installation being on one machine?


Still being mostly new to Houdini, I don't even know if I could keep Apprentice on my work computer (to dabble at lunch) and then there's my laptop while having an Indie license? Don't remember if the file formats between App and Ind are even compatible…


Being a hobbyist, I'm not making any money off my tools at this point in time, but I don't mind paying “indie” prices where possible to again, show my support for these wonderful tools.

Paying “twice” isn't a bank breaker as stated, but I agree, I'm used to Maya LT and Allegorithmic tools (and others) where your login is basically your license authentication; long gone are the days where I was strapped under node-locked software.


-Will

I would really like this type of feature. I need to be able to use both my desktop and laptop. I don't want to pay double for this flexibility. Especially, when nearly all of my other 3d software allows for use on two computers. What about a floating option for Houdini Indie?

This type of licensing technology is not new. If nearly all of the other 3d software allows for this, why can't SideFX?

SideFX needs to take on the Otoy/Octane model which allows me to log off of Octane on my MacPro, and then log in on my Windows machine with 2 graphics cards to render.

At that point, I am unable to use Octane on my MacPro, but that's fine with me.

I currently own 3 computers.
1 - MacBook Pro
2 - Mac Pro
3 - Windows 10 render machine

If I ever upgraded to the full version of Houdini, it would kill me to have it on 2 computers.
I take my MacBook Pro or my MacPro on the road as I travel a lot, which requires me to have 2 licenses. It's affordable with Indie, but not even close to affordable with the full FX version.

I hope SideFX changes the way the license system works.

Jim

reelinspirations
SideFX needs to take on the Otoy/Octane model which allows me to log off of Octane on my MacPro, and then log in on my Windows machine with 2 graphics cards to render.

+1

If you can live with Steam this one is now fixed. Steam allows you to install on as many machines as you want, allowing you to run it on only one. You can get the daily builds too. SideFX seems to be serious with the Steam platform. I bagged a free license when they were beta testing the mac version. Worked like a charm.

Just an FYI! Every Indie subscription comes with a supplementary license to install onto a secondary computer, or to work in a dual-boot setup. www.sidefx.com/faq/question/466/