The License Manager
When this command is called up, the License Manager will open. Here you can manage your Cinema 4D licenses. Licenses can be purchased and used right away.
A serial number is no longer required to use Cinema 4D. With the introduction of R21, a license is used, which can be obtained in one of three ways:
- From your Maxon user account (which is the most common method)
- From the Maxon License Server
- From the RLM-Server
The "communication" between the Maxon user account (the program will be referred to as the Client, which requires a license to start, i.e., a Cinema 4D or Team Render Server license, for example) looks like this:
The RLM plays a special role: its licenses are not obtained via the Maxon user account but directly from Maxon.The Maxon user account can assign licenses to the License Server (which in turn passes them on to the Clients) or to the Clients directly upon request.
The license will be "checked out" for that user account, i.e., as long as the license lies at a subordinated instance (Client, License Server), it cannot be re-assigned to or borrowed from the user account.
Subordinated instances can return their license to a higher-level instance (this is shown in the image with double arrows). This can be done manually or after the expiration of a certain amount of time - if not extended.
This license system bears the following advantage, among others:
- Licenses can be purchased and used right away
- A Maxon user account can contain any number of licenses
- Plug-ins can also be linked to a Maxon user account (which can make new serial numbers unnecessary when switching, see also
Export Licensing Overview... - Demo versions can be switched to full versions without having to download or install any additional files.
Purchased licenses are then linked to this user account. This will require the computer on which Cinema 4D and the licenses are installed be connected with the user account at least every 14 days, which in turn requires an internet connection. You can work offline for a maximum of 14 days. However, this does not apply to the License Server (it has its own rules).
Normally, you will obtain your license via your Maxon user account. The first time you start Cinema 4D, a dialog window will open in which you can set up your user account or login using your username and password, if you already have an account. You can also login using your Facebook or Google account (also referred to as user account in the following).
This is an example of how the dialog window for the Maxon license System can look (yours might look slightly different): Use the highlighted registration link (or Facebook/ Google account) to set up a Maxon user account.The registration process is not described here in detail. It is very similar to the process for other accounts online and will prompt you through the process accordingly.
Outside of Cinema 4D you can always access your Maxon user account in an internet browser via the address https://my.maxon.net.
There you will find almost the same information/ settings/ possibilities as you will here in the Licenses menu.
After you register your Maxon user account: Status page
Assuming you have created your user account and logged in: You will then see the page shown on the left (on the right is how the page looks for licenses already being used):
This is how the Maxon user account start page can look in Cinema 4D.The first time the application is started, you will probably see the prompt No free licenses found. You can click on the Activate button to activate a one-time 14-day Demo license. Otherwise you can click on the shopping cart icon at the top right to open the Maxon Web Shop and purchase a license.
As soon as a valid license has been recognized (you may have to click on the Update button at the top left next to the arrow buttons), Cinema 4D will start automatically or you can click on the OK button to start Cinema 4D. If several different types of licenses have been purchased, you may have to activate a given license. Otherwise Cinema 4D will not know which license type it should use. It can also happen that existing licenses were assigned to other computers, in which case you can remove these and click on Free License & Assign (or the small x) to assign them to a new computer.
As soon as you’ve completed the account registration, license purchase and assignment processes, you will no longer need the License Manager very much. For example, the License Manager will inform you if a Demo or demo version has expired. Licenses with which you work (e.g., Cinema 4D commercial) will only prompt you if you’ve worked offline for too long and request that you login to your Maxon user account.
Exception: If you use Cinema 4D on more computers than you have licenses, the License Manager will contact you so you can activate or remove licenses in order to be able to work on the current computer (this can also be done in your Maxon user account).
The arrow buttons at the top left of the window can be used to navigate back-and-forth when registering via google or Facebook. The Update button on the right can be used to reload the page or to display any newly purchased licenses.
On the right you will find a selection menu. Here you can define from where you want to draw your licenses (see also above).
Clicking on this icon will open this License Manager help page.
In the status bar (as with the other sections, this can also be opened and closed by clicking on it) you will see a red or green dot. A green dot means that everything is OK, a license (that is also highlighted in green below) was found and assigned to the Cinema 4D version currently running. A red dot signals a problem and a license cannot be assigned. You must either purchase a license or free up a license currently in use (e.g., if all existing licenses are already assigned to other computers).
At the right you will find an icon for the currently used operating system and next to that your computer’s name.
Here the currently used license will be displayed - or a corresponding error message.
The following licenses are currently available:
- Normal licenses that always have access to the newest version. These can be used on 2 different computers but not simultaneously. These are Subscription licenses. These licenses can also be used in the future to run older versions - also non-simultaneously - from the past 3 years (however, R21 is the ,oldest’ version that currently comes into question). As long as the subscription runs, the newest Cinema 4D version can be used. Here, the Client must connect to the internet at least every 14 days.
- Perpetual licenses, that are temporally unlimited only for a specific Cinema 4D version (e.g., R21). These can also be used on 2 computers but not simultaneously. Here, the Client must connect to the internet at least every 14 days.
- Maxon License Server licenses that are installed on a Maxon License Server on a company network, which assign the licenses to individual Clients. The License Server must connect to the internet from time to time.
- RLM licenses that are installed on an RLM server on the company’s network, which assign the licenses to individual Clients. No internet connection is required.
- Other licenses include the x/Demo, NFR, Educational, Lite and Commercial licenses, which ensures that just about any license need is satisfied. A complete overview of all licenses can be found at our website, www.maxon.net.
The following applies to the Commandline license: This license cannot be used in conjunction with a normal Cinema 4D version. However, a Commandline version can run in conjunction with a normal license. If multiple license types exist, a Commandline version will always prefer the Commandline license.
Here, the owner and email address of the Maxon user account will be entered. Purchased licenses will be restricted to this user account. If you have online access to the account you can use Cinema 4D from any location on any suitable computer. Of course, each license can only be used on a single computer at a time. You must therefore make sure that the computer returns your license to the user account or the License Server (e.g., locally using the 
Sign-Out
Quit and Free License
You can take your computer offline - without connecting to the Maxon user account - for the time period defined here without running into issues with your license. This would be the duration of an offline license. At the end of the defined period - or preferably shortly before its expiration - you should take your computer online and sign in to the Maxon user account. This will be done automatically, e.g., if you restart Cinema 4D.
If this period is exceeded in offline mode, Cinema 4D will cease to work.
An example of a list of licenses.In this list you will find all licenses that belong to your Maxon user account. In most cases, this will be a single license, which you will find under Assigned Licenses.
If you have purchased multiple licenses, the list can look like the one pictured. You will see a demo license being used as well as 1 commercial license that is currently free and can be used by a Client at any time.
The license lists are made up of 3 sections:
- Assigned Licenses: These are licenses that are currently being used by one or more computers.
- Available Licenses: These are licenses that are currently not being used by a Client and are available for use.
- Inactive Licenses: Here you will find temporally limited licenses that have expired.
Here you will find two icons at the far right, with which you can do the following (only relevant if you want to manage multiple licenses):
- Sorting: Here you can switch back-and-forth between computer names and license duration.
- List and Grid View: Here you can switch back-and-forth between the list and grid view for the licenses.
Each license listed here has its own information: First you will see an icon for the operating system and to the right the computer name that uses this license.
Next to the Clock icon below this you will see the time frame in which you can go offline with the computer without having to connect with the Maxon user account. This is 14 days by default. If no contact is made with the Maxon user account during these 14 days, Cinema 4D will cease to work.
For License Server licenses you may see a Plug icon. This means that the licenses were installed offline, cannot be returned and will first be made available when they expire. The respective port will also be displayed to which this license was set when the license server settings were defined.
Details about the Maxon License Server can be found in the chapter of the same name here.
Finally you will see the Cinema 4D version displayed that uses the license shown.
If you have Cinema 4D installed on more computers than the license permits, a license can have a small "x" displayed at the top right (exception: this button will not be displayed for License Server licenses and when you access the Maxon user account from an external source, this button will appear for all normal licenses). What happens when you click on this icon? It’s designed to retract licenses from computers to which you have direct access. The licenses that are freed up can then be re-assigned. The Cinema 4D version with the retracted licenses will soon after cease to work or display an error message when the application is restarted.
Imagine a laptop with a 14-day offline license that is suddenly defect or is stolen. Instead of waiting 2 weeks for the license to stop working you can click on this icon and retract the license. If you quit each session via the Quit and Free License
Depending on the settings and the licenses involved, the following can also be listed:
- Company or organization name (see Organizations)
- For multiple assigned licenses a Free License & Assign button, which retracts the assigned license and assigns it to the Cinema 4D version currently running.
Note also that you can hover with the cursor over a license and a pop-up window with information will appear with the information just described. Furthermore, the Last Used date shown when the corresponding Cinema 4D version was last started.
At the far right you will find an icon with which you can switch the display of available licenses between list and grid view.
Each license has the following information:
If you hover over the "i", the number of licenses (0/1 means 0 of 1 licenses are available, 1 is in use; 1/3 means that 1 of 3 licenses is available, 2 are in use).
At the right of the version name you will find the type of license, e.g., Unlimited, Floating, Demo, etc. A date is displayed for temporally limited licenses but most licenses don’t have a limit.
At the far bottom you may find a Switch to button: If other licenses than those currently being used by Cinema 4D are listed under Available Licenses, this button can be used to switch to the respective license type (e.g., from an Educational license to a Commercial license).
This has the same effect as if you selected a different license type on the Sign out page (or via Sign-Out
Note also that you can also hover over a license with the cursor and pop-up window with information will appear that contains all or most of the above information. Furthermore, the Last Used date shows when the respective Cinema 4D version was last used.
If you own three or more commercial licenses you can set your Maxon user account to Organization mode. This means that you as an employee or company or public authority and owner of the licenses can manage the assignment of licenses to individual computers or user groups of your organization within your Maxon user account.