To run the SpeedTree 3ds Max plugin, you must have a valid license issued from IDV.

SpeedTree utilizes RLM from Reprise Software, Inc. to manage all licensing. Reprise provides an RLM End-User Manual that may be useful if you are having licensing issues. Also, please contact licensing@speedtree.com if you are having trouble licensing a SpeedTree product.

There are two types of licenses available:

• Node-locked licenses run only on a single computer and are tied to that machine's unique host ID. These are the easiest and quickest licenses to install.
• Floating licenses allow the software to run on multiple machines, but only one machine at a time per license. Floating licenses are normally hosted by a central server which is networked to each 3ds Max user's computer.

Licenses are requested by emailing licensing@speedtree.com, which is outlined below.

By default, the 3ds Max plugin will run in evaluation mode for 10 days. This is a one-time event per computer. Evaluations can be extended by emailing licensing@speedtree.com.

Both node-locked and floating licenses will need a host ID for either your client computer or your license server. A host ID is a 12-character identifier that's unique to your machine. Example host IDs are 2c56dc481dd7 and 3052cbafdd39.

These are also called MAC (Media Access Control) addresses, but computers commonly have more than one MAC address and not every one of them will work with RLM. Please use our recommended methods for querying your computer's MAC address (described below).

The first step in setting up a node-locked license is to determine the Host ID for the machine that's going to run the plugin. There are numerous ways to obtain it, but one easy way is to run an unlicensed copy of the SpeedTree plugin in Max. In a blank scene, add a SpeedTree object. It will issue an error that the plugin is unlicensed that will contain one or more Host IDs for that machine. The message will appear in a pop-up dialog and in the 3ds Maxlog. It will look something like:

SpeedTree for 3ds Max license failure: No license for product
Host IDs for this computer: 2c57dc4e1dd7, 3152ebaddd39, disksn=7Y95AK595FD6

Alternatively, since Cinema is a companion application to the SpeedTree 3ds Max plugin, a copy may be readily available to run. The free evaluation from the SpeedTree store will also work. When running Cinema, go to the Help pulldown menu and select “Edit license data…”. A dialog will pop up with one or more host IDs for your system. Any will work.

Next, click this link which should launch a draft email via your email client. Please fill it out and send it.

In our reply, you'll receive a return email with a file, “customer.lic” (where customer.lic is a license file unique to your company). If you do not receive a license within one business day, please check your spam filter or call IDV at (803) 359-1999 (United States).

You have two options to install the file:

1. Copy the customer.lic file into the same path where the 3ds Max executable resides, or
2. Use an environment variable. See Setting Environment Variable below for details.

Follow these instructions to set up a floating license server and tie a particular computer to it:

1. Select a machine that will be the license server for your company.
2. Download the “RLM End User Bundle” that matches the platform of your license server. Install it.
3. On the server, run the command “rlmutil rlmhostid”. Make note of the Host ID.
4. Click this link which should launch a draft email via your email client. Please fill it out and send it.
5. In our reply, you will receive two files from IDV: idvinc.set and customer.lic (where customer.lic is a license file unique to your company).
6. Place these files in the “End User Bundle” folder and run the rlm binary. The license server should now be running.
7. Once the license server is running, all that remains is to make each 3ds Max computer knows where to get its license. You have two options to install the file:
   • Use an environment variable. See Setting Environment Variable below for details, or
   • Copy the customer.lic file into the same path where the 3ds Max executable resides.
8. To administer the license server, open a browser and enter “your_server_name:5054” in the address bar. This will open the license server's embedded web interface for checking license usage, license server status, and all other administration utilities. A detailed description of license server management can be found in RLM's end-user manual.

You can set the environment variable SPEEDTREE_3DSMAX_LICENSE to tell the SpeedTree Max plugin where the license file is. For example, if you've saved customer.lic to c:\users\kylo_ren\, set SPEEDTREE_3DSMAX_LICENSE to c:\users\kylo_ren. Note that the variable should contain only the path to customer.lic, NOT the entire filename c:\users\kylo_ren\customer.lic.