Floating licenses in Maxon App

FAQ – Maxon App Floating Licenses 

What are floating licenses? 

Floating Licenses are licenses that can be distributed to a pool of users as needed.  They are now available with the Maxon One Team subscription floating. These licenses are shared across the pool of Teams users and are checked out by active users.  For example, a single Maxon One license can be shared across multiple people as long as they are not working concurrently. Please note Teams licensing requires a minimum of purchase of five (5) seats. 

How do floating licenses work?  

Floating licenses are assigned to a group of people within the administrator panel on My.Maxon. When a user is part of the group, they get access to the floating license. The user checks out a license from a group when they open a program or utilize a plug-in. When they are finished using the program and close it, the license goes back to the group and can be accessed by another group member.  

What is changing? 

The entire workflow is now automated: When you open an application or utilize a plug-in, the floating license available to you gets checked out automatically. When you close the application, the license is returned to the group automatically. No further manual action is required. This will be the case for Cinema 4D, Redshift, Red Giant Complete, Universe, and Maxon One. 

This is different to the former workflow where floating licenses were automatically checked-out when an application was opened or a plug-in was utilized but had to be released manually when closing the application. In C4D that meant clicking on Quit and Free License when closing the program. For Red Giant applications that meant opening the Maxon App, clicking on the ellipsis menu (“…”) and selecting deactivate license.   

How can I see that I have a floating license available? 

You can see that a floating license is available to you in the Maxon App. The tooltip (“i”) besides the product name will appear blue indicating there is a floating license available to you. If you hover over the tooltip (“i”) it should read “[PRODUCT] (Floating) license” (e.g., Maxon One (Floating) License).  

How can I make sure I don’t lose my license when I close my application? 

If you have an important project and need to keep your license even after you close your application, you can “lock” your license within the Maxon App. Just open the desired application to check out a license, then go to the Maxon App, click on the ellipsis menu (“…”) on the right of the product and select Lock License. A small padlock symbol will appear besides the product name. You can click on the ellipsis menu again and select Unlock License when you want the license to go back to the group after you close an application. Please note: The Lock License feature can only be enabled while the license is in use. 

What happens if I have access to multiple licenses of multiple products? 

If you have more than one floating license available for any one individual product, for example a Maxon One floating license and a Red Giant Complete floating license, the service will choose the license that can be used by the largest number of products (in this case the Maxon One license).  If you want to change the license picked, you will have to select your preferred floating license and assign it to your computer in the Maxon App. You can always change your selection in the Maxon App. 

You can assign the license you want to your device by clicking on the ellipsis menu (“…”) on the right of the product name (Figure 1), clicking on Assign... (Figure 2), and selecting the license you prefer. 

Figure 1

Figure 2 

What happens if there are no floating licenses available anymore? 

It can happen that all floating licenses available to a group are checked out.  In this case you will see a watermark when you open the product you want to use. The Maxon App will show you a banner warning you that all licenses are in use (Figure 1). If you have notifications from the Maxon App enabled, you will also see a notification letting you know that the licenses are all in use (Figure 2). If this happens, you will have to wait until another group member releases a license to start working with your desired application. You can also ask your administrator for help. 

Figure 1 

Figure 2 

Do I still have a problem with floating licenses not being available if I have multiple floating licenses assigned to me?  

If you have a multiple floating license available, for example a Maxon One floating license and a Red Giant Complete floating license, the service will NOT automatically choose an alternative license for you in case your primary license is not available. If you, for example, are using the Maxon One floating license and all licenses are checked out by other group members you will see a watermark in the product you want to use. The Maxon App will NOT automatically select the Red Giant Complete floating license for you. However, you can manually assign the Red Giant Complete floating license to your device by clicking on the ellipsis menu (“…”) on the right of the product name, clicking on Assign..., and selecting the Red Giant Complete floating license. Please keep in mind, that now the Red Giant Complete floating license will be the preferred license you use.   

What if my program crashed, will I lose my license? 

No, you won’t. Your license will stick to your device for two minutes before it is checked back in. So, if your application closed or you lose connection to the internet you will be able to keep your license until you fix your problem.  

Can someone revoke my license? 

Yes, the administrator can revoke any license from a user even if the user locked the license. The administrator can do this from the My.Maxon portal.  

Can I take my floating license offline?  

Yes, you can check out a license and then disconnect from the internet. Your license will be available for the time set by your administrator (max. 7 days). It is highly recommended that you check with your system administrator as this can affect the number of licenses available to your work group.