Chaos Group, a worldwide leader in computer graphics, has released a new version of their V-Ray license server software. The new professional rendering software provides some big changes to the previous V-Ray licensing system. In this post, we will outline some of the changes and what you need to know about the new licensing server system. Here are the top four items that you should be aware of.

#1: V-Ray Dongles are Now Optional

This is probably the biggest change with the new system. Previously, V-Ray relied on hardware dongles for licensing. That is, you would plug in a dongle to your machine, run the license server, and enable the dongle. This would allow you to use the V-Ray software on your machine. This is no longer necessary. You can use the new license server to log in to your V-Ray account and enable your licenses through the online licensing system. This process is outlined on V-Ray’s website.

It’s important to note that you can still use dongles. There is an option in the licensing server to enable a dongle. If you connect your dongle to your computer, open the license server, and choose “enable dongle”, your dongle license will be usable on the machine it is plugged into.

#2: Borrowing V-Ray Licenses

A common concern with this new system is “how can you work offline if you do not have a dongle?”. The new license server provides a way to borrow a license for up to two weeks at a time. This allows you to save a license file onto your computer that will enable you to use V-Ray even if you are not connected to the internet. If your organization has a V-Ray license server that you connect to, you can also borrow a license from that license server.

#3: Command Line License Server

For those of you who prefer working with the command line, there is the V-Ray License Server Controller. The controller allows you to modify your license server using a command line. You still have access to the same features as the desktop application of the license server but with the added versatility and power that comes with command line arguments. This could be especially useful in Unix-based systems such as OS X or Linux, where you can create shell scripts to automate a lot of otherwise tedious work.

#4: System Requirements

The system requirements for the license server 4.0 are nothing intense. As with most licensing software, it can be run on a minimal system, if necessary. The following tables can be found on V-Ray’s System Requirement’s page.

Minimum System Requirements
Regardless of Operating System

Compatible Operating Systems

Windows: Microsoft^® Windows^® 7 (SP1), Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 Professional operating system

Linux: CentOS 6 / Debian 8 / Fedora 17 / openSUSE 13.0 / Ubuntu 14.4

Mac: OS X 10.7

Conclusion

Chaos Group provides state of the art rendering solutions for architectural, VFX, film, media and entertainment, automotive design, television and other industries. V-Ray has set production standards for speed, quality, reliability, and ease of use. It is the rendering engine of choice for renowned studios and independent artists alike. The new license server for V-Ray provides more flexibility than ever before. You no longer need to worry about hardware dongles if you don’t want to. Conversely, if you prefer the hardware dongle, that functionality has not disappeared. The ability to borrow licenses for offline use allows you additional flexibility for your workflow. Hopefully, these new features help you get your software installed and working faster so you can start working on your projects quicker. Chaos Group offers education discounts for students, faculty, and schools at Studica. Commerical solutions are also available.