Licensing

Flares OFX supports multiple licensing models to accommodate individual users, small teams, and large studio environments. The licensing system is designed to be predictable in production, flexible to deploy, and compatible with both connected and offline workflows.

License Types

Personal License (Node-Locked)

The Personal License is intended for individual users and single-workstation setups.

Activated on a single machine (node-locked)
License key is stored locally on that system
Periodic internet connectivity is required for license validation

An internet connection is required when using the Lens System Browser and Lens System Editor, as the license periodically validates against the licensing server. Rendering does not require an active internet connection and will continue to function normally.

The license can be activated or deactivated through the user interface, allowing it to be moved between machines when needed.

Multi-Seat License (Online, Non-Locked)

The Multi-Seat License is designed for small teams or facilities that require multiple concurrent users without strict machine locking.

A single license key supports multiple seats
Seats are bound to specific machines but can be deactivated and activated on another anytime
Periodic internet connectivity is required for license validation

This license behaves similarly to the Personal License from a user perspective, but allows multiple artists to use the plugin concurrently, up to the number of seats included in the license.

License activation and management are handled through the plugin’s user interface.

Studio License (Offline Floating)

The Studio License is designed for large studio and facility environments where offline operation and centralized control are required.

Fully offline, floating license
No internet connection required after setup
License key is distributed via environment variables
Once configured, the plugin is available to all users on the facility network

This model is suitable for secure or air-gapped environments and does not require per-user activation through the plugin interface.

License Activation

Personal and Multi-Seat Licenses

Personal and Multi-Seat licenses are activated directly from within the plugin interface.

To activate a license:

Open the Lens System Browser
Click License Manager
Paste the provided license key
Click Activate

After activation, the plugin generates a license.json file and stores it in the configured working directory. This is either the user’s home directory or a custom path defined via environment variables.

Studio License (Offline Floating)

For the Offline Studio License, activation is handled through environment variables rather than the plugin user interface.

Once the environment variables are set, the license becomes available to all users without further activation steps.

Environment Variables

(Studio License – Offline Floating Only)

Environment variables are used to define shared data paths and inject the license key in studio deployments.

License Key Injection

The license key is provided directly through an environment variable:

export FLARES_LICENSE_KEY="your_license_key_here"

Shared Data and Asset Directory

Defines the directory that contains shared assets and the license file:

export FLARESOFX_DATA_DIR=/path/to/shared/data

This configuration is specific to the Studio License (Offline Floating) and is particularly useful for facilities using deployment tools (such as rez) to maintain read-only packages while still allowing artists to create and modify custom lens systems and presets.