INFO: Understanding XSI Licensing
The information on this page applies to XSI v7.x.
| Table of contents |
An Important Note about Multi-Core CPUs
Multi-core CPU helps speed up the multithreaded aspects of XSI such as ICE, rendering, render regions, fx compositing, envelopes and lattices, and cage deformations.
For XSI and xsibatch licenses, a multi-core CPU is no different than a regular single-core CPU: they both consume one license only. In fact, XSI and xsibatch licenses do not count the number of CPUs or the number of cores. XSI and xsibatch will use all CPUs and all cores for rendering.
For example, a quad quad-core machine takes a single XSI/xsibatch license.
Note that mental ray standalone licenses are per-CPU licenses.
XSI Advanced Licenses
XSI Advanced includes the following:
1 Advanced license (XSIAdv2X)
The Advanced license allows you to:
- Run an interactive seat of XSI or run xsibatch.
- Render on all local CPUs and use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering.
- Run Behavior.
5 Batch licenses (XSIBatchA)
A Batch license allows you to:
- Run xsibatch.
- Render on all local CPUs and use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering.
8 batch processing licenses (for example, "xsibatch -processing -script"). These licenses allow you to have up to eight computers running batch processing jobs. Batch processing can includes things like exporting .mi2 files, exporting rib files, baking, committing, asset management, custom render management/submission, dynamics, ... anything in a complex pipeline that requires automation and remote processing, but not rendering. (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showpost.php?p=4870718&postcount=10)
For example, with XSI Advanced you can run an interactive session of XSI on one computer, and five xsibatch jobs on other computers. Or you can run six xsibatch jobs on six separate computers.
XSI Advanced 7.0 License Tokens
| Token | QTY | Version | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| XSIAdvW -or- XSIAdvA | 1 | 7.0 | XSIAdvW is a Windows license, and XSIAdvA is an All OS license that works on either Windows or Linux.
For XSI Advanced and XSI Behavior. Can also be used to run xsibatch. Allows you to render on all local CPUs and use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering. |
| XSIBatchA | 5 | 7.0 | Allows you to run xsibatch (for example, xsibatch -render). With xsibatch -render, you can render on all local CPUs and use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering. |
| XSIAdvProcA | 8 | 7.0 | Allows you to run up to eight batch processing jobs on other computers. For example, by running "xsibatch -processing -script". Does not include rendering. |
XSI Advanced 6.5 License Tokens
| Token | QTY | Version | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| XSILinux | 1 | 6.5 | Allows XSI Advanced to run on Linux. |
| XSIWindows | 1 | 6.5 | Allows XSI Advanced to run on Windows. |
| XSIAdv2X | 1 | 6.5 | For XSI Advanced and XSI Behavior. Can also be used to run xsibatch. Allows you to render on all local CPUs and use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering. |
| XSIBatchA | 5 | 6.5 | Allows you to run xsibatch (for example, xsibatch -R or xsibatch -script). With xsibatch -R, you can render on all local CPUs and use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering. |
| XSIAdvProcA | 8 | 6.5 | Allows you to run up to eight batch processing jobs on other computers. For example, by running "xsibatch -processing -script". Does not include rendering. |
| XSIRender2X | 1 | 3.5 | Legacy tokens used by older versions of XSI. |
| XSIEntrprs | 1 | 6.0 | Legacy tokens used by older versions of XSI. |
XSI Advanced 6.02 and earlier had the same tokens, but only 1 XSIBatchA.
Batch Processing
-
If you run xsibatch -script on two computers, the first xsibatch takes the XSIBatchA token, and the second xsibatch takes the XSIAdv2X token (if it is available). If XSIAdv2X is already taken, then xsibatch will report "No interactive license available to run XSI".
In this situation, if you are not rendering, then you can use the -processing flag to take one of the XSIAdvProcA tokens.
- If you run multiple copies of xsibatch on the same computer, they share the XSIBatchA token.
Sharing
The XSIAdvW and XSIAdvA tokens can be shared, which means that you can run multiple instances of XSI on the same computer.
The XSIBatchA token can also be shared, so you can run as many xsibatch jobs as you want on the same computer.
XSI Essentials Licenses
XSI Essentials includes the following:
1 Essentials license (XSIEss2X)
The Essentials license allows you to:
- Run an interactive seat of XSI or run xsibatch.
- Render on all local CPUs and use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering.
4 batch processing licenses(XSIEssProcA), which you use like this: "xsibatch -processing -script"). These licenses allow you to have up to four computers running batch processing jobs. Batch processing can includes things like exporting .mi2 files, exporting rib files, baking, committing, asset management, custom render management/submission, dynamics, ... anything in a complex pipeline that requires automation and remote processing, but not rendering. (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showpost.php?p=4870718&postcount=10)
XSI Essentials 7.0 License Tokens
| Token | QTY | Version | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| XSIEssW -or- XSIEssA | 1 | 7.0 | XSIEssW is a Windows license, and XSIEssA is an All OS license that works on either Windows or Linux.
For running interactive XSI Essentials. Can also be used to run xsibatch. Allows you to render on all local CPUs and use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering. |
| XSIEssProcA | 4 | 7.0 | Allows you to run up to four batch processing jobs on other computers. For example, by running "xsibatch -processing -script". Does not include rendering. |
XSI Essentials 6.5 License Tokens
| Token | QTY | Version | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| XSILinux | 1 | 6.5 | Allows XSI Essentials to run on Linux. |
| XSIWindows | 1 | 6.5 | Allows XSI Essentials to run on Windows. |
| XSIEss2X | 1 | 6.5 | For XSI Essentials. Allows you to render on all local CPUs and use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering. |
| XSIEssProcA | 4 | 6.5 | Allows you to run up to four batch processing jobs on other computers. For example, by running "xsi -processing -script". Does not include rendering. |
| XSIRender2X | 1 | 3.5 | Legacy tokens used by older versions of XSI. |
| XSIEntrprs | 1 | 6.5 | Legacy tokens used by older versions of XSI. |
XSI Foundation
A Foundation license allows you to run an interactive session of Foundation. There is no batch (xsibatch) capability, and no satellite rendering.
Foundation uses mental ray for rendering, and mental ray will use all CPUs on the computer.
A Foundation license can be activated on up to two computers.
XSI Foundation Windows
| Token | QTY | Version | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| XSIFndW32 | 1 | 6.0 | Allows you to run XSI Foundation on Windows. |
XSI Foundation Linux
| Token | QTY | Version | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| XSIFndA32 | 1 | 6.0 | Allows you to run XSI Foundation on Linux. |
XSI Batch
| Token | QTY | Version |
|---|---|---|
| XSIRdOnly2X | 1 | 6.5 |
| XSILinux | 1 | 6.5 |
| XSIWindows | 1 | 6.5 |
| XSIEntrprs | 1 | 6.5 |
| XSIBatRender2X | 1 | 3.5 |
| XSIBatEntrprs | 1 | 6.5 |
- XSIBatRender2X, XSIBatEntrprs, and XSIEntrprs are legacy tokens used only by older versions of (pre-4.0) XSI.
XSI Batch Universal
Batch Univeral licenses are either 32-bit or 64-bit. If you have a 32-bit Batch Universal license, you cannot render on 64-bit computers. The license tokens are different. 32-bit and 64-bit Batch Univeral are separate purchases.
|
XSI BatchUniversal All OS
|
XSI BatchUniversal Windows
|
XSI BatchUniversal 64bit All OS
|
XSI BatchUniversal 64bit Windows
|
- XSIBatRender2X, XSIBatEntrprs, and XSIEntrprs are legacy tokens used only by older versions of (pre-4.0) XSI.
mental ray standalone
mental ray standalone licenses are like Batch Universal license: they are either 32-bit or 64-bit.
mental ray standalone licenses are per-CPU licenses; each CPU requires a license.
mental ray 32-bit license tokens
| Token | QTY | Version | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| XSIStdRender32 | 1 | 3.5 | 32-bit mental ray standalone. |
mental ray 64-bit license tokens
| Token | QTY | Version | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| XSIStdRender64 | 1 | 3.5 | 64-bit mental ray standalone. |
XSI for Students/Teachers
| Token | QTY | Version | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| XSIASAdvW | 1 | 6.5 | XSI license. |
