Media & Entertainment Collection

Autodesk Support

Dec 19, 2023


Products and versions covered


Questions and Answers

 

  1. What is included in the Media & Entertainment Collection?
  2. What kind of workflows are best suited for the Media & Entertainment Collection?
  3. What are Arnold Packs?
  4. How do the additional instances of Bifrost in the collection work?
  5. Where is the Media & Entertainment Collection available for purchase?
  6. What options are available to me for accessing Arnold in the Media & Entertainment Collection?
  7. What is the difference between single-user and multi-user Arnold subscriptions?
  8. Can a single-user Arnold subscription included with a subscription to the Media & Entertainment Collection be assigned to different users?
  9. Which type of subscription should I get if I want to use Arnold on a render farm?
  10. If my Media & Entertainment Collection subscription is up for renewal, however my initial subscription purchase was not through an Autodesk-authorized reseller, how can I get the 5-seat multi-user subscription of Arnold upon renewal?
  11. Is the 5-seat multi-user subscription of Arnold with the Media & Entertainment Collection available for sale worldwide?
  12. If I have a subscription for a standalone product (such as 3ds Max or Maya), can I switch to the Media & Entertainment Collection?
  13. How can I get support for technical or licensing questions?

 

Introduction

The Media & Entertainment Collection includes all the tools you need to build a powerful and scalable 3D pipeline for complex effects, animation, and rendering.

 

Overview

1. What is included in the Media & Entertainment Collection?

The following products are included in a subscription to the Media & Entertainment Collection:

  • Maya® (includes the ability to run Bifrost on up to 15 machines)
  • 3ds Max®
  • Arnold (single-user on up to 5 separate machines or 5-seat multi-user subscription)
  • Mudbox®
  • MotionBuilder®
  • ReCap® Pro
  • Character Generator (as part of the point products in the Collection)

Additionally, Media & Entertainment Collection subscribers gain Cloud Rights, which grant access to run remote batch functionality via multiple computers over the Internet. For more on Cloud Rights, review the Cloud Rights FAQ.

2. What kind of workflows are best suited for the Media & Entertainment Collection?

The Media & Entertainment Collection is ideal for film, TV, and games customers who enjoy flexibility and options when it comes to content creation, and who may need multiple tools at their disposal at any given time. VFX and animation workflows are bolstered with the addition of Cloud Rights through Maya and 3ds Max, access to a 5-seat multi-user subscription of Arnold, and the ability to run Bifrost for Maya on up to 15 machines. Cloud Rights and Arnold help provide more rendering capacity and added instances of Bifrost make it easier to process large-scale simulations.

3. What are Arnold Packs?

Arnold Packs are multiple Arnold renderer subscriptions bundled together, which you can use locally or on the cloud. See Question 6 below for more details on how you can access the 5-seat multi-user subscription with a Media & Entertainment Collection subscription.

Standalone Arnold 5-seat, 25-seat, or 100-seat multi-user subscriptions are also available with built-in discounts based on pack size. For more information, you can refer to the Arnold Subscription Packs FAQ.

4. How do the additional instances of Bifrost in the collection work?

Bifrost is a portable visual programming environment that allows you to create procedural simulations and build new tools and workflows in Maya. The Bifrost command-line tool (bifcmd) makes it possible to run Bifrost simulations, process geometry, and any other non-interactive graph, outside of Maya. In the case of the Media & Entertainment Collection, you can run 15 instances of Bifrost outside of Maya using bifcmd. For more information, please refer to the special terms here.

To learn more about how the Bifrost command-line tool works, you can read the Bifcmd, Bifrost Engine, and Bifrost Compute Jobs Explained article on AREA.

 

Availability & Access

5. Where is the Media & Entertainment Collection available for purchase?

The Media & Entertainment Collection is available for purchase at Autodesk.com or through an Autodesk-authorized reseller .

6. What options are available to me for accessing Arnold in the Media & Entertainment Collection?

If you buy a named user Media & Entertainment Collection subscription at Autodesk.com, you get a single-user Arnold subscription which you can download and use on 5 separate machines. Read the Special Terms for Arnold Entitlement with the Media & Entertainment Collection for more details.

If you buy a named user Media & Entertainment collection subscription from an Autodesk-authorized reseller, you can receive a 5-seat multi-user subscription of Arnold. You must submit a request to an Autodesk-authorized reseller to receive the 5-seat multi-user subscription. The 5-seat multi-user subscription terminates at the end of the Media & Entertainment Collection subscription. The option to get multi-user subscriptions in place of the single-user subscription is only available if you buy from an Autodesk-authorized reseller and does not apply if you buy at Autodesk.com. You must choose the single-user subscription or the 5-seat multi-user subscription and cannot use both with your subscription.

If you currently have a multi-user Media & Entertainment Collection subscription, you can continue to get the 5-seat multi-user subscription of Arnold, which is embedded within the subscription file. However, you are then not eligible to receive an additional, separate 5-seat multi-user subscription of Arnold as well.

7. What is the difference between single-user and multi-user Arnold subscriptions?

With a single-user subscription, it’s possible for you to simply sign into your Autodesk Account to access and start using Arnold. Single-user subscriptions require the Autodesk subscription to be assigned to a single “named” user. Whereas multi-user access allows subscriptions to be shared across multiple workstations using a network license server, a single-user subscription can only be used by the named user. With single-user access, you need to connect to the Internet every 30 days and sign into the software so that Autodesk can verify that the subscription is still current as well as keep the software up to date. There is an in-product reminder 3 days prior to having to reconnect.

8. Can a single-user Arnold subscription included with a subscription to the Media & Entertainment Collection be assigned to different users?

No. While you can use a single-user Arnold subscription on up to 5 separate machines, you may only assign the single-user subscription to one “named” user. This user must be the same across all the products included in the collection, including Maya and 3ds Max. With a multi-user subscription, you may share your 5-seat multi-user subscription of Arnold across multiple workstations and users. For more information on Arnold access and usage, you can see the special terms for Arnold in the Media & Entertainment Collection.

9. Which type of subscription should I get if I want to use Arnold on a render farm?

If you plan to use Arnold on a render farm, multi-user subscriptions are the best choice for you. An Arnold single-user subscription is best if you are an individual artist or small studio rendering on a local network of workstations.

10. If my Media & Entertainment Collection subscription is up for renewal, however my initial subscription purchase was not through an Autodesk-authorized reseller, how can I get the 5-seat multi-user subscription of Arnold upon renewal?

If your subscription to the Media & Entertainment Collection is up for renewal, and you are interested in the 5-seat multi-user subscription of Arnold, you must contact an Autodesk-authorized reseller prior to your renewal date to determine if you are eligible. If you are eligible, you will need to cancel the automatic renewal in your Autodesk Account. Instructions for canceling an automatic renewal can be found here. Then, a new subscription to the Media & Entertainment Collection, which includes the 5-seat multi-user subscription, can be processed by an Autodesk-authorized reseller.

11. Is the 5-seat multi-user subscription of Arnold with the Media & Entertainment Collection available for sale worldwide?

Yes, the 5-seat multi-user subscription of Arnold with the Media & Entertainment Collection is available for sale worldwide.

 

Switching to the Media & Entertainment Collection

12. If I have a subscription for a standalone product (such as 3ds Max or Maya), can I switch to the Media & Entertainment Collection?

Yes, you can switch from standalone products to the Media & Entertainment Collection. For more information on making the switch, you must contact an Autodesk-authorized reseller.

 

Support

13. How can I get support for technical or licensing questions?

If you need support, you can sign in to your Autodesk Account and create a case in the Support Requests section. You can also refer our self-service support page .



Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, Maya, MotionBuilder, Mudbox, ReCap Pro, and 3ds Max are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. © 2022 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

Products:

3ds Max; Maya; MotionBuilder; Mudbox; Character Generator; ReCap; SketchBook Pro; Arnold;


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