Requirements
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DCC Plugin License - current active license for the OctaneRender DCC Plugin. If you do not own a DCC Plugin License, you can get it from our Shop Page. There are three different types of Licenses:
- OctaneRender Prime: This license type is free to use. Software supporting this License type will be able to use a maximum of 1 GPU, provides access to a selection of products, and will not be compatible with Beta Releases. Blender is one of the applications supported by OctaneRender Prime.
- OctaneRender Studio: Studio License Users enjoy full access to OTOY’s acclaimed OctaneRender VFX software and ecosystem, through low monthly or annual subscription offerings. Studio License Users will also have access to the latest Beta releases.
- Hardware - an NVIDIA graphics card that supports CUDA 10.1 minimum, with the latest drivers. You can find the download links for Windows here.
In accordance with GPL rules, the OctaneRender for Blender Addon consists of two parts:
- OctaneServer - You can download either a Prime or Studio version, depending on your License type. This application must be active on your PC, in order to use Octane features in Blender.
- OctaneRender for Blender Addon - OTOY provides the OctaneRender for Blender Addon as a zipped file, that can be installed from the Preferences window inside Blender.
Please note, that the Blender Addon will not be compatible with all releases of Blender - the ideal Blender version to use, with any given OctaneRender for Blender Addon, will be specified in the our official Release Posts and Downloads Page.
OctaneServer is paired with its matching version of the Blender Addon - it is important to ensure that the both version numbers are matching, before proceeding with installation.
Installation
Step 1) Download the version OctaneServer, and the Blender Addon, that matches your License type. You can find these in the Downloads section (Prime License Users should instead go here). Extract the contents from the OctaneServer zipped file.
Step 2) The extracted Octane Server folder, will contain the OctaneServer.exe file. Run this file, before opening Blender.
***Please make sure that any active instances of OctaneServer are closed, prior to Step 2***
Step 3) Once OctaneServer is running, open Blender and go to the Add-ons section of the Preferences window. Choose "Install from Disk", and select the zipped Blender Add-on file. (Please note: The Blender Addon file must remain zipped - do not extract this zipped file. Otherwise, it will not install properly).
Step 4) The Blender Add-on will now be visible in the Add-ons window. Click the the checkbox, next to the "OctaneBlender" entry, to enable the OctaneRender for Blender Addon.
Getting Started with the OctaneRender for Blender Addon
If you are not signed in to your OTOY Account, you will be prompted by a Sign-in screen (like the one below). Enter your OTOY Account Username and Password, then click the "Sign in" button. At this point, the single sign-on and licensing system pulls a valid license key from your account on OTOY’s secure server.
OctaneRender keeps the active session alive, as long you run your Addon-enabled Blender application on a regular basis. In most cases, you should not have to sign in to the OctaneRender licensing system again.
Once you have enabled your OctaneRender for Blender Addon, and activated your License, you will now have two new options under "File > New" that can create a new Octane-enabled scene for you.
Select either of the above options, to open a new scene. The new scene will be similar to the default Startup File, except it will be fully configured for immediate use with OctaneRender.
You are now ready to get started, with OctaneRender for Blender.
Additional Online Resources