Mac to PC (Rebuying Software Concern)
polycounter lvl 8
Back in 2011, being a naive 20 year old, I decided to cave into the hype of the iMac and bought the damn thing. I like the machine. It has a nice user interface, a cool design, and whatnot, but clearly it seems the PC is the gamer's better friend. Anyway, my Mac is getting old and I'm thinking about switching to PC. 3d programs on my computer tend to crash or slow down, I cannot get the best detail, etcetera, etcetera. Problem is, I'm concerned about all of the 3d software I have. Will I have to re-buy software that I already own on my Mac? Programs I have that I'm concerned about are Substance Painter and Designer, Marmoset Toolbag, 3D Coat, and Zbrush. Zbrush I'm especially concerned about since I received a student discount version from Novedge.com. I'm wondering if the license code will work for the PC as well. I also have a student version of Maya (does the use expire?), which I mainly use for reorganizing UV maps, grouping objects, and nothing more. Slightly sad about that. If you guys have any information you can tell me in regards to this issue, I'd greatly appreciate your help. Thank you.
Replies
ZBrush is a different issue, my friend went through hell trying to get them to transfer his student license (also Mac -> Windows). I believe they caved after a while, but it took some serious stressing on his part.
I I can't speak on MTB. On the Autodesk side, each license for any version of software is active for 3 years from the start date. I've used my license on many machines, Windows, macOS, and Linux. No issues on that end.
Just did a quick search and it seems licence swaps are not possible anymore:
"Effective 27 Aug 2015 it is no longer possible to transfer licenses from one user to another.
Pixologic will only transfer license ownership in the case of a corporate acquisition where the licenses are acquired as part of the original company’s assets. For such a transfer we will require written proof of this company acquisition. To provide us with that proof and initiate the change of licensing information, please submit a Support ticket."
But it also seems you can swap platforms once:
"If you are abandoning your current platform entirely, effective 27 Aug 2015 it is now possible to make a one-time change of license platform. This will allow you to go from Windows to Mac or vice versa. "
If thats not possible you can get a 50% discount on a version for another platform