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Why is registration required?

Most high-end software requires some form of dongle, hardware key or registration. These mechanisms help to control piracy and aid in providing quality customer service.

MAXON has chosen to require registration in lieu of a dongle or hardware key because we believe this is a more convenient option to the customer. Your registration allows us to quickly identify you as a customer when you request technical support or upgrades to more recent versions of the software. Your information may also be used to notify you of updates  that may be available for your software. 

MAXON takes great care to safeguard your privacy, and while your contact info may be shared with MAXON distributors and authorized resellers in the area, your information will never be given or sold to an organization without a direct affiliation to MAXON. For more information regarding our privacy policies, view the privacy policy link in the footer of each page on our website, or contact your local MAXON distributer.

Does CINEMA 4D support my graphics card?

Unfortunately we can't provide specific compatibility information regarding 3D graphics cards due to the rapidly changing nature of the graphics card industry. 

A list of graphics cards and drivers that are known to be compatible is linked from the main MAXON support page.

You can download our demo to test the graphics card yourself. If the card works well with the demo it will work well with the actual program. 

You can also download our CINEBENCH application from our website here - www.maxon.net/downloads/cinebench/cinebench-115.html

This will test the performance of your graphics card and will give it a score. The higher the score, the better the performance.

If you are experiencing problems, visit your graphics card manufacturer's website to download the latest drivers for your card.

I input my permanent serial number into the 'Personalize' dialog but it does not change to the new serial number.

If you're on a network, you must make sure you are logged in as the Administrator so the Permanent serial number can write to the registery. In most cases for both Mac and Windows, if you are logged on as a User, it's possible that you may not have the permission to write to the registery.

I have a Windows computer with a 64-bit CPU and Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7 64. What CINEMA 4D versions work with it?

All current 32 and 64-bit Windows versions of CINEMA 4D will work within Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7 64.

What are the disadvantages of using the 64-bit version of CINEMA 4D for Windows/Mac?

Libraries and plugins must be recompiled for use with the 64-bit version of CINEMA 4D. Plugins compiled for 32-bit Windows versions will not work. Many codecs and third-party libraries that support functions of CINEMA 4D are not yet compiled for use within 64-bit systems.

I can't import Illustrator files from V9 or CS. I have followed all of the instructions carefully and get an 'Unknown file format' error message. What am I doing wrong?

Adobe Illustrator v 5.5 through v 8 files can be imported into CINEMA 4D. To import a file created in v 9 or CS5 you must first save it in a compatible version. In Illustrator CS5, this is done using the Illustrator Legacy export option.

Also, make sure to convert any text or bitmap elements to splines prior to saving the Illustrator file.

The file can then be opened or merged normally in CINEMA 4D.

Will a 64-bit processor provide any performance benefits over a 32-bit?

The 64-bit processors will give slight speed increases, but not much. These CPUs allow the developers access to more RAM, but features must be written to utilize this RAM. As tools develop, the performance from 64-bit processing will become more significant.

What are the advantages of using the 64-bit version of CINEMA 4D for Windows/Mac?

The 64-bit version of CINEMA 4D can address much more memory than is supported within a 32-bit environment. If you have enough physical RAM in the system, out of memory errors will be a thing of the past. Another advantage is a speed increase of about 20% over the 32-bit version. This advantage is not really due to 64-bit but comes from the support for older (non 64-bit CPUs) being dropped.

Do MAXON products support multiple monitors?

All MAXON products will support any monitor installed in your system. In fact, at least two monitors are recommended for 3D work. MAXON's customizable interface can be easily adapted to any combination of monitors or resolutions.

Does my graphics card make any difference in rendering?

Rendering utilizes the CPU and RAM. If the Project fits completely within memory, processing power is the only hardware factor in rendering. If the Project doesn't fit into memory, hard drive speed has some effect due to virtual memory swapping. 

Graphics cards won't affect rendering speed, but will speed up the redraw in the Viewport, enabling you to work more interactively with complex Projects.