Licensing Substance for complete Offline Use

Report · Nov 19, 2021

Hi there,

I've been desperately trying to find some info, but both resellers and Adobe cannot tell me how to license Substance under the new Adobe regime.

- We license Adobe CC under FRL

- We're on a network which has no internet access

- We use the current licensing of Substance, which involves downloading a license file and pointing our Substance installs to the file. This works great, but I'm concerned Adobe may have screwed things up.

My question is:

We haven't migrated to the new Downloads area under Adobe, we still use the Allegorithmic one.

If we migrate to the new Adobe one, have they screwed with the licensing scheme that Substance used before? Will the Adobe login enable me to download the license file, and run on an offline network??

That's all i need to know. I don't want FRL for Substance, i just want to know if we renew our Substance licenses, if we can use them offline exactly as we did when Allegorithmic owned the tools.

Thanks for any and all assistance!!

Report · Nov 22, 2021

Bumpety bump... anyone from Adobe or Substance with any help?

Report · Nov 22, 2021

As far as I can tell it is the same licensing hassle as in the Adobe CC case. Unfortunately, I have similar problems but I cannot reach anyone from Adobe or Substance at all. Hope that this does not mean that the Substance development fades out as it happend in the case of Photoshop.

Report · Nov 22, 2021

Thanks for your reply!

I've tried contacting a load of people at both Adobe, and at Substance... also our software resellers (two of them) and none of them seem able to help.

If they have changed the licensing system to some archaic Adobe model, then we won't be able to use Substance any longer. Just continue the way it was, a license file, and I can download it and use it on our offline network.

Looks like they've forgotten about all us users that work on offline workstations!

Report · Nov 23, 2021

Gotta say I'm pretty disappointed in the change of Substance's support on the forum, compared to how it used to be. Have Adobe gone and fired everyone from Substance???

Activation and licenses | Substance 3D Designer (adobe.com)

This is the documentation, the bit under Activation Steps: Using the activation wizard.

Is this method still possible for the new Adobe Substance tools and how do I make sure my software reseller gets me the version of the suite that ensures I can use THAT method!????

Report · Nov 24, 2021

Hi, you would license Substance under FRL like you other Adobe licenses.

Report · Nov 25, 2021

Hi there Jeremie,

I'd prefer it if the licensing was identical to how it was before:

Like the below.

So far I've tried all forms of contact, even resellers, Adobe support, Substance Support and no one knows if it's licensed as above.

If it is still licensed like it was (above), then what package do we need to order to make sure that is what we get?

If the licensing has changed, we would require whatever licensing method would allow us to use the software in an offline network. (No internet).

I currently have a reseller also pulling her hair out over this! Our licenses expire at the end of the month and we require these tools to work!

Report · Nov 30, 2021

Hi there @Jeremie Noguer

Have you found any further info on this?

We're running out of time, our licenses expire in 4 weeks 😞

If nothing can be done because Adobe has neglected to plan for licensing Substance for Offline network usage, then please could we at least have an extension on our licenses until they come up with a solution?

Thank you

Report · Dec 01, 2021

Do you have a case number from when you contacted the Substance support?
We may be able to help better if you can give us more details through this channel.

Thank you!

Report · Dec 01, 2021

Unfortunately no one ever got back to me from the Substance Support channels, still... waiting...

I contacted an old Adobe contact who I thought would be able to help, and was told the 'licensing expert' from Adobe would be in touch with me, but that was over a week ago and I've not heard anything at all.

I just want to know if I can use Substance 'offline' Jeremie 😄

I'm certain you can help me 🙂

Report · Dec 20, 2021

After weeks and weeks of emailing and trying to find old Adobe contacts who might know something...

I have been told this:

- VIP licensing of Substance tools isn't possible (for whatever reason, I have ZERO idea why, no one at Adobe seems to know).

- The ONLY way to purchase Substance for offline use is to ask resellers for an ETLA (Enterprise Term Licence Agreement). So far all resellers I've contacted have been pulling their hair out over this, and cannot find anyone at Adobe who knows what is going on with offline licensing.

All seems VERY similar to when Adobe moved to CC and we were left high and dry then too. No offline licensing had even been constructed or thought about until years later.

So, I'll change my original question:

Does ETLA licensing from Adobe, enable me and my team to use Substance tools in an offline network???

Thanks

Report · Dec 21, 2021

Further updates:

- Adobe tell me to ask for an ETLA license agreement, this is the only method.

- Ask reseller for ETLA contract, and they tell me there is a minimum spend of £100,000.

I JUST want to use Substance Painter and Designer at work and upgrade our 4 licenses! What the hell is going on????

That'd be £25k per license of Substance.... INSANE!

Can someone sensible from Adobe please get back to me? We're looking at other options now, this is ridiculous.

Armor Paint and 3D Coat (which we already use) look great, I suggest anyone else reading this, to go over to an ecosystem where licensing products is possible.

Report · Jul 21, 2022

Still don't have any Substance licenses, thanks to the old Substance staff who thought perpetual licenses were a good idea back in v2, we're currently having to use that version.

So, an update... we have a contact at Adobe, but they say that FRL for Substance doesn't exist and we need to be put on an ETLA contract. (Basically stands for 'license to print money', finger in the air costs type license agreement).

I own Substance at home and it cost me £70 on Steam, for a perpetual license... yet you're charging companies fifty... yes FIFTY times more for an annual subscription!!!!!

I'm sorry Adobe, but this seems so wrong!

Report · Oct 11, 2022

Nearly a year later, still no substance licenses... STILL no closer to getting anything resolved. WTF is wrong with Adobe? Something is seriously eff'd up here. It's like Adobe doesn't want to sell any licenses... Such a shame Allegorithmic sold out, I get it, they probably had a great offer, but wow this place is a mess now 😞