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Get Multiverse

FREE SOLO is a unified license ( interactive & render). It allows for commercial use, requires online access, is portable across machines but is limited to max 1 per network. Designed for indie / solo artist and whoever wants to evaluate the product. It comes with sporadic updates and community support only.

PRO CLOUD is a unified license (interactive & render). It requires online access and is portable across machines. Currently limited to max 99 per network. Designed for professionals that work independently or from remote. It comes with frequent updates and support services.

PRO OFFLINE are separate interactive or render floating licenses via offline license server. Designed for professionals and studios in closed networks. It comes with frequent updates and support services.

Multiverse Free and Pro Versions

Download our FREE SOLO version with online validation and community-only support. Purchase the PRO CLOUD version with portable cloud licensing and pro support services, or the PRO OFFLINE version with offline floating licenses and pro support services.

We release frequent software updates with bug fixes, new features and improvements, many of which come from working closely with our customers. We have earned the reputation for providing very quick feedback along with outstanding technical support, custom engineering and consulting services.

All licenses are covered by the Multiverse End User License Agreement (EULA).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Please check the frequently asked questions before contacting us with further inquiries about our product offering.

For any other information such as installation, running the software and usage guides, please read our Online Documentation.

Why Multiverse

With Multiverse | USD you have a future-proof 100% native USD solution for Maya that covers all the production steps from modeling, animation, layout, lookdev, scene assembly, mo-cap, crowds, to final shots lighting & rendering, both interactive & offline.

  • Used on major real world productions since 2015, worldwide.
  • Stable, predictable and rock solid
  • Customer-demand driven development.
  • Designed and crafted by a small company ran by developers rather than by a committee in a corporation ran by managers and marketers.
  • 100% native USD compatibility. Currently using USD v23.02 without any vendor-intermediate layer of abstractions (such as ufe in maya-usd) nor in-memory "virtual" nodes (nodes that do not exist in the Maya DG, such as in maya-usd). This prevents incompatibility between Maya versions allowing Multiverse to run as far back as Maya 2018, and ensure the best performance and the lowest memory usage.
  • Its non-destructive editing workflow featuring assets, compositions and overrides, simplifies data exchange within your work group, with external partners and between different applications that support USD.
  • It works out-of-the-box and delivers utmost performance when writing, reading, playing-back and rendering large production data sets.
  • It works with any Maya version: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and respective Python 2.7, 3.7, 3.9 and 3.10
  • It supports a variety of file formats through USD, such as Alembic, OBJ, STEP, IGES, IFC and STL.
  • It supports USDZ Material Packages.
  • It supports Light Linking between Maya lights and USD stage items.
  • It supports snapping between Maya objects and USD compounds.
  • It does not use any "virtual nodes" that don't exist in the Maya DG, this way we keep memory as low as possible and you can always set attributes, overrides, and setup animation keys on overrides.
  • It supports all major rendering engines, at multiple versions: Arnold, 3DelightNSI, Redshift, Renderman and VRay.
  • It's incredibly easy to use, with intuitive tools that can be used by any artist, no matter their technical knowledge.
  • With its straightforward Python API you can automate your workflow without the need to dig into the vastness of the USD APIs.
  • It offers unique tools, features and workflow that are actually production tested. So far Multiverse has been used so far in over 50 Hollywood, Netflix, Apple, and Amazon productions.
  • It works as the perfect companion of Solaris in a Maya ⇆ Houdini pipeline.
  • It can read animated USD skeletons from Vicon Shogun and link them to static USD meshes with skeleton thus effectively transferring the animation. It also supports the Maya blend shapes deformer.
  • It offers very frequent software updates with bug fixes, new features and improvements.
  • Last but not least, it is also available as a fully featured and completely free version.

For a more complete introduction and explanation of the Multiverse approach with USD, we strongly recommend to read the Multiverse Introduction.

Relation with other Maya USD Tools

Multiverse originates from a proprietary code-base which was built over 8 major releases in 9 years by J Cube Inc. Leveraging this experience, Multiverse was re-written from the ground up with USD at its core in version 6, with a new end-to-end multi-threaded architecture, from scene construction to final rendering, thus resulting into a completely new software. As of version 7 Multiverse introduces the new "HydraVP2" viewport which offers the best combined experience of v5 (VP2) and v6 (Hydra), without none of the limitations. As of version 8 support for other file-formats and usdz material packages have been added.

Compared to other tools, Multiverse | USD stands out because is designed to deliver an easy and logical workflow while providing the utmost performance and efficiency (I/O, memory, speed, rendering, time to first pixel). It is made for real-world artists, indies, professional users and companies that require a USD solution built with engineering grade. Its UI and UX are well thought, pleasant and ready for deployment in production environments of any scale.

Multiverse is compiled, cross platform (Windows, Linux, macOS), offers the exact same features and experience across Maya versions (2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024) and supports all major render engines. Multiverse also offers an easy to use Python API that is straightforward to use & integrate, abstracting the complexity and vastness of the USD APIs.

We are committed to continuously support Multiverse, both in its Free and Pro versions, and to further expand its reach in the market for the years to come.

For a more complete introduction and explanation of the Multiverse approach with USD, we strongly recommend to read the Multiverse Introduction.

Free Vs Pro

The FREE SOLO version requires online access to the internet. A license is sent to a unique, valid, e-mail address. The license is portable between machines, however note that concurrent use is not possible: max 1 free license is allowed per network. Only the latest free version of Multiverse will work with a free license. If you need more than one license in the same network you need to purchase the Pro version.

The PRO CLOUD version requires online access to the internet: licenses are served by the Cloud using the highly scalable AWS Lambda services with a nominal 99.95% uptime reliability. The license is also portable, meaning you can use it on any computer and network as it is not tied to a machine id. You can currently have up to 99 concurrent pro cloud licenses in use in a network.

The PRO OFFLINE version works offline: floating licenses are distributed by a local license server over a network. If you are planning to use Multiverse Pro Offline on more than one computer concurrently, you need to purchase as many floating licenses as the number of computers you wish to use concurrently.

Support Services

For the FREE SOLO version you can rely on community support on our public Slack support channel. You can also report issues via our GitLab public issue tracker. Access to software updates is limited to the latest selected Free version for maya 2022 py37, for which we provide sporadic updates. Only for the Free version, when a new update is released users have to update to the latest version as we want free users to always run the latest free version available. Finally no Maya batch is available with the free version.

For the PRO CLOUD version you are entitled of customer support assistance by e-mail, private Slack channel, and access to production software updates for a period of one year from the purchase date: this includes patch releases (with frequent updates), minor releases (about monthly), as well as major releases (about yearly) during the license validity period.

For the PRO OFFLINE version you are entitled of customer support assistance by e-mail, private Slack channel, and access to production software updates for a period of one year from the purchase date: this includes patch releases (with frequent updates), minor releases (about monthly), as well as major releases (about yearly) during the license validity period.

Studio License

We offer a Studio License (up to 999 interactive + 999 render licenses) for 12,500 USD/year. This is an ideal solution for medium to large organizations that elastically scale without the need to worry for strict number of licenses. The Studio License is tied to a single company and does not cover subsidiaries or outsource partners: it is strictly forbidden to share Pro Licenses to any 3rd parties, according to EULA restrictions. The Studio License can be purchased online by credit card or by wire transfer, for further information please contact J Cube sales or our Resellers. If you need more than 999 interactive + 999 render licenses please contact us.

Interactive Vs Render License

An interactive license is checked out within the context of the host application (e.g. Maya or Maya batch). A Render license is checked out exclusively when rendering, either from the host application (e.g. Maya / Maya batch) or from a standalone rendering command (e.g. 3DelightNSI renderdl, Arnold kick, Renderman prman), VRay vray.bin). Finally, if a Render license is requested but is not available, then an interactive license will be used instead (if available). Note that Multiverse licenses are per-host: this means you can launch as many instances of the DCC App (e.g. Maya) or the renderer (e.g Arnold) from the same machine, and still use 1 single license. For more information on installing floating licenses, check out our setup documentation.

When does Multiverse check for licenses

All versions of Multiverse will always check for their respective licenses in the following cases:

  • When loading the Maya plug-in
    • FREE SOLO: handled by online free licensing.
    • PRO CLOUD: handled by online cloud licensing.
    • PRO OFFLINE: an offline interactive floating license is checked.
  • When writing USD assets/compositions/overrides
    • FREE SOLO : handled by online free licensing.
    • PRO CLOUD: handled by online cloud licensing.
    • PRO OFFLINE: an offline interactive floating license is checked.
  • When rendering (within Maya context or standalone rendering context)
    • FREE SOLO: handled by online free licensing.
    • PRO CLOUD: handled by online cloud licensing.
    • PRO OFFLINE: an offline render floating license is checked (if no render license is available, then an offline interactive floating license will be checked, if available).
Renderers

Multiverse fully supports the Arnold, 3DelightNSI, Redshift, Renderman and VRay renderers, and includes support for the revolutionary 3DelightNSI Cloud service.

We are committed to support as many production render engines as possible: support for other renderers that are not listed here can be also added depending on the renderer SDK availability and actual capabilities. Adding support for other renderers, including proprietary ones, can be also done under a custom engineering consulting contract. Contact Sales for more information.

Educational Discount

We offer a 25% discount on the Studio License to educational institutions. Contact us to purchase and get a Studio License for education.

Multiple Concurrent Users

The FREE SOLO version allows max 1 concurrent user per network.

The PRO CLOUD version allows up to 99 concurrent licenses in use in the network.

The PRO OFFLINE version can have as many concurrent users as the number of licenses you have purchased and these users can be offline. The Pro Version does not communicate in any form with our servers.

Resellers

Worldwide — J CUBE Inc. Contact Sales. If Japanese clients purchase directly through J CUBE, support will be provided in English.

JapanCrescent Inc and Born Digital.

Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, ThailandJadason Technology.

Validity of Pro Version

Depending on the purchase, a license includes software updates for one year or one month from the purchase date. If a license is expired please Contact Sales to renew it.

Commercial Use with Free Version

The Free Version allows for commercial use and is not time limited: it is automatically renewed every year.

Refund Policy

We provide a FREE version to anyone. This version is fully functional, completely free and commercially usable: it can be therefore also used as a mean to evaluate the product. Therefore, we do not offer refunds on the PRO versions.

Payment Methods

We accept credit & debit cards payments with Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Apple Pay, AliPay and WeChat Pay, all through secure Stripe checkout. We also accept bank wire transfer to our bank in Japan (Mizuho Bank). Our resellers may offer additional payment methods. When purchasing from the website, where we offer pre-made bundles of licenses, there are no additional service charges for credit card. For custom quantity order via credit card there is an additional 3.6% credit card fee. All credit card payments are confirmed within 1 work day, while bank wire transfers may take up to 3 work days to confirm (but you may be eligible to receive a temporary license key in the interim). Generally, after you have made a purchase, you will receive a further instructions by the next work day.

TAX (VAT)

International customers (customers outside of Japan) are not required to pay any additional tax such as sales tax or VAT.

Payment & Licenses

After purchasing the PRO version, in order to obtain your floating license keys, you shall provide to us your license server Host ID by sending an e-mail to sales@j-cube.jp. Please refer to the Setup Guide for more information on how to install your license, if in doubt about what is your HostID please feel free to contact us. Licenses are covered by the End User License Agreement (EULA). Licenses are issued by J Cube Inc. Yokohama, Japan.

Support Response Timing

For the PRO CLOUD version, the license key, along with the software download information, are sent by e-mail when payment is confirmed. No machine ID is needed because the license is cloud validated and portable.

We generally reply e-mails from customers by the next working day. Slack response may be faster. Please note we are located in JST (Japan time) and that we are not available during Japanese holidays. We recommend email communication for anything sensitive, for licensing related issues and cases where data needs to be shared privately, contact support by e-mail at support@j-cube.jp. For sales and pre-sales questions use sales@j-cube.jp.

macOS Metal Graphics API

On macOS we support the Metal graphics API (instead of OpenGL). This work is done in collaboration with Apple.

Version of USD

Multiverse | USD v8 uses native USD 23.02. This means it naturally writes and reads native USD files. Note that Alembic files are read through the USD API: this means that in memory they become real USD data at all effects.

Portability of the FREE SOLO and PRO CLOUD License

The FREE SOLO and PRO CLOUD licenses are exclusively tied to a running session, and not to your machine hardware. This means you can run them on any machine simply by having the license file in the Multiverse installation folder. In the case of the FREE SOLO you cannot use the same license on multiple machines simultaneously: max 1 free license per network is allowed, while in the case of the PRO CLOUD license, concurrency depends from the number of licenses you have purchased.