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Install and License

This page helps you get BlenderSync for Revit ready to use. For synchronization to work, two things must be true:

  • BlenderSync for Revit is installed in Revit
  • Blender and BlenderSync for Blender are installed, running, and available

If either side is missing, syncing from Revit will usually look like nothing happened. Check this page first before moving on to project setup or troubleshooting.

Install BlenderSync for Revit

BlenderSync for Revit is installed with an installer. During installation, the installer autodetects Revit and adds the add-in automatically.

Close Revit before you run the installer.

After installation is complete, open Revit and confirm that the BlenderSync tab appears in the ribbon.

Required prerequisites

BlenderSync for Revit works together with Blender. It does not work as a standalone Revit-only tool.

Before synchronization can work, all of the following must be true:

  • Blender is installed
  • Blender is running
  • BlenderSync for Blender is installed
  • BlenderSync for Blender is enabled
  • The BlenderSync server is running

In a normal setup, the BlenderSync server starts automatically when Blender starts.

If Blender is not running, or if the BlenderSync server is not available, synchronization from Revit will not happen.

License

BlenderSync for Revit uses a subscription-based access model. To use the add-in on a machine, that machine needs either an activated subscription seat or an active free trial.

A seat is one machine's active subscription access. When you activate BlenderSync on a machine, that machine acquires one seat from your subscription.

An active seat lets that machine use BlenderSync for Revit normally. On a machine with an active seat, the working commands are available and you can set up and run synchronization from Revit.

Seats are assigned per machine, not per person. If you activate BlenderSync on two machines at the same time, that uses two seats.

You acquire a seat by opening License, entering your license key, and clicking Activate. If your subscription still has a seat available, that seat is assigned to the current machine.

If all seats are already in use, another machine cannot be activated until a seat is freed. In that case, activation on the new machine will not complete.

To free a seat, use Release This Device on a machine that is already activated. The seat becomes available immediately and can then be used on another machine.

The free trial is separate from subscription seats. It does not use one of your available seats, but it still gives that machine access to BlenderSync for Revit during the trial period.

Use Refresh Status in the License window to check current licensing details, including seat usage.

For synchronization to work, Blender must be ready and the current machine must have an active license or trial.

Open License

Use License in the Settings panel to open the license window.

This is where you can activate a license, start a free trial, release the current machine, and refresh the displayed license status.

When the license is inactive

If the current machine is not activated and does not have an active trial, BlenderSync functionality is blocked.

In that state, only License remains available. The rest of the working commands are disabled:

  • Setup
  • Changes
  • Selected
  • Capture
  • Start

If you open BlenderSync and those commands are unavailable, check the license state first.

Activate a license

To acquire a seat for the current machine, enter your license key in the License window and click Activate.

If a seat is available in your subscription, it is assigned to that machine right away.

Once the machine is activated, the Activate button is no longer shown. The License window then shows the actions used for an already activated machine, including Release This Device and Refresh Status.

Start a free trial

If you do not want to activate a license immediately, use Start Free Trial in the License window.

When you click Start Free Trial, BlenderSync checks with the license server whether the current machine has already used a trial. A free trial starts only if that machine has not trialed before.

The free trial lasts 14 days and is tied to the machine.

Release this device

Use Release This Device when you want to remove the seat from the current machine and make it available elsewhere.

When you click Release This Device, the current machine is deactivated immediately and the License window returns to the non-activated state.

Refresh status

Use Refresh Status to update the displayed licensing information.

This action also renews the lease. In normal use, lease renewal usually happens automatically, so Refresh Status is mainly useful when you want to confirm the current state or force a refresh of the displayed details.

There is no separate visible confirmation specifically for lease renewal.

When you use Refresh Status, the License window can show details such as seat usage, access-until, and lease-until.

If the add-in still cannot be used

If BlenderSync commands remain unavailable or synchronization still appears not to happen, check the following before continuing:

  • the machine has an active license or trial
  • Blender is running
  • BlenderSync for Blender is installed and enabled
  • the BlenderSync server is running

After those checks are confirmed, continue to Project Setup.