AUTODESK ACCOUNT
MANAGEMENT

Whether you own Autodesk software via subscription, through a maintenance plan, or a combination of the two, Autodesk account is the go-to place for managing software, users, and cloud services for your organization.

  • CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

    To begin, we want to introduce you to the two levels of administrative access for Autodesk Account.

    CONTRACT MANAGER The main point of contact on an Autodesk contract. If you purchased a subscription or were assigned by your company as the contract administrator for a maintenance plan contract, you are the Contract Manager. Below are permissions and tools unique to this role:

    • EMAIL COMMUNICATION The CM receives the welcome email with details about setting up setting up new software purchases and end users and receives renewal notices and any relevant communication from Autodesk and MG.aec.
    • USER MANAGEMENT Can designate Software Coordinators and other end-users to need access to software and services.
    • CONTRACT MANAGEMENT Can access contract renewal and billing information.

    SOFTWARE COORDINATOR A role assigned by the Contract Manager to assist in the management of a subscription or maintenance plan contract. Below are permissions and tools for this role:

    • EMAIL COMMUNICATION Receives notifications about downloading new releases, extensions, or upgrades of Autodesk software.
    • USER MANAGEMENT Assign access to software and services.

    LOGGING IN & VIEWING ASSETS Now that we have the administrator roles established, let’s dive into logging into Autodesk Account and the ins and outs of the site. Visit accounts.autodesk.com/register and enter your information to create your account. If you already have an account, you can skip this step.

    To view software assets, visit manage.autodesk.com, or simply click the “management” tab at the top of the screen from the Autodesk Account home page. The login you created in the first step will serve as your login for all things Autodesk. From the Management tab, you can view all of the software products you currently own, both for subscription and maintenance plans.

  • DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE

    There are three ways to download software. Install Now, Download Now, and Browser Download. We will explore each method below and describe the differences between them. In our testing, we have determined that Google Chrome is the best browser to use, followed by Internet Explorer. We do not recommend using Firefox. Not all download options are available for each version and platform. You may have to select a different platform and/or click the More options link (if available) to see additional download options.

    Install Now

    Best for standalone, single-user subscriptions or maintenance plan products. Will not work for networked, multi-user subscriptions or maintenance plans.

    1. From manage.autodesk.com, locate the software you wish to download in the list of Products & Services and click downloads *Note: If you have purchased an AEC collection, you can click on the Collection to view the associated products on the left hand side of the screen

    1. Select your Version, Platform, and Click the Install Now button. If the button does not say “Install Now,” click View All to select from the list. If Install Now or View All options are not available, please select a different download method.

    *Note: For Windows systems, 32-bit or 64-bit refers to the version of your operating system, which you can check by going to Control Panel > System. You must choose the correct version in order to use the software.

    1. Select “I Accept” on the License Agreement screen and click If your browser asks what to do with the install file, select Run. Note about “Communication Error” message: A “Communication Error” could indicate a problem with your browser’s security settings.

    1. Click Install on the installation screen. Some products offer the options offer the option of selecting the language for installation instructions.

    Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. Your software will download while it installs.

    Download Now

    This method reduces the time it takes to get applications up and running. If this method is not available when you sign in to Autodesk Account, use an alternative method. We recommend using Google Chrome for this option.

    1. From manage.autodesk.com, locate the software you wish to download in the list of Products & Services and click downloads *Note: If you have purchased an AEC collection, you can click on the Collection to view the associated products on the left hand side of the screen

    2. Select your Version, Platform, and Language. Click the View All link and select Download now. If Download Now or the View All options are not available, your system configuration is not compatible with this method and you will have to select a different one.

    *Note: For Windows systems, 32-bit or 64-bit refers to the version of your operating system, which you can check by going to Control Panel > System. You must choose the correct version in order to use the software.

    3. Install the Autodesk Download Manager if prompted. Accept the License Agreement, click Install and follow on-screen instructions. Note about “Communication Error” message: A “Communication Error” could indicate a problem with your browser’s security settings.

    4. Click OK when prompted for a save location by the Download Manager. This saves the install file in the default location (recommended). The Download Manager will display download progress. When the download is complete, you will see options to Install or view the downloaded files in your file browser.

    Browser Download

    This method is the best option if you cannot use the Autodesk Download Manager or other download methods that are not offered or resulted in an error. Note that not all download methods are available for all products and platforms. We do recommend if you are using this method that you use Google Chrome and disable your pop-up blocker before you begin.

    1. From manage.autodesk.com, locate the software you wish to download in the list of Products & Services and click downloads *Note: If you have purchased an AEC collection, you can click on the Collection to view the associated products on the left hand side of the screen.

    2. Select your Version, Platform, and Language. Click the View All link and select Browser Download. For some platforms, such as Macintosh, Browser Download is the only method available.

    *Note: For Windows systems, 32-bit or 64-bit refers to the version of your operating system, which you can check by going to Control Panel > System. You must choose the correct version in order to use the software.

    1. Launch the .exe or .dmg file after all downloads are complete:

    Mac OS: Launching the .dmg file will initiate the software installation

    Windows: Launching nay of the downloaded .exe files will extract all installation files to C:\Autodesk by default. If your installation packages is larger than 2GB, you may see multiple .exe files in your download folder with similar product names. After all files are extracted to the installation history directory, locate the extracted files and launch the setup.exe file to start installation.

    *Note: If you receive the message “Error: Product Download consists of multiple files” (shown below) when you attempt to extract the installation files, your web browser’s pop-up blocker prevented one or more files from downloading. Disable your pop-up blocker and attempt the download again.

    Download and Installation Tips

    Disabling pop-up blocker required: Installation files larger than 2GB are divided into multiple files that will download simultaneously. You must disable your pop-up blocker before initiating a browser download to download all files successfully.

    Executing any downloaded file activates file extraction: If Multiple .exe files download on a windows system, you may launch any one of them to initiate complete extraction of all the installation files.

    Installing on a network: If you are installing your software on a network, you must download and install the latest version of the Network License Manager.

  • INSTALL SOFTWARE

    After you have downloaded your software using either of the 3 methods mentioned above, you will need to install and activate. We will walk you through the different ways to install based on your needs. Before we go further, please read these notes about installation.

    1. Prepare your system. Check to make sure that your computer is ready before the installation process and that your computer meets the system requirements for the product you will be using. If you have an Industry Collection, each individual product has specific system requirements. If you are running Windows, make sure to download and install the version that matches your operation system (32-bit or 64-bit)
    2. Verify you are using certified hardware.
    3. Get administrator permissions. If you are installing on your own computer, you can skip this step. If you are not installing on your own computer, you’ll need to confirm you have local user administrative permissions. For Windows users, you can check this by going to Control Panel > User Accounts > Manage User Accounts

    *Note: Domain User Administrative permissions may not be sufficient to install Autodesk software on your computer. Contact your system administrator if you don’t have Local User Admin permissions. If you need to give yourself administrative rights, you can temporarily turn off User Account Control (UAC). Be sure to turn it on again after installation.

    1. Empty your TEMP folder. To open this folder, type %TEMP% in the address bar of Windows Explorer and press enter. If your product installation fails and you need to contact MG.aec for support, we may need to review install logs created in this TEMP folder during this product installation attempt.
    2. Install System Updates, Disable Anti-Virus Programs & Exit Applications. Install all available system updates and restart your computer. Exit all applications that are currently running so that they do not interfere with the install. Anti-virus programs can also interfere with this process, so temporarily disable this to avoid errors.
    3. Review Documentation. Review these links found on the bottom left corner of the main installation screen:

    1. Locate Serial # and Product Key. This information can be located on the expanded product details page in Autodesk Account. You may need to select “view all serial numbers” on the bottom of the product details if you are installing a previous version of software. Note: for Subscription products, all versions will have the same Serial number, but a different product key.

    Install the Downloaded Files

    1. To install on a Windows Computer, find and double click the downloaded files to start the installation. You can find them in the following locations:

    Windows Explorer > Downloads folder

    Chrome – click the icon in the bottom left corner of the screen.

    Internet Explorer – click “run” in the yellow outlined box in the bottom center of your screen.

    Firefox – click the download arrow in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

    1. Click Install/Install on this Computer
    2. Do the following and click Install
      1. Select the products or components to install
      2. Specify where the installed files will be located. If you don’t want to use the default path, specify a new one. Note that the path name cannot exceed 260 characters. This process can take several minutes

    1. When the installation is done you’ll see a list of the installed software components. Click finish to close the installer.

    1. You will likely need to activate the first time you start your software. Follow activation instructions
  • USER MANAGEMENT

    For both maintenance plan and subscription licenses, we recommend assigning users to the product(s) and service(s) in order to manage your installed seats more effectively and to ensure you are within the Autodesk License Compliance Rules. Here are some quick instructions on how to add and remove users in Autodesk Account. Note* You must be a Contract Manager or Software Coordinator to access the user management area of the site.

    Adding Users

    1. Sign in to Autodesk Account at manage.autodesk.com
    2. Click on the Users icon in the left-hand navigation menu

    1. Click the arrow next to a user name to display the following information:
    • Name and Email address
    • Product & Services: Number of software assets or cloud services assigned to a user
    • Benefits: Items such as access to software downloads and customer support
    • Status: A check indicates the user has accessed assigned benefits

     

    1. Click the + Add button to activate the Add Users window
    2. Enter the email address, first and last name (all required). The email address is the user’s Autodesk ID and is unique to their account
    3. Check “I’d like to add access to the user(s) now” if you wish to manage access to products and benefits
    • Note that added users will have access to their personal Autodesk Account but will not have access to products and benefits until they are assigned
    1. Click the Save & Continue button or Add Another User if adding more than one user individually

     

    1. To add multiple users, click the + Add button and select Bulk Add
    2. Type or paste a list of users into the entry field. As many as 50 users can be added at one time
    3. Check “I’d like to add access to benefits to the user(s) now if you wish to manage access to products & benefits
    4. Click the Save & Continue button

     

     

    Removing Users

    Remove a user’s permissions for software and services on a subscription contract in Autodesk Account before you delete them to make sure these services are available to other users. After removing permissions, you can delete the user if he/she should no longer be a named user on your account. Removing a user from the product/service/contract does not delete a user’s personal Autodesk Account.

    You cannot delete Contract Managers or Software Coordinators until those roles are assigned to a new user.

     

    1. Unassign all software and services before removing a user from an account.
    2. Locate the name of the user you wish to remove and click the X on the user record
    3. Click Remove to confirm that you wish to remove the user from all contracts or click Cancel

     

    Setting User Permissions for Products, Services, and Support

    Now that you have your named users in the system, you need to make sure they are assigned to not only products, but cloud services and subscription benefits like product updates, rendering, sustainability analysis tools, and storage.

    1. From the user management tab, you can expand the user details by clicking on the blue arrow next to their name and email address:

    2. Click the Edit Access link to the right of the user’s name or select multiple users and select Edit Access from the Actions pull-down menu.

    3. Select Benefits from the Edit Access screen to display the available contracts and options. Click the arrow next to the contract number to expand the contract information display. Change the options in the Show menu at the top to limit the number of contracts shown.

    4. Click to the check the box next to each of the Benefits listed that you wish to assign to the user(s). Click the Save button when finished.

                    Product Downloads: Allows the download of full installer files for Autodesk Software from Autodesk Account. If you do not want to allow users to            download and install their own software, do not assign this benefit. Note: This assignment applies to all contracts.

                    Web Support: Allows the user to see the “View my support cases” option in the support menu and submit support requests as a benefit of a paid            subscription contract.

                     Product Extensions: Allows the download and installation of software through Autodesk Account that adds functionality to or enhances features of           software products on the contract. If you wish to control access to additional software downloads, do not assign this benefit.

    Note: In this example, all benefits (2/2) have been assigned for a single contract, but the same benefits have not been granted (0/2) for the second contract on the account.

    5. Select Products & Services to display the available contracts and options. Click the arrow next to the contract number to expand the information display. Change the options in the Show menu at the top to limit the number of contracts shown.

    6. Click to check the box next to each of the products and services that you wish to assign to the user(s). Click the Save button when finished.

    • Products: Listed by software title. Assigning an available seat allows that user to activate and use the software listed.
    • Services: Controls access to online storage and other cloud services associated with a software title. Options vary depending on the software. Please refer to your software documentation for descriptions of available services.

    Note: In this example, a single available seat for AutoCAD LT has been assigned to the user along with 4/4 available cloud services. No access to Maya LT on a different contract was granted.

  • NETWORK LICENSE ADMINISTRATION

    Network or Multi-User licenses allow a number of users on the same TCP/IP network to share access to Autodesk products. The Network License Manager (NLM), installed on one or more servers, controls the distribution of licenses to users.

    When you start an Autodesk product, it requires a license from the license server through the network. If a license is available, NLM assigns a license to the computer, and the number of available licenses on the license server is reduced by one. When you exit a product, the license returns to the NLM. If you run multiple sessions of an Autodesk product on an individual computer, only one license is used. When the last session is closed, the license is released.

    The following three items mange the distribution and availability of licenses:

    License Manager Daemon: The application Imgrd or Imgrd.exe handles the original contact with your Autodesk software and passes the connection to the vendor daemon. By using this approach, a single Imgrd daemon can be used by multiple software vendors to provide license authentication. The Imgrd daemon starts and restarts the vendor daemons as needed.

    Autodesk Vendor Daemon: The application adskflex or adskflex.exe tracks the Autodesk licenses that are checked out and the computers that are using them. Each software vendor has a unique vendor daemon to manage vendor-specific licensing. Note: If the adskflex vendor daemon terminates for any reason, all users lose their licenses until lmgrd restarts the vendor daemon or until the problem causing the termination is resolved.

    License File: The license file is a text file with a .lic extension that authorizes the use of the network license on specific server hardware. This file can be manually generated through Autodesk Account. License file generation is covered in its own section on this page.

    Choosing a Network License Server Model

    You can choose from three server models for distributing Autodesk software licenses across a network using the Network License Manager. All server models can include any combination of Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux servers.

    Single License Server Model

    The single license server model is the most basic configuration available. The Network License Manager is installed on only one server, which means all license management and activity is restricted to one single location. A single license file represents the total number of licenses available on the server.

    Advantages

    • Because all license management takes place on one server, you have just one point of administration and one point of failure.
    • Of the three license server models, this configuration requires the least amount of maintenance.

    Disadvantages

    • If this single server license fails, the Autodesk product(s) cannot run until the server is back online.

    Distributed License Server Model

    In the distributed license server model, your software licenses are divided across more than one server. Each server contains a unique license file, representing a portion of your total number of licenses. The Network License Manager is installed on each server so all license activity and management is distributed among the number of servers that best suits your needs. The group of servers that make up your distributed network is called the “server pool.”

    Advantages

    • Servers can be distributed across a wide area network (WAN) and do not need to exist on the same subnet.
    • If one server in the distributed server pool fails, the licenses on the remaining servers are still available.
    • If you need to replace a server in the distributed server pool, you do not need to rebuild the entire pool.
    • Server replacement is easier than in a redundant server pool, where you must reactivate the entire pool.

    Disadvantages

    • If a server in the distributed server pool fails, the licenses on that server are unavailable.
    • This model can require more time for setup and maintenance than other models.

    Redundant License Server Model

    In the redundant license server model, all of your software licenses are configured on three different servers. Each server contains the same license file so all of your software licenses are available on each server. The Network License Manager is installed on each server and can monitor and issue licenses as long as at least two of your three servers are functional. In the redundant license server model, all three servers must be located on the same subnet and have consistent network communications.

    Advantages

    • If one of the three servers fails, all licenses that are managed in the server pool are still available.

    Disadvantages

    • If more than one server fails, no licenses are available.
    • All three servers must reside on the same subnet and have reliable network communications. The redundant server pool does not provide network fault tolerance.
    • If one of the three servers is replaced, the complete redundant server pool must be rebuilt.

  • CLOUD CREDITS

    Cloud credits are the unit of measurement required to perform certain tasks such as creating a rendering or running a simulation in a cloud environment using Autodesk cloud services. Cloud credits are available for purchase in packs of 100 and purchased cloud credits will have a 12-month life before they expire, as long as the contract remains active. Cloud credits expire if a contract becomes inactive or is renewed late, and they are not replenished if a contract reactivates post-expiration. Any purchased cloud credits left over at the conclusion of the contract will expire and will no longer be usable.

    Below are the Autodesk A360 products and services that use cloud credits, as well as the cloud services that are part of a subscription or maintenance plan:

     

    While not considered standard entitlements, maintenance plan customers receive “early access” to the following cloud services:

    Purchasing Cloud Credits

    Cloud credits can only be purchased by subscribers or maintenance plan holders. You can purchase cloud credits from MG.aec or directly through Autodesk Account. When a new user is initially added to their first subscription or maintenance plan product and contract, Autodesk gives that individual 100 free starter cloud credits for personal use that cannot be shared or transferred between users.

    Contract Managers or Software Coordinators can purchase cloud credits for a contract and all users assigned to products on that contract can use the cloud credits for services that consume or require cloud credits. The users will be able to consume the shared cloud credits on the contract after their 100 free starter cloud credits are used. Additionally, contract managers or software coordinators can turn on/off access to cloud services for named users if needed. Cloud credits are good for 1 year from the date of purchase as long as the contract is active.

    Shared cloud credits are associated with the contract under which they were purchased. If you move from one contract to another via migration, maintenance to subscription, or the contract expires – the cloud credits do not automatically follow. Only the remaining individual free starter cloud credits will follow each end user.

    To purchase cloud credits:

    1. login to manage.autodesk.com and pick on the Reporting icon.
    2. click get cloud credits (make sure you are selecting the correct contract if you are the contract manager or software coordinator)
    3. enter the billing and payment information and click review order

    Individual starter cloud credits are only allocated one time in the lifetime of an end user account. They are not given each time a user is added to a subsequent contract or reissued once they have been consumed; a single named user will only be allocated 100 starter cloud credits one time regardless of the number of contracts or services that user is associated with. Starter cloud credits are not available for purchase or transfer, nor are they available for sharing or pooling with other individuals/end users. If an employee leaves the company, that employee is removed from the named user list on the contract and his/her cloud credits are no longer available for use.

    Accessing cloud credits and services that use cloud credits

    A user must be assigned to the service by the contract manager or software coordinator, this can be done in Autodesk Accounts portal. After access is granted, users can use their starter cloud credits to run the service. Users will consume their 100 starter credits before drawing from the purchased credits if available. If no individual credits or shared contract credits are available, users cannot run the services and will need to ask their contract manager or software coordinator to purchase more credits. You can purchase credits through Autodesk Account, or through MG.aec.

    Metering Usage

    All cloud services that consume cloud credits are metered. After all the cloud credits have been used, services requiring cloud credits will no longer function until additional cloud credits have been purchased. Cloud credits have a value of “1”. Different tasks have different cloud credit usage rates depending on the type and size of the task. More complex services and tasks have hither cloud credit usage rates. “Variable usage rate” provides you options, such as quality and size, for how your task is run that will impact the number of cloud credits required to complete a task when using a cloud service. For example, a large, high-quality rendering will have a higher usage rate than a small, low-quality image. Cloud credit requirements will depend on the service.

    For other cloud services included with a subscription, maintenance plan, or service agreement, Autodesk 360 cloud services can be used – at no extra cost – until the end of the current contract or until otherwise notified by Autodesk (either directly or through our products or services) that cloud credits are available for purchase to run that service, whichever happens first (i.e. Green Building Studio, ReCap Photo).

Need help? Contact us for support.