Support

Something not working? Tell me.

VanguardFX is one developer, not a call centre — which means your message reaches the person who wrote the code, and usually gets an answer within a day.

Before you write: the answers below cover most of what people ask, and they are instant.

Common answers

My licence key is refused / "This licence belongs to a different computer"

A licence is tied to the machine it was issued for. If you have changed motherboard, reinstalled Windows onto different hardware, or are running under a virtual machine, the machine ID your computer reports has changed and the key no longer matches.

Send me the new hardware ID from the plugin panel and I will reissue the key for the new machine. There is no charge for a transfer.

The trial expired but I want more time to evaluate

The 7-day trial is per email address and it does stop at the end of the seventh day — that is deliberate, not a bug. If you were mid-way through a real evaluation and ran out of time, write to me and say what you were testing. I would rather you made a decision on evidence than on a countdown.

Which versions of 3ds Max are supported?

3ds Max 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027, 64-bit. The installer places the right build for each version you have installed — you do not choose.

The solver needs an NVIDIA GPU with CUDA. It will not run on AMD or on integrated graphics.

I paid but have not received my licence

Payments are checked by hand — I look at every one personally, which means it is not instant, but it also means nobody is left stuck in an automated loop. If it has been more than a day, write below with the email you paid from and I will find it.

The plugin is slow, or my simulation does not look right

Open the plugin panel and press WRITE DIAGNOSTIC. It writes a text file describing the exact state of your scene, your GPU, and what the solver thinks is wrong — there is a section in it literally headed "what is wrong, in words".

Attach that file to your message. It usually turns a week of back-and-forth into one reply.

Can I use VanguardFX on commercial work?

Yes. Every paid plan includes commercial use, on the machine the licence is issued for. The 7-day trial is for evaluation only, which is what its 40-frame export allowance is there to keep it to.

Write to me

Your message goes straight to the developer. Nothing is shared with anyone, and the address is used only to reply to you.