hi,

I saw the message "could not connect to server/could not validate activation" for some time, but ignored it as the program was functioning as it should. but now it was set to demo mode. this is really annoying. my internet is on and I even deactivated my firewall to check it out, but the program refuses to connect to your servers. additionally when I click on "online help" in the program menu, the page is not found. I remember that I have reported this issue months ago and was told this would be fixed in the next update.

I have updated the program to the latest version available in my renderosity account which is 6.1.0.1 running on a winfows 7 64 bit machine. right now firewall is off, but when I click on "check for updates" an error message pops up telling me "A network error occured. Please check your internet connectivity and try again."

please help me to fix this issue quickly ...

greetings bosArt

forgot to mention, that I own the pro version ...

 Please make sure that your Pro-6 license is the only registration key used and put in the top field (with nothing in the upgrade field).  You also have to make sure you have put in your first and last name along with your email address and that you have good internet connection. The 6.1.0.2 update should be coming out around mid-Aug to fix the old links in the help menu.

this worked. thank you very much for your quick reply

greetings bosArt

I just jump on this thread because I have the same problem - but a lot worse.

I didn't use the tool for qute some time and I actually can't remember if I ever started v6 after the upgrade purchase at all (I most likely did, because it was installed next to my other 3D related tools).

However, when I launched it today (for the first time in a long time), all that I get is the error box:

"Demo mode enabled. Please connect to the internet and restart the program so Blacksmith3D can check in with the server"

There is a "OK" button but it doesn't do ANYTHING, no matter how often I hit it. So I can't select any menu within the software since it never starts, I can't even quit it - instead I need to option-command-ESC it from the Finder.

Oh how I hate this virtual dongle protection stuff, if I'd known before clearly I'd probably didn't buy it... (sorry for the rant)

Anyway, how can I get it back to life now?

OS-X 10.6.x (all updates), 64bit mode, Blacksmith3D-v6.1.0.1-Mac (the latest I can find), internet connection is perfectly fine and fast (I actually just post through it right now)

 This sounds like you have a firewall or anti-spyware/anti-virus protection that is blocking the software from being able to make it's needed internet connection.  The other issue of it locking up the program so it can't close definitely shouldn't happen. I'm now headed to report that issue to our programmer to get that fixed.

This sounds like you have a firewall or anti-spyware/anti-virus protection that is blocking the software from being able to make it's needed internet connection.

Certainly not for outgoing calls as far as the firewall is concerned, and definitely no spyware protection.

However, even if that would be the case, it is no excuse for getting locked up in a loop with the same error box - at least it should QUIT.

I wasn't aware that the software is totally useless without the virtual dongle mechanism at every single startup. However, I did buy it and so I would prefer to be able to use it... so please try to fix this.

If I can run any further test please just let me know. If you want my serial I can PM it to you or just tell me an eMail address for better communication.

 There are some firewalls and anit-virus/spyware software that restricts individual software programs.  It could also be that something (firewall, anti-virus) is stopping Blacksmith3D from having access to write into it's AppData file. I'll have to check into exactly where that resides on a Mac and get back to you.

You are correct. That it's no reason for the software to be locking up. That is definitely a bug, and that will get fixed.

I don't run a "software" firewall, neither the OS-X one nor any external, but there's a hardware firewall in the router. But that can't be any issue unless your server would try to connect to my Mac from the outside independent of your app phoning home.

And there is no anti-spyware/virus software running.

Of you want me to bypass the hardware firewall you would need to tell me the port that your software tries to enter other people's hardware (without telling)... sorry if I may sounf harsh, but are we actually discussing malware behaviour now?

I am having the same problem on both Windows 8 and Windows 10, I also cannot get the software to register.

When I enter in my first/last name + email, and the key... I get messages:

"Error connecting to server. Please connect to the internet and/or allow Blacksmith3D through the firewall/etc. and try again."

"Please restart the program to complete the registration process."

"!Registration successful."

If I turn off Windows Firewall I can get the "Error connecting to server...." message to go away, but it doesn't matter.

Even leaving the firewall turned off permanently, registration never takes... fields are remembered when I go to "register...." menu option, but I can't ever get Save option, etc to be enabled.  

Since I can't save, I can't use program at all really.

OK so I read the very first item in the FAQ about this... then went to the Rendersoity link to check my serial numbers.
Turns out I was trying the v5 serial number... when I entered the new v6 "upgrade" number in the main serial number field (NOT the upgrade field) it seems to have worked and the error messages have gone away.

Blacksmith3D posted at 10:31PM Thu, 17 September 2015 - #4215356

 Please make sure that your Pro-6 license is the only registration key used and put in the top field (with nothing in the upgrade field).  You also have to make sure you have put in your first and last name along with your email address and that you have good internet connection. The 6.1.0.2 update should be coming out around mid-Aug to fix the old links in the help menu.

So, I had this issue, I did as instructed, and now it starts up. Doesn't say it's in demo mode or anything, but any textures exported are watermarked all over the place.

Hello ChangelingChick,

Please email a screenshot of your registration page and copy of your project file to info@blacksmith3d.com with your version info included so that we can help get your issue resolved.

Thanks!

It finally started working. I have no idea what changed. Not sure why it bugged up in the first place either. Thank you though :D

Glad to hear it's working, but you can still send us the info so we can make sure nothing is wrong. It sounds like it might have been a lighting setting (since it started working again, it may have gone back to a default setting).

OK, so two months have passed and absolutely NOTHING did happen in order to get this to work.

I do have a firewall in the router, but only an ordinary one that blocks uninvited alien attempts from outside scanning random ports. Whatever wants to get out, actually gets out, and whatever asks for a reply will get the reply. If the hardware firewall should be the problem, then Blacksmith obviously behaves like malware and tries to make "uninvited" calls from outside to unknown ports. Is this true? Then tell me the port and I'll lift it, once.

But I doubt it. Fact is, that I paid money for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, and that (obviously) no one seems to even bother about it.

I can promise that I will never do the same mistake again, paying for virtual-dongle software by an obscure company, however, I did the mistake in the first place, so this is another final attempt:

You sold me a software that does nothing but throwing an error-box on every launch that can't be cancelled, and can only be killed by the Finder/process window.

"Is this it", or are you actually going to repair it? If you are able to fix this rubbish then I kindly but firmly ask you to do it now.

If Blacksmith3D is just "vapourware" that was never intended to perform anything else than this error box, then I'm afraid to say that I consider this to be fraud. Sorry if I sound angry, but - actually - I am angry.

I do know that I have no legal power to claim this at this time and any more, but - if this error box is the only function of the "software", then I hereby claim back my money.

Hoping that it (still) may get fixed, MartinC

Hello MartinC,

Sorry, I missed seeing that you were still having issues. We will be glad to refund the purchase. I am just curious though if you ever made sure that you are ONLY putting the Pro-6 license in the first "registration" key field without anything in the 'update' field & that you copied and pasted the registration key from your account history? You may want to email us a screenshot of your registration window to info@blacksmith3d.com so we can try to verify it. We have found that another International user had an issue with special foreign language characters in the name and address field. Could that be an issue for you?

The thing is that I can't provide you with any of these further informations at all, since the program locks on start.

I describe it again: Whenever I launch the application, it immediately throws an error box with the "viking/beard" icon and the sentence: "Demo mode enabled. Please connect to the internet and restart the program so that Blacksmith3D can check it with the server"

The box only has one "OK" button, and this button does nothing. The button reacts with a tiny "flicker" when I click it (so it "responds" and is not frozen) but the box stays open and that's it. On top of the screen there is the "Blacksmith3D" menu (right beside the "Apple" menu), but it is empty - no menu items, especially no "Quit". And of course it doesn't respond to Command-Q.

In other words, it is entirely locked and the only way to stop it is to envoke the "kill process" window in the Finder and to shoot it there. I would love to send you a screenshot of the registration dialog, if only the program would actually step anywhere behind this error box. Will mail you a screenshot later this day.

I did buy an upgrade license from version 5, so I guess that I actually entered that key. Can't remember it, long time ago (by now). My address details do not contain diacritical characters.

Thanks for sending the info through email. Hope you got our reply, and we look forward to hearing whether or not that fixes the issue.