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# Q100338: Differences between Katana interactive and Katana render licenses

#### SUMMARY

This article explains which type of license is required for the different modes Katana can be launched in.

#### MORE INFORMATION

There are two types of license for Katana, interactive licenses (katana_i) and render licenses (katana_r). The type of license required depends on the mode Katana is launched in.

Katana Interactive Mode:

Running Katana in Interactive Mode (GUI) requires a Katana interactive license (katana_i).

Katana interactive mode is typically used by artists or technical developers to set up or light projects and to render via the Preview, Live or Disk Render commands.

NOTE: Using a Katana interactive license does not allow you to access the terminal modes (batch, script or shell), these require a Katana render license.

Katana Terminal Modes:

Katana has three terminal modes - batch, script and shell modes. All terminal modes require a katana render license (katana_r).

- Batch mode is used to render a Kanana scene from a terminal.
- Script mode is used to execute Python scripts in Katana's Python environment
- Shell mode exposes Katana's Python interpreter in the terminal shell

NOTE: Licenses are used on a one-per-host machine basis. If you are rendering your Katana scenes on your Render Farm, using either batch or script mode, then each render machine will require a katana_r license.